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I wouldn't be too inclined to worry about the "Karens" of the world. Judging by recent posts, us old timers have too many other pressing issues that concern us. (BTW, I had no idea what the term referred to and had to look it up.)

From Thai News Service 5th Monkeypox Case BANGKOK, Aug 15 (TNA) – Thailand has its fifth monkeypox case who is a Thai woman returning from Dubai, according to the Department of Disease Control. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the department, said the Thai woman aged 25 years arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Aug 14. She was sick and detected by disease control officials at the airport. The woman was cooperative with the officials. Dr Opas said that she had blisters on her body and tested positive for monkeypox. She was sent to hospital for treatment. No one was in close contact with her except two foreign passengers who sat next to her on the plane. Officials were following the foreigners in accordance with their surveillance measures, the director-general said. Monkeypox was not easily transmitted through shared meals or breathing. Infection needed very close contact which was not limited to intercourse, he said. There were more than 30,000 monkeypox cases worldwide and only about six of them died of the disease, Dr Opas said. (TNA)

The sad truth is that we will continue to bemoan the system that made a catastrophe like this possible but it's only a matter of time before it happens again. Corruption grants justice only to the privileged. It's the crime that never stops giving. This victim suffered one of the most excruciating deaths possible yet the persons responsible are unlikely to suffer any consequences. From Pattaya News 19th victim succumbs A 23-year-old woman who was the girlfriend of the deceased singer in the Mountain B club fire died today, August 15th. Athitaya, who was also the girlfriend of the singer who previously passed away in the fire is the 19th fatality of the Mountain B club fire in Chonburi’s Sattahip district. Her mother who asked TPN media not to reveal her full name told her story on Facebook, “I was allowed to see my daughter on Mother’s Day, August 12th. She was wrapped in bandages with only her nose and mouth exposed for a breathing tube and was barely responsive. The doctor told me her body was burnt almost 100 percent, but she could still hang on due to her age.” On August 13th, her mother carried on, “I was lost for words when my daughter’s child asked me about her. Her symptoms only got worse. She had blood poisoning. I knew she wanted to communicate because I saw her cry. I thanked everyone for the blood donations needed.” On August 14th, her mother wrote on Facebook, “The doctor said my daughter was incredibly strong to hang on this long despite her excruciating injuries. But they told me she might not be able to pass this night. Her heart could stop beating anytime.” Finally, on August 15th, the mother confirmed on Facebook that her daughter Athitaya has passed away at the age of 23.

Although you don't hear a lot about it, Thailand has had an aircraft carrier in service since 1997. In addition to its role as a combatant vessel, the HTMS Chakri Naruebet is well suited to disaster relief and humanitarian missions, with the ability to serve as a forward base for helicopters and small boats and to receive casualties while transporting food and supplies. It saw duty in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and flooding incidents in Thailand. This article tells the story of the Navy's flagship as well as providing a brief history of naval aviation in the Kingdom. From The Warzone https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/the-harriers-are-gone-but-thailands-unlikely-aircraft-carrier-sails-on

I think you'd first have to have loved someone in order to answer that question.

I was surprised--and pleased!--to learn that DB's has abandoned its practice of featuring only Thai boys. Kudos on a great update. 👍

From The Thaiger To celebrate two royal birthdays, His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit, over 100,000 people in Thai prison have received some level of clemency. HM the King celebrated his 70th birthday this year on July 28 and yesterday the Queen Mother celebrated her 90th birthday. In total 103,613 incarcerated people received a royal pardon, according to the Corrections Department. Of those to receive royal pardons, 80,791 inmates were granted a reduced sentence in their prison terms, while 22,822 were given an early release and were placed on parole. The amnesty was extended to over 100,000 prisoners, but many noted that several high-profile inmates were passed over for royal clemency. Perhaps the most sensational, Pol. Col. Thitisan Uttanaphon, well-known as Joe Ferrari, was not granted any reduction or parole. He was sentenced to life in prison after horrific video footage was leaked showing him and six other police officers restraining a drug suspect with six plastic bags over his head in custody, who was tortured and suffocated to death. Former Minister of Commerce Boonsong Teriyapirom was also passed over for any reduction or release. He was sentenced to 48 years in prison on corruption charges related to rice contracts between governments. And former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong, who is currently serving two years in prison due to a vote-buying scandal in a local election in 2014, was also denied a royal pardon. According to the director-general of the Corrections Department, the three notorious inmates were not eligible for royal pardons. To receive a pardon, prisoners must serve at least one-third of their prison sentence or at least eight years before receiving royal amnesty. There is not even an exception granted for elderly inmates over 70.

From The Thaiger

From Thai PBS World 17-year-old becomes 18th victim to die An 18th person has died in the tragic Chon Buri pub fire, this time a young girl of 17 called Mind, who had been on life support in the hospital since the night of the fire. “Mind” was the third minor to die in the fire, after a 17 year old and an 18 year old (a friend of Mind’s) were found dead inside the club after the fire. The legal age to be in a bar or club in Thailand is 20 and the owners say they don’t know how underage people were able to get inside the pub. A week after a deadly fire ripped through the Mountain B Pub in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri, 27 patrons that night are still in the hospital. Of those, 10 are in serious condition and require ventilators. There were originally 41 reported injuries, though it was later revised to 38 in the hospital immediately after the fire. 13 people died inside the club, while over the next few hours and days five more people have now died in the hospital.

"you's guys" was the patois of the North End and Eastie. You really didn't want to be caught speaking the King's English in either place. 😄

Connery43, I see that you joined the board on New Year's eve ,1969. And you've only posted 31 times in the following 53 years! You're a man of few words for someone who purports to "be a big fan of this site." 🤣

If there is a flip side to the anxiety and pain--and for some, wasted years of suppression--there remains the fact that many of us would have never made our way to Thailand as a way of escaping the psychic straitjacket that ruled our lives for far too long. Irregardless of where we're from, that's the commonality that many of us here share. Younger men who grew up in a different era may have difficulty in appreciating what harm bigots can do, even when those bigots are close family members. It's only when someone unexpectedly open up about it (and that seems to occur when the topic is about something else altogether) that we acknowledge that we're more alike than we are different. So if the forum can serve as a vehicle of catharsis, so much the better.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Starting in September 2022, anybody rich enough can have a Thai digital work permit automatically awarded by the Department of Employment. Under the 10-year Long Term Residence Visa (LTRV), high-potential foreigners including top-flight executives, serious investors, hi-tech innovators, ageing retirees and even the idle-rich are welcome. They are targets of the government’s program to entice affluent aliens to boost the post-covid economy. The definition of affluent varies according to the application category. Basically, if you think one million baht is a fortune, forget the idea. LTRV is managed by the cash-conscious Board of Investment and not by embassies or the immigration bureau. Further employment attractions of the LTRV are that holders can work legally without the former requirement of a ratio of one foreign permit for four Thais in the company. High-flyers will benefit from a flat-rate income tax of 17% instead of the 35% charged on income greater than US$140,000, although they will still need to fill in an annual tax form. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, spokesman for the Board of Investment, explained that he expected most applicants to be people working in hi-tech industries such as electric vehicles, biotechnology and electronics. Some already have the four-year Smart visa, which doesn’t require a separate work permit and is clearly in direct competition with LTRV. In recent years, the once-draconian Thai work permit rules – which once even cast doubt on whether painting your neighbor’s fence as a favour might be legal as it removed a Thai’s right of employment – have become far softer. Two royal decrees of 2017 actually abolished large chunks of the Alien Workers Act of 2008 and, for the first time, legalized (without the need for a permit) attending conferences or business meetings. Not to mention “emergency” working under 15 days and participating in sports or cultural events. As is typical in Thai legislation, there is scope for argument. Whether company directors or voluntary workers can rest easy is debatable. Suffice it to say that there haven’t been reports of any prosecutions of those groups lately. Instead, immigration police and Labour Department investigators have concentrated on specific groups of offenders. Permit-less foreign teachers remain vulnerable in certain schools which promise a work permit but never seem to get round to it. The owners are anxious to reduce their tax liability on salaries, but jealous rival schools sometimes make a complaint. Also at risk are foreigners seemingly taking jobs from Thais. Recently in Phuket, locals complained bitterly that the island’s entertainment and hospitality industries had been virtually taken over by aliens on tourist visas or even with overstay status. Press reports did not indicate the nationalities of the offenders who may have been unregistered Asians. Another ambiguous group are digital nomads for whom there is no specific visa in Thailand. Most survive on tourist visas and are left untouched by the authorities as long as they are not publicly reducing the earning potential of Thai nationals. The Board of Investment is keen on attracting remote workers and its website trumpets a survey designating Bangkok as the world’s second-best location. But whether most nomads will be interested in the LTRV with its attendant bureaucracy and need to prove a high income is far from clear. So it is still broadly true that working in Thailand requires a non-immigrant business visa and a work permit. But it’s by no means entirely true.

From Bangkok Post People are being warned to remain vigilant against websites imitating the homepages of government agencies with the intent to steal sensitive data and carry out financial scams. Cybercriminals are hosting fake government websites to intercept people’s data or even hack into their mobile devices, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Friday. Thai government website URLs only end in “.go.th” and not “.com”, she said. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367413/public-warned-against-fake-government-websites

"...today they're the honored dead."

The Thaiger reports that not wearing a seat belt in the rear seat of the car in Thailand will soon be punishable by a 2,000 baht fine. The rule will come into effect 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette on September 5, this year. ============== The National News Bureau reports that the Bank of Thailand (BoT) hiked its key interest rate for the first time in nearly four years on Wednesday (August 10), increasing it by a quarter percent to combat growing inflation as the economy recovers. The monetary policy committee voted 6-1 to boost the one-day repurchase rate from a record low of 0.50%, which had remained steady since May 2020, to 0.75 percent.

From The Thaiger Five pre-op transgender men approached a lawyer for help after a breast removal surgery broker scammed them out of 4 million baht. The born females who identify as men are just five of about 25 to have made complaints about the broker, a transgender man, who took their money, and booked surgery but did not pay the clinic for the operations. The five disgruntled victims approached lawyer Ronnarong Kaewphet for help at his office in the Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi Province. The lawyer and his clients filed their complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau yesterday. Ronnarong made public that the pre-op men paid “Tomway,” the nickname of the breast surgery removal broker, for a service that was never delivered and they were fraudulently robbed of about 4 million baht. A beauty clinic owner in Bangkok, Miss Warapaswee (surname reserved), made it known she met the Tomway broker. The 43 year old said he came to her clinic and discussed deals where he wanted 52% of the cost for every customer he delivered to the clinic. “He sent a lot of clients to the clinic. In the first three cases, he transferred the money to the clinic before surgery again. But after the fourth case and onwards there was always an excuse for the late arrival of the payment, such as he was drunk and forgot or I haven’t woken up yet or his wife will transfer the money for the surgery. “The outstanding balance began to increase, almost 200,000 baht, so I had to suspend the surgery until the outstanding money was paid.” https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/pre-op-trans-mens-anger-after-bangkok-breast-removal-broker-scams-them-out-4-million-baht

From The Thaiger Death tolls rises to 17 Another person injured in the Mountain B fire died in hospital this morning, raising the total death toll of the tragedy to 17. The blaze which swept through the nightclub in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, happened a week ago today. Lt. Cl. Palitdet Chumngern, a marine in the Royal Thai Navy, died at 7.54am this morning at Sririraj Hospital, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Relations Office.

From The Thaiger Death toll rises to 16 The Mountain B tragedy continues as another person injured in the fire dies in hospital. A 23 year old man identified as Sittichai Ouilert died at Chon Buri hospital at 10.21pm yesterday, after he was caught in the fire which swept through a Chon Buri nightclub on Thursday night. A total of 13 people died at the scene in the Sattahip district and three people have since died from their injuries in hospital, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office. Of the 42 people injured in the fire, nine people have returned home. Of the 30 people still receiving treatment in hospital, 16 are still on ventilators to help them breathe, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The Tourist Authority of Thailand is pressurizing the government to allow most vacationing foreigners to visit Thailand for up to three months without obtaining a visa from their local Thai embassy abroad. Visitors from 64 countries (including Brits, Russians, Australians, Americans and most mainland Europeans) are already visa-exempt. They obtain 30 days free-of-charge on arrival which can be extended for a further month at Thai immigration on payment of 1,900 baht. If the Thai Cabinet, as expected, accepts the proposal, these periods would become 45-plus-45 days for a total of three months. A similar discretion would apply to those from 19 countries (including mega-markets China and India) whose citizens require a visa-on-arrival costing 1,900 baht (US$54) at Thai airports. Currently, they receive only 15 days but would now receive 45 days plus a further 45 days extension. TAT is also proposing abolition of the fee, but this is thought less likely for budgetary reasons. The movement towards 90 day entry without involving embassies in the home country is partly to end visa application delays, but more especially to encourage longer stays and higher spending. Thai authorities seem determined right now to ease entry for foreigners. Pre-flight and online registration, anti-Covid insurance and even the TM6 address card have all been suspended. Arriving passengers no longer have to fill in any forms, although Ministry of Health officials may conduct random health checks on anyone looking ill. The experience compares favorably with Cambodia, for instance, where all foreigners must fill in a visa application, a health questionnaire and a customs declaration all collected at different desks. Yuthasak Supasorn, the TAT governor, this week also announced that the 300 baht tourist fee, to be levied on foreigners, would not now be implemented for “one or two years” as the imperative is get tourist numbers up from the doldrums. The tax had been heavily criticized as not worth the hassle. Security expert Colin Ross said Thai authorities had finally realized that form-filling was a poor way of monitoring foreigners. “Computerization of records and tracking people’s GPS location via mobile phones makes a lot more sense,” he said. He added that once virtual passports replace the documentary version, travellers’ identity and biometrics would be stored in a cloud. No need to carry the passport or fear it being stolen. But that’s a few years away yet. =========================== From Pattaya News Propose end of hospitels and hotel isolation in September The Department of Health Service Support of the Ministry of Public Health is planning to propose the cancellation of hospitel and hotel isolation on September 1st. Director-General Dr. Thares Krasanaiyarawiwong revealed on Wednesday, August 10th, that the Department will propose the cancellation to the Public Health Ministry after the resolving situation of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. The proposal will be introduced to Minister Anutin Charnvirakul before being issued as a Public Health announcement in the following step. It is initially planned to be implemented in September, if approved.

If you simply scroll back in this same thread you'll find a link and the comments of others regarding Senso.

It's hardly a secret that the majority of posters here are in the 50+ age group so it's understandable that issues about aging frequently come up. It becomes a time in our lives when we realize when we tend to look back with both fondness and regret. That's perfectly normal. But if we find ourselves dwelling too much on the rear view mirror, we risk allowing it to inhibit our future. At least that's the case for me. From time to time I enjoy reminiscing about earlier days but I'm also keenly aware that I'm increasingly focused on whatever years I have remaining. Vinapu offers sage advice when he encourages us to start planning our next trip. It's not a magic elixir but there are probably few better antidotes to the blues. Growing old and gay presents is own special breed of challenges. As some have written about on these pages, we tend to have few--if any--family members we're comfortable discussing our sexuality with. As much as we'd like to talk about our trips to Thailand, we usually keep it to ourselves or restrict it to forums like this. Yes, it can be quite lonely at times. Posters have described the pain complete strangers have caused them when they're in the company of young men. This also has the potential to inhibit the way we lead our lives. One close friend gave me this advice when I come across someone like that: "See them for what they are in our life: trash. Visualize tossing them in a bag and disposing them along with the rubbish and forget them. They're not worth another second's thought." Regardless of our age, we have enough other issues that we can't avoid, health and finances among them. We deal with them as best we can but we don't have to allow the stares and remarks of bigots stand in our way of happiness.

I rise to defense of Calgary. It's well known for the "greatest outdoor show on earth." The annual, 10-day Calgary Stampede. To paraphrase those great Bangkok lyrics, One night in Calgary and the tough guys tumble. What's not to love?