The Beer Bar

From Pattaya Mail Japan’s rail operator JR Hokkaido is donating the train cars decommissioned since 2016 to Thailand, with the cost of transportation and refurbishment covered by the SRT. The State Railway of Thailand has stressed the used trains from Japan it is receiving as donations are still in good condition. The state railway operator will need to pay for the transportation of the 17 train carriages at a cost of 42.5 million baht. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced outcomes of the inspection of the 17 multiple unit diesel train carriages being donated by Japan, finding them all in good condition. Japan’s rail operator JR Hokk…

This initiative has not passed in other states. Perhaps if signed into law, this will be the first of many. https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-moves-outlaw-stealthing-removing-182749429.html

Great feel good story. Watch the video. A crowd full of strangers filled a northwest Calgary park to celebrate a boy's rainbow-themed birthday during Pride Week. Leah O'Donnell says when her son Brody Neville came out as gay this spring, the 12-year-old lost many of his friends. That made the prospect of celebrating his birthday this year a sad one. "I was asking him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he was in tears and said since he came out as gay he lost all his friends, so he didn't even have people who could come," https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/rainbow-birthday-calgary-1.6157335?fbclid=IwAR13xrjfVWKBGg1b0btO9YsGcE7M6Y-ZHscC4x…

No, not domestically. But, they got together for a collaboration and I loved the outfits. Both truly icons. https://www.complex.com/music/lil-nas-x-links-up-with-elton-john-for-uber-eats-campaign-ahead-of-montero-collab?

This console has been out for a good while but still not in any stores here. You can order it from Lazada but that is the Japanese version. Anyone try it? Will there be problems with it if ordered?

From Pattaya News Bangkok – Kratom leaves can be freely planted, used, possessed, sold, boiled raw (not mixed with any other ingredient) for drinks, and distributed but cooking as part of food and making herbal juice or drink concoctions for sale is still illegal, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin clarified yesterday, September 9th. Kratom was recently legalized in Thailand, notes TPN media, but that doesn’t mean one will see legal Kratom restaurants or cafes anytime in the immediate future. “Leaf-chewing, cultivating, possessing, and selling of uncooked fresh leaves is not illegal. But, if the leaves are used for making herbal products that help relie…

I want to invent and patent a failsafe feature for my Twitter; this means receiving a confirmation prompt for every tweet that is mistakenly sent out from the filthy Twitter profile to a recipient … say you are responding to a news article in the public domain. The prompt would require you to confirm yes I want this tweet from my filthy Twitter profile to be posted to this recipient profile. Once in a while one forgets to switch out the profile that belongs in a particular sphere. [This is a smile, not soliciting tech advice]

Earlier this year Hungary passed its anti LGBTQ education bill that bans the depiction or promotion of homosexuality and gender change among under-18s. Many have lambasted the President who promoted the bill and the European Parliament has condemned it. Surely no protest was more symbolic and seen by so many around the world than a short appearance by the 4-time Formula 1 world champion driver, Sebastian Vettel. F1 - along with its more junior ranks of F2 and F3 - directly and indirectly employs many tens of thousands of people and is one of the world's most watched sports seen in almost every country. It has never been associated with the LGBTQ movement. Even as sta…

From Coconuts Bangkok “The education system is failing 1.8 million students because online learning takes students for granted,” reads a banner hanging from a skywalk at BTS Asok in an image from a Voice TV report. Thousands of students pledged to participate in a strike on virtual learning that started yesterday. School gates have been closed since April and learning moved online. While that hasn’t been a burden on families with resources, thousands of others have struggled to keep their children educated. There are many students for whom just getting online is an epic undertaking. Adding to that, are reports of teachers taking their abusive im…

Every morning when I get up around 4 am I take my coffee out on the lanai and spend and hour or so reading my news feeds on my phone. For some reason I get a lot of stories from Australia even though I am in Florida. I'm a bit tired of all the countries that whine about lockdowns and increased death counts from Covid and then the kicker, as they have less than 1000 deaths total for the country since the beginning of the virus. It's probably more jealousy than anything but with such a poor job done in the US with the virus and death totals around 635,000 here I get tired of the alarms raised when a country gets 20 new Covid cases. I understand they have obviously done …

From BBC Travel flock of birds glided below me as I peered down from the wicker basket of a drifting hot air balloon above the Malaysian city of Putrajaya. The creatures gracefully flapped their grey wings as they passed the city’s nest of skyscrapers en route to their nearby habitat at the Putrajaya Wetlands Park, the largest man-made freshwater wetlands in Malaysia. Nearly 100 bird species reside in this 200-hectare oasis of marshes, ponds and forest, and it's a valuable habitat for 1,800 species of insects, 16 types of amphibians, 22 species of reptiles and 16 types of mammals. It's hard to believe that this serene sanctuary home to macaques, fla…

There is news today about the death of an 18-year old boxer who was knocked out in a professional bout 5 days ago. So what, was my first thought? That fact that it was a woman made no difference. If you elect to become a boxer, your head is going to be battered in countless bouts in the ring. For many fighters that will unquestionably have short, medium or long term affects on the brain. You make your choices and take your chances. How many recall Muhammad Ali in his later decades. Mentally alert but increasingly a physical wreck resulting from Parkinson's Disease. I used to think it was only boxers who are at risk of brain injury. Now we know that this is nonsense.…

Our babies will be called Lit Oz X

From Pattaya News Cambodian man rescued after floating for two days in the Gulf of Thailand near Rayong A Cambodian man who was floating in the Gulf of Thailand for two days near Rayong has been rescued by the Royal Thai Navy. The Royal Thai Navy First Area Command reports their team called the ‘We Care, We Protect squad’ rescued a Cambodian man who had previously been working on a Thai fishing boat early yesterday morning (September 3rd). The Cambodian man, who wasn’t named by the Royal Thai Navy, told officers he fell down from the Thai fishing boat ‘Chock Pawin Chai’. He was found in the sea near Rayong Bay. He survived, according to the man, t…

From Bangkok Post A court has approved arrest warrants for a senior police officer and six subordinates in Nakhon Sawan for alleged torture after a video clip on social media showed a drug suspect being suffocated to death with a plastic bag. The seven policemen are: Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon, who was superintendent of Muang police station in Nakhon Sawan, Pol Maj Raveeroj Ditthong, Pol Capt Songyot Khlainak, Pol Lt Thoranin Makwanna, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wisut Bunkhiew, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Supakorn Nimchuen and Pol L/C Paweekorn Khammarieo. They face charges of malfeasance causing damage to another person, colluding with five people or more in the coercion of a…

From Pattaya Mail / Variety The TV series to be shown in limited episodes will tell the story of 12 young players of the “Wild Boar” Football team, who, along with their coach, became trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand in 2018. Netflix announces producers and cast of Tham Laung cave series to be filmed in Northern Thailand, and aired in 2022. The TV series to be shown in limited episodes will tell the story of 12 young players of the “Wild Boar” Football team, who, along with their coach, became trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand in 2018. The incident caught the attention of the world, including international movie makers. According to Va…

I remember first hearing about box jellyfish appearing off Phuket's west coast about 10 years ago. A tourist had died after being stung. The Thai media did not cover the story but the news media in other parts of Asia did. I remember something about fishermen having caught a few in their nets, and one reporter questioning if a few had been caught how many more remained uncaught in the waters. Since then there have been other stories and other deaths, notably off Koh Samui. Koh Phangan has nets and warning signs about not playing in the water outside those areas. It also has bottles of vinegar which is the recommended initial treatment until getting an affected person…

From Pattaya Mail Koh Larn reopens again Wednesday but will not require visitors to be vaccinated or tested for Covid-19. The island closed for the third time since the start of the pandemic on Aug. 9. The Sept. 1 reopening will see both Thais and foreigners required to show identification and go through the usual gauntlet of social distancing measures, but do not have to show proof of any Covid-19 vaccination or negative coronavirus test results. Ferry service to and from Bali Hai Pier and Koh Larn’s main pier will run at 7 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m. Additional times may be added depending on demand. Speedboats also can provide service at higher rates w…

Got my first vaccine shot. And actually got it early because the French are running these sites with actual military precision. They tell you to get there an hour early so I did. And was immediately whisked into a line. At the end of the line they checked that I was scheduled for that day and sent me into a room to take a number. Then there were three dozen nurses lined up. I was number 207 when I got my number and they were on 177 but five minutes later it was my turn. I get to the nurse and she's like "have you tested po…

From AFP / Bangkok Post A woman buys drinking yoghurt from a vendor at Hua Lamphong station. (AFP Photo) An uncertain fate awaits the vendors, drivers and rough sleepers who have made a second home under the ornate arched ceiling of the century-old Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok. The elegant Italianate columns and stained glass windows of the station will soon echo no more to the constant rattle of trains arriving and departing. The vast majority of services will move in November to the new Bang Sue Grand Station, a modern hub that eventually will be part of a network of high-speed rail services including a line to China via Laos. …

From The Nation Police raided a field hospital in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province after learning that some patients had engaged in group sex and smuggled in illegal cigarettes. he raid happened on Thursday afternoon after a tip-off by staff at the fifth field hospital in the province. In addition to police, officials of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) joined the operation to maintain peace after reports of brawls. Isoc officials told the press that they found 23 cartons of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, which the patients had brought in illegally. They were later confiscated by the hospital. Continues with photos …

From the Thaiger Thai Vietjet will resume international flights to and from Taiwan and Singapore starting on October 20 and 21 respectively. Flights from Singapore will have routes to Bangkok and Phuket. Sealed domestic flights connecting for those entering under the Phuket “Sandbox” will be available for those on the Taipei-Bangkok flights. Thai Vietjet had also previously stated that domestic flights across Thailand would begin on September 15th. Instead of using Bangkok as a hub for domestic travel, the airline will fly directly between Phuket and Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Udon Thani. Currently, Bangkok Airways operates a weekly trip from Samui to Sing…

From Coconuts Bangkok Fire erupted at the top floor of S-Oasis building last night, at left, and a file photo of S-Oasis anticipated to complete early 2022. A massive fire erupted at a high-rise building that was under construction in Bangkok last night. The fire broke out at around 11pm at the top story of S-Oasis, a 35-story premium retail complex located in Soi Vibhavadi-Rangsit 9, that was expected to be completed in the coming months. According to Lt. Col. Pairat Tongdonnoi of Bang Sue Police, it took two hours for the roughly 40 firefighters to control the blaze. No construction workers were at the site when the incident happened and t…

John Smyth was a British barrister and Queen's Counsel, an office conferred only on senior barristers by the Crown. A moral crusader and staunch believer in the Anglican Church of England, Smyth fought legal battles for "Christian values" in Britain's courts of law. He acted for Mary Whitehouse, a Christian morality crusader, in her 1977 action against Gay News for its publication of James Kirkup's poem The Love that Dares not Speak its Name. As we have heard before, those who are publicly among the most ardent adherents of their faith are sometimes those who use it for ulterior sexual and other series motives. A new book Bleeding for Jesus: John Smyth and the Cult of I…

From AFP / BP The shadow government working to overthrow the Myanmar junta launched a daily radio programme on Friday as it seeks to battle military-backed media for supremacy over the airwaves. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the civilian administration of Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted in a February coup, sparking huge pro-democracy protests and a bloody military crackdown. Dissident lawmakers from her party dominate the National Unity Government (NUG), in hiding or in exile, rallying support for the resistance on international news broadcasts. On Friday the first of a twice-daily 30-minute Radio NUG programme went on-air, providing Covid-19 updates, …