Thailand slowly returns to normal. Security guards beat the living crap out of a drunk Irishman who refused to pay his bar bill.
G-o-o—o-d morning Boys and Girls and others, worldwide.
Today is (or damned soon will be) Saturday, March 19. And there's no actual happy news.
Businessmen and women (finally) turn on Prayut
Possibly Chapter 1 in the fall of the Thai junta
The Thai business community, with the tourist industry out front, let the alleged 'prime minister' and ex-four-star general Prayut Chan-o-cha have it with both barrels, focusing mainly on his order to ban all water splashing during Songkran (April 10-17).
"If the government wants to ease measures to allow Songkran festivities to be held, it must not prohibit water splashing," said Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association.
"If you remove that trademark element, "tourists would have no idea why they should visit", he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2281451/
Everyone knows that water fights are the way that Covid-19 began, and it is how it spreads.
From Pattaya, but so encouraging, right?
Thailand slowly returns to normal. Security guards beat the living crap out of a drunk Irishman who refused to pay his bar bill.
On St. Patrick's Day!
Mall cops
Also in Saturday morning's headlines:
Tourism operators call for more restrictions to be lifted in line with other countries
... Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association and former power-hitting second baseman of the Transpo Bears managed by Alan Dawson, said scrapping the pre-arrival RT-PCR test might not be strong enough to lure international travellers back as those planning holidays now have several choices with far fewer restrictions than Thailand.
"In addition to Western markets, hotels have started to receive inquiries from South Korea, India and Singapore.
"However, travellers are reluctant to book their trips as Thailand still mandates more requirements than other countries," she said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2280898/
Starting on April Fool's Day, new rules to get into Thailand
Foreigners will not require proof of a pre-travel Covid-19 test. But testing on arrival will continue.
... People who enter the country through one of the programmes will be given an RT-PCR test on arrival.
They also will be required to perform an antigen self-test on day 5 after arrival and be monitored at their hotel.
Don't worry about that hotel thingy - you will be assigned to one and you will pay for it.
But no more RT-PCR tests, which is great.
PHOTO: No more revisions, until at least Monday. Promise.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/38733/covid-restrictions-ease-in-hopes-to-draw-new-tourists/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2281403/
If you're planning to travel up-country, there are new rules about that, too.
Covid controls eased in 24 provinces
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2281479/
Thailand rubs in the Message.
Friday's coronavirus news: 27,071 new cases, the most ever.
And 80 additional deaths.
Possibly unrelated:
Thai hospital stocks rise as Covid-19 cases surge
https://www.thaienquirer.com/38728/thai-hospital-stocks-rise-as-covid-19-cases-surge-tourism-up-after-relaxed-entry-rules/
Remember when China was held up as a model? Sure you do.
Well, as of Saturday morning nearly 30 million Chinese are living in lockdown.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-nearly-30-million-in-china-are-now-living-in-lockdown/
NEON NEWS
Speaking of 'Really Bad Signs of the Days to Come'...
Neon is a colourless, odourless gas.
It also is used to make stuff we use every day.
Also, it comes from the Ukraine.
https://www.vox.com/recode/22983468/neon-shortage-chips-semiconductors-russia-ukraine
THAILAND POLITICS
The totally reconstituted Setthakij Thai (Thai Economics) Party figures it can elect at least 100 Members of Parliament.
Party leader General (translation: junta-owned) Wit Devahastin na Ayudhya, said Setthakij Thai is the new home of Australia-convicted heroin trafficker Thamnat Prompow and 17 colleagues who were tossed out of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) by Prayut.
Thamanat used to run PPRP, the junta's political wing. Now, he will have new business cards identifying him as Setthakij Thai's secretary-general. His attractive wife Thanaporn Sriwiraj (circled inset) is the party's treasurer, which is handy as all get-out.
... The wannabe prime minister Thamanat said on Friday:
"I promise to steer Setthakij Thai in the right direction and make it a political institution the people can rely on."
He insisted the party would be on the people's side and that it is ready to support Prayut and the junta if they act in the people's best interests.
In Thailand, it's the 1950s all over again.
Parents urged to limit kids' screen time
Playing is healthier, experts advise
... Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health, said on Friday that the survey revealed the importance of real-life play in early childhood.
"Children learn while they’re playing.
"Parental interaction through play will contribute significantly to kids' development of cognitive and executive functioning skills," he said.
==
Just wondering:
Are these the same experts who have been working so darned hard on Covid-19 for the past two years?
But, at least in Singapore, it's not busy or urgent. Actual headline from Orchard Road:
Authorities investigating woman seen not wearing a mask in public in two separate incidents
On Mar 6, local blogger Wendy Cheng, also known as Xiaxue, posted a video on Instagram of a woman in sunglasses walking into a video she was recording at the time along Orchard Road. The woman was seen not wearing a mask.
She was also caught on video on Mar 12 at Jewel Changi Airport without a mask on.
In a response to CNA's queries, an ESG spokesperson said that the woman not wearing a mask in public in both instances has been identified to be the same person. Both ESG and STB are investigating the case.
https://bityl.co/BNVr
Blinken joins Biden in accusing Russia of war crimes; 21 people killed by rockets: Live Ukraine updates
US collecting Russian 'war crimes' evidence
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is evaluating and documenting potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2022/03/18/war-crimes-us-collecting-evidence-against-russia-ukraine/7085333001/
Not that there is any connection but...
Guy No. 1 is the guy who has refused to visit the country he insists is "democratic" even when his aeroplane stopped at Bangkok for a refill.
Guy No. 2 is the guy who refuses to nominate or recommened an ambassador to Thailand.
Blinken joins Biden in accusing Russia of war crimes; 21 people killed by rockets: Live Ukraine updates
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/17/ukraine-russia-invasion-live-updates/7071611001/
And by the way Two Guys, there are real, actual war crimes being committed in Myanmar.
It's sickening but you can literally sit in Thailand and watch some of the atrocities in Myanmar.
Too much trouble, I suppose.
Blasts from the past...
1950: Secretary of State Dean Acheson gives North Korea a green light to invade South Korea.
2022: The Big Guy gives Pal Putin the green light to invade the Ukraine.
One hopes Biden's actions result in less severe consequences.
The whole world remembers that insane attempt by right-wing white supremacists to pass off the story of The First Son's Laptop as legit. What a bunch of seditionists they were, eh?
Good piece here by Jonathan Turley on how the MSM screwed us, badly.
I know dezinformatsiya. I know it quite well. And Hunter Biden's laptop wasn't and isn't dezinformatsiya.
PHOTO: World's Richest First Son: Self-Portrait.
https://jonathanturley.org/2021/04/02/npr-corrects-false-hunter-biden-claim-but/
The country that invented and spread Covid-19 novel virus is totally without clues on how to stop it.
Shanghai pushes ahead with mass COVID-19 tests as new cases spike
The city, home to about 25 million people, saw symptomatic local community infections hit 57 on Mar 17, with another 203 domestically transmitted asymptomatic cases, up from eight and 150 respectively a day earlier.
etc etc etc
The nation's president-for-life is quite concerned, although ensconsed on his backside.
Xi Jinping: China should take more effective COVID-19 measures, minimise economic, social impact.
Helpful hints.
PHOTO: Barricades are set up surrounding a residential compound, following the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Shanghai.
The Shanghai government, while stressing there would be no city-wide lockdown as in other cities, said it would test residents on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis, and order 48-hour lockdowns while they waited for their results.
Translation: There will be lockdowns in Shanghai.
Royal robe rite
Every year at this time, Thailand's King or his designate, changes the robes of the Emerald Buddha, to match the main changes in the country's weather.
On Friday His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun went to the temple to perform the ceremony of adorning the image with "summer robes".
He was accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen Suthida and by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati.
LAOS THAILAND
And speaking of digging in a knife in the back...
Thailand's Queen bestowed a royal grace to the Lao Ambassador to pay respects
Her Majesty the Queen paid respects to him on the occasion of his retirement.
https://www.matichon.co.th/court-news/news_3241124
In 2018, inimitable Chris Hitchens recalls the end of the Cold War. And the rise of psychopathic dictator, Vlad "The Invader" Putin.
And the totally sham "peace dividend".
Wait! This does not compute!
I was assured that all these guys wanted to ride a bullet train in order to meet their virgins.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/pakistani-9/11-mastermind-could-be-spared-death-penalty-as-us-prosecutors-negotiate-plea-deal-report/articleshow/90255344.cms
This is 41 seconds and it's the best wolf video I have ever watched.
