Thailand's tourism picks up
Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Daily Fishwrap.
Please Note: As always, pants are required.
You are permitted, nay, encouraged to find a warm puppy or kitten to curl up in your lap as you proceed. Or both.
U.S.A. SPORTS
As predicted right here, last February 2 and re-broadcast frequently by your Daily Fishwrap, the fighting, battling Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team won second place in Stanley Cup play.
 The Tampa Bay Tribune called it "The End Of An Era", which seems a bit hubristic, if not downright grandiose. Even Paul Anka lasted more than two years. Even D.J. Trump. Even the Canadiens.
 Lightning's team members have first dibs on which golf course to play.
 A newspaper in the city where people call the Cup winners "Les Nordiques" reported morosely:
https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/defending-champion-lightnings-bid-for-three-peat-falls-short
BoT predicts global recession evaded
Thai GDP growth of 3.3% this year
Thailand's central bank predicted on Monday that the world's inflation rate will slow down by next year.
How slow?
"We forecast that Europe's GDP growth rate this year will be 2.8% before dipping to 1.8% next year."
 Piti Disyatat, assistant governor for monetary policy, Bank of Thailand
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2334808/
Street Food: Prices in Thailand continue going up
Vendors of street food are following the market.
The bad news: They're charging more but making less.
Thailand's July 1 Rules
If you intend to fly, boat or walk to Thailand, here are the latest New Rules you will hit, starting on Friday, July 1 (better known as Canada Day).
Fully Vaccinated or Test Negative on the spot
Notice Rules Number 3 and Number 4: If immigration or health employees don't like your Vaxxport or medical explanations, they will send you to a 72-Hour Lockdown, for which you will pay.
True: On Canada Day, Thailand's Public Health Ministry will declare Post-Pandemic Covid-19, because after Friday, Chinese SARS Cov-2 novel coronavirus will likely cause only small and medium clusters.
"Likely, probably, maybe".
https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/2334763/
Thailand's tourism picks up
Between January 1 and June 26, Thailand welcomed 2.03 million foreign tourist arrivals as several entry restrictions were eased.
Most were from
 India (220,962),
 Malaysia (184,782),
 the U.K.(121,328),
 Singapore (121,264) and
 the U.S.A. (102,964)
"The relaxation of restrictions and the promotional activities will create a major impact and help revitalise the tourism industry more quickly."Traisulee Traisaranakul, Prayut's deputy spokeslady.
Two of the arrivals on Monday already had Covid-19.
Airlines to resume two China travel routes
Thailand is ready to welcome the return of Chinese tourists after Thai airlines were allowed to resume operating two flights between the countries each week for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/2334658/
The new narrative:
Starting on Friday, there will be more Covid, but not serious.
 "We will keep to our schedule to announce the post-pandemic era on July 1."
 And what we expect to see is only small or medium clusters that will not do any harm to our public health service. The disease will be under control."
 Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health.
GLOBAL WARMING JAPAN
Electric power supplies are expected to be near their capacity in Tokyo and eight nearby prefectures today. And there's a heat wave!
33 degrees in mid-afternoon is a "heat wave" in Japan. Nation of Wuss.
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
The disease that cannot be cured was not cured. Monday statistics:
1,735 confirmed new cases
15 deaths
22,895 active cases
610 serious cases
2,138 recovered
Two of the new cases were from abroad.
Cumulative cases of Covid in Thailand since January 1, 2022: 2,292,455
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017073
VERY RELATED
U.S.A. VACCINE POLITICS
The Useless and Rotting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
 confirmed in late 2021 that a person died from blood clotting after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine that had previously been linked with an increased risk of blood clotting,
 but (got that)
did not alert the public or the medical community for two weeks, newly obtained emails show.
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/cdc-confirmed-post-vaccination-death-blood-clotting-two-weeks-alerting-public-emails
Effective immediately in Phuket province
• Wearing facemasks outdoors is voluntary.
• Restaurants, pubs, bars, karaoke joints and similar entertainment venues can serve alcohol during their operating hours.
• Public gatherings are allowed, but no more than 2,000 people. With advance permission.
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017076
Also effective immediately, in Bangkok
Motorcycles on Bangkok sidewalks (footpaths) will cost an immediate, no-protest, on-the-spot fine of 5,000 baht in real money, or 182 loonies.
DIPLOMACY COMMENTARY
Analyst/columnist Kavi Chongkittavorn believes there are
Six reasons to recalibrate Thai-US ties
And he writes
After the joint Thailand-US Strategic and Defence Dialogue in Washington in May, the alliance has been reinvigorated.
Suddenly, the Biden administration seems to realise that Thailand remains a key ally in the region.
PHOTO: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, and Thailand's designated 'prime minister' Prayut inspect an honour guard at Government House in Bangkok on June 13.
Nice photo, BUT
 U.S. bloggers have started a campaign to cancel Austin. For example:
 Jazz Shaw, a well-known internet commentator for years, now states:
Lloyd Austin needs to resign as Secretary of Defense
Bloggers are highly annoyed that Austin dived into the current U.S. issue of abortion. And he absolutely, completely had no idea what he was talking about.
Where 'absolutely' is an absolute word.
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/06/26/lloyd-austin-needs-to-resign-as-secretary-of-defense-n478790
ASEAN MYANMAR SUU KYI
ASEAN threatens to use the same old political tactic that has not worked even one time since 1962.
 Asean envoy appeals to Myanmar junta to spare Suu Kyi jail
 Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will make his second trip to Myanmar from Wednesday, a spokesperson for his ministry said, as part of the junta's peace commitment with 10-member ASEAN.
PHOTO: A protester holds a poster featuring detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration in Yangon. (File photo from March, 2021.)
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2334868/
The Department of 'Not Surprised' reports:
Cambodia ruling party wins 80% of local council seats
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party won 9,338 out of the 11,622 commune council seats up for election.
https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/provisional-results-give-cambodian-ruling-party-victory-in-local-elections/
America's Newspaper of Record:
 Authorities Warn Tonight's Protests May Escalate From 'Mostly Peaceful' To 'Somewhat Peaceful.'
[Tuesday morning joke]
A very sad story.
Brenda lives in California (Fernando Valley). She was sick of the world, of Covid-19, Trump, Russian belligerence, China, global warming, racial tensions, and the rest of the disturbing stories that occupy media headlines.
Brenda drove her car into her garage and then sealed every doorway and window as best she could. She got back into her car and wound down all the windows, selected her favorite radio station, started the car and revved it to a slow idle.
Two days later, a worried neighbor peered through her garage window and saw her in the car. She notified the emergency services and they broke in, pulling Brenda from the car.
A little sip of water and, surprisingly, she was in perfect condition, but her Tesla had a dead battery.
TECHNOLOGY CHINA
China sent a fresh warning to its booming livestreaming industry.
USA POLITICS
RUSSIA UKRAINE G7
Four members of the G7 swore on a stack of holy books that they will ban all imports of Russian gold. Is it possible?
 BoJo claimed that England's ban "will directly hit Russian oligarchs and strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine." Well, all right then.
 Joseph Biden said the G7 team members have to stick together, and no one dared to tell him the vote was 4-3.
The Quartz news analysts had a good line:
Globalization held out the shimmering prospect of a zero-friction world. But in global economics, just as in physics, zero friction is near-impossible.
Russia goes full export ban; Las Vegas hardest hit.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/06/shortages-of-neon-other-rare-gases-likely-in-wake-of-russian-limiting-exports/
U.S.A. POLITICS HISPANIC
A quick comment on the problem with American politics. With interesting background.
 SALENA ZITO: Why Mexican-born Representative Mayra Flores is the future of the Republican party.
 Flores, a 30-something mother of four, told me she was brought up with 'strong conservative values that focused on faith, family and hard work.' She won nearly 51% of the vote against her Democratic opponent's 43% in the special election to replace Democrat Filemon Vela, who retired before his term ended...
And then we hit the bottom line:
 She said Hispanic voters see themselves as Americans, while Democrats see Hispanic voters as an ethnic voting bloc.
https://nypost.com/2022/06/25/mexican-born-mayra-flores-is-the-future-of-the-republican-party/
NOT KIDDING
The Anarchist's Cookbook of the (our) (21st century.
The Devil's Toy Box: Exposing and Defusing Promethean Terrorists
 Promethean: A technology is one that allows someone of average resources, skills, and intelligence to carry out actions that were once only doable by governments, militaries, or institutions with considerable resources.
 Chilling - but realistic - scenarios of future terrorism.
or, basically,
How to make weapons of mass destruction from common articles you have or can buy.
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Toy-Box-Promethean-Terrorists-ebook/dp/B09JS7DHTZ
ALSO Global Warming
