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More proof that massage remains your best value in LOS.

From VN Express / Straits Times Singapore has reported a rise in the percentage of travelers refused entry into the city-state since the introduction of automated immigration lanes at Changi Airport in May. Thanks to automated clearance, checks are carried out earlier and technology can be utilized more extensively, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sun Xueling, said at a parliamentary session on Monday, as cited by The Straits Times. He did not provide specific figures on the increase. Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in the parliament earlier on Monday about 2,500 visitors are refused entry at Singapore’s checkpoints for various reasons every month, according to The Straits Times. Since May, all foreign travelers arriving in Singapore, regardless of nationality, have been able to use the automated lanes at Changi Airport for immigration clearance. The system allows visitors to use their iris and facial biometrics for clearance without the need to present their passports. Singapore might be the first country in the world to allow all foreign travelers, including first-time visitors, to use automated lanes without prior registration, according to Channel News Asia. Singaporean authorities plan to install approximately 800 such automated lanes across all of Singapore’s checkpoints by 2026.

From Pattaya Mail tax reform and the Golden Goose By Barry Kenyon Integrity Legal, an influential network of law firms in USA and Asia, has condemned the proposal of the Thai Revenue Department to tax Thai and foreign residents on their worldwide income irrespective of whether those monies are brought to Thailand. The current regulations (effective January 2024) permit only the taxing of “assessable” income actually transferred from abroad. In their latest video, the Bangkok-based firm points out that a worldwide policy ruling would strongly deter investment in Thailand, especially as Thai Revenue has no actual jurisdiction to control assets outside the country. If such a radical policy were to be introduced, it would first require a formal change in Thai law which is by no means a formality. Meanwhile Pichai Chunhavajira, the finance minister delivering a keynote address Shaping Tomorrow, said that current personal and corporate income tax rates remain higher than in competition countries and should be rejigged. He made no mention of the income tax situation for Thai and foreign tax residents. Not a single government spokesperson so far has endorsed, or even commented on, the Revenue’s radical proposal to tax worldwide income, even though first mooted last June. Social media in Thailand has prophecies that the issuing of annual extensions of stay are about to become dependent on income tax clearance in Thailand. There has been no confirmation from the Cabinet or the immigration bureau. Such a policy would present all manner of problems. For example, many holders of longterm visas, such as Elite, spend less than six months per year in Thailand, whilst notional tourists can easily exploit the new visa exempt rules to clock up more than 180 days in a calendar year. A person’s visa status does not magically show tax liability, or the lack of it. Thai Revenue, of course, has the role of recommending courses of action to increase national tax income. However, Integrity Legal’s warning that the Golden Goose is in danger of self-assassination illustrates the threat of continuing silence by government ministers or the Cabinet. As many expats threaten to quit living here and the national economy continues to struggle, the need for proper debate is already well overdue.

Yes, they erected a narrow walkway on three sides of the pillar that the boys circulated around from the stage. Pretty clever, I thought.

Never lost anything in massage shop or been pick pocketed in Bangkok in 22 years of trips.

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Kings Group may well be who they pay rent to.

LOL 😊

How so?

Think I recognize one guy as a regular from some SK shops but none of the others look at all familiar. BB fucking scenes would not encourage me to want to make a visit.

If they can arrange the interior to mimic the intimacy of the existing place I would agree.

TK LINE feed is trending that way, too. 🙂

From The Thaiger Pattaya City takes a significant stride in enhancing healthcare accessibility for night workers as Mayor Poramese Ngampiches inaugurated the Proactive Health Promotion Project for Night Workers yesterday, September 8. The launch event, held at Leela Club on Walking Street, gathered prominent city executives, including Nathamon Ajsong, Chairman of the Pattaya City Transformation Leaders, and Doctor Atthaporn Limpanyalert, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO). The initiative, a joint effort between Pattaya City and the NHSO, is designed to deliver crucial health promotion and prevention services to night workers over the next four months. Running from yesterday until December 20, the project aims to reach at least 5,000 individuals by visiting various locations across Pattaya City. Nathamon Ajsong emphasised the project’s goals, underscoring the critical need to make healthcare more accessible for night workers who often find it challenging to obtain medical services during regular hours. She explained that the project includes cervical cancer screenings using self-test kits, a measure that drastically reduces the necessity for hospital visits. Atthaporn pointed out the project’s alignment with the “Better Pattaya” policy, aimed at fostering sustainable tourism development. The initiative brings together government, public, and private sector network partners, creating a holistic approach to boosting public health in Pattaya. The project is set to cover a broad range of health services, including screenings and preventive care, tailored specifically to the needs of night workers. This demographic often faces unique health challenges due to irregular hours and limited access to traditional healthcare services, reported The Pattaya News. The choice of Leela Club on Walking Street as the launch venue underscores the project’s focus on reaching the heart of Pattaya’s nightlife industry. Walking Street, known for its vibrant nightlife, is home to many night workers who will benefit directly from this initiative.

Unfortunately that column supports the load of the ceiling and roof. It's a critical structural element.🙂

A reliable source reports that Good Boy bar (formerly Screw Boy) is giving serious consideration to relocating to the site last occupied by SOL bar (and its short-lived successor) opposite Hot Male's Midnight bar on Patpong 2.

Finally someone who knows exactly what he talking about! If I found myself in this situation, his firm would be my fist stop.

How did he get your apartment number?

From VN Expres Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year, has resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injured 176 others since it struck northern Vietnam on Saturday. The casualties include four individuals from Quang Ninh province, four from Hoa Binh province, and three from Hanoi, according to the Department of Rescue and Relief under the Ministry of National Defense. In addition to the tragic loss of life, the storm has caused significant property damage. Approximately 121,500 hectares of rice and crops were flooded and destroyed, particularly in Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, and Ha Nam. After more than 15 hours in Vietnam, Yagi weakened to a tropical depression in the Northwest region, though it continues to bring heavy rains and flooding. Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, the busiest in northern Vietnam, reopened on Sunday after being closed on Saturday morning due to the storm.

Would not deprive you of pleasure of his company. 😍

From Pattaya News On September 5th, 2024, Mr. Wuttisak Reumkitkar, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya City, oversaw the registration process for massage operators at Pattaya Beach and Wong Amat Beach. The event saw a large turnout of massage operators submitting their legal documents and looking forward to helping tourists and locals. To enhance service quality and maintain the city’s tourism appeal, massage operators have formed clubs to provide organized services to the public and tourists. This basically prevents indecent services like prostitution and overcharging, which could negatively impact Pattaya’s tourism industry. Pattaya City has also implemented strict measures to control the number of massage service providers in each area. Massage operators are required to register according to Thai law, ensuring the number of operators does not exceed set legal limits and addressing various issues. Massage operators must meet the following criteria: – Be legally registered in Banglamung District. – Hold a certificate of Thai massage training from recognized institutes. – Wear shirts in the designated colors for each zone and display their membership number for easy identification and supervision. Pattaya City is divided into four zones: – Pattaya Beach (Yellow): 124 operators – Wong Amat Beach (Green): 39 operators – Jomtien Beach, Dongtan (Pink): 119 operators – Blue Zone (Other various areas): 141 operators

From Pattaya Mail EDITORIAL Kulaya Tantitemit, director-general of the Revenue Department, has indicated to the Bangkok Post that she is preparing significant new legislation. Under current rules, effective January 2024, Thais and foreigners residing here for 180 days or more in a calendar year will be taxed on foreign-sourced, assessable income when such cash is remitted into the country, regardless of when sent. A wave of panic has set in amongst the expat community, especially pensioners, although the opinions of banking and legal experts range from a don’t worry green signal to a hot potato red. Thus “savings” are not taxable, but there is no consensus about what “savings” are, or could be. But The Revenue, as reported in the Bangkok Post as recently as September 7, is preparing to amend the law to collect tax from any Thai or foreign resident (as defined above) who derives foreign-based income even if they do not bring such income into Thailand. This is unprecedented. The director-general justifies this move by referring to the principle of worldwide income which argues that all income earned by an individual is taxed by the country of residence. Some other south east Asian countries, including Cambodia, technically can tax the overseas income of resident aliens but choose largely to ignore the issue. For now anyway. It is important to recognize that this latest Revenue announcement would require parliamentary approval for a clear change in the tax laws. At this stage, it is not obvious that the suggestion will receive the rubber stamp of the legislature. For example, many rich and influential Thais may dislike the notion of declaring their worldwide income wealth which remains permanently overseas. There is no timescale and no evidence that the latest proposal is under parliamentary consideration even though it was first mooted last June. There is now a new premier and Cabinet in office following the resignation of prime minister Srettha Thavisin who had originally asked the Revenue to look for ways of broadening the tax base, presumably to increase government funds to pay for populist policies. Ms Kulaya pointed out that the proposed rule changes will depend on international cooperation and information exchange as Thailand is already a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for tax information exchange amongst countries. There are many other complications too. For example, foreign holders of the 10-year Long Term Residence visa are exempt from taxation on foreign income remitted to Thailand, a very popular marketing ploy. However, they may not be exempt from worldwide income not remitted to Thailand unless a special clause was included in any legislation. Many of Pattaya Mail’s readers are older foreigners living here mainly or wholly on pension income and inheritances which have already been taxed in the home country. They are aware of double taxation treaties, but mostly unaware of the complex detail in 61 very different agreements and what they actually mean. The Revenue could now or in the future ignore income under double taxation arrangements, or alternatively argue that any tax paid to the home country is merely a “credit” to put alongside any further tax liability in Thailand. Generally speaking, Thai taxes are more expensive than, say, those in the US or the UK in most categories. Our advice to readers at the moment is to wait for clarification, if any, on the grounds that any tax due for 2024 is not due for collection until January-March 2025. Thailand is no stranger to surprise announcements.

Was heartened today to open post from 15M Massage and find that one of my favorite SK masseurs ("Ole") appear back in the fold after an extended absence.

Vinapu's unusual reports of deception and bad faith relating to LT commitments is a cause of concern for all us going forward. We also heard a disappointing LT report from bkkmfj2648. These beg the question whether there's anything members can do to prevent falling victim to these same ruses. Other than not seeking LT offs, there's no foolproof way of completely avoiding them. However, anticipating them may improve your odds of not becoming a victim. What I believe is the best method might be to have a unambiguous discussion in the bar before a deal is struck that requires the guy to acknowledge that his fee will be reduced to ST if he departs before agreed time for any reason. (I was pleased to see that bkkmfj248 cut his guy's rate the next morning for lack of performance). It may also be helpful to early on tell your prospective LT off that you're interested only in a LT agreement. Putting him on notice prior to any negotiations may help dissuade some from the outset. Benefiting from Vinapu's experience may well turn out to be his gift to us.

From Aerotime Jetstar is officially opening a new aircraft and pilot base in Western Australia and launching a third new service between Perth and Asia. This marks the single biggest expansion ever of the carrier’s Perth operations. On September 2, 2024, Jetstar officially opened a new base in Perth for up to 60 pilots and aircraft. The carrier plans to introduce four new Airbus A321neo LR aircraft in its fleet by 2029. Additionally, the carrier announced it has shifted its domestic services from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2. The launch will enable passengers to walk between Jetstar’s domestic and international services, rather than having to take a shuttle bus between terminal precincts. Starting from September 6, 2024, Jetstar will begin flying between Perth (PER) and Bangkok (BKK) in Thailand up to four times a week. The decision to launch a new route was made following the successful launch of new Jetstar services between Perth and Singapore and Phuket in August 2024, the company announced.