Tale of the stoned Canadian
Good morning all, it's the morning of the first day of the first weekend of June 2022, in Thailand and soon, everywhere.
THAILAND POLITICS
By hook and crook, the junta squiggled its successful way past the first reading of its astounding 3.2 trillion-with-a-"T" record budget bill. But that was just a test.
ANALYSIS
 Making it through the upcoming censure debate (probabily in August) could well be a different story.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2320354/
https://www.thaienquirer.com/40565/political-minefield-awaits-prayut-government/
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
The number of new, confirmed Covid infecttions and the number of deaths by Covid show little change.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2320306/
Welp... good question. With a partial answer.
A new law came into effect this week.
 PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) makes it illegal to take a photo of anyone without asking his/her/their permission first.
 Chaiwut Tanakamanusorn, the junta's minister of digital economy and society said, well, if you do it accidentally, that's probably okay.
 Then Chaiwut quickly ducked down in the well of a desk so no one could take his photo.
https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-953097
Everyone who knew that the RCAF was flying reconnaissance over North Korea, please come up and collect your prizes.
But now, Ottawa is livid because Chinese fighters have 'repeatedly' buzzed the Canadian jets - and dangerously as all get-out.
Unprofessional and potentially risky - that's the nicest thing the Canadians have said.
The other Justin said:
"The fact that China would have chosen to do this is extremely troubling."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61654043
More on that story.
In a statement, Canadian armed forces media relations chief Dan Le Bouthillier said that the incidents took place during Operation Neon, Canada's contribution to the implementation of United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
 "In these interactions, PLAAF [People's Liberation Army Air Force aka Chinese] aircraft did not adhere to international air safety norms," Mr Le Bouthillier said.
 "These interactions are unprofessional and/or put the safety of our RCAF [Royal Canadian Air Force] personnel at risk."
Betty Windsor, Queen of Canada - 70 years on the throne.
And at 96, she still goes to work every day.
Sidelight
Weird as it seems, I actually remember her Coronation Day. The small town where we lived had a no-work all-Holiday Field Day, and I won the 50-yard* dash.
We listened to the coronation on the radio, beginning at 5 a.m. There was no TV.
*In those days, Canada had no metre-measurements.
Stoned Canadian attacks remote bank
Hopped-up Canadian tourist with a grievance against Thai ATMs took a sack of his favourite rocks toi the Bangkok Bank branch in Pai, Mae Hong Sorn province, and whaled out.
He busted the ATM and most of the bank's facade, a security door and windows. Then he went inside and, in the words of Thai media, "caused further damage" to computers, a printer and other office equipment.
Total damage according to a quick look-around by the bank's manager:
460,600 baht, or 16,865 loonies.
Another good part of the story: He had stockpiled rocks at the guesthouse where he was arrested. You never know when you might need more rocks.
So we can call Kent D. 'the stoned Canadian'.
Official charges: one-month overstay, trespass at night and causing damage.
https://www.sanook.com/news/8570754/
In English: https://bityl.co/CWBp
NOTE: Fishwrap staff have been in touch with Jason, who claims he has a solid alibi.
Naturally the stoning was caught on video (see the sanook linki).
THAILAND ECONOMY
The country's leading prognosticator has just forecast the probable actions of the Bank of Thailand.
For now, the central bank will leave policy rates untouched. But maybe around the end of the year...
Kasikorn Research Centre wrote on Friday:
 "The Thai economy is gradually recovering amid pressures from growing inflation and global recession.
 "There is no urgent need for the [Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee] to raise the policy interest rate at this time."
 The last change in the policy rate was in May, 2020, when the MPC set it at 0.5% - an unprecedented low.
https://tinyurl.com/yc4hfczv
That was then...
Three weeks ago in Thai media.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2308042/
...And this is now.
Exchange rates for the Thai baht when dealers open on Monday.
Thailand to release cannabis prisoners
There are more than 4,000 prison inmates charged or convicted in marijuana-related cases.
The junta's Corrections Department says it will open their cells and free them next week - June 9 to be exact, when the [alleged] government is due to remove hemp and cannabis from the list of restricted drugs.
So effectively on June 9 - none of the 4,000 is an offender or convict.
How big is a forest with 1 million trees?
Bangkok's new governor wants to find out.
Chadchart  Sittipunt has targeted to see at least a million trees planted in the city during his four-year  tenure.
Every tree planted will be tracked by a Global Positioning System (GPS) to monitor its growth.
 "The trees shouldn't be forgotten after their roots take to the ground," he said.
QUESTION
What in the blue blazes of living Hell is that signing person doing to Old Joe's Gun speech?
Predictions are Hard. Especially about the Future.
But
Gird Your Loins!
United States Department of Agriculture: Belt Up for One Dollar Per Egg
Chicken and Egg Producer Thailand: Are You Serious?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service measures the changes to retail food prices only. And it now predicts:
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet.
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/
The scariest part? The USDA notes that:
All of the predictions in the May report are subject to upward revision.
tbf
Prayut And Cronies have made no solid prognostication about where their inflation is likely to go.
Small example from the front page of Friday (today):
Doubts linger over job situation
While the state planning unit reports that unemployment is improving, others remain sceptical.
Elon has told his entire crews at Tesla and Space-X: You do not have to report to the office for 40 hours a week. You can just quit.
 He wrote:
Everyone at Tesla is required to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week.
To put it another way:
 If you don't show up, we will assume you have resigned.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/06/musk-to-tesla-and-spacex-workers-be-in-the-office-40-hours-a-week-or-quit/
TECHNOLOGY
Only two browsers with more than 1 billion users
Google's Chrome is king, Safari is little brother-in-waiting
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/05/safari-has-1-billion-users-but-it-still-cant-touch-chrome/
In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to block a Texas law that allows state residents to sue large social media platforms for removing or moderating content based on viewpoint.
 The decision prevents the law, known as HB 20, from taking effect as a challenge to the legislation makes its way through the court system.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/31/texas-social-media-censorship-scotus-00036146
GLOBAL WARMING
Now, about those supercomputers...
1.1 quintillion operations per second: US has world's fastest
With speed of 1.1 exaflop/s, the DOE system at Oak Ridge lab leads Top 500 list.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/05/1-1-quintillion-operations-per-second-us-has-worlds-fastest-supercomputer/
Schools asked to end those 'sexist' beauty pageants
Wasan Paileeklee, who has few accomplishments in life, is asking all Thai schools to end their in-house beauty pageants.
They are sexist. They are no longer appropriate. And students should be behind desks, working on their school assignments.
The Mahidol University Students' Association has already abolished freshman hazing that focus on physical appearance.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2320002/
Okay, look, let's confuse the living hell out of everyoine...
The Bangkok governor has no power to end mask-wearing but the Phuket governor does. You got that?
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2319894/
SPORTS BASKETBALL HOCKEY
NBA Game 1: Celtics went on a 17-0 fourth quarter run to beat the Warriors.
NHL: Who wins this, wins the Cup.
The Big Story: Connor McDavid imitates Alex Rodriguez
What did you do in the Cup semis grandpa?
That was the one we won.
