mauRICE

😮 Please remember that you're not in Kansas or Denver anymore and forgive them for trying to do their job. I hope you acknowledged their "annoying" presence in some other way for eg stopping to chat with them once in a while or even buying them biscuits and canned coffee from the 7E to show your appreciation (if it's not forbidden by management). These guys make a pittance but they shoulder a heavy responsibility. They get all the blame if something goes wrong and also have to manage some very difficult and entitled residents. That constant wai-ing (and in some cases saluting) that you find annoying is not only a gesture of politeness but an exercise to keep them alert and vigilant in what is a very boring and mundane job. That is why you also see many security guards smoke - because they're bored and it keeps them awake.

Yes, that's the order in which we normally describe somebody we like. 😏

But why was he so against circumcision? Was he afraid it wouldn't be as stimulating?

This happens a lot in my family and family gatherings are a caucophany of polyglots. Malay, English, Arabic, Mandarin, Thai - and even Korean and Japanese among my nephews and nieces - it amuses (and confuses) my partner who speaks Thai and English. I read recently that LOTE has declined dramatically among Australian students and there are only 400+ students studying Indonesian in the entire country? And Indonesia is just next door and one of Australia's most strategic partners. Shameful. I feel that languages shape our world view and the biggest know-it-alls I've met were frightfully monolingual and monocultural and the most painful to listen to.

Both HRH Princess Sirindhorn, the king's sister, and HRH Princess Sirivannavari, the king's daughter, have fluent French. So did the king's paternal late aunt, HRH Princess Galyani, who, if I remember correctly, taught French at Chula. Princess Sirivannavari lived and studied fashion design in France and is a prominent fashion designer in Thailand. She was presented with the Legion of Honour in May by Emmanuel Macron.

You mean like the guys in the old Boyz Boyz Boyz? 😆

Sure, the authorities responsible for enforcing the safety regulations should be held responsible too but the buck stops with the owner. What is neglect? He knew what safety measures needed to be implemented but he wilfully chose to ignore them; in fact he actively employed dangerous measures on his premises and now he's killed 32 people as a result. Cold blooded murder? Look at some of the videos of the trapped victims screaming for help before they suffocated and burnt to death. Tell the families who had to identify the dead bodies of their loved ones - some of which were charred beyond recognition - that it was just neglect. Tell the kids whose parents are never coming back because the owner "neglected" to ensure proper, working exits from the burning building and had in fact at least one emergency exit locked on purpose. What message are we sending to the kids? Forgetting to feed the cat is neglect; wilfully and intentionally locking emergency exits, allowing faulty electrical equipment to be used and using highly flammable material as decoration which resulted in the deaths of 32 people is not.

If you're coming in August, I'm sure Olddaddy would be happy to show you around. He's such a people person and loves to take newbies under his wing. 😉

The death toll is now 32 and counting. Apparently the owner of the venue is among the injured and is in hospital. He knowingly and wilfully neglected safety regulations and has the blood of 32 people on his hands and made orphans out of children. How is he different from the Aussie guy who killed the teenage Isaan girl in Pattaya? Shouldn't he face the firing squad too?

Were his parents older than you? I initiate wais when it's appropriate and receive wais when I'm quick enough to catch them. My Thai teachers at Chula taught me it's the polite thing to do and I've been told that I do it very nicely. Many farang seem to think that a correct wai is only dependent on the height of the wai corresponding to the status of the person receiving it. Actually, the lowering of the gaze, the angle the head is bent, the clasping of the hands and fingers, the curling of the thumbs backwards, and how close the hands are placed to one's body are also very important. I've heard many older Thais lament how the younger generation didn't how to wai properly anymore. The การกราบไหว้ or prostration by the young farang above is, strictly speaking, inappropriate as you don't wai restaurant owners or staff and the act of prostration is generally reserved for members of royalty, parents and certain monks. It may also be proffered to beg forgiveness from someone who's been done an egregious wrong. That said, judging from the comments I've seen from Thais on social media, no harm was done by the two farang guys as they're young, goodlooking and were probably content creators mucking around. Comments were basically teasing them saying the food must've been really delicious and they're sure to be back. As a side note, I believe the act of prostration was abolished in Thailand during the Fifth Reign following the abolition of slavery but was brought back in the Seventh Reign (or perhaps ninth?) at the behest of a manoevring prime minister.

Here are a few publicity posters for your keepsakes drawer.

Not necessarily Irish but boorish, straight white guys mostly. Soi Buakhaw is similar. I don't know why people keep carping about the Indians in Pattaya when these guys are no better. Vessey is bi I believe and my comments don't apply to him.

They've got more female than male therapists. It's a smart outfit with branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Clean, comfortable massage rooms with proper massage tables and ensuite showers and toilets. I think you'll like it. My favourite was the one in Thonglor as it was in a lovely neighbourhood and the clientele reflected it. It was also very close to where I lived and I would walk to my appointments. The massages were very good so much so that I bought a booklet of ten massages when I worked in Bangkok (or was it for ten hours - can't remember now) which can be used at any branch - they just tore off the coupons from the booklet after each massage. No hanky panky but the massages were sensuous. There was one masseur whom I felt was trying to lead me into more sexual territory but I wasn't attracted to him. Moreover, I was already with my partner at that time and to quote the late Paul Newman, "Why have hamburgers outside when I can have steak at home?" My funniest massage experience in Thailand was also at Healthland. My masseur was having the runs and kept excusing himself! He was also the chattiest masseur I had ever met - you could say he was leaking at both ends! Had we been at a coffeeshop or a pub, I would have enjoyed his company but I was dead tired that afternoon and only wanted to sleep. Interestingly, he was attractive - tall, fair, athletic, with his tight polo t-shirt and slacks clinging nicely to his body and butt - from one of the Isaan provinces closer to Bangkok. But the idea of doing anything with anyone having the runs would be too gross, even for Olddaddy. Or maybe not. 🤷 Appointments are strongly advised and you can request for a masseur or a masseuse - by name if you've already got someone in mind. Prices were reasonable, about 1,000 Baht for an hour of aromatherapy but they've probably gone up now.

From The Thaiger official Facebook page. Grief in Lat Phrao fire as couple who died leave behind two young children, husband remembered as a kind-hearted free-ride driver The human cost of the Lat Phrao beer hall fire has grown even more heartbreaking, with the confirmation that a young married couple died in the blaze, leaving behind two small children, aged 4 and 5, now in the care of their grandmother. On 13 July, at the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine, a woman named Nid came to formally identify the bodies of her daughter, known as Ice, and her son-in-law, known as Lee. Through her tears, she said she was now raising her two young grandchildren and did not know how the family would go on, having lost both the daughter and son-in-law who were its main breadwinners. She described her son-in-law as a hardworking man. Besides his government job, he drove for the Bolt ride-hailing app to earn extra income, and often gave free rides to patients, people with disabilities, schoolchildren, pregnant women and the elderly, simply to help others. Her daughter had recently qualified as a teacher and was working as a computer teacher at a commerce school. It later emerged that the husband ran a TikTok account called "Bolt Saai Praang," where he shared content about his ride-hailing work. With more than 146,000 followers and over 3.2 million likes, his profile noted that he offered free rides to organ donors, people with disabilities, pregnant women and students. After news of the couple's deaths spread, many of his followers flooded his page with tributes, remembering him as a selfless man who had quietly done good for his community. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and to the two little ones who have lost their parents. 🖤

Oh dear. Twenty-eight people have now died from this terrible tragedy with many more badly injured and I wonder if this is the right place for advertising Supertown Jomtien Pride activities when there's plenty of room for that elsewhere in this forum. I started this sombre thread to share information about the fire, for us to reflect on the fire safety measures of the various venues that we patronise and perhaps even remember the more than 120 lives who have perished in the three major pub fires in Thailand in the last 17 years. They are somebody's child, father or mother, brother or sister, not bowling pins.

Wednesday, July 29th is Asarnha Bucha, the beginning of the Buddhist Lent and a major Buddhist and public holiday. Wednesday, August 12th is the late Queen Mother's birthday and Mother's Day in Thailand. It's a public holiday but other than banks and government offices being closed, it's pretty much business as usual.

The pharmacy is called Siam (สยาม) Pharmacy and the guy who runs it is called Tim and apparently well known to locals. He's a licensed pharmacist and his family has had the pharmacy for forty years. As to whether the Thai name Tim belongs to a guy or a girl, it depends on how it's spelled and pronounced. In this case it's more likely a western nickname taken on for convenience. Just don't call him Tiny Tim! I would strongly advise you to follow the proper protocols and see a doctor first and get the necessary tests done. You can then take on the entire Pakistan cricket team whom I hear is in town! Cut and halal - go for it gurl!

It's a translation thing although whether the shop was registered as a restaurant, pub or discotheque would have legal implications on its opening hours, capacity, etc. For example, having it registered as a restaurant would allow it to remain open till the wee hours, I think. I believe the venue that burned down last night was registered as a restaurant even though it had a capacity to sit 1200 people and the layout looked more like a large pub to me. Its the TiT way of getting around the more restrictive rules applicable to pubs, bars and discotheques. I'm too lazy to look up the details now but during the Santika fire hearings these terms were discussed extensively. I remember being amused at the way the system inherently provided mechanisms and enough room for it to be abused without anyone losing face or risk going to jail, as long as the appropriate palms were greased. Latest reports indicate that last night's venue only had four, very narrow emergency exits that weren't clearly signposted and many of the patrons had mistaken the restrooms for exits in the noise and smoke and ended up suffocating to death. Over the years I've noticed that emergency exits at some of these nightlife venues were locked to prevent patrons from running off without paying. TiT.

From looking at their last names and their faces, I'd say at least seven of these families are of Chinese descent but it could well be all of them are as some of their last names have been changed/bestowed by the ... for their contributions to .... When will it be enough for this lot?

Three major fire-related tragedies at nightlife venues with more than 120 dead in 17 years. They never learn or perhaps they just don't care. Life is cheap in the Land of Smiles. The circumstances preventing last night's victims from escaping could have been easily avoided. Read on. https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/from-santika-to-lat-phrao-bangkok-pub-fire-thailand-nightclub-tragedies

Most detailed report I've read thus far. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/bangkok-bar-fire-27-killed-rong-beer-na-lat-phrao-6249566

Latest reports indicate that at least 27 people had been killed and 63 injured. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/12/fire-engulfs-popular-bangkok-pub-killing-27-people-and-injuring-63

The cause of the fire is yet unknown but it was massive and spread very quickly. People were trapped in the restrooms. There are some very disturbing videos of the fire while it was still raging on Thai social media and you can hear the sound of people screaming. I've not shared them here out of respect for the victims. While it hasn't been confirmed, initial reports from survivors suggest that there weren't any fire extinguishers on the premises. The lack of fire safety measures at many of these old-style venues is shocking. Is anyone going to take responsibility for the death of these 30 people? Remember the Santika Pub fire in Ekkamai in 2009 which engulfed 67 lives? The case dragged on for years and after various palms were greased, two of the owners received three-year jail sentences, mere slaps on the wrists. They're now free men. https://today.line.me/th/v3/article/YaKoYXj

Two upcoming events in Supertown, Jomtien Complex. I'm glad to see that the bars have streamlined their publicity posters for the Swing Pattaya Pride Night this Saturday. I would love to try My Favorite Diner's chocolate milkshake. They weren't yet open when I was there.

Honestly, it was too quick and easy a death for someone like him.