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From Thai PBS World COVID-19 infected patients being admitted to hospitals in Thailand increased to 2,762 between June 2 and 8, which is an average of 395 cases a day. The previous week saw 1,863 cases, according to the COVID-19 Information Centre. Five fatalities were also reported during that week, bringing the death toll this year to 137. Dr Thira Woratanarat, of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, advised via Facebook post today that the public should keep their guard up and take care of their health, as COVID related hospital admissions have increased by 48.3% over the previous week. Meanwhile, the Centre for Medical Genomics at Mahidol University reported on its website that a new vaccine, KP.2, which is capable of boosting the immune system against new COVID variants, is expected to be approved for use during the 2024-25 season. The centre said that the new vaccine constitutes an important advance in the fight against COVID mutations and will slow the global rate of infections.

Acting? Thought it was a documentary.

Yes and prices about the same for one-stop flights. I understand at one time it was cheaper.

From Pattaya Mail Pattaya is a city with its fair share of foreign males who are past the first bloom of youth. So it’s hardly surprising that a seminar on prostate problems and erectile dysfunction attracted a full house on June 7 at the resort’s most popular private hospital. The joint speakers were prosthesis surgeons and urologists Dr Niti Navanimitkul and Assistant Professor Dr Yossak Sakulchaiyakorn who managed to incorporate humor and empathy into what might appear to be dry subjects. About half of all men start to feel the symptoms of an enlarged prostate as early as age 50, but they rise to around eighty percent for guys in their 80s. There is no doubt about the tell-tale signs: getting up more than once in the middle of the night, a weak stream, difficulty in starting and stopping amongst them. Dr Niti took the audience through the various options such including lifestyle changes (cutting down on caffeine and alcohol), medication and several surgical procedures. But he concentrated on the latest technique in minimum invasive surgery known as water vapor therapy. The steam device is inserted and a needle deployed to inject hot steam, which immediately becomes water, into the enlarged prostate. Only moderate sedation is required and the actual procedure takes only a remarkable 10 to 15 minutes and does not require a repeat. Post operation, it is necessary for patients to use a temporary catheter for a few days whilst the swelling reduces. A lively question and answer session followed the presentation. Water vapor therapy is a one-off procedure, but the technique is new world-wide so it’s impossible to say how long it remains effective. The hope is 10 years. The improvement is not immediate but takes place after three or four weeks once the swelling has subsided. Several audience members, who had received the treatment at the hospital, confirmed that they were delighted with the results. A total package including consultations, preparation, surgery and follow-up currently cost 210,000 baht or about US$5,500. The session then turned to male impotence or inability to sustain an erection , or as one conference member described it, “Like playing snooker with a rope”. Erectile dysfunction can start in men as early as 40. As with the enlarged prostate, there are several options including lifestyle changes, medication, vacuum constriction devices and various surgery as described by Dr Yossak. Open discussion followed the presentation. It was pointed out that some medications for this condition lowered blood pressure which created problems for some men. There is research currently being conducted into permanent penile implants which are not yet generally available. The session concluded with participants being handed questionnaires on their personal health issues, with the opportunity to talk privately to Dr Niti or Dr Yossack about their personal scores. The seminar was free to all.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister, has finally announced that the proposed tax on tourist arrivals has been cancelled. The suggested imposition, 300 baht at airports (around US$9) and 150 baht by land or sea, had initially been suggested as the country emerged from the covid pandemic. It had been opposed by the travel industry on the grounds of ambiguity and confusion. The idea from the National Tourism Policy Committee was originally promoted as a way of funding the medical costs of foreign tourists involved in accidents or who sadly passed from the mortal coil. However, it quickly became apparent that only 10 percent of the fund would be devoted to insurance and would be highly discretionary. The proposed fund was then marketed as an essential part of repairing and restoring tourist sites such as some temples and archaeological sites. Examples put forward were to install public lavatories at tourist attractions or to restore religious images to their former glory. It was argued that the huge increase in tourist numbers post-covid would require a subsidy from the visitors themselves to keep popular sites from decay. The issue of how to collect the entry tax was never resolved. It did not apply to Thai citizens, diplomats, work permit holders and babies under two years. Holders of the Elite visa and one-year extensions of stay, based on retirement or marriage, grumbled that they were not “tourists” in any case. Airlines opposed the tax being included in tickets as they could not tell (without detailed inquiry) who should pay it and who should not. The next suggestion was to install special booths at airports and land borders, an idea quickly discarded because the inevitable long queues could easily ruin Thailand’s positive marketing initiatives. Pre-entry use of credit cards and QR codes was put forward, but was again abandoned as an easy solution. For example, some cards refused to accept transactions for small sums whilst processing can be a time-consuming process. The issues arising from tourist insurance were addressed in February 2024 by the establishment of the Thailand Traveller Safety Website. This permits cash refunds of between one million and 300,000 baht for untimely deaths and injuries arising from accidents. However, the scheme applies only to those with a “tourist” visa and expires in August 2024. Pre-registration before a calamity is essential for claimants. Mr Srettha, in his cancellation address, explained that the abandoned scheme wasn’t really worth the effort. He placed his confidence in the growing number of overseas visitors which means more revenue to the national cash pot. But expats – especially those living on pre-taxed pensions and policies – would now appreciate frankness about the Thai Revenue policy on taxing overseas income, both remitted and worldwide. It’s another hot potato.

From The Thaiger By Bob Scott A deaf shoeshiner in Pattaya has captured the admiration of netizens for his perseverance and dedication. Known as Kai, his story surfaced online after a local journalist saw him cleaning a tourist’s shoes on Pattaya Beach. Kai earns his living by offering shoe cleaning services to tourists. Despite being deaf and mute, he communicates with customers using a sign that reads, Hiring Clean Shoes. Each day, he arrives at the beach equipped with his shoe-cleaning tools: a brush, towel, and polish, ready to work. Charging 60 baht per pair, Kai meticulously cleans and polishes shoes, transforming them from sandy and worn to pristine condition. His dedication and attention to detail often leave his customers highly satisfied. The journalist who spoke with Kai using sign language noted the quality of his work and his commitment to his craft. Despite his hearing disability, Kai has managed to build a loyal clientele, especially among foreign tourists who appreciate his diligence and the high standard of his service. His story stands as a testament to the power of determination and hard work in overcoming life’s challenges.

From The Thaiger Police in Pathum Thani reassigned five officers from the Pak Khlong RangsitPolice Station following a raid on an unlicensed nightclub near a prominent university highlighting the lack of action surrounding the issue called for a more thorough and transparent investigation. The crackdown occurred yesterday when central investigation police searched a nightclub in Rangsit at around 1.15am, officers found a significant number of underage patrons inside. Upon checking identification, they discovered 65 individuals under the legal drinking age of 20. The owner, 28 year old Patipan Intharong admitted that the club only had a liquor license and no permit to operate as a nightclub.

As the late William Higgins realized, “The Pizza Boy Delivers.”

Yes!

For some perhaps but a lot of us come because we can’t find massage shops with the choices like we enjoy here. I like Asian guys in Asia. And I spend $4500 just getting here and back. So there goes any savings.

At the corner of Silom and Convent roads this evening.

Do you think you would survive that sandwich 🙂

From The Nation The Republicans are trying to kill the Democrats with the latter’s own swords, and the battle between “liberals” and “conservatives” has been unfolding with one big plot twist after another, just like what’s happening in the Land of Smiles. The latest unexpected turn of events in America has the conservatives scream “Political persecution!” and the so-called liberals accused of running a “Banana Republic” only known previously to the third world. That irony might be the key difference in the comparison with Thailand. To cut a long story short, Donald Trump’s criminal conviction is putting the American democracy and rule of law under the microscope. Donations are pouring in for the Republicans; Trump’s popularity is threatening to go through the roof; and pro-Biden mechanisms are apparently unsure what to do. Take away the terms “liberals” and “conservatives”, it will be hard to differentiate between Thailand and America. In both countries, one side is claiming the other is “weaponising” the justice system for political reasons and the perceived victims thrive on groundswells of sympathy. Similarities also include the issues of LGBTQ, proclaimed “dangers” to the status quo and the fierce competitions to use celebrities and intellectuals to promote or attack causes, and the question of whether it’s actually liberty or anarchy. In the big picture, what is going on in Thailand and the US shows that politics everywhere is undergoing a major transformation. If the American model is seen to be failing, democratic formulas anywhere else will have to undergo soul-searching. Since America is the leader of the “Free World”, the global stake is huge whether Trump wins or not, and whether the eventual outcome of the US presidential race is accepted or not. The rivalry between Trump and Joe Biden has gone far beyond simple democratic competition because each has demonised the other so much. It’s politics at its fiercest yet, one the United States has not seen since the Civil War and one that makes coexistence a big ask. It has come to a point where if half of America is right, the other half must be seriously wrong. When players of democratic politics give voters just one choice _ vote for me or you choose evil _ it stops being democratic. Like political enemies in Thailand, Americans are getting misled or confused about “democracy”, which has been vastly misinterpreted, used selectively but broadly by the protagonists, and somehow turned into a big cause of national divide. And just like their Thai counterparts, American friends and relatives have stopped discussing politics, or they will fight. That is a gigantic shift. Americans used to be familiar with a peaceful and graceful handover of power, a luxury Thais never had. The “maturity” that everything has been based upon stands to be seriously tested, as Thais struggle to reach theirs. In a way, Thailand is undertaking a more advanced course. The Pheu Thai-conservatives uneasy partnership, with the future of Thaksin Shinawatra thrown in along with the unpredictability of Srettha Thavisin’s premiership and Cabinet, mean things are messier than the American divide. Simply put, if the United States is becoming a Banana Republic as claimed by many pro-Trump Americans including well-known politician Tulsi Gabbard and famous commentator Tucker Carlson, it’s a fledging Banana Republic and can learn from the pros scattering around the globe. This is not to say that America is not experiencing a “first” of its own. The Thai politics has not seen accusations that the liberals “weaponised” the justice system, although it can be argued that only those in power can abuse the justice system, and Thailand’s “liberals” have not really had that power yet. The Republicans are wielding the Trump conviction like a sword. But it’s a sword snatched from the Democrats, who have been telling voters that the man is democracy’s biggest threat. A Trump landslide is now a possibility. If that really happens, it will be on the back of accusations liberals are not usually associated with, in public eyes at least. But what could be worse for the American formula is that the two-party system could lose much credibility. Thailand then can be considered to be luckier, in that it has a multiple-party system, which has greater “flexibility” (that allowed Pheu Thai to join hands with the conservatives and presents more leadership choices). In fact, the two-party system always faces a bigger danger of sliding into authoritarianism. That is because, in that system, when you call your opponent an evil, you give the public no other choice but yourself. As things stand, both systems _ two-party and multi-party _ are seeing the ultimate consequences of their shortcomings. The main difference is that while America’s trouble originated from the fact that it has just two parties competing for power, hence having the tendency to do anything necessary, Thailand’s is more individualised. It all comes back to the most important question, asked throughout the history of mankind: Should we set up a system and put people in it, because system can change or control people, or should it be the other way around, because when it comes to good and bad people, system matters less than what they do? Tulsathit Taptim

From Thai PBS World Thailand’s Senate race kicked off under a storm of controversy on Sunday (June 9), beset by lawsuits, allegations, and conspiracy theories. Sunday’s nationwide district-level vote will be followed by five more rounds in what is described as the “most complicated election in the world”. Over 46,000 candidates will vote in two rounds at the district, provincial, and national levels to select 200 new senators. The new senators will replace members of the junta-appointed Senate, who are currently in caretaker roles after their five-year term expired on May 10. On Wednesday, just days before voting started, the Constitutional Court accepted a petition filed by a group of senatorial candidates alleging that four clauses in the organic law governing the poll breach the Constitution. The petition stems from a May 24 ruling by the Central Administrative Court that revoked three regulations on candidate introductions: the limit of two A4 pages, the method of electronic introduction, and the ban on artists or media professionals from using their talents to introduce themselves. This is the first time in Thailand that all Senate members will come from a vote among candidates. In 2019, the 250-member Senate was made of 194 members handpicked by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and 50 representatives drawn from a vote among different occupations. The remaining six appointees were chiefs from the armed forces and the police. Of the 48,226 people who applied for this year’s Senate race, 46,206 qualified to join the first round on Sunday. A total of 2,020 applicants failed to meet the qualification criteria. Sunday’s district-level vote will be followed a week later by the provincial-level vote on June 16. The national-level vote will be held on June 26, with the final results due to be announced on July 2. Candidates will vote over the six rounds to select 10 senators from 20 eligible fields. These include law and justice, education, public health, agriculture, science and technology, mass communication, employees/workers, business owners, tourism professionals, industrialists, artists/athletes, independent professionals, women, and elderly, disabled or ethnic groups. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/lawsuits-conspiracies-dark-forces-thai-senate-selection-kicks-off-amid-chaos-and-controversy/

NOTE — Think this is third time a similar announcement has been made by AOT in past year. From The Thaiger The new Automatic Channel for passport control at Suvarnabhumi Airport was personally tested by Wisanu Prasarttong-Osoth, chairman of Airports of Thailand (AOT), before its official launch yesterday. This system aims to ease congestion atimmigration checkpoints. Wisanu participated in a real-world test of the new automatic passport control system before heading to Malaysia on flight TG415. The new system is part of an initiative by AOT to support immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, addressing issues related to the old system that has been in use for over 15 years and only served Thai nationals. The outdated technology and a shortage of immigration staff have contributed to passenger congestion, negatively impacting Thailand’s tourism image. The government is keen on promoting Suvarnabhumi Airport as the country’s gateway, welcoming tourists and international investors. =========== Austrian Airlines to operate more flights to Bangkok Austrian Airlines, boasting a modern fleet of Airbus A320s, Boeing 767s, and Boeing 777s, has increased its weekly flights from Vienna to Bangkok to 13 flights. Brendan Shashoua, Lufthansa Group Senior Director Sales – Southeast Asia and the Pacific made the announcement. “Since 1988, Austrian Airlines has connected Vienna with the vibrant Thai capitalof Bangkok. With Thailand being a highly attractive destination for Europeans, we are responding to strong demand by increasing our weekly frequencies from Vienna from 7 to 13 flights.

Confirmed by reliable source. Standard room now 500, VIP 600.

Good to hear that offs are happening early

Simply because we may not approve of what’s developed, it still an example of evolution.

Thanks for report. Were they’re boys not dressed in white briefs who were not available to off?

Pattaya Police Hold Meeting with Bar Guards Following Viral Brawl Involving Foreign Tourists From Pattaya News Police from the Chonburi Provincial Police, Banglamung District, and Pattaya City held a meeting this week with security guards from entertainment venues in Pattaya to address concerns about tourist safety following a recent incident in which two foreign tourists were brutally assaulted by security guards. The meeting, held at Pattaya City Hall on June 6th, was led by Pol. Maj. Gen. Thawatchakiat Jinda Kuansanong, Commander of the Chonburi Provincial Police. He was joined by Banglamung District Chief Weekit Manarojkit, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches, Pattaya Police Superintendent Pol. Col. Navin Teerawit, and other officials. Representatives from the Pattaya Entertainment and Tourism Industry Association, the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association, and the Pattaya Tourist Police Volunteers were also present, along with 300 nightclub owners and security guards. According to Pol. Maj. Gen. Thawatchakiat, security guards must strictly adhere to the “5 Free” policy for entertainment venues, which includes: Free from children: Employees of entertainment venues must be 18 years old or older, and customers must be 20 years old or older. Free from drugs: The venues must not allow illegal drugs on the premises. Free from weapons: The venues must not allow weapons on the premises. Free from human trafficking: The venues must not engage in human trafficking activities. Free from harm: The venue must provide a safe environment for customers. This includes having adequate security measures in place, such as CCTV cameras and fire exits. Pol. Maj. Gen. Thawatchakiat also clarified the roles and responsibilities of security guards at entertainment venues. He emphasized that security guards “are not law enforcement officers and must never engage in violence against customers.” Instead, they should try to resolve any incidents in a peaceful way or promptly call the police if the situation escalates beyond their control.

If you really want to exist in purely male environment, hordes of exclusively male massage shops and saunas to indulge you.

From Thai PBS World The Grand Villa at Night//Photo Courtesy of Deva Manor Facebook Built nearly 130 years ago during the reign of King Rama IV, the Grand Villa of Deves Palace is again brimming with life. This historical residence, once private, is now a haven for art and history enthusiasts. Once the residence of Queen Sirikit’s ancestors, the Kitiyakara family, it was also a place where Kings Rama VI and Rama VII of Thailand (then Siam) enjoyed leisure time. The two-storey Grand Villa was part of Deves Palace, the royal residence gifted to Prince Chanthaburi Naruenart by King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) in 1896. Today, the Aniruth-deva family owns the property. After Phraya Aniruth-deva’s passing in 1951, the Grand Villa remained closed for 56 years. Determined to preserve its grandeur and original artistry, his grandson, Col Fuangvich Aniruth-deva, embarked on a meticulous renovation project. His goal, he explains, was to honor Prince Chanthaburi Naruenart’s legacy. “Anyone who appreciates the history and architecture of this villa is welcome,” Col. Fuangvich said during a recent tour, highlighting his commitment to public access. Deva Manor, named after the family, is open daily. However, those seeking an in-depth exploration of the architecture and history are encouraged to visit on public holidays or pre-book a group tour. Led by the owner himself on occasion, these tours offer a captivating narrative of the palace’s past, using artefacts, decor, and architecture to bring history to life. The Colonial-style building reflects the era of King Rama V, when European influences permeated royal and public projects. Deva Manor is located at 4, Krung-kasem Road, Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok. Explore Deva Manor on Facebook for updates, hours of operation, cafe details, and to inquire about group visits or the special tour/lecture By Veena Thoopkrajae Continues with photos at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/a-journey-through-time-the-grand-villa-of-deves-palace/

Gays have been discriminated against so why should we ourselves discriminate against others based on sex.. That’s hardly an apoplectic response, Macaroni. In the case of some of Bangkok’s more successful show bars (Jupiter and Dreamboy to name a few) it’s the female baht that also buys the drinks and pays the offs to enable owners to keep the shows alive. It’s not 1996 and things have evolved whether we like it or not.

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Then try wrapping your arms around Trump.