Thailand has one (1) officially Romantic Hotel
Breaking...
Bangkokians' favourite gambling spot, just inside Cambodia.
Huge fire in Poipet hotel-casino - With VIDEO
Death toll rises and dozens are missing
19 people killed, 30 known to be trapped and "missing", scores injured
Around 700 Thai citizens were rescued and sent to hospitals in Thailand.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2471520/
Khmer Times:
At least 70 people were injured in the blaze at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, a city that borders Thailand, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers search for victims who were trapped in the building.
Thai firefighters and rescue workers on the scene said some victims had jumped to their deaths from the burning building in a frantic attempt to escape.
"Two people died immediately when they hit the ground and around four to five (others) broke their legs,” said Peerapan Srisakorn, from the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation.
Peerapan said his team alone saw 11 bodies, including seven who had died from smoke inhalation and were found in locked hotel rooms,
VIDEO:
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501210910/video-poipet-casino-on-fire-for-more-than-five-hours/
SIDEBAR The large casino/hotel/dining complex is owned by infamous Thai criminal fugitive Vatana Asavahame -- who also also owns numerous more Thai politicians and all of the crime in Chon Buri province [including Pattaya].
With, of course, the full cooperation of Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, his wife and family.
Things that you cannot say in the media
unless a Bigshot in the ruling junta tells you to say them.
Thailand should look to impose restrictions on tourists arriving from China, demands opposition Pheu Thai
...“Given the [Covid-19 outbreak] situation in China, Thailand should cautiously prepare for the influx of Chinese tourists,” said former deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang, who is a member of Pheu Thai’s strategy committee.
... The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Sanan Angubolkul, said yesterday that he expects at least 5 million Chinese tourists next year compared with fewer than 300,000 in 2022.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand also changed its forecast for the tourist number in 2023 from 20 million to 25 million after Beijing’s announcement.
PHOTO: Thailand's main gateway Suvarnabhumi airport has equipment that reads the body temperature of each arriving passenger.
https://tinyurl.com/2kfx9zxh
Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs predicts
More than 300,000 Chinese will come to Thailand between now and April Fool's Day.
NOTE
All Chinese, all people who live in China and everyone (any nationality, any age) who has visited China now requires a "Negative Covid-19 document" before entering the United States.
Other countries will follow.
On the other hand...
bangkokpost.com/world/2471680/india-demands-negative-covid-test-for-arrivals-from-thailand
This will affect many (as in thousands) of Thais who visit India every year to go to Lumpini, where the Buddha was born.
THAILAND MARIJUANA CANNABIS
Good to see scientists are on the case, but here's the dealio: It's not at all surprising. These scientists don't get around.
A Surprising Consequence of Cannabis Legalization: Higher Alcohol Consumption.
https://scitechdaily.com/a-surprising-consequence-of-cannabis-legalization-higher-alcohol-consumption/
Barely related
A country-wide survey of Thailand by the obscure Centre for Addiction Studies found that the heaviest alcohol drinkers in the nation live in Nan province (see map).
Story nut:
The heaviest alcohol consumption in all of Thailand was reported in Nan, followed by Chiang Rai, Phrae, Mukdahan and Phayao, whereas Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Phangnga and Sing Buri had the lowest alcohol consumption.
Heavy alcohol consumption among adult drinkers was reported in the north and northeast, while teenage drinkers were mostly found in central regions -- i.e. in and around Bangkok..
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2471187/
THAILAND POLITICS
Thai PBS has questions and analysis.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/2022-does-pheu-thais-comeback-year-herald-return-to-government-in-2023/
CORRUPTION WILDLIFE TYPE
Just one small error... the name of the accused big-time corrupt director-general is Rutchada.
The first defence of a Thai phuyai: Lie your ass off.
Oh, wait, no, you don't understand, he wasn't bribed, he was just getting gifts from the grateful.
Varawut Silpa-archa, junta-directed 'minister of Natural Resources and Environment', and boss of the fabulously corrupt and arrested director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
NOTE: Varawut is the son of Banharn, famed as Thailand's shortest prime minister in history, and arguably the most corrupt.
THAILAND POLITICS
Political heavyweights Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan and Somkid Jatusripitak have announced an alliance.
They're going to cooperate, but they are not going to merge their two parties.
Both the khunying (only females can be khunying) and Somkid were raised to be politicians -- maybe even prime ministers, but that train has left the station. "That is now up to destiny," said Somkid yesterday.
Prayut loyalist Somkid: Sang Anakhot Thai Party (SATP; Building Thailand's Future).
Sudarat: Thai Sang Thai Party (TSTP; Thais Build Thai).
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2471689/parties-form-alliance-stop-short-of-merging
HOLIDAY READ (maybe?...)
A serial that shouldn't stop, and won't.
How the United States "Department Of Homeland Censorship" seized power over online speech
A little-known DHS agency assigned to protect cybersecurity has covertly switched its mission to cybercensorship.
The DHS instructed children to report their own family members to Facebook for "disinformation" if they challenged any U.S. government narratives on Covid-19.
... You may be wondering how some little-known DHS agency called CISA (“Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency”), citing “cybersecurity”, got a permanent US government perch to pressure tech companies, and recruit universities, NGOs and media outlets, to remove social media opinions about masks, vaccines, Covid-19, dropboxes or mail-in ballots.
And if not, well, maybe you should be wondering now.
https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/8-27-22.html
FREE SPEECH
A curious Oped by human rights expert Vitit Muntarbhorn seems to argue that there are only two types of speech:
Free Speech and inflammatory "Hate Speech".
The latter of which, he claims, is absolutely "rampant" everywhere in the Asia-Pacific region,
Thus, there is a pan-Asian conundrum of how to protect freedom of expression at the same time as tackling hate speech which is rampant today.
"Tackling" is undefined, as usual for "social experts".
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2470290/
The U.S. Department of Human Biological Matter reports:
U.S. military bases that housed Afghan evacuees received vandalism of US$260 million in gratitude.
"Air Force officials described tables, chairs and cots broken by guests and tents and cots ruined by spray paint, human biological matter and holes." That is nine (9) billion-with-a-"B" baht in real money.
That's an average of more than $2,000 in damages per evacuee -- 2,715 loonies.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-military-bases-housed-afghan-evacuees-suffered-260-million-damage
USA HATE ANTI-ASIAN
A man from Denver went to California, apparently with only one task on his mind -- assaulting and screaming at people that he thought looked Asian.
The possible psycho spotted to ethnic-Korean women eating at an In-N-Out Burger and started ranting at them, for no apparent reason, except maybe he hates Asians.
Police arrested him and prosecutors will charge him, probably with a hate crime and incitement to violence.
https://kdvr.com/news/nationalworld-news/ap-us-news/ap-california-police-make-hate-crime-arrest-in-anti-asian-rant/
Random Thought
There are more Asians in the dressing room of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League than the entire administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden.
And speaking of SPORTS HOCKEY NHL
Anyone, anywhere who "passes Gordie Howe" deserves special mention, right?
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/24/1145436994/alex-ovechkin-nhl-goals-gordie-howe
VIDEO:
Judges who haven't a clue why there is Freedom of Speech and the United States guarantee of the First Amendment: [reason.com]
[Near-communist] judges of the U.S.A. Ninth Circuit Court write to their superiors:
"Don't Give Any First Amendment Protection for Racist Hate Speech.”
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/12/27/ninth-circuit-judge-urges-supreme-court-not-to-give-any-first-amendment-protection-for-racist-hate-speech/
FBI, DHS doing what pretty well everyone expects them to do.
Serial U.S. immigration fraudster walks again. Quelle Surprise!
Colorado is an exceptionally special U.S. state, populated pretty much exclusively by special special people.
That said, there are two dozen or more things that really annoy true Coloradoans. Here are two, and then click for a full list of 25.
1. Hello, I just moved here from California.
2. The Broncos fell flatter than a Fort Collins Pancake House flapjack. Again.
https://k99.com/colorado-things-that-annoy-coloradans/
TECHNOLOGY
With a new, Nvidia-powered AI program, the U.S. Postal Service has built a way to dramatically reduce the time it takes to find lost packages, down from several days to just two hours. [issuesinsights.com]
https://issuesinsights.com/2022/12/29/with-the-right-reforms-artificial-intelligence-can-transform-the-postal-service/
State of Survival: Shoot until you die! The 'best zombie game' for mobiles has just been ported to PC browser versions.
https://sos-pc.kingsgroupgames.com/tw/entry-2-en.html
There are times when the English language just isn't fun.,
The 50 Most Romantic Hotels in the World.
Yep, All Fishwrap editorial staff and photographers also have never heard of it.
It's on Koh Kood of far-off Trat province. Also, it's supposedly eco-friendly.
Here's the romantic description.
Soneva Kiri eco-friendly resort is the perfect intimate romantic escape, located between the ocean and the jungle. Your own Barefoot Butler will meet you as soon as you land at Soneva Kiri.
There are 36 private villas at the resort, each with their own private pool. Smaller villas include their own treepod dessert restaurant and water slide. Romantic activities include stargazing at the hotel’s observatory and treepod dining in the rainforest canopy.
ZOMG They forgot to mention the price! Which is roughly approximatly 90,000 Thai baht per night, or 3,525 loonies. But wait! That includes a free pillow on every bed.
https://bakeinto.com/romantic-hotels-in-the-world-2022/45
NOTE: In addition to this (only) Thai one, there are four "most romantic" hotels in Indonesia and one in Cambodia.
