On February 2nd, 2016, Thailand's Department of Disease Control within the Ministry of Public Health relased a statement saying the Zika virus is not an epidemic in Thailand, nor is the virus new to Thailand. The first confirmed case of infection in Thailand was reported back in 2012. The average rate of infection was less than 5 cases per year since and all of the cases of infection were one-offs. The statement was distributed through Reuters and therefor it was published worldwide by international media. On August 30th, 2016, Newspapers informed their readers that Thailand is on red alert. Thailand had most Zika cases of any Southeast Asia country over last 3 months. But on September 1st Thailand's Public Health Authorities have played down fears of a Zika virus outbreak in Thailand following a rise in infections in Singapore. Director-general Amnuay Gajeena of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) even dismissed information released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control that categorises Thailand as having increasing or widespread transmission of the Zika virus. On September 2nd Bangkok Post reports two more Zika cases in Chiang Mai and The Nation claims that according to researchers up to 2.6 billion people are living in Zika risk areas in Africa and Asia. On September 6th The Nation reports two women in Bangkok infected with Zika virus. On September 6th too, Bangkok Post reveals that 20 new Zika cases have been found in 4 provinces. On September 10th, Bangkok Post reports that Bangkok's central business district Sathon found twenty-one new cases of Zika virus infections. On September 12th, The Nation hits the point: Thailand's authorities downplay the Zika risk, because disclosing information would damage the country's tourism industry. Zika cases balloon, Bangkok Post writes on September 13th and reports that Doctors are awaiting Zika tests on another 30 people. On September 15th The Nation reports that the chief of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) has instructed all 12 Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) around the country to scale up their response from Level 1 to Level 2 to contain the Zika virus outbreak. On September 27th The Nation reported that Experts will release results of Zika tests on two babies born with small heads. On September 30th Thai health authorities confirmed that microcephaly in two babies was caused by the Zika virus. Can you trust Thailand's Officials? Judge yourself!

The Zika Virus is primarily spread by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is active mostly in the daytime. But recent research have found the virus in common Culex house mosquitoes as well. The female Aedes aegypti mosquito not only is responsible for the spread of the Zika fever but also for the dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses. According to the International Society for Infectious Diseases, there have been more than 31'000 dengue cases in Thailand this year to August 19th, including 25 fatalities. Zika Virus: Symptoms, Facts, Diagnosis

The Thai Red Cross Society is offering people free vaccination against rabies until September 30th, 2016, following recent incidents of rabies infection.

During the August 18th meeting City Council Chairman Anan Angkanawisan announced that he will cut up to 40 million Baht from City Projects. The Chairman said that Pattaya's former elected leaders, i.e. Itthiphol Khunplome and his City Hall, wasted public funds by duplicating projects, such as neighborhood cleanups and youth football tournaments and argued that 30-40 million Baht allocated to projects like the Pattaya Music Festival and the New Year's Countdown are no longer necessary as they don't attract the crowds they once did. The money should be used to flood and trash control, he insisted. A very interested decision because the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) just announced to promote local tourism. Perhaps Thai tourists enjoy Pattaya's dirty Beaches a lot more than foreign tourists do and therefore don't need any entertainment - or they come to our City simply to log into Facebook or to chase Pokémon Go creatures.

According to a report published by Pattaya Mail Thanet Supornsahatrangsi, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said that budgets for the Pattaya Music Festival and the Pattaya Countdown will not be cut. Don't forget: There are still another 3 months until Pattaya Countdown and another 6 months until the Pattaya Music Festival will happen - and this country is known for its ability to change its mind over night, with or without activating the controversial Section 44.

J-Bun opened its Seafood Restaurant on Jomtien Beach Road, located where the well-known Burger Booth was. The Burger Bar is history now. To enjoy a Burger in Jomtien you have to move your body to the Rompho Bar Complex on Jomtien Second Road.

Tony's Fitness closed its branch on Soi Photisarn. The club had a short life: It opened during December 2014. More trouble for Tony's: Because of unpaid rents at other locations some Landlords confiscated Tony's equipment. According to Tony's, people can still use Tony's Fitness on Pattaya 3rd Road.

Anton, since August 22nd, 2015, located on Soi Roi Lung, also known as Soi 27, announced that the Restaurant will re-introduces the once very popular German Food Buffet.

A Beer Town will open in a few days time at an empty space between the Bangkok Bank Branch and the all new Fresh Mart on Soi Buakaow. In the months to come the Beer Town will be surrounded by a lot of small boothes providing everything from clothes to sweets and/or drinks.

Players Lounge, located on Soi Buakhaow a few meters only from the popular Rich Bar, closed and is on the block. From February 28th, 2014, until September 2015 the venue was known as Booze Lounge and was managed by the same people running the now defunct Oscar A Go-Go as well as the Booze Party Boat. Before all that 'escapades' the building was the home of the Winner Inn Hotel. P.S. The picture above we shot on September 13th at about 21:30. On September 19th the bar was open again, with customers obviously celebrating a farewell party.

KFC's North Road Branch, located at North Pattaya's Tesco/Lotus, is closed for renovation from September 5th, 2016, until October 8th, 2016.

Because of missing customers, Pattaya's latest Nightclubs, both located in North Pattaya, are temporarily inactive. Thailand's 'booming' economy sends its greetings !

World Wide A Go-Go, located on Pattaya Beach Road between Soi 7 and Soi 8, closed on September 1st and is on the block.

Third Road's most popular Pub, called Mauboori (≈ Kiss, Sit and Drink), changed the side. It moved from its former site located in front of a car wash booth to a new premise just on the other side of the street. Even during low season and the country's less than thrilling economic situation the venue is overcrowded with young Thai revellers.

Prepare your bottle of Champagne, Champagne A Go-Go will present in a few days (or weeks) the result of its latest refurbishing attempt.

Kiss A Go-Go reopened on September 16th after beeing closed for a two and a half months long renovation.

A Burger World will replace the once announced but never realized Bad Girl A Go-Go Bar.

XD Cinema, located to the right of Walking Street's holy tree, is on the block.

To make space for Midnight Pattaya, Walking Street's new glass palaces, Blue Sky III at the entrance to Soi BJ closed.

Contrary to reports in some media, Mixx, LimaLima and Brooklyn Discotheques at the troubled Bali Hai Entertainment Complex are still open every night. It even seems that the ordered tear down of the building has been stopped.

A Chinese Restaurant opened on Soho Square.

Once again the still ailing Soho Square announces that a World Super Clubs Entertainment Complex will coming soon.

The former entrance to the Deja Vu Club on Soho Square got a new sign announcing an EROS Women's Club.

Lucifer closed temporarily for a renovation of the venue's rooms.

During the last days of August Blue Sky Group's newest Music Bar, the Pattaya Rock Street, opened to create an all new cacophony on the first few meters of Pattaya's world famous nigtlife adventure street. The new venue replaces Blue Sky's Cosnovy A Go-Go Club. As the latest picture shows, Johnnie the relentless Walker is now a loyal regular at the new venue...

Month after month the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is publishing new record beating numbers of tourists visiting Thailand. But the reality shows another picture: At Pattaya's #1 shopping temple, the CentralFestival Pattaya Beach, every single floor has at least one shop waiting for a tenant. In addition, one or two location(s) on each floor are occupied by temporary outlets only to fill up otherwise empty spaces between the regular shops. CentralFestival is the perfect reflection of the country's current economic situation.

On August 30th, 2016, Thailand's Dictator General Prayuth Chan-ocha encouraged Thais to wear traditional Thai costumes, to use traditional Thai herbal medicine and to eat traditional Thai herbs with their foods. He warned his citizens if they only dress in 'modern' style, traditional costumes would eventually disappear in the near future. It is widely accepted that Thailand's infrastructure and education system lags about 70 years behind that of Western countries. High class tourists from all over the world will be grateful to have the opportunity to visit an authentic 'Disneyland' in the near future.

Thailand has had the bright idea of curbing public health problems such as obesity, heart diseases and high blood sugar levels by imposing an excise tax on carbonated drinks, green tea, canned coffee, energy drinks, sour milk, soymilk as well as bottled juice. That's nonsense, a farmer in the Korat told me. People here still drink their Thai whisky, before they buy a Fanta or a Coke. The real reason behind their obesity is the change in their lifestyle. A few decades ago everybody walked to the local shop, to the working place, to their field or to a festive evening with their friends. But today? In front of every door you will find a motorcycle or even a car. The people do not walk a single meter anymore. They jump from their bed on their motorcycle and from the motorcycle back to the bed to enjoy the next TV show. That's the reason for their obesity, not the sugar. The people have to change their behavior, their lifestyle - not to pay an additional tax. The good health will come back to our nation only if the people start using their legs again, the 80-year old farmer told me and walked away to do his daily work on his cornfield.

In Thailand education has to be fun, no mater if its in the fist year of a children's live or at an University's level. Therefore Bob Stembridge, Thomson Reuters' senior patents analyst, recommends that Thailand should improve in research and innovation, strive for more collaboration between universities and the industrial sector, and learn from the United States' success in rewarding the involved parties for successful commercialisation. In terms of innovation, which is the transfer of good ideas into money, the best way is to have industry and universities working together. Research is global, not a regional competition. For that you need to globalise talent pools and collaboration networks in order to compete in the world, he said. Hard words for a country that always likes to be the center of the world - or at least the hub of the region.