Thailand announces new visa rules for longer stays
You are perusing the Fishwrap Bulldog for Thursday 30 May 2024.
Alert, Aware Wife: Is that another GUN?
Me: Well, technically, that's one function of this new device honey, yeah.
RACISM
No, I don't have a great many ethnic employees, that's true, Â but it's not company policy...
I haven't got a sign on the door that says, 'White people only'.
I don't care if you're black, brown, yellow ... Orientals make very good workers, for example.
-- David Brent, former general manager, Wernham Hogg paper distributors, Slough Trading Estate [British TV show The Office]
THAILAND ECONOMY TOURISTS
Quick Summary: Thailand Eases Visa Rules to Boost Economy Urgently
The country faces a prolonged economic slowdown, low GDP growth, and increasing public debt.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has decided that 'foreign tourism' is the cure-all.
He has pressed for longer visa stays for visitors, students and digital nomads.
Khao Sod (Fresh News) https://shorturl.at/PSyYr
Big Changes Announced for Thai Visas
As of June 1, which is Friday, two new types of visa will be stamped -- five (5) years for digital nomads [especially AI hackers] and students of Thai boxing, Muay Thai.
PHOTO: Tourists and visitors line up for their immigration-departure check at Suvarnabhumi airport.
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) programme stamps in eligible foreigners and their families (under 20) for 180 days, at a cost of 10,000 baht, cash on the barrelhead. This visa can be extended once, for another six months, for another 10,000 baht.
One other change, coming on September 1:
Anyone who just graduated from a Thai university can receive a stay-behind visa for one year, to look for a job.
The visa application is for
 Skilled foreign talent, digital nomads, freelancers, and those engaging in activities such as learning Muay Thai, cooking, sports training, medical treatment, seminars, and arts and music events.
Online applications may be accepted beginning next June (2025/2568).
Above: Members of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
The Process Is the Punishment
The OAG said yesterday they have decided to indict Thaksin (inset in photo) yet again -- this time on charges of lese majeste (royal defamation) and computer crime.
Step 1: Thaksin has been notified, in writing, to show up on June 18 to hear the charges.
The alleged 'crime' took place in November of 2009 when Thaksin spoke to a reporter for Time magazine in South Korean on November 9, 2009 -- the year after he was convicted in Thailand of using illegal influence to help his former wife to buy land, which she never bought.
The OAG claimed it was picking up the new charges because it was too busy during the Covid outbreak.
Thaksin's lawyer asked for a delay until June 25, in order to prepare.
A spokesman for the military appointed Attorney-General said yesterday:
 Thaksin is a suspect, which will change to a defendant once the court accepts the case.
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/politics/40038399
OPINION ANALYSIS HYDRO
Question never asked publicly. Until Now.
How green is the substantial amount of Thai energy from our hydro dams?
PHOTO: Tourists enjoy the artificial lake behind one of the major Thai dams.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2801466/
The Mekong River Commission (MRC), a regional body overseeing the use of the river, has warned that planned mainstream dams could result in the loss of one million tonnes a year of Mekong fish catches.
Think piece by
Kongpob Areerat, communications manager and researcher at the brand-new Climate Finance Network Thailand (CFNT), a think tank devoted to propelling sustainable financial practices and assisting in Thailand’s transition towards a low-carbon economy.
https://climatefinancethai.com
RIP, Bill. U.S. basketball Hall Of Famer Bill Walton Dead At 71
Walton was selected No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1974 NBA draft after finishing his college career under legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, where he helped push the Bruins to a remarkable 88-game winning streak and two national championships. The 6-foot-11 centre won an NBA championship with the Trail Blazers in 1977 and was also awarded the Finals MVP. Nine years later, Walton won another NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.
A-w-w POOR GEN Z
The Global Loss of the U-Shaped Curve of Happiness.
 Happiness used to be U-shaped by age, with middle age the least happy. Not anymore. Young people are now the least happy. . . . It seems that the well-being of young adults (ages 18-25), especially young women, went into precipitous decline beginning around 2017 (with some evidence showing around 2014).
CHINA STATE CAPITALISM GRIFTING
China throws money at semiconductors. Again.
 “Do you remember the last time, where the money went to in those previous phases?
 The money went to companies like Wuhan Hongxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
 Result? 'Hongxin's unfinished plant in the port city of Wuhan now stands abandoned. Its founders have vanished, despite owing contractors and investors billions of yuan.
TECHNOLOGY
This simply cannot end well.
The Denver Police Department has launched a new programme that will have drones respond to 911 emergency calls instead of cops.
 The law enforcement agency was recently defunded by millions to pay for migrants is now launching its own drone programme. So are other municipalities in the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado.
Elon Musk's xAI has raised $6 billion in funding from people hoping to cash out before the bubble bursts. (Tech Crunch)
Okay. It's still garbage, but it's competition for the useful idiots running OpenAI and Google.
Is the RTX 4060 really better than the RTX 3060. Yes. (Tom's Hardware)
It's not worth upgrading, perhaps, but there are very few cases where the 3060 is objectively better.
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/rtx-4060-vs-rtx-3060-12gb-gpu-faceoff
ICQ is shutting down after 28 years. (The Verge)
Did anyone use it? Apart from sexting, that is.
Stop making brightly coloured toys, say anti-waste researchers. (The Guardian)
If everything is grey and nobody buys anything, we will all lead happier, more fulfilling lives.
Somehow.
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC is coming - and it can run in 2GB of RAM. (Tom's Hardware)
That's because it strips out all the crap that nobody wants. It doesn't even have the TPM requirement that Microsoft declared an absolute minimum for Windows 11 compatibility.
Which is why you're not allowed to buy it.
Families of the victims in the Uvalde, Texas school shooting and police cowardice, and the remoras with legs they call lawyers, are suing Activision and Facebook. (Tech Crunch)
They blame Call of Duty for turning a psychopath into, well, a psychopath.
The Call of Duty series has sold around half a billion copies over the past twenty years. If it were the problem, we would know.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/26/families-of-uvalde-shooting-victims-sue-activision-and-meta/
The following two stories were posted 12 hours apart.
AMD's Zen 5 could be launching in August and on sale in October. (WCCFTech)
https://wccftech.com/amd-next-gen-ryzen-zen-5-cpus-might-be-launching-as-early-as-august/
Or it could be available in retail stores by July. (WCCFTech)
https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-9000-desktop-cpus-16-12-8-6-core-retail-launch-july/
Big data is dead. Long live easy data.
Sounds like fun.
https://motherduck.com/blog/big-data-is-dead/
Widespread power failure at one of the two data centres where Fishwrap has servers. In fact, it was so widespread that it took out servers with two different providers.
Yes, they have battery backup and generators.
No, those didn't work. At all.
You say you like jazz? Prove it.
A comfortable chair, perhaps even a sofa or (why not?) an old rocking chair can be perfect for reading. A kitten as warm companion, or puppy; at Fishwrap we're all doggeh-people but we'll not judge you. And you'll need articles worthy of consideration.
Euro 2024 - Let the gambling hordes gambol https://t.ly/GPt8P
Italy is the defending champion; England is the current betting favourite
The month-long tournament begins on June 14.
England is the pre-tournament favourite to win the title, followed by France, host Germany, and Portugal. Italy has the sixth-best odds to repeat as champions.
PHOTO: Leonardo Bonucci of Italy scored the winning penalty at Wembley in 2020,
TRUE STORYÂ The US Has Never Pivoted to the Indo-Pacific
Which allows Xi and his CCP the opportunity to declare hegemony
https://spectator.org/tag/china/
GLOBAL WARMING
U.S. President Biden's Green Energy Policies Help China, Not America
Biden’s administration has actively worked to curtail domestic energy production, forcing American reliance on foreign energy.
China, in particular, stands to benefit.
https://spectator.org/bidens-green-energy-policies-help-china-not-america/
From The Memory Hole
Down With Coal?
The Biden Administration is determined to limit America's production of fossil fuels, of which we have the largest supply in the world.
 This will transition us from a position of energy independence, and potentially energy dominance, into a position of subservience to the Chinese Communist Party, on which we will depend for the vast quantities of materials that are needed for wind turbines, solar panels and batteries -- which Americans will not be allowed to mine.
 China is the world’s number one emitter of carbon dioxide, and is steadily pulling away. Then, of course, there is India, the world’s most populous country, which has no intention of trying to supply its vast population with electricity via solar panels. China’s use of coal is burgeoning:
Disturbing footage circulating online shows the attack.
Even worse, disturbing posts on social media (looking at you, Reddit) claimed the kicked-Limey was in ICU, or dead. He wasn't and isn't.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/british-tourists-assaulted-by-bouncers-in-thailand-video-shows-vicious-beating-5762637
The incident occurred last Friday evening at Helicopters Bar, during a 'dispute' over a drinks bill.
THAILAND TOURISM PATTAYA
An argument erupted between the bar's hostess and three British men over an unpaid portion of their bill.
The amazingly dim Brits refused to pay, claiming they were being scammed.
The video is graphic. A detail of note: No one attempted to interfere to protect the Limeys.
One reason for that: the Limeys were bullying the whole bar before they got what they were asking for.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ThailandTourism/comments/1d2dbc0/full_video_from_start_to_finish_shows_english/
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/british-tourists-assaulted-by-bouncers-in-thailand-video-shows-vicious-beating-5762637
VIDEO:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1795129547949560283
"Iran denies" is one of the least-convincing phrases that we can imagine. So consider:
 Iran denies sabotage in president's death after helicopter crash. https://t.ly/Iv9Mq