The Beer Bar

From The Nation President Xi Jinping’s order to ruthlessly lockdown Shanghai, China’s financial hub, has resulted in heavy damage to the country’s economy – but also unprecedented criticism of Xi’s zero-Covid policy by his No 2, Li Keqiang. The criticism by Premier Li, who heads the State Council and is the second most powerful person in China, signals a major rift within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Speaking two weeks ago at a meeting of over 100,000 local officials, Premier Li said Xi’s zero-Covid policy was leading the country towards disaster by banning over 25 million people in Shanghai from leaving their homes for almost three months. Analyst…

From Channel News Asia SINGAPORE: From Melbourne to Manchester, and from Toronto to Turin, many airports around the world are struggling to cope with the explosion in demand for air travel as COVID-19 restrictions ease. But passengers at several major airports have complained about snaking queues at check-in counters and immigration. With the summer season holiday crowd descending on countries in the northern hemisphere, aviation experts have warned that there may be more chaos at some airports. Here is where the crowds are building and how you can best cope with the inconveniences as you gear up to fly again. WHERE IS THIS HAPPENING? Amsterd…

From CNBC The Biden administration is dropping Covid-19 testing requirements for inbound air travelers from abroad, the White House said Friday. Airlines and other travel industry members had repeatedly pushed the administration for months to drop the requirement, arguing it was hurting international travel demand. The rule, established by the Trump administration and later tightened by the Biden administration, required inbound travelers, including U.S. citizens, to show proof of a negative Covid test before boarding U.S.-bound flights.

From CNN CNN) — Just as summer heats up, the US is lifting its long-standing requirement for all travelers entering the country to present a negative Covid-19 test. The news brings both a collective sigh of relief and a likely flood of new international travelers to an already chaotic summer season. For many American travelers, the development means no longer having to worry about the hassle of testing before returning to the States, or the cost and burden of remaining abroad to quarantine and wait for a negative test result if a pre-travel test comes up positive. US-bound international travelers, meanwhile, can plan trips without the fear of having t…

The Ibis hotel chain will soon open a new location on Silom, opposite the Bangkok Christian Hospital. Ibis has other locations in the city. Rooms tend to be on the small side but so do their rates. Ibis Styles Silom plans a soft opening beginning June 24. It’s set about 100 feet back from the street. https://www.facebook.com/ibisStylesBangkokSilom/

Me: Crimson Tide

From Bangkok Post The 300-baht tourism fee faces a delay in implementation, beginning in the fourth quarter at the earliest, while the cancellation of Thailand Pass is expected from July 1, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry. The ministry also plans to propose on June 17 the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) terminate Thailand Pass registration for international visitors from July 1. “Fee collection for tourists arriving by land requires further study, such as determining if the fee amount should be less than 300 baht because the average length of stay for these visitors is only 1-2 nights," said Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Touris…

More like the hope stage than planning. Starting to think ahead to my trip for next year, March maybe, I know it's a long way off and things can change but it's good to start thinking about it and there are things here at home that require my attention before then. So far I look at the flights, Thai Airways are currently not flying the direct Perth to Bangkok route but hoping they start up again soon, every time I flew that route the flights were near full so there's hope. If they don't start up before I'm ready then it will be Singapore Air which is ok but the preference is a direct flight. Hotel choice will come down to either The Raya (stayed there a few times an…

I find the increasing reports of air rage, mostly it seems on USA internal flights, very disturbing. From what I read most involve those who are against the mask mandate. Well, my view is bugger them. They should be both fined and jailed. I realise cockpits are now secure and you cannot open a plane's doors at 10,000 meters, but the thought of fights breaking out on an aircraft I might also be on appals me, as I know it does the Flight Attendants Union. If by some chance a couple of passengers forced a flight attendant to give them the security code for the cockpit, who knows what might happen. To my way of thinking, this is a result of not making covid preventi…

Emirates has finally started to introduce a new Premium Economy Cabin on its A380 fleet. Dubai to/from London, Paris and Sydney will be the first cities served. From the website, it looks like it is located at the front of the lower deck. First row should therefore offer extra space. https://www.emirates.com/th/english/experience/cabin-features/premium-economy-class/

I've just joined recently. There appears to be a requirement to open these threads. Just curious as to how i can be an "Active participating member..." to access them. Thanks boys

We feel compelled to reprint the entire thing, just because we never had any idea that W.H. Auden wrote an unbelievably filthy poem about an anonymous blow job. According to the editor’s note, Auden wrote the poem in 1948, and copies were circulated among friends and fans for years, before Ed Sanders printed an unauthorized version in 1965. Auden publicly denied authorship, which is why we can reprint this without permission and with impunity (as does the anthology, which doesn’t include Auden’s poem on its copyright page). Enjoy! The Platonic Blow W. H. Auden It was a spring day, a day for a lay, when the air Smelled like a locker-room, a day to blow o…

Bondarev's Full Resignation Letter: "My name is Boris Bondarev, in the MFA of Russia since 2002, since 2019 until now – Counsellor of the Russian Mission to the UN Office at Geneva. For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year. The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our count…

From CNBC The European Union is set to drop its mask mandate for passengers on flights and in airports from Monday, following an update to guidelines for the aviation industry. The recommendation for mandatory wearing of medical masks in airports and on board a flight is being lifted on May 16, EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said last week, while noting that a face mask is still one of the best protections against the transmission of Covid-19. The updated guidance takes into account the latest developments in the pandemic, “in particular the levels of vaccination and naturally acquired immunity, and…

From The Thaiger Thailand slid into 8th place in a survey of 1,500 Americans on the world’s safest travel destinations but is still in the world’s top 10. Canada snagged the winning spot during this survey in 1st place, followed by Iceland, Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The survey was taken by travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, as part of its 2022 State of Travel Insurance Report. As Thailand prepares to ease several entry restrictions on the Thailand Pass from today, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed the ranking, according to a deputy government spokeswoman. The spokeswom…

From Thiager / Thairath Thailand’s PM and the Minister of Defence Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking all relevant departments to recruit migrant workers using the Memorandum of Understanding or MOU system. The PM has also directed the Ministry of Labour to “take care of each worker”, and ensure that Covid-19 prevention measures are adhered to. Today, the PM’s Spokesperson, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, told Thai media that the government had been closely monitoring the shortage of workers and would recruit more foreign workers to solve the problem. In the wake of the Thai government’s border closures in April 2020, many hundreds of thousands of migrant workers headed ho…

From Bangkok Post Labour unions and the government remain locked in negotiations over the new minimum wage as workers parade on Labour Day to press their demand for a higher flat rate across the country. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin on Sunday reiterated the government's rejection of a call for all workers nationwide to receive a minimum daily wage of 492 baht. "The minimum wage will no doubt be increased. But the new rate has to support employers' businesses as well as keep employees happy," he said after a forum at the Labour Ministry chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Current minimum wages vary depending on the provinces where labourers…

I booked a hotel in a well known hotel chain, in southern Europe. Upon arrival, I was asked for a few Euros for the City Tax. I refused and in no uncertain terms told them my booking was including taxes. Which it was, as I'd checked the booking confirmation before hand. I don't care what the taxes are, but the hotels need to be honest about them. They said the booking confirmation specifies there is an additional city tax payable, so I got the document out and asked them to show me where. They weren't interested in doing so. Knowing they were lying. The following night, my keycard access to my room was blocked. So to get access to my room, …

NOTE -- This article claims that Thai Pass will be discontinued June 1. From The Thaiger Thailand’s once-mandatory Covid-19 tracking application “Mor Chana”, or Doctor Wins, will be discontinued from June 1. Mor Chana was once commonly used to track coronavirus cases and notify people if they had been exposed to Covid-19. Mor Chana, which was launched on April 29 2020, used GPS and Bluetooth to track the movement of users, who were expected to use the application to scan a barcode to “check in” to venues during the height of the pandemic. In January 2021, health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said anyone who contracted Covid-19 without having previously …

From Bangkok Post A new committee will be formed to direct measures aimed at attracting more foreign visitors with high purchasing power to Thailand, the government said on Friday, as part of efforts to spur the local economy. The committee's formation was proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Council and approved at a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. The committee will coordinate the work of several state agencies to adjust their rules to make it more convenient for such tourists to visit the country, he said. The new committee will report dire…

From Coconuts Bangkok The State Railway has begun shaking out new diesel-electric locomotives to replace its decrepit fleet. A test run was conducted yesterday for the trains, named after Japanese superhero Ultraman for their color scheme, between Bangkok’s Bang Sue station and Chachoengsao. A second test will commence next month from Choburi’s Sri Racha junction to Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district. “The State Railway of Thailand is confident that this new diesel-electric locomotive help increase the efficiency of service to the people,” SRT spokesperson Ekkarat Sri-Arayanphong said. Made by CRRC Qishuyan of China, 20 of the locom…

From Thai Enquirer hai officials alerted the public on Tuesday to be cautious of counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes after several complaints from vendors in a market in Nonthaburi. Officials said that they are rushing the investigation to identify the perpetrators. As Thailand’s inflation soared to a record high in 13 years largely due to a hike in energy and food prices, counterfeit money appears to be on the rise. Over the past weekend, local media reported a case of 30 fake 1,000-baht banknotes in a day discovered in the north of Bangkok. Yingyot Thepjamnong, the Royal Thai Police spokesman, said police across the country are prepared to take action agains…

The forum was down for a bit. It is now back up.

From The Thaiger In a video circulating online, a senior naval officer is seen forcing trainee marines to drink what he says is semen mixed with fish sauce. Today, a naval base in Chon Buri province confirmed that the clip is real and happened at Sattahip Naval Base in October last year. The Royal Thai Navy has launched an investigation into the incident and said they will take disciplinary action against anyone involved. The naval base named the alleged perpetrator as Sergeant Thaksin, who works under the Department of Security at the Royal Thai Navy. At the time of the incident, Thaksin was training a new rotation of trainee marines. Admirals from Sattahip Nav…

Hello everyone, I would like to travel 3 weeks in Asia this summer but I don't know where and when with all Covid19 restrictions. I thought about Thailand but maybe there are some better places to go. I'm looking for one, two or three cities (countries) to travel. What I want is to have fun : Rich gay night life (Club, Gogo bar...) Meet young men and hang out with them Sensual Massage / Sauna ... Thank you very much for your help Thomas