Thailand's dugong are thriving

Good morning kids. Please settle down, at least a few minutes.
Wednesday is here and gone. It's Thursday throughout the world, December 8, 2022.
You have just about two weeks to scout the stores for the Christmas present you want for your sweetie.

The mercury in the eastern region of Nong Bon bottomed out early this morning at a ridiculously chilling 25 Celsius, or 77 in the American language, with an actual chill factor just below 75.
Thank goodness for warm clothing and hot women to sleep with.

CORONAVIRUS CONSERVATION DUGONG
 The past three years of lockdowns, lockups and general confusion have been A-Okay for Thailand's dugongs of the Andaman Sea just off the country's southeast coast.
 Other 'sea cows' have been found in the Gulf, near Krabi and Phangnga.
The junta's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources reported yesterday they had counted at least 273 of the animals - but there probably are more.
18 dugong beached themselves or ran into stingrays and fishing nets, and 13 died.
Dugong have been declared a national symbol of Thailand.
Dugong eat sea grass and grow to enormous size.

THAILAND DEEP SOUTH SEPARATISTS
YALA, Thailand: Prosecutors claimed they busted the hardest line hard-line separatist group ever.
It's called the PULOG5 after a mostly defunct group of the 1970s, based in Sweden.
Judges jailed two accused leaders Muelee Hama and Waearyu Waetayeh to prison for more than 17 years on charges of terrorism and conspiracy against the state. Both were based in Sweden.

10m foreign tourist target nears
'Near' but not yet here
PREDICTION Du Forum
by Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi (centre, below), former 4-tool hard-hitting second baseman of the Transpo Bears, and current president, Thai Hotels Association:
 The [tourist] market next year will continue to grow after gaining momentum from Russian and East Asian tourists, who helped fill up rooms last month.
 But we still have to be cautious about potential headwinds and  several  challenges,  especially manpower shortages and insufficient skilled labour.

https://bangkokpost.com/

THAILAND POLITICS
TIMELINE
Tuesday morning: Paetongtarn Shinawatra, de facto leader of the No.1 opposition Pheu Thai Party, promised a doubling of Thailand's national minimum raise to 600 baht per day, plus a law mandating a minimum wage of 25,000 baht per month for all workers with a bachelor's degree.
Tuesday afternoon: A strong attack by the token 'prime minister' Prayut, stating that Thailand can't afford it.
Wednesday evening: Paetongtarn pulls back, as elite businesses join Prayut's attack.
She told Pheu Thai leaders she has a vision: Think Big and Act Smart.

 The next four years will be the years that our country will bounce back and regain our dignity and pride.

There might be an election around next May, but it's up to Prayut.
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2022/12/07/thaksins-daughter-paetongtarn-outlines-pheu-thais-vision/

GRAPHIC: USC News - University of Southern California

ECONOMY RECESSION CHINA

U.S. imports are up but not with China.
WEDNESDAY REPORTS
U.S. manufacturing orders from China down 40% in unrelenting demand collapse
U.S. manufacturing orders from China collapse. "U.S. manufacturing orders in China are down 40 percent. As a result of the decrease in orders, Worldwide Logistics tells CNBC it is expecting Chinese factories to shut down two weeks earlier than usual for the Chinese Lunar New Year (January 24).
TODAY: U.S. Trade Deficit Rises 5.4% to Four-Month High.
https://tinyurl.com/yn58a6st

USA POLITICS SNOWFLAKES 'JUSTICE'
It's only North America but the flip-flopping of hard-core leftists is Olympic-quality.
 OUT: DEFUND THE POLICE.
 IN: Following killing, University of New Mexico students demand more cops: Resolution passed 19-0.
https://www.thecollegefix.com/following-killing-university-of-new-mexico-students-demand-more-cops/

USA CHINA CCP
And all the way, directly from the heavily guarded headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party at Zhongnanhai House [中南海], the CCP's exclusive analysis:
 The US-initiated trade war against China further failed in 2021.
There was no progress over the past year.
PHOTO: Zhongnanhai House, Beijing, home of the Chinese Communist Party and site of all Chinese government policy decisions.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202112/1241216.shtml

Related, in the all-important political sense:
GLEICHSCHALTUNG:
 The Montreal Canadiens (an under-performing professional hockey team) apologize for their goalie's Instagram post.
Carey Price had the gal-durned Canadian nerve to criticise Justin the Younger.
Up to this morning the Canadiens' executives had not directly criticised Price for stopping pucks shot by opposing teams.
 Montreal Canadiens wish to express their sincere apology to any and all who have been offended or upset by the discourse that has arisen over this matter in recent days.

Proposed new Canadian Law (Bill C-21) will ban sales of handguns, rifles and shotguns that are
 capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner and that is designed to accept a detachable cartridge magazine with a capacity greater than five cartridges.
The [Canadian] Trudeau (junior) Liberals aren’t even hiding it anymore, they are coming for hunting rifles and shotguns.
 -- Editorial, Toronto Sun
We are not going after the rifles and shotguns used by hunters and others in a law-abiding way.
 -- Statement, Trudeau the Younger
The best goalie in hockey, bar none, stands on guard for thee.

Toronto Star: https://bityl.co/G4ZM

THAILAND POLITICS MISIDENTITY
A quick recapitulation:
The U.S. State Department and its overseer Don Tony Blinken have mandated the description of Thailand as "democratic" or "democracy" with no deviation allowed.
On Tuesday, the self-appointed ex-Royal Thai Army commander and four-star 'prime minister' Prayut Chan-o-cha announced
• he will hold the position for two more years (or so)
and then
• he will choose his successor, much like North Korea and Singapore.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2454445/

APEC CENSORSHIP THAILAND
Addendum
https://prachatai.com/english/node/10100
Covert action censors official APEC documents
The ruling Thai junta and its ministry of foreign affairs secretly removed all references to "Russia", to "Ukraine" and to the word "war" from all official APEC papers including the final statement of the November 18-19 summit.
So far, there is no accountability or correction.
A source within Thailand's MFA told the progressive news website Prachatai.com that the censorship meant to "soften" APEC statements that might seem to criticise either of the two sides, or an APEC member.
Thailand, host of the APRF summit has claimed it is neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to a Facebook post from Free Thai Civil Servant (FTCS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has downplayed Thailand's language about not only the ongoing war in Ukraine, but also its stance on "peace and stability" at large.
Much more at
https://www.facebook.com/FreeThaiCivilServant/
https://prachatai.com/english/node/10100

Attention writers of Letters to the Editor, Bangkok Post:
 The U.S. State Department ["Thailand is a democracy"] is hiding information about its atheism grants. Who knew that there were U.S. government atheisms grants?
 You could be eligible.
 The grants (not tiny) are meant to help to protect U.S. citizen-atheists who list/travel overseas.
 The Biden administration has refused to answer congressional questions on the subject.
https://bityl.co/G496

People of a certain natural maturity will remember this.