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From Thai PBS World Thailand has reported its first monkey pox related fatality, in a man who was also infected with HIV and syphilis, according to Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Disease Control Department. He said today (Monday) that the 34-year old patient was admitted to a private hospital in Chon Buri province on July 3rd and was diagnosed with monkey pox a week later. The patient subsequently developed a sore throat and was found to have a fungal infection, an opportunistic disease found in those with HIV. After 4 weeks of treatment, he was discharged from the hospital, but was later sent to Bamrasnaradura Institute of Infectious Diseases sufferingfrom fatigue and breathing difficulties. In addition to rashes, doctors also found that he was suffering with lung and brain infections. Blood tests showed a high white blood cell count, an indicator of a serious immune reaction, and doctors administered antibiotics and monkey pox anti-viral medication. The man died last Friday, said Dr. Tares. By August 8th, there had been a total of 189 monkey pox cases reported in Thailand in 161 Thais and 28 foreigners. Most are gay men, 82 of whom were also infected with HIV. Dr. Sophon Iamsirithavorn, the deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, attributed the increase inmonkey pox cases to high risk behaviour.

Maintenance man

Thanks for checking. I've been using Edge on my surface since I bought it 6 months ago and, in that time, I've never had that warning until yesterday so this is something fairly new. I also early yesterday filled in the "Not a scam" section though not sure what good it will do.

Episode 1 of Only Friends is available on Youtube. The couples are First/Khaotung, Force/Book, and Neo, all grown up, making out with 2 guys in this episode: Mark, who seems that will be his partner in this series, as well as Drake, who played Neo’s brother in his very first BL series ‘Cause You’re my Boy 5 years ago. Here’s a trailer:

I use Safari on all devices and have never seen any warnings.

I was living in Bangkok when this raid occurred. It was during the Interior Minister Purachai's Social Order Campaign and one of many that took place in gay venues. What gave the Babylon one so much publicity is that Purachai himself led the raid. At one point in full view of the cameras, he picked up a used condom. He then said something along the lines, "You see. Illegal prostitution takes place here." No one in the Health Ministry thought to go public by adding it was an excellent thing that condoms were actually being used! 207 patrons and staff were detained that evening and subjected to urine tests. 20 tourists tested positive for drugs. As @reader points out, Purachai's campaigns were particularly popular in the country. He himself was one of the very few politicians who was incorruptible. A devout Buddhist, he named his children after Buddhist precepts. (His boss, Thaksin, on the other hand, named his children after the word for "gold"!) Allegedly Purachai was shocked by what he found on his nighttime raids. He looked back fondly just a couple of decades when Thai children obeyed their parents and even holding hands in public was rare. He blamed the influx of western ideas for the rise in glamorous night clubs, drug use and prostitution. When criticised by the western media, he lashed out and termed his crusade a "social evils" campaign. Even the much esteemed General Manager of the Oriental Hotel, Kurt Wachtveitl, criticised Purachai's campaign and the effect he believed it would have on tourism. Ironically, as one lawyer and senator Thongbai Thongbao was quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times, "He has popular support, but no one in government is on his side!" And so we have this single individual for the laws which thereafter changed gay nightlife. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-07-adfg-moral7-story.html

Ok. I responded earlier today using my cellphone or my iPad and didn't receive the warning. I returned home this evening and logged-on using Microsoft and the warning appeared - only for the forums section. I'm using Microsoft Edge on my laptop in the USA. I used Safari on my iPad. At the Gay guides home page, no warning appears. There is a place on the warning I received (More Information) to say the website isn't a scam, and I followed the instructions. Others should do the same. Someone or something has, IMO, reported the site as a scam and that's probably why the warnings appear.

ok, now i know you arent going to believe half of whats in this reports but you know a bitch will have her receipts attached at the end. So we got to sdq and my barber husband had been texting me weeks prior because he knew i was due in town soon. he and i have become very comfortable together because he always sends me this silly ass dancing emojis when he knows im coming to town. he had the date wrong and thought i was coming to town a week earlier than i actually was. when i finally arrived to town i sent him my location and he came over with some girl he had intended to fukc while i watched. i told him no she had to leave because the first time would be between me and him. he politely asked her to leave, then went to the fridge grabbed a beer and followed me into the bedroom. i had some music playing from my phone, he took off his clothes to shower and then started dancing to the music. mainly swinging his big dominican dick around being silly and making us both laugh. after he showered he climbed in the bed and watched the straight video i was playing for his enjoyment. i had begun to suck his dick until it got hard and then we started to have sex. within about 10 minutes he spewed his load, cleaned up and left. later on that night i had gone over to marlowes. it was kind of slow but it was a wednesday night so i didnt expect much. i asked the guard outside were there any big dicks inside because i like really big dick. the guard told me to go inside and see. i walked inside and into the back. i realized they had sex booths in the back and a lil lounge area with a couch and some guys were sitting down with their dicks out. i wasnt really impressed so i left and told the guard goodnight. there was a haitian guy standing there and as i walked away he said "you looking for a big dick" i turned and said yeah do you have one. he proceeds to pull out his phone and shows me a pic of his dick. omg it was hugeeeee and thick. i told him to get me his whatsapp and i would call him in 30 minutes to come over to the apartment. when i got to the apartment i cleaned my insides and texted him to tell him that if his dick doesnt get rock hard, i will only pay him 10 dollars. our agreed upon price was 50 dollars. he told me not to worry and that his dick would stay hard. well he came over asked for a beer, dropped his pants and his big haitian dick was mid thigh. you will see in the pictures that im not exaggerating. the only thing i didnt like about this guy is that he wouldnt go easy when trying to put his dick in me. he always tried to ram it inside me even when i requested that he take it easy. once he got his dick in me he started speaking creole. this drove me crazy. his dick was so beautiful and full. after our session, i told him that i would like to hire him 3 times each day we were there. he said, fine call and let me know when. our water had stopped running in our apartment so the owner of the apartment sent this sexy ass maintenance man to fix the water. when i opened the door i stood in front of him and told him how beautiful he was. this guy had a nicest leanest body and a model face to match. after he fixed the water i asked his to come back to the apartment so i could give him a massage and he told me no because its against the rules with his boss. i told him his boss wouldnt know so he should come over and make the money. he told me no. i sent him a picture of the money and he replied, youre going to give me 60 dollars just to massage my body. i told him, i would need a little more but we will start with the massage. he actually came back because he needed to check on the water. when he checked on the water, i had the money in my hand and i asked what he wanted to do. he walked to the back bedroom pulled down his pant and i sucked his dick. about a minute later my husband walked in and started to suck his nipples. i then grabbed a condom and rode his dick until he unloaded his huge nutt.. there is much more to this story but i have to get to work at my new job. will finish later.

I watched the first ep yesterday because I like Neo. A promising series! A lot of erotic tension. Not for innocent school girls like those queueing at the fan article computer on 30 floor of the GMMTV building and waiting patiently until 2 forum members have checked it all through.

20230812_175544.mp4 20230811_121255.mp4 20230810_163744.mp4 20230810_163732.mp4

There was a recent incident involving some Arab tourists. I subscribe to Floridarob's advice and avoid them whenever possible. There used to be a bar diagonally across from Foodland featuring transvestites that attracted their admirers. But occasionally some unsuspecting tourists would wander in only to quickly exit once they became aware of their surroundings.

Cert is up to date. Is is the forums or the city guides on main site?

I got the same warning when I tried to access via my laptop with Microsoft Edge. Now accessing via Chrome on my phone, no problem.

If you suck a guy with this med on his penis, will it make your tongue hard?

From Men's Health WHEN YOU’RE DEALING with erectile dysfunction, you usually have to make an appointment with your doctor to get treated. But, soon, you’ll be able to pick up medication at your local pharmacy without a prescription. The Food and Drug Administration just granted over-the-counter sale marketing authorization for MED3000, a topical gel created to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The medication was developed by U.K.-based Futura Medical and will be the first topical OTC treatment for ED that’s available in the U.S. without a prescription, according to a news release. “Over-the-counter medications play a significant role in providing accessible and convenient treatment for a wide range of common health conditions—with erectile dysfunction being a very common condition,” says Amy Pearlman, M.D., a Miami-based board-certified urologist specializing in male sexual and hormonal health and co-founder of the Prime Institute. Eroxon, the brand name for MED3000, is currently available in Belgium and the U.K. It claims to “help you get an erection within 10 minutes.” But, even with the OTC medication available, it’s still a good idea to see your doctor, Dr. Pearlman says. ED can sometimes signal an underlying medical problem, like heart disease or diabetes, that needs to be treated separately. Here are five things to know about the new topical gel and how it can help if you’re struggling to get an erection: 1. It Targets the Problem and Works Quickly. Being a topical means MED3000 targets your penis directly and offers a “quick onset of action,” Dr. Pearlman says. “People love spontaneity when it comes to having sex. MED3000’s 10-minute onset of action may be a game-changer when it comes to optimizing spontaneity.” Oral medications, like Viagra and Cialis, which require a prescription and are commonly used to treat ED, can take 30 minutes to take effect, she adds. Injections take less time to work, but they’re invasive and might deter men from using them. 2. Side Effects Are Minimal. Topicals tend to have a lower risk of side effects compared to oral medications, Dr. Pearlman says. Clinical trials for MED3000 found minimal side effects. There were some reports of headaches and nausea, however. No side effects were reported in sexual partners. Oral ED medications are generally well-tolerated, Dr. Pearlman says. But, some side effects, including flushing, heartburn, sinus congestion, and headaches, might prevent some men from taking them even though they work well. 3. You Should Still See Your Doctor. The OTC gel for ED will help you get relief quickly. But, keep in mind that ED might signal an underlying medical problem, like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, low testosterone, or sleep apnea. “The penis is often considered a barometer of overall health,” Dr. Pearlman says. “When men present to a healthcare provider with erectile dysfunction concerns, it allows the healthcare provider to evaluate the man for other health conditions.” She recommends trying MED3000 while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, which can take time. But, you should still see your doctor to discuss other health issues. 4. It’s Most Beneficial When You're Healthy. For any ED treatment, you’ll benefit most when you’re generally healthy overall. That means eating healthy foods, exercising, getting good sleep, limiting stress, and treating other health conditions that might cause ED, like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and low testosterone, Dr. Pearlman says. That’s why it’s always good to talk to your doctor about ED. 5. It’s Unclear When It'll Be Available. It might be a while before MED3000 is available at your local pharmacy. A spokesperson from Futura Medical said they’re still working out the details on a specific timeframe for the U.S. release and price tag for the OTC treatment for ED. “We are currently in discussions with potential commercialization partners,” the representative said. Dr. Pearlman says the availability of an easy-to-access treatment for men dealing with ED is welcome news. “As a specialist in male sexual health, I am excited to learn more about this therapy and delve into the research to better understand its safety and effectiveness, as well as which men may benefit from its use,” she says.

From Pattaya News Pattaya police are reportedly preparing to charge a Russian man they believe is linked to the fatal fall of his Russian girlfriend on Sunday for homicide after reviewing CCTV footage of the incident which appears to show the man holding the woman by her legs from his balcony. Pol. Col. Wattanachai Saengrit, superintendent of the Na Jomtien police station, ordered his subordinates to collect surveillance camera recordings in the vicinity of the scene where a Russian woman, Ms. Daria, 32, fell to her death from her condo on Sunday morning, August 13th. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, it was discovered that Ms. Daria reportedly was dangling beyond the edge of the balcony with her 30-year-old Russian boyfriend, Mr. Oeaop Nbahobny Fedor, holding both of her legs. Pol. Col. Wattanachai stated that the boyfriend then allegedly released his grip, causing the woman to plummet to her immediate demise. He noted, however, that the motivation behind the footage remains unclear, whether it was an attempt to rescue the woman from falling or an act of homicide. During the interrogation, Mr. Oeaop acted uncooperatively with the police due to being irritated and alcohol intoxication. He had been speaking incoherently and his initial statement conflicted with the CCTV footage, initially alleging to be outside of the room while his girlfriend suddenly leapt to her death. When confronted with the CCTV footage which appeared to invalidate Oeaop’s claim of not being present he became more irritable and uncooperative, according to police.

1. I don't like playing in the pitch-dark. The dark rooms in Brazilian clubs are all pitch-dark. I need some visual pleasure when I play. And I enjoy watching other people have sex as well. 2. I don't do bareback. It's difficult to know if the model uses a new condom when he fucks me in the pitch-dark room.

Much much better than Bangu (and closer)

I went there yesterday (sunday). To go to the club, from Gloria, it is a 40 minutes and 45 R$ by uber. Rather easy to find. No indication on the gate though. The gate indicated "Animaçao" is the entrance of the club. It consists of a large room, with a stage, a bar, a pool, a couple of snooker tables and lockers. Rapid internet is available. There are 4 rooms for private activities. There are showers both at ground level and on first floor. The club was started in February 2023. Boys are rather friendly and would come to your table to introduce themselves. Most of them are local next door type boys. Do not expect to find the bodybuilbers you would find in 117. I was a little surprised by the number of boys : I counted 20 boys. Even though it was raining, even though it was fathers'day, they came. I guess the main reason is that it is free for the boys. Then can play snooker, have pizza, watch and listen to the show. And they may meet a customer ... Of course they pay for they drinks. The only requirement seems to be that they change and wear a towel. Some keep they underwear, most don't. Some show their cock in the main room and eventually wank. Entrance to the club is 45 R$. Cabins are free. Running rate of programa is around 100 R$. A couple of boys are also in 117, but since they do not have the hassle of going to Gloria, they can accept less than in 117. Jorge, the owner of Meio Mundo was also there yesterday, and many of the boys in Meio Mundo are coming from the Madureira area. For coming back, finding a uber took some time. Some uber drivers declined, I guess because it was end of the day and did not want to go to Copacabana or Ipanema and come back without customer. If no uber is available to go back to Copa or Ipa, one solution might be to go to a place to Madureira (ie Rodoviaria Novo Rio) where they are likely to find a customer to come back. and then take another uber to your place. Some of the shows :

I am using Chrome with no problems but, yes, I tried using MS Edge & got the 'This site has been reported as unsafe' message.

Have you tried one stop visa services - located end of Soi 6 near enough opposite to the beach. UK guy seems to have experience in overseas visas

I use chrome. No issues.

Earlier this year (May 2023) Lindsey Graham claimed the focus on Clarence Thomas is an unethical initiative by the Dems to delegitimize a conservative court. But by now isn't it clear Uncle Thomas is largely responsible for the fall in the Court's reputation? I'm not waiting for LindseyBelle to chime in again anytime soon, at least not until he learns his fate in Fulton County, whether he is indicted or is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Grand Jury election fraud case. Since that news may come soon (this week?) ol' Lindsey will need to check his hair and makeup for another turn on Fox, for more spin. Frankly, I'm not as focused on Clarence and Lindsey though. Rather, I'm excited to see The Donald have his mug shot and fingerprints taken before appearing in court, in Fulton County

I'm not getting it either.

Of the web sites I frequent, this is the only site that gives these warnings. My AV is not picking anything up and if it were simply a pop up phishing exped I'd ignore it. The "dangerou" marking is part of edge though. Not sure why it's being picked up but it is annoying as I get the warning on every page within this site.

The question is how does it taste? Who wants to suck a cock that tastes like medicine?

What I believe is happening is that malware is likely attempting to attack your computer by luring you to click on commands, such as "Report' afrer which a virus will infect your computer. The warnings make no sense for this particular site and appwar to me to be a hoax. Don't click on any command. I've never received a similar warning.

From The Nation Notorious Arab motorbike riders were forced to cancel their road-racing plans after some 200 policemen and Interior Ministry officials were deployed to keep law and order on Pattaya roads late on Saturday night. Officers from Pattaya Police Station and officials from Chonburi provincial administration were deployed to check the roads and sois where local residents have complained about road racing and the blocking of traffic by Arab youngsters, mostly tourists from Kuwait. Interior Ministry officials also joined the operation. Most of the riders parked their motorbikes on the roadside as soon as they saw the officials approaching. Some, however, were defiant and continued riding their bikes, only to be stopped and fined for violating traffic laws. The officials did not arrest those who had parked their bikes, but they were interrogated and found to be mostly Kuwaiti teenagers. Police said the interrogation of some 200 youngsters continued into the early hours of Sunday. Last week, Pattaya police held a meeting with other agencies concerned to discuss measures to prevent road racing, which has become popular among Arab tourists but is making life difficult for local people. Motorbike rental companies have been warned to strictly check the identification particulars of tourists and their driving licences before renting out bikes.

From Thai PBS World King’s third son, Dr. Chakriwat, joins elder brother in Bangkok His Majesty the King’s third son, Dr. Chakriwat Vivacharawongse, is currently in Bangkok to join his elder brother, Vacharaesorn, who has decided to extend his stay in Thailand. According to a Facebook post by Wassana Nanuam, a senior reporter at the Bangkok Post, this is the first time that the two brothers have been in Thailand after 27 years of living abroad. Dr. Chakriwat has long desired to visit Thailand, to pay respects to his great grandmother, the late Princess Mother Srinagarindra, for being his inspiration to study medicine in order to help the poor, and to pay respects to his grandfather, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. According to Wassana’s post, the two brothers visited Ayutthaya province yesterday (Saturday) and today they went to Siriraj Hospital to pay their respects to the statues of Prince Mahidol and the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Chakriwat and Vacharaesorn, two of four sons born to HM the King and his former consort Sujarinee, will return to the United States together. According to the Chakriwat Medical Information Centre, Chakriwat wrote that his desire to become a physician grew out of his own personal experience as a patient. When he was a teenager, he noticed a lump on the side of his neck and his doctor had it removed and biopsied. He was subsequently diagnosed with Type II Neurofibromatosis. The lifelong course of treatment has included multiple surgeries and repeated radiotherapy. He wrote that as he researched his condition, to understand what was happening to his body, his desire to enter the medical profession grew. “My condition became a motivating factor in my life and served as the foundation for an enthusiastic pursuit of a career in medicine,” he wrote.

Don't get out much, do you?

I found him to be genuine and caring. In fact all of the guys there seemed amenable. I had had only one previous experience with a Tawan bodybuilder, several years ago, but he seemed to be in it only for the money. I was much more satisfied this time round.

It is not just visa processing issues. As my friend from Shanghai informed me earlier this week, after covid many Chinese no longer have valid passports and the backlog is such they will wait many, many months for new ones. Another factor affecting Chinese demand must surely be the dreadful state of the nation's economy. It has failed to recover from covid anywhere near as quickly as most thought and 2022 saw its worst economic performance in decades. The country is now in recession. The property market is suffering massive declines, far more than in previous years. Unemployment amongst the nation's youth in the 16-24 age range rose to a record 21.3% in June. 11.58 million university graduates are about to be thrown into a job market with few jobs to go to. President XI has urged them to go work in the countryside - echoes of the Mao era. None now want to do so. Then throw in the work force that is starting to show signs of rapid ageing thanks to the now abandoned one child policy. The losses of once the largest property developer Evergrande rose to US$340 billion last year, making it the global real estate's largest indebted developer. To all intents and purposes it is bankrupt. Hot on its heels, this week now the nation's largest developer, Country Garden, warned the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it will see a $7.6 billion loss for the first 6 months of this year. No less than 30 real estate companies have already defaulted on overseas loans. The government has increased loans to the sector but they are essentially a pittance that will do nothing to stop the slide. Worse for the government, in a country where it is usual to pay much of the value up front for property, last year millions of mortage holders rioted when developers could not deliver promised apartments. Indeed, many had stopped construction altogether. Given that China's construction market accounts for a third of the nation's economic output and about 70% of personal wealth, economists agree that the present crisis affecting disruption of such a massive sector will inevitably have an affect on the global financial system. Little wonder that President Biden has warned that China is a "ticking time bomb". Clearly many Chinese will still have the desire and the funds to travel. This group will no doubt fill up quite a few aircraft. But for the next few years the Chinese travel bubble is dead. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66470170 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-62402961

A wonderfully inspiring vdo. Greed is such a powerful motive. It is not just the massive amount of national treasures looted from countries. There is a very large and thriving market for stolen art trsasures. There was a television prgramme recently about the heist at the Garner Museum in Boston in 1990. With apparent ease, two thieves got into the gallery at night and made off with 12 paintings and one artefact, including one of the rare 34 Vermeers then in existence, several works by Rembrandt and others by Degas and Manet. None has ever been recovered. The value today is probably somewhere near $1 billion. Given the crude way in which some of the near priceless paintings were cut form their frames, it is viewed unlikely that they were stolen "to order" by a dodgy collector. But despite the involvement of the FBI over three decades and a $10 million reward, the artworks have vanished. Some believe they may simply have been destroyed by being badly stored. But no one knows. Over time many major artworks have been stolen from museums, incuding the Mona Lisa, a Picasso, a Rembrandt, 2 Edvard Munch paintings and Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington which was famously included in a short scene in the first James Bond movie. All were eventually located and returned. The Garner Museum heist remains the largest of all - and the most mysterious.

Not being a retiree, I can only make short visits to Thailand, or anywhere else in Southeast Asia, for that matter. So, as mentioned above, paid sex at business locations is the most time-effective way to get what I need. Except when one is hiring someone one has engaged before, it's always hit and miss. Paid sex hired through various digital platforms (also hit and miss), I have tried and given up. As have some of my friends for similar reasons - fake pictures, badly delayed arrival, the inconvenience of having to meet outside first, etc. Someone I know even had security issues with a guy he invited to his hotel despite meeting outside beforehand and paying for expensive coffee. Fortunately I haven't been in a similar situation. I am realistic enough to recognise that since I do not want to have sex with someone like me, I really shouldn't expect anyone to be offering free sex to me. And yet, off and on, it has happened. Once in a while I still find myself being cruised on the streets or the metro. More often than not, they are not my type anyway, usually, a bit too fem and not because they are too old - I have relatively wide acceptability ranges for age and body types. I'm not someone who must have 20-something twinks or muscle jocks. But at my age, I have to pinch myself when I think someone is cruising me. Is this really happening? Why does he want my body? And then I start to think, oh he must be a moneyboy (sometimes a 45-year-old moneyboy)... but even when we get to talking, it's really hard to broach the subject to establish for sure whether it's going to transactional or not. It can cause offence, especially when expressed badly in a foreign language. Yet unless it is clear, the uncertainty can complicate how to proceed. So, and I hate to say it, even in these rare occasions when I am cruised, I tend to turn down the offers. That said, there was one recent instance in Bali which not only was non-transactional but turned out great. The next dayI asked myself, now how many potentially great encounters have I missed out on because I tend to be too careful?

I like that younger picture of you with longer hair......👩

I am sounding like a broken record but... My last Thailand trip was at Songkran last April and, to be honest, I've only had free Grindr sex due to the throngs of available asian (and white!) gay tourists in town for Songkran and GCircuit. This was my first Thailand trip ever where I did not off anyone from the bars or elsewhere. i didn't need to, and to be honest, I didn't want to. Another story for another time. But when I am in Brazil, my sexual encounters are probably half paid from the saunas and half from Grindr. I like paid encounters because of the aforementioned instant gratification and also getting to do (sex) things that you can't just do to anyone with someone who probably would be hotter than your normal Grindr fare. But sometimes Grindr is the only (viable) option at times. I was in Buenos Aires recently and trolling for paid guys in the sites seem to be super cumbersome, and the free market was, to me, surprisingly booming and amazing, teeming with very cute guys that are relatively very available right now. As long as I can afford it I'll always have paid sex. And as long as I can get it I'll always have free sex. TLDR: I like sex.

both ends of the horse are represented here 😉

I think BLs could be a great way to get insights into the nuances of cultural aspects when learning Thai:

Don't put dishes on top of each other when finished or clearing the table.....

A popularity poll for the Supreme Court (or any particular justice) is about as meaningful as a pimple on the butt of a camel. It's a job for life. Get over it. Clarence Thomas will be there for as long as he desires. He is not going anywhere. At least while Corrupt Joe Biden is in the White House. And speaking of corruption, the band-aid is about to be peeled off on the corruption of the Biden crime family now that impeachment articles have been filed against the senile old man and Hunter is on the cusp of an indictment.

From Pattaya Mail By Lawyer Jessataporn Bunnag A recurrent discussion amongst expats is whether to bother applying for the yellow book (which lists the foreigner’s resident in a property) and the pink card (a Thai ID for aliens). The general answer is a yes as they can oftentimes relieve the burden of repeat journeys to the immigration office. They can be used for registering a SIM card, enrolling as a patient in a hospital, opening a bank account, entering fee-paying sites including national parks, reporting at police stations and transferring vehicle ownership. Why do I say oftentimes? Because each bureaucracy has the power either to accept the yellow book and pink card or to insist on a specific letter from immigration as proof of address. For example, the vast majority of land transportation offices do require a letter from immigration as part of the process for driving licence application or renewal. Applicants for the 5-20 years Elite visa also will find they need the immigration proof of address. But it is still worth the effort if only because possession of the yellow book and pink card sets you apart from the general run of farang in Thailand. The documents required to make an application vary somewhat from province to province. You will certainly need your original passport and preferably a non-immigrant or better visa: the process of application currently takes around six weeks. If you have a work permit and/or marriage certificate, they are needed, but no need to worry if they don’t apply to you. Also you will need the blue house book (and ID card) for the residence you live in plus the owner’s consent if you do not own the bricks and mortar. Whether you need to provide embassy confirmation of your passport and provide a birth certificate depends on the policy of your local jurisdiction. Other requirements can include confirmation of address by immigration, plus photos and a crime-free certificate in some local authorities. You will also need two witnesses, one of which can be your Thai lawyer if you choose to hire one. Advantages there include familiarization with the process as the lawyer will accompany you to the interview at city hall or the district office. In the Pattaya area, the venue for applications depends on the location of your address: city hall for Pattaya and the district offices in Banglamung, Nongprue and Huay Yai. As you already likely know, a foreigner’s name cannot appear in the blue housebook or “tibean bahn”. Possession of the yellow book does not prove you own the property as it is only a list of foreign residents living there. However, there is one exception to the exclusion of aliens from the blue book: a permanent resident can be listed there. Permanent residents are foreigners who have no date in their passport when they must renew or leave the kingdom. They also have a red police book with which they report to the police station and not to immigration. Permanent residency is a privilege usually given to foreigners who have worked successfully in Thailand and/or benefitted Thailand in some significant way by their presence and activities. It’s not “just another visa”. In fact it’s not a visa at all.