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Got tired of sitting around the pool in Ft.Lauderdale, so decided to trade it in for my pool in Bangkok for the month of Sept. Sitting here watching Sunday night Football at 8:30 am Monday morning. That's my biggest problem this trip. Love football, get a few games ,but start around 5 or 6 am. Flew over Bos-Dfw-Hkg-Bkk. Business class upgrades came thru in the last hour. Thought my run of sitting up front was over. Arrived in Bangkok at 12:30am. No lines at that hour. I'm sure most of you have heard of the bombings here.Uptick in security has been very noticeable . Immigration asked for mobile phone numbers to be put on landing cards and luggage was screened exiting airport. I had to spend the first night in a hotel. Usually pick up keys to my apartment from the security desk in the lobby, but because of new security rules, keys kept in office and can only be picked up during the day. No problem. Got a $58.00 rate at the Courtyard by Marriott. Next morning my friend showed up for as he puts it "my vacation" with you. When I'm in town he doesn't have to work and makes enough money to last a few months. Courtyard has a buffet breakfast. Don't know where my friend put all the food, but he now loves buffets. Time to head over to apt. Head up to room for quick shower and get my stuff. Friend decides I shouldn't shower alone. After eating I'm not usually in the mood, but it started big time raining outside, knew we would be delayed and needed something to do. And we did it. Sept is monsoon season . I've always avoided this time, but decided to give it a try. It's a lot like south Florida with everyday storms for short periods of time. Except, more severe in Thailand. Rain ended, got to apt. Sun came out and hit up the pool for awhile. We were about to head out for dinner and the evening when the early evening round of showers hit. Sit tight for an hour and it's dry again. Headed to Soi Twilight so I could say hi to my friends. Business has been very bad do to bombings. Early week nights have had no customers at all. Some clubs have not had shows. Thursday was a bit more promising as we get closer to weekend. Friday ok, Saturday better. Outdoor bars and restaurants looked crowded on the weekend, but the shows were not close to full, but did go on. We ate at Dicks on Friday and Saturday. I really like it. Decent food, comfortable seating and lots of eye candy walking around. Because business is so slow, boys are treating customers like eye candy. They are a lot more aggressive than usual. Smiling and starting conversations. Thoughts of $$$ dancing in their heads. I should say not aggressive in a bad way. Asians can be on the quiet side, but now are more open to starting the conversation. The owner of Hot Male opened a beer garden at the end of the street. Fenced in with white picket fence and bench type seating. Looks really nice. Will hit it up in a day or so. Food and alcohol I've spend the first few days hanging out with my friends and my special friend has come over a few times for some fun. But now it's Monday and I'll be getting out and about more and hit up some of the massage places. Being here a month, don't need to do it everyday. But will update this scene a bit latter in the week. Last night monsoon season hit in a big way. Living in So.Florida, I'm used to lots of daily rain. We had a storm hit Bangkok last night that was nothing short of a Hurricane for an hour. My apt is top floor corner and all around glass. We had non-stop Lightning for an hour. A little scary yet beautiful. I couldn't see a block do to downspour. Street below disappeared, becoming a lake up over the curbs. Lost my tv in the first minute and was waiting to lose electricity. But fortunately didn't. Friend from Hot Male called and said don't come by. To much water, no customers and a mess. Would of had to swim anyway. My friend said while we get storms everyday, we only get a couple this bad. So this was all the boring part. I hope to get to the fun stuff in a day or so and will do some more posting at that point.

A friend sent me a youtube like when this same thing happened a couple of years back. I don't know if the theft occurred the same way or not. But it seemed to be about the same thing. When I went into the branch it was not during business hours. I was the only one in the agencia vestibule. BIG MISTAKE #1 Only do a withdrawal during normal business hours with lots of people around. Odds that anything will happen are greatly reduced. After I started my transaction, someone young came in to the agencia and went to the other side. I though nothing of it. I inserted the card, punched my numbers, and the machine shut down. BIG MISTAKE #2 I left. I should have stayed with the machine and stayed there until someone else arrived. After leaving unsuccessfully, the other person came to my machine and withdraws a very thin paper card with a magnetic strip, looks exactly like the disposable parking passes given out in US parking garages. The paper is so slim that when a card is inserted one cannot even tell it is there copying your data. After I left, my card was used within 20 minutes and 40 minutes of my attempted transaction and receipt of declined transaction. Going to Santos Dumont or Galeao was a withdrawal I feel much safer as there is such a large movement of people, I assume that the thief must come to the machine right after you to withdraw the copied paper card. BASIC WARNING: Never place your card (or anything else of yours) in any hole(human or mechanical) that doesn't look right. I'd estimate that most in the center of Rio de Janeiro Banco do Brasil and Bradesco branches have many assistants or guards in the lobby during business hours. My two thefts happened at about 6:50AM on a weekday and 8:15AM on a Sunday, both in the city. The center. The Santander branch by Meio Mundo has a guard until after 6PM. The Banco do Brasil has a guard until 4PM or so. The Bradesco between the two on Praca Pio X has one as well. A few Brasdesco and Banco do Brasil branches that I use in Copa and Ipa do as well. My fault in using Santander and HSBC outside if business hours. Ive used the machines at Santos Dumont at various off hours with no fear, There is so much movement there I have always felt the odds of anything happening are significantly reduced.

calidocious- I don't think I would ever know what is going through your alleged mind. I was only going by the words. Best regards, RA1