Gaybutton

Just leave that part blank or put in the name and address of he hotel at which you will stay.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find all these piercings and tattoos very un-attractive? A small tattoo here and there and a pierced ear doesn't really bother me, but some of these boys have very large sets of tattoos and have everything that can be pierced, pierced. Pierced eyebrows, pierced noses, pierced tongues, pierced bellybuttons, pierced about halfway between the lower lip and chin. You name it, it's pierced. Do you find that attractive?

Absolutely right. So, readers, no need to let the article frighten you, but if I were you and I was even contemplating the possibility of retiring in Thailand or otherwise ever needing a Thai bank account here, then if you don't already have one I would make sure to open a Thai bank account during the next trip, before the regulations change to the point that it is extremely difficult to impossible.

THE NATION is running a series of articles about financial information for foreigners and expats. The first article in the series appeared today and subsequent articles will be published weekly. The first is about bank accounts for foreigners. Unless things have dramatically changed, I disagree with part of this first article. The article is making it seem as if foreigners who have no work permit or enter without at least a Type "O" visa won't be allowed to open a Thai bank account anywhere. As far as my experience tells me, that is simply not correct. I know of one friend who opened a bank account at Siam Commercial bank, without at Type "O" visa, as recently as just a few weeks ago. Also, it would make no sense, even by Thai standards, to create a Catch-22 situation for those who wish to apply for the retirement visa. You can't get the retirement visa without a Thai bank account. The article can be interpreted as saying you can't open a Thai bank account without a retirement visa. If you are worried about it, just remember that you can walk into one branch office for just about any Thai bank and be told one thing, and told something entirely different in another branch office for the same bank. I'll try to remember to put them on the board each week, but if you don't want to wait for me, here is the URL: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/26...ss_30076519.php _____ Bank Accounts for Foreigners Published on June 26, 2008 A look at the qualification criteria at various institutions and the documents you need Expatriates living and working in Thailand need to conduct financial transactions such as opening a bank account, applying for a credit card, money transfers, investment and insurance. But due to their foreign status there are some transactions they cannot undertake. The Nation has gathered information on what expatriates can and cannot do in terms of products offered by local financial institutions. Let's begin with a truly fundamental product - the bank account. Foreigners are classified into four groups: permanent residents in Thailand, foreigners with a work permit, foreigners with a long-stay visa (non-immigrant) such as international students, and foreigners with a tourist visa. The first group are foreigners who live in Thailand. They are supposed to show an alien certificate and copy of their house registration for identity verification. The second group needs to show a passport and a work permit. In general, Thai commercial banks require a work permit and a passport to open a savings account, current account and fixed-deposit account. For example, Siam Commercial Bank and Bank of Ayudhya require a minimum work-permit period of six months. Kasikornbank requires the same but if a foreigner has no work permit, they must show a document which confirms that their stay in Thailand is for at least three months. Foreigners with these required documents are qualified to open bank accounts and hold a debit or ATM card. However, there are still many foreigners who have no work permit, such as foreign students who hold a long-stay visa. Therefore, they need to hand in confirmation documents from their colleges. A foreigner with no work permit is supposed to supply any additional documents that a bank may require, before it decides whether to approve the application. Among the large banks, only Bangkok Bank allows foreigners with tourist visas to open a savings account and provides debit-card access at any ATM nationwide. However, applications from this category are considered on a case-by-case basis and tourists must stay at least 180 days in the Kingdom. Foreigners who enter Thailand via an on-arrival visa - valid for 30 days - will not be considered. A Bangkok Bank savings account requires a minimum initial deposit of Bt500, plus a Bt100 joining fee and Bt150-Bt200 annually for an ATM card. A current account, which allows customers to use cheques, requires a much higher minimum initial deposit of Bt10,000. However, very few retailers in Thailand accept cheques, except when there is an established relationship with the customer. Fixed-deposit accounts require a minimum initial deposit of Bt1,000-Bt2,000 and customers can choose from a range of periods, such as three months, six months or one year. Right now, Bangkok Bank is keen to expand its expatriate customer base. It is, therefore, inviting Immigration Bureau staff to train its employees on the basic rules on classifying foreigners into various visa and work-permit categories.

BUY 1, FLY 2" PROMOTION MARKS THAI AIRWAYS 48TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS The special offer which marks the company‘s 48th anniversary is valid between 25 June and 30 September 2008 with return tickets valid for 3 months from the date of the commencing journey. Thai Airways International has launched a "Buy 1, Fly 2" promotion. The special deal is available to Royal First and Royal Silk travelers and even includes full Royal Orchid Plus mileage accumulation on both tickets. Under the "Buy 1, Fly 2" promotion, passengers who buy one international ticket from Bangkok to all cities in Europe, Japan and Korea, Johannesburg, Auckland, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Taipei between 25 June and 30 September 2008, will receive a free second ticket for the same class of travel. As an added incentive, full Royal Orchid Plus mileage accumulation is accrued on both tickets in Royal First and Royal Silk Class travel through this special deal. Travelers must commence travel together, outbound from Bangkok on the same flight from 1 July to 30 September 2008. The return tickets are valid for 3 months from the date of commencing the journey. Travelers can however return separately and the journey must be completed by 31 December 2008.

Ok, Payless. I just received an Email from you and I was correct in my assumption about it being the user name Jens has on Gay Romeo. I did have a look, but I don't recognize him. I've never seen him before. Then, again, it's been a long time since I ate at the News Cafe.

Payless, I see you sent me a PM. I am guessing you are trying to tell me the user name for Jens on Gay Romeo. Haven't you seen the numerous posts I've written saying that I cannot access PMs? That's why I specifically asked that you contact me by Email. Again, my Email address is gaybutton@gmail.com Folks, for the umpteenth time, I CANNOT ACCESS PMs. Those of you who still insist on sending me a PM instead of an Email, I will not be able to read your PM. I've said this several times, but people keep sending me PMs anyway.

It certainly doesn't stop the pedophiles. I wish I had a dollar for every Email I've received over the years from people who came to Thailand a grand total of once, were overwhelmed by the gay bars, and without knowing or understanding anything at all about how things work here were all set to open a gay bar themselves. That's not rose colored glasses. That's more on the order of total dumbass, thinking they'll make a fortune and will also have their own personal harem. Obviously, the poor guy mentioned in the article was clueless and was convinced that smiles and promises of sincerity was all he needed. He risked everything he had on that basis, left himself with nothing and no means of retreat, and lost. I get inquiries all the time, ranging from how to open a business to how to get a visa for a boy to come to his home country to live with him. It's just incredible sometimes. Business is business here and it's just as ruthless as anywhere else. If someone can find a way to fuck you out of everything you have, rest assured that's exactly what will happen. One of the most common horror stories is when a farang falls in love with a Thai boy, fully trusts him, spends a fortune opening a business for him, puts everything in the boy's name, gives the boy total control, and then ends up heartbroken, broke, and bewildered when the boy dumps him and screws him out of everything. I've heard so many such stories, along with variations on the same theme, that I can't even remember them all. I won't say that it never works out well. Sometimes the boy is really sincere and he and the farang do successfully make a go of it, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Which do you think happens more often? Then there are the farang who let themselves get sucked into a relationship with a boy, and then end up posting messages complaining that now they find themselves supporting not only the boy, but the family too, and asking how can they get out of it. Thailand might be the Land of Smiles, but all too often those smiles are on the faces of con artists, liars, cheats, and completely unscrupulous people. If you don't know what you're getting into and don't have competent legal help and advice, then Thailand is the wrong place for you to be other than on a holiday or enjoying the retired life.

I hate to tell you, but I hardly ever go to the gay bars. The next time you come to Pattaya send me an Email at gaybutton@gmail.com and I'll arrange to meet you somewhere.

Unnnnnnnnbelievable! Folks, lately it has been almost raining farang. We went for months without any "flying farang." Now, all of a sudden, you're taking your chances just walking down the street because one might land on you. Here's the latest (getting boring reading about them; there have been so many) from the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: see http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000006398 for photos. _____ PATTAYA‘S MIKE SHOPPING MALL SCENE OF YET ANOTHER FOREIGN SUICIDE One of Pattaya‘s favourite suicide spots, Mike Shopping Mall, was the launch site on 23 June 2008 for yet another apparent foreign suicide. At around 6.00 pm, police received the report of an as yet unidentified white man who had leapt to his death. After receiving notification, Pattaya Police Investigator Sompon Nakumkumpan sent a police team and Sawang Boriboon Rescue Team to Mike Shopping Mall, Pattaya 2nd Road. At the scene, police found the body of a white man, aged around 40, lying on the ground on his stomach. His body had sustained considerable injuries to his head, arms, legs and hips. He was wearing a "Diesel" brand, white t-shirt, brown shorts, and sandals. There was no evidence of fighting nor were there any ID documents about the deceased. Police will continue their investigations to identify the deceased and the circumstances of his death. Only three months ago, PDN reported the case of the last apparent suicide, Mr. Ernst Paosch, who had chosen to end it all using Mike Shopping Mall as his launch place. ______________ And more, also from the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ THE REAL CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND A RECENT CASE OF FARANG SUICIDE To our dear avid readers: PDN is taking the bold step of publishing this poignant story of Mr. John Doe (real name withheld through consideration for his family) who committed suicide, as he is a typical example of the increasing number of foreigners who come to Pattaya, fall madly in love after 5 days with a bar girl, get cheated and find no alternative but to commit suicide as the only way out of their dilemma. John Doe's death was reported in the local press after he hanged himself in a popular Jomtien building. The media, however, gave no details of the circumstances surrounding his death, probably because he only divulged these to a few people, largely his family. Locals, including farang residents, have become so blasé and anesthetised to the almost constant reports of foreign suicide that they likely gave it little thought after the initial coverage. However, we at PDN feel indignant at having to report these deaths almost on a daily basis, with absolutely no steps being taken to prevent them and virtually no attempt to follow up the consequences as the litany of suicides goes on and on. Perhaps there should be bold notices at Suvarnabhumi Airport giving stark warning of the consequences of falling in love with heartless, unscrupulous Pattaya bargirls. This, for the first time, is the true story of what led a foreigner to commit suicide in our supposedly "Fun City". In the case in question, that of John Doe, the publisher of PDN received certain letters from a friend of a friend, whose name cannot be mentioned, relating to the circumstances surrounding his death. We conducted some research and discovered the account outlined in the letters was apparently the truth and the participants in the story actually exist. Here is the real life story for once of one for whom Thailand was decidedly not a land of smiles, rather a nightmare of torment, betrayal and fear. We also consider it extremely sad that his family did not choose to get involved after he had related his predicament and made a request for help and financial aid to extricate himself from his apparent nightmare. His family, though, apparently took no notice of his pleas for help. He starts the first of his letters apologising to his children for being estranged from them and asks for their forgiveness for what he is about to do. He states in the letter that he had never been more frightened in his life and though approaching middle-age, felt that he had not achieved anything in his life. He apparently came to Thailand with the hope of a new start, but that was a very big mistake, as he puts it. He continues "I was completely naive and misled from the moment I took a business here and now it is no good." He states that he doesn't have any money for a flight home, nor money to pay for his visa and was afraid that if he was caught he would go to prison in Thailand. John Doe complains that "I have to say this is one of the worst experiences of my life and in these countries we are robbed, stolen from, lied to, misled, misrepresented, but we have no rights. People here do not like to say 'no', but they lie to you instead. I feel scared. I have not slept for 3 days and do not leave the room and I think the easiest way for me is to end my life." Following this, he says he prays he's successful in his suicide bid, because medical expenses in Thai hospitals are exorbitant! The first letter ends with a poignant plea to his children. " I am empty, but have a lot of tears inside as I love you all and know I will not share those precious moments with any of you again and whether you believe or not have always respected and looked up to you all," John says. In his second letter, apparently to his brother, which he left on his laptop, but never sent, he says it is entitled "goodbye," and continues "it might help you in understanding where my life isn't at." He also bemoans the fact that his children still won't talk to him. Next he says" We are the creators of our own destinies and I am still unsure of what mine is. I know I have done the wrong thing in the past and I think we all have but God forgives us all, no matter what we have done." He continues " You know the bar in Thailand I was so excited about? I have never in life faced the problems with people that I have done in the past 5 weeks. Tell "X" from me to be very cautious and not even to trust his lady as they say they understand, but they don't and not to trust women, especially Thai business people." John advises X that he can even buy the police here in Thailand as it is very common. Then John begins to relate the start of the main problem "Z set me up because we had argument and I told her I wanted a break and in the eyes of Thai people it is not the done thing, as foreigners for them are a way of life. She could not accept that I wanted time out. I came home one Friday night after we split and she was in my hotel room with a friend having a drink and she was let in without my knowledge. She (then) went into the bathroom and came out with slashed wrists and before I knew it, she was rubbing the blood all over my shirt. I went downstairs, got a man to call the ambulance but 5 hours later, she and friend said I did it. They set me up and I had no idea at the time, but these things are common here." John continues that he also attached a document that he sent to the landlord of misrepresentation and deception. "The sad part is it goes on 500 times a day as there are fools like me that come to Thailand thinking it is a great place, as things are cheap and we can all make money," John continues. John then relates how he purchased a café where there were no bar girls. He says "we bought a café with 4 staff and in my ignorance and a lack of peoples' honesty, we took the café on 1 week before the tourist season dies for 3 to 4 months. I was mislead and I am responsible for talking everyone into it and I want to repay them all if I get through this." The final letter was from John to the Thai person/landlord from whom he originally bought the cafe where he presents a litany of complaints of how "I have been cheated and mislead from day 1 by yourself and certain staff members," as he puts it. He states that he doesn't want to continue with the contract, which had been breached by the landlord retaking possession 4 days before the contract's expiry, and also because the said landlord had been talking to all the employees about matters that concern him personally, their positions and the termination of certain employees. The examples of how John was cheated are outlined briefly as follows: · The company was set up incorrectly · The accountant misled and persistently refuses to speak to John personally, but goes through the previous owner. · He should have had a 49 % shareholding from day 1, but didn't receive it · He should have been added as shareholder director, but after 2 weeks this wasn't complied with · He was lead to believe by the previous owner that the turnover was Bt8000 per day but the person failed to mention that close proximity of low season and resultant fall in daily takings to less than Bt2000 for a minimum of 3 months. · He was told only 6 people would eat for free, but it transpired there were "15 people who eat and drink when and how much they want." · The previous owner and staff not only don't pay for drinks, but there are no records kept · He complains he has no say or control, but the previous owner still maintains control · Staff members help themselves to money and fail to record anything · The previous owner failed to disclose the fact that they would be losing approx 1 metre of their prime dining area as the council has claimed that for a road or foot path · The previous owner interfered with John's love life by denigrating his chosen girlfriend. John concludes to the previous owner "It is obvious that you want to maintain control and have a hidden agenda, that is why I refuse to continue with the lease as your information prior to going in was misleading, and deceptive and took advantage of the fact that I am a foreigner. I am very disillusioned with your behaviour and not used to doing business this way as it seems that you can do what you when you want as I am not Thai and will be perusing this matter legally." A week following this altercation with the cafe owner, John Doe committed suicide. There may well have been other determinants that we are ignorant of, this especially as he constantly complains of being afraid. His family only reacted when we published his story on PDN and that was to demand that we withdrew his pictures from our publication. After, several communiqués, we complied, despite the fact that other media in Pattaya continued to keep displaying their photos of the unfortunate incidents surrounding John Does' death. We heard no more from John's family after this, but assume they reclaimed his body. Anyway, the point of PDN publishing these confidential letters is because we feel that someone has to do something to warn the tourists to wake up and do their due diligence about the realities of life in Thailand, the Thai people and the Thai culture. If individuals who want to start a bar or business or buy a house or condo after falling in love with a person they barely know, take heed of this story, which is typical of how farangs get taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals. If they take due heed, they might be spared much heartbreak and in the worst case scenario, see no other option but suicide. Remember, Thailand is all too often the land of shattered dreams!

Well, of course. After all, you are irresistible aren't you? That's why I haven't tried to meet you. I'm afraid I'll be in lust immediately. "Some people got it and make it pay. Some people can't even give it away" - Ethel Merman, 'Gypsy'

No, I don't. I just tried to find him on Gay Romeo. Without knowing his user name I typed in Jens, and 13 pages of users under that name came up! Does he have a photo on Gay Romeo? If you send his user name to me (by Email please if you do, but I don't want his user name posted here), I'll look for his photo. Well, either way obviously you really were talking about News Cafe. I ate with GayThailand on the night he posted about above, along with several of his young gentlemen, and we all had a marvelous dinner and greatly enjoyed it. If the prices went up, I didn't notice, so there can't be too much of a difference. But considering inflation in Thailand is now at 10%, I really can't complain very much if restaurants have to raise their prices too. It's odd that they would have fired a gay-friendly manager at the same time Manhattans did. The whole scenario you wrote about is nearly identical to the Manhattans scenario. Maybe the owners are relatives . . . Ok, let these places fire the gay-friendly managers and gay staff too. We'll see how long it takes for the "for sale" signs to go up when they lose all their gay customers. It's a shame that homophobia extends into one of the most predominantly gay areas on the planet, but if that's they way they feel, they'll be the ones who suffer the consequences. They'll lose a hell of a lot of customers. What's next? Separate water fountains for gays?

Going from one city to another does not increase the chances of finding a "Mr. Right." I could have helped him in Pattaya, but I can be of no help at all for Chiang Mai. It's not as if there is a venue somewhere where only the honest boys go.

I agree with Payless. There really are plenty of young, sincere, honest boys around, but the bars are the last places I would go to look for them. I agree you will find some on Gay Romeo and similar web sites, but be very careful. The money boys know all about those sites too and they take full advantage. The beach is also a good place to look, but you have to be careful there too. There are many beach regulars who are excellent at making farang believe they are absolutely honest and sincere, and all they're really doing is trying to get their hooks into you. In Bangkok, you might also try the Babylon Sauna. A great many honest Thais go there and I've met many who are a bit older, want a farang boyfriend, are great looking, and are not money boys in any way. I would schedule at least two tries at Babylon. Some days hardly anyone is there and some days there are many. In Pattaya, the Sansuk Sauna might be a good place to look, but someone else will have to tell you about the boys who go there. The last time I was there was at least eight months ago. I think the most reliable way to find a truly honest, sincere boy who is looking for a genuine relationship is to talk to farang who live in Pattaya and have gotten to know these boys. I, for one, know several boys who fit into that category and many of my friends also know honest, sincere boys and would be glad to introduce you to them. We also are well aware which boys you would do well to avoid.

He must be. News Cafe has only ever had one owner, and he is not gay, but he is definitely gay friendly. He does his own management, so there has never been another manager to sack. Prices are the same as they were a year ago and the quality is excellent and the food is a very good value. Assuming Payless is confusing News Cafe with Manhattans, and his comments were meant to be directed at Manhattans, then I agree with him. To me, Manhattans is now very expensive and not nearly as good as it was when Tom was the manager. I think they made a horrendous mistake by letting him leave.

My three all time favorite comedians were Jack Benny, Rodney Dangerfield, and George Carlin. I am saddened that George Carlin has died. Now all three of my favorites are gone. _____ George Carlin Mourned as a Counterculture Hero By KEITH ST. CLAIR, Associated Press Writer Acerbic standup comedian and satirist George Carlin, whose staunch defense of free speech in his most famous routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died. Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He was 71. "He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press. Carlin's jokes constantly breached the accepted boundaries of comedy and language, particularly with his routine on the "Seven Words" — all of which are taboo on broadcast TV and radio to this day. When he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, freed on $150 bail and exonerated when a Wisconsin judge dismissed the case, saying it was indecent but citing free speech and the lack of any disturbance. When the words were later played on a New York radio station, they resulted in a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government's authority to sanction stations for broadcasting offensive language during hours when children might be listening. "So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," he told The Associated Press earlier this year. Despite his reputation as unapologetically irreverent, Carlin was a television staple through the decades, serving as host of the "Saturday Night Live" debut in 1975 — noting on his Web site that he was "loaded on cocaine all week long" — and appearing some 130 times on "The Tonight Show." He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 — a testament to his range from cerebral satire and cultural commentary to downright silliness (and sometimes hitting all points in one stroke). "Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?" he once mused. "Are they afraid someone will clean them?" He won four Grammy Awards, each for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy awards. On Tuesday, it was announced that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which will be presented Nov. 10 in Washington and broadcast on PBS. Carlin started his career on the traditional nightclub circuit in a coat and tie, pairing with Burns to spoof TV game shows, news and movies. Perhaps in spite of the outlaw soul, "George was fairly conservative when I met him," said Burns, describing himself as the more left-leaning of the two. It was a degree of separation that would reverse when they came upon Lenny Bruce, the original shock comic, in the early '60s. "We were working in Chicago, and we went to see Lenny, and we were both blown away," Burns said, recalling the moment as the beginning of the end for their collaboration if not their close friendship. "It was an epiphany for George. The comedy we were doing at the time wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and George knew then that he wanted to go in a different direction." That direction would make Carlin as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years. "The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things — bad language and whatever — it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition," Carlin told the AP in a 2004 interview. "There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have." Carlin was born on May 12, 1937, and grew up in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, raised by a single mother. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, he joined the Air Force in 1954. He received three court-martials and numerous disciplinary punishments, according to his official Web site. While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston. "Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot," his Web site says. From there he went on to a job on the night shift as a deejay at a radio station in Fort Worth, Texas. Carlin also worked variety of temporary jobs including a carnival organist and a marketing director for a peanut brittle. In 1960, he left with Burns, a Texas radio buddy, for Hollywood to pursue a nightclub career as comedy team Burns & Carlin. He left with $300, but his first break came just months later when the duo appeared on Jack Paar's "Tonight Show." Carlin said he hoped to would emulate his childhood hero, Danny Kaye, the kindly, rubber-faced comedian who ruled over the decade that Carlin grew up in — the 1950s — with a clever but gentle humor reflective of its times. Only problem was, it didn't work for him, and they broke up by 1962. "I was doing superficial comedy entertaining people who didn't really care: Businessmen, people in nightclubs, conservative people. And I had been doing that for the better part of 10 years when it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people," Carlin reflected recently as he prepared for his 14th HBO special, "It's Bad For Ya." Eventually Carlin lost the buttoned-up look, favoring the beard, ponytail and all-black attire for which he came to be known. But even with his decidedly adult-comedy bent, Carlin never lost his childlike sense of mischief, even voicing kid-friendly projects like episodes of the TV show "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" and the spacey Volkswagen bus Fillmore in the 2006 Pixar hit "Cars." Carlin's first wife, Brenda, died in 1997. He is survived by wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law Bob McCall; brother Patrick Carlin; and sister-in-law Marlene Carlin.

Once again, folks, I don't make these things up. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ For Whom the Toilet Flushes Published on June 23, 2008 Mae Fah Luang University students oppose the idea of separate toilets for transsexuals and want the money spent on facilities for others. The Education Ministry wants separate restrooms for transsexuals to avoid potential problems. But the university's students worry the facilities will be "isolated and disgusting". They add the move is unfair because its ignores homosexuals. Transsexual nursing student Worakarn Kantajaem, 19, says he and 200 other transsexuals participate in university activities and believes their presence does not "disgust teachers or other students". "Separate toilets won't make anything better for us. We can use both the men's and women's. It's unnecessary to build them," Worakarn says. Narin In-anong, a Chinese-language student, suspects the ministry proposal will upset homosexuals. Donnarid Meksri, a science student, does not agree because it will "separate transsexuals". Students want to see the money spent on more productive projects. University Presidents' Council president and Naresuan University rector, Monthon Sa-nguansoemsi says the council will discuss the issue at its meeting next Saturday. "I'll seek opinions, but we are also discussing student suicides, drugs, initiation ceremonies and uniforms," he says. "At Naresuan University there are around 200 transsexuals among 35,000 students. They can use toilets for either sex. There's no problem," Monthon says.

A money transfer and a direct deposit are not the same. I have no idea what the charges are for money transfers, but 2lz2p seems to have all that information. For a direct deposit, I receive the Thai exchange rate. Whatever the exchange rate is in Thailand at the moment they make the transfer, that's what I get.

We've certainly waited long enough for a turn-around to improve the exchange rates. Especially for those of us who are residents in Thailand, we've lived with the exchange rate eating away at our funds for the better part of three years. Now, the political situation, inflation, fuel prices, diminishing tourist numbers, decline of the stock market, etc. are all having their effect on the exchange rates. Right now, the exchange rate is better than it has been in nearly a year (although it still sucks!), and has been slowly moving in a direction favorable to farang. Now the news reports are full of foreboding as to what is going to happen financially in Thailand. Something is in the wind, and if it happens it won't come any too soon for me! The exchange rates closed on Friday, June 20 as follows: _____ US Dollar: 33.23 Euro: 51.81 British Pound: 65.665 Australian Dollar: 31.5575 Canadian Dollar: 32.655 ____________________ The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Foreigners Cash Out Singapore - A new report by Citigroup blames rising inflation and fears stagnation have triggered a flight of foreign funds out of regional markets - although Thailand is still a net gainer. China has taken the biggest hit, the finance house said on Saturday, with the funds offloading $2.78 billion worth of mainland shares between January and mid-June this year. Foreign fund managers have sold about $4.6 billion in Asian equities, nearly double the $2.48 billion they invested during the corresponding period of 2007, the report said. But the data was not all grim. Taiwan emerged with $2.1 billion from foreign funds this year, Thailand is still $109.1 million in the black, India $34 million and Indonesia $11 million, the report said. "For the first time since the 1997-98 Asian crisis, Asia is in a sell-off mode, inspired by developments taking place in its very neighbourhood, namely energy-driven inflation," the Straits Times quoted Merrill Lynch strategist Mark Matthews as saying. Foreign fund managers sold $254 million in Malaysian equities, compared to $1.1 billion pumped in last year, the report said. The city-state is another underperformer, with $229.8 million worth of equities sold this year compared with the $1.1 billion fund flow into Singapore equities last year. "Whether you are selling coiled steel or cut flowers, the cost of transport is a problem," Matthews told the newspaper. "You have to ask whether it still makes sense to ship stuff from China when the price of a sea voyage from Shanghai represents half of the value of the product." He expressed hopes that high oil prices will encourage Asian manufacturers to embark on more cost-cutting in order to survive and get more market share. (dpa) ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ Bank of Thailand Issues Call for Spending Spree By Anoma Srisukkasem The Nation Published on June 21, 2008 The government should fully disburse its budget this year to boost economic growth to 6 per cent, a deputy governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT) said yesterday. She said this was because the central bank needed to raise its policy interest rate to fight inflation before it is too late. Atchana Waiquamdee said the government could achieve 6-per-cent growth if its budget disbursement reached 94 per cent and state enterprises actually used at least 80 per cent of their investment budget. Skyrocketing oil prices could affect economic growth, as the current price is already beyond the central bank's worst-case scenario of US$113 (Bt3,800) per barrel. But the better-than-expected US economy was a positive factor for the Kingdom's economy, she said. The deputy governor said the central bank needed to control "inflation expectation" amid a negative real policy interest rate or else consumer spending would accelerate, which would fuel inflation incessantly. Moreover, the country's capacity use is nearly full, because the labour market is tight with a low unemployment rate. Rising prices of goods and services will put additional pressure on wage adjustment, Atchana said. "We must consider whether the real policy interest rate is proper for the economy. If we do not slow down inflation, it may not stay under control. This will force us to use a strong dose of medicine, which would eventually drag down the economy," she said. "Giving gradual doses and keeping a close eye on whether the economy can bear them or not is better than letting inflation overshoot and eventually get out of control," the deputy governor said. Nimit Nontapunthawat of Bangkok Bank said if inflation expectation was allowed to occur, inflation would be high and prolonged. This would dampen the country's savings, including deposits of Bt6 trillion, resulting in a slump in purchasing power and economic growth. He predicts the baht will move between 32 and 34 to the US dollar this year.

It is Bangkok Bank. They have a New York branch. It's not a commercial branch where you can just walk in and do transactions, but there is a routing number and they do handle direct deposits. They are very nice and quite helpful if you call them, but I would not bother trying to communicate with them via Email. Over the years I've sent Email to them five times and have yet to ever receive a response. But, like so many Thais, they sure like talking on the telephone with you. You'll find all the details you need on the following link: http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Ab...anch+in+USA.htm

Don't take my word for it. I'm going to let you read this one for yourselves. Just click on the link below: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000006364

What many people do is to keep a few thousand baht with them whenever they leave Thailand. That way, when they return they don't have to bother with it at all. They have enough cash on hand to get to wherever it is they are trying to go and worry about ATMs, travel checks, cash exchanges, etc. later at their convenience.

That is a very good idea. Is that something that happens automatically or did you have to do something to have that service?

Some of these posts are getting very close to personal attacks. I have already received complaints. I haven't eliminated any posts . . . yet. I hope I will not be forced to do so. Gentlemen, please confine yourselves to stating your thoughts and opinions about this issue without resorting to personal attacks. If you disagree with someone, fine, but let's please keep the attacks out of it, ok? I really don't want to have to start locking threads, deleting posts, or placing people on moderated mode, but I will if I have to. I think most people who read this board know that when I am forced to put on my moderator hat, and then people call my bluff, they quickly find out I wasn't bluffing.

I'm glad you mentioned that. Bangkok Bank's online banking used to have that service. If you transferred money to another account, you had the option of having an SMS sent to inform the recipient. But about six weeks ago that option stopped appearing. I guess it was costing them too much to provide that service. It's too bad they stopped that service. If someone was transferring money to a boyfriend's account from overseas, then he could also have had an SMS sent to inform the boy. Now that service no longer exists, at least with Bangkok Bank online.