Welcome to where time came to a standstill. And then, it collapsed in on itself. "Haikyo" (廃墟) is Japanese for "ruins". Across the country, there are deserted buildings for intrepid urban exploreration. Make no mistake: this is trespassing and even dangerous. These buildings are sealed off for good reason.

Fears that Thailand's online gaming shops could be a major hub for swine flu transmission were realized this week, as a computer game shop employee became virus' 17th Thai victim.