The Beer Bar

I must have committed some punishable offence as I am blocked from reacting to any topics again today. I plead "not guilty"!

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon An unprecedented boom in the construction of new airports and the refurbishment of existing ones are occurring across south east Asia. The aim is to enable passenger handling in the region to double to 653 million people by the end of the decade. Several countries are competing with each other in the rush to complete, a demand created significantly by the domestic demand from rising middle classes. In Thailand, a satellite terminal opened at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport last month, potentially improving overall capacity by a third once a third runway opens next year. Expansion is also planned at Don Mueang airport, ne…

Amsterdam has long been known as a sex capital with its officially sanctioned red light district virtually bang in the city centre. The narow streets and neon booths of the centuries old red-light district with the hookers doing their best to attract customers from their windows has been an attraction for many. Moving the red-light ditrict away from the centre has long been a desire of many in the city, especially the present Mayor, Femka Halesma. Moving the district out of the centre is part of her continuing effort to change Amsterdam's image as a party capital. It has already launched a "stay away" policy largely targeted at British men in the 18 - 35 age group w…

From Pattaya News On October 20th, 2023, Mr. Sutin Klungsang, the Thai Minister of Defense, publicly revealed details following his visit to the Royal Thai Navy on various aspects of naval operations and government policies. The issue of submarines, specifically the procurement of engines from China, was a point of focus. Both the Ministry of Defense and the Thai government had been working to resolve such an issue, following the previous governments attempts In a recent development, the Thai Navy accepted a proposal to replace their planned submarine with Chinese frigates. The Navy had previously requested the Thai government to secure submarine engines from Ch…

50 years ago today one of the world's great iconic buildings opened. Its design and consturction had undergone huge problems, not least the firing of its designer Jørn Utzon, the near impossibility of constructing its 'sails', completion was 10 years late, the budget overran 14 times, and politicians interfering by insisting on a highly controversial rearrangement of its interior venues. Yet the Sydney Opera House has become Australia's most visited tourist attraction and is admired the world over. While the world has marvelled, I doubt if Utzon ever imagined that his baby would become a projection screen. Each Australian summer there is a Fesitval in Sydney wh…

I was alarmed by this article in the paper today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/10/19/university-lgbtq-centers-disappearing/71147364007/ It seems we are still in a "two steps forward, one step back" situation here in the USA. My firm opened a new office in Dallas, TX and offered me a leadership position - I turned them down cold and was very explicit about my reasons. Our CEO was taken aback by my strong feelings about the climate in that state. He clearly thought the usual platitudes would work "be a team player" "bring mature leadership". Instead I lobbied him for the firm to take a stronger position to support our LGBTQ staff and …

In recent years India has been making progress - albeit slow - in giving those in the LGBTQ community more rights. Many of the country's homosexual men and women had pinned their hopes on a case heard before the country's Supreme Court in April and May putting forward the case for same-sex marriage. These were dashed today when 3 of the 5 Supreme Court Justices voted against the motion. The other two had been more in favour of civil unions rather than marriage, but that was also voted down. Calculations based on global estimates put the number of gay men and women in the country at around 100 million. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65525980

From CNN An artsy quarter of Madrid, a sustainable pocket of Melbourne, and an up-and-coming zone in Medellin – what do these places have in common? They’re among the coolest neighborhoods in the world, according to global publisher Time Out. Every year, Time Out polls its staffers and contributors from around the globe to assemble a list of the 40 most fun, interesting and fashionable ‘hoods. Topping the 2023 list is Laureles, in Colombia’s bustling city of Medellin, which is the hometown of musicians J Balvin and Karol G. According to Time Out, up-and-coming Laureles has a “pretty laid-back reputation” despite being home to the Estadio Atanasio …

From Thai PBS World The Thai cabinet has decided to extend the visa-free stay in Thailand for Russian tourists from 30 to 90 days to boost tourism, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said today (Monday). He explained that the winter in Russia usually begins in December and lasts until March, during which the weather is very cold and Russian people want to travel abroad to escape the extreme cold and a one-month stay abroad, such as in Thailand, may not be enough. Hence, the cabinet has decided to extend the visa-free period of stay. Previously, Thailand granted visa exemptions to tourists from China and Kazakhstan, from September 25th to February 29th.

From Thai PBS World Less than two months after taking power, Prime Minister SretthaThavisin appears to be overshadowed by the Shinawatra family, judging from the people around him. A high proportion of his official and unofficial advisers, government appointees, and Cabinet colleagues are Shinawatra loyalists, friends, political allies, in-laws, or even family members. Over the past month, PM Srettha has appointed 13 official advisers mostly linked to past governments led by Thaksin Shinawatra or his sister Yingluck. Nine advisers were named on September 14: Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Tewan Liptapanlop, Pichai Chunhavajira, Supanit Chaiyawat, Pimol Srivikorn…

From The Nation Thailand’s railway police clocked in for their last day of work on Monday, after 129 years combating petty crime, smuggling and even drug trafficking on trains. The Railway Police Division (RPD) will be disbanded on Tuesday (October 17) and absorbed into other units under the National Police Bureau. Railway police were established in 1894 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), under the name Railway Security Unit. They were later reorganised and renamed the Railway Police Unit before eventually being upgraded to the Railway Police Division. Railway police stations are situated throughout the country It has ju…

From the BBC Twitter has changed its brand and logo from its famous blue bird to "X". The new white X on a black background has replaced the blue bird on the desktop version of the social network, although is yet to appear on the mobile app. "Tweets" will also be replaced, according to Twitter's owner Elon Musk, and posts will be called "x's". The billionaire changed his profile picture to the new logo and added "X.com" to his Twitter bio. Mr Musk wants to create a "super app" called X - his vision for a new kind of social media platform that he has been talking about creating for months. …

NOTE -- The Bangkok Post is reporting that the suspect is a 14-year-old boy. Other reports now put the number of killed at four. From Reuters / The Star BANGKOK (Reuters): Police have arrested a suspected gunman after a shooting at a luxury mall in Thailand's capital Bangkok, local media reported. Emergency services said at least three people were killed and three were injured in the incident at Bangkok's Siam Paragon. Television station Thai PBS reported five people wounded. Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau posted an image on its Facebook page of a man they said was the suspected gunman. Unverified videos shared on social media showed peo…

Hello everyone, Can anyone recommend medical insurance for longer term (more than a month) travelers to Thailand? I go every year for 3-4 months and have the first thirty days covered. In the past I haven’t covered the rest of my time but as I age I’m thinking I should stop taking chances. Any recommendations gratefully appreciated, faranglaw

I'm sure we've all read the news about Paris and how bedbugs seem to have taken over the city. Now sightings are reported on the London underground. Unlike Bangkok, Hong Kong and many other cities, London's Tube cars have upholstered seating. Ideal for bedbugs to lurk and then climb on to whatever you are wearing. Before you know it, they have crept on to your bed, found a nice little niche and start to breed. They bite but to most people the bites are painless. They just leave red marks on the skin. The problem is essentially twofold: they breed like crazy and they are very difficult and usually expensive to eliminate. Bangkok is not immune to their infestation. Any…

New PM Srettha's honeymoon experienced its first major bump when 99 economist came out against his much-heralded plan to give every Thai 16 and above an injection of 10,000 baht via a new digital wallet scheme in hopes of stimulating the economy. From The Nation The Srettha Thavisin government is in the process of implementing an election campaign promise of handing out 10,000 baht to Thai citizens aged 16 years and above, to be spent in a limited area within six months, with the aim of giving the economy a push. The economic experts, however, argue that it was “not worth the cost”. They advanced the following reasons, according to a Krungthep Thurakij news…

Booking.com is one of the world's leading internet travel booking sites, including in its portfolio Agoda, Kayak, Hotelscombined, Priceline and other sites. It operates in 220+ countries in 40+ languages. In 2022 it's worldwide gross travel bookings were US$121.3 billion. Like many travel sites, it collects cash from bookers and later passes these on to their accommodation clients after deduction of commissions and fees. Now, though, it has been accused of not paying quite a number of accommodation providers. One in the UK is owed £50,000 for rentals of several properties. He claims thousands of others around the world are also suffering from delayed payments. Anothe…

It's worth remembering that today marks the 47th anniversary of he massacre of 46 students and the wounding of 167 others at a demonstration at Thammasat University in a crackdown by police. Unofficial estimates put the number of killed at over 100. They were protesting the return to power of former dictator Thanom Kittikachorn who emerged from exile and staged a successful coup.

From The Nation The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or Fifa, has chosen Thailand as the host country for the FIFA Congress 2024, which will take place in Bangkok on May 17 next year. The Congress will mark the first-ever FIFA Congress in Asean. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB, disclosed that Thailand has been selected by Fifa to host the 74th annual general meeting or FIFA Congress 2024, scheduled for May 17, 2024, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center or QSNCC. This congress is held annually. The important ses…

From The Thaiger Suvarnabhumi International Airport, governed by Airports of Thailand (AoT), is set to soft-launch its Satellite 1 (SAT-1) terminal on September 28, following a successful full-scale trial involving 180 mock passengers and their luggage. The trial aimed to evaluate operations at both the SAT-1 satellite passenger terminal and the primary terminal, with Thai Airways offering assistance by supplying cabin crew and aircraft for the process. Kittipong Kittikachorn, the Director of Suvarnabhumi, stated that the trial encompassed a comprehensive operation involving aircraft, incoming and outgoing passengers, transfer passengers, baggage handling system…

From the BBC Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been named as the co-hosts, with the opening three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The opening matches in South America are to mark the World Cup's centenary as it will be 100 years since the inaugural tournament in Montevideo. The decision is set to be ratified at a Fifa congress next year. Fifa also confirmed only bids from countries from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for the 2034 finals. Following that decision, Saudi Arabia announced it would be bidding to host the tournament in 2034 for the first time. …

I saw a video on a translator device on YouTube tested in Bangkok. Would save lots of typing in bars- no WiFi required. ~$150 without earbuds ($350) 15%discount codes Late edit: speaking of bars- I don't see Cambodian listed. Viet, Korean, Japanese yes

From CNN A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. “The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the study, published February 27 in the jou…

From The Nation Lack of clarity over the new digital-wallet scheme is weakening the value of the baht and could eventually become a hidden cost for the Thai government. Foreign investors have been selling Thai bonds and stocks since September, ahead of the anticipated distribution of 560 billion baht (US$15 billion) via 10,000-baht digital payments to every Thai over the age of 16. The baht's depreciation over the past month is peculiar, as it is not solely due to the strong US dollar. This is evident in the fact that the baht has weakened further than the currencies of Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam a…

From Pattaya News By Adam Judd In Buriram province the construction of a temple complex at Wat Phu Man Fah is enkindling a subtle, yet potent diplomatic controversy with neighboring Cambodia. Accusations that the temple seeks to replicate the revered Angkor Wat have placed both nations on a cautious path, seeking to preserve their cultural heritage and bilateral relations. Since 2021, the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts says it has been monitoring the construction activities at Wat Phu Man Fah, following concerns and appeals from its citizens over the potential architectural imitation of Angkor Wat, which has been a UNESCO World He…