This Friday, December 1st, marks World AIDS Day. AIDS seems to have generally dropped out of the headlines in the west, which seems to be a problem in that younger people are not aware of the dangers they face. Meanwhile, AIDS continues to be a growing threat in parts of Asia and Africa.

As a little reminder to “play safe” I’d like to share a video I ran across on the web. It’s a little naughty, but the message is quite clear and the production is quite well done. (I’ve noticed the movie sometimes doesn’t show up on some browsers. Sometimes hitting the ‘reload’ button works. Sorry!)

Budget Thai carrier 1-2-Go, which already distinguished itself with better service and a simpler fare structure, has announced that from 1 December, its fare structure will get even simpler. Fares between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Hat Yai, Surat Thani and Krabi will all be the same - 1,700 Baht (about US$40) each way. This fare applies to weekdays only. There’s a further 500 Baht (US$12) surcharge for weekends.

Unlike other budget airlines, 1-2-Go’s fares already included all taxes and surcharges, so there were no surprises when your cheap ticket ended up costing you double what you thought it would. The airline also has assigned seating, a bigger baggage allowance (20 kg) and provides a snack en route, which other low cost carriers don’t. You can also change dates and other details on 1-2-Go easier than you can with other budget airlines.

This just in - Vietnam is about to launch a "five star" train service between Ho Chi Minh City and the central beach resort of Nha Trang. The trip will take about seven hours, with the round-trip cost of a 5-star club seat going for 900,000 Dong (about US$90). You may be able to find more information at www.5starexpress.com.vn, although at the time of this writing, the "English" button didn’t work.

As some of you may know, the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, which was always intended to be temporary, was scheduled for closure earlier this year. It’s gotten several reprieves, but today’s Bangkok Post reports that the plans by the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) to develop the site will go ahead, and the bazaar has until April 2007 to move out.

The bazaar has proved surprisingly popular with tourists and foreign residents, many of whom have protested the proposed closure, but the CPB, charged with managing the former royal lands in the public interest, believes the public will be better served by another shopping mall.

Yes, I get letters, or more precisely, emails from some of you who visit my travel guides. Sometimes people have some good information to share. Sometimes they just want to offer a complement (always appreciated). But there are those who write to complain. If they’ve found an error on the site, that’s all well and good, and appreciated as well. Then there are those who simply seem to need to whine about something.

Earlier this week, someone using the apparently fake - but rather appropriate - address of birk_192@hotmail.com dropped me a line to complain about having to pay 70 Baht to use the tram to the top of Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, when Thais only have to pay 20 Baht. I usually don’t bother even answering such silliness, but I was in a bit of a mood when the mail arrived, so I replied. That’s when I found out the return address was fake. I was still in a mood, and it’s been a while since I discussed the whole “dual pricing” issue here, so I thought I’d post my reply here.

Birk_192’s comment was:

The fare to go up to the temple at Doi Suthep is 20 baht for Thais and 70 baht for farangs. Is this the buddist way or have we a temple who are out of tune with the teachings of the lord buddha.

Let’s not dwell on this guy’s lack of spelling and punctuation skills. He obviously has enough problems. In answer to his comments, I would point out a couple of things:

Firstly, the tram was built by the Thai government, which means it was paid for by the Thai taxpayers. Why shouldn’t Thais get to use the tram for a lower price than tourists, who contributed nothing to its construction cost?

Secondly, you only have to pay to use the tram. If the writer of this message had even the faintest clue about Buddhism, he would know that the ‘Buddhist way’ is to use the stairs rather than the tram. The path to enlightenment is difficult, and you must show that you are willing to make the effort.

The Buddhist teachings about money are pretty much the same as the Buddhist teachings about everything else - money is an attachment that we need to give up if we are to escape the never-ending cycle of life and death. I don’t think Buddha had anything to say about dual pricing, but it seems to me that the rate at which you’re “detached” from your money is hardly of any importance.