Gaybutton

It can't hurt to make a complaint, but I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears. Considering that the material is neither illegal nor pornographic, I really don't need some homophobic, over-zealous customs official, probably less than half my age, deciding for me what I can and cannot read.

It just might be worth it to get the boy a computer. If you both have Skype you can talk for free any time you want, for as long as you want. That's how I talk with my family in the USA and the connection is almost always perfect and actually even more clear than using a telephone.

I agree. An excellent film. It's a true story too. Yes, a lot of people were disappointed that Gran Torino was not the typical Eastwood shoot-em-up, but I definitely enjoyed it. He is a hell of a good director now. I read somewhere that Gran Torino is the last movie in which he intends to appear as an actor. He wants to stick to directing from now on. From among all his shoot-em-up films, my favorite was always Joe Kidd. I couldn't keep up with the body count in that one. A lot of the recent movies have been very good. I just saw one that's a few years old and I hadn't see it before. Primal Fear. It's a Richard Gere movie. I thought it was very good, but unfortunately I figured out the ending. I would rather have been surprised. I think one of the reasons I liked Gran Torino is because I didn't figure out the ending. Well, let's not tell people how these movies end. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen them. I'll suffice it to say the butler didn't do it . . .

I guess there's not much you can do about it, but that really stinks. I know of nothing that has ever been in any issue that could be considered remotely pornographic or otherwise illegal. Just somebody at Customs who decided all by himself that you can't have that material. I always thought it was this sort of thing that the USA is supposed to be against.

Everyone has his own opinion. I thought both films were excellent.

How could anyone possibly know that? None of us have a crystal ball. We won't know until the time comes. All anyone can do is guess. As for booking ahead, that is always recommended. What reason would you have for not booking ahead?

Two great events if you're going to be here:

I've sent both mail and packages to the USA many times, from Thailand. I use the local mail services and also sometimes send directly from the post office. The most it ever took for mine to arrive was 8 days. Usually it gets there in 5 or 6 days. I have no idea why yours took so long, but based on my experience the fact that yours took so long is quite unusual.

Yes, but first, regarding bedbugy's suggestion of using Google translations, forget it. Try copying a sentence or two written in Thai and pasting it into the Google translation. The English that comes out is incomprehensible. Most likely the reverse would be true and the Thai that comes out would be just as incomprehensible to a Thai person. Go to http://www.thaivisa.com and write 'translation' in their search. Many items will come up. Perhaps one of them will be what you seek.

I know of one. Perhaps you've heard of it. The name of the town is Pattaya.

I have never heard of a farang arrested when taking a boy off from a bar at all, regardless of the boy's age. But bars are not the only places where farang find under-age boys. I've heard about plenty of arrests when a farang picked up an under-age boy freelancing on the streets. Once in a while I have heard of arrests when bars were raided and a farang was caught with an under-age boy in the bar's short time room, but it's been about ten years since I last heard of such an arrest. That doesn't mean it's worth the risk. Just because I've never heard of it doesn't mean it never happens or can't start happening. Also, few hotels are going to let someone in if he has an under-age boy in tow.

I see signs in the windows of many travel services, legal services, and language schools that offer translation service. Also, you might be able to do it in a different way. Are there any Thai restaurants in your area? If there are, maybe someone in the restaurant would be willing to do it for you, especially for a fee. Then you could send out the letter yourself.

That's a good point. I would imagine those important documents would most likely be documents needed at Immigration. Obviously the ideal thing to do would be to get the documents wherever they need to be either before or after the splashing days. If that is not possible, then place them in a plastic bag or some other waterproof container. Take a baht bus and sit up front with the driver. Try to go as early in the day as you can, while the drunken revelers are still asleep.

Don't worry about that. Gang away! You, Soi10Tom, and everybody else are entitled to their opinions just as I am entitled to mine. There is never a problem about disagreement on this board as long as there are no personal attacks, and there have been none. Never think your opinion has to agree with mine (even though you're dead wrong whenever it doesn't . . . .)

Well, that certainly brings tears to my eyes. Is that what you find? I didn't even know you were looking. My friend, if you want to go by strict definitions and quibble about it, that's your affair. Just because you attach great importance to that doesn't mean everybody else has to do the same thing. New knowledge? That's a presumptuous assumption. Quite frankly, I actually have enough command of the language to already have known the differences long, long before your post. I never said I'm unwilling to hear facts or that I lack intellectual curiosity. That's your opinion. If you think you're telling me anything I didn't know before, well . . . you're mistaken. I already know the facts, thank you very much. I also know the phrase about a rose by any other name. In all honesty I'm neither interested nor do I give a damn. My interest is in the practical side. Quibbling about words and dictionary definitions is of no importance to me at all, especially in light of another fact: The last time I checked, English is not a static language. I'll tell you what. The next time someone is arrested for being a pedophile, but in reality he's merely a pederast, just have him open his dictionary for the police. I'm sure that will make a huge difference. If this makes me very Bush-like, so be it. I disagree with that interpretation. I thought it makes me very Nixon-like.

Here's one of my favorite quotes. I've posted it before,and it seems appropriate now: "The only good thing that ever came from religion is the music." - George Carlin

Exactly. I agree with every word of your post including the part about the pointlessness of going into what defines what or why the media reports whatever it reports. It doesn't matter. Pedo, pederast, or anything else. None of it changes the fact that if someone comes to Thailand, seeks out boys under 18 years old for sex, and gets caught, then he's going bye-bye. I fail to see what difference the rest of it makes.

For practical purposes, does it really matter? We can analyze and guess about the reasons from now 'till Kingdom Come, but none of it alters the fact that given the numbers of arrests of the pedos diddling around with under age boys, these people must have a whole hardware store full of loose screws to take such a risk. And for what? A satisfying cum. Great idea, pedos! Brilliant! Risk ruining your entire life, career, family, reputation, time in a Thai prison, time in a prison in your home country, along with a major loss of money so that you can get laid by a 10 year old. I have no sympathy for these people, but I do stand back in awe of that level of stupidity.

I would think the reason is due to the fact that so many pedophiles come to Pattaya for the express purpose of seeking out sex with under-age boys. That's bound to add to the statistics. Unfortunately, Pattaya is unique in that sex with under-age boys is so readily available.

Details are on the poster:

Damned right! What really is surprising me is that so far lvdkeyes is the only one posting that he dislikes Songkran and plans to go elsewhere. I would have thought several others would have posted similar sentiments. Maybe people have caught the spirit . . .

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Tourists Suspected of Underage Sex Crimes Thai, Australian Police Work to Make Arrests By: WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM and AFP Published: 21/03/2009 Thai and Australian police have arrested three men accused of sexual offences against Thai minors while on holiday here in a joint operation. Under the joint operation codenamed "Hercules", Australian Richard Jeremy Morrush and Italian David Costa Ruggero, both 60, were arrested yesterday in Pattaya, Chon Buri province. The third suspect, another Australian identified as David Anthony Hadson, 41, was arrested in Australia. The suspects were charged with plotting to lure boys under 15 to have sex with them and with the physical or psychological abuse of their victims. The three came to Thailand as tourists in 2007 and went to Pattaya where they committed sexual offences against three 14-year-old boys, police alleged. Police also alleged that Mr Morrush committed similar crimes in Australia before he came to Thailand. Mr Ruggero was arrested by Thai police in 2007 on similar charges. He was released on bail and the case is pending in court, police said. Both Mr Morrush and Mr Ruggero denied all the charges and remained tight-lipped yesterday, said Pol Col Suwipol Imjairat, deputy chief of the Crime Against Children, Juveniles and Women Suppression Division. Mr Morrush fainted during his arrest and had to be sent to the Police General Hospital, the officer added. Police are checking a computer laptop seized from Mr Morrush to see if it contained any illegal images. Police began looking into the case involving the three foreigners after they were informed by the Australian Federal Police that suspects in sex crimes they were investigating had travelled to Thailand. The Australian police said yesterday the three were charged with child sex tourism, child sex abuse and child pornography offences. Britain's child exploitation and online protection centre also assisted with the investigation, they added. The Australian Federal Police "will not tolerate any form of child abuse in Australia or anywhere in the world, and will continue to work with local and overseas counterparts to arrest those behind child exploitation", said spokesman David Stewart. Last year, officers arrested four foreigners accused of similar offences in Thailand. They were middle-aged men from England, the US and Germany. Meanwhile, at the Southeast Asia Conference on Child Sex Tourism in Indonesia yesterday, Southeast Asian nations were urged to do more to tackle child sex tourism as the global economic crisis has exposed more young people to exploitation. "The current economic crisis will increase children's vulnerability to sex tourism," participants from governments, aid groups and corporations said. "Poverty remains a root cause of child sex tourism. Other factors include limited access to education, gender relations, and weak law enforcement capacity," the conference said in a resolution. Asean governments should "enforce legislation to prosecute child sex offenders and where relevant collaborate regionally and internationally to ensure successful prosecution", it said. The three-day conference heard earlier that more than 70,000 children across Asia were victims of child sex tourism and that children living in areas exposed to natural disasters, particularly orphans, were at increased risk of abuse.The conference is being held on the Indonesian island of Bali and has attracted participants from 17 countries including Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.

It's just incredible to me that given the number of arrests, people still think they're going to get away with it. Why do they even come to Thailand at all? Several other countries have ages of consent far younger than Thailand. Why do they come here? Just another item on my "I Don't Get It" list. The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: for photos see: http://www.pattayaone.net/news/2009/march/...9_03_52_3.shtml _____ British National Arrested for Engaging in Underage Sex Tourist Police held a press conference on Thursday morning to announce the arrest of Mr Paul Dixon, a 45-year-old British passport holder, on charges of engaging in sexual activities with a Thai male under the age of 15. Police told journalists they had set up an observation post in a known early morning area frequented by foreign men in search of sex with underage Thai males. Mr Dixon had allegedly come into this area at around 4:30am and offered the teenager 500 baht to perform sexual acts with him. Police pounced, arrested Mr Dixon and went to the man's room where they found what they claim are incriminating objects such as KY jelly, pornographic movies, and allegedly incriminating photos. Mr Dixon may now face court proceedings in coming days. ____________________ And this, in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ for photos see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000008692 ANOTHER BRITON ARRESTED IN PATTAYA ON PAEDOPHILE CHARGES On the morning of 19th March 2009 Pattaya police announced that a suspected British paedophile had been arrested in Pattaya, accused of having sex with an underage Thai male. At a press conference a police team led by Pol.Col. Krit Warit, Pol. Lt. Col. Chanchai Chowkasem, Pol. Lt. Col. Boon Rod Aung Gab, accompanied by Pol. Lt. Col. Suwan Aun Anan, revealed to the media that they had arrested Mr. Paul Dixon [45], a British national, for having sex with a Thai male under 15 years of age. On display were items collected from the suspect’s room at King Fisher House 504/498 Moo .10 Soi Yensabai, Pratumnuk Road, including KY jelly, pornographic movies, a video camera, sex toys, a bondage belt and a collection of photos which are believed to incriminate the suspect. Pol.Col. Krit Warit said they had been monitoring an area of the city frequented by foreign men looking for young Thai males for sexual purposes, and in particular a building no. 504/470 in Soi Tonson where many of these underage males were taken. Mr. Dixon, an engineer with the London Underground, was arrested by a police team when he ventured into the area in the early hours of the morning and propositioned a young teenager for sex. Police said the Mr. Dixon had been in Pattaya 5 times, normally on a 2 week stay. The suspect can now expect due processing according to the law. Pol.Col. Krit Warit added that his police team was under direct orders from The Tourist Police Commissioner, Pol.Maj.Gen. Adis Ngahm-Jit Sooksri, to seize foreign tourists who travel to Thailand to have underage sex, a problem which is still prevalent in Pattaya.

Yes, that's the one. Obviously totally different from Pattaya. It looks like great fun. That might be an excellent alternative for those who don't want to deal with it the way it works in Pattaya.

That is correct. Thailand does not permit police agencies of foreign countries to come in and act unilaterally. I know of no country that does. The Australian police would have had to act in conjunction with Thai police, and I'll bet as far as physically arresting anyone was concerned, their capacity was nothing beyond being observers.