I believe that too. A lot of Russians came to Pattaya to avoid Putin's conscription. I have no idea how many are still in Pattaya. Maybe none if their visas expired. But I think most Russians coming now, Chinese too, come for a holiday.
By Barry Kenyon
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Thai government tweaks guidelines on latest visas
By Barry Kenyon
September 17, 2024
The Interior Ministry has issued fresh guidelines for the much-discussed Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) and the boost for visa-exempt tourists from 30 to 60 days. The DTV is seen as groundbreaking as it frees remote workers from needing a work permit as long as their employment is with overseas companies or contractors. The ministry has now doubled-down by insisting that “such work must not impinge in any way on the Thai economy”, a very broad restriction.
Meanwhile, those tourists entering Thailand with a visa-exempt 60 days – the vast majority – must watch their step when they are not sightseeing. An initial announcement by the Tourist Authority of Thailand last July mentioned that “ad hoc or urgent work” could be undertaken for up to 15 days provided the tourist had notified the Department of Labor. Examples given were attending conferences or meetings and – more surprisingly – repairing machinery, auditing accounts or inspecting products.
The Interior Ministry now states that, whilst attending occasional meetings is ok, temporary work permits (maximum of two for 15 days each) will be needed for the more weighty stuff mentioned above. Answering complaints that the ruling is a tad ambiguous, the ministry said that more detailed rulings would be available in due course. This is likely a timely reflection of the 10 Pheu Thai governmental priorities for the next year, announced on September 14, which include an “overhaul of visa processing”.
This projected overhaul is likely to encompass a great deal more. Government spokespeople last July pointed out that the types of non-immigrant visas should be reduced as functions such as medical tourism, family visas and permission to make movies in Thailand might be subsumed by the new DTV. Not to mention the different rules for retirees under the OA and O extension of stay regulations.
Also awaiting clarification is the ETA, or electronic travel authorization, which next year will require all visa-exempt travellers to seek permission in advance of their journey. Once this data base is integrated with that overseeing the issuing of visas, a stated government aim, there will be no significant difference. Everyone will be checked on the same data base for past criminal convictions and/or deportation from Thailand as well as for Interpol warrants.
The visa overhaul also gives an opportunity for the immigration bureau to influence the upcoming bureaucracy. There are so many agencies involved in publicity about visas – Tourist Authority of Thailand, Board of Investment, The Cabinet, Department of Labor etc – that it’s often forgotten that the actual implementation is performed by immigration officers at airports and borders. So far, the bureau has been strictly silent.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... sas-472580
By Barry Kenyon
September 17, 2024
The Interior Ministry has issued fresh guidelines for the much-discussed Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) and the boost for visa-exempt tourists from 30 to 60 days. The DTV is seen as groundbreaking as it frees remote workers from needing a work permit as long as their employment is with overseas companies or contractors. The ministry has now doubled-down by insisting that “such work must not impinge in any way on the Thai economy”, a very broad restriction.
Meanwhile, those tourists entering Thailand with a visa-exempt 60 days – the vast majority – must watch their step when they are not sightseeing. An initial announcement by the Tourist Authority of Thailand last July mentioned that “ad hoc or urgent work” could be undertaken for up to 15 days provided the tourist had notified the Department of Labor. Examples given were attending conferences or meetings and – more surprisingly – repairing machinery, auditing accounts or inspecting products.
The Interior Ministry now states that, whilst attending occasional meetings is ok, temporary work permits (maximum of two for 15 days each) will be needed for the more weighty stuff mentioned above. Answering complaints that the ruling is a tad ambiguous, the ministry said that more detailed rulings would be available in due course. This is likely a timely reflection of the 10 Pheu Thai governmental priorities for the next year, announced on September 14, which include an “overhaul of visa processing”.
This projected overhaul is likely to encompass a great deal more. Government spokespeople last July pointed out that the types of non-immigrant visas should be reduced as functions such as medical tourism, family visas and permission to make movies in Thailand might be subsumed by the new DTV. Not to mention the different rules for retirees under the OA and O extension of stay regulations.
Also awaiting clarification is the ETA, or electronic travel authorization, which next year will require all visa-exempt travellers to seek permission in advance of their journey. Once this data base is integrated with that overseeing the issuing of visas, a stated government aim, there will be no significant difference. Everyone will be checked on the same data base for past criminal convictions and/or deportation from Thailand as well as for Interpol warrants.
The visa overhaul also gives an opportunity for the immigration bureau to influence the upcoming bureaucracy. There are so many agencies involved in publicity about visas – Tourist Authority of Thailand, Board of Investment, The Cabinet, Department of Labor etc – that it’s often forgotten that the actual implementation is performed by immigration officers at airports and borders. So far, the bureau has been strictly silent.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... sas-472580
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Latest anti-cannabis moves reflect political compromise not moral outrage
By Barry Kenyon
September 21, 2024
The health ministry’s latest draft law on cannabis reflects the Cabinet’s determination to avoid a parliamentary split between friends and foes. The draft would restrict cannabis use to medical treatment, research by official agencies and as an optional extra to food and herbal products. Stiff penalties, including stiff fines and possible jail time, thus theoretically await those naughties caught in criminal deviance. But this is not formally defined anywhere in the draft. No mention of smoking for pleasure.
Doubtless those favoring recreational cannabis will be accused of moral turpitude by endangering young people, causing traffic accidents and conspiring to injure Thailand’s reputation as a great family resort. The government is attempting to look both ways at once – an apparent crackdown on drugs with loopholes. That’s not an unusual legislative procedure. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but the most relevant law – the entertainment venue act of the 1960s – can hardly be accused of having stamped out cash for sex.
The draft’s silence on cannabis for enjoyment is a subject of glowing interest to Thailand’s 9,500 sales outlets (according to Weed Map). On Pattaya ‘s Walking Street, Khun Cherry runs an outside wooden-table stall where a simple roll of Thai weed will set you back 100 baht, or 3 US dollars. Or you can go inside a neon-lit and comfortable unit where bean bags, mood music and psychedelic opportunities are on offer. “We may face another registration in the future, but I don’t think the Thai government will want to kiss goodbye the 1 billion dollar revenue at stake,” predicts Cherry.
She is likely correct as Thailand’s drug laws have always been about politics. The 1979 narcotics act with jail time up to 15 years, was partly motivated by American servicemen and other tourists openly smoking pot in public. After the coup of 2014, the military government needed a solution to over-full jails and the eventual decriminalizing of cannabis in 2022 led to thousands being released. There has been a handful of official warnings for weed-smoking in public, but foreigners have been largely untouched apart from occasional pub raids to test the color of the pee of those dancing the night away.
Because the decriminalization of 2022 was not backed by detailed legislation, there has been a free-for-all-market and the technical restrictions on the psychoactive ingredient THC have been ignored. The current Pheu Thai-led administration fought the last election on an anti-cannabis platform but now has to quieten its parliamentary “allies”, in particular powerful interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Bhumjaithai party which is the second-biggest partner in the current coalition. Anutin is not in favor of giving tourists a free ride, but wants to protect his rural constituent farmers who grow cannabis plants for profit.
The current draft law is up for discussion until the end of the month. A spokesman for the Cannabis Future Network said he absolutely didn’t believe recreational use would be formally banned. Ganja shops, he thought, would need to re-register as street pharmacies (or similar) or perhaps customers would sign a slip to confirm they wanted the weed for their health. This would have the effect of reducing the number of ganja selling points, unable to deal with the bureaucracy, whilst offering a way out for the larger or popular ones, especially in tourist areas. The main enforcing agency could well be the Food and Drugs Administration which is notoriously short of staff. The Royal Thai Police has been noticeably hands-off ever since weed decriminalization in 2022. As the Roman poet Juvenal asked 2,000 years ago: “Who is watching the watchers?”
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... age-473091
By Barry Kenyon
September 21, 2024
The health ministry’s latest draft law on cannabis reflects the Cabinet’s determination to avoid a parliamentary split between friends and foes. The draft would restrict cannabis use to medical treatment, research by official agencies and as an optional extra to food and herbal products. Stiff penalties, including stiff fines and possible jail time, thus theoretically await those naughties caught in criminal deviance. But this is not formally defined anywhere in the draft. No mention of smoking for pleasure.
Doubtless those favoring recreational cannabis will be accused of moral turpitude by endangering young people, causing traffic accidents and conspiring to injure Thailand’s reputation as a great family resort. The government is attempting to look both ways at once – an apparent crackdown on drugs with loopholes. That’s not an unusual legislative procedure. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but the most relevant law – the entertainment venue act of the 1960s – can hardly be accused of having stamped out cash for sex.
The draft’s silence on cannabis for enjoyment is a subject of glowing interest to Thailand’s 9,500 sales outlets (according to Weed Map). On Pattaya ‘s Walking Street, Khun Cherry runs an outside wooden-table stall where a simple roll of Thai weed will set you back 100 baht, or 3 US dollars. Or you can go inside a neon-lit and comfortable unit where bean bags, mood music and psychedelic opportunities are on offer. “We may face another registration in the future, but I don’t think the Thai government will want to kiss goodbye the 1 billion dollar revenue at stake,” predicts Cherry.
She is likely correct as Thailand’s drug laws have always been about politics. The 1979 narcotics act with jail time up to 15 years, was partly motivated by American servicemen and other tourists openly smoking pot in public. After the coup of 2014, the military government needed a solution to over-full jails and the eventual decriminalizing of cannabis in 2022 led to thousands being released. There has been a handful of official warnings for weed-smoking in public, but foreigners have been largely untouched apart from occasional pub raids to test the color of the pee of those dancing the night away.
Because the decriminalization of 2022 was not backed by detailed legislation, there has been a free-for-all-market and the technical restrictions on the psychoactive ingredient THC have been ignored. The current Pheu Thai-led administration fought the last election on an anti-cannabis platform but now has to quieten its parliamentary “allies”, in particular powerful interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Bhumjaithai party which is the second-biggest partner in the current coalition. Anutin is not in favor of giving tourists a free ride, but wants to protect his rural constituent farmers who grow cannabis plants for profit.
The current draft law is up for discussion until the end of the month. A spokesman for the Cannabis Future Network said he absolutely didn’t believe recreational use would be formally banned. Ganja shops, he thought, would need to re-register as street pharmacies (or similar) or perhaps customers would sign a slip to confirm they wanted the weed for their health. This would have the effect of reducing the number of ganja selling points, unable to deal with the bureaucracy, whilst offering a way out for the larger or popular ones, especially in tourist areas. The main enforcing agency could well be the Food and Drugs Administration which is notoriously short of staff. The Royal Thai Police has been noticeably hands-off ever since weed decriminalization in 2022. As the Roman poet Juvenal asked 2,000 years ago: “Who is watching the watchers?”
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... age-473091
Re: By Barry Kenyon
1 Decriminalize, allow businesses to set up and promote demand.
2 Re-criminalize. Turn a blind eye when the brown shirt mafia go around collecting tea money from the cannabis suppliers who continue to operate.
Would anyone be surprised if it goes like this ?
2 Re-criminalize. Turn a blind eye when the brown shirt mafia go around collecting tea money from the cannabis suppliers who continue to operate.
Would anyone be surprised if it goes like this ?
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Visa companies offer “trouble-free” DTV applications
By Barry Kenyon
October 3, 2024
Visa agencies in tourist-orientated cities throughout Thailand are offering to help Destination Thailand Visa hopefuls cut the pain out of the bureaucracy when dealing with overseas embassies. DTV cannot be granted to foreigners present in Thailand but must leave the country to lodge an application.
Since the introduction of DTV last July, some foreigners have demonstrated on social media that Thai diplomatic posts do not have uniform documentary requirements. Some aspirants say they have been refused, others delayed or told to resubmit. The areas of ambiguity include what exactly counts as a cash bond, the precise evidence for a digital nomad working for overseas clients and the detailed proof about being a soft-power applicant.
What the Thai visa agencies, widely advertised on Facebook in particular, are offering is a visa run to a neighboring country and assistance in preparing the specific documentation tailored to that Thai embassy. Other services cover air or road transport to the destination, hotel accommodation (usually on a bed and breakfast only basis) and a pickup facility at the Thai diplomatic post.
The inclusive costs vary company-by-company but are generally in the 75,000 baht to 150,000 baht range (from US$ 2,400), dependent on the level of assistance given. Most agencies require applicants to fill in a pre- application form to check DTV eligibility which isn’t usually a problem as the soft power categories are non-specific on detail. Applicants who have trouble proving the cash or income bond requirement may be offered a third-party guarantee by the host company.
When DTV was first announced in July, there was the expectation that the visa could be granted only in the country of nationality or of employment. This appears to have been softened, consciously or otherwise, so that applicants (whether on their own or with an agency) can request DTV in a country where are visiting briefly. This softening has enabled entrepreneurs to step into the breach, howbeit for a minority of applicants.
Embassies vary a great deal in their visa-under-consideration timescale. The informal Thai consulate in Taipei (officially the Thailand Trade and Economic Office) has a walk-in facility in the morning with the visa issued the same day. Some embassies, for example in the EU and in parts of America, are apparently taking weeks. The average seems to be about one week, though some tour companies claim three days and nights. As ever, you get what you pay for.
Thai private agencies have long experience in offering visa runs, where visits to embassies are required, and border hops where they are not. It was always inevitable that a company-assisted DTV would be attractive to those applicants who are confused, unprepared or happy to pay extra. To judge from the positive reaction in the social and mainstream media, DTV is proving overall to be spectacularly successful. For as long as the rules and regulations remain unchanged, that trend will continue.
https://www.pattayamail.com/news/visa-c ... ons-474522
By Barry Kenyon
October 3, 2024
Visa agencies in tourist-orientated cities throughout Thailand are offering to help Destination Thailand Visa hopefuls cut the pain out of the bureaucracy when dealing with overseas embassies. DTV cannot be granted to foreigners present in Thailand but must leave the country to lodge an application.
Since the introduction of DTV last July, some foreigners have demonstrated on social media that Thai diplomatic posts do not have uniform documentary requirements. Some aspirants say they have been refused, others delayed or told to resubmit. The areas of ambiguity include what exactly counts as a cash bond, the precise evidence for a digital nomad working for overseas clients and the detailed proof about being a soft-power applicant.
What the Thai visa agencies, widely advertised on Facebook in particular, are offering is a visa run to a neighboring country and assistance in preparing the specific documentation tailored to that Thai embassy. Other services cover air or road transport to the destination, hotel accommodation (usually on a bed and breakfast only basis) and a pickup facility at the Thai diplomatic post.
The inclusive costs vary company-by-company but are generally in the 75,000 baht to 150,000 baht range (from US$ 2,400), dependent on the level of assistance given. Most agencies require applicants to fill in a pre- application form to check DTV eligibility which isn’t usually a problem as the soft power categories are non-specific on detail. Applicants who have trouble proving the cash or income bond requirement may be offered a third-party guarantee by the host company.
When DTV was first announced in July, there was the expectation that the visa could be granted only in the country of nationality or of employment. This appears to have been softened, consciously or otherwise, so that applicants (whether on their own or with an agency) can request DTV in a country where are visiting briefly. This softening has enabled entrepreneurs to step into the breach, howbeit for a minority of applicants.
Embassies vary a great deal in their visa-under-consideration timescale. The informal Thai consulate in Taipei (officially the Thailand Trade and Economic Office) has a walk-in facility in the morning with the visa issued the same day. Some embassies, for example in the EU and in parts of America, are apparently taking weeks. The average seems to be about one week, though some tour companies claim three days and nights. As ever, you get what you pay for.
Thai private agencies have long experience in offering visa runs, where visits to embassies are required, and border hops where they are not. It was always inevitable that a company-assisted DTV would be attractive to those applicants who are confused, unprepared or happy to pay extra. To judge from the positive reaction in the social and mainstream media, DTV is proving overall to be spectacularly successful. For as long as the rules and regulations remain unchanged, that trend will continue.
https://www.pattayamail.com/news/visa-c ... ons-474522
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Pattaya makes another attempt to debunk Sin City image
By Barry Kenyon
October 6, 2024
The Thai prime minister has prioritized world class tourism in Bangkok and the provinces for her new administration. Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the emphasis for tourist cities should be on man-made attractions as well as new-style entertainment complexes to appeal to today’s domestic and international vacationers who are looking for something new.
Of course, media critics who continue to slag-off Pattaya as nothing more than a haven for prostitution and crime are smirking already. Indeed, various media both in Thailand and internationally are mostly responsible for the weird notion that Pattaya hasn’t changed in 20 years. Phrases such as “notorious sex industry” or “prostitution ridden” are still in near-universal usage.
The Tourist Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office is well aware. “Of course, you can find sex tourism here depending on where you look, but the city has changed out of all recognition over the years,” according to the manager. She highlighted five star hotels, family entertainment, sports and music festivals and all the excitement of the Eastern Economic Corridor hub which has invested heavily in Pattaya’s road communications with the area.
The government’s new emphasis on man-made destinations goes much further than traditional features such as the Sanctuary of Truth, Nong Nooch Garden and the etched Golden Buddha Mountain. The new generation includes the Ramayana waterpark in Na Jomtien which is said to be Thailand’s biggest with space to occupy 700 tennis courts, the small European country village mall known as A La Campagne and a wholly reconstructed Naklua town center.
Not to mention in various locations Hotel Transylvania, floating cafes, underwater worlds, snorkeling for beginners, dinosaurs for the asking and swinging through the trees like Tarzan. Some features have failed to materialize, such as Rubberland with its simulated rubber forest, permanently closed according to Google. Hotels are changing too. The luxurious Grand Centre Point in north Pattaya boasts an inside spaceship building known as the Astro Club.
The government’s promise to combine with the private sector to fund entertainment complexes obviously means casinos. They won’t be standalone gambling palaces but mixed use centers to include hotels, restaurants, children’s entertainment and relaxing options on a grand scale. The most likely location near Pattaya will be in the fast-developing area of U-Tapao airport near Rayong. None the less, a key government aim with licensed gambling will be to divert to home territory those rich Thais who currently spend extravagantly in casinos in neighboring countries.
Six years ago Pattaya’s local authority announced the arrival of neo or new Pattaya to replace the traditional version which relied exclusively on night entertainment. The arrival of covid in 2019 led to Pattaya becoming a ghost city. The neo notion was not picked up post-covid as city businesses began ever so slowly to rise again from the desolation. Now that tourism and investment are both picking up again in 2024, Pattaya is expected to continue her transition. To be absolutely sure, come back in 2034.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... age-474865
By Barry Kenyon
October 6, 2024
The Thai prime minister has prioritized world class tourism in Bangkok and the provinces for her new administration. Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the emphasis for tourist cities should be on man-made attractions as well as new-style entertainment complexes to appeal to today’s domestic and international vacationers who are looking for something new.
Of course, media critics who continue to slag-off Pattaya as nothing more than a haven for prostitution and crime are smirking already. Indeed, various media both in Thailand and internationally are mostly responsible for the weird notion that Pattaya hasn’t changed in 20 years. Phrases such as “notorious sex industry” or “prostitution ridden” are still in near-universal usage.
The Tourist Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office is well aware. “Of course, you can find sex tourism here depending on where you look, but the city has changed out of all recognition over the years,” according to the manager. She highlighted five star hotels, family entertainment, sports and music festivals and all the excitement of the Eastern Economic Corridor hub which has invested heavily in Pattaya’s road communications with the area.
The government’s new emphasis on man-made destinations goes much further than traditional features such as the Sanctuary of Truth, Nong Nooch Garden and the etched Golden Buddha Mountain. The new generation includes the Ramayana waterpark in Na Jomtien which is said to be Thailand’s biggest with space to occupy 700 tennis courts, the small European country village mall known as A La Campagne and a wholly reconstructed Naklua town center.
Not to mention in various locations Hotel Transylvania, floating cafes, underwater worlds, snorkeling for beginners, dinosaurs for the asking and swinging through the trees like Tarzan. Some features have failed to materialize, such as Rubberland with its simulated rubber forest, permanently closed according to Google. Hotels are changing too. The luxurious Grand Centre Point in north Pattaya boasts an inside spaceship building known as the Astro Club.
The government’s promise to combine with the private sector to fund entertainment complexes obviously means casinos. They won’t be standalone gambling palaces but mixed use centers to include hotels, restaurants, children’s entertainment and relaxing options on a grand scale. The most likely location near Pattaya will be in the fast-developing area of U-Tapao airport near Rayong. None the less, a key government aim with licensed gambling will be to divert to home territory those rich Thais who currently spend extravagantly in casinos in neighboring countries.
Six years ago Pattaya’s local authority announced the arrival of neo or new Pattaya to replace the traditional version which relied exclusively on night entertainment. The arrival of covid in 2019 led to Pattaya becoming a ghost city. The neo notion was not picked up post-covid as city businesses began ever so slowly to rise again from the desolation. Now that tourism and investment are both picking up again in 2024, Pattaya is expected to continue her transition. To be absolutely sure, come back in 2034.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... age-474865
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Fears grow about Chinese military influence over Cambodia
By Barry Kenyon
October 8, 2024
Cambodia’s neighbors, including Thailand, are concerned about the rapid rise of Chinese sea power and its possible use of the Ream naval base only a few hundred km south of the Thai naval port of Sattahip. The fear is that China is expanding its military footprint beyond the seizure of several disputed islands in the South China Sea which have already been fortified.
But neither Thailand nor Vietnam are saying much publicly to avoid disrupting vital trade relationships with China and, separately, because there’s nothing they can do anyway. Surveillance photos show that the Ream harbor has a new pier, a new dry dock, warehouses, living quarters and four basketball courts. Dredging is continuing though it’s unclear how deep it will go to admit the largest ships.
The official Cambodian position is that the dock is not yet finished. When it is, ships from other “friendly” nations (not just China) will be able to use the facilities. Cambodian deputy prime minister Sun Chanthol said the port was very small at 0.3 km and used only for training to prepare for the upcoming Golden Dragan exercises. Moreover, the Chinese presence in Ream is not permanent so does not count as a base. Mr Sun added that many US vessels are too big and might “get stuck”.
Others are not so sure. A foothold at Ream would give China better control over the South China Sea, 90 percent of which it claims to own in spite of an international court ruling against Beijing. The Seam port’s pier is almost identical to the 363 meter-long construction at the Chinese base in Djibouti in east Africa and long enough to accommodate a Chinese largest aircraft carrier.
But Greg Poling of the CSIS thinktank thinks that the small Ream base doesn’t get the Chinese navy any closer to regional hegemony. He points out that China currently has only two overseas bases whereas the US has hundreds, including a presence in both Thailand and the Philippines. However, Ream could be much more important as a signals and intelligence base for the Chinese military. Time alone will show the true significance of the developing construction on Cambodia’s southern tip.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... dia-475157
By Barry Kenyon
October 8, 2024
Cambodia’s neighbors, including Thailand, are concerned about the rapid rise of Chinese sea power and its possible use of the Ream naval base only a few hundred km south of the Thai naval port of Sattahip. The fear is that China is expanding its military footprint beyond the seizure of several disputed islands in the South China Sea which have already been fortified.
But neither Thailand nor Vietnam are saying much publicly to avoid disrupting vital trade relationships with China and, separately, because there’s nothing they can do anyway. Surveillance photos show that the Ream harbor has a new pier, a new dry dock, warehouses, living quarters and four basketball courts. Dredging is continuing though it’s unclear how deep it will go to admit the largest ships.
The official Cambodian position is that the dock is not yet finished. When it is, ships from other “friendly” nations (not just China) will be able to use the facilities. Cambodian deputy prime minister Sun Chanthol said the port was very small at 0.3 km and used only for training to prepare for the upcoming Golden Dragan exercises. Moreover, the Chinese presence in Ream is not permanent so does not count as a base. Mr Sun added that many US vessels are too big and might “get stuck”.
Others are not so sure. A foothold at Ream would give China better control over the South China Sea, 90 percent of which it claims to own in spite of an international court ruling against Beijing. The Seam port’s pier is almost identical to the 363 meter-long construction at the Chinese base in Djibouti in east Africa and long enough to accommodate a Chinese largest aircraft carrier.
But Greg Poling of the CSIS thinktank thinks that the small Ream base doesn’t get the Chinese navy any closer to regional hegemony. He points out that China currently has only two overseas bases whereas the US has hundreds, including a presence in both Thailand and the Philippines. However, Ream could be much more important as a signals and intelligence base for the Chinese military. Time alone will show the true significance of the developing construction on Cambodia’s southern tip.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... dia-475157
Re: By Barry Kenyon
Yet look who Thailand is trying to buy submarines off !
With all the electronics in modern weapons, I'd have thought it would be prudent to figure out which countries your navy is most likely to face a threat from. Then make sure you're not buying defence equipment off those countries.
It's fairly clear which country already has maritime disputes with several East Asian countries.
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
In a surprise move Thailand ends compulsory deportation of Myanmar illegals
By Barry Kenyon
October 9, 2024
The Thai government has at long last begun the issuing of official identification cards to Myanmar economic migrants even if they entered illegally. In the past, hundreds of thousands of such workers and their families have been deported and dumped en masse to the Myanmar border where they were subject to reprisals from the ruling junta and often forced into the army to fight the raging insurgency.
Spokesman for the migrants, U Moe Kyaw, confirmed that the u-turn policy was now in force. Illegal immigrants were now able to apply to the Thai Department of Employment for a pink card, initially for one year and able to be renewed. The only criterion is that they must prove they are Myanmar nationals by, for example, producing their Myanmar ID card or birth certificate. Additionally, Myanmar workers who already hold two-year residence set to expire in February 2025 will be able to extend another 24 months.
The abuse of migrants fleeing Myanmar has been a major scandal for years, particularly since the military coup there in 2021. The junta has attempted to stop the emigration by refusing to issue passports or to cooperate in signing counter-signing certificates of entry which were necessary to leave by proper border posts. There have been countless tales of abuse inside Thailand with fearful migrants being forced to pay bribes to the local police in border areas.
However, some migrants are still at risk. They need the sponsorship of a properly registered Thai employer to seek the pink card and, if they quit, must find alternative employment within 60 days (formerly 30). Moreover, they must avoid working in occupational sectors which are reserved for Thai nationals only. These include hairdressers, tour guides, masseurs and taxi drivers amongst others. Those immigrants who fall into the trap of working online in gambling and fraud scams will still be subject to Thai jail sentences and deportation.
The Ministry of Labour says there are about 2.5 million Myanmar workers employed legally in Thailand, with perhaps twice that number working without adequate documentation. Immigrant labour is essential for large sectors of the Thai economy including fisheries, factories, construction and retail. The pink card, once issued, covers holders for some basic human rights and the right to hospital treatment via Thailand’s social security system.
A spokesperson for Human Rights Watch told Pattaya Mail the announced reform should have happened long ago as illegal workers face immense struggles and live in constant fear. “Many migrants are focused on survival rather than becoming wealthy,” he said. Meanwhile, the Myanmar junta has announced further hostile measures. These include banning Myanmar students in Thailand from being able to renew their passports in Thailand and trying to coerce workers abroad into sending a quarter of their wages back home.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... als-475165
By Barry Kenyon
October 9, 2024
The Thai government has at long last begun the issuing of official identification cards to Myanmar economic migrants even if they entered illegally. In the past, hundreds of thousands of such workers and their families have been deported and dumped en masse to the Myanmar border where they were subject to reprisals from the ruling junta and often forced into the army to fight the raging insurgency.
Spokesman for the migrants, U Moe Kyaw, confirmed that the u-turn policy was now in force. Illegal immigrants were now able to apply to the Thai Department of Employment for a pink card, initially for one year and able to be renewed. The only criterion is that they must prove they are Myanmar nationals by, for example, producing their Myanmar ID card or birth certificate. Additionally, Myanmar workers who already hold two-year residence set to expire in February 2025 will be able to extend another 24 months.
The abuse of migrants fleeing Myanmar has been a major scandal for years, particularly since the military coup there in 2021. The junta has attempted to stop the emigration by refusing to issue passports or to cooperate in signing counter-signing certificates of entry which were necessary to leave by proper border posts. There have been countless tales of abuse inside Thailand with fearful migrants being forced to pay bribes to the local police in border areas.
However, some migrants are still at risk. They need the sponsorship of a properly registered Thai employer to seek the pink card and, if they quit, must find alternative employment within 60 days (formerly 30). Moreover, they must avoid working in occupational sectors which are reserved for Thai nationals only. These include hairdressers, tour guides, masseurs and taxi drivers amongst others. Those immigrants who fall into the trap of working online in gambling and fraud scams will still be subject to Thai jail sentences and deportation.
The Ministry of Labour says there are about 2.5 million Myanmar workers employed legally in Thailand, with perhaps twice that number working without adequate documentation. Immigrant labour is essential for large sectors of the Thai economy including fisheries, factories, construction and retail. The pink card, once issued, covers holders for some basic human rights and the right to hospital treatment via Thailand’s social security system.
A spokesperson for Human Rights Watch told Pattaya Mail the announced reform should have happened long ago as illegal workers face immense struggles and live in constant fear. “Many migrants are focused on survival rather than becoming wealthy,” he said. Meanwhile, the Myanmar junta has announced further hostile measures. These include banning Myanmar students in Thailand from being able to renew their passports in Thailand and trying to coerce workers abroad into sending a quarter of their wages back home.
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