Loy Krathong festivities postponed

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has postponed its annual Loy Krathong celebrations in honour of the late Supreme Patriarch.

TAT deputy governor for domestic marketing Thawatchai Arunyik said festive activities will be suspended because the country is in mourning.



The government has extended the mourning period to Nov 23. The festival falls on Nov 17 this year.

He said the TAT will discuss the Loy Krathong celebrations, which are usually organised in Bangkok and other major tourist destinations, when the mourning period is over.

Read the full article at the Bangkok Post.

Crystal Club Agogo, LK Metro

Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree...........



Bouncing again last night.....

Pattaya faces crime crackdown

In a move to fight widespread crime, especially that which targets foreigners in Pattaya - the resort town which attracts more than 9 million tourists a year - the local administration says it has joined hands with police to launch a larger crime-busting force.



A negative rating recently by travel website CNNgo.com, which said Pattaya was one of seven places in Thailand that travelers should avoid due to frequent crimes, has prompted the Royal Thai Police to mobilise more officers to boost the Pattaya force's crime-busting capacity. The extra officers come from sections such as Highway Police, Marine Police, the Crime Suppression Division and Immigration Bureau, in addition to Tourism Police, who have long operated in Pattaya and Chon Buri province.

The new police task force will be led by deputy police commander Pol General Wuthi Liptapanlop and assisted by authorities in Bang Lamung district - where Pattaya is located - as well as a group of foreign civil patrolmen, Thai rescue workers and civilians from different charities.

Read the full article at The Nation.

Dean Barrett's video guide to Soi Cowboy

via Nana Journals.

I Love Insomnia Party Photos

An album of photos from the recent 'I Love Insomnia' party.

Thailand suffers worst dengue epidemic in more than 20 years

Thailand is experiencing its largest dengue epidemic in more than two decades, with a record number of people infected by the mosquito-borne disease and 126 fatalities so far this year, health experts said on Thursday, pointing to climate change as a factor behind the spike in cases.

"We are experiencing the highest number of cases in over 20 years, but the fatalities are not alarming compared to previous years, which shows our medical response is improving," said Sophon Mekthon, deputy director-general at the Ministry of Public Health.

Read the full article at Thomson Reuters Foundation

Thailand, Myanmar visa-free agreement for signing next month

Thailand is expected to sign a visa-exemption agreement with Myanmar next month during a visit by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a Myanmar Foreign Ministry official said.



''We will sign an agreement once the Thai government has approved it. I don't know exactly when we will be able to sign but probably during the Thai prime minister's visit to Myanmar next month,'' Aung Htoo, deputy director-general of Myanmar's Asean Affairs Department, told the Myanmar Times.

The agreement approved by the Thai cabinet on Tuesday will allow Thai and Myanmar visitors mutual visa-free entry for up to 14 days if they travel by air through 23 airports in Thailand. Border crossings by land are not included.

Read the full article at The Bangkok Post.

* For nationals of Thailand and Myanmar only.

Sexy Asian Lady #157

Fire at Pattaya Soi Marine / V.C.

The Bangkok Post is reporting that 20 buildings were damaged in the fire.


via Pattaya Channel.

Landfill project costing Bt450mill to halt Pattaya Beach erosion

Like other coastal cities, Pattaya is losing parts of its majestic beach to erosion at the rate of one metre every monsoon season.

A massive landfill project, to cost the central government Bt450 million, is planned to restore the city's 2.7-kilometre beach to its former glory. About 50 years ago, Pattaya boasted 35 metres of beachfront, but presently, sandy areas are less than five metres in width during high tide. Under the project, tonnes of sand would be transported to the beachfront to restore the condition of the city's North, Central and South Pattaya beaches. 

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh was optimistic that the landfill project was a sustainable solution for keeping the beachfront in pristine condition. He said the area would first undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA) under the supervision of the Marine Department. The city has already spent Bt16 million in emergency funds to check the 29-metre erosion of North Pattaya beach. Hundreds of giant sandbags line the beach. 

Kasetsart University environmentalist Somnuk Jongmeewasin said the landfill was a stopgap solution for coastal erosion. "The sustainable way to solve erosion is to refrain from encroaching on the sea", he said. "Man made diversions of the tide and current are the main causes of this erosion. For example, the construction of the Truth Sanctuary in Pattaya Bay has had an adverse impact on the surrounding environment."

Read the full article at The Nation.

Sexy Asian Lady #156

CSI Pattaya - "Forget the DNA, just get the fingerprints......."

Pattaya Beach River

via Dave Foden

Tropical storm Nari to miss Bangkok?

MCOT are reporting that tropical storm Nari will miss Bangkok but the following satellite image from the Thai Met Office suggests it will be a close run thing.



I hope MCOT are right cause to me it looks as though it's got both Pattaya and Bangkok in it's sights. We may miss the heart of the storm but we will still feel it's 'beat'..... to the Arks.......

Photos of Insomnia Pattaya's Masquerade Party

An album of photos from Insomnia's October 2013 Masquerade Party.


Just giving a sample????

Pattaya Classical Guitar Festival & Competition - Oct 27

Many leading musicians from around the world will perform at the annual Pattaya Classical Guitar Festival & Competition being held at the Siam Bayshore Hotel, Pattaya, on Oct 27.



This all-day event will kick off with the adult and junior guitar competitions at 9am, followed by a world-class guitar exhibition at 1pm.

At 6pm, the "Master Concert" with performances by local guitar masters Woratep Rattana-umpawan, Sakol Siripipattanakul, Pongpat Pongpradit, Santi Kaewjai and 10P11 Guitar Duo will begin. 

The day will then culminate with a spectacular concert at 8pm, featuring expert performances from Pia Gazarek Offermann (Germany), Paul Cesarczyk (USA/Poland), Leon Koudelak (Switzerland/Czech Republic), Tomonori Arai (Japan) and Hitoshi Miyashita (Japan/Thailand), and Maria Duo (Japan). 

Tickets cost 500 baht (400 baht for students)

For the full article go to The Bangkok Post.

Sexy Asian Lady #155

Sexy Asian Lady #154

Beta BBC Playlister service launched today

BBC Playlister, a new digital service that allows listeners to tag any piece of music they hear on the BBC and listen to it later, has gone live.



And it works in Thailand..... but things could change.

Carrie in a coffee shop

This is so, so clever and gets funnier by the minute.



via Terry 'Crocks'

Sexy Asian Lady #153

via Nong Kamsatid & Nong Model's

What's the best cure for a hangover?

It has long been a strong coffee or even a Bloody Mary that a worn-out reveler has turned to the morning after the night before.



Now, however, experts say that Sprite may be best thing to lay your hands on.

Chinese scientists examined 57 beverages - ranging from herbal teas to fizzy pop - before concluding that the lemon and lime drink performed the best.

They first decided to look at what causes a hangover and discovered that rather than the alcohol itself, it could be the process of the body breaking down the alcohol that causes symptoms such as nausea and headache.

Study finds the lemon and lime drink is the best at helping the body process alcohol




Footnote:
Hangover headaches are the result of alcohol damaging the brain, causing it to swell temporarily and crash against the skull.

But as we age our brains shrink, so there is more room for it to swell before it hits the bone.

Rag - It's not the only bloody thing shrinking with age.......

Read the full article at the Mail Online.

Our happy retirement in a Thai sex haven

A group of British retirees explain why they feel young at heart in peaceful Pattaya, which has more to it than its seedy reputation.



The eastern Thai resort town and notorious sex haven that is Pattaya doesn’t seem like an obvious retirement destination.

But while Pattaya may have a tarnished image in the Western media, two British retiree couples who have lived happily in the region for the past 12 years insist it’s not as hedonistic as it’s cracked up to be.

Graham and Felicity Smith, 70 and 69, and Wendy and John Khan, 64 and 60, say that beyond the tourist traps is a tolerant and peaceful community no more debauched than others.

"In other countries there’s sex for sale but it’s just hidden," says Graham. "Here, it’s not. It’s totally different to how it’s portrayed."

Read the full article at The Telegraph.

Sexy Asian Lady #152

Sexy Asian Lady #151

via Shake Girl.

Sexy Asian Lady #150