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From National Public Radio -- US (29 Mar.) Excerpts from transcript of interview: NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Chris Calabrese of the Center for Democracy and Technology about reports that the U.S. sees a national security threat in a Chinese company owning the dating app Grindr. ILSA CHANG, HOST: Who knew the dating app Grindr could pose a possible national security risk? The Chinese company that owns the dating app is now selling it, after a U.S. government panel ordered it to. Grindr caters to an LGBTQ crowd. People who use it post personal photos, talk about their sexual and gender identities. Many users disclose their HIV status on Grindr. And according to Reuters, which first reported this, U.S. officials believe the Chinese government could end up exploiting that information. To talk about the implications of all of this, we're joined now by Chris Calabrese of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Thanks for coming into the studio today. CHRIS CALABRESE: Thank you. It's my pleasure. CHANG: So I learned that this little-known body inside the U.S. government is what forced the Chinese company Kunlun to sell Grindr. The body's called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which sounds like some character in a sci-fi movie to me. CALABRESE: (Laughter). CHANG: What is CFIUS? What does it have the power to do? CALABRESE: It has the power to do exactly what you just said; it can say to a company, usually before a purchase happens, no, we think there are national security interests at stake here, and we - this sale can't happen. It can also... CHANG: It can just force the foreign company to unwind? CALABRESE: It can force the foreign company - well, it can force the foreign company, and usually, it's before the sale happens because unwinding is expensive. But as you can see here, they also have the power to unwind a transaction after the fact, if you don't go through their process to get your preapproval for a purchase. CHANG: All right. Walk me through what the fears are here. Can you just explain - how could the Chinese government somehow use Grindr to harm U.S. national security interests? CALABRESE: Well, there's a couple of things are worried about; the first is blackmail. I know stuff about you. You're not out, but I know you're gay because you're on Grindr. I know your HIV status. The second one is a little bit more sophisticated. I can use Grindr to actually insert an agent into your life. You're on Grindr looking for a partner, I put a Chinese operative together with you, and that person starts a relationship with you and uses that relationship to exploit you. CHANG: This is like the stuff of spy novels, but these are very real possibilities. CALABRESE: You know, they are, and it all goes to the fact that we're sharing a lot of personal information with third parties, and we trust those third parties implicitly; in cases like this, maybe we shouldn't. And another piece that may or may not be related but I'm almost certain is, is about three or four years ago, the federal government suffered one of the worst data breaches in U.S. history. CHANG: Right. CALABRESE: It was... CHANG: In the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. CALABRESE: That's right. The Office of Personnel Management essentially was breached, was hacked, and what was taken was all of the personnel records of every federal employee - so we're talking of, like, 22 million people - including their background checks, security clearances. John Bolton, the national security adviser, hasn't come out straight out and said it but has sort of implied that they believe it's the Chinese... CALABRESE: China has denied any role in this. But if there's reason to believe that China has very detailed information on federal employees, you can easily imagine that kind of information, combined with the kind of access that you would get using the Grindr app, to really allow some pretty scary espionage and some pretty detailed investigations of things that the U.S. would certainly not want China to know. You can listen to the full interview at this link https://www.npr.org/2019/03/29/708170897/reports-say-u-s-sees-a-national-security-threat-in-chinese-company-owning-grindr

Bangkok is regarded as one of the most LGBT+ friendly and advanced cities in Asia and as a result the curator James Tong is collaborating with River City Bangkok to host BEYOND SKIN ahead of its world tour debuting in New York City in June to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the gay civil rights movement, Stonewall. Norm Yip, an internationally acclaimed photographer, has long been an avid pioneer in the development of fine art Asian male photography. He established ‘The Asian Male Project’ which, through his lens, presents artistic images and thought-provoking messages. Ten percent of the purchase price from each photograph sold during the exhibition will be donated to APCOM Foundation, Thailand. BEYOND SKIN is a thought-provoking insight into the Asian male form and lifestyle. Express your support from April 10 until May 31 at RCB Photographer’s Gallery, 2nd floor River City Bangkok. Admission Free.

Stayed at the Evergreen Laurel a decade ago. I remember it as clean and comfortable but not 5 star. The price was reasonable for the quality even then.

From Reuters (27 Mar.) Thailand's opposition parties form alliance, demands junta step aside BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s opposition “democratic front” of seven parties on Wednesday claimed it had won a majority in the lower house of parliament after a messy election, saying it has the right to try to form a government after five years of military rule. However, the opposition alliance would still fall short of being able to elect a prime minister. Under parliamentary rules, written by the ruling military junta, the party or coalition picking a prime minister requires a majority in the combined upper and lower houses of parliament. With unofficial results of Sunday’s vote still delayed, the ruling junta showed no sign giving up on its goal to keep former army chief and coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha in the premiership. The post-election standoff could raise tensions just as the Southeast Asian country prepares for the elaborate coronation of its new king in May. Sudarat Keyuraphan, the main prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party ousted by the 2014 army coup, told reporters the seven parties in the opposition alliance would take at least 255 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. “We declare that the democratic front who opposes military rule commands the majority in the House,” Sudarat said. She said the largest alliance in the lower house should be given the right to try to form a government. “Parties in the democratic front gained the most trust from the people,” Sudarat told reporters, adding that they were also in talks with other parties. The pro-military Palang Pracharat party has also claimed the right to form the next government based on its early lead in the popular vote. And an official with the pro-army party also said it could still win a majority as the count was still in flux. “We got the most popular votes. Almost 8 million wanted to see Prayuth as prime minister,” Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, Palang Pracharat’s deputy spokesman, told reporters. When asked about the democratic front’s claim, deputy junta leader Prawit Wongsuwan said parties should not act prematurely as it will be six weeks until the election commission publishes official results. The partial count suggests the election could result in parliamentary deadlock even once a government is eventually formed. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-election/thailands-opposition-parties-form-alliance-demands-junta-step-aside-idUKKCN1R8081

From the BBC (26 Mar.) Bohemian Rhapsody opens in China, minus all the gay bits Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was released in China on Friday, but references to the Queen singer's sexuality and AIDS diagnosis were censored. Several minutes of footage were edited out of the film, including scenes of two men kissing and the word "gay". There has been significant reaction to the film's release online. More than 50,000 users have posted reviews on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like micro-blogging platform. Though some users complained of "half watching and half guessing" as a result of the deleted scenes, others were pleased the film had been released at all. What was removed? In the Chinese version of the film, several scenes have been amended or deleted. Explicit and implicit references to Mercury's sexuality were edited out, including an important scene in which he comes out to his then-girlfriend. Other scenes to be removed include a close-up of Mercury's crotch as he performs, interactions with his male partner Jim Hutton and the entire sequence in which the character and his onscreen band-mates recreate Queen's iconic music video for 1984 single I Want to Break Free, in which they dress in women's clothes. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-47693115

Really don't think they had to advertise but gotta admire the the effort. From The Nation (26 Mar.) AirAsia has now apologised following an advertising campaign using the phrase “Get off in Thailand” was posted around the city of Brisbane to promote the airline’s direct route to Bangkok. Collective Shout, a campaign movement against the objectification of women says the marketing gaff promoted sex tourism in Thailand. Melinda Liszewski, a campaigner at Collective Shout accused the airline of “promoting sex tourism.” Air Asia has responded… “AirAsia takes community feedback extremely seriously and the airline sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused from recent concerns raised.” “AirAsia can confirm the advertising campaign has ended and we instructed our media partners to have the advertising removed as soon as possible today from all locations.” Brisbane City councillor Kara Cook branded the campaign an “absolute disgrace” and said “it should never have appeared on our city’s streets.” The Australian regulator Ad Standards said while it had not received any complaints about the advertising on the bus, it had received one complaint about the same advertisement on a billboard. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30366562

From South China Morning Post (25 Mar.) Who won Thailand’s election? Stand-off as military-backed Palang Pracharat and Shinawatra proxy Pheu Thai both claim victory The military-backed Palang Pracharat party wins the popular vote, while the Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai wins the most seats And the leader of a third party – who goes by the name of ‘Daddy’ – says he is ready to be prime minister. Welcome to Thai politics The bitter political stand-off between Thailand’s rural-backed democrats and establishment elites who support military rule showed no signs of abating after Sunday’s general election, with both sides claiming they have the right to form the next government after five years of junta rule. After a tumultuous 24 hours – replete with complaints about the election commission’s announcements on the progress of vote counting – official results showed the two top parties were the Palang Pracharat party backed by the military and the Pheu Thai party linked to exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The third biggest party was the newcomer Future Forward party, which stunned observers by grabbing 80 seats after being founded just last year. The party’s billionaire leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a former supporter of Thaksin’s bloc and an ardent critic of the junta who has been nicknamed ‘daddy’ by his fans, suggested he was personally ready to be prime minister of a broad pro-democracy coalition. He said his top preference however was for the Pheu Thai leader Sudarat Keyuraphan to assume the role. Meanwhile, Thaksin, in Hong Kong after attending his youngest daughter’s wedding in the city last Friday, penned a commentary in the New York Times blasting the junta and the election commission for “manipulating” the vote. “Whether or not the junta leaders now allow the pro-democracy parties to form a government, they will find a way to stay in charge,” he wrote. “They have no shame, and they want to be in power no matter what.” His main political proxy, Pheu Thai, however, was not taking the result lying down. It said on account of having won the most numbers of seats it had begun talking to other anti-junta parties about forming a coalition government in the 500-seat parliament. On the opposing end, the Palang Pracharat said it was also in the thick of cobbling together a coalition. It cited its capture of a majority of the popular vote as a sign that the Thai people wanted it, and not Pheu Thai, in government. Continues with photos https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3003202/who-won-thailands-election-stand-military-backed-palang

Patpong 2 gets more diverse foot traffic that includes many locals and many international visitors who've never heard of Twilight. I tend to think the show will be try to attract those who found the old Dreamboy show alluring plus something to reel in the uninitiated passer by. Perhaps a dollop of wholesomeness with handsome guys with good bodies sure to attract the ladies. Sure, most of us with prefer fewer females but we have to face the financial facts of life. In the end, it's preferable to have a venue with a mixed clientele than no venue at all.

Exactly what my Viet friend does when he returns from a border run. I especially value these moments together.

UPDATE: The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand has confirmed that the dead included five Vietnamese nationals. Friends of the young man (cited in the OP) who work in the Silom area were planning to gather with the family at the Bangkok Police Hospital this morning before his body is transported to Ha Tinh Province in Vietnam for the funeral.

Guess I didn't do a adequate job of explaining why I bumped this thread. But it was assuredly not to compete with or substitute for the other thread about soi Twilight. It was to demonstrate that that well over a year ago that members began speculating on the future of the soi and its many venues. As I read back over the seven pages posts, I was impressed by the scores of members who participated. Even before the first page of entries was filled, Patpong 2 had been identified as suitable alternate location along with Soi 4. It seems that members had a good sense of how the next 12 months or so might actually unfold. They proved pretty sage in their thinking I don't believe that anyone should feel threatened because more than one thread is running about the same topic. And I agree that it sensible to place new posts about Twilight in the other thread going forward. But that should not diminish the contributions members made earlier before the Soi Twilight Rumors thread came on line a year later. And I hardly think that my calling attention to the original thread constitutes a folly, election day or not.

The actual duration of the trip, including layover time in Cambodia and at Thai immigration point, is closer to 14 hours. The vans leave BKK about midnight to 1a.m. and don't get back to Bangkok until mid-afternoon due to heavy return traffic that time of day. It's an exhausting but unavoidable trip.

We could never out bid the Chinese lady anyway.

NOTE -- Many of us know guys from Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos who make regular border runs to get their visa renewed. And most use a van service to take them there and back. One of these green vans was struck broadside by a truck and knocked into a river in Kanchanaburi. Eight bodies were recovered and two remain missing. A friend sent me a video posted on Facebook that shows the brave efforts of rescuers to help save the victims. Although the article reports that all appear to be from Myanmar, apparently there were some Vietnamese among them passengers. He knows one of the victims, a Vietnamese guy who worked in Bangkok and was traveling with his girlfriend who also died. This young man leaves friends who work in Soi Tarntawan. From The Nation (23 Mar.) Eight Myanmar migrants drowned and two others are missing presumed dead after a van they were travelling in was hit by a 10-wheel truck and both vehicles plunged into a canal in Kanchanaburi's Tha Muang district on Saturday. Police said the accident happened at 12.10pm at the Sa Setthi Intersection in Tambon Ban Mai. About 100 rescuers rushed to the scene to try to save the passengers who were trapped inside the van. The rescuers retrieved eight bodies, one of them a pregnant woman. Four were rescued and were sent to a nearby hospital. Officials said two migrants were still missing. Police said the van was taking the migrants back to Myanmar. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30366370 Facebook video https://www.facebook.com/groups/725742910831493/permalink/2602797739792658

From The Nation (23 Mar.) Wild Boars' help recover equipment from Tham Luang cave Wild Boars coach Aek, and other members from the football squad, helped recover equipment from the Tham Luang cave this week. The Chiang Rai cave, the scene of an international cave rescue last July, remains closed to all visitors to allow Thai Navy SEALs to enter and recover equipment left in the five kilometre cave network after the rescue. The Chiang Rai PR Department reports that navy SEALs and officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation have been recovering equipment and 40 oxygen tanks left inside the cave, since the rescue of the 13 team members last year. Continues with photos http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30366320

From The Nation (23 Mar.) Chiang Mai on Saturday remained the most air-polluted city in the world for the second consecutive day, according to the AirVisual.com website. AirVisual reported at 9.13am that the air quality index (AQI) of Chiang Mai on Saturday stood at 385, much higher than the 100 AQI safety standard. The northern capital has been covered with white smog for almost two weeks, prompting Chiang Mai residents to wear N95 air-filter marks outdoors. The Chiang Mai University, the Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna and Chiang Mai provincial administration confirmed that the air quality in the city remained critical. The three agencies had 86 stations to measure air quality of the northern capital and found that all stations recorded brown and purple zones, meaning the air quality remained hazardous to health. They found the worst air quality was in Mae Taeng district with a PM2.5 level of 443 micrograms per cubic metre (mcg). PM2.5 means airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter. Doi Saket district was found to have the least PM.5 level or 204mcg, which was still hazardous to health. The website of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency reported Saturday that its VIIRS satellite spotted 586 hotspots from forest burning in the North. It reported that 162 hotspots were detected in Mae Hong Son, 91 in Chiang Rai, 69 in Chiang Mai, 79 in Nan, 55 in Prae, 55 in Phayao, 52 in Lampang, 14 in Tak and 9 in Lamphun. The high level of haze in Chiang Rai reportedly stemmed from the many forest fires, both in the province and from nearby areas. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30366358

You'e not alone in this opinion.

I'm giving this old thread a bump for a few reasons. It was the first to discuss the possible closing of Soi Twilight in detail. Many members contributed opinions about the future of Twilight's venues and some of those prognostications have since come to fruition. You'll find additional discussion of the topic in the following post:

The speed at which the nation's leaders moved to ban assailant weapons stands in stark contrast to the feeble reaction US lawmakers can be counted on to display in the wake of similar tragedies.

I, too, aborted visited a visit on my recent trip by the smoking. If anything, I think smoking in just about all venues has increased over the past several years. Even in the outside bars, non-smokers frequently have to weigh the options of tolerating the air or moving on to a hopefully less--but rarely smoke free--environment. I know of several VN massage guys who congregate at Screwboy when their shifts end about midnight. As is the case in many bars, the scene can change noticeably from night to night so one disappointing visit could be quickly forgotten on a different evening.

Although much attention has been focused on the north east provinces and rightfully so, this article raises of the potential impact of voters in the south on Sunday's election. Reuters (22 Mar.) In Thailand's restive deep south, election stirs rare enthusiasm YALA, Thailand (Reuters) - Pateemoh Poh-itaeda-oh, 39, has lost four family members to violence in Thailand's deep south, where a Muslim separatist movement has fought against rule from Bangkok for 15 years. Now, she is running for a parliamentary seat in a general election on Sunday, hoping to have a hand in making government policies for the restive region. Sunday's vote is broadly seen as a battle between allies of the military junta leader seeking to stay in power and supporters of ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a former telecommunication tycoon whose loyalists have won every general election since 2001. But that divide has a different dynamic in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, which are 80 percent Muslim, while the rest of Thailand is overwhelmingly Buddhist. A separatist insurgency has dragged on since 2004, killing more than 6,900 people. In January, two Buddhist monks were shot dead in a suspected insurgent attack. In previous elections, the deep south was not much courted by politicians seeking national power. But the arrival of several new parties on the political scene, along with stalled peace talks, have stirred interest in the campaign in the south - and enthusiasm to participate among newly minted candidates. Pateemoh, a Muslim who is a candidate for the pro-junta Action Coalition for Thailand party (ACT), said she got involved because she felt for the first time there was a chance for the concerns of the south to be heard and - possibly - bring an end to the conflict. "For a long time many Thais have looked at problems in the deep south as a marginal border issue, but this election I have seen changes," she told Reuters at her party headquarters in Yala province. Ending the insurgency is deeply personal to her. Three of her brothers and one sister have been shot dead since 2004 in suspected attacks by insurgents, who often target teachers and local officials for working with central government. "I really want to be a voice in forming policy and solving the conflict issue in the deep south, and people have to remember that women's voices need to matter in this process," she said. SELF-DETERMINATION The three provinces, and a small part of neighbouring Songkhla, were historically part of a Malay Muslim sultanate annexed by Thailand in 1909. Separatist tensions have simmered ever since. A peace process between the Thai government and insurgent groups has made little headway, with violence still occurring even though the military has been directly in charge of security in the region for 15 years. In February, Mara Patani, an umbrella organization representing many insurgent groups, said it has suspended all dialogue with Bangkok until after the election. For decades, the deep south's small tally of seats - 11 out of 350 being contested in this election - were seen as a reliable bloc for the Democrat Party, the country's oldest political party that is officially non-aligned in the campaign but could prove crucial in post-vote coalition-building. But the fresh attention being paid to the region by new parties has stoked pent-up desire for a say among both the pro-government and pro-autonomy camps there, said Samart Thongfhua, a political analyst at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani. "Generally, people in the deep south are enthusiastic from all sides because they will feel that they can gain justice through democracy," he said. RELIGIOUS TENSIONS This is the first election that a Malay Muslim from the deep south, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 74, is a prime ministerial candidate. Matha, a former house speaker and the leader of Prachachart Party, is a key ally to Thaksin who could help capture votes for the "democratic front" of anti-junta parties in the deep south. Pro-Thaksin parties have in the past performed badly in the region, where he was widely blamed for exacerbating the conflict with harsh tactics when he was in power from 2001 to 2006. https://news.yahoo.com/thailands-restive-deep-south-election-stirs-rare-enthusiasm-111714047.html

I've posted reports on individual massage experiences during recent trip in other threads but am posting a capsule account here as this is the go-to place for Bangkok massages info. Total massages: 12 In-call: 5 (1 guy x 3 and 2 others both known from previous trips) and all were fine. Nakarat: 4 total (1 x 2 and 2 others). All good. I recommend this place. Decent selection afternoons but more arrive after work. AEN: 1 visit and fine. Recommended. Think it is probably better to go after 5 when availability is better. Indra on Soi Tarntawan: 1 visit and fine. Be sure to get room with en-suite shower shower. Many VN guys with good selection most hours. Art Massage on Soi Tarntawan: 1 visit and fine. Good selection most hours.

From Bangkok Post (21 Mar.) Bang Sue rail hub work on track Construction of Bang Sue Central Station, which will replace Hua Lamphong as the city's rail transport hub when it opens in 2021, is almost 71% complete. A progress report was given to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who on Wednesdaypaid a visit to the 264,000-square-metre site. Bang Sue Central Station will not only serve as the country's main rail hub, but will also connect the country's rail system to the rest of Asean. He also said areas surrounding the train depot will become "green spaces" and commercial development projects will be developed nearby. Bang Sue Central Station will have three storeys and a subterranean level, which serves as a parking area accommodating 1,700 vehicles, according to the plans. The first floor is for ticket sales and reservations, along with commercial areas. The second floor is for suburban Red Line trains, with four platforms for short-distance services and eight platforms for long-distance train services. The third floor will have 10 platforms for regional train services and has another two earmarked for high-speed trains and airport rail link services in the future. It will also have a walkway connecting to the Blue Line mass transit system. The Red Line project (Bang Sue-Rangsit, Bang Sue-Taling Chan) will become operational simultaneously with Bang Sue Central Station. Two trains that will be used for the Red Line's test runs will arrive in June. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1648172/bang-sue-rail-hub-work-on-track-pm-told

Will the last person to leave please turn off the lights. That task may well fall to you, Paul, as you'll be there for the duration.

Think this needs to be fact-checked by CNN like the do the wild Trump claims. LOL. Confident that at least a half-dozen X-boy guys will come forward with conflicting info. And we both know that you're loathe to cry in a guy's presence (except of course if off leaves before breakfast).