The Beer Bar

We recently comments by members about toxic alcoholic drinks routinely served in Cambodia bars. This article as a reminder that bordering Laos shares same problem. From the Thaiger Two Melbourne teenagers are fighting for their lives in Thailand after allegedly downing poisoned vodka shots, raising alarm among travellers in the region. The pair, both 19 years old and fresh from university holidays, were rushed to hospital from the Laotian capital, Vientiane, with police suspecting their drinks had been laced with lethal methanol. Those dreams of carefree travels have quickly turned into a nightmare for the best friends, believed to be Beaumaris Second…

From Pattaya News The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allies launched a joint assault on Myanmar’s strategic Mapali base in Bilin, Mon State, on February 1st. The attack lasted just 30 minutes before Myanmar troops reportedly surrendered. KNLA forces captured 29 Myanmar soldiers and seized a large cache of weapons, including an M109 howitzer with ammunition. At least 40 Myanmar soldiers were killed in the battle. According to sources from the KNLA, the assault involved mortar fire and continuous drone strikes, forcing Myanmar troops into retreat. Many reportedly surrendered without resistance due to a lack of reinforcements from the Southeast Re…

The official trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth has been released. Among the landscapes featured are Railay Bay and Toh Luang Cave in Krabi, Ao Phang Nga National Park, and Ko Kradan in Trang.

From Bangkok Post A Moscow-bound Boeing 777-300ER Aeroflot Airlines plane with 346 people onboard made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday night following a landing gear problem. The Moscow-bound flight SU277 departed Phuket Airport at 3.20pm on Monday and circled above the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand for five hours before seeking an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport. There were reports that after takeoff, the nose gear of the plane retracted but its cover failed to close. The pilots then circled the plane over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to burn off fuel before landing the plane safely at Suvarnabhumi Airpor…

From Bangkok Post The air quality in all provinces of Thailand was declared "safe" on Monday morning, with the capital, Bangkok, registering the lowest level of ultrafine dust, according to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda). Gistda reported at 10am that levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less in diameter (PM2.5) ranged from 18.4 to 30.2 microgrammes per cubic metre of air nationwide over the past 24 hours. The government-set safe threshold is 37.5µg/m³. Thirty-two provinces had good air quality, with "green" levels of PM2.5 ranging from 18.4 to 25µg/m³. The lowest level was recorded in Bangkok, followed…

From Patttaya News This week, Thailand celebrates Makha Bucha Day, a Buddhist holiday observed on the full moon day of the third lunar month. This year, it falls on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Makha Bucha commemorates the day when 1,250 of Buddha’s disciples spontaneously gathered to hear his teachings, which included the core principles of Buddhism: Cease from evil, do good, and cleanse the mind. On this day, people visit Buddhist temples to participate in rites, offer food to monks, meditate, and join in a candlelight procession. It’s also common for people to abstain from alcohol and other vices as a sign of respect and reflection. Due to Tha…

I received an e-mail from a former student of my late father's, who was an esteemed professor, and has an endowed chair in his name at the university where he was a professor. He had apparently tried unsuccessfully to e-mail my step-mother because he wanted to donate his Required Minimum Distribution from his retirement account towards that chair's fund (the fund provides additional salary over and above the usual professors' salaries, in order to attract the most highly qualified professors). Well, she's changed her email a couple of times over the years, so the former student couldn't reach her. I myself have lost touch with a couple of old acquaintances because they ch…

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Following warnings from VFS Global about growing numbers of Thais and non-Thais being cheated by unscrupulous visa agents in major cities in Thailand, there are many pointers you are at risk. VFS Global is the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services provider formally representing the embassies of many countries. Their responsibilities can be checked at www.vfsglobal.com The following are the more frequent clues that you are being scammed by agents who will grab your cash and not deliver your visa: ▪ You are offered a “guarantee” that the visa will definitely be issued. ▪ There is reluctance to me…

From The Nation The price of instant and ready-to-drink coffee will rise from February 1, impacting coffee business operators and consumers, the Thai Wholesale and Retail Trade Association said on Friday. The association’s honorary adviser, Somchai Pornratanacharoen, said coffee manufacturers had hiked the price as they were suffering from rising cost of production, transport and labour wage. “This price adjustment will affect consumers’ behaviour, as they would look for cheaper coffee or reduce consumption,” he said, adding that café and coffee shop operators would increase product price to maintain profits. …

From The Thaiger The family of a missing British man paid tribute after he was found dead in Thailand. Essex-born James Sangwine has died after going missing in Thailand for days. Thai police have yet to release details around the circumstances of the Londoner’s death. The father of one’s family has launched a fundraiser to help bring the 33 year old man’s body home. Sangwine travelled to Bangkok for a holiday on January 18 and soon after his family lost contact. Sangwine vanished during what was supposed to be a fun holiday in Bangkok. His partner, 38 year old Katie Maybin told EssexLive that he was travelling to Thailand to spend time with a f…

From Pattaya Mail Immigration Investigation Division 3 apprehended a 27-year-old Israeli fugitive, wanted in his home country for a violent assault case, in response to the national police chief’s crackdown on foreign criminals in Thailand. According to officials, the suspect, identified as “T” (alias), was wanted in Israel for luring a victim to an apartment in Tel Aviv, where he and an accomplice allegedly beat the victim with a bottle and stabbed them multiple times in the neck, leaving them in critical condition. A Tel Aviv district court had already issued an arrest warrant for charges of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice, car…

From The Thaiger Thailand is gearing up to challenge China in the lucrative aircraft maintenanceindustry, with Chiang Rai Airport (CEI) set to become a major Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hub. The ambitious project, spearheaded by Airports of Thailand (AOT), is targeting the booming Chinese market. AOT President Kerati Kijmanawat revealed that land preparation is already underway, with the first hangar expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Discussions are also in progress with Chinese aerospace giant AVIC to establish an MRO provider at the facility. “There is a lot of land at Chiang Rai. We have only used 316 acres of the 1,186…

I'm a fan of Chappell Roan's and was glad she was well-honored at the Grammy's. Seeing her clothing and make-up I think she'd do well on RuPaul's Drag Race, dont you?

What areas of the World🌏 can you get guys ( tops)🍆 at lower cost I would like a unlimited amount of straight tops to a F me🍑 but I don't have a unlimited budget The average cost in Thailand is around 1000-2000 baht give or take ( outside Bangkok) but is it any cheaper in other countries ? Cambodia is now the same or more expensive than Thailand for cock 🍆 Philippines is a bit cheaper 🇵🇭 I'm thinking India , is there anywhere equivalent to 500 baht or less 💲 to receive a good pounding by a hot boy 🤷‍♂️🍑 you think there is still 500 baht countries? India 🇮🇳? Africa ? Sri Lanka🇱🇰? Nepal ?🇳🇵I wonder how much a young guy with a big 🍆 would want…

In today's issue of the Los Angeles Times, there was a notation that a cartoon was being pulled because its creator was arrested on felony charges. When I looked into it, I discovered he got arrested on child pornography charges. Apparently, there's a new law which took effect on 1/1/25 in California which makes AI child porn illegal, and the cartoonist got charged for violating that law. I'm not sure how I feel about that law, since I'm not sure who the "victim" would be in AI-generated porn. However, this should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who partakes in this habit: check your local laws. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/cartoonist-arrested-child-…

Not that I have martinis or negronis that often, but when I do, I prefer to have my olives with almonds in them. My husband likes blue cheese, but that flavor is too strong for me. I notice that some olives come stuffed with garlic or onions, which I consider too strong in flavor as well. Pimentos are OK, and that seems to be a rather standard filling, but I prefer the neutral taste of the almond. So how do you like your olives stuffed?

From Reuters ByteDance's TikTok will invest 126.8 billion baht ($3.76 billion) in Thailand in a data hosting service, the Thai investment board said on Wednesday. The Chinese firm's investment was made by its Singapore-based unit and would support activities of affiliated companies, with operations slated to begin in 2026, Thailand's Board of Investment said. It was among $5 billion of approved new projects announced on Wednesday. Last year, Alphabet Inc's Google said it would invest $1 billion in Thailand, a year after Amazon Web Services announced a $5 billion investment in the country over 15 years. Microsoft has also announced it will open its fi…

I must admit that I saw red when I heard an FAA official on the radio yesterday say that the investigation into the fatal plane crash near DCA "could take over a year." The news report said that there were over FIFTY investigators on the case! Lives are at stake at this busy airport, and the causes for this accident need to be determined and addressed ASAP! The traffic control recordings and black boxes are available, so this really should not be a dragged out investigation. Already, it appears that the helicopter pilot bears at least a good deal of the responsibility, which should easily be confirmed with the black box data. While that piece of the problem fixed itself, …

From The Thaiger A romantic evening turned into a nightmare for a Russian couple in Pattaya whena speeding motorcycle ploughed into them as they crossed the street hand in hand. The foreign rider struck them at high speed, killing the husband instantly and leaving his wife in critical condition. The accident happened just before midnight yesterday, January 29 on Jomtien Second Road, Pattaya. The Sawang Boriboon Rescue Unit received an emergency call at 11.30pm, reporting a collision between a large motorcycle and pedestrians in the Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province. When emergency responders arrived, they …

From Pattaya News At 3:00 PM on January 28th, 2025, at the Region 2 Provincial Police Investigation Division, Pol Lt Gen Yingyos Thepjamnong, Commissioner of Region 2 Police held a press conference to announce a successful crackdown on an online investment scam network in Chonburi province. According to Pol Lt Gen Yingyos, the investigation led to the discovery of a large transnational criminal organization operated by a Chinese ringleader. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for 33 individuals, with 20 suspects already in custody. The scam involved the suspects contacting victims via the Line app and falsely claiming they were intereste…

from Pattaya Mail By Barrry Kenyon Thailand’s unilateral policy to reform entry requirements makes a Schengen-style “six countries one destination” ever more distant. Thailand is the only south east Asian country to allow most tourists a no-charge 60 days visa exempt, whilst plans to introduce a digital landing card – which specifically isn’t a visa application – for all foreign entrants from May 2025 is another unique feature. ASEAN has been struggling since the turn of the century to find common visa ground. The idea was a favorite of the previous Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin in 2023, but he envisaged that international tourists would n…

From Pattaya Mail A dense layer of dust severely impacted visibility across Bangkok, particularly at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang Airports, on January 26. This resulted in several flights being diverted to alternative airports with better visibility. The hazardous air quality conditions, caused by high concentrations of particulate matter (PM 2.5), disrupted flight operations and posed a health risk to the public. The thick haze was so severe that pilots, who were not certified for low-visibility landings or did not have the proper training or clearance, could not land at the airports. Planes were forced to divert to other airports where conditions were saf…

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon All – yes all – foreigners hoping to enter Thailand by air, land or sea from the beginning of May will need to complete a digital “landing card” form in advance of making their journey. The online form, known as TM6, is not yet available. It will be free. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the only exceptions will be those travelling on a Thai passport. What information will the TM6 require? You will need the usual biographical details on your passport, together with a local telephone number and your initial Thai address. This information used to be collected on the manual TM6 form which was once handed …

From Bangkok Post One of two SIM boxes found concealed inside the base of a bed in a condominium room in Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Sunday. (Police photo) SONG KHLA - Police arrested two workers they said admitted being hired in Malaysia to install SIM boxes, used by call scammers, found hidden inside a bed frame in a condominium room in Hat Yai. Police said Azwan bin Ridwan Ching and Henry Loh Shi Xian, both Malaysian nationals, were arrested at the condominium building about 11.40am on Sunday. The building's name and address were withheld by police. The two men said they were paid 7,000 baht each to collect the SIM boxes from …

I had lunch with one of my neighbors the other week, along with my husband and a few of the neighbor's friends. This (elderly) neighbor can be rather cranky, and doesn't get along with one of his next-door neighbors. He's actually sued them, and lost, over issues such as noisy parties (the city of Los Angeles does have laws prohibiting parties after 10 PM, and I haven't seen them having noisy parties after 10 PM, but he says they used to have them). After the lunch, he took my husband, one of his friends, and myself to his yard, and pointed out some trees in his neighbors' yard which were decorated with Christmas lights. These lights were visible from his yard, but not fr…