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I think we’re all in awe of your resilience and energy reserve. Thanks for sharing your adventures and friendship during this your longest trip.

Walking through Patpong 1 Monday, couldn’t help noticing how the road—nearly completely in the dark a few months ago—has burst into life with the reopening of many many bars along with emergence of a few new comers. There was even a minor traffic jam as taxis lined up to drop off and pick up patrons of one of the more popular venues. Some venture over to Patpong 2 to take in the sights and a few mixed couples find their way to the bars there, I’ve noticed of late.

From Bangkok Post Former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak says young Thais want a democracy involving public participation, not one that follows representatives from just a few elite families. Mr Somkid, who has reportedly accepted becoming a prime ministerial candidate of the Sang Anakhot Thai Party, made the comment during a keynote speech marking the 88th anniversary of Thammasat University on Monday. He said he was engaged in social and political issues during his four years at Thammasat University, which inspired him to pursue public service. He said events during the 1973-1976 student pro-democracy protests influenced Thammasat students very much and that he believed that in the current climate the public are willing and ready to hear what students have to say. “The university was established within the context of fighting for democracy. These days many people can't believe the strange versions of democracy we follow like feeding bananas to monkeys or where 1% of the population has more wealth than 80% of the population combined. "Did we want this in our fight for democracy? I've asked young people. They told me they want a democracy where a majority of people participate in finding solutions without conflict. A true democracy that is not controlled by certain groups or families," he said.

From Bangkok Post HONG KONG: When Jasmine Lau received an email from Cathay Pacific Airways last month asking if she wanted to return to her old job as a flight attendant, she contemplated the proposition, but eventually decided against applying. Almost two years after being laid off from the airline's now-defunct subsidiary Cathay Dragon, the Hong Konger, who is in her 30s, is now working as an administrative officer in a bank. "All my friends, we changed careers and now we are getting used to the new job and we don't want to go back to something that is not secure and not stable," said Lau, referring to herself and her flight attendant friends from Cathay Dragon. Now, Cathay Pacific Group is looking to go on a hiring spree that will add 8,000 new staff across its subsidiaries. Some 4,000 of them will be recruited for Cathay Pacific Airways between now and the end of 2023, of which 700 will be pilots and 2,000 are cabin crew. The airline is looking ahead to a recovery in air travel, even as Hong Kong continues to stick to its "dynamic-zero" Covid-19 strategy. In an interview with the South China Morning Post on June 15, Cathay Pacific CEO Augustus Tang Kin-wing said the "direction of travel was there" and the airline wanted to be prepared as it took time to train and recruit new staff. Cathay has begun adding more flights, and plans to double its flight destinations from 29 at the start of the year to 60 by the end of 2022. Before the pandemic, it flew to 108 places. But it faces competition from other carriers which are also in the market to hire. Start-up Greater Bay Airlines has been adding pilots and cabin crew to its roster as it plans its first commercial flight next month. Other airlines are also hiring and have struggled to recruit quickly enough to meet an increase in passenger demand over the summer, leading to flight cancellations, baggage chaos and long queues at airports from Sydney to Amsterdam. Hundreds of British Airways workers at London's Heathrow airport have voted in favour of strike action later this summer in a dispute over pay. The city's Gatwick airport has capped the number of flight departures and Amsterdam has also limited the number of passengers flying from its Schiphol airport during summer. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), warned on June 20 at the body's annual meeting in Doha that the recent chaos at some major airports was a result of a "disconnect" between supply and demand of labour, and could spill into the first quarter of next year.

Reminds me of my most harrowing motorsai ride. Was about four years ago from Sukhumvit to the then new Hero location. Most of it was spent on wrong side of road. You tend to become very conscious of your knees at times like that.

From Thai PBS World A total of 131 fires were reported in Bangkok during the first five months of this year, with 39 being recorded in January alone, according to statistics compiled by the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The statistics show there were 27 fires in February, 13 in March, 32 in April and 20 in May. There were long public holidays in both January and April. Bang Khun Thian district recorded the highest number of fires during that period, with 9, followed by 7 each in Bang Kapi and Prawet, 6 each in Bang Khae and Ratchathewi, 5 in Nong Chok and 4 each in Bang Kho Laem, Min Buri, Lat Phrao, Wang Thong Lang, Wattana, Saphan Soong and Huai Khwang. At least three serious incidents have been reported so far this month. On June 6th, a fire broke out at a popular pub in a 6-storey building on Silom Soi 2, but there were no casualties. On June 21st, over 100 residents of the Bon Kai community in the Khlong Toei area were left homeless after more than 30 houses were razed in a fire. In a blaze in Chinatown’s Sampeng Market two people died, six suffered the effects of smoke inhalation yesterday (Sunday). Four shop houses were heavily damaged, along with three cars and four motorcycles. Forensic investigators and building inspectors from the BMAare due to inspect the scene of the Sampeng Market fire this morning, to determine the cause of the conflagration and to check whether the damaged shop houses and adjoining buildings are still structurally safe. ============ From Coconuts Bangkok Investigation continues after Chinatown fire kills 2 Authorities this morning were investigating the cause of a huge blaze in Chinatown which killed two people and injured a half dozen others. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority was investigating in detail what caused Sunday’s fire that broke out at a home in the historic Sampeng area of Bangkok’s old town. The fire started at around 11:20am in a three-story shophouse before quickly spreading to other nearby shophouses. It took about three hours for firefighters and a dozen fire trucks to extinguish the fire. The blaze injured at least six people and killed two people at the scene: Jirapat Soommak, 52, and a Cambodian national only identified as Petchduan, 34. Both were employees at Ratchawong Rung Ruang, a shop that deals with paper and plastic materials. According to the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, its preliminary finding was that a transformer failed but is continuing to investigate. The incident came less than a week after a major blaze ravaged a community in Bon Kai along the Rama IV Road, destroying dozens of homes and displacing over 100 people.

Note — While exchanging currency at SuperRich at Central World Saturday, the three customers ahead of me were all Chinese. From the Thaiger Thailand received another boost to its tourism industry yesterday when China gave its blessing to resume flights between the two Asian nations. The gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the scrapping of the Thailand Pass, and the relaxation of mask-wearing have all been much welcomed as the kingdom fights back against two tough pandemic years. And the welcoming of Chinese tourists will provide another shot in the arm to the Thai economy. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has granted permission for 2 flights each week for the first time since the pandemic kicked off over 2 years ago. Initial flights will be restricted to business people and students, but Beijing says it will gradually reopen more international flights for tourists. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand announced their carriers would be sharing the burden of operating the flights, except those to Beijing and Shanghai. Thai Airways International, Thai Smile Airways, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Air Asia have all submitted requests to fly to Guangzhou, while Thai VietJet will fly to Kunming and Nok Air to Nanning.

Agree with those who recommend Freshboys. My experience at Freshboys suggests that 25 would be the upper range of guys on stage.

Generally, happy endings are a possibility at just about any shop.* Having said that, there are some shops where you can pretty much count on it and you’ll find more information in this and other threads on the topic, and also in trip reports which abound right now. My personal short list for this trip of most reliable shops includes K-man in Saphan.Kwai and I-Come on Soi Suan Phlu. Check their FB and Twitter sites. I’ve been offered HE’s at all but one of other shops, but the above two locations I find a cut above the rest in quality and consistency. i haven’t been to Arena this trip but judging by the reports of others, it’s very reliable. KK Spa is on my list of places I hope to try but have been putting it off because of its more remote location. *I say again comb through posted reports and most of your questions will be answered. Vinapu recently posted about Ganymede Spa which I’d happily visited twice precovid. I learned that it’s since adopted high minimum tip fees that should not be expected to include afters. That saved me a trip I’d been considering. Above all, go to a shop that allows you to choose a masseur either live or from tablet. If you’re choosing from boys outside or lineup inside, look for the guy that makes eye contact and smiles.

Green Massage was open tonight (two shops up Surawong from Tarntawan Hotel). Go figure.

The selection and ratification process of the court is the root of the problem. The president puts forth a nominee and the Senate determines the nominee’s fate. At one time, senators from both parties actually collaborated to support a suitable candidate. But now it’s a very adversarial process. instead, nominees are selected primarily on their liberal/conservative voting record in lower courts. The other problem is lifetime appointments. This means that a 50-year old appointment could conceivably serve for 40+ years. Given the ages of the court’s current conservative members, Americans can expect more of the same well into the future.

Before deciding how much to tip, I think all of us should have to intern for a day at a shop and perform foot and leg massage as well as oil massage (including ALL of the extras) on someone in our age group.🙂

The tragedy of the currents court make up was sealed when Justice Ginsberg died in office of terminal cancer during Trump administration. Many Democrats had urged her to retire when she suffered first bout of disease when Obama was in office. That would have altered the the liberal-conservative split. Although a conservative on many issues, Chief Justice Roberts has shown more centrist positions on some social issues. Now, however, even if he sides with liberals the conservatives still hold a 5-4 dominance.

Or as Warren Buffett advises, “Buy when others are fearful. Sell when others are greedy.”

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Pattaya’s celebration of gay rights this weekend was the city’s first public parade in the unfolding post-Covid era where mask wearing has just become voluntary. Hundreds of people of all genders, sex workers, feminists and a large contingent of drag artists journeyed in an impressive display of unity and solidarity. As is now the norm in LGBTIQ+ demonstrations worldwide, glamor, gilt and glitter are the principal eye candy for onlookers. The parade comes at a pivotal moment for gay rights in Thailand as a bill to grant same-sex civil union status is currently wending its bureaucratic way through parliament. This is seen as more likely to pass than full marriage because of opposition to complete equality in sections of the military-backed government. The Pattaya pressure group Alliance for Gender Equality says not to worry as, even in the UK, gay civil unions historically preceded marriage. They point out that homosexuality was classified in Thailand as a psychiatric disorder as recently as 2005. Never try to hurry the Orient is the rule of thumb. The pink pound or gay dollar has always been an important cash source for international tourist-dominated Pattaya. Both City Hall and the Tourist Authority of Thailand were amongst the parade sponsors this year. The gay entertainment districts known as Boyztown and Jomtien Complex are in urgent need of resuscitation after more than two years in the financial desert. Yet the new commercialism goes deeper than that. For example, Starbucks and Swensens were both offering a discount ticket worth 100 baht (roughly two pounds or three US dollars) for anyone showing a hotel keycard or an email booking.

From CNBC Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday said landmark high court rulings that established gay rights and contraception rights should be reconsidered now that the federal right to abortion has been revoked. Thomas wrote that those rulings “were demonstrably erroneous decisions.” The cases he mentioned are Griswold vs. Connecticut, the 1965 ruling in which the Supreme Court said married couples have the right to obtain contraceptives; Lawrence v. Texas, which in 2003 established the right to engage in private sexual acts; and the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which said there is a right to same-sex marriage. Thomas’ recommendation to reconsider that trio of decisions does not have the force of legal precedent, nor does it compel his colleagues on the Supreme Court to take the action he suggested. But it is an implicit invitation to conservative lawmakers in individual states to pass legislation that might run afoul of the Supreme Court’s past decisions, with an eye toward having that court potentially reverse those rulings.

From CNN Oslo's annual Pride parade was canceled on Saturday following a deadly shooting at a gay bar that Norwegian police are investigating as a possible terrorist attack. Two people were killed and eight others taken to hospital after the shooting near the London Pub, which describes itself on its website as "the largest gay and lesbian venue in Oslo." Police received multiple calls about the shooting at 1:14 a.m. local time, and arrived at the scene minutes later. They apprehended the male suspect three minutes after arrival, police said. The suspect, charged with terrorism, is a Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, and was "known to the police," but has only received "minor convictions" up until now, prosecutor Christian Hatlo told reporters in Oslo Saturday. Norway's domestic intelligence service said it was working to clarify whether more acts of violence may be planned after the shooting. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) announced in a tweet Saturday that it was "informed about the shooting in Oslo on Saturday." "We are now contributing all the relevant information we have to the Oslo police district and are working to clarify whether more acts of violence may be planned. We do not currently have any indications of that," the PST said. There were wounded people on the ground inside and outside the bar when the police arrived. "The scene was chaotic, it was a warm evening and a lot of people were outside, so there were people running everywhere," police told CNN. Among the eight in hospital, three people are in critical condition. Another 14 victims sustained minor injuries.

From Bangkok Post Full resumption of business, other activities allowed The government has declared the whole nation a green (Covid-19 surveillance) zone, allowing the full-scale resumption of business and other activities, as pre-arrival registration will end next month. The Royal Gazette on Friday published the announcement to the effects by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in his capacity as the director of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Dated on Thursday, the announcement lifted Covid-related restrictions on business and activities according to green zone regulations immediately. Entertainment places can resume their pre-Covid closing hours, either midnight, 1am or 2am depending on relevant regulations. From July 1 visitors will not have to do pre-travel arrival registration and quarantine rules will also end. No Covid-19 insurance will be required. For fully vaccinated arrivals, those aged 18 years and over will show proofs of their vaccination that occurred at least 14 days before their travel. Those aged from five to 17 years are required to have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccination at least 14 days before travel. Vaccination certificates will not be required from people under 18 years old who travel with guardians.

I believe most of us have a pretty good handle on what a fair tip is regardless of they type of massage they receive. And I don’t think most of us don’t travel many thousands of miles for a foot massage.

7-Eleven workers don’t meet you in a small room and place their hands on your naked body so perhaps masseurs might be worthy of greater consideration.

I’d be interested how the guy providing a very personal, hands on service might judge it.

From Coconuts Bangkok Wild Boars make alms four years after cave rescue The Wild Boars soccer team made an appearance at Tham Luang in northernmost Thailand Thursday morning to pay their respects to their rescuers on the fourth anniversary of their world-renowned ordeal. Seven of the 13 boys of the Wild Boar soccer team, whose rescue after 17 days trapped in the cave drew global interest, made alms to 39 monks at the Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non National Park in anticipation of its Oct. 1 reopening. Those in attendance also paid their respects to Saman Kunan, the Navy Seal who came out of retirement to aid in the rescue and drowned while helping to prepare the operation. The park is currently closed as national park officials make the cave safer for visiting, including a 2-kilometer road link to the park’s emerald pool. Four years ago today, the 12 young footballers and their coach disappeared inside Tham Luang after practice. Before long, their bicycles and belongings were found left at the entrance, kicking off a massive effort that drew the help of amateur cave diving experts from around the world. Heavy rainfall had caused the cave to flood, trapping the team in darkness deep inside the cave complex. It took 17 days for rescue teams to get the team out safely in a perilous rescue mission that gripped the world. A film based on the incident was released in 2019.

From Thai PBS World Tourists entering Thailand from Malaysia are expected to outnumber Indian tourists after the scrapping of the “Thailand Pass” requirement from July 1st, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn yesterday (Thursday). According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 123,606 Indian tourists arrived in the country in the first five months of this year, followed by 96,323 from Britain, 78,523 from Malaysia, 77,707 from Germany and 72,482 from the United States. Total arrivals in that period were 1,336,068. He admitted that he had hoped that the removal of “Thailand Pass” requirement would attract more tourists to Thailand, estimated at about 900,000 a month, up from between 400,000-500,000 in May and about 700,000 this month. He said that the incentives that attract foreign tourists to Thailand include the weakening of the Thai baht against the US dollar, the relatively low cost of living in Thailand and reasonable hotel room rates. Regarding tourists from the Middle East, the minister said that about 15,000 arrived in May, and that is expected to increase to over 20,000 this month, as he expects total such arrivals for the whole year to be at least 300,000.

From Bangkok Post The government has lifted its face mask mandate and advised vulnerable and infected people to still use masks for the sake of personal and public health. The decision was made due to the improving Covid-19 situation and intended to let people resume virtually normal lifestyles, according to the government announcement published in the Royal Gazette on Friday. The use of face masks now voluntary, but is recommended to prevent infection by respiratory diseases including Covid-19, the announcement said. The Public Health Ministry advised people to continue to wear masks in crowded or poorly ventilated places. Vulnerable people, mainly the elderly and those with underlying illnesses, should wear face masks while staying with others to reduce the risk of infection, because catching Covid-19 could jeopardise their life.

There’s an Ibis across the road. Stayed their once. Tiny but tidy rooms. https://ibis-sathorn.com-bangkok.com/