The Beer Bar

I'm based in Europe, and this year I don't have a big budget. Because I don't have much in the way of family, I like to escape to somewhere warm with pretty guys to chase. Normally, Thailand would be on my list; but demand leads to flights and hotels being more expensive than normal. Anyone have ideas for somewhere fun to go at Christmas in Europe... preferably somewhere warm and sunny. Gran Canaria is on my list... but it's expensive for what it is. Other places I haven't thought of/considered?

From The Thaiger In a dramatic comeback, paroled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatrapledged to reclaim all parliamentary seats in Nonthaburi Province from the Move Forward Party (MFP), setting the stage for a fierce political battle. Thaksin, without directly naming the MFP, made his intentions clear. “In the last General Election, all Parliament seats in Nonthaburi were taken from us, but we will win them back. It is our mission, and we have to do it for the country.” Historically, Nonthaburi, an adjacent province to Bangkok, had been a fortress for Thaksin’s political influence through his now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party and the subsequently est…

It looks as though a native tribe has won the right to kill whales in the northwestern US. They claimed that killing whales is "central" to their identities. To me, this sounds like a load of crap. What do you think? https://apnews.com/article/makah-tribe-whale-hunt-9b2e4a699431cc144f826dfbf6a9172a “Whaling remains central to the identity, culture, subsistence, and spirituality of the Makah people, and we regard the Gray Whale as sacred,” Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy J. Greene Sr. said in a written statement. Yes, of course. You consider the whales sacred. So you must kill them.

From Thai PBS World An army colonel has been transferred and placed under an investigation after he allegedly charged each new conscript, attached to the medical battalion of the Second Army Region, 500 baht per month for septic tank emptying. Lt-Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen, commander of the Second Army Region, said today that the information in social media, claiming that conscripts are made to pay numerous expenses which are deducted from their monthly pay, including the Bt500 septic tank service fee, is partially true, adding however that he has ordered an investigation into the matter. He said that the commander of the medical battalion, Colonel Atchawin A…

From The Nation More than 1,000 pets and ornamental fish were reportedly killed after fire broke out in Chatuchak Market in Bangkok in the early hours of Tuesday (June 11). The fire ignited at 4.30am, burning all 118 stores in Sri Somrat Market, which is considered Chatuchak Market’s pet zone. Animals affected by the fire included dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, Siamese fighting fish, and chickens. No people were injured during the incident. More than 10 water trucks were deployed to the scene. Firefighters took about an hour to distinguish the flames. An investigation is underway to determine the caus…

From the Straits Times SINGAPORE - One passenger died and 30 were injured when an SIA flight flying to Singapore from London’s Heathrow Airport encountered severe turbulence in the air. In a Facebook post on May 21, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said the aircraft was diverted to Bangkok and made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3.45pm. SIA, in an update later in the night, said 18 passengers were hospitalised, while another 12 are being treated for injuries in hospital. The remaining passengers and crew on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are being examined and treated at the airport in Bangkok. Reuters reported that the aircra…

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 …

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 …

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 Anir…

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 perc…

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…

From Thai PBS World Most respondents to an opinion survey, conducted by King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI), say they will vote for the Move Forward party and want the party’s former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, to be Thailand’s next prime minister. KPI, in cooperation with the Office for the Promotion of People’s Politics and the Centre for the Development of People’s Politics, conducted an opinion survey on political parties and potential prime ministers one year after last year’s May 14th general election. 1,620 people across the country were interviewed. One of the questions asked was: “If there is an election in the next couple of days, from which parties…

From The Thaiger The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) called for a major budget increase to boost tourism revenue to a staggering 3.5 trillion baht in 2024, attracting more tourists. The Thai government is aiming high, with an ambitious goal to lure no fewer than 39 million international tourists to its stunning shores throughout 2024. To achieve this, the TAT is pushing for more funds to collaborate with airlines, creating new flight routes and ensuring a smooth influx of global visitors. Dubbed the Airline Focus strategy, this plan is pivotal in the post-Covid-19 landscape. Airlines are the lifeblood of international travel, and successful partnerships…

From CNBC Everyone’s life is different — yet most people still utter one of four common phrases on their deathbeds, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning author and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee. Each of the phrases offers an important lesson for leading a fulfilling and successful life, Mukherjee said during a commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania last week. “Every person that I’ve met in this moment of transition wanted to make four offerings,” he added. The phrases are: I want to tell you that I love you. I want to tell you that I forgive you. Would you tell me that you love me? Would you give me your forgiven…

From Travel Weekly Jetstar will reconnect Brisbane and Thailand’s capital city from 13 December this year with three weekly flights, halving the current travel time via indirect routes.

From Thailand News Agency Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced the live broadcast of the Euro 2024 football matches from June 14 to July 14, ensuring Thai football fans can watch. He emphasized that this is a gift of happiness to the people, with live broadcasts available on Channel 9 and Channel 11.

From The Thaiger he United Kingdom Foreign Office issued a travel warning to British touristsheading to Thailand ahead of the summer holidays: “Behave, or end up in jail!” The Foreign Office advised British holidaymakers flying to the Land of Smiles to be cautious of the new visa rules. “From 1 June 2024, British passport holders arriving by air or land can enter Thailand without a visa (visa exemption) for tourism and short-term businessengagements for a period not exceeding 60 days. If you intend to stay longer (for work, study, or other reasons), you need to obtain a visa before you travel. “If you stay beyond the period of your visa, you will be fi…

Now that my passport is renewed it's time to start contemplating my next holiday and a long overdue one at that, it will most likely just be a short reacquainting trip split between a couple of destinations of a week in each. Keeping in mind plans can and sometimes do change. The simple plan to date with Bangkok the first destination Figure out trip dates and book flights and accommodation Arrival, check into hotel then go and change money Explore massage options (early afternoon) and enjoy a massage and some cock Shopping to stock up the room Evening massage and some more cock Not into bars so a quiet meal and a drink or two t…

From Time Out magazine / CNN Time Out’s Best Cities for Food 2024 1. Naples, Italy 2. Johannesburg, South Africa 3. Lima, Peru 4. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 5. Beijing, China 6. Bangkok, Thailand 7. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 8. Mumbai, India 9. Dubai, UAE 10. Portland, USA 11. Liverpool, UK 12. Medellín, Colombia 13. Seville, Spain 14. Porto, Portugal 15. Marrakech, Morocco 16. Lyon, France 17. Sydney, Australia 18. Montreal, Canada 19. Osaka, Japan 20. Copenhagen, Denmark https://edition.cnn.com/travel/time-out-best-food-cities-2024/index.html

NOTE — I’ve been told by a member who is also an avid fare watcher that other carriers have done the same in recent past. From CNN LondonCNN — The boss of Qantas Airways has acknowledged the “anger” of thousands of customers who were sold tickets for already-canceled flights. “Everyone feels pain at the anger,” Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson told CNN’s Richard Quest in an exclusive interview at an airline industry conference in Dubai Monday. “It’s not just me; (it’s) 25,000 people that work for us as well. Because not only (did) we let our customers down, we let our people down.” Last August, Australian regulators accused Qantas in a lawsuit of selling…

NOTE — This state news agency press release was picked up my wire service worldwide and now the government is faced with an embarrassing situation. File under TIT. From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Like most media, Pattaya Mail jumped the gun by stating that the 30 days on arrival by air, land and sea was doubled to 60 days at the beginning of the month. We apologize for our carelessness. The statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to be confirmed by various bureaucracies prior to implementation. The Ministry’s September 1 start date for the new DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) and the reduction in medical insurance required by O/A retiree visa…

From CNN Now that we carry around personal devices with high resolution, 4K screens in our back pockets, the seatback screens on airplanes can seem more than a little disappointing. Even if you’ve opted for the priciest seats on the airplane, your inbuilt cabin screen is likely going to be poorer quality than the screen on your iPhone. That’s where airplane seat manufacturer Collins Aerospace and inflight entertainment provider Panasonic Avionics step in. The two aviation powerhouses recently joined forces to reimagine the future of airplane TV and movie-viewing, via a swanky concept called MAYA. MAYA, which stands for “Most Advanced Yet Achievab…

From The Thaiger A Burmese woman and her three daughters became victims of a violent assaultby a group of more than 10 teenage ladyboys at a fruit festival at a public park in the eastern province of Trat on Saturday, May 25. The Burmese woman, 43 year old Mo, filed a complaint against the transgender teenagers and handed over a video of the assault, which she received from a witness, to the police as evidence. Mo’s three daughters, aged 17, 14, and 6, were injured in the incident. Mo explained that she took her daughters to the fruit event and encountered a group of more than 10 teenage ladyboys there. The group began to verbally harass them using offensiv…

From The Thaiger Starting December 1, Thai Airways (THAI) will resume its daily direct passenger flights between Brussels Airport and Bangkok. This eagerly awaited route, which was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, significantly enhances Brussels Airport’s intercontinental offerings. After a four-year hiatus, Brussels Airport is thrilled to welcome back THAI, a former member of its prestigious airline community. The airline has once again chosen Brussels Airport as its hub in the Benelux region, much to the delight of Belgian travellers. From December 1, THAI will operate a daily service to Bangkok using the state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8. Known…