Thailand casinos plan to ban all Thais.

Hello World and all Thailand fans. Today is the start of Week 211 of the Covid-19 Alert.
22 Ramadan Chippubetsu, Uryu, Japan Fajr 0350 Sunrise 0535 Maghrib/Iftar1744

The Thai government's gamble

Elected Members of Parliament unanimously approved a study proposal for a state-run integrated entertainment complex -- with the country's first legal casino.
The government plans, at this point, to charge stiff entrance fees to limit the number of visitors.
It plans to appoint a committee to monitor the casino's impact on society.
Critics state that the Thai government is focused mainly on generating money from casinos, without thoroughly considering the negative impacts.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2768074/

Jakrapob Penkair returns to Thailand

The last time, in 2009, he barely had time to pack a suitcase and get out of town before his arrest for lese majeste.
He is not everyone's favourite political favourite, and criticising the late King Rama IX -- and the whole system of royalty was not his smartest move.

Unmatched Sunday columnist Crutch takes off running:
The delicate art of being nasty and nice
International diplomacy is a complicated craft and over the years there have been contrasting views of what it involves.
British statesman Winston Churchill did not hide his views on the subject, commenting "Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way they ask for directions".
President Teddy Roosevelt: Grab 'em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2768224/

Phrases to watch for, and what they mean.
We enjoyed frank discussions. [There was one hell of a row.]
Our relationship hasn't changed. [We still hate one another.]
There is a slight difference in emphasis. [We failed to agree on anything].
Discussions were forthright. [Everybody lied.]
There are grounds for optimism. [You'd better start praying now.]
But also

 Songkran is fast approaching (New Year's Day is April 13), so it might be time for all of us to take cover and move into a diplomatic mode and not do anything foolish in reaction to the water-throwing festivities.

Yellow Line monorail is mostly back on track
Last week, for the second time in two months, a north-Bangkok monorail car shed parts, and dropped them on the roadway.
An initial investigation found that a finger plate installed on the rail's expansion joint had slipped from its position as the train passed, causing the plate and other debris to fall, disrupting the monorail's operations.
Boffins have put the train back together. The Yellow Line is offering discounts as a form of apology.

Easter

Here's the entire Handel's Messiah with lyrics (Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra) in case you want to sing along at home.