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When I was making reservation of the trip on Qatar nine months out, my plan was to use Qmiles to upgrade to biz. When I called the Privilege Club, they told me I couldn't check upgrade availability until after I purchased the ticket. However, agent assured me that my Gold status and fact that I was buying flexi ticket significantly improved my chances of getting the upgrades. Went ahead and purchased it and immediately attempted to upgrade. Qatar would only upgrade the DOH-BKK segments. So I attempted to cancel the refundable ticket. This involved numerous calls and emails, all of which produced conflicting instructions. I was unable to either cancel on the website or at either the reservations or Privilege Club contact centers. I finally appealed to my credit card issuer who is pursuing the matter with Qatar. My advice is if you are considering a Gulf carrier, purchase your ticket only through a One World or other network partner airline. If you are in the US or EU, you enjoy far better protection. Better yet, avoid the Gulf carriers altogether. There are too many other good airlines out there with competitive fares and good schedules.

IMO, spend all of them as quickly as possible. All of the big 3 Gulf carriers are experiencing financial problems. Ethiad seems to be in the most difficulty, Emirates finds itself over extended and Qatar continues to feel the effects of the embargo imposed by its neighbors due to its friendly policies towards Iran. Destinations and flight frequencies are being trimmed and new equipment orders being cancelled outright or cut back. I'm having problems trying to get Qatar to refund their highest cost economy "flexi" ticket (sold as having fully refundable fare basis). This is not a good omen for what lies ahead.

From Khaosod English Feb. 1) BANGKOK — Thailand is expected to receive a large influx of visitors for Chinese New Year, raising hope among officials that a rebound in mainland arrivals is underway. Up to 325,000 Chinese travelers are projected to visit the kingdom to celebrate the Year of the Pig, according to a forecast published by Kasikorn Bank, while an aviation official said at least 13,330 flights will arrive at Bangkok’s two international airports. Aeronautical Radio director Somnuk Rongthong said air traffic controllers have been put on full alert to monitor the airspace and clear up any delays during the holiday, which lasts Feb. 4 to 10. Total flights arriving in Thailand will increase by 6.4 percent from the same period of time last year, Somnuk said. The Airport Authority of Thailand said at least 10,000 Chinese tourists have been arriving daily via Suvarnabhumi Airport since late December. The agency expects an average of 200,000 arrivals per day from all nations during the Chinese New Year – known as the Golden Week in China. Chinese arrivals took a major hit after a ferry sank in July 2018, killing more than 40 Chinese passengers. Numbers of Chinese visitors to Thailand did not recover until December, when arrivals rose by 2 percent over the year prior. In a report published today, Kasikorn Bank’s research department said Thailand will welcome about 10.9 million Chinese tourists this year, though it added that the slowing Chinese economy and competition from other countries remain threats to the industry. “It will be a challenge to maintain and sustain the growth rate,” the report said. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/business/2019/02/01/13300-flights-loaded-with-tourists-inbound-to-bangkok-for-cny/

English is the language of international corporate business, I'd agree, as I do with "...people who travel and EXPECT others to speak English are fools." But the issue in this thread is about Starbucks' decision not to post Thai language in their outlets inside of the host country. You don't have to be in Thailand long to understand that it is a society in which the majority indigenous Thai are dominated in many aspects of their life (business, industry, education--and now, Starbucks) by the minority Thai Chinese population. That's the reasons coups are so frequent. I think it's great that the minority population places high value on their education and business acumen but I also believe that the majority deserves a place at the table. For a retailer to ignore the majority of the citizenry, regardless of their socioeconomic status, is an insult to them individually and collectively. And the Thai guys we associate with bars and massage shops are from the indigenous population.I hope we'd all want to be in solidarity with them. It doesn't seem that the French got the memo in this case....

Starbucks menu in Barcelona...... And in Japan... And in Moscow... What's good for the Spanish, the Japanese and the Russians should be good for Thais, too.

From Bloomberg News (Jan. 31) A year after Airbus SE won what appeared to be a lifesaving order for its A380 double-decker, the flagship program’s future is once again on the line. Gulf carrier Emirates may convert some or all of its most recent 20 superjumbo orders into smaller A350s, people familiar with the matter said. That would slash the backlog and lead Airbus to kill off a plane that’s had limited interest from other airlines, just 11 years after it entered commercial service. Airbus would keep the superjumbo going until other outstanding orders for the model were fulfilled, mostly from an earlier Emirates deal, according to the people, who asked not to be named as the talks are private. But the move would ultimately mean shuttering a production line the manufacturer has fought to retain in anticipation of a revival in demand. Toulouse, France-based Airbus seemed to have secured the A380’s future when it agreed last January to sell as many as 36 planes to Emirates. Since then, though, it has struggled to find an engine maker willing to meet the carrier’s price and performance demands. An alliance of General Electric Co. and Pratt & Whitney showed little enthusiasm, while incumbent supplier Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc has failed to agree terms after months of negotiations. Airbus said in a stock-exchange statement that it’s in discussions with Emirates in relation to the A380 contract, which includes 16 options. The airline said talks were ongoing, while London-based Rolls-Royce declined to comment. Adding the smaller plane, which features composite wings and two engines, making it more fuel efficient than the four-turbine A380, would give Emirates a three-model lineup. As well as being the No. 1 superjumbo operator the carrier also has the biggest fleet of Boeing Co. 777s and is the leading customer for the upgraded 777X model. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-31/airbus-a380-future-on-line-as-emirates-said-to-mull-a350-switch?srnd=premium https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boeing-delivers-first-airplane-737-093800610.html

Any place in Thailand that lists menu items in English damn well should have it in Thai. To neglect to do so reeks of hi-so elitism.

From The Nation (Jan. 31) Fleet of small planes to spray water over Rama II Road in bid to fight pollution A FLEET of 47 planes is set to take off tomorrow to spray water over Bangkok’s most polluted areas in a bid to bring down the level of hazardous particles in the air. The operation will be jointly organised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Bangkok Aviation Centre. “Water will be sprayed over the entire stretch of Rama II Road in Bangkok and will probably extend to the portion of the road adjacent to Samut Sakhon province,” Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said yesterday. He added that the target area would be about 60 kilometres long and 1km wide. “The planes will fly about 300 to 400 metres above ground,” he said. Rama II Road, which is a key route for people and cargo heading to the country’s South, has been blanketed with a dangerous level of PM2.5 dust particles for several days already. BMA has also dispatched drones to spray water in the hope of lowering the dust particles. Each drone carries 10 litres of water. “These drones will continue even after small planes from the Bangkok Aviation Centre join our efforts,” the Bangkok governor said. Aswin has also called on people to help by using diesel-run vehicles only when it is very necessary and refraining from burning outdoor fires. Chinese shrines and foundations have been asked to perform Chinese New Year rituals in a less polluting manner. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363323

Just assumed (I know: never assume anything) that it was affiliated. In any case, Russian founder cleverly latched on to an established corporate brand name with a simple lower case letter. Perhaps she was influenced by Igor Grabar (a Russian post-impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art) but that may be another story. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” ― Oscar Wilde On another note, don't think I'd be eager (or Igor) to agree to take the package of a stranger across international borders.

From Bloomberg News (29 Jan.) Central Group, which controls Thailand’s biggest shopping mall and department store operator, plans to invest $200 million in ride-hailing giant Grab, people familiar with the matter said. The deal seals a strategic partnership under which the conglomerate will help Grab expand its business in Thailand, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Central Group will invest in Grab’s Thai unit, one of the people said. Grab and Central Group representatives declined to comment. With an empire that also includes hotels, supermarkets and restaurants, Central Group is counting on online growth to help drive sales. The company announced a $500 million joint venture with JD.com Inc. in 2017, teaming up with China’s second-largest e-commerce operator. Bloomberg first reported in September it was in talks to buy a significant minority stake in Grab’s local unit. Grab, which bought out Uber Technologies Inc.’s business in Southeast Asia, is expanding beyond its roots as a ride-hailing app by adding services such as food delivery, payments and logistics. GrabFood is now available in six major Southeast Asian countries and GrabExpress, its logistics and goods delivery service, in 150 cities, according to the company. The Singapore-based startup said this week it attracted more than $3 billion of investments in 2018 as part of its Series H funding round. Grab last year outlined ambitious fundraising plans and predicted that sales will double to $2 billion in 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-30/thailand-s-central-group-is-said-to-invest-200-million-in-grab

From The Nation (30 Jan.) The Education Ministry on Wednesday ordered educational institutes in Greater Bangkok to close for two days, starting tomorrow, after air pollution worsened. The ministry will review the situation this weekend to decide whether the measures would be extended, said minister Dr Theerakiat Charoensettasin. The decision followed instructions from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for the ministry to consider urgent measures to deal with the worsening air pollution in Bangkok on Wednesday, the minister said. The Pollution Control Department reported of unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – in 39 locations around the city, of which 23 were along main roads. The level hit 141 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air – nearly three times the safe limit of 50 – on Rama II Road in Muang Samut Sakhon, Samut Sakhon province, 45 kilometres from Bangkok. If the situation remains unchanged, the order to suspend the classes may have to continue, he said. The minister was speaking after chairing a meeting of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, Office of the Vocational Education Commission, Office of the Private Education Commission and Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC). Theerakiat said that the OHEC will ask cooperation from universities to consider suspension of classes for the sake of students. Referring to the O-net examination scheduled to take place between February 2-3, he said nothing could be done at the moment so the examination will proceed as scheduled. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363218

Agree that Tet (lunar New Year) is not an opportune time for tourists to visit Vietnam. It's not that you would be treated poorly or inconvenienced more than you could manage, but because it's truly a moment when the Vietnamese wish to celebrate among themselves. They want to let their hair down, renew old friendships and reunite with family. Although "Tet" is frequently associated by westerners with the North's 1968 military offensive in the South that began during the holiday, that has nothing to do with the celebrations that combine national, cultural and religious traditions. Let them enjoy the biggest holiday on their calendar.

Following link was posted on Gaybutton site and I think it deserves re-posting in this thread. I believe it captures the emotions and anticipation most of us experience when we touch down at Swampy and turn on our phones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGrzmJnPL_4

Sala Deang soi 2 alley. The area Divine Madman mentions above is street food central for workers who spill out of the Silom Comlpex and other businesses at lunch and after work. The food is fresh and prices universally easy on the budget. Some of these mom and pop vendors service just the lunch crowd while others stay open the evening business. Late afternoon sees a rush of students from the nearby Convent school while later there's a good mix of locals , expats and visitors. These vendors know owe their success to the simple formula that has made Bangkok street food legendary: consistently satisfying food at truly affordable prices. My favorite is the vendor closest to the Convent Rd. end of the alley. The seafood, particularly anything with shrimp, draws raves. All of these places I find are more fun when you go with a friend or two. This street food website appears up to date and you can select areas of the city from a drop-down menu. https://www.streetsidebangkok.com/

From Asian Correspondent (Jan, 25) Pattaya city faces an oversupply of condominium units THAILAND’S resort city of Pattaya has been highlighted as one of the country’s most attractive places for high-end properties, but a renowned consultant has warned that an excessive supply of homes could put the market in troubled waters. Last year, Pattaya saw 10,239 condominium units launched with a combined worth of THB55 billion (USD1.7 billion), a huge jump from 2,192 units in 2017. A large portion of the homes remain unsold due to the massive supply last year, Phattarachai Taweewong, Senior Manager of Collier’s research department, told Bangkok Post. The research department’s research showed that new condo developments in the city should not exceed 5,000 units as more than 12,000 units remain unsold. This figure was the highest since 2015. “The amount was highest in four years,” Phattarachai was quoted as saying. “The key driver of new supply last year was the Eastern Economic Corridor,” he added, referring to the government trade and investment drive approved early last year. Phattarachai said the market for condominiums in the city has been slowing down since 2015. Prior to 2015, the supply of new homes averaged 15,000 a year and the oversupply had softened the confidence of buyers and developers. “Developers should be more cautious of new supply launches as most buyers in the Pattaya condo market are investors expecting attractive yields. Very few buyers purchased for personal use,” he said. “If the economy slows down and yield is not as good as expected, these buyers may refuse to accept unit transfers. The new condo supply being added should not be excessive.” A local industry expert earlier said Thailand has a total of 454,814 residential units worth US$41 billion left unsold last year. President of the Agency for Real Estate Affairs, Sopon Pornchokchai said unsold units in Bangkok made of for 40 percent of the total units left over from 2018 and 55 percent of the total value. The supplies included detached houses, semi-detached houses, townhouses, shophouses, condominiums, and residential land subdivision catered by formal private housing developers in Thailand. By the end of 2018, the total condo supply of condo units in the Pattaya reached 88,330 units and developers have been told to focus on selling existing stock before launching new projects. https://asiancorrespondent.com/2019/01/thailands-pattaya-city-faces-an-oversupply-of-condominium-units/

Good Kids, Mad City: The Teenage Rappers Changing Minds About Bangkok's Notorious Slum Eleven Fingers knows exactly what people think of his hometown. "Poor. Bad. Wicked. Criminals: This is the way people talk about us!" he raps on his song "Klong Toey, My City." Klong Toey is Bangkok's most-notorious slum, a densely populated patchwork of illegal and semi-legal settlements that rose up in the space between Sukhumvit Road and the Chao Phraya River more than 60 years ago. It's home to an estimated 80,000 people and more representative of the Thai capital than most people would like to admit. As much as 20 percent of Bangkok's 8.3 million people live in slums like Klong Toey, which makes streets like the ones Eleven Fingers and his friend 19Tyger grew up on more common than the glitzy malls of Pathum Wan—only six kilometers away down Sukhumvit Road. Still, the public perception of Klong Toey has long been associated with crime, poverty, and drug abuse. The slum began as a home for rural Thais who moved to the capital to look for work, most of them finding it at the nearby Klong Toey port. The port authority actually owned most the land where the slum currently sits, and a community of poor port workers soon sprung up on the port's peripheries. Continues with pics and video https://www.vice.com/en_asia/article/mbwgbq/good-kids-mad-city-the-teenage-rappers-changing-minds-about-bangkoks-notorious-slum

The English language news cast of Japan's NHK Newsline program features an inspiring video about young man from Bangkok's Klong Toey (aka: Khlong Toei) slum who is on a mission to find his brother. He pulls no punches about the education system or the discrimination he experiences. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/nhknewsline/eoabl/eyeonasia/

From Reuters Thailand to hold first general election since coup on March 24 BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will hold a general election to restore civilian rule on March 24, the election commission said on Wednesday, announcing a new date for the often postponed vote, which will be the first since a 2014 military coup. The commission said in December the elections would be held on Feb. 24, but the military government expressed concern that election-related events would clash with early preparations for the coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, scheduled for May 4-6. The monarchy is revered in Thailand, and this year’s coronation will be the first in living memory for most of the population. “The Election Commission agreed to set the election date for March 24,” chairman Ittiporn Boonprakong told reporters. He added the new date “is appropriate based on different factors, including early ballots and candidate registration.” Political parties will submit lists of parliamentary candidates and up to three candidates for prime minister to the commission between Feb. 4 and 8, he said. Thai stocks rose by around 1 percent following the announcement and a royal decree, which was published earlier on Wednesday and confirmed the election was imminent. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, has been on the throne since shortly after his father died in 2016 following a 70-year reign, but he has not been officially crowned during a lengthy mourning period. Hundreds of activists have protested delays in holding the election since early January, the first such gatherings since the government lifted a ban on political activity in December. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-politics/thailand-to-hold-first-general-election-since-coup-on-march-24-idUSKCN1PH0VN

Quite a long time has passed since i first encountered Nicky at Moonlight but the experience remains locked in my memory. When I posted about it in a trip report, I included this link in which Nicky appears at the 3:45 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki61caIuzmw&app Although I didn't end up offing him (was meeting my regular guy less than an hour later), I wrote this: At some point I glance to my right and the object of my desire (the model just described), is casually leaning against wall, looking my way. I invite him to sit beside me and waiter asks me if I will by boy a drink. Of course I do and gladly pay the 400 tab presented. He tells me he's from Phuket and places a hand on my leg. I get immediately weak at the knees. I run a hand over shoulders and down the most amazing back that I've ever had pleasure to explore. When I tell him he's the best guy in show, he asks waiter to translate. Big smile and wai when he hears the words. We exchange usual stuff (where you from, how long you stay) while he maintains should contact. After about 20 minutes, he has to get back to work, I slip him 300 for his time. I get up as he does and he grabs my hand leads me away from seats, thanks me, puts his hands on my sides and then gives me another wai as he leaves. I find the waiter and give him a red note and exit. It was like flying too close to the sun. Never entered club figuring I would get to meet one of the star attractions. Somehow I managed to stumble back to hotel. When I got to room I had a bag from Family Mart in my hand and don't even remember stopping there. Vinapu and others went on to off him and posted impressiveluy about it. Their reports are far more detailed and revealing. But in IMO, he looks a lot more sexy in the video and in my memory than he does in the photo above. I recall my brief encounter with a smile and do not discourage anyone from offing him.

....be advised that as of March 11 you will no longer be able to contact the carrier's Privilege Club program by any means other than on its website. Information regarding the use of miles for any purpose will no longer be available by phone regardless of member status. You will be not able to even inquire on line about upgrade availability until AFTER you have purchased your ticket. Qatar notice: With the implementation of self-service functionality, all redemption requests and profile updates can be completed online our website www.qmiles.com. In line with this enhancement, from 11 March 2018, we will no longer be supporting these activities through our ticketing offices, contact centers or any other offline channels.

From CNBC Apple's 2020 iPhones will likely get upgraded displays after the XR disappoints Apple's 2020 lineup of iPhones are likely to ditch LCD displays completely in favor of OLED, according to The Wall Street Journal. OLED displays appear more brilliant and colorful and offer more flexibility in design compared to LCD displays. Japan Display, which supplies LCD displays for Apple, is reportedly seeking a bailout as its business suffers from Apple's supply changes. Apple's full line of 2020 iPhones are likely to get a display upgrade and ditch LCD completely, according to The Wall Street Journal. The iPhone XR is the only model in Apple's latest iPhone release that still uses an LCD display, rather than an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, which allows for greater design flexibility and is supposed to show a higher quality color display. But the phone, which was expected to be more appealing to budget-conscious shoppers with a price tag starting at $750 rather than $999 for the XS, has failed to meet sales expectations. Earlier this month, Apple published a letter to investors downgrading its guidance for its first quarter 2019 in light of weak iPhone sales, among other factors. However, CEO Tim Cook told CNBC earlier this month that the XR has been Apple's best-selling iPhone model since it launched last fall. The shift from LCD to OLED would have a great impact on Apple suppliers like Japan Display, which is already suffering from supply cuts from Apple, the Journal reported. Japan Display, which supplies LCD displays for Apple, is in advanced talks with an investor group from Taiwan and China to bail it out with a potential investment of the equivalent of $550 million with a 30 percent stake in the company, the the report says. The deal could give Taiwan's TPK Holdings and Chinese state-owned Silk Road Fund even more control in the company later on, the Journal reported. Japan Display has sought bailouts in the past as the industry has begun to shift to OLED displays. In 2016, Japan Display sought a bailout equal to about $703 million from a fund backed by the Japanese government as Samsung increasingly used OLED displays in its designs, the Journal reported at the time. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/apples-next-iphones-likely-to-get-oled-displays-after-xr-disappoints.html

Buying the baht during times of political turmoil may be a good idea. It's probably more predicable than trying to pick equity market tops and bottoms. This is a 20-year chart of the baht vs the euro (you can compare any currency at the same interactive site). NOTE: The yellow shirts closed BKK airport in 2008. Other political turmoil occurred in 2006 and 2014. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-thb.en.html

From Khaosod English Student Furor Over Chula Prof’s Alleged Homophobic Comments BANGKOK — Outrage spread Monday at one of the nation’s top universities over a veteran professor’s conduct and comments toward transgender women. Students have demanded that the university look into repeated homophobic comments about transgender women, known as khatoey, made by an assistant professor in the education department they allege also barred a student from his class. Niran Sangsawat’ students complain that he has told them in class that “being a kathoey is no different than being a lunatic” and that “kathoeys are sexual deviants, they shouldn’t be teachers.” A former student body president and activist posted an online petition calling for Niran to be probed by the university board. Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal said he’s heard complaints about Niran for a long time from his friends in the Education Faculty. He posted the petition after one transgender student went public in the media to say Niran barred her from his class because she dressed in a female uniform. Continues with photo http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2019/01/21/student-furor-over-chula-profs-alleged-homophobic-comments/

From Coconuts Bangkok Come take a seat in the beautiful gardens of the Dutch Embassy on February 7, from 6-10pm, and enjoy a night of mind-opening documentaries focused on LGBTI+ stories. The night is organized by Document Our History Now a foundation that works in close cooperation with the Dutch embassy in Bangkok to support LGBTI+ storytelling in Southeast Asia. At this screening, you’ll get to see a few of the titles they have produced in recent years, including productions from Myanmar and Cambodia. Our Coconuts TV documentary “Toms: The Complex World of Female Love in Thailand” will also be screened as part of the evening. So click and watch now, or save it for February 7. We don’t mind! Entrance is free, but registration is mandatory so be sure to sign up via Eventbrite here. Like Document Our History Now on Facebook to keep up with all their events and updates. Continues with photos and map https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/lgbti-documentary-night-dutch-embassy-friday-feb-7/