Biden has stuff to do that's way more important than Bangkok and its silly 'APEC summit'
G'morning all, to bright-sky Monday morning, a chilly 81 degrees at the start of the week that we'll be getting Prayut back. By court order. Via a junta.
And it's going to rain every day of the week here at the Daily Fishwrap news headquarters in East Prawet district.
There will be floods.
Apologies for the late delivery. EGAT provided a brief but noisome electricity outage and we had to redo some of the items.
In fact, just this morning...
62 provinces, including East Nong Ban of Bangkok, site of the headquarters oif the Daily Fishwrap, were warned to brace for more heavy rain
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2398090/
PHOTO (below) For the vegetarian gods
Devotees carry sedan chairs parading deities to the Odeon roundabout in the Yaowarat area of Bangkok as the annual Vegetarian Festival gets under way across Thailand.
THAILAND TOURISM BANGKOK
NOTE: He hasn't done it. But maybe he might perhaps do it, perhaps.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is planning to stimulate the local economy by encouraging some tourist attractions, especially those along the Chao Phraya River, to open until midnight.
Mr Chadchart yesterday said the extended opening hours of the city’s tourist attractions, such as museums and temples, won’t only attract foreign visitors, but also local tourists, to stay longer in the capital.
"Keeping tourist attractions past sunset will bring about many benefits [for tourists]. For one, the weather won't be as hot as during the daytime, which will undoubtedly improve visitors' mood," he said.
Biden skips Bangkok
The first international leader to sent Regrets to skip Prayut's carefully laid APEC meeting plan in November is
U.S. President Joe Biden
Egad! So sad!
He has a family wedding that day that he just can't skip, so he'll skip Thailand instead.
The APEC meeting will take place at the newly renovated Queen Sirikit International Centre. Saudi Arabia will reportedly be the first Middle East country to attend the APEC leaders’ meeting, as a guest of the host.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/us-president-biden-to-skip-apec-summit/
Biden's new schedule
(Subject to change?)
November 15-16: Attend the G20 summit in Bali.
November 16 late afternoon: Board Air Force One and order immediate return to Washington.
Thailand's junta's 'minister of foreign affairs' Don Pramudwinai is scrambling to try to change Biden's mind.
But wait! November 18: Thailand could/might be graced by the presence of U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, instead.
Kamala is the only American involved in politics, medicine or science who admits to being female.
 I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her, I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.
THAILAND POLITICS
ANALYSIS OPINION
New Narrative
Prayut's (former) bff General Prawit Wongsuwan has been the 'temporary caretaker' prime minister for a month.
The new narrative: It's starting to look like he wants to keep the job.
Which is a major problem for the entire junta, including Prayut.
For starters, the obese, corrupt and obviously sickly Prawit has a huge number of followers - including  most of Thailand's most influential and elite people.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/44551/opinion-prawits-1-month-in-the-hot-seat-of-prime-minister-shows-he-is-ready-for-the-job-and-may-even-want-that-job/
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
Bangkok governor 'reconsiders' the unmasking
Masked-up  Chadchart Sittipunt (centre, with arm around the chick) says he is 'reconsidering' his permission for Bangkokians and tourists to remove their masks.
City Hall is to resume 'control of coronavirus methods' as of Saturday, and Chadchart said he is looking to issue an all-points order to Mask Up again.
"We're going to take a more active role in managing the illness."
On Sunday, in Bangkok, Rona
• infected and hospitalised 607 new virus victims
• killed another 14.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2399501/
Anutin praises himself as "lovely" for still wearing masks
The extremely rich and loyal junta loyalist has served as token 'minister of public health' throught the entire coronavirus drama.
"Me and you press people are naa rak, aren't we?" It means 'lovely'.
Oh, and he also wishes appointment as 'prime minister' in place of Prayut.
https://aseannow.com/topic/1272790-anutin-they-may-have-stopped-wearing-masks-but-thais-are-still-naa-rak-for-keeping-them-on-to-prevent-disease/
https://www.thairath.co.th/news/politic/2508467
Yes. Good memory. Anutin is the one who shouted that the GD freaking farangs wouldn't wear a mask.
Except he didn't actually say GD and he didn't exactly say 'freaking'.
Thailand's ruling junta blocks 5,000 'offensive internet websites'
Repeat: 9 months, 5,000 blocks (you do the math)
Junta-enabled 'Ministry ot Digital Economy and Society' (DES)
Almost 5,000 web addresses have been blocked for running illegal content, stuff like lese majeste and pornography.
In the first nine months of this year, the ministry blocked 4,735 URLs on 183 court orders, according to the DES.
The data was released in the wake of announcement by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau of 2,330 cases of technology crime from Dec 22, 2020 to Aug 31 this year.
WHY?
 Lese majeste (1,816 URLs)
 Online gambling (1,507)
 Immoral acts (1,119)
 Pornorgraphy (219)
 Sles of e-cigarettes (58) and
 Sales of overpriced online lottery tickets
POOR SALESMANSHIP
DEFINITION
 Pfizer CEO tests positive for Covid-19. Again.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/pfizer-ceo-tests-positive-for-covid-19-again/ar-AA12cZpw
CORONAVIRUS THAILAND MASKS HANDWASH SOCIAL-DISTANCING
No let-up in VAXX despite 'adjustments' in virus labels
Kids still a priority while stocks remain
Repeat: 'While stocks last'
DRUGS NARCOTICS METHAMPHETAMINE
Laos police narcs seized 33 million-with-an-'m' speed (yaa ba) pills, and 500 kilos of crystal methamphetamine, aka ice.
The seizure took place just outside the notorious Kings Romans Casino, across the Mekong from Chiang Rai.
The casino [photo below] is at the Chinese-owned Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, a hotbed for sex and wildlife trafficking as well as the drug trade.
It is the third largest drug seizure of meth.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/police-laos-seize-meth-pills-biggest-busts-90429095
The Chinese Communist Party sent Hong Kong's national soccer [aka 'football' vulg] team down to show those Cantonese what real men look like.
When they played the CCP's national anthem March of the Volunteers, the Hong Kong crowd booed and cursed.
When the song ended, fans loudly chanted "We are Hong Kong".
There will be arrests.
https://www.barrons.com/news/chinese-anthem-booed-as-football-returns-to-hong-kong-01664030707?refsec=topics_afp-news
SPORTS WOMEN VOLLEYBALL
The very dedicated, always happy Thai (young) women's volleyball team went to Turkey and knocked the tar out of the home team in a thrilling five-set opener at the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship.
17-25, 31-29, 22-25, 25-19, 15-13
https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2399526/
VIDEO [Thais in black]:
I don't know what to say. My heart is full of happiness to win this match today because we worked and trained very hard.
 Chatchu-on Moksri, top scorer in the Thailand-Turkey volleyball match
ITALY POLITICS
Mother, Italian, Christian
The right-of-centre Giorgia Meloni is about to be the first female prime minister of Italy.
And she seems to be having a barrel of laughs while doing it.
In huge, massive shock surprises The Guardian broadcasts that she is 'a danger to Europe' and NPR reckons she's the first real Italian facist since those two guys met Mussolini.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2022/sep/24/giorgia-meloni-is-a-danger-to-italy-and-the-rest-of-europe-far-right
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/24/1124685476/giorgia-meloni-italy-election
Sometimes the joke that writes itself is way, WAY superior to anything a professional joke-writer could produce.
