macaroni21

And it also says "Global level - Very high". So why single out any country at all for calibrated measures. Thailand (and all other countries) might as well shut down travel from the rest of the world. WHO will say "very high" because it has declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

Quite apart from the confusing and contradictory statements emanating from various Thai government officials, my sense is that few of them are even taking advice from epidemiology and medical experts or even referring to data. They are just letting their xenophobia play out. The ban on visa-on-arrival for Chinese tourists is a good case study. From this Bangkok Post story (https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1847669/tourism-minister-against-scrapping-visas-on-arrival) Yet, we have Thailand begging China for supplies. Thailand needs to stock up in preparation for a larger number of cases which can only be expected. From https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1878380/doctors-issue-stage-3-warning It's silly to antagonise a huge market like China and still be asking them for help. It's not even as if China is anymore a disease threat. The World Health Organisation has daily updates on the number of new cases per country. In the case of China, per province. You can see the data for 14 March here: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200314-sitrep-54-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=dcd46351_2 In the last 24 hours China had only 18 confirmed cases and 17 suspected cases. Out of a 1.4 billion population, such numbers do not warrant a ban on travel. China might have been a major source of infection a month ago, but no more. I would much rather they let in Chinese tourists to help keep the bars and massage parlours alive while we sit in our countries cooling our heels, than to have the whole sector collapse for lack of customers. The madness even gets to leaving a dead body on the sidewalk for more than six hours. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1878280/virus-fears-keep-rescuers-from-handling-body-of-chinese-man Is Fujian really a province with high coronavirus risk? Look again at the WHO data. In the last 24 hours, zero confirmed cases; zero suspected cases.

Given the ever-changing travel bans, we who are stuck have to live vicariously though others' trip reports for the time being, so please tell us more... Did you meet these guys through the apps -- if so, which app works best? -- through bars or through mall cruising? Were they more romantic engagements or transactional ones? If the latter, what's the going rate and what services are provided for that rate? (forgive me if I sound rather too blunt). Mack.

But, but.... Thailand is the most prepared country in Asia for responding to pandemics, says an October 2019 report (https://www.ghsindex.org/). Thailand ranks #6 among 195 countries surveyed, behind only the US, UK, Netherlands, Australia and Canada. The Global Health Security (GHS) Index "is the first comprehensive assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across the 195 countries that make up the States Parties to the International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]). The GHS Index is a project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (JHU) and was developed with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)." This was widely reported, including in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/10/24/none-these-countries-us-included-is-fully-prepared-pandemic-report-says/)

Even if the rules apply to the disease-infected zones, they don't speak of passengers from those countries. They speak of airlines operating flights from those zones. So, transit passengers transiting through Seoul or Hong Kong would be included. (I don;t suppose many would transit through Rome or Tehran.) Mack.

gpfun69 posted on the thread "Face Masks, Gel etc" an announcement that seems to come from the Thai government. I think it's more appropriate to discuss it here. The new rules are so sweeping, airlines may stop flights to Thailand altogether. Looks like another example of over-reaction by officials without thinking things through. Read point 5 carefully: So if Thai officials find one passenger, out of say 250, disembarking a plane to be Covid-positive, the aircraft can be detained in Thailand; all passengers can be required to stay on board for a medical examination.... What is not terribly clear to me is whether this rule applies only to airlines flying in from the named "disease-infected zones" (China+HK+Macao, Iran, SouthKorea and Italy) or if this rule applies to any aircraft landing in Thailand. If it is the former, chances are that the airline won't be flying to Thailand at all so the rule is moot. But if it is the latter, then all airlines will wonder if this rule can throw flight schedules completely out of whack, causing serious knock-on effects and losses. Would it be worthwhile to take the risk and still fly to Thailand? Rule #6 is also not clear whether it applies only to airlines flying in from the four listed countries, or if it applies to all airlines. The incalculable cost of paying for quarantine and hospitalisation of passengers would make any financial controller blanche. Is it worth continuing to operate routes into Thailand? airlines will ask themselves. Mack.

More and more, this is looking like a long-drawn-out epidemic. Even as cases in China fall, new epicentres keep emerging in other countries and tourism globally will be greatly affected. The low numbers in Thai bars -- and I suppose, massage places too -- will be the norm for months, perhaps well into the middle of the year. Do these businesses have the financial reserves and working capital to last through such a prolonged period of losses? I doubt it. Will landlords help by reducing rent? Will those other "lords" help by waiving demands for tea money through this period? One extreme scenario is that most such businesses close after two or three months of struggle and never re-open even when the epidemic is over. Unless, post-recovery, new entrepreneurs open new businesses to cater to us punters, the scene as we know it may become history. It's a sad thought, and I hope it doesn't come to that... but I can picture that possibility.

That having been said, Thailand isn't the only country where "confusion persists". Sydney Morning Herald, 8 March 2020: Source: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/two-australian-defence-force-members-test-positive-for-coronavirus-20200308-p547yr.html Meanwhile, news about Australia's Great Toilet Paper Scramble has travelled around the world even faster than the virus Mack.

Instead of having different departments issue varying statements, the government should have single department be in charge, preferably one that anchors policy-making on science and data. Bangkok Post, 6 March 2020, 20:51h Quarantine 'recommended' but enforcement unclear Travellers from six high-risk areas must report daily health status or possibly face penalties Authorities scrambled on Friday to ease worries about new self-quarantine measures for arrivals from six virus-hit countries and territories, a day after announcing compulsory isolation. But confusion persists over whether the government is ordering or merely “recommending” self-quarantine for 14 days, with punishment for travellers who ignore the “advice”. Read the rest of the article at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1873174/quarantine-recommended-but-enforcement-unclear Mack.

The faux-pas of first putting up a notice on social media and then taking it down without saying whether it was cancelled or remained in effect will certainly make potential visitors reconsider all travel plans to Thailand. It's not just a matter of making flexible flight arrangements. Why make any arrangement at all if one cannot be sure whether one will be slapped with a quarantine order for 14 days on arrival? Today it is this country that is listed, tomorrow it may well be another country, including transit! Who is going to go to Thailand just to admire the wallpaper inside a hotel room non-stop for 336 hours (14 days)? And pay for 14 nights to do so? Uncertainty is the killer that will depress the country's tourism sector. The indecision, blundering and thoughtless policy announcements by this minister add to it. I am pretty sure the tourism minister who has to answer for his sector's shortfall must be irate at this public health minister. Mack.

I was just surfing around for coronavirus news when I chanced upon this tidbit from Singapore's Channel News Asia. The poor sod recklessly tried to live out his fantasy. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/thai-tour-coordinator-gets-jail-and-caning-for-sexual-assault-of-12495206 3 March 2020 Thai tour coordinator gets jail and caning for sexual assault of man in Singapore SINGAPORE: A Thai tour coordinator, in town to organise a business trip, sexually assaulted his male roommate while he was sleeping. For one count of sexual assault involving penetration, 46-year-old Thai national Chalermnarong Namsri was sentenced on Tuesday (Mar 3) to five-and-a-half-years' jail and three strokes of the cane. The court heard that Namsri was a freelance event coordinator in Thailand and was in Singapore in March last year to organise a sponsored business trip. He was tasked with liaising with tour guides for the sponsored participants, who were in town to learn about business in Singapore. The victim, a 24-year-old Thai national, was among the participants. He did not know Namsri, but was assigned to the same hotel room as the accused for the three-day trip. On Mar 27 last year, the victim returned to the room, which had two single beds, and went to sleep at about 3am. Namsri went to bed subsequently, but was woken up by the victim's alarm at about 5am, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo. The victim continued sleeping, and the sight of him sleeping aroused Namsri, the court heard. He went under the victim's blanket and began performing a sex act on him. The victim reached under the blanket and grasped Namsri's hand, but thought he was dreaming and let go of it. Between 5am and 5.30am, Namsri sexually assaulted the victim by fellating him. The victim woke up and saw Namsri returning to his bed and was shocked. He took a shower before asking Namsri how long he had been "doing that" to him, and Namsri apologised. The victim went to meet his cousin and together they called the Thai embassy for advice. They were told to lodge a police report, and did so later that day. Namsri pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault. The prosecutor asked for at least six years' jail and three strokes of the cane, saying that Namsri had exposed the victim to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. He also took advantage of the situation, when the victim was asleep, and the assault took place in a shared hotel room where the victim had a right to feel safe. Defence lawyer Anand George asked for a term lower than what the prosecution pushed for, but left the exact length to the court. He said his client was remorseful and had cooperated with authorities. He said Namsri had no previous convictions and was a law-abiding citizen for the majority of his life. "He has no intention to remain in Singapore," said the lawyer. "He wishes to return to Thailand so he can rejoin his family." He added that Namsri had an impression that the victim may have consented to it, and that there was "no predatory behaviour or attempt to force the victim down". Namsri could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.

That's a valuable antique map. It even has the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A map collector should buy it off the SIlom shop before it deteriorates.

"Clean and Sanitize Every days" -- shouldn't that have been done every night after closing even in normal times? Like wipe down all tables, armrests, seats, door handles, etc? Can anyone report on the conditions of the toilets? -- That's usually a good indicator of management standards.

Closing prisons? Where will the prisoners -- y'know, the robbers, thieves, murderers and drug traffickers -- go?

I feel quite bad saying this (especially since I'm no magazine model myself): but yes, I too find the guys generally unattractive. It's the main reason I mostly wave away offers of extra service. Mack.

You have a point. Movies have been made of Pearl Harbor (1941) and Dunkirk (1940). However, such pride/celebration of defending forces may only be possible if the country is the ultimate victor despite those losses. For example, I wonder if Germany could similarly indulge in celebrating German soldiers' efforts and valour in Stalingrad (1942) or the Japanese indulge in Midway (1942), without others sniggering. Mack.

Latest news is that 2 elderly persons have died in Iran from Covid-19. See https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/die-coronavirus-iran-fatalities-middle-east-200219171007605.html. There has recently been a cluster of respiratory diseases in Qom, but from the suddenness of this latest announcement, it appears that the doctors didn't think of testing patients for Covid-19 until recently. Even in the case of these two deceased, the Al Jazeera report says that "the two people had tested positive for the virus in preliminary results" suggesting that they didn't have time to do confirmatory tests before they died. This therefore also means that the patients might not have been fully isolated when they were ill. This supports my suspicion that there are probably outbreaks going on in places which aren't reported because no tests are being done, or no tests available. Indonesia comes to mind. The Shan states north of Chiangmai is another area. The borders between China and the Shan states, and between Shan states and Thailand are quite porous (drug smuggling is proof of that). Mack.

In January I got a quick look into BoyzBoyzBoyz through their front door left ajar. There were about 15 guys on stage, all in jeans and T-shirts. Not a bare chest to be seen. I was not going to spend money on that; turned around and went into Cupidol instead. It was about 10pm, and there were about 10 - 12 customers in BoyzBoyzBoyz, making it look way less than half full. Will be writing up that story soon. Mack.

Like Pong said, you need to define what's "good" in your view. If you're referring to professional standard of Swedish massage (with oil) then there's Rapee on Silom Road and Tarntawan Massage on Surawong Road. They generally come with hj though I quite often go there only for the massage and wave away the offer of extras. I have a very recent story on Rapee (https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2020/02/20/in-the-silom-row-a-stand-out-shop/) and an older tale from Tarntawan (https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2019/08/01/i-should-have-known-things-were-going-too-well/) Mack.

But they were trashed. Several navy boats sunk by the French. I don't always understand Thai logic but this could be another example of it.

Did you know there was a Battle of Koh Chang in 1941? I was just surfing around the Bangkok Post, in particular, the scathing opinion piece 'Govt won't win Oscar for army propaganda' by columnist Atiya Achakulwisut. Three paragraphs from the end there was a mention of the battle -- which I had not heard of before -- so I looked up wikipedia and it's quite an interesting story. Check it out. I don't suppose there are any ruins or sunk ships left to explore. Might hurt Thai pride too much to highlight the defeat. Mack.

I've made several visits to Prime over the years and as far as I can recall every visit ended with creamed dessert though I don't recall any instance of going beyond helping hands. Maybe I was just lucky, or maybe that was in the past. I haven't been there for over a year now; perhaps the newer crew aren't keen on providing such services. My interest in Prime has dimmed somewhat. Their popularity and the number of customers they get has made the whole atmosphere sort of like a conveyor belt.

Thank you. That's exactly what I was hoping for. Now I have to bookmark it, though, knowing myself, when sometime in the future I need it, I'm going to wonder, where the hell have i placed the bookmark! What I'm noticing is that the map is showing the actual, customary routes (or so I believe). It's by someone who is trying to help (and succeeding, kudos to him/her) rather than published by officialdom. The fact that the routes marked on the map are not numbered suggests that there may be such a thing as official routes which are ignored in practice. But then, TiT I suppose. Mack.

Here's hoping those who live in Pattaya or visit more frequently than I do can help: My main question is this: On a recent visit, I noticed that the baht buses or what the locals call songtiew now have numbers painted on them, which I assume represents the route they are plying. Does anyone know where (preferably on the internet) one can find information what what routes go where? A map perhaps? I also noticed that all the songtiews lined up at the South Pattaya schoolground facing Jomtien are No. 5s, except that it's also painted on them "Naklua-Jomtien". Simply by being parked there waiting for passengers, they clearly do not originate from Naklua. On one occasion, I was riding one of them in the reverse direction from Thappraya Road into Pattaya, and once we reached the South Pattaya junction, the driver told all passengers to get off (several big Russians were very unhappy) so once again it seems to indicate the mini-truck buses don't go to Naklua. So my secondary question is: even if there is information available about the supposed routes, would it all be codswallop? Mack.

I've just read that the Thai government has banned the export of face masks. And the above-mentioned story about the minister distributing face masks seems to put the official imprimatur on wearing one to protect against the Covid-19 virus. But I've noticed that both the Australian and Singapore health authorities are saying wearing a mask is only recommended when you are sick, in order to protect others. Otherwise, it gives a false sense of security. More important is frequent hand-washing and being careful what you touch. Australian advice: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov Singapore advice: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-coronavirus-hygiene-clean-surfaces-handphones-moh-12430220 The World Health Organisation's advice is similar: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public Top of the list is "washing your hands frequently". There is no mention of face masks unless one is coughing or sneezing. Mack