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But they were going to give you a free upgrade to the "I Love Thailand" suite.🙂

Or maybe it could get dark down there Or maybe car motors not powerful enough for upgrade. Or maybe cars could run out of gas. Or maybe they'll be a leak. Or maybe drivers will be too frightened to use it. Or maybe they sky will fall and break it. 😗

From The Nation Bangkok drivers should find things easier at a notorious congestion blackspot tomorrow, when a 600-metre-long underpass opens at Fai Chai Intersection after 13 years of construction work. City governor Chadchart Sittupunt said the tunnel under the Fai Chai Intersection in Bangkok Noi district will open on Monday from 5am to 10pm to alleviate traffic jams. The tunnel will be closed from 10pm to 5am until construction is finalised. Chadchart did not say when the tunnel would be opened to traffic on a round-the-clock basis. The Bt788-million project, which is being carried out by Kamphaeng Phet Wiwat Construction, began in October 2009. However, construction progress has been delayed by disputes over its size, design and overlap with the Blue Line’s Bang Sue-Tha Phra section. The disputes prompted several revisions of the contract. Chadchart also inspected progress of construction of the 1.34-billion-baht overpass at the busy Na Ranong Intersection connecting Ratchadapisek with Sunthorn Kosa Road, Na Ranong Road and Rama III Road. The Na Ranong overpass is also due to open on Monday at 5am.

The Grand Centre Point Space Pattaya will be flinging its doors open on Monday and promises to become a new bright landmark in this eastern seaside town. Kitti Worrabanpott, managing director of LH Mall & Hotel, said his company has high hopes of Pattaya City becoming an international tourist destination, which is why it decided to spend more than 3 billion baht on building this hotel. Besides, Pattaya is just an hour from Bangkok and offers beautiful seaside vistas as well as plenty of sightseeing venues. The hotel built by LH Mall & Hotel also includes a massive space-themed water amusement park. The space theme has been applied to not just the exterior, but also the interiors, the landscape and the amusement park. The hotel boasts of two restaurants – the Orbit and Sola Luna Rooftop – and the Oort Cloud tearoom. It also has the Space Convention Centre that can accommodate 1,000 people and a massive LED display. Paveen Korbboon, from Palmer and Turner (Thailand) which created the design and architecture, said the space travel theme was applied to every facility in the hotel. For instance, he said, the hotel’s roof and front look like a space shuttle from afar, while rooms sport digital displays of fields of stars. Boonchai Sakulthammarat, from Green Architects which designed the landscape and waterpark, said his company was given free rein to convert 80,000 square metres of space into a space-themed extravaganza. He said a light-and-sound show is held every night to take people on a flight through space. The hotel has 490 rooms and suites between 45 and 133sqm in size. The Space Water Park, meanwhile, is divided into four areas, namely the Mountain Zone, Flying Rock Zone, Space Pirate Beach Zone and Planet Zone.

From The Guardian Thailand’s gay-romance TV dramas help revive flagging tourism industry A scene from I Told Sunset About You – one of the ‘boy-love’ series that has attracted a large following across Asia. Photograph: Nadao Bangkok There is a table in Soontaree Thiprat’s Phuket cafe that is always fully booked. Most of her customers at the Dibuk restaurant want to sit in the corner, at the spot with the red tablecloth and purple flower. It is the table where the male student characters Teh and Oh-aew, played by the actors Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul and Krit “PP” Amnuaydechkorn, would sit together and flirt in I Told Sunset About You and its sequel, I Promised You the Moon, a romantic Thai series that has proved hugely popular in its home country and abroad. Devoted fans of the show, who have flocked not only from across Thailand but also from Japan, Korea and Vietnam, pose for photos as they wait to dine in Billkin and PP’s hangout. “They scream so much that I would like to call an ambulance,” said Soontaree. I Told Sunset About You is part of a recent wave of Thai dramas known as “boys’ love” (BL) – also called the “Y” series in Thailand– whose portrayal of gay romance has attracted a large following across Asia. Already, 17 Thai BL series have been released this year, while 43 were released in 2020 and 2021, according to the fan website Blwatcher.com. The romcom drama series 2gether, one of the BL genre’s biggest hits, surpassed 100m views on the streaming platform Line TV just months after its release. As Thailand tries to rebuild its travel industry, the country’s tourism authority has sought to capitalise on their popularity, hosting “Thai BL” booths at a recent marketing event in Osaka, Japan, where the dramas are especially popular, and running a Japanese-language Twitter account profiling locations featured in famous scenes. Private firms have also responded to the trend. Japanese company HIS recently ran online tours of locations used in the filming of 2gether, while some Thai language teachers have also begun offering lessons that specialise in the slang used in BL dramas. Monruethai Harada, a Thai language teacher at Jaya & 3S Groups in Tokyo, said she has seen a 20-30% increase in students wanting to learn Thai after BL dramas became popular in 2020. Most of them are women aged about 30, though one recent student was 75 years old. “She really loves to watch the boys’ love dramas. She said it’s the most exciting and thrilling ever,” said Monruethai. While BL has its roots in Japanese manga comics, Thai production companies have transformed the genre by adapting it for TV and producing a flurry of popular series, said Rujirat Ishikawa, assistant professor at the School of Cultural and Creative Studies, based in Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin University. “In the past, I don’t think people believed there was a big market for the boys’ love dramas,” she said. Thai BL dramas first boomed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. “Because of Covid, [people] had plenty of time,” said Ishikawa. In Japan, similar TV series are usually only accessible to viewers who have a paid subscription but Thai broadcasters are more relaxed about uploading content online, said Ishikawa. “[Audiences] just say: ‘We watch it on YouTube, it’s free, why not?’” Fans often add subtitles in their languages so that others can also enjoy the dramas.“You can see the internet power here and how it spreads,” said Ishikawa, adding that most fans are drawn to the series by the attractive male actors, the often happy story lines and the music. For Thailand’s struggling tourism industry, the popularity of the dramas is welcome news, though commenters point out that the Thai government, despite talk of building the country’s soft power abroad, has struggled to embrace the genre. “Initially, the Thai state appeared to be in an awkward position about the broadcast of Thai BL drama via traditional mediums like free TV channels,” said Poowin Bunyavejchewin, senior researcher at the Institute of East Asian Studies at Thammasat University in Bangkok. “Yet man has to eat. The Thai state needs money. It is as simple as that.” The majority of BL series are shown in Thailand on alternative platforms that link with smartphones, such as Line TV, added Poowin, which “may ease the concerns of Thai conservatives, as sweet erotic love between young men has not been highly visible to them”. Nor has it interfered with the traditional soap operas broadcasting on free TV channels. But some in the LGBT community have mixed feelings about the dramas. BL offers a happier, more positive portrayal of same-sex relationships than elsewhere in Thai media, where gay love tends to end in tragedy, said Kangwan Fongkaew, a lecturer at Burapha University in Chonburi province, who has studied the representation of LGBT communities in Thai media. But while this is in some ways refreshing, BL dramas do not offer true representations of society. They are generally focused on “puppy love” and omit the realities faced by gay men in Thailand, which still does not have basic rights such as equal marriage, said Kangwan. Viewers, added Kangwan, “might misunderstand that Thailand is a gay paradise, which is totally not true”. The leading characters are also predominantly light-skinned, middle class and educated, he said: “The boys’ love series don’t reflect the real diversity of the LGBT community in Thai society, and that’s why the stigma and discrimination against LGBT are still going on right now.” But he also believes the dramas could bring change, especially if their portrayals of same-sex love become more nuanced or political: “I am still hopeful.”

From Bangkok Post Officials step up monkeypox screening of air travellers The Public Health Ministry is ramping up the screening of air travellers from countries reporting a spread of monkeypox to step up precautions against the disease. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the screening is being conducted at airports and targets travellers from outbreak countries. He said monkeypox is not a serious disease and it is not highly transmissible without direct contact with bodily fluids or lesions or prolonged contact with an infected person. Generally, most patients are able to recover at home, he said. "Monkeypox can be avoided if we take precautions and abstain from risky sexual behaviour," Mr Anutin said. The minister added that monkeypox vaccines will initially be kept for immunisation of frontline healthcare workers first. Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the department has told quarantine offices at international airports across the country to step up the screening of arrivals from countries where monkeypox outbreaks are taking place.

From Bangkok Post A Nok Air Boeing 737-800 slid off the runway while landing at the Mae Fah Luang international airport in the northern province of Chiang Rai in heavy rain on Saturday night but nobody was hurt. According to an announcement issued by the airline on Saturday, Nok Air Flight DD108 (Don Mueang - Chiang Rai) with 164 passengers and six crew members on board departed from Don Mueang airport at 8.03pm and arrived at Mae Fah Luang airport at 9.06pm. While landing, the aircraft slid off the runway because of the heavy rain but the pilots managed to safely bring the aircraft to a halt. All of the passengers and crew members were safely moved to the passenger building. Nobody was injured. As a result, Thai Smile, Thai Vietjet and Thai Air Asia will on Sunday transport their departing passengers by bus from Mae Fah Luang airport in Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai international airport, from where they can further travel by air to their destinations.

TomNG, you'll find that many of your questions are covered in a concurrently running thread in this forum:

Stayed in Amara many times and absolutely no problem with bringing someone back with you. Neither did I have any problem at Raya. You don't have to check in with reception at either location. I found rooms at both hotels comfortable but, as Jimmy Joe pointed out, Amara is much newer property. Rooms and very well appointed and very well maintained. Amara has very good restaurant.

I try to pass along info I come across during my stays but I defer to both Divine Madman and Toyally Oz as they are long-time residents of this great town and have a keen eye for quality and recent developments in that industry we all love. For sheer volume in this area, Vinapu may well hold the indoor record on a time/experience ratio.

From Bangkok Post Hope is being regained that Thai tourism can attract 1 million Russian tourists this year as Aeroflot will resume direct flights to Phuket this winter after a pause of several months due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict. As of July 26, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand stood at 76,739. Most entered the country during the first quarter before Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalated, which prompted the European Union (EU) to impose aviation sanctions against Russia. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said Aeroflot has confirmed the resumption of the Moscow to Phuket service in the winter schedule, starting from Oct 30 with a daily service. "In discussions with tour operators focusing on this market, they are confident about demand to Thailand. The only problem is the lack of connectivity. If Aeroflot can resume direct services as planned, while more airlines could follow in the next few months, we can still anticipate an influx of tourists in the final quarter," said Mr Yuthasak. He said many airlines from Thailand, such as Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia X, were interested in operating this route to replace Russian carriers, but due to sanctions from European countries, technical assistance such as maintenance and shipments of spare parts were also banned over the past few months, as well as insurance that would not provide coverage in such circumstances. However, the EU on July 27 announced an exemption for the sharing of technical information in the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which includes any technical support related to repairs, development, manufacture, assembly, testing, maintenance, or any other technical services. Mr Yuthasak said it has to clarify with related authorities again how this revised sanction from the EU could make any changes to the current aviation situation regarding Russia.

+1 Amara also offers ample western cable channels and compact gym

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon On a recent radio interview with Pattaya’s 103 station, British ambassador Mark Gooding pinpointed the lack of medical insurance by Brits as his biggest takeaway from his tour of the city. The point has been hammered home for 20 years by the UK government, yet above half of all international visitors (not just Brits) are uninsured according to surveys. It’s human nature, of course, to think “the worse won’t happen to me” but there are many reasons for the reality that Brits alone ran up unpaid hospital bills of 300 million baht (8 million pounds) annually prior to the pandemic. That’s according to a report in The Nation newspaper which referenced only state hospitals and omitted the private sector which rarely offers treatment anyway without a copper-bottom guarantee. The first problem is definitional. Mr Gooding advised all visitors to Thailand to buy “travel insurance”, though he is obviously aware that expats or non-tourists likely won’t be covered if they are not based in the home country of departure. Medical Billing Advocates, an international watchdog leader, state that one in seven of all medical insurance claims are denied or rejected. They point out that the confusion between travel insurance, covering some but not all holiday mishaps, and comprehensive medical cover is a common cause of misunderstanding. Several recent cases of sick Brits appealing for crowd-funded donations to get them back to the UK for an emergency operation have been tourists who had not read the small print in policy documentation. Thai authorities during the pandemic made matters murky by insisting all visitors had medical insurance – it started at US$50,000 but ended up at US$10,000 prior to cancellation – but then stating it could be restricted to Covid only illness. In the ensuing confusion, some international visitors failed to appreciate that a traffic accident was not Covid-related, whilst several companies went bust because of the pressure of coronavirus claims. Whilst there were undoubtedly some good policies out there, the cheapest ones claiming a month’s cover for a few pounds were worthless and designed only to survive the nod-and-a-wink Thailand Pass entry bureaucracy. There were even policies claiming to be comprehensive, but in reality only offering cremation benefit, and even then requiring documentary evidence of being Covid-free on initially entering the country. Then we come to the expats. Many on one year extensions of stay, retirement or marriage, turn to agents for help because they lack cash in the bank or income to cover 800,000 or 400,000 baht respectively. The cash-strapped are unlikely to have the funds for comprehensive hospitalization and will simply hope for the best. It is known that a main reason for self-repatriation is fear of falling seriously ill in Thailand. But the only visas currently requiring medical insurance are one type of retirement visa and extension of stay (O/A) and the yet-to-start 10 year LTR or Long Term Resident Visa. There many alternative options without any insurance requirement at all, including the O retirement option and the Elite visa. The latter is seen by many observers as the safest bet because it guarantees multiple-entry for between five and 20 years. Finally, there are the elderly and the super-aged. Insurance companies prefer customers who won’t make a claim so issues like gerontocracy, pre-existing conditions and high cholesterol in a medical report are distancing strategies like no other. So these expats must either sit tight and hope the grim reaper strikes quickly, or pay through the nose, or self-insure. Interestingly, the Thai Cabinet has now authorized self-insurance as a concept, though how it will be implemented by Thai immigration offices, if at all, is not yet crystal clear. Expat residence in Thailand is never much different. Whilst it is platitudinous to go on repeating “get insurance”, it is equally important to recall the legal concept Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware! re

From Coconuts Bangkok Reenter the cave again and again with two more rescue saga adaptations A promotional still for ‘Thai Cave Rescue’. Photo: Netflix The Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives premieres today – but not in Thailand – two days after Netflix pinned a September release date on Thai Cave Rescue, a six-episode limited series about the 2018 ordeal to free the boys and their coach from a flooded cave in northernmost Thailand. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya (Bad Genius, One For the Road), the Netflix dramatization will portray the incident with more emotional heft, focusing on the points of view of the 12 boys and their coach, as well as the volunteers. When it was first announced in 2019, Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu’s name was attached to it. Billed as “the most authentic and expansive retelling yet,” it was filmed in Thailand and is the only project officially sanctioned by the government agency established to control access to those involved. Scenes were shot at the boys’ homes as well as the cave site. It will feature a mostly Thai cast led by Papangkorn “Beam” Lerkchaleampote as football coach Eak, and Thaneth “Ek” Warakulnukroh as Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osottanakorn. It stars Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund and Manatsanun “Donut” Phanlerdwongsakul as Kelly and Pim, who represent real-world hydraulic engineers and park rangers. That it won government support suggests that audiences should expect a noncritical examination of events, given the complaints from Narongsak and other officials over the depiction in the first cinematic treatment of the crisis, 2019’s The Cave. Thirteen Lives, on the other hand, was filmed in Australia, and therefore avoided any creative conflict with the government-created 13 Tham Luang Co. Ltd. The film’s star-studded cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman. Mortensen, Farrell, and Edgerton play cave divers Richard Stanton, John Volanthen, and Richard Harris, respectively. Thirteen Lives will be released Aug. 5 on Amazon Prime, the same day as The Cave is released after a three-year pandemic delay in North America by Lionsgate as Cave Rescue. Thai Cave Rescue premieres Sept. 22 on Netflix. In late June, the boys visited Tham Luang to make alms and pay respects to their rescuers on the fourth-anniversary of their world-gripping ordeal.

Min has discussed Vietnam in some of his recent trip reports.

Thanks, Olddaddy, for your brutal honesty. The issue of aging and loneliness is something I believe all gay men have to come to terms with at some point. It seems to be happening now for you. Some on the forum have found a life partner and that affects their decision to retire to Thailand. Others find that they're simply happier in Thailand than they are in their home country. But for most of us, Thailand remains a frequent destination but not our home base. It has crossed my mind to retire to bkk but I wouldn't consider it unless I could first master the language. Learning any new language is more difficult with age but still possible if you're adequately motivated. I'm not and I can't envision a life in Thailand without being able to communicate in Thai. If you're seeking boyfriend material, maybe just start looking for friends first. Friendships can have a way of turning into more meaningful relationships over time. But if you begin by limiting your field of candidates to sexual contacts, you may find that the relationships never grow beyond that point. In any case, you're still a relatively young old man. You have a right to a happy future and I wish you well on your journey.

From Richardbarrow.com The Luang Phor Pan Festival at Wat Mongkol Kothawas in Klong Dan, Samut Prakan Province, will this year take place from 28th October to 3rd November 2022. The big parade on land and sea is on 28th October at 6:09am. This is one of my favourite festivals in Thailand. More information is available at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) website: https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/40th-thailand-tourism-festival-2022-from-18-22-february-in-bangkok/

Yes. Coming to appreciate and embrace the difference between pleasure and joy has been critical for me. Keep in mind that that if you're at all considering naming a foreign national in your will, the post-death transfer process is more complicated than if you both resided in the same country (at least that's the case in the US and I suspect other countries have their own laws regarding this). The laws of the country where the beneficiary lives also come into play. I've found that not all lawyers are familiar with them and prepared to properly advise you. Finding a lawyer who is could be your first step.

From Bangkok Post The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the Airports of Thailand (AoT) are being told to prepare for a surge of up to 19 million air passengers in the last quarter of this year, Thailand's high tourist season. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, in his capacity as chairman of the Civil Aviation Commission (CAC), said the two agencies have been instructed to prepare for a surge currently being experienced in the United States and Europe after the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Peak season is in the fourth quarter when the number of international visitors will rise to up to 19 million, according to a projection by the Bank of Thailand, he said. The number of tourists was projected to slowly grow in the third quarter, a low tourist season, before picking up again and rapidly rising in the fourth quarter, he said, citing forecasts by the two agencies. Thailand should learn from what is happening in the US and Europe to better prepare for a similar situation, he said. Massive flight delays and close to 100,000 flight cancellations have occurred in Europe since April, while at least 20,000 cancellations happened in the US in the past two to three months, he said. To help airlines cope better with the current high costs of operation, the CAC has agreed to extend financial measures for airlines operating flights to and from Thailand for another quarter, he said. Measures include a 50% landing and parking discount for both domestic and international flights and a waiver for airlines suspending their operations, he said.

I agree with all of your points with the exception of the above. If you're staying in the Silom /Surawong area, you can walk to the city's premier park at the intersection of Rama IV and Silom roads. Lumpini Park spans 142 acres (57 hectares) and attracts thousands of visitors daily. It has all the facilities you'd imagine, including the often mentioned outdoor weight lifting area where those dedicated to acquiring hard muscle can be seen working out at all hours. The best times to visit are early mornings and early evenings when the heat is manageable and the sun is low. There's a no admission fee. There's a foot bridge connecting Lumpini to Benjakitti Park. There are many other large parks around the city but Lumpini remains the most celebrated.

The Health Ministry has identified a "foreign male" as the source of Thailand's second case of monkeypox. Let's hope this doesn't turn into another "dirty foreigners" episode. From Khaosod English / Thaiger A Thai man in Bangkok has tested positive for monkeypox, becoming Thailand’s second recorded case of the virus since the global outbreak began in May this year. At 2:30pm today, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revealed that the positive result from Wachira Hospital in Bangkok had been confirmed by the Ministry of Health. The 47 year old Thai man started to feel ill on July 12. Two days later, the man developed a fever, body ache and swollen lymph nodes. A week later, a rash appeared on his genitals, torso, face and arms which is when the man went to be tested at the hospital. The man told the doctors he had sex with a foreign male, who he suspects gave him the virus. He will isolate at the hospital for 21 days. Director-General of the Department of Disease Control Dr.Opas Karnkawinpong said that ten people from one household in Bangkok are at high-risk of contracting the virus after having close contact with the man. All ten will be tested for the virus, observe their symptoms and be tested again after 21 days.

From The Tourism Authority of Thailand Bangkok, 28 July, 2022 – Bangkok Airways has announced the resumption of its direct daily flights on the Bangkok-Siem Reap (Cambodia) and Bangkok-Yangon (Myanmar) routes from 1 August, 2022, and the Bangkok-Da Nang (Vietnam) route from 1 September, 2022. The Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Siem Reap route will be operated by an ATR72-600 aircraft. Flight PG905 will depart Bangkok at 10.30 Hrs. and arrive in Siem Reap at 11.45 Hrs, with Flight PG906 departing Siem Reap at 12.15 Hrs. and arriving in Bangkok at 13.55 Hrs. The Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Yangon route will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft. Flight PG703 will leave Bangkok at 16.45 Hrs. and arrive in Yangon at 17.35 Hrs, with Flight PG704 leaving Yangon at 18.20 Hrs, and arriving in Bangkok at 20.20 Hrs. The Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Da Nang route will also be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft. Flight PG947 will depart Bangkok at 10.55 Hrs. and arrive in Da Nang at 12.45 Hrs, with Flight PG948 departing Da Nang at 13.55 Hrs. and arriving in Bangkok at 15.25 Hrs.

From Thai Enquirer The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced on Wednesday that public parks in the capital will start to open at 4:30 am and close at 10 pm instead of the current opening hours, starting August 1.

From Thai PBS World The House committee vetting the Civil Partnership Bill decided today (Wednesday) to amend the bill to make it possible for same-sex couples who are both foreigners to register their partnership in Thailand, instead of one of them having to be a Thai national. Spokesperson for the House scrutiny panel, Thanikarn Pornpongsarote, said that the committee decided to scrap the entire Section 8 of the bill, which stipulates that one of the same-sex couples who are eligible to register their partnership here must be a Thai national. The deletion of the clause means that the door is open for same-sex couples who are both non-Thais to register their union, which can help boost tourism, said Thanikarn. She disclosed that some religious leaders had earlier raised concerns about this bill and observations were also raised by the Council of State, but the House scrutiny committee has made its decision today. The Civil Partnership Bill was proposed by the Ministry of Justice to allow same-sex couples to register their partnerships. The bill also introduces amendments to the Civil and Commercial codes, which will give them almost the same rights as straight couples. The civil partners may adopt children, secure inheritance and engage in the joint management of assets. The bill also includes rules on separations. But the union is still not legally recognised as a marriage.

There's a lot of great advice in the posts above. I think as we get older we come to accept that sex is not necessarily the panacea that it seemed to be even 10-15 years ago. Sometimes less can be more for some of us. I recently spent eight weeks in Bangkok and found myself gradually cutting back my activities. I concentrated on those things that left me with pleasant and lasting memories. For me, the key was whether or not I felt energized by what I was doing. Be forgiving of yourself. Don't think of trip as a contest. And ask yourself what you really want your time away to do for you. The answer may surprise you.