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In what ways is it different?

I'm sorry you're having posting problems. If you wish, send your post to me in an Email ( gaybutton@gmail.com ). I'll be happy to post your message for you.

That's great! If you need any help once you get here, assuming you're coming to Pattaya, feel free to contact me personally if you wish. Be prepared! One of the worst days of your life will be the day you have to leave Thailand to go home again. One suggestion: If you will be here for Christmas or New Year's Eve, check with your hotel. Many hotels put on special buffets for those holidays and charge you for them whether you intend to go to their buffet or not. You might want to find out if your hotel is doing that and how much they're going to charge you for it.

As far as I know, that's really all he needs. It's been a few years, but I was with a Thai boy when he obtained his and that's all he needed, along with passport photos and the fee. I don't remember how much the fee was. At the time, the place to get the passport was an office at the Asia Center, a "you can't miss it" building you easily spot as you are entering Bangkok from the expressway. However, I understand the Thai passport office has relocated and is no longer at the Asia Center. I don't know where the office is now.

I'm glad you managed to survive my absence. I don't know how you did it. It must have been terribly difficult for you . . .

That will be Wednesday, November 12 this year.

Someone familiar with Chiang Mai will have to confirm whether this is correct, but I have heard there are actually domestic services in Chiang Mai that specialize in cleaning up flood damage once the waters recede.

Look at the bright side . . . you got a week's worth.

Dear Friends & Guests, We would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you an exciting new dining experience, which we will be holding on a monthly basis at Poseidon Restaurant Jomtien Complex. Every month we will produce for you an innovative 5 course menu and to accompany this we will also select 4 different wines! Some of the wines every month will be purchased locally in the supermarkets so our guests can buy these wines at any time if they enjoy them, while others will be from our wine suppliers at Poseidon and Casa Pascal, but even these wines will be available to our guests at cost price if they wish to enjoy more of these wines at home. Our next dinner will be held on Friday, November 07 at 7.30p.m. The cost for this dinner will be only 1,400 Baht net for the 5-course dinner, including the selection of four wines. For further details and bookings call Hugh on 081-577-8727 or 038-303-300 e-mail: hughinthailand@hotmail.com Please note that booking deadline is November 05, 2008, so that we can purchase the wines accordingly. Culinary Regards Kim & Pascal Wine Dinner at Poseidon hosted by Mr. Hugh Millar November 07. 2008 MENU Amuse Bouche *** Salad of Frogs Legs, White Asparagus and Walnuts *** Wine Soup with Leek and Potatoes *** Duck Leg Confit & roasted Duck Breast, Coco Beans and braised red Cabbage Or Breaded Pacific Dory Fish Fillet with boiled Potatoes and Tatar Sauce *** Strawberries on caramelized Blini WINE White Wines Branchiforti Bianco, Firriato, Italy 2004 Blue Moon Chardonnay, Australia 2006 Red Wines Branchiforti Rosso, Firriato, Italy 2004 Little Penguin Shiraz, Australia 2005

Calling all Americans! "No Citizen of the United States should refrain from Turkey on Thanksgiving Day." Alexander Hamilton. 1755 - 1804. The White Night Restaurant in Soi VC would like to inform you that we will be having a special Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday 27th November at 7.30 for 8 pm. With this being the first of many special nights, Mike and the team will be "pulling out all the stops" to make this dinner really special for you. Here are the details, which may be subject to variation. From 7.30pm. Complimentary welcome drinks. 8.00pm. Everyone who books will be sat at the long "Family" tables inside in the air conditioned dining room or out on the Soi side terrace. The Buffet will be served in terrines and on platters so that you can help yourself to whatever you like without having to leave the table, making the whole evening very easy and sociable. The menu is planned as; Roast Pumpkin Soup, Asparagus Soup. Waldorf Salad. Subject tot the availability of fresh Waldorfs! Roast Turkey with traditional dressing of Sage and Onion stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Rich Gravy. A selection of seasonal vegetables including, Corn, Sweet Potato, Roast Potatoes, Mashed Potato, Peas, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower Asparagus and more. A sweet selection to include; Apple Pie, Fruit & Nut Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Chocolate Mousse, Rice Pudding, Fresh Fruit Salad, Cream and Custard. And finally a small digestive drink and then tea or coffee, if you still have room. This special Family Style buffet banquet is remarkable value at only 590 Baht per person. Early booking is essential so please phone Mike on 089-402-8741 for any further information and to make your reservation. Have a Good Day!

I further suggest that you go to the Sawatdee forum ( http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/index.html ) and contact Smiles. He lives in Hua Hin and would probably be happy to help you with whatever information you seek.

Another bebefit: There are places that require you to leave a picture ID upon entry. You get it back when you leave, of course, but I'm still much happier leaving them my Thai driver's license rather than my passport.

I can't help you with your question, but I can make a suggestion. In Chiang Mai, before you sign on the dotted line, find out if the house you intend to rent has any flooding problems. There are areas that are quite prone to flooding. I have an acquaintance in Chiang Mai who is renting a beautiful home at a ridiculously low price. It turns out the reason for the low price is because several times a year his entire first floor floods. They have to get all the furniture moved upstairs before the water destroys it. They also need hip boots to wade from their house to the street. So, it's a good idea to check into that sort of thing.

Good or bad, here I am after having been offline for a week. Last Thursday evening I was using the Internet when suddenly everything just stopped. That happens sometimes around here. When it does, you're usually back online within a couple hours. Sometimes simply restarting the computer solves the problem. This time, that didn't work. By the next morning I was still offline. I contacted TT&T and was told they'll look into it and call me back. A few hours later they said my connection seems to be working, so the problem is probably my router. I took the router to the same place where I bought it. They asked me to leave it there and they'll call me back. Again, I waited several hours. They called and said my router is working perfectly and nothing is wrong with it. Back to square one! I contacted TT&T again. They promised to have a technician call me, but they also said usually it's two or three days after your initial call before they get back to you. At least I can use my mobile phone to send and receive Email, so I had no serious problem about Email. Of course, three days later when they called and said they're ready to come over and check out the problem, I was not in Pattaya. I had to call for another appointment. Now, a week later, two TT&T technicians finally showed up and got me going again within twenty minutes. They tried everything and couldn't find anything wrong with my computer or router. They brought a laptop with them and tried hooking it up to the net using my router. They were online immediately. so the problem obviously wasn't my telephone line. After several phone calls to their office and a lot of head scratching, the technician said he is going to try one last idea before calling in someone with more expertise. He tried changing my user name and password. As soon as he did, I was back online instantly! Naturally, I'm happy to be back online after being down for a week, but I'm also angry. If my user name and password stopped working, the next logical question is why? I also am curious why, after many calls to TT&T, nobody on their end checked to see if my user name and password wasn't working. The idea that might be the problem never occurred to me. I never encountered a problem like that before. As for why, the only answer I can come up with is someone at their office must have cut off my user name and password. Whether that was some sort of mistake or some sort of glitch, I don't know. Anyway, here I am with a new user name and password, and all's well that ends well! Meanwhile, even being gone for a week, nothing much has changed. The US dollar to baht exchange rate is at 34.28. Thaksin is still a wanted man. The PAD is still occupying government offices and is still trying to oust Somchai. In other words, nothing has changed. Glad to see y'all again . . .

Here's the way I understand it: An International Driving Permit is legal in Thailand provided you also have your home country's driving license accompanhying it. However, it is also my understanding that despite the fact that the International permit is good for a year, Thailand only honors it for 90 days after you enter Thailand.

The story I'm getting is that new people have taken over the building and Erich has lost the lease as a result. I understand he is looking for somewhere new he can open, but he has not yet been able to find anything. I certainly hope he is able to reopen. His restaurant is one of my favorites.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Cambodia Claims Thailand Violated Airspace By Deutsche Presse Agentur Phnom Penh - Thailand violated Cambodian airspace hours before a border skirmish erupted on Wednesday, Cambodian officials said. Cambodian and Thai soldiers on Wednesday exchanged gunfire in a disputed zone near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border called Eagle Field, or Eagle Terrace, 300 kilometres north of the Cambodian capital, which is an important strategic point for access to Preah Vihear. "The Thai injuries were worse, but there were casualties on both sides," the director-general of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, which oversees the site, said by telephone. "The Thai fighter jet came 8:50 am and again at 10.07 am to disturb our airspace. Cambodian soldiers wanted to fight then, but they were placated for a while. "I do not know why fighting happened at 2.15 until 3.30 pm because I was not there," the head of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, Hang Soth, said by telephone from a meeting in Phnom Penh. He said there were casualties on both sides, but that the Thai side had borne the brunt of duel M-79, B-40 and AK-47 exchanges. Cambodian authorities said all civilians had fled the area and it was now regarded by both sides as a conflict zone. The Wednesday shoot-out at Eagle Terrage is important to the ongoing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple because whoever controls that area controls access to the temple, which is sacred to both sides. A similar clash at the same site on October 3 left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded.

They've really gone and done it! I had hoped it wouldn't come to this and that this dispute could be resolved amicably at the bargaining table, but now that the shooting has begun, of course, no one knows yet what will be next or where this will lead. I see no word in any of the media as to who shot first or what instigated it, but both sides are blaming each other. I also see nothing as to whether borders have been sealed and/or flights between Thailand and Cambodia have been canceled, but Thailand has issued warnings to Thai nationals in Cambodia to return to Thailand. Never a dull moment around here. I'll let the articles speak for themselves. Of course, as more news becomes available I'll try to post the significant items. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Gunfire at the Border Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave for home immediately after a Wednesday afternoon military battle along the disputed border. "Thai businessmen who have no need to be in Cambodia now, please rush back to Thailand," Sompong told reporters. "We have our evacuation plan ready," he added. In the Northeast, officials told residents of the border to be ready to move out quickly in case hostilities resume and escalate. Thai and Cambodian troops reportedly exchanged gun fire for about 10 minutes at the border of Kantalak district, Si Sa Ket province at around 2.30pm. The incident reportedly occurred three kilometres from Phreah Vihear temple, and at the site of an Oct 3 clash which left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded. Thailand issued an official protest to the Cambodian government over that alleged border incursion. Cambodia’s Preah Vihear governor Prieb Tan claimed that Thailand started shooting at the Cambodian army first. Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd, meanwhile, claimed that Cambodian soldiers started the shooting first by firing about seven to eight shots onto the Thai soil so Thai soldiers had to defend themselves by firing them back using small weapons. According to Col Sansern, four Thai army rangers were wounded while one Cambodian soldier was killed in the incident. On Tuesday, Col Sansern reiterated that Thailand would not shoot first, but warned that Thai troops were ready if Cambodian forces encroach into Thailand. The Thai army is ready to confront any incident to protect the country’s sovereignty, he said. Meanwhile, Thailand put air force fighter jets and C-130 transport planes on alert. The C-130s have been used in a previous operation to bring Thais back home from Phnom Penh. "Normally we have fighter jets on stand-by at various regional headquarters ready for operation within five minutes, but under the current circumstances we have increased our readiness," Grp Capt Montol Suchookorn was quoted by the AFP news agency. "I do hope the use of force is the last resort," he added. __________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thai Troops Wounded in Clash with Cambodia - Army Spokesman By The Nation One Cambodian Soldier Killed : Thai Army Spokesman Four Thai troops were injured during a clash with Cambodian troops along Thai-Cambodia border on Wednesday, Army spokesman Sansern Kaeowkamnerd said. One Khmer soldier was killed during the clashes. The Thai troops were suffered from sharpnels of explosives and were rushed to a hospital in Si Sa Kaet province. They were injured in one of two clashes with Cambodia at Pa Mo I Daeng in Si Sa Ket province. Another clash Phu Ma Khur caused no casualty. They were first casualties of the Thai-Cambodia border conflicts which were flared up after Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum to open war if Thai troops were not withdrawn from the disputed area near the temple. However his ultimatum was shot down as the Thai army vowed to remain troops. __________ The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Govt to Protest to Cambodia over Battle The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will invite Cambodian charge d’affaires to Thailand Ouk Sophoin to receive an official protest, following the armed confrontation between troops from the two countries, Information Department director-general and Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Tharit asserted Thai soldiers did not start the shooting, but the gunfight was acted in self-defence, as stated in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations (UN). As for the evacuation plan for the Thais living in Cambodia, he said his ministry already coordinated with Thai Airways (THAI) to bring them home. Three THAI flights were available to the neighbouring country. Approximately 1,000 Thai people lived in Phanom Penh and about 400 to 500 Thais were in Siem Reap. Meanwhile, both sides accused one another for inciting the brief gunfight on Wednesday. Four Thai soldiers were wounded and one Cambodian soldier was killed in the gunfight, according to army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd. __________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thai Troops Ordered to Retaliate : Gen Anupong By The Nation Army Commander in Chief Gen Anupong Paochinda has assigned Thai troops along the border with Cambodia to be on high alert and to retaliate if attacked. Second Army Region Commander Lt Gen Wibunsak Neeparn said Anupong telephoned to him and ordered Thai troops along the border to be ready if attacked. "Gen Anupong ordered the Thai troops to retaliate if Cambodian side opened the attacks," Wibunsak said Wednesday. Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared up this week after Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum for Thailand to withdraw Thai troopers from an area new Preah Vihear temple. However Bangkok refused to withdraw the troops, saying most of the troopers were de-miners. Wibunsak said he assigned Maj Gen Kanok Netrakawesana, commander of Suranaree Task Force to meet with the Khmer side on Thursday in a bid to find ways to ease the tensions. Meanwhile authorities have warned people to stay away from the border with Cambodia in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district in case fighting should break out. Villagers have been advised to stay at home, to make merit at their temples, to check their underground shelters and to have belongings packed should they need to evacuate. Despite the warnings, people in provinces along the Thai-Cambodia border still flocked to give foods to monks on Wednesday in a ceremony to mark the Buddhist Lent which fall on Tuesday. __________ And this, from TNA _____ Fighting Stops, One Cambodian Soldier Killed, 5 Thais Injured BANGKOK, Oct 15 (TNA) - Wednesday’s firefight between Thai and Cambodian soldiers has stopped, a senior Cambodian official said, while a Thai army spokesman reported that one Cambodian soldier was killed and five Thai soldiers were wounded. The Associated Press quoted Cambodian army commander Brig. Gen. Yim Pim as saying that the fighting "has paused.'' A Cambodian army official said both sides were trying to negotiate a cease-fire and talks were underway. Reuters reported two Cambodian soldiers were wounded in a brief firefight. One Cambodian soldier was killed and four Thais were injured in the fighting over a disputed land near the Thai-Cambodia border, said the Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd. Thai foreign minister Sompong Amornvivat revealed that Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong talked to him by telephone on Wednesday morning. Both sides expressed regret over the border row and confirmed to adopt a peaceful means to end the dispute. Thailand and Cambodia will hold bilateral talks to end the border row, said the Thai foreign minister, adding that he would seek approval of an operational framework under the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) from the parliament. Department of Information director-general and Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said he was informed by the Thai military that small arms and rocket propelled grenades were used in the clash between Thai and Cambodian soldiers. Mr. Tharit said that Thai soldiers confirmed that they would not begin any shooting, but they are prepared to counterattack to defend themselves. Mr. Tharit added that the permanent secretary for foreign affairs would summon Cambodian charge d'affaires on Wednesday evening to lodge a protest note to Cambodia about the firefight. He said prompt evacuation depends on the situation. There are about 1,000 Thai nationals in Phnom Penh and about 500 Thais in Siem Reap. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with Thai Airways to prepare for possible evacuation, he said, adding three flights can be arranged in a day. (TNA)

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Supreme Court Issues Another Arrest Warrant for Ousted PM Thaksin By The Nation The Supreme Court issued on Wednesday a fifth arrest warrant for ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, after he failed to appear in a trial accusing him of amending tax policy to enrich his business empire. Thaksin fled to England with his family in August and is seeking political asylum, claiming that he would not get a fair trial on the corruption charges against him. "The defendant failed to appear before the court without informing us," Supreme Court judge Pongphet Vichitchonchai said. "It shows his intention to escape (the charges). The court has decided to issue an arrest warrant against him." As there was no indication of when Thaksin planned to return to his homeland, the court also temporarily suspended the case. The case is related to Advanced Info Service (AIS), one of Thailand's biggest mobile phone operators and a subsidiary of Shin Corp, which was founded by Thaksin. The Assets Examination Committee has accused the former premier of changing a telecoms concession fee into an excise tax in 2003, saving AIS money in a concessions deal. Thaksin late sold his family's stake in Shin Corp to Singapore's state-owned investment unit Temasek for almost US$1.9 billion. Thai courts have issued four other arrest warrants against Thaksin on series of of corruption cases.

Today I took a friend to the Pattaya driving license office. He was renewing both his car and motorcycle licenses. He had the initial one-year licenses. He renewed weeks before either one would have expired because he is about to leave for a month outside of Thailand and wanted to get this taken care of before he leaves. In the past, my information had been that if you renew your driving license before the expiration date, they give you a one-year renewal and if you renew on or after the expiration date they give you a five-year renewal. Today he was given a five-year renewal for both licenses. All he had to do was show the paperwork (passport, residence certificate, medical certificate, and current Thai driving license. Photos are no longer necessary. They do the photos by computer now) and pay the fee. There were no tests of any kind. We were in and out in half an hour. It's a bit more expensive now, though. He paid a total of 960 baht for the two licenses. Be advised, this is the way it works at the Pattaya office. That doesn't mean offices elsewhere have the same policy. It is quite common for people to contact me to inform me that the way it works in Pattaya and the way it works elsewhere are not necessarily the same. I also always advise getting there between 8:00am and 8:15am (everything actually starts at 8:30am). We got there at 8:15am and he was fifth in line. By 8:30am the line stretched all the way to the back of the office and halfway down the stairs. Some of those people are probably still there as I write this.

I sincerely doubt it would come to that unless Hun Sen has gone off the deep end. A border skirmish is one thing, but if they carry it to a point into which it escalates into a full scale war and they start bombing civilians, then they're just begging for catastrophe. Besides, if they bomb some of the roads in Pattaya, considering all the potholes already there, who's going to notice?

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The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Villagers Prepare to Bunker Down By The Nation Published on October 15, 2008 As Rumors Abound, Families Check Evacuation Readiness Authorities have cautioned the public to stay away from the border with Cambodia in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district in case fighting should break out. Villagers have been advised to stay at home, to make merit at their temples, to check their underground shelters and to have belongings packed should they need to evacuate. The warning follows Cambodian PM Hun Sen's ultimatum for Thai troops to back off by noon yesterday from the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple and other disputed spots along the border. Thai troops have been on alert while village headฌmen have prohibited villagers from going near the disputed area for safety reasons. A 63yearold resident, Kong Pongon said after hearing the warnings, he and his neighbours decided that if fighting erupted they were ready for battle like they had been against the communists in 19761977. "Thai people are ready to create peace along the border," he said. Women and children have practised taking shelter in the bunkers. At the Thai army base near Phu Laor Fall, artillery is said to be in readiness, while locals have gathered to discuss fighting alongside Thai soldiers as they did in 1977. Women, children and the elderly are ready for evacuation. Heavily armed Cambodian soldiers have been reported on the border about 20 kilometres near the Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temple ruins in Surin's Phanom Dongrak district. An Army Area 2 source insisted the border areas patrolled by Thai troops were on Thai soil and the military had been there for 30 years without a problem. The atmosphere at the market near Chong JomOrsamet Pass in Kap Choeng district was said to be normal. In Sa Kaew, rumours that Cambodia might close the border to Thailand prompted many Cambodians to buy water, dried food and other goods at Thailand's Rong Kleu market. At 11am yesterday, Cambodian officials ordered 3,000 Cambodian vendors and customers at the market to pack up and prepare to return to Cambodia should fighting break out. An army source said soldiers with heavy weapons and tanks had been seen arriving at the Cambodian army base in Ban Nimit in Srisopon, 16 kiloฌmetres from Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet district.

Thai PM: Negotiations to Resolve Border Problem with Cambodia BANGKOK, Oct 14 (TNA) - Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat reaffirmed Tuesday that Thailand "will hold negotiations and not use any force" in a bid to end the ongoing border dispute with its neighbour Cambodia. Speaking to a press conference after holding a meeting with commanders of the three armed forces and senior security officers, Mr. Somchai said the Thai military will stand guard inside Thai territory while negotiations aimed at finding a peaceful solution will be held next week. A working level meeting is scheduled to be held Wednesday while the military of both countries have agreed to convene a special meeting of the Regional Border Committee next Tuesday. "I insist Thailand will not invade any country's territory and we will stand guarding our soil," said the premier. The planned meetings were urgently arranged after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly spoke to the media, shortly after ending his meeting with visiting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat in Phnom Penh on Monday that Thai troops must be withdrawn from the disputed border area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple immediately or risk a large-scale armed conflict. To date, Thai forces are now posted in Thai territory and "peace" still prevails in the disputed area, said Mr. Somchai, also defence minister, adding that the two neighbouring countries are "still good friends". Meanwhile, commanders of the Thai three armed forces held a special meeting chaired by military commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara and unanimously agreed that Thai soldiers would continue to patrol disputed area around the Preah Vihear temple because the ownership of the area is not yet settled, according to Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd. Relations between the two countries, both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, flared up in July after the 11th century temple which belongs to Cambodia was awarded heritage status by the UNESCO. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but the 4.6 square kilometre area adjacent to the temple remains at issue between the two countries. Stressing that the Thai military is now ready for armed confrontation to protect Thai sovereignty, Col. Sansern said the army has already coordinated with other armed forces to evacuate Thais living in Cambodia and bring them home in case the situation gets out of control. Col. Sansern noted that problem on the disputed area has continued for a long time but has become worsen only recently and this is probably because Cambodia wants to brings the issue to the international level. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning to Thais planning to travel to Cambodia to closely monitor the situation, after Thai nationals in Cambodia were advised to contact the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh for latest information on the situation. (TNA)

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