The Beer Bar

From Thai PBS World Art enthusiasts in Bangkok rejoice! One of Thailand’s prominent collectors, Sermkhun Kunawong, is set to open the doors to his private collection on May 4, transforming it into a stunning new museum experience. The Kunawong Museum House is not your typical museum. Stepping inside the 5,000-square-meter space in Lat Phrao is like entering a living testament to Thai art of various fields and eras. More than 1,000 pieces – paintings, prints, sculptures, furniture, photographs, headpieces, Khon masks, and decorative arts – by Thai masters as well as rising and popular names weave a visual tapestry, narrating the artistic evolution of T…

Have any of you sent messages to an OF creator? I subscribed to the account of a local porn star (who lives here in Los Angeles). I sent him a message with a tip, informing him I lived in his area and asking him basically if he'd be amenable to escorting. Notwithstanding the tip, he didn't even answer yes or no, now two days later. I've never PM'd someone on OnlyFans before, so I don't know if this lack of response is typical, even when I paid him to read my message.

From The Thaiger A bombshell announcement rocks the media landscape as Voice TV, the longstanding bastion of pro-Thaksin views, announces it is shutting down. The board of Voice TV declared the end of its 15-year run, leaving some 100 journalists and staff members facing the axe. The abrupt closure has left tongues wagging, with no immediate rationale provided for the drastic move. Established back in 2008, Voice TV initially made waves as a niche satellite channel before expanding its reach to digital terrestrial platforms in 2014. However, in a twist of fate in 2019, the channel relinquished its digital TV presence amidst financial turmoil, reverting to s…

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From The Nation Anzac Day was marked on Thursday with special remembrance rites in Kanchanaburi, honouring soldiers who died building the Death Railway in slave-like conditions during World War II. Presiding over the ceremony were Australian Ambassador Angela Macdonald, her New Zealand counterpart Jonathan Kings along with deputy chief of Australia’s Joint Operations, Rear Admiral Justin Jones. Also present were representatives of the Thai armed forces, other embassies as well as descendants of the prisoners of war who lost their lives on the Death Railway. The event was held at the Hellfire Pass Memoria…

From The Thaiger The Public Health Ministry authorised the utilisation of opium and magic mushrooms for medical treatment and research purposes. This groundbreaking decision, disclosed in a directive published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, signifies a significant shift in drug policy. Signed by Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, the directive came into effect today. It categorises opium and psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms due to their hallucinogenic properties when ingested, as narcotics falling under Category 5. Notably, these substances are distinct from marijuana and hemp extracts. Previously, the ministry had removed krato…

From CNN Airline canceled your flight? The plane arrived hours late after a maintenance issue? The inflight Wi-Fi didn’t work? New federal rules say travelers deserve cash refunds when inconvenienced by their airline – not vouchers or travel credits. The rules, announced by the Transportation Department on Wednesday, also require airlines to provide upfront information about fees for baggage and changing flights. Although many airlines have done away with change fees and disclose fees on their websites, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg estimated more transparency with some airlines and websites would make it easier for travelers to shop around –…

From The Thaiger Former Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), General Prawit Wongsuwon, has been exposed for his staggering wealth, including a fleet of luxury cars worth 87 million baht, as reported by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The NACC, responsible for scrutinising the assets of political office-holders and government officials, made public Gen. Prawit’s lavish holdings, sparking widespread media frenzy. Leading the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), the 78 year old’s financial declaration grabbed headlines, shedding light on his opulent lifestyle and extensive assets, as mandated by his role as S…

NOTE -- It's ironic but these are the same folks who've been appealing to the government to do everything within its power to liberalize tourism in the wake of the pandemic. Prosperity seems less appetizing up close. From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The Federation of Thai Tourism Associations has formally warned the Thai government that overtourism is now at crisis point. With projections that the calendar year 2024 will see 40 million overseas visitors – parallel to 2019 the last pre-covid year – both the environment and tourist comfort are under dire threat. The most badly affected cities are Phuket and Pattaya where there are respectively 118 and 9…

At Mandarin Oriental Residences next to Iconsiam

From Richard Barrow Train Guide The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is excited to announce its special tourist train trips for May and June 2024. Passengers will get to experience the KIHA 183 train, under the concepts of “Exploring with the Breeze” in May and “Clear Sky, Open Forest, Diverse Flora” in June. The trips will cover a variety of routes, catering to different interests such as spirituality, nature, and shopping, eating, and relaxing. Trips will be offered on both a day-trip and overnight basis, every Saturday and Sunday for two full months. Tickets go on sale on April 22, 2024, at 8:30 AM. There are only 202 seats available per trip, so book ea…

From Pattaya Mail Mark Gooding, British ambassador to Thailand since 2021, hosted a community evening at Courtyard by Marriott (North Pattaya) on April 23. He was accompanied by Bangkok-based consul Joanne Finnamore-Crorkin and other senior diplomats including business and trade director Ben Morley. The invited audience were mostly British expats, retired or working or involved in voluntary activities locally. Mr Gooding confirmed that the embassy was busy in all sections and referred in particular to the Thai-UK Partnership which aims to strengthen the many-sided business relationship ahead of the 170-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two cou…

From CNBC Bank of America is bearish on a slew of Asian currencies and neutral at best on others, as the investment bank says it is the start of a “chaotic era.” “We are not bullish on any currency in Asia,” Bank of America said in a recent report, with many currencies impacted by a delayed Federal Reserve easing cycle and sustained strength in the U.S. dollar The investment bank singled out the Chinese yuan, South Korean won, Taiwan dollar, Thai baht and Vietnamese dong under its bearish category. Among their “neutral” list of currencies are the Hong Kong dollar, the Indonesian rupiah, the India rupee, the Malaysian ringgit, the Philippine peso and th…

From Thai PBS World Thailand is experiencing very hot weather across the country today, with the maximum temperature predicted to rise to 43oC in some areas of the northern region, according to the Meteorological Department. Maximum temperatures in the northern provinces today are forecast too range from 38oC to 43oC, while the north-eastern region is expected to peak at 41oC. The central region is also hot, with maximum temperatures varying from 39oC to 42oC. In Bangkok, the maximum temperature is predicted to reach 41oC.

From The Nation Soaring land prices in Bangkok’s central business district have resulted in record high prices for new high-end condos, real estate consultant Property DNA said on Monday. “This year we have seen more new condo projects opening at more than a quarter million baht per square metre, while back in 2019 this kind of price was rare,” said Surachet Kongcheep, the firm’s managing director. These ultra-luxury condo projects are located in areas such as Rama I, Phloen Chit, Wireless Road, Silom, Sathorn, Rama IV, certain sections of Sukhumvit Road, and by the Chao Phraya River, he said. …

From Thai PBS World Taiwan’s capital was hit by a series of earthquakes overnight into the early hours of Tuesday, with the Central Weather Administration saying the strongest was a magnitude-6.3 tremor originating in eastern Hualien. The first strong quake — a magnitude 5.5 — hit on Monday at around 5:08 pm (0908 GMT), according to Central Weather Administration. It could be felt in the capital Taipei. That was followed by a series of aftershocks and quakes, with two intense tremors hitting one after another around 2:30 am (1830 GMT) Tuesday, according to AFP reporters and witnesses in Taipei. “I was washing my hands, and suddenly felt what I thought …

The dollar today rose above 37 for the first time since last September while the EURO was at 39.44 and the pound at 45.66.

From The Thaiger A shocking execution-style murder in the early hours of yesterday morning has left the Thai boxing community in mourning. The 56 year old, owner of a boxing camp, known as Sia Dam, was brutally shot in the head and neck by an unidentified gunman, resulting in his immediate death. The incident, which took place around 4am yesterday, April 22, unfolded in the presence of his son at a religious celebration in Buriram province. The tragedy struck just as the celebrations at Nong Teng Temple in Nong Teng subdistrict, were concluding. Sia, a respected figure from Chokna Sam Subdistrict, Prasat District, Surin Province had brought two of his boxer…

I suspect it must have been installed since the last time I was there, probably some 12 years ago...

When I heard that they were building (now have built) a suicide barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge, I assumed it would be like other ones I've seen, such as this bridge in Toronto: Or on top of the Empire State building: I was shocked when I recently saw what was recently installed: This new "barrier" seems to be completely ineffective, since whoever jumped into the nets could easily jump again from those nets. When I googled as to whether anyone had actually been saved by that barrier, I didn't find that anyone had, but did come across this article by a psychiatric RN: https://www.statnews.com/2023/05/10/golden-gate-bridge-anti-suicid…

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The highpoint of the British addiction to Thailand was the year 2011 when there were almost 900,000 entries by British passport holders. The information was from the Thai immigration bureau, though it was likely a slight overestimate as it counted re-entries by the same person as additional individuals. These days the bureau sadly does not publish data in the same detailed way country by country. Meanwhile, another useful statistical source, the UK government’s shock annual report British Behaviour Abroad, was discontinued several years ago. Maybe it provided too many salacious stories about sex, drugs and awful traffic accident…

From Thai PBS World Deputy National Police chief Pol General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn sounds surprisingly cheerful given that his high-flying career has just plunged into another crisis. It’s as if he were trying to prove he is the proverbial cat with nine lives. “I wish everyone a safe return to their home provinces for happy meals with their family during Songkran … Happy Thai New Year,” he wrote recently on Facebook. Last month, Surachate was transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister along with National Police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol after a dispute erupted between Thailand’s top two cops. The transfer order, signed by Prime Minister…

From Thai PBS World Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is ranked at 58 in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, an improvement from last year’s 68th placing. The international airport ranking website places Doha Hamad Airport at the top of the list. Singapore Changi, last year’s winner, dropped to second place this year. Airports of Thailand (AOT) adds that their satellite terminal one (SAT-1) received 4 stars this year, for the architecture, cleanliness, overall atmosphere, facilities and automation. These automatic systems include check-ins terminals, bag drop, self-boarding gates and the passenger validation system. While Prime Minister Srettha T…

From The Thaiger A transgender village head and her boyfriend allegedly yesterday committed suicide in a car parked outside a 7-Eleven convenience store in the central province of Ratchaburi. A 7-Eleven member of staff, Thatsaya Saetang, contacted Ban Pong Police Station officers at about 4pm yesterday, April 18 after she found the people unconscious in the car. Thatsaya explained that she noticed a white Toyota Fortuner parked in front of the store for about 20 minutes without anyone getting out. Then, she heard the engine revving up twice, which raised her suspicion. Thatsaya found the act suspicious and went to check on it. She looked through the ca…

From The Thaiger The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) anticipates the closure of the final chapters in the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway’s first phase, reveals Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote. Spanning 251 kilometres and boasting a staggering budget of 179.4 billion baht, the ambitious project links the bustling heart of Bangkok to the vibrant cityscape of Nakhon Ratchasima. Divided into 14 meticulously crafted contracts, only two remain awaiting the stroke of the pen, said Surapong. “Contract No. 4-5, tasked with the 13.3 kilometre Ban Pho–Phra Kaeo section in Ayutthaya, is on the cusp of fruition with a budget of 9.9 billion baht. Pending on…