The Beer Bar

From Coconuts Bangkok The father of a university freshman killed during a university hazing ritual has refused to accept half a million baht in compensation from the upperclassmen responsible for his son’s death. Ekachai Chonphakdi, whose son Padyot “Prem” Chonphakdi died Sunday after being beaten while intoxicated, told reporters that he turned down the parents of the the seven students when they approached him yesterday. “Could I get my son’s life back?” the 55-year-old man said he told them. He wants justice from the criminal justice process instead. Padyot was the sole victim of a hazing ritual at Rajamangala University Technology of Isan whe…

I am having a problem believing Jussie Smollet's assertion that he was attacked in Chicago. What is of particular concern to me is that he has consistently refused to turn over information located on his cell phone. He is being just foo reticent in his cooperation with police. No proof has been given that he staged the alleged attack for publicity purposes but that does linger in the background.

From Hua Hin Today Popular blogger Richard Barrow has received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to British nationals overseas. Richard was presented with the medal by British Ambassador Mark Gooding. Posting on Twitter, Richard said:” I was honoured today to receive the British Empire Medal (BEM) from the British Ambassador @markgooding. HM Queen Elizabeth II had awarded this to me “for services to British nationals overseas”. Continues with photos https://www.huahintoday.com/thailand-news/richard-barrow-receives-british-empire-medal-bem-for-services-to-british-nationals-overseas/

From Coconuts Bangkok Listen up, all you subs, doms, gimps, twinks, rubberbois and bondagegirls: Don your stretchiest spandex outfits and mingle with fellow fetishistas next month at a mainstream BDSM party. Rubber fetish store ForFun is hosting a “Bangkok Fetish Ball” on April 15 at the Pullman Bangkok King Power lifestyle hotel hosted by none other than top Thai queen Pan Pan “Pangina Heals” Narkprasert of Drag Race Thailand fame. Expect performances, music from DJs, and free-flow beverages 7pm to 10pm. Attendees are encouraged to put on their kinkiest outfit, from pet attire and meat-packing furries to leathery biker gear and superhero cosplay. No nudity…

From Channel News Asia KUALA LUMPUR: The arrival health protocols for Malaysia’s air vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) with Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand will be standardised, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong wrote in a statement on Tuesday (Mar 15). In light of Putrajaya’s decision to reopen borders on Apr 1 as the country begins its transition to the COVID-19 endemic phase, Dr Wee wrote that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the air VTLs with the three countries will be “made uniform”, utilising the “test and release” method. Under this method, travellers will no longer need to wait for their COVID-19 test results within the terminal upon arriva…

This in today's NY Times: Ginni Thomas Says She Attended Jan. 6 Rally What the FUCK is Clarence Thomas doing on the U.S Supreme Court, and what the FUCK is his wife doing at the Jan 6 Trump rally? Ginni Thomas is one bizarre woman, as evidenced by her wacky behavior towards Anita Hill in the past. Some of the people who control or influence certain power levers in this country need to be seriously investigated and scrutinized. I wouldn't trust these fuckers as far as I can spit.

From National Geographic / MSN The Bhumibhol suspension bridge spans Bangkok, Thailand’s Chao Phraya River. The historic neighborhoods on its banks are experiencing a creative and commercial renaissance. © Photograph by Tassaphon Vongkittipong, Getty Images Rachna Sachasinh Bangkok’s Chao Phraya flows in exaggerated loops through historic neighborhoods, past Buddhist temples, gilded palaces, and humble teak bungalows teetering on the water’s edge. The river floats by the curled rooflines of Chinese shrines, the spires of Christian churches and mosque minarets, and shophouses that were—and still are—home to immigrant families from China, India, t…

Richard Barrow has posted numerous photos of random street art around the city. It's worth a look if Bangkok is one of your favorite haunts. https://www.richardbarrow.com/

From The Thaiger / CNN Russians were the most visible travellers heading to Thailand post February 1, 2022, when the Thailand Pass Test & Go option was rebooted. Even with its 2 days of pre-booked SHA+ quarantine and PCR tests, along with US$50,000 Covid insurance (which has since been reduced to $20,000), the Russian travellers were delighted to jump on a plane and take the long trip to the much warmer Land of Smiles. That situation has now radically changed and the world is reverberating to the full impact of Russia’s aggression and the invasion of Ukraine. Now there’s a mere trickle of daily flights between Russia and either Suvarnabhumi or Phuket i…

How wonderful are memories of the good times in Thailand? Sitting here doing nothing yesterday my mind wandered down memory lane to the old Adonis massage off Soi Convent. I had 2 visits there and left more than satisfied both times, the first I was quite nervous (being new to the gay scene) but the selection, although there was only a half dozen or so boys to pick from were very nice looking and all had great bodies. The massage was quite good but when I saw the boy erect I very nearly fainted, my god but he had a lethal weapon and a half and I can say he knew just how to use it too (I was a novice no more). The second visit he wasn't there so I chose the othe…

Saw an ad on YouTube for "phoenix" machine, did some checking out. https://heclinics.com/shockwave-treatment-for-ed-an-honest-experience/ https://heclinics.com/ And honestly buying a home unit is about 1/3 as expensive as overseas treatment. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=shockwave+therapy+for+ed&i=hpc&crid=10JCHR8JL08EN&sprefix=shockwave%2Chpc%2C105&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_9

From The Thaiger One public health official says Thailand has a “secret weapon” to bring back tourists… It’s cannabis. Some experts and officials hope that decriminalising marijuana, alongside declaring Covid-19 as endemic, will help tourism in Thailand bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. The public health official made the statement over the weekend at a medical marijuana conference at Surin’s Rajamangala University of Technology. Many experts and officials discussed the benefits of decriminalising the plant, not only for health purposes, but also for the economy. However, while cannabis cafes and shops have been popping up all over Thailand, the products won’…

a month after I waited 2 months for my US passport renewal on expedite they now have it online and people are getting theirs in a week. 😍 Remember- your US passport must be good for at least 3-6 months past your expected stay to enter most countries https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/new-us-online-passport-renewal-system-incredible-already-new-passport-just-week-renewal/

The Thaiger today published an all-encompassing collection of the trials and tribulations of the expat community. It's too long to post in its entirety but if you're a member of the group, or considering it, you may find it of interest. From The Thaiger By Tim Newton There will be bumps along the way between your visits to the beach, bar and immigration office (sometimes the bumps will be at the beach, bar and immigration office). Expat life is what you make of it here in the Land of Smiles. Moaning about it never helps but accepting the bumps is part of the adventure. Here are our Top Ten Hard Truths for expats in Thailand. https://thethaiger.com/trav…

From Ted Talks

This is good to see, the green bridge between Lumpini and Benjakitti parks is being renovated. On my trips I like to take the early morning walks around Lumpini park and the green bridge to Benjakitti will make it a good morning exercise walk, just trying to keep some fitness up on my trips. By the looks it may well be finished before my next "planned trip". The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has started renovation work on the “Green Bridge”, the elevated walkway connecting Lumpini and Benjakitti parks in Khlong Toei district. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the BMA said the renovation project started on March 1 and work on the 20-year-old walkw…

From the Thaiger After yesterday claiming that the situation in Ukraine wouldn’t affect UK to Thailand flights, officials from the Tourism Authority of Thailand now say the Russia-Ukraine conflict WILL impact tourism to Thailand. TAT’s deputy governor for marketing communications has now told the Bangkok Post that people might decide to cancel trips to Thailand because many airlines have had to divert or cancel their flights. The deputy governor also said it’s too soon to to asses the impact, though. =========================== From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon World shock at Putin’s invasion of Ukraine obviously sidelines Thailand’s entry an…

I thought he must be in a retirement home by now - or should that be 'she'? It's a long time since we heard about the gay icon Dame Edna Everage. But even at age 88 she is still on the go. Next month she starts a 2 month The Man Behind The Mask tour around the UK. Well, I suppose it really should be 'he' for it is Barry Humphries who is touring and others appearing will no doubt be legendary characters like Sir Les Patterson. I once had the opportunity of meeting him. I was in Hong Kong and had had discussions with his manager, at that time John Reid. Barry wanted to do a week's season in a theatre in Hong Kong. After all, he had something to prove. In the late…

From Thai PBS World The Chao Phraya River is the main artery of Bangkok. In the old days, it was where everything happened, full of life and culture. So, the river’s banks were where everyone wanted to settle when they moved to Bangkok. Walk-A-Tif introduces you to the foreign traders and diplomats who settled along the banks of this mighty river and traces their histories. Starting at the Kudeejeen community, this is where Portuguese settled about 250 years ago, during the Thonburi period. One of the icons of this community is the Santa Cruz Church, which was built around 1770AD, when Christian Portuguese settlers migrated here after the dissolution of Ayu…

Those lucky enough to be in the city we love may find this exhibition worth a visit. From Coconuts Bangkok After years roaming the capital to document its architectural glories, many of which now only exist in photographs, a photographer will bring them to a downtown gallery. At Something Was Here: The Fading Memories of Bangkok Modern Architecture, Weerapon “Beer” Singnoi will exhibit photographs of roughly 20 buildings around Bangkok, including Scala theater, which was hastily demolished last year despite promises it would be preserved amid a public outcry. “I hope that this exhibition will raise questions about how we can preserve our architectur…

Russian soldiers captured after being found hiding in basement by Ukraine LGBT+ activists March 1, 2022 Viktor Pylypenko, an LGBT+ activist in Ukraine. (Facebook/ Valeriya Venceremos) Members of an LGBT+ organisation in Ukraine captured a group of Russian soldiers they found hiding in their offices. Viktor Pylypenko told Israeli newspaper The Israel Hayom that he and his group had the soldiers in their office basement in the city of Kharkiv. Pylypenko is an LGBT+ activist and veteran who, after fighting in the Maidan Revolution, formed an organisation to support queer veterans …

Sally Kellerman, Oscar-Nominated ‘MASH’ Actress, Is Dead at 84 Ms. Kellerman, who became a star in Robert Altman’s dark satire, was known for her self-effacing comedy, a velvety voice and an ability to toggle between sultry and silly. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/movies/sally-kellerman-dead.html This show was a huge part of my childhood life. She was always enjoyable to watch and I have great memories of watching this show with my parents and them laughing (a rarity).

Although the intended move affects those covered by the government health insurance system, and not international tourists, it illustrates the lack of an integrated approach how Covid cases is treated across the board. The multiple agencies with jurisdiction over the disease promulgate rules and regulations that frequently conflict with one other. In this case there is even in-fighting within the same ministry. From Bangkok Post Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted on Monday on moving ahead with a plan to change the conditions for Covid-19 treatment, saying the decision was in line with a policy to downgrade the coronavirus. He reaffirmed his…

From The Nation The first batch of 236 Thai evacuees from Ukraine are due to arrive back in Thailand from Tuesday to Friday (March 1-4), the Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw said. he embassy said 47 Thais are currently at the evacuation centre in the city of Lviv, western Ukraine, while another 43 Thais are on their way there from cities across the war-torn nation. However, it said about 100 Thai nationals are unable to travel due to curfews or unsafe conditions in the cities where they live. Among this group are seven Thais in Mykolaiv and 12 in Kharkiv. Fighting between Russian troops and Ukrainian defence forces has been reported in both cities. Thai…