RIP: The man who starred in 671 motion pictures
Good morning to all. It is the Number 138 Saturday you have dedicated to Emergency Lockdowns.
THAILAND PRAYUT CORRUPTION PROPAGANDA
Prayut and his 'Office of the Prime Minister' have spent more money on image than all of the top sellers like Jack Ma and fashion houses and skin whiteners combined:
Most of Prayut's 'advertising campaign' have taken place in the past six months. Just as the popularity of the junta was fading:
Since the start of the year, Prayut's office has spent almost US$10 million to try to drum up the obviously waning support.
Money can't buy him love. And Nielsen has the numbers.
Prayut disappeared, but he dispatched his Top Number One fit spokesladyperson who told the Thai media and every TV watcher:
"Well, we'll check the validity of that data."
https://www.thaienquirer.com/43029/prayuts-office-is-among-thailands-leading-advertising-spender-during-6-months-of-2022/
Click the chart to embiggen.
THAILAND TOURISM VISAS
As reported here yesterday...
Thailand's junta has approved a tweak in the visa-stamping world. Starting on October 1:
If you arrive without a visa (Americans, Canadians, etc) you will get 45 days, up from 30
And if you need visa-on-arrival at the airport (Taiwanese, Indians, etc) you'll get 30 days instead of the current 15.
RIP SOMBAT METANEE
Thailand's best-known male actor has died - Sombat "Ad" Metanee, in his sleep at home in Bangkok.
The Ubon Ratchathani natice starred as the lead in his TV soap opera, Huajai Pratthana in 1961.
He graduated to movies where he starred in 671 films - and made the Guinness Book of World Records.
THAILAND TOURISM CORONAVIRUS
Thailand's junta-maintained Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced on Friday that more tha four (4) million tourists have entered the country since New Year's Day.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said, for those who craved exact numbers - 4,015,504 since January 1.
He claimed that daily arrivals of foreign tourists have passed 40,000. Pre-Covid, tourist arrivals averaged about oine (1) million per day.
The TAT is hoping for 20 million by New Year's Eve.
More at
https://bityl.co/Dtzk
The TAT is proposing to the Covid-control agency to allow longer stays in Thailand by foreign tourists who do not require visas.
Yuthasak's (left, below) idea is to extend the current 30-day visa-free stay from 30 to 45 days. Those with visas-on-arrival should get 30 days instead of 15, he proposed.
https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1000572
Doctors warn of 4 a.m. booze plan flaws
Unsurprising: Thailand's version of Fauci is trying to be the lead voice. That would be...
Doctor Dean Professor Prasit Watanapa of the Mahidol University faculty of medicine at Siriraj Hospital, who has struggled since 2020 to get one thing right about the coronavirus. He said on Friday
 "The present closing time of 2 a.m. is late enough given the current Covid-19 situation."
 "There is no need to rush such a measure [of extending closing times to 4 a.m.] as night socialisers may get infected due to the longer gatherings and spread the disease to their families, notably the elderly."
Not to mention The Children(tm).
Same subject, different approach
Dr Taejing Siripanich, secretary-general of the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation, said the measure may help stimulate the economy but it could be at the expense of the health and safety of the public.
In addition, Doctor Taejing said he doesn't believe many more foreign tourists would choose Thailand because of the extension of the night entertainment venues’ operating hours to 4 a.m.
 "Most come to Thailand to visit tourist sites"
When was the last time you came across a broken petrol/diesel pump?
Electric vehicle owners are fed up with broken EV chargers and janky software.
Survey finds that EV charging is still a huge mess
JD Power surveyed 11,554 electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners from January through June 2022 for its second annual Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study. Despite big growth in the number of public EV chargers in the US, EV owners say the overall experience still sucks.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/17/23308612/ev-charging-broken-unreliable-survey-jd-power
Myanmar junta hits back at ASEAN after being barred from meetings
Accused it of caving to "external pressure".
ASEAN was violating its own policy of non-interference in a country's sovereign affairs while facing "external pressure", but did not elaborate.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-junta-hits-back-asean-after-being-barred-meetings-2022-08-17/
Chulalongkorn University professor-Oped columunist Thitinan Pongsudhirak focused on Thai politics this morning:
The politics of Thailand's term-limit wrangle. Thitinan wrote:
It is ironic that the term-limit clause proposed during a session of parliament was meant not for Prayut but his self-exiled nemesis, Thaksin.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2371945/the-politics-of-the-term-limit-wrangle
Angelina Jolie has sued the remarkably anti-American F.B.I. to get its investigation of how ex-hubby Brad Pitt harassed and assaulted her, in 2016.
Jolie told what she thought was a nice FBI agent that Brad cause a physical altercation that caused injuries. She said Brad was drinking, and poured beer on her.
 Brad has denied everything.
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/angelina-jolie-brad-pitt-fbi-lawsuit-1235342770/
