PeterRS

I am surprised by your comment about the number of religious people in Taiwan. Official statistics suggest the exact opposite, assuming you mean Christians! Only 3.9% of Taiwanese are Christian compared to 35.3% being Buddhists and 33.2% being Taoists. I have sen many Buddhist temples and a lot of young people there. Many of the Christian community seem to live outside Taipei. Despite their small number, they mounted a major campaign against the proposal to introduce gay marriage. Thankfully for my Taiwan friends, only one of whom professes to be a Christian, they failed. In my many visits, I think I have visited almost 20 temples (some of which are very beautiful) but only one church and it is close to the hotel I normally stay at. b The one country in Asia that totally floored me as I first flew into its major airport after dark was South Korea. I simply could not get over the number of red neon crosses affixed to so many buildings. That was the old airport Kimpo. Not sure if the same can be seen nowadays from Incheon. I was soon to realise that South Korea Christianity had more practising Christians than many allegedly Christian countries -around . Buddhists make up 35%.

From the little I know of TotallyOz and his previous postings, he knows South America extremely well and would clearly be happy in Brazil and Argentina. Importantly there is an abundance of sex in Brazil - not so sure about Argentina, but I assume so. Similarly in Spain, at least in the main cities and with the apps probably everywhere. On the other hand, if the primary reason for leaving Thailand is the government's treatment of foreigners, I'm pretty sure there will be quite a number of other reasons why the governments of those three countries would end up leaving him with similar sorts of feelings for one reason or another over the long run. But then a home base is not a lifetime base. Any of those countries could make a thoroughly enjoyable base for a few years, after which a longing for Thailand and the boys here may well re-emerge. In fact, I'd put money on it LOL!

Utterly fascinating. After what you have been through you deserve a pleasant (and gay) retirement.

FIrst let me make it perfectly clear. This is not a God-loving or a God-bashing post. Many of us belong to religions and worship God or Buddha or Allah - even a few are still believers in Ahura Mazda, the God of the world's oldest monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism. More, this post is about the influence of a belief in God and sporting prowess. One of the 'sports' I would run a mile to avoid is boxing. I noted though that over the week-end there was a heavyweight championship match in Las Vegas won by an Englishman appropriately named Fury. When thanking all those who had helped him in the run up to the fight, he praised God for helping him during the fight and to win. This got me thinking. It was not that many years ago that the US was overcome with 'Linsanity'. A tall, handsome Taiwanese American basketball player named Jeremy Lin, he was the first of his nationality to play for an American NBA team. Based in San Francisco, off the field he was popular with the area's Asian community; on the field he achieved little, He moved around teams who kept him for a few months and then dropped him. In 2012 he finally achieved a run of games with the New York Nicks and became a sensation, called by the New York Times the team's most popular player in a decade. Then his form tailed off and he was let go. He wandered around several NBA teams and got virtually nowhere. Now he plays for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball League. He has stated that anti-Chinese-American slurs affected his performance. Yet Yao Ming, a Chinese who had been a huge star a few years before Lin, was idolised in the USA and was elected into the US Basketball Hall of Fame. The point is that Lin was another who dedicated all his victories to the glory of God. Clearly a committed Christian, he has said he plans to become a Christian missionary when he retires. So my thought is: when was it that athletes started praising God for their victories and successes? I can remember watching the French Tennis Open Championship Final in 1989 when Michael Chang, another Taiwanese-American, became the youngest ever player at age 17 to win a Grand Slam. In his acceptance speech, he announced to the crowd that he thanked "the Lord Jesus Christ," adding "it was God's purpose for him." The reason, apparently, was that his win had come shortly after the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing and it was to provide comfort for all Chinese! Thereafter, whenever he won any tournament, God was thanked. I have no doubt he was sincere in that belief, but it drew the ire of several fellow professionals. One, by far to become the better tennis player Andre Agassi, wrote in his autobiography, that he was physically sick hearing that comment (adding that he might have been high on ice at the time!) Reportedly he shouted at the TV set, "Then why didn't God just stop the freakin' massacre!" He then makes what I consider an extremely appropriate point. Why on earth would God choose to favour Chang over his opponent who lost? The same can be said of Lin, Fury and others. In fairness to Chang, he and his family were always devoted Christians. As far as Michael was concerned, he was so committed this meant abstinence from sex until he got married. (I wonder if that included masturbation!) "It was part of my Christian faith and part of my promise to my future wife." Considering he did not get married until he was 36, I'd have thought his life must have got more than slightly frustrating at times. Now, if only I had a belief in God, would that have made me a better tennis player? Could I have won a Grand Slam? Sorry, Michael, I know the answer and sadly it does not accord with your views! https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/inspiringathletes/2013/09/a-conversation-with-tennis-legend-michael-chang.html

Hard for me to advise given that I have only visited each country twice and for considerably shorter than 2 months. Although I would be happy to visit Brazil and Argentina again several times, as a European I love Spain, its people, its food, its amazing history, its art and architecture etc. Not being into western guys, I did not get much from Spain's gay life - apart from a totally unexpected meeting with a stunning young Asian guy from Singapore and one from Guangzhou in Barcelona! But there were Asians on the apps and so I know I would not starve! I would choose Spain partly because of the huge variety of other amazing countries I could get to in little more than an hour or two. From the little French villages, to the chateaux on the Loire, to the amazing Renaissance hill towns in Italy and the joys of its art in the main cities, Germany's Romantic Road - even the pubs and Cathedrals in England. Extend the flight by another couple of hours and the glories of Russia (forget Putin and his homophobic laws for a few weeks) and then go up beyond the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights (a trip when I met up with a young Asian couple travelling around by car!).

You're not alone! Like other posters I wish I had come out earlier. I really did feel as though i was almost the only gay guy around when I was 18, despite having had a few furtive experiences. I came from a relatively small town where there seemed to be very few gay men. Those who were openly gay tended to be far older. I remember there being a club in a house in a small out of the way street where these older gay guys could meet. But anyone planning to enter would always look around to check there was no one looking before doing so. Even my father, who in other matters was a very open minded man, referred to one of the middle aged men who worked in the pharmacy at the foot of our street as "one of those". I hasten to add it was not said in a derogatory tone - more merely as a matter of fact. Not even in the relatively closed atmosphere of university could I overcome my fears about coming out. It took several years of working and then my first real relationship before I summoned up the courage. It feels so strange now to remember, but it was a very real 'fear' at the time.

Having been to the Maldives (albeit a couple of decades ago), I also cannot see the parallel. In the Maldives there are no shopping malls where the rich can buy some of their designer clothes and accessories cheaper than in their home countries. The primary costs - and almost the only costs - for the rich visitors are the airline tickets and the many outrageously expensive hotels. Yes, booze, meals and solo boat and dive trips are also expensive but overall probably less than a night at many of the high end resort hotels. Each of the Maldives tourist islands is a solo resort and so have a strangehold on costs. There are some cheaper islands but unless you are in a guesthouse in one of the few islands with locals, cheap is often at least 4,000 baht per night and more often nearer 10,000 baht and way up to 135,000 baht and more. I am sure Thai hotels would love to raise their rates to Maldives level, but there is far too much competition and there is no way that is going to happen.

I'm going back on my earlier comment because I had failed to realise the Minister had specified "public" hospitals. Raising fees for expats and non-Thais in those hospitals will have zero effect on medical tourism for this is exclusively handled by the private hospitals. Much of it is also paid for by international insurance companies. Besides, getting any medical procedure in a public hospital requires first prior registration, then a general doctor's appointment, then a specialist's appointment and then a further delay because all public hospitals have some degree of waitlist. Add to that there are not many English speakers in public hospitals and medical tourism just does not work. This was brought home to me this morning when I had to have an MRI scan at King Chulalongkorn Hospital. It was merely a check up scan following one I had 6 months ago. My doctor there is wonderful. She trained in Thailand and the USA and speaks fluent English. The medical staff in the scanning department are great even though few spoke more than a few words of English. But I when I left, I noted that all those waiting for CT and MRI scans were Thai, many of them elderly. This was true when I had my earlier scan. Given that I paid about one fifth or less of the cost of a similar procedure in a private hospital, I would be perfectly happy to pay a little more.

Thailand will open in 2025

Interesting fact: Bangkok is Facebook's most active global city with over 30 million users! In a city with not more than 10 million, why on earth do people feel they need multiple Facebook accounts?

Having mentioned Gundula Janowitz, an interesting note: last night she was given the industry's prestigious Gramophone Magazine Lifetime Award. Equally interesting in a way, David Bowie considered her recording of the Strauss "Beim Schlafengehen" with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic "transcendental - It aches with love for a life that is quietly fading. I know of no other piece of music, nor any performance, which moves me quite like this". I love the almost bell-like quality of her silvery voice which I first noticed when she sang Sieglinde in Karajan's recording of Wagner's Ring cycle.

Near the end of the 1960s I remember purchasing the cassette of this album "You Don't Have to Be Jewish". I can't think why because I'm not Jewish but I just love the humour. I purchased it again when it came out on CD and still listen occasionally. It offers lots of chuckles in these difficult times. Enjoy!!

Weeks after picking up the Emmy Award for hair style and make up design, Bridgerton's Marc Pilcher has died of Covid aged 53. Pilcher had had his two vaccinations and several negative tests before and after flying to Los Angeles to pick up the Award. He had no underlying conditions. Yet still he died. I do not know how frequently this happens but I expect it highlights the need to continue wearing masks and socially distance.

Ok, that's the politics. Where's the porn????

Not so easy I suspect,, given that Thais will not pay the new fee.

I fully accept I am not at all sure about buying of votes in The Philippines. I just assumed nowhere could be worse than Thailand when it comes to little dollops of cash being liberally handed over. And as you say, cash seems to be king in just about every democracy. It can be a simple red bill to a village voter in Thailand. Perhaps a million dollar cheque in the USA to secure an Ambassadorship in some rather nice posting. Even an entire voting block guaranteeing their votes in return for an anti-this or pro-that seat on the Supreme Court. Or, as with Thaksin at his first election, very large bribes being paid to certain individuals on the Constitutional Court to ensure his "honest mistake" in having his gardener and housekeeper owning a gazillion shares in his company which should have been declared as his assets prior to the election and which should have disqualified him would be forgiven! Given the state of the world - or should I say the worsening state of the world - I often wonder if democracy as we have known it is all but dead. And yes I know the obvious follow on from that. If democracy is dying, what goes in its place? Major systemic reforms would be a good start, but does anyone seriously think that those presently with their hands on the levers of power will be prepared to promote reform? I certainly don't. Going back to the Philippines, as long as the financial power is concentrated in the hands of just a few dozen families, I cannot see much change there either. The US could have done something when they ruled the islands as their colony, but did nothing. Then they propped up the murdering, thieving dictator Marcos because they needed the air cases in the country during the Cold War. If only we could turn back the clock a century or more and undo much of what were to become our present day disasters!

Much as one admires Singapore's amazing success as an economic miracle on what until independence was virtually just a swamp, its rulers have never taken lightly any criticism of its governance. Indeed, that government has resorted to more litigation against the media, corporations and even its own opposition MPs than almost any other anywhere. The city state's founding Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew was admired worldwide. But even he admitted he had to resort to non-democratic methods. Two of his oft quoted dictums were - “We have to lock up people, without trial, whether they are communists, whether they are language chauvinists, whether they are religious extremists. If you don't do that, the country would be in ruins.” “I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters – who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” Now the present government led by his son is clamping down further on dissent. In what sounds more like a comment from mainland China, it has passed a law aimed at countering foreign interference in what it calls its internal domestic affairs. This permits the government to order social media sites and internet providers to disclose user information or block content it considers hostile. Given the ease which which the courts ruled in favour of the Prime Minister in similar cases involving publications like the International Herald Tribune and The Economist, few consider this new law as anything other than greater personal interference. "An offence is committed if a person publishes something in Singapore on behalf of a foreign entity to "influence a target to do something that is or is likely to be prejudicial to Singapore's interests, incite feelings of hatred or diminish public confidence in the authorities", according to an earlier Straits Times report. "Instead of open court, an independent panel chaired by a judge will hear appeals against the minister's decisions. This is necessary as matters may involve sensitive intelligence with implications for national security, the government said." In fairness other countries like Australia have enacted similar laws. But added to the 2019 "fake news" law, according to the Deputy Head of Human Rights Watch Asia the new law will be a human rights disaster because it hands arbitrary power to punish anyone on vague allegations of involvement with foreigners. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58798373

I don't think I agree with the first sentence. The Filipinos seem far more gullible with famous names getting much more of the vote irrespective of whatever platform and policies they may have run on. Filipinos are much more star struck! Also, I don't think most Filipinos are all paid for their votes whereas we know a great deal of cash changes hands in Thailand.

You can already see the huge queues at the airports to find baht currency because I'll bet they won't accept others. I note they say the fee is to be collected from tourists. What about Thais? If they don't pay then it is not the same as a departure tax which applies to everyone. With it just having been agreed that hospitals can charge more for non-Thais, sounds like yet another way to fleece tourists and those expats who live here.

More ridiculous comparisons (first price is Agoda - and so 17% for tax and service has to be added, but we do not know yet if these have to be added to the TAT prices - second price TAT site) The Landmark Bangkok: Baht 2,147 / 3,531 The Okura Presitge Bangkok: Baht 3,494 / 7,062 The Aiyapura, Koh Chang: Baht 1,347 / 2,000 Oakwood Hotel & Residence: Baht 784 / 1,199 With a 5-star hotel being almost 100% more expensive on the TAT site, that's another site for the trash bin.

How kind of the government to ensure that the locations of the pharmacies are pretty much difficult to find other than by taxi!

I could not agree more. Some years ago my bf finally persuaded me to join. Perhaps stupidly, I replied to the initial questions asked - names of my school and university. Within seconds I had more than 150 likes from people I had absolutely no idea who they were. Not even one from anyone I would have called a friend. If this is facebook, I decided, it's not for me. Within minutes I had cancelled the membership and have never once had any desire to rejoin. But it pisses me off mightily that some companies now assume everyone is on facebook. So increasingly I find that they have cancelled their websites and instead post information only on facebook. I have found a way around some of this, but I'll happily take my business elsewhere. This is especially true given the revelations over the weekend about facebook's policy of promoting inciteful and hateful posts since it makes more money that way. Governments should have investigated the social media apps long before now to ensure that such hideous practices are rooted out. This has nothing to do with free speech. It is about responsibility and destroying some lives.

Philippine general elections have been often proven to be a joke with a joker elected. Sadly the electorate seems to have little clue about governance.

Same with me. I have no doubt that a percentage of booking fees will be directed to TAT coffers. Given that there are already so many booking sites offering several perks, I cannot see what any new one will achieve. Also if one wants to cancel a booking, presumably the alternatives offered will only be in Thailand whereas on agoda etc. you can often transfer the funds to a hotel booking in another country.

Having posted a Jessye Norman video, I think I should balance this with one of Dame KTK. While her largest audience was no doubt singing Handel (wearing a ghastly hat!) at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, I am certain the next largest was when she sang in the wonderful Merchant Ivory film "Room With a View" set in Florence with a wonderful cast of British actors. KTK sang the theme song used in the movie. This was the popular Puccini aria "O mio babbino caro" (Oh, my beloved Father) from the comic opera Gianni Schicchi.