The Beer Bar

There’s an interesting story on the CNN website. A passenger travelling from Baltimore to her home in Denver via Chicago had her one checked bag fail to turn up. She had had the sense (have any of us done this, I wonder?) to purchase an AirTag, Apple’s tracking device for luggage. Although United Airlines kept advising that the bag would turn up, she knew that the bag was actually at O’Hare. She also saw it was eventually moved 50 yards. After days United still denied any knowledge of the bag suggesting instead she just register a claim for financial compensation. But the content of the bag was very important to her. So she finally spent 30,000 air miles and flew he…

From Khaosod English Daniel Jeronimo (in swim shorts). (photo: Khaosod English) Police in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani Province, continue to search for the Colombian body parts that a Spanish suspect confessed to throwing into the sea after discovering eight of them, including the skull, on August 6. On August 3, the first body pieces of Edwin Miguel, a 44-year-old Colombian surgeon, were discovered in trash bags deposited on the cement yard at the Koh Phangan Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Centre. One day later, police found additional body fragments in the same location. A 29-year-old Spanish chef…

From Pattaya Mail By Lawyer Jessataporn Bunnag A recurrent discussion amongst expats is whether to bother applying for the yellow book (which lists the foreigner’s resident in a property) and the pink card (a Thai ID for aliens). The general answer is a yes as they can oftentimes relieve the burden of repeat journeys to the immigration office. They can be used for registering a SIM card, enrolling as a patient in a hospital, opening a bank account, entering fee-paying sites including national parks, reporting at police stations and transferring vehicle ownership. Why do I say oftentimes? Because each bureaucracy has the power either to accept the yellow book a…

From National News Bureau of Thailand BANGKOK (NNT) - A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between Thai Airways (THAI) and Turkish Airlines on a joint venture operation to boost tourism for Thailand and Turkey. The joint operations MoU between both airlines was signed in Istanbul between THAI CEO Chai Eamsiri and Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi. The MoU is expected to enhance cooperation, allowing customers to fully utilize the extensive networks offered by both airlines in transportation and services. With a fleet of 67 aircraft, THAI currently provides flights to 57 destinations in 19 countries. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 42…

Readers of Travel and Leisure submitted nearly 165,000 responses for the magazine's annual survey. Bangkok finished ninth behind winner Oaxaca, Mexico. Cities were specifically rated on the criteria below: Sights/landmarks Culture Food Friendliness Shopping Value To view the entire list, go to: https://www.travelandleisure.com/our-readers-favorite-cities-in-the-world-of-2023-7555844

The following appeared in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition. Five writers respond to the question: "Have we ruined sex?". Among them is noted gay columnist Andrew Sullivan.

From Thai PBS World The Pheu Thai party announced this afternoon (Wednesday) that it is breaking from the Move Forward party to form its own coalition government and nominate Srettha Thavisin for selection as the prime minister of Thailand. The announcement came shortly after a failed meeting between core members of Pheu Thai and Move Forward, aimed at resolving the thorny issue of Move Forward’s stand on amendment of the lèse majesté law, which was used as a pretext by many senators and MPs to withhold support for prime ministerial candidates from the Move Forward or Pheu Thai parties. The meeting started at about 9.30am at the Pheu Thai party head office,…

From The Nation A foreign tourist collapsed and died inside a marijuana café on Pattaya’s Walking Street early Sunday after drinking a cup of marijuana tea, police said. The Sawang Boribun Thamma Sathan rescue centre was alerted at 3.46am that a foreign tourist had collapsed inside a ganja café in Tambon Nong Prue of Bang Lamung district. Rescue officials and a team of doctors from Pattaya Hospital rushed to the shop where they found the tourist lying on the floor. Rescue officials attempted to resuscitate the tourist, but he was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. The tourist was identified as Hamad Alblaiher, but pol…

Story from about a month ago about influencers acting like assholes....wonder how much this is going to cost them? https://loyaltylobby.com/2023/07/06/live-streamers-arrested-awaiting-trial-in-thailand-after-debauchery-involving-sex-toys-lingerie-at-luxury-hotel-restaurant/ Watch the videos.... Why do "influencer's" make so much money btw, so ridiculous.

From The Nation In an effort to boost tourism and revenue, the northern province of Chiang Rai is now looking to woo tourists interested in getting tattoos at cheap prices. For this, local authorities and businesses got together to launch the “Tattoo Body Artists” and “Amazing Body Art @ Chiangrai” promotions at Central Chiang Rai shopping mall on Saturday. Showcased at the events were displays of body art created by local tattoo shops. Luethaipat Pimonsree, deputy director of the University of Phayao’s Innovative Learning Institute, said the events were held as part of Chiang Rai’s “Creative City of Design” campaign, which is i…

How many of you watch the USA cable program '90 Day Financee?

From Pattaya News Entrance fees for foreign visitors at ancient monuments and national museums in Thailand will be increased based on the Cabinet’s order last Tuesday, July 25th. The fee remains unchanged for Thais to “ensure that visiting cultural and heritage sites does not impose an additional financial burden on Thai tourists,” Ms. Trisulee Trisoranakul, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated. The increase will be applicable to all foreigners, regardless of their marital status with Thais, whether they have children, have work permits and pay tax, or are merely passing through as tourists. 1) Historical P…

From Bangkok Post Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has indefinitely postponed Thursday's planned joint sitting to vote for a new prime minister, pending a Constitutional Court ruling on the rejected renomination of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Mr Wan said on Tuesday that he made the decision after consulting with legal officials of the House of Representatives and his advisers. They were of the view that if the prime ministerial vote went ahead on Thursday, it could potentially lead to problems when the Constitutional Court makes its ruling afterwards, the House speaker and ex-officio parliament president said. With Thursday…

From The Thaiger A Thai woman tragically lost her leg after collapsing on an escalator at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. The Director of the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Karun Thanakunjeeraphat, revealed the accident took place around 8.30am on June 29. He reported that the accident happened at an escalator in the South Corridor between Pier 4 and Pier 5 of the domestic passenger terminal 2. According to the picture shared by the airport, the accident occurred at the end of the moving walkway. According to the report, the victim was en route to travel to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. While she was on the walkway…

From Thai PBS World Third-culture kids are a distinct group of people who spend a major portion of their upbringing outside of their parent’s native culture. Third culture kids usually accompany their parents’ on postings abroad, relocating for a length of time to one or more countries. This lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. Home is “everywhere and nowhere” is the experience and feeling of many third culture kids on the journey between worlds and discovering their identity. These are the kids who don’t have a straightforward answer when asked where they are from. Often, when asked to specify their ethnicity, on university applicat…

From Bangkok Post The number of Covid-19 cases continues to drop, with the fatalities either elderly, people with a chronic disease or unvaccinated, public health permanent secretary Opas Karnkawinpong said on Monday. Speaking after chairing a meeting of the committee monitoring the Covid-19 situation, Dr Opas said thatlast week 556 people were admitted to hospitals for treatment of Covid-19, an average of 79 per day, and 178 had a severe infection. There were eight fatalities last week, or about one a day. All were of the "608 group" comprising people over 60, those with underlying diseases and pregnant women, or were unvaccinated or had a booster shot mo…

From Thai PBS World Several cafés in Thailand have stopped selling mint-chocolate drinks, after the Pheu Thai party met with Bhumjaithai, the United Thai Nation, Chart Pattana Kla and Chartthaipattana parties over the past weekend, to woo them into supporting its prime ministerial candidate and forming a government. Mint-chocolate drinks became widely popular after one of Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidates, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, stated that it is her favourite drink. Since then, the drink became symbolic of the party and is often served to welcome members of other political parties whenever they visit its headquarters. One of the cafes which stopped…

From Thai PBS World One of the oldest markets in Thailand’s capital, Tha Tien is a must-visit tourist destination, thanks to its location in the old town, a rich historical background, and the diverse cultures of Thai citizens of various backgrounds. But this historical quarter is not just recommended for foreign visitors but also for Thai locals and expatriates who will be fascinated by the multifaceted charms it has to offer. Nestled in the heart of so-called Rattanakosin Island, the Tha Tien community is bursting with treasures and historical sites as well as relatively newer lifestyle options such as cafés, bars and restaurants. It recently played host to th…

From VN Express Southeast Asia has recently emerged as an ideal hub for global retirees thanks to its tropical weather and cheap cost of living, but only four countries now offer visas specifically for global retirees. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, offers a visa for elderly and retired individuals with a period of one year, which can be renewed annually for up to five years. Those holding the retirement visa are not allowed to work in Indonesia. To be eligible for the visa, foreigners aged 55 years and above, who can provide a guarantee letter from a tourism board as a guarantor, are required to show a proof of at least $1,500 a month…

I don't believe this comes as much of a surprise to those who've been following events. From The Thai Enquirer Move Forward Party Leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, has been suspended from his duties as a Member of Parliament. The Constitutional Court made this decision in light of an ongoing investigation into his eligibility to hold office. The investigation stems from his ownership of 42,000 iTV shares. The Election Commission (EC) has stated that Pita may not meet the requirements for holding office due to his ownership of media shares, which is prohibited by the charter for political officeholders. As a result, the EC has requested the court to rule on Pi…

From The Nation The Yellow Line, Thailand’s first monorail mass-transit system, will start its free trial run in mid-May before providing full commercial service in June, according to its operator. Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) plans to carry out a trial run of the Yellow Line free of charge for two weeks starting in the middle of May, said Surapong Laoha-Unya, its CEO. The 30.4-km-long monorail mass-transit system connects Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district with Samut Prakan’s Samrong neighbourhood. “We expect to start opening commercial service of the Yellow Line in June, which is earlier than planned,” Surapong said. …

UK posters in particular may be amused by this Thai woman comedian on Tik tok which my boyfriend has just shared with me. She has replicated the Liverpool accent remarkably well...and others, too. Tik Tok Crispy FrOiD

From The Nation The Pheu Thai Party would nominate Srettha Thavisin in the third round of the election for prime minister if Move Forward Party's PM candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, fails to win the post in the second round on Wednesday, Pheu Thai PM candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Tuesday. She was commenting about the hypothetical scenario of Pita failing once again to secure at least 63 votes from senators or MPs outside the eight-party bloc. On Monday, all the coalition partners reaffirmed their stand to field and vote for Pita in the second round, while the coalition leader promised to step aside for the Pheu Thai to lead the coalition…

FRom Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Growing confidence in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) will attract growing numbers of foreigners keen to play a part in its widening scope. Mr Chula Sukmanop, secretary general of the EEC office, said the staff of foreign entities could apply for the 10-year LTR visa with automatic work permits as part of a one stop shop package. The visa also is open to retirees and global citizens but the advantages are less clear-cut to them. The EEC was set up in 2017 to boost economic growth in Chonburi (including Pattaya), Rayong and Chachoengsao provinces and has already had US$50 billion in investment. Initially, S-curve …

As political tensions rise while senators deliberate the fate of Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat in his quest to become Thailand’s next prime minister, the Navy has admitted that tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and grenades are missing from a Marine Corps armoury at the Sattahip naval base. From Thai PBS World: Investigators have checked CCTV footage and have discovered that one ordnance officer had opened the door of the armoury several times, using a spare key, and had stolen the ammunition. Admiral Pokkrong said that the suspect has been absent from work since July 6th, adding that a complaint was filed with Plutaluang police in the…