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Got to see the Men's Speed Wall finals last night and the guy who caught my eye right away, Indonesia's Leonardo Veddriq, grabbed the gold by two hundreds of a second. Don't think he ever stepped smiling from the time he stepped to the platform until after award ceremonies and beyond. Couldn't get enough of him. Silver finisher, China's Wu Peng, was likewise easy on the eyes. I'm hooked on this sport!

+1 But I draw the line if they're just checking their mail. One massage boy's phone on last trip began chirping every few minutes and he actually picks it up each time. When it was over and time to hand over tip, I gave him the minimum and he looked at me quizzically. This was a shop I frequent and the boys know I usually tip well above minimum. I pointed to his phone and he gave me a wai and said, "sorry." Money--or lack of it--is a reliable incentive. Pleased to report that massage boys almost always showered with me after. The smart ones know that this is the final act of intimacy and aware that it can affect their tip (it works with me!). But these guys all have one thing in common: they can towel off and dress in a third of the time it takes me. They use the idle time to gather up the random tissue paper and will usually hold my shit as I struggle to catch up. Many bar boys, on the other hand, seem more committed to the "you come, I go" scenario.

It's not faith that you lack, Riobard It's veracity. 😄

That's the spirit, Riobard. 😃

Na, Riobard, you're the one who fabricates the news with the same misdirection of Trump. You figure if you just keep saying the same trash eventually people will figure it must be true. But please keep trying! 😃

Taking bronze in the Men's 3-meter springboard diving was Osmar Olvera Ibarra of Mexico. Although the two Chinese divers who took gold and silver were all but flawless, the 20-year-old Ibarra wasn't far behind. Hope we see more of him in the future.

That really sounds a lot like the way Trump tries to get away with making up the news. 😃

Attribution, Riobard; attribution. Where is it? If sources exist, why aren't you citing them? Trump must have been your debate coach. 😃

Perhaps he'd entertain a guest appearance invitation. And would nominate Kunlavut as a solid twunk addition to line up (I'd go just to see his legs up close).

From VN Express The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line in Hanoi is operational from 8 a.m. Thursday, becoming the second running metro line in Vietnam after 15 years in the making. There were not many passengers present at the S8 Station on the opening day. Most of them were elderly people and students. Hoang Minh Tan, 75, from Ba Dinh District, who took a ride on the opening day, said: "The stations and the trains are nice. They feel better than the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line." Cat Linh-Ha Dong in Hanoi was launched in November 2021 as the first metro line in Vietnam. The second line covers a total distance of 12.5 km, featuring eight elevated stations and four underground ones. Only the elevated section of 8.5 km from Nhon to Cau Giay was launched on Thursday, while the underground portion of 4 km from Cau Giay to Hanoi Station is scheduled to complete in 2027. During the initial three months, the metro line will operate daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with trains running every 10 minutes. The schedule may be adjusted based on passenger demand. The metro rides are free during the first 15 days of operation. Then tickets are set at VND8,000 (US$0.32) for a single ride, VND12,000 for a full-line ride, VND24,000 for a day pass, and VND200,000 for a monthly pass. Students receive a discounted monthly pass at VND100,000. Children under six, seniors over 60, people with disabilities, and certain prioritized groups can ride the trains for free. Tickets are circular, resembling coins. Passengers scan these at the gates to enter and place them in scanners to exit the train. Tickets are valid for 20 minutes after purchase, and passengers must "update" them if they do not board the train within this timeframe. The metro line consists of 10 trains, each capable of reaching a maximum speed of 80 kph. Every train has four cars, with each car accommodating up to 236 passengers. A total of 353 employees manage the line's operations.

From Pattaya Mail Pol. Lt. Col. Piyapong Ensarn, Superintendent of Pattaya Tourist Police, led a meeting with foreign volunteer officers participating in the Strong Tourist Community (S.T.C.) project on Pattaya Walking Street. The training program included 40 participants from 17 countries: Australia, China, Congo, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The S.T.C. project seeks to enhance the tourism community’s resilience and ensure a safer environment for visitors in Pattaya. The meeting provided updates on the project’s progress, highlighting the essential role of these volunteers in improving tourist safety and community cooperation.

I don't even wear a cheap watch (if you have a mobile, you don't need one, anyway) so I share your conundrum. But no matter where you travel you'll see people of all ages wearing gold chains. In many cultures, gold is associated with wealth and power. Others just seem to like how it looks in their body. But why people choose to display it in locations known for gold-snatching crimes I can only be attribute to ignorance or risky behavior.

From Khaosod English BANGKOK — Thai Police officers spent two weeks tracking down and arresting a thief who stole a necklace from an Australian man in downtown Bangkok. On August 7, officers from the Crime Suppression Division of the Central Investigation Bureau arrested Thosaporn, a transgender woman suspected of stealing a gold necklace from Mr. Brock, an Australian national, in the parking lot of Krongthong Mansion on On Nut Road, Suan Luang District, Bangkok. The incident occurred on July 21 at 6:14 AM near the pedestrian bridge in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana District, Bangkok. At that time, Mr. Brock was wearing a gold necklace worth approximately 4,000 Australian dollars or about 97,000 Thai baht. He was walking on the sidewalk from Sukhumvit Soi 11 towards the Asok intersection. At this point, a transgender woman wearing a black dress, with long hair (tied up), flip-flops, and carrying a handbag approached him, pretending to talk. She used her left hand to embrace him from behind and her right hand to grab his neck and unfasten the gold necklace without him noticing. The investigation team discovered that Thosaporn was the perpetrator and was hiding in Krongthong Mansion on On Nut Road. They set up surveillance and arrested her as she was leaving the dormitory. Thosaporn confessed to being the person in the arrest warrant and admitted that this was her first arrest for this crime. She fully confessed to the charges and led the arresting officers to her room to retrieve the gold necklace, which she had not yet sold, to return it to Mr. Brock. The police then took her to Lumphini Police Station to formally charge her.

A benevolent approach indeed. 🙂 Thanks for another good report.

Not necessarily.

I provided the source to both of the news accounts that appeared in Thai media above. We are left to conclude that Riobard made up this yarn:

From Bangkok Post The United States and the European Union on Wednesday issued statements expressing serious concern about the Constitutional Court order dissolving the opposition Move Forward Party and its implications for democracy in Thailand. The US State Department said the decision “jeopardises Thailand’s democratic progress and runs counter to the aspirations of the Thai people for a strong, democratic future”. “The United States does not take a position in support of any political party, but as a close ally and friend with deep and enduring ties, we urge Thailand to take actions to ensure fully inclusive political participation, and to protect democracy and the freedoms of association and expression,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. The European Union called the court ruling “a setback for political pluralism in Thailand”, noting that Move Forward placed first in the 2023 general election with 14 million votes out of 39 million.“No democratic system can function without a plurality of parties and candidates,” said a statement issued by the European External Action Service press team. “Any limitation on the exercise of free association and expression, in particular through the activities and formation of political parties, must be consistent with relevant provisions and principles of international instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." The statement added that the EU “stands ready to broaden its engagement with Thailand” under a cooperation deal signed in 2022 that covers issues including “democratic pluralism, fundamental freedoms and human rights”. Amnesty International issued a statement describing the court decision as “untenable” and said it showed that laws in Thailand were being used to intimidate critics. The Asian Forum for Human Rights said it posed “serious risks to democratic principles”.

In other words, you have no source. 😃

In other words you have no source. 😄

You might want to cite your source for above.

From The Thaiger The baffling disappearance of a British tourist hours before his flight from Bangkok has taken a twist: his sister insists he did board a plane. Sarah Robinson-Dale revealed that her brother, 27 year old Simon Robinson, boarded a flight to Helsinki, Finland. This revelation has shifted the search a staggering 5,000 miles from Southeast Asia to the Arctic Circle. Initially, Robinson was feared to have vanished in Bangkok, leaving his family distraught and believing he never boarded his July 26 flight home, despite his phone pinging near the airport minutes before departure. “We have received confirmation that Simon did board the flight on July 26. A massive thank you to everyone who shared and to the kind people who found this information, as police on both sides haven’t done anything. I am waiting for a call back from the police and embassy in Helsinki.” The family’s new theory was prompted by a man claiming to be a Thai immigration officer, who informed them Robinson was on flight AY142 – Finnair’s Bangkok-Helsinki route. Dale confirmed her brother jetted off to Finland but did not reveal the source of her confirmation. Finnair declined to provide customer information when The Sun requested verification of Robinson’s flight details. Robinson, from Skegness, Lincolnshire, initially flew to Thailand on July 22 and was not due home until August 3. However, on July 26, he called his girlfriend to announce he was flying home early. He has not been heard from since. The UK Foreign Office stated it stands ready to assist any Brit abroad but refrained from commenting on Simon’s case. Interpol also declined to comment, citing the need for special circumstances or approval from the missing person’s country, reported The Sun UK.

Home Spa is offering a promotion on 1.5 hour massage of 288 baht through August 13th.

I've posted before that this is not unusual in SK shops. The posted pics are almost always original to the date they began working so I'm always prepared to see a somewhat older guy in person. Having said that, on only two occasions that I recall did this become so pronounced that I initially wondered if it was the same individual. And of those two, only one proved to be disappointing in performance. Another reason going to Silom Soi 6 shops have a big advantage over SK venues is because the guys work 10+ hour shifts in person.

Staying up late paid off last night as I got to see some preliminary rounds of the vertical wall climbing event. If you like watching guys with sinewy muscles display speed, strength and competitiveness, you, too, may become a fan.

From Thai PBS World The Constitutional Court decided unanimously today to dissolve the main opposition Move Forward party, after finding the party guilty of attempting to overthrow the system of democracy under a constitutional Monarchy. The court also decided to debar the party’s executive committee members from contesting elections, from involvement in the setting up of a new party and from sitting on the executive committee of a new party for 10 years from today. The court ruled that the party’s attempt to amend the lèse majesté law (§112 of the Criminal Code), the inclusion of such proposed amendments in its policy platform and the continuous election campaign for the amendments amount to an act to “degrade the value of the Monarchy”, an act deemed hostile to the highest institution in Thailand. The court explained that its decision to disband the Move Forward party and to debar its executives is appropriate and proportionate, given the severity of the offences. The court said that it had exercised extreme caution in arriving at its ruling, adding that dissolving the party was unavoidable, in order to protect democracy under a constitutional Monarchy. Before arriving at the ruling, the court dismissed the Move Forward party’s challenges to the court’s power to dissolve the party and the legitimacy of the Election Commission in filing the case, seeking the dissolution of the party and the debarment of its executive committee members from politics. The court ruled that there was no need for the EC to conduct an enquiry, as demanded by the Move Forward party, because the party dissolution case was similar to that already ruled on by the court on January 31. In that case the party was found guilty of attempting to overthrow constitutional Monarchy over the party’s continuous campaign to amend the lèse majesté law. The court ordered the party and its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat to cease all activities related to amendment of the lèse majesté law.