Wino

Too bad Air Asia doesn't have a few flights leaving U-tapao. Sure would be easy for Pattaya residents.

The navy-operated U-tapao Airport in Chon Buri is poised to become a major transit point for tourists under a B995 million plan that calls for expansion of the facility that achieved prominence during the Vietnam War, after which it would be renamed U-tapao-Pattaya International Airport. Pattaya Mayor Itthipol Khunpluem revealed that under the plan spread over three years, U-tapao will get a new terminal and its passenger handling capacity triple from the current 400 to 1,200/hour, as would the number of aircraft bay from four to 12, taxiways improved, a separate cargo terminal built, connecting roads expanded and new ones built to facilitate the flow of traffic between U-tapao, Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports. U-Tapao is about 190 kilometres east of Bangkok but only 23 kilometres from Pattaya city. The expansion, noted the mayor, should go down well with tourists, specially those arriving by charter flights and that in turn should help bolster the local economy. Last year about 170 charter flights landed at U-tapao and this year their number is expected to go up to 200, most of them arriving from Russia, eastern Europe and South Korea. In the meantime, the mayor plans to ask more airlines to connect Pattaya with other tourist destinations in Thailand. Currently, only Bangkok Airways links Pattaya with Phuket and Samui. U-tapao poised for major turnaround

Thai students arrested in US Officials say 51 broke immigration visa rules US immigration officials have arrested 51 Thai students in Florida for breaking immigration rules. They were among 100 foreign students detained on Tuesday and Wednesday. All were studying at Florida Language School and are now being held at Broward Transitional Center and Krome Processing Center, deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said yesterday. The US Immigration Office reported to the Thai embassy in Washington that the students did not comply with their F1 visa requirements which stipulate full-time study. Their school was shut down and faulted with not strictly enforcing the visa rules with its students. "The 51 Thai students have not been allowed bail and they will meet the immigration judge within the next two days as the judge will consider them on a case-by-case basis," Mr Thani said. "If found guilty, they may fight the charge or travel back to Thailand." The embassy has coordinated with the US Immigration Office, the Thai community in Florida and its honorary consul, and sent its staff to help the students. "The Thai embassy also stressed to US immigration that the Thai students require fair treatment," he said. US immigration warned other Thai students who have violated visa rules to return to Thailand, inform US authorities or contact their embassy to avoid arrest, Mr Thani said. Thai students arrested in US

Media sources report that a nine-year-old girl has given birth to a healthy baby boy in the North Eastern Chinese province of Jilin, recently. China, the 5th of February 2010 [PDN]: Allegedly the young girl gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 2.75 kilograms on the 27th of January 2010. According to various sources the baby was delivered by caesarean section at the Changchun Hospital in Jilin, a province in North Eastern China. The parents of the young girl are allegedly seeking legal advice regarding the pregnancy, however the situation surrounding the conception is not clear. Sexual relations with a child under the age of 14 is an automatic rape conviction in China. It has been reported that the young mother and her child were recovering well and both had remained healthy despite the inherent complications involved with such a young pregnancy. Staff from the Changchun Hospital in Jilin were refusing to comment on the situation when contacted. Underage pregnancies are on the rise in China, with a leading Chinese hospital reporting that over 30% of their abortion cases were from girls under the age of 17. This is excluding those of school-age that follow through with the pregnancies. Nine-Year-Old Girl Gives Birth to Healthy Baby Boy � Pattaya Daily News – Pattaya news Powerful news at your fingertips

And still another article and source. Thai ministers met in a cabinet meeting recently where the main topic for discussion was the extension of the tourism stimulus package. This package was put together during 2009 to help combat the onset of the global economic recession which has severely affected the tourism industry in Thailand. Bangkok, March 2010 [PDN]: Thailand’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday announced the extension of a tourism stimulus package which was due to expire on the 31st of March. Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports claimed that the extension was aimed at continuing to persuade and influence foreign tourists into visiting the Kingdom. Deputy Government Spokesman Mr. Watchara Kannika informed the press that measures approved for extension included the exemption of fees on tourist visas, reduction in aircraft landing and parking fees, cutting of electricity consumption guarantee fund for hotel operators and the continuation of an insurance coverage program for tourists. Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports also presented the latest tourism figures to the cabinet, which stated that in 2009 some 14.09 million tourist visited the Kingdom. Those tourists are estimated to have injected an estimated 527.3 billion baht into Thailand’s economy for the year. Compared to the figures for 2008, tourists were down by 8.21% and revenue by 3.38%, however; due to the global economic crisis and continuing political instability this drop was somewhat anticipated. Concluding the cabinet meeting, the Tourism ministry projected that between 15.3 and 15.6 million tourist will visit the Kingdom during 2010 bring in over 600 billion baht revenue. Thailand Extend Visa Fee Exemption Until 2011 « Pattaya Daily News – Pattaya news Powerful news at your fingertips

A Yamaha Talent Festival has been announced for the young, organized by Tiffany Theatre Pattaya. The event will give the youth of the region a chance to impress and win the Princess Somsawalee award along with 700,000 baht in prize money. Pattaya 24th February 2010 [PDN] At the Tiffany Theatre on 24th February, Tiffany Director Miss Alisa Punthusak, Miss Rungthip Suksrikarn and Miss Jintana Witna, both music consultants of Siamgollakarn music school of Pattaya, joined in a press conference to announce the organisation of the “Yamaha Young Talent Contest 2010.†The event was organised in coordination with the Pattaya Fahmai Team and Siamgollakarn music school as well as the Tiffany Theatre. The competition will be held at the Tiffany Theatre on Sunday 21st March 2010 commencing at 9.00am and ending at 4pm. The winner will walk away with the Princess Somsawalee award with cash prizes totaling 700,000 baht also on offer. Announcing Pattaya’s “Yamaha Young Talent Contest 2010″ « Pattaya Daily News – Pattaya news Powerful news at your fingertips

Pattaya International Music Festival will be held Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21. The two main stages will at Bali Hai Pier and Beach Road Soi 4. Two additional stages will be at Beach Road at Pattaya Klang and in front of Central Festival shopping center. Additional stages may be announced later.

This is really ridiculous. NEW YORK (AFP) – Police in New Jersey ordered a snow sculpture modeled on the famous nude Venus de Milo to be covered up after a neighbor complained, the artist said Thursday. Elisa Gonzalez, 44, carved the ancient Greek-style torso from snow on her front lawn in Rahway and says her work was initially a hit. "It looked very beautiful," she said. "We got a lot of attention from people in the neighborhood. Some of them got out and took pictures and spoke to us." One neighbor clearly felt the snow nude -- headless, armless, and cut off above the knees -- was too hot. "We had a visit from the local police who told us that a neighbor had complained about the statue and we needed to cover it up or knock it down," Gonzalez said. "We didn't want to have any problem with the police so we covered it up." The original Venus de Milo, which is housed in Paris' Louvre museum, depicts a nude woman. She also is without arms, although her head is intact. US police order nude snow sculpture covered - Yahoo! News

I do not know the statistics on the safest mode of transportation, but I should guess flying would be the safest. For me, I feel safest when I have the most control and that is walking. Others probably do not feel the same, especially if they are unsteady on their feet and are in need of assistance.

The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?" THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MARINES. THE BEST! The Aisle Seat Two Radical Arab Terrorists boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat... Just before takeoff, a U.S. Marine sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the Marine kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up," said the Marine, "I'm in the aisle seat, "I'll get it for you." As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the Marines shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd really like one, too." Again, the Marine obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Arab picked up the Marines other shoe and spat in it. When the Marine returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the plane was landing, the Marine slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened. "Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes?"

I feel safest walking.

Low Mekong River levels will seriously hurt many in Southeast Asia. By DENIS D. GRAY, Associated Press Writer BANGKOK – Severe drought has dropped the Mekong River to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, halting some cargo traffic and boat tours on the Asian waterway that is the lifeblood for 65 million people in six countries, a draft report said.The decrease was caused largely by an early end to the 2009 wet season and low rainfall during the monsoons, rather than dams built upstream in China, according to documents drafted by the Mekong River Commission. "At this stage there is no indication that the existence of dams upstream has made the situation more extreme than the natural case," said the draft report seen by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Nongovernmental organizations have long blamed China for shrinking the Mekong and causing other ecological damage by building dams. A dozen exist or are planned on the river in the country where it originates. But dams have also been built or planned in other countries, principally on the river's many tributaries in Laos. Senior officials from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam met Wednesday in Luang Prabang, Laos, to discuss the river. China and Myanmar, the other two riparian countries, are not commission members. The report said the river level in southwestern China is the lowest in 50 years, with only half the volume that would be normal in February. Levels at mainstream measuring stations in Laos and northern Thailand are below those in 1992. River tour operators have stopped services on stretches of the river in Laos and cargo vessels have been halted in China's Yunnan province, the report said. The commission said the water scarcity has sparked fears of food shortages, lack of access to clean water and impoverishment in some of Southeast Asia's poorest regions. "This situation represents a wide regional hydrological drought affecting all countries in the upper part of the (Mekong) basin," the report said. It also noted the commission will hold further discussions with China but gave no details. Drought drops Mekong River to nearly 2-decade low - Yahoo! News

Corruption is a big problem. By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine wildlife officer is suspected of stealing more than 1,500 pounds (700 kilograms) of smuggled elephant tusks seized last year, an embarrassing setback for the country's anti-poaching efforts, an official said Wednesday.The ivory worth $65,000 was part of a 8,800-pound (4,000-kilogram) shipment of tusks that was impounded at Manila airport in July and turned over for disposal to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, said Theresa Mundita Lim, the agency's director. Trade in ivory is banned under U.N. rules. She said the theft of nearly a fifth of the stored tusks was discovered while inventory was being taken on a warehouse Friday. Seals on some of the boxes were broken and some of the original tusks were replaced by replicas made of PVC pipes covered with plaster, she said. Wildlife authorities filed administrative charges against a park supervisor, who may also face a criminal case depending on the probe by the National Bureau of Investigation, Lim said. The suspect, who was not identified, has not returned to work since Friday, she said. "This is really embarrassing because we should be among the proactive countries protecting internationally important species," Lim told The Associated Press. "It is already a shame that the tusks are smuggled here and the Philippines is an end-market, where the tusks are processed and finished products like carvings are exported from here." Lim said Interpol has informed her office that a team of inspectors from Tanzania is due to arrive next week to carry out DNA tests on the tusks to establish if they originated from the East African nation. She said she was not even sure if all the tusks seized at the airport were handed over to her bureau. Customs officials last year said the shipment was worth $2 million, but Lim said the street value of what was turned over to her office was about $450,000. "I don't know where the other portion of the shipment went," she said, adding that the investigation has been ongoing. The whereabouts of tusks confiscated in previous smuggling attempts in 2005 and 2008 also are unclear, she said. Corruption and smuggling, particularly in customs, has long been a concern. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo created an anti-smuggling group in 2007 to curb unlawful imports and other violations facilitated by corrupt customs officials. Trade in ivory was banned under the 1989 U.N. Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species that has helped in the recovery of the elephant population in several African countries. Officer suspected of stealing ivory in Philippines - Yahoo! News

I beleive this is one of my distant relatives! MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up, a popular daily reported on Friday. An ex-performer, Zhora became aggressive at his circus and was transferred to a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov, where he fathered several baby chimps, learned to draw with markers and picked up his two vices. "The beer and cigarettes were ruining him. He would pester passers-by for booze," the Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said. It added he has now been transferred to the city of Kazan, about 500 miles east of Moscow, for rehabilitation treatment Boozy chimp sent to rehab - Yahoo! News

By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON – At least 50 same-sex couples were lined up to apply for marriage licenses when city offices opened Wednesday, the day the unions became legal in the nation's capitol.Cheering erupted from the crowd when the first couple signed in at the city's marriage bureau inside the Moultrie courthouse, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Because of a mandatory waiting period of three business days, however, couples won't actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until March 9. Court officials have been told to expect up to 200 people They plan to have five people taking applications instead of the usual two. Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, and her partner of 12 years, Angelisa Young, 47, claimed the first spot in line just after 6 a.m. They are already domestic partners in the city, so they are converting that partnership into a marriage license. "It's like waking up Christmas morning," Young said. "It's really like a dream come true." Mike and Tobey Slagenweit-Coffman of Arlington, Va., had a civil union in Vermont and a big church wedding in Minnesota, but wanted to get legally married in D.C. Tobey Slagenweit-Coffman said allowing same-sex marriages in the nation's capital is historic. "It's signaling definitely a change in the mood of the country," he said. Washington will be the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont currently issue licenses to same-sex couples. To deal with the expected crowd Wednesday, the marriage bureau will bring in temporary employees to help its regular staff, courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz said. "Everybody who wants a marriage license is going to get one. It may take a little longer, but they will get their license," Gurowitz said. To prepare, the marriage bureau has changed its license applications so they are gender-neutral, asking for the name of each "spouse" rather than the "bride" and "groom." And at civil marriage ceremonies to be performed in the courthouse, a booklet for the official performing the marriage now reads, "I now pronounce you legally married" instead of "I now pronounce you man and wife." A marriage license application costs $35, and the marriage license $10. Couples who are already registered as domestic partners in the city can convert their registration into a marriage license by paying the $10 fee. Supporters expected the day to be festive. A District of Columbia councilman who introduced the gay marriage bill planned to hand out boxes of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes to the first 200 couples in line. Terrance Heath, 41, planned to be at the courthouse with his partner, Rick Imirowicz, 43. The two have been together for 10 years and have a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old, but Heath said Wednesday feels like "a step forward." "My husband has always been my husband to me, but having that legal recognition, that legal protection, makes it easier to deal with any number of situations," said Heath, a writer and blogger. "If you tell people you're married, you don't really have to explain much beyond that." The two, who live in Maryland, plan to marry on March 9, the first day possible. The gay marriage law was introduced in the 13-member D.C. Council in October and had near-unanimous support from the beginning. The bill passed and D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed it in December, but because Washington is a federal district, the law had to undergo a congressional review period that expired Tuesday. Opponents, however, are still attempting to overturn the bill in court. Same-sex marriage becomes legal in DC; line forms - Yahoo! News

Here is another article: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports have asked the government to extend the tourism stimulus measures for another year and yesterday deputy government spokesman Watchara Kannika confirmed that the the measures will be extended from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011. The free tourist visa measure was set to expire on March 5, 2010 and it looks like it still will and there will be a period of 3 weeks where the tourist visa will again be charged for before the April 1st stimulus measures start.The good news is that coupled with the free tourist visa initiative each foreign tourist will also be granted $10,000 of free riot insurance which will cover their trip in the event that things get dicey on the political front. The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and will only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa. The Riot insurance was first instituted last year between the months of May and October when many foreign tourists complained that they couldn’t buy trip insurance due to Thailand’s ongoing political instability. The trip insurance will cost the Thai government $1.00 per tourist or about 15 million dollars over the next year. <P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Full measures cited in this stimulus package include: Visa fee exemption for foreign tourists. Helping state agencies hold seminars and field trips in the country to boost domestic spending. Cutting the electricity consumption guarantee fund for hotel operators. Reduced aircraft landing and parking fees. Providing free-of-charge riot protection insurance worth US$10,000 for each foreign tourist. Allowing business operators who organize domestic seminars, training courses and tourist destination trips for employees to deduct the cost for tax purposes. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports noted that tourism was down by 3% from 2008-2009 and they feel that continuing the stimulus measures will help bring tourism numbers back up to where they are expected to be for 2010. It’s estimated by the Ministry that 15.3 to 15.5 million foreign tourists will visit Thailand in 2010. All in all some very good news to anyone visiting the Kingdom of Thailand this year for an extended stay. AKPC_IDS += "3096,"; Thailand Land of Smiles

A friend mentioned it. When I did a search, this came up from a different forum. BANGKOK: -- Less than one month after Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Thaivisa.com that the free tourist visa scheme would end on March 5, 2010, the Thailand Government has announced the tourism stimulus package will continue for another year, including $US10,000 in free riot insurance for tourists. The extension of the tourism industry stimulus package was approved by the cabinet today, March 2, 2010 in response to a request from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The extension will be effective from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011 and appears to leave a three and a half week window in which tourist visas for Thailand will be charged for. The tourism industry stimulus package includes: free-of-charge riot protection insurance worth US$10,000 for each foreign tourist; reduced aircraft landing and parking fees; help for state agencies to hold seminars and field trips in the country to boost domestic spending; and allows business operators who organise domestic seminars, training courses and tourist destination trips for employees to deduct the cost for tax purposes. The extension of the tourism industry stimulus package came on the back of a report to cabinet that inbound foreign tourism arrivals for 2009 dropped 3 percent over those in 2008, resulting in an 8 percent drop in revenue to Bt527 billion (about $US16 billion). The Tourism and Sports Ministry told cabinet that it expected inbound tourism arrivals for 2010 to increase by about 10 percent, to between 15.3 and 15.5 million, provided there was no major political disruptions throughout the year. The $10,000 free riot insurance coverage was introduced last year and initiated by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) in response to international insurance firms’ refusal to sell insurance coverage to visitors to Thailand following the 2008 closure of Thailand airports by members of the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD). When the insurance coverage was first introduced last year, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of TCT, said the government had set aside Bt190.75 million ($US5.820 million) for the initial six month period covering May to October, 2009, with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports responsible for paying the insurance premium of $1 per visitor. The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and appears to only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa. Resident expatriates living and working in Thailand on non-immigrant visas do not appear to be covered for death, injury or inconvenience caused by riots. Free Visa And US$10,000 Riot Insurance For Thailand Tourists Extended By One Year - Thailand Forum

I have heard the Thai government will again waive the fee on tourist visas starting in April.

How can the Thai military defend this scam? By Simon Montlake Bangkok, Thailand – A handheld scanner that claims to detect bombs at a distance of 700 meters but has been described by British scientists as a scam continues to stir political controversy in Thailand.The British-made GT200 scanner has been used for years by Thai troops battling a Muslim-led southern insurgency to check for explosives and locate bombs. But in a recent Thai government test, the scanner failed to detect explosives hidden in 4 out of 5 containers. The test follows weeks of pressure by domestic critics. A BBC investigation last month into several UK-made portable bomb detectors found no scientific basis for their stated use. In response, the British government banned the export of one such device, the ADE 651 made by ATSC, to security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Britain has warned foreign governments that similar detectors, including the GT200, are unreliable. (Read here how the Iraqi government spent $850 million on scanners manufactured for about $250 apiece.) However, Thailand’s military has insisted on keeping the GT200 and publicly defended its use. Its stance has fueled a political backlash over the procurement of hundreds of apparently dud detectors by the military and other security agencies. Opposition lawmakers and newspaper columnists have demanded that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva look into allegations of mark-ups in the price of the detectors, which cost up to $30,000 each. Untrusted machines In southern Thailand, where nearly 4,000 people have died since 2004 in a Muslim-led insurgency, soldiers have employed the GT200 to search vehicles, schools, and houses for explosives. Legal rights groups say that suspects have subsequently been detained since 2007 on the basis of positive readings by the device during mass sweeps by soldiers of Muslim villages. “The people in the south don’t believe in these machines. They don’t trust them,†says Angkhana Neelapaijit, who chairs the Working Group on Justice for Peace, a human rights organization in the southern city of Pattani. On Feb 22, two soldiers were injured after a 5-kilogram (11-pound) bomb exploded near a market in Pattani, a common insurgent tactic. The bomb was detonated by remote control after soldiers earlier patrolled the area using GT200s and failed to detect the bomb, the Bangkok Post reported. Thai courts don’t admit GT200 readings as evidence in criminal cases. But the military has used them widely to identify suspects in the south who are then “invited†for questioning under emergency laws, says Sunai Pasuk, a Thai researcher for Human Rights Watch. The group has documented torture and other forms of abuse in military custody. “All cases against insurgents will need to be reviewed. There must be compensation [for wrongful arrest], at the very least,†Exporting 'an empty plastic case'Global Technical, the UK manufacturer, says it exports it to more than 30 countries and denies any problems have risen from its use. A company spokesperson, Heidi Mallace, said that the Thai government’s tests were “not conclusive†and cited supportive Thai military statements. In a written response, she said the company had more than 150 positive reports from its customers, whose identities she declined to reveal. “If the operators of the device did not believe that the GT200 worked, do you think they would continue using it?†Ms. Mallace said. Distributors of the GT200, a black plastic box with an antenna on top, claim that it uses magnetism to detect substances ranging from explosives to narcotics to ivory and corpses. An explosives expert, Sidney Alford who examined it for the BBC described it as “an empty plastic case†that had no electronic parts inside. Neither the British military or any other NATO ally has bought the GT200 scanners. Mr. Abhisit, who took power just over a year ago with military support, has ordered government agencies to discontinue purchases of the GT200 and a similar scanner ordered by the Interior Ministry. But he has muted his criticism of the military and stopped short of ordering a mass recall. Panitan Wattanayagorn, a spokesman for Abhisit, said that soldiers still trust the GT200’s findings. “We tell them to be aware and to use it cautiously,†Unchallenged military spendingMs. Angkhana said she was in regular contact with bomb disposal officers who disputed the claims of their commanders and were angered by the device’s failings. “Most of the local soldiers know it can’t work and don’t want to use it,†she says. Political analysts say Abhisit is reluctant to challenge the military as he needs their support to contain street protests by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The military staged a coup in 2006 to remove Mr. Thaksin and froze $2.3 billion of his family’s assets. The Supreme Court decided Friday to confiscate $1.4 billion of the money. The military’s budget soared after the coup, and it began purchasing more equipment from overseas, including the GT200. Thai officials have said that more than 700 scanners have been acquired by military and civilian agencies at a total cost of over $20 million. Global Technical said it had sold an estimated 500 devices to Thailand. It denies any bribes were paid. “No buyers have taken legal action against GT and no clients have canceled their orders,†says Mallace Why Thailand still uses discredited bomb detectors - Yahoo! News

I don't feel safe in a car, but it sure beats a motorcycle.

Unless you are late, then it is lao lao.

For those of you wanting to test your travel IQ, here are a few links that may interest you. Travel & Cultures -- National Geographic scroll down and click on Quizzes The Traveler IQ Challenge™ Travel quiz - by travel authority Howard Hiilman Incompatible Browser | Facebook

Hard to believe shutting down one runway at JFK airport will lead to higher ticket prices and problems at other airports. That is what this article states: By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Transportation Writer NEW YORK – One runway, a whole lot of problems.The main runway at New York's John F. Kennedy International will be closed for four months starting March 1. Millions of travelers will experience delays — including some not flying anywhere near the Big Apple. JFK runway closure to rattle nerves, wallets - Yahoo! News-

I wonder if the prisioners will enjoy the used bras? I know I would not be wild about having used underwear.

I am with your friends. Any sign of trouble and I go the other way. Who needs an authentic red shirt souvenier anyway?