PeterRS

I don't mind the Middle East stop. I have taken Qatar about half a dozen times now and have another flight to/from the UK next month. It departs Bangkok at around 2:30 am. I used to try and stay awake for the first 6'30" flight but then I found it difficult sleeping on the second. So now I take a pill and sleep for around 5 hours on the first sector and then relax, have the meals, watch movies and sometimes snooze for the second sector. On arrival I'm usually good till about 10:00 pm. Returning to Thailand it's the opposite - a flight departing around 3:00 pm when i stay awake and then sleep on the second sector. A longer sleep would be nice but I am rarely able to stay asleep on a plane for much more than 5 - 6 hours, so it works for me. But if I have been in the UK for 3 or 4 weeks, I am always zonked on arrival in Thailand, even after non-stop flights. Flying east just does not work well for me.

I often wonder what vaccinations these idiotic anti-vaxxers were given as babies. If they hadn't been given them, the chances are they would have been dead for decades. Don't they learn? Stupid question!

It's not bizarre! It's pure corruption. When Interpol had Carlos the Jackal at the head of its 10 most wanted list, does anyone seriously believe they could do nothing until they had an address? It's total nonsense. As I reported I think more than a year ago, at that time the Thai authorities claimed that they'd had Interpol put this murderer on its wanted list. Well, I went through the full list of around 7,000 names. Guess what? The Red Bull murderer was not on it! When you look at all the Red Bull sponsored events around the world - including the hugely popular Formula 1 Grand Prix races - I would bet a lot on this murderer being in attendance at at least more than one. After all, the Red Bull team won the World Championship last year. I wonder for how much longer all this "we can't locate him" rubbish will go on and how much will have been paid in bribes by the time it is over.

I suspect EVA's cancellation of flights in the longer term is a result of the recent increases in covid cases on the island, especially a surge near Taoyuan where the international airport is located. After being nearly covid free, it was airline pilots and crew of China Airlines which brought the virus into the country who then broke the strict quarantine rules. Now a large cluster has been found amongst migrant workers and omicron is spreading as it has elsewhere. With Chinese New Year next week, there is the fear of a further spread. Taiwan has been like Singapore and Thailand by paying far too little attention to migrant workers who tend to live in very crowded conditions. Had they been tested earlier, perhaps Taiwan would be closer to opening up. But the borders still remain resolutely closed. Given that, I'm sure the bosses at EVA cannot see the point of long haul flights.

Thai pedestrian crossings can be doubled in size and still will not stop accidents like this. The idiocy has always been that there is no sign or flashing light at the roadside. A driver going at even a reasonable speed will virtually be on one before he realises it. In the UK there is at least a flashing beacon at each side of the road. I believe there are called Belisha beacons after the Minister of Transport who introduced them.

I erred with Cha's age - he is still just 20. What made his programme remarkable is that he left his training in Canada at the start of covid and has trained virtually on his own in Seoul for the last two years. If Brian Orser can put his polish on his programme, Cha should have a good chance of a medal in China. For those who had not heard of the Four Continents competition, it is an annual event held for all countries outside Europe. This year it is the last major competition prior to the Olympics. It's usually held in Asia, the USA or Canada. This year it was scheduled to be in China but the location had to be switched as a result of the pandemic. Being in Europe, this year many skaters decided not to take part. Previous winners have included Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno and Nathan Chan

Had someone been playing loud music outside my home at that hour, I would not have left those Brits alone. I would probably have gone out and asked them to turn it down. If they refused, I might have smashed it and left a couple of thousand baht for them to buy a replacement with a smaller loudspeaker! No one deserves to be murdered for such a minor issue, but I am certain that even a complaint to the cops would have resulted at best in a "so what?"

Blame the British! It was the Victorian anti-sodomy law passed by parliament in London in the 1860s that quite quickly found itself on the statute books of British colonies whether the local peoples wanted it or not. The British, after all, regarded themselves as a 'civilising' force for the good of those barbarians they ruled. It has always struck me as a total shame on the British anti-colonisers who post 2nd World War pushed to grant colonies independence without ensuring that British-imposed laws were first of all repealed before departure. That England then repealed that very law in the 1960s is a damning indictment. Hong Kong did not repeal that law until 1990 - and only did so because for the forthcoming Chinese rule the territory needed a bill of rights. Its civil servants had pushed a widely welcomed Law Reform Commission Report to repeal the sodomy law into limbo for more than 6 years. People forget that as Lee Kwan Yew was developing Singapore into an enviable economic power turning what was effectively a swamp into one of the the wonders of post War world where far more own their own homes etc. than in almost any other country, he did so using draconian measures. He brooked no opposition and threw people in jail without trial. He sued left, right and centre all those who directed criticism about Singapore's policies - and indeed himself. But he always said that Singapore was a very delicate balancing act between the three main ethic and religious groups of Chinese, Malay and Indians - with a very small smattering of what has become an especially vocal and influential evangelical Christian movement - to avoid racial strife. We may consider Singapore behind the times in issues of morality, but then who are we to say that Lee was wrong?

TrueVisions has been showing a number of skating competitions on Channel 690. Today was the final of the annual Four Continents Competition held this year in Estonia. The winning three were all from Asia. First Prize went to 21 yo Cha Jun-hwa from South Korea. His quad jumps were incredible. He is coached by Brian Orser in Toronto who also coaches Yuzuru Hanyu. Cha was a child model when younger. He still models occasionally in addition to his skating. Second Prize went to the 23 yo Japanese Kazuki Tomono. Third Prize went to one of the youngest competitors, the 16 yo Japanese Kao Miura who is still technically a junior! He was top until Tomono and Cha skated. All will be names to watch at the Olympics. Sorry to say Camden Pulkinen took part in the competition but finished up near last place.

About the only thing I remember from geography lessons at school was that this or that city owed its importance to its location. Politics aside, The Philippines clearly owes its misfortunes to its very location. As long as I have been aware of Asia typhoons have been hitting The Philippines with regularity each year. With global warming the severity of those typhoons is increasing and sadly will continue to increase. Poverty has resulted in most Filipinos living in what are little more than poorly constructed shacks in towns and cities with poorly constructed infrastructure. The misfortunes of those living in the country is just going to increase. Those same typhoons frequently continue on their course to batter Hong Kong and southern China. Others hit Taiwan and Japan. Yet because those cities/countries have over the years prepared for typhoons and have construction codes that limit the damage they cause, their habitants suffer little and are quickly back to work. I think only in East China are mass evacuations sometimes mandated.

And do we continue to believe that in this day and age one-man-one-vote is the democracy that works best? This is particularly true when very few countries actually give individuals a vote that truly elects a leader. Increasingly out of date systems like electoral colleges, constituencies where the winner takes all and countries allow those with the cash to spend gazillions to see elected only those who will pass the policies they wish to see passed or even just to stand for election. The changes in our day to day lives since Churchill made his much quoted comment on democracy being the worst form of government except for all the other forms that have been tried from time to time was made have been massive. Would he agree now, I wonder? I suspect he would add only in those countries where there is freedom of speech, a truly independent judiciary and a Constitution that all respect.

Rather surprisingly as he is not on OnlyFans, my partner decided last night to see if he could find any of Titus Low's video material. Two turned up on a regular porn site. One is straightforward stripping and masturbating on camera. The other, though, has major SM influences with him clad in leather and someone off camera using a sort of whip and vibrator. I wonder if it is the latter that got the authorities interested? Would he have got away with just nudity and jerking off? We''ll probably never know!

So beautifully written @CurtisD. I so much hope that all worked/works out well for you.

Leaving aside his being an antivaxxer, I am one of those who could never understand the appeal of Meat Loaf. To me he was just a silly oaf who could never sing in tune. If he did die of covid and has been preaching the anti-vaccine message, I have no sympathy for him.

The comparison with airlines is interesting and no doubt accurate. Even 15 years ago I was still buying most of my airline tickets through an agency. I remember they complained about airlines reducing their commissions which had until relatively recently been 9%. By now agency commissions must be close to 0% and the customer should have benefitted as a result.

He is 22 yo. Like many he was having a hard time making ends meet during the pandemic. Six months ago he decided to try and raise some more cash by going naked on OnlyFans. Soon the site enabled him to gain financial independence. But things are never that easy in conservative Singapore - conservative when it comes to matters of nudity and sex. In October last year police arrived and confiscated Titus Low's phone, iPad and details of his Only Fans account. Allegedly they stated he had transmitted obscene materials through his OnlyFans account. He was warned not to access the account any more as it would amount to a criminal offence. Allegedly, according to the police, he continued posting on his account and even opened a second one. In late December he was handcuffed and arrested. The two charges could result in up to 6 months in jail and a fine of S$5,000. Professor of Law, Eugene Tan, has stated, "Those using the platform to produce and transmit obscene material are in the crosshairs of the [authorities]. Where the authorities know of their involvement, it is a question of when, rather than whether, the law will catch up with them." He adds, "In some jurisdiction like the UK and the US, the production and transmission of obscene material is not illegal ... [and] often connected with freedom of speech. The topic of sex is still one that remains largely taboo in conservative Singapore - a country where gay sex is still technically a crime and there are strict laws around sex work. The making, transmitting and sharing of obscene material is widely accepted as not being in accord with moral standards and norms of Singapore." Back home, Low says he will now concentrate on posting on other sites like YouTube. His problem is that he will still be breaking the law which covers all allegedly obscene material transmitted by electronic means. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60022424

I don't understand much about the world of finance. I never worked out why the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation rebranded as HSBC and set of on a huge global expansion. The takeover of the UK's Midland Bank was probably its noticeable early acquisition. So extensive were its tentacles it then started to call itself "the world's local bank." I can remember almost 20 years ago being on a ship that stopped at a small town half way up the Amazon to Manaus and sure enough there was an HSBC branch! Now HSBC has sold and closed part of its business in many countries, including Thailand. Consumer banking ended here quite a few years ago. Citibank's adventures in Asia have also seemed somewhat quixotic. Citi was in Japan for decades and then sold of its consumer division to Sumitomo Mitsui in 2015. It does seem that for non-local banks consumer banking is no longer the profit generator it used to be.

@z909's estimate is reasonably accurate. Re room sizes, in the days not so long ago when I travelled on business I was able to stay quite close to Shinjuku Station in a decent sized room in a 4 star hotel for around 5,700 bt. Since those days, I have found two hotels in the Kabuki-cho district (nearer the bar area) where I get B&B for 4,200 bt. The rooms are a bit smaller but nothing like the much smaller rooms you'll get if your budget is nearer 2,000 bt. And it's true that being restricted to only Japanese tourists, all Tokyo hotels presently have big discounts. But as he points out, there are deals to be had if you are prepared to check around for them. Another area where Tokyo is much cheaper than people assume are food and transport. There are so may small restaurants/cafes where you can get a nourishing main course for little more than 200 bt. The public transport system is amazing and amazingly cheap. You can get virtually anywhere in that huge city and be just 200 meters or so from your destination. The one problem is that almost all of it shuts down before midnight. So location becomes important because taxis are horribly expensive. I suggest a stopover is the best way of sampling some of what Tokyo offers. When I first moved to Asia, I wanted to visit many countries, but for whatever reason not Japan. On a Tokyo business stopover from the USA I found I was hooked. Not only have I worked there but I have visited at least 40 other times. Each time is a joy and anew exploration.

Apologies to all. My error. I stupidly assumed the price was in ¥ and covered down to baht. As @spoonhas rightly confirmed, the actual price is virtually 1,000 baht.

Not at all. Your summations are correct. If you are into gay for pay, then sticking with boys from the boy bars and boy websites in Japan does mean you pay extra for extra time. And your vacation will be more expensive than in Bangkok. But I assume since you are not paying for drinks and off fees, you are focussing on money boys from the apps. This always surprises me. I cannot speak for Pattaya but in Bangkok there are lots of boys in the apps looking for hookups who do not expect cash - and will sometimes refuse even transport money. The last time I was in Tokyo there were certainly fewer boys interested in foreigners. On the other hand there were far fewer money boys. Hotel room pricing in Japan is to a large extent dependent on room size and partly location. But you do not have to pay a fortune and the rooms will be spotlessly clean. There are plenty of guest houses and small hotels offering rooms around $40 or thereabouts. Yes, many will be small. But not all. For example, here is the room with bathroom at The Red Planet close to the famous Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. This will cost you all of 350 baht on agoda for a night in February. Sadly the summer heat really is worse than April in Bangkok - largely because the humidity is high. When I worked there I needed a dehumidifier in the summer and a humidifier in the winter!

Considering everything, the cost of sex and massages in Japan is not all that much higher than Thailand pre-covid. You can choose a guy from one of the several boy bars to come to your hotel room. Each website is likely to have at least 100 boys with photographs, statistics, details of what the boy will or will not do and how much an hour or more will cost you. These bars also have some of the aggressively cute boys who star in the plethora of gay porn movies. Best of all the photos will look exactly like the boys. For around US$113 inclusive of everything he will come to your hotel room (and be there exactly to the minute), spend a hour with you and 'perform' exactly as per the website and you have informed the mamasan in advance. I have yet to come across anyone who has been anything other than very satisfied. True, you can get away with a short time in Bangkok for around 1,500 baht although it has been creeping more towards 2,000. In Bangkok, though, you mostly have to get to and from the bar, pay for drinks for yourself and your chosen one, and then pay the off fee. In most cases you will get what you have asked for - but certainly not always. Tokyo also has several of the best saunas in the region where you can stay for many hours. And although most of the bars are for Japanese only, there are still plenty catering to a mixed crown. And it is here you are more likely to find Japanese wanted to meet foreigners. The apps, too, are becoming more foreigner friendly. No doubt the problem more guys do not consider Tokyo a gay destination is the 'fear/concern' of not knowing the language and the local customs. Then there is the climate. It is even more hot and excessively humid than Bangkok in the summer and cold, frequently with snow, in the winter. Against that the spring and autumn periods are stunning with glorious scenery just outside the city. For those not wishing to consider Tokyo as a vacation destination, as a stopover for 2 or 3 days it could be great. Just make sure you have a good bilingual map!

As things stand, he is banned from returning to Australia for 3 years - although I'm reasonably certain that will be relaxed. But unless he gets vaccinated, he's out of the French Open and the US Open plus he'll need to quarantine before Wimbledon. I wonder if he realises that a lot of people hope he never gets vaccinated!

What's a video game?

It's sometimes easy to forget that 50 years ago couples in Thailand were each bearing between 5 and 6 children. The governments of the day agreed this was unsustainable and so started a major nationwide campaign to promote birth control. Leading the effort was Mechai Viravaidya who decided much greater use of condoms was required. He then travelled the country promoting condom use - basically through taking the stigma out of them. He would organise condom balloon contests, filling them with water and dropping them from heights and seemingly silly things like that. But it worked so well that condoms are still today referred to as Mechais! His restaurants Cabbages and Condoms are still operating. And it worked even better than expected in reducing the birth rate. Being at best a second world country, 5 to 6 children were economically unsustainable for families. Hence many were mired in basic poverty. As birth rates fell, incomes rose and the incentives for having fewer children were significant. At the present rate, Thailand is going to become eventually more like Singapore and Japan where birth rates are so low an increasingly smaller labour force will have to look after an increasingly larger percentage of those in the older age group. At present the birth rate per couple in Japan is 1.36. The spectre of importing foreign workers, once considered anathema, is now openly discussed. In Singapore the birth rate has fallen to 1.21 despite many government efforts to boost it. The nation-state now is home to 1.2 million registered foreign workers. This all helps to explain why the very large numbers of Thai boys working in the bars in the 1980s and 90s began to drop off by the mid-2000s very significantly. With all respect to @LondonerI do think this is now far less of an alternative to find work in gay venues than it was 30 - 40 years ago. Then the alternative to gay activities was indeed the rice field. I believe that is much less so today. Of course there will always be young Thais who like being with a farang, especially if he has money to provide a better life for him and his family. Same with the girls. But as - and if - the country keeps developing economically, I also believe these numbers will continue to fall. Will gay venue owners be prepared to continue operating with boys from neighbouring poorer countries, virtually all here either illegally or on one month non-work visas? I guess only time will tell.

I believe the weighing of the contestants used to be when they were nude. Wonder if that has changed.