Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter March of 2022
Out for a Sunday walk
Ukrainians and Belarusian friends in Thailand staged a symbolic walk in protest against the Russian attack on Ukraine on Sunday.
They walked from Lumpini Park to Benjakitti Park on Ratchadaphisek Road.
Roman Rak, a Ukrainian who joined the march, said the demonstrators were adamant that Russia must immediately withdraw its troops and leave his country alone.
Around 5 p.m. on Sunday, the group sang the Ukrainian national anthem and ended the peaceful demonstration.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2270815/
Related: Ukraine forming Foreign legion while Russia offers talks, threatens nukes.
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/02/27/ukraine-forming-foreign-legion-while-russia-offers-talks-threatens-nukes-n451533
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
No end in sight.
Thailand announces 24,719 more Covid-19 cases - the first decline in new infections in several days - along with 42 new fatalities during the previous 24 hours.
The 120 imported cases were led by 26 air travellers from Russia, followed by 13 from Germany. The country reported no imported infections in illegal migrants.
The 42 new fatalities were between the ages of 28 and 99, and included two Myanmar and one German nationals.
PHOTO: Workers wearing personal protective equipment bury a civilian defence volunteer who died from Covid-19 coronavirus at Ban Yakang cemetery in Narathiwat province in Thailand's deep South.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/
This was the junta-approved headline in every newspaper, on every blog, on every 'Good Morning Thailand' TV broadcast.
Thais evacuated from Ukraine
Apart from the fact none of them were evacuated...
An embassy officer arranged buses to take almost 90 Thai citizens to airports in Poland and Romania.
And all Thai citizens were free to try to buy airline tickets to Thailand.
As evacuations go, it was pretty much a mishmash.
About 40 Thais, mostly women married to Ukrainians, are choosing to remain in Kyiv with their families, although their husbands were being enlisted to fight in the war.
Evacuation plans
Some 236 Thai nationals are seeking immediate evacuation out of Ukraine amid attacks by the advancing Russian military forces, the Foreign Ministry said.
Thousands of defiant but fearful Ukrainian refugees have already arrived in Poland.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2270735/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/
THAILAND RUSSIA WAR ECONOMY
Russia-Ukraine conflict bodes ill for Thailand
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) says the Russian attack on Ukraine will drive energy prices higher and lead to sanctions from the US and its allies against Thailand.
If sanctions cut off Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, known as SWIFT, Thai exporters will be hardest hit.
Thailand-Russia trade stands at around 3 billion baht and Russia is a major tourism market for Thailand, with 1.5 million visitors a year before the pandemic, according to the FTI.
PHOTO: A fleeing Ukrainian family arrives at Nyugati station in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday after Russia launched a war against Ukraine.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2271015/
Economy setback hurts everyone, even 7-Eleven
CP All, which operates the thousands of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, recorded a total net profit of 12.98 billion baht in 2021.
Sounds good, but it's a 19.8% drop from 2020. The drop was due to Covid-19 restrictions which affected economic activities.
Prior to the pandemic, CP All once recorded over 20 billion baht of net profit per year.
Chief financial Kriengchai Boonpoapichart said that, "The Covid-19 pandemic still is impacting on consumer behaviour."
As a result, sales growth per 7-Eleven store fell by 6.7% during 2021.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/37939/cpall-posts-a-drop-in-profits-in-2021-expects-recovery-in-2022/
Remember when headlines like this got you arrested for "spreading misinformation?"
Repurposing FDA-approved drugs may help combat CovidOVID-19.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-repurposing-fda-approved-drugs-combat-covid-.html
And this used to be just flat-out against the law
Fah talai jone gets boost
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine is speeding up distribution of green chiretta (fah talai jone) for treatment of Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms or no symptoms.
Dr Yongyot Thammawut, the department director-general, said the department has distributed 30,000 packs of green chiretta to the BMA, 10,000 packs to the National Health Security Office, and tens of thousands of packs to the provinces.
Fah talai jone is made available as medicine in two forms, as extraction and a powder to help sufferers of Covid-19 with mild or no conditions.
However, to be effective, a larger than usual dosage of fah talai jone will need to be taken.
THAILAND WEATHER
Heavy rain hits houses, coastline
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: About 100 houses were damaged and a coastline heavily eroded by heavy rainstorms that pummelled seaside areas of Hua Sai, Pak Phanang, Sichon, Tha Sala and Khanom districts in the central South.
The storms, which sent high waves ashore, began to hit the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand from February 24 and continued until Sunday morning.
A 500-metre stretch of the beach at Na Saton village was heavily eroded.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2270775/
World Economic Forum (WEF) phuyai says he helped to groom more than half of Canada's government. Also Argentina's.
But Herr Schwab makes no mention of Thailand.
This is absolutely true. I watched this POS movie so you wouldn't be tempted.
Countering Russian internet interference
Elon Musk, at the request of the Ukraine's leaders, has put his SpaceX Starlink satellites over Ukraine.
Musk says SpaceX's Starlink satellites are now active over Ukraine after a request from the embattled country’s leadership to replace internet services destroyed by the Russian attack.
REMINDER: Musk was also 100% on the side of the Canadian truckers.
https://news.yahoo.com/elon-musk-says-spacex-starlink-231101051.html
The Monday Morning Joke
An aetheist was taking a walk through the woods.
"What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals," he said to himself.
As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7-foot bear charging towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground.
He rolled over to pick himself up, but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him. At that instant the aetheist cried out, "Oh my God!"
Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.
It was then that a bright light shone upon the man and a voice from heaven asked, "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"
The aetheist looked directly into the light.
"It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?"
"Very well," said the Voice. The light went out, and the sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke: "Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful, Amen."
(h/t Legally Sufficient)
Philippines lifts most Covid-19 restrictions in Manila
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2271199/
The Beauty of the Eternal Headline
With a couple of inputs from the keyboard, this headline fits all current and probable ASEAN activities - not just Ukraine, but Myanmar, for example.
ASEAN MYANMAR ANALYSIS-COMMENTARY
Well, this was a disastrous failure for 55 years, so, yeah, let's do it again.
Exiles take the war in Myanmar abroad
The writer is Johana Son, a Filipina who founded and now edits the 'Reporting ASEAN' series.
... Those who left after the 2021 coup are physically safe. But whether as refugees and asylum seekers, exiles or people waiting it out, their psyches remain intertwined with what is happening in Myanmar, all the time.
"What should I do [from here]? What we should do? Always we are thinking about this way, that way," said Win.
Reporting Asean:
https://www.reportingasean.net/
Richard Fernandez on
Putin's Failure
Ukraine has not won; not in the military sense.
It has lost territory, suffered significant losses to soldier and civilian, endured massive property damage.
But crucially it has not lost - and that may be enough. Attention is now turning to the possible danger that may attend Putin's fall.
https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2022/02/26/putins-failure-n1562126
Related
Up to date, but numbers rise daily:
Arrests of Journalists and Media Staff in Myanmar
https://www.reportingasean.net/in-numbers-arrests-of-myanmar-journalists/
Related
Does anyone remember the books and movies and documentaries on Hitler's tirades? Anyway...
Kyiv Is Still Holding out, and Putin Is Reportedly Furious.
We anticipated the main attack on Kyiv on Friday night and the likelihood that it might fall.
But it's Day Three, and the Ukrainians are still hanging in there, giving Putin far more difficulty than he ever expected, with Russians reportedly taking heavy losses. Kyiv is still standing.
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2022/02/26/amazing-kyiv-is-still-holding-out-and-putin-is-reportedly-furious-n528406
Thailand should sue the U.S.A. for cultural misappropriation.
Starting 15 years ago, with Thaksin, Thailand's various rulers and bureaucrats devised the plan to keep Thaksin (and his sister and countless other political opponents) so busy keeping track of numerous rounds of alleged so-called "crimes" that they would never again be political opponents.
Elon Musk and Brother Face Insider Trading Probe
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2022/02/report-elon-musk-and-brother-face-insider-trading-probe/
Oh, Brave Sir Robin
In Defeat, a Very Brave Retreat
Bravely Bold Sir Justin digests his orders.
Canada keeps airspace open to Russian airliners for now.
The real threat to Canada is those pesky 18-wheel drivers.
The above is a real tweet by the head of MI-6.
So good to know the priorities of British spies.
And in the same vein, sort of...
As the headline indicates, this is not a up-to-date new-development piece, but it is probably interesting for anyone who has been around these people and watched their constant and consistent failures in South/Central America, Africa, Europe Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Central Asia, the United States...
CIA-trained Ukrainian paramilitaries may take central role if Russia invades
It is by Zach Dorfman, the·National Security Correspondent for Yahoo! News, and you can't really go higher than that. He reports that the Ukes have been training in the southern part of the U.S.A. since 2015.
PHOTO: Troops of the Ukrainian 8th Spetsnaz Regiment on a training exercise.
INTERESTING VIDEO, more stories and links at...
https://news.yahoo.com/cia-trained-ukrainian-paramilitaries-may-take-central-role-if-russia-invades-185258008.html
Now, a little late, she's got those homesick blues.
In 2018, South African Ashley Oosthuizen finished high school and headed to Thailand, then to Koh Samui, to learn how to Teach English as a Second Language (TESL).
Her aim was to get certified and go back to the western Cape area, to teach youngsters.
It all went wrong two years ago.
The postman one day brought a package for Ashley's boyfriend, American-Ukrainian Tristan Seth Nettles, operator of 'Hot in the Buscuit' bar in Samui. No one was home, so Ashley signed for it.
Within an hour a team of cops was at her door, and she was cuffed and taken away on a charge of trafficking a significant amount of drugs - specifically 260 grammes of MDMA, or methampetamine, in ice form.
Police had been tipped off about the package before it even arrived from England to Ashley. Boyfriend, long gone from Thailand, wrote a detailed story about the drugs were his, and Ashley knew nothing.
Police, prosecutors and the court system made everything go smoothly. Ashley got a death sentence, kindly reduced to life in prison.
Her family, led by the matriarch Lynne Blignaut, want to fight to get Ashley out. It's going to be tougher than a Kalasin steak. "I'm allowed to speak to [Ashley] once a month for 10 minutes."
It is hardly the first time that Thailand's harsh and mediaeval drug laws have put the wrong person on Death Row on questionable, even false charges.
From South Africa: https://bityl.co/B6uV
All Russian airplane denied airspace in Europe are more than welcome over and inside Thailand.
https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/ukraine-aviation-situation-updates/
Best war story of the day:
Brave Ukrainian woman tells Russian soldier: 'Put sunflower seeds in your pocket so they grow when you die'
The woman was captured on camera voicing her outrage as Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, with tanks rolling across the border and air strikes targeting major cities. Ukraine says it suffered 137 casualties on the first day of the war.
The woman can be seen in the video asking the soldiers "Who are you?", to which a soldier standing in the street says: "We have exercises here. Please go this way."
After asking if they are Russians, she said: "So what the f*** are you doing here?”
[Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine.]
Much more at
https://news.yahoo.com/brave-ukrainian-woman-tells-russian-044210890.html
Tank Man II - in the Ukraine
Watch: Ukrainian civilians use their bodies to block Russian tanks
Ukrainian citizens in the city of Bakhmach stood in front of advancing Russian tanks on Saturday, according to video verified by CNN. Per CNN, "[i]n the video, tanks can be seen driving on roads in Bakhmach, which is just over 110 miles northeast of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv." The video shows a man climbing onto a Russian tank as it drives down a city street.
https://news.yahoo.com/watch-ukrainian-civilians-bodies-block-190836118.html
Britain to send more arms to Ukrainian military as Russian invasion reaches Kyiv.
https://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-invasion-russia-war-vladimir-putin-weapons-123819438.html
Oh good lord...
Russian army deploys its TOS-1 heavy flamethrower, capable of vaporizing human bodies, near Ukrainian border, footage shows
CNN footage shows a TOS-1 heavy flamethrower being deployed near the Ukrainian border. The TOS-1 heavy flamethrower is able to shoot thermobaric rockets. Thermobaric weapons are capable of vaporizing human bodies and crushing internal organs, say reports.
https://news.yahoo.com/russian-army-deploys-tos-1-135336380.html
This story says very close to nothing...
China's Xi, in message to N.Korea's Kim, vows cooperation under 'new situation' -KCNA
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the significance of cooperation between the two countries, North Korea's state media KCNA reported on Saturday. In a message to Kim, Xi said China is ready to work, together with the Korean side, to steadily develop the China-DPRK relations of friendship and cooperation ... "under a new situation", KCNA said.
https://news.yahoo.com/chinas-xi-message-n-koreas-221911185.html
