Gaybutton

Didn't anybody who reads this board go to the show? I was hoping to see a few reviews posted.

Note: There was a problem with the board this morning and it was not accessible until now. Obviously, now the problem is fixed, but today's opening rates are actually "Round 3" rates since I couldn't get onto the board until now. Tuesday, May 20: Opening rates: US Dollar: 31.99 Euro: 49.62 British Pound: 62.39 Australian Dollar: 30.5225 Canadian Dollar: 32.13 _____ Closing Rates: US Dollar: 31.91 Euro: 49.70 British Pound: 62.325 Australian Dollar: 30.485 Canadian Dollar: 31.995 Oh well, it was a nice dream, but it looks like the dollar is slipping against the baht again. Damn! If nothing else, most Americans who live in Thailand, who were also eligible for the tax rebate, who were also to receive it via direct deposit to a Thai bank account, received it while the baht was still at its recent peak.

The local oysters are ok, and maybe Khunatm's French oysters are great, but until you've had Apalachee Bay oysters from the Gulf coast of Florida, you haven't had oysters.

Today I drove right by Cherry's. I noticed they now have a new sign in place at the corner and a big sign on their now former premises telling people where the new location is. It's only 40 meters from the former location, so it won't be at all difficult to find.

The PATTAYA DAILY NEWS has now published its version of events, including photos. See: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000006033

It's possible, of course, but I doubt it. Thais are very protective of children. Somehow I can't envision police officers approaching parents and saying, "Pardon me, but we have a farang we suspect of being a pedophile. Would you mind if we borrow your eleven year old boy, teach him what he needs to do, and allow him to get naked and start having sex with this farang so we can catch the guy in the act?" Many members of the Thai police are corrupt when it comes to money, but I can't picture them using children in this manner, even if the children are street urchins. I believe it is much more likely they know children who are involved in this, possibly mafia controlled. They go after the farang pedophiles. When was the last time you heard about a Thai pedophile being arrested? Perhaps, as in Iran, they don't exist . . . I think it's selective enforcement and they don't put much effort into going after the Thai pedophiles or the Thai "Mr. Bigs" who traffic the children. That's my opinion. Whether my opinion is also a fact will probably never be known. No matter what, obviously farang are primary targets. It would take a lot more than people's personal opinions to convince me the police intentionally seek out and use children in that manner. Catching farang pedophiles is big news. Catching Thai pedophiles seems to be quite ho-hum. In any case, in my opinion foreigners who come to Thailand to have sex with children are not only reprehensible and causing those of us who are not pedophiles to share their terrible reputation, but they are also complete idiots for risking everything for the purpose of fulfilling whatever it is they need to fulfill. Where they're going they'll likely have plenty of sex, but it won't be with children. It will probably consist mainly of midnight conjugal visits from some big 'Mongos' they don't want one from.

My God! Just how many gay pedophiles are out there in Pattaya?!?!?!?! Aren't they ever going to learn? One of these guys is accused of actually having 8 boys delivered to him, just like having a few pizzas delivered. And they think they can get away with this. What's wrong with these people? Both stories appear in THE NATION: ____ Briton Arrested for Allegedly Buying Sex from 11-year-old Boy Pattaya- A British tourist has been arrested for allegedly buying sex service from a 11-year-old boy, police said. Police said Dee Christopher, 41, was arrested at his rented house in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district at 7 pm Sunday. Police found the boy with him. The boy told police that Christopher picked him up while he was walking in a soi and he was given Bt500 in exchange for the sex. The Nation ____________________ Briton Arrested for Allegedly Buying Sex from 8 Underage Teenagers Pattaya - Police arrested a British tourist after found him inside his rented luxurious mansion with eight teenage boys ranging from 14 to 18 years old. Michael Terrance, 58, was arrested at 7:30 pm at the mansion in Chon Buri's Bang Lamug district on Saturday. Police said he had already had sex with one of the boys while the seven others were waiting for him in the living room when police raided the house. The eight boys told police that they were delivered to Terrance by Chalee Kengthanyakorn, 45 who works at a pub in Bangkok. They said Terrance gave Chalee Bt2,000 for each of them but Chalee deducted Bt1,000 each. Terrance declined to talk to police, saying he would consult his lawyer first. The Nation

GaySacGuy probably knows more about Phuket than most people here. I don't think he checks into the board all that often, but if you send him a PM he'll see it quickly enough and will be able to respond if nobody else does first.

This evening, Sunday, May 18, was the final night Cherry's will be open at their old location. Tomorrow, Monday, the restaurant will be closed while they are moving everything into the new location. The new location will open for business on Tuesday, May 20.

Le Café Royale, Throb, and Splash today began major renovations. From what I understand the entire reception area, bar, and restaurant is going to be redone at Le Café Royale. New awnings are already going up. I also understand that the plans for Throb and Splash also include major renovations, to begin within a month. The plans include combining the two bars under one new name, yet to be announced.

I did not attend, but I'm curious. What did those of you who did attend think about the show?

Well, some people out there say I'm full of something, anyway . . .

Several responses to that post are mine. Since people so often respond to my responses, I'd rather not have to deal with it on both this board and also on Baht-Stop. I hope you understand that is the reason, the only reason, why I am locking this thread, so that any further responses will be on Baht-Stop, rather than here. It makes life easier for me.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Patience Has Its Limits Rangoon - World frustration with Burma is beginning to boil over, with accusations of negligence and crimes against humanity. As the toll of dead and missing reached 134,000 the regime cynically kept away a French navy ship laden with aid, while proudly showing diplomats a model state relief camp for a few survivors. US President George W Bush extended sanctions on Burma, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown denounced the junta's "inhuman" treatment of around two million survivors battling to stay alive two weeks after the storm hit. With the toll of dead and missing now 134,000, the pressure appeared to mark a shift in tactics in the face of the junta's reluctance to allow a full-scale emergency effort, despite fears more people could die of hunger or disease. "We have an intolerable situation created by a natural disaster," said Brown, whose country was the colonial power in Burma. "It is being made into a man-made catastrophe by the negligence, the neglect and the inhuman treatment of the Burmese people by a regime that is failing to act and to allow the international community to do what it wants to do." Wary of any foreign influence that could weaken its 46 years of iron rule in Burma, the junta has insisted on managing the operation itself and kept most international disaster experts away. But aid groups say the government cannot possibly handle the tragedy by itself, with hundreds of tonnes of supplies and high-tech equipment piling up in warehouses, bottle-necked by logistics and other problems. After announcing Friday that the toll from the tragedy had nearly doubled -- to 77,738 dead and 55,917 missing -- state television did not issue new figures on Saturday night. Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu wrote to Brown, Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, calling on the UN Security Council to authorise aid drops over the objections of the generals. He said the regime had "effectively declared war on its own population and is committing crimes against humanity." Jean-Maurice Ripert, France's UN ambassador, told a meeting of all members of the United Nations that the situation was turning "slowly from a situation of not helping people in danger to a real risk of crimes against humanity." Bush announced that sanctions on the junta would be extended for a year because of its "large-scale repression of the democratic opposition." The statement stressed it would not affect US humanitarian cyclone aid. Faced with the mounting criticism, the junta flew some diplomats and aid workers Saturday into the heart of the disaster zone - which has been all but sealed off to the outside world. "What they showed us looked very good," said Chris Kaye, Burma director for the UN's World Food Programme. "But they are not showing us the whole picture." One diplomat said: "It was like a steam-roller had gone through the entire delta region." The junta has blocked journalists from getting to the southern Irrawaddy Delta, the rice-growing region hardest hit when Cyclone Nargis hit on May 2-3, bringing powerful winds and massive waves that wiped whole villages away. But those who have got through have returned with tales of unspeakable misery, including from some survivors who said they had received very little assistance from the government. Survivors have also reported that the military was pushing them out of temporary shelter in monasteries, whose revered Buddhist monks helped lead massive anti-government protests last year that were eventually put down. Navy ships from France and the United States are positioned off the Burmese coast stocked with emergency supplies, but have not been able to enter. The regime is said to fear a possible invasion by the United States, which has criticised the military regime for keeping democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest -- and for its slow moves toward elections promised by 2010. The government said this week that 99 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots last Saturday in a referendum it said approved a new constitution which would bar her from office. Her party rejected the result and said the vote should never have been held amid the cyclone tragedy. The regime has scheduled round two of the vote, in the disaster areas, on May 24. (Agencies) ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ Gordon Brown Hints at Aid Drops By By Jo Revill and Gaby Hinsliff in London and a special Correspondent in Burma OBSERVER NEWS SERVICE As millions face starvation and fears of cholera grow, Britain's Prime Minister rules nothing out Gordon Brown has raised the prospect of Britain carrying out unauthorized emergency aid drops into Burma as a last resort if its government continues to exclude foreign help. Amid evidence that cholera is already taking hold in parts of the stricken country and UN warnings that a 'second catastrophe' of disease and starvation could be worse than the initial cyclone, the British Prime Minister made clear that he would rule nothing out. Brown used an address to Church of Scotland leaders yesterday (17MAY) to accuse the Burmese junta of being an 'unnatural dictatorship' that cares more about its survival than its own people's. Privately diplomats see aid drops as a desperate last resort. One Whitehall source said there were 'huge problems' with such tactics. Experience shows that barely a fifth of aid dropped in such a way reaches the people who most need it, much of it rotting where it falls. The option will remain on the table in the hope of increasing pressure on the Burmese military government. It emerged last night that France is in talks about a possible delivery of aid. The French government said its Mistral navy helicopter carrier was in waters south of the storm-ravaged Irrawaddy delta, with supplies to feed 100,000 people over 15 days and shelter at least 60,000 people. Yet in this devastated land there remains little evidence of any government help. This weekend hundreds of people were lining the roads which run south of Rangoon, peering expectantly into passing cars and begging for help. 'We walked a long way to get here - our men are home trying to rebuild the house,' an exhausted-looking woman said, sitting among the debris of former homes. 'In the past five days we have received just a little rice and some condensed milk from the government. We wait here all day, hoping someone may bring some help.' All across the delta, carrying their few salvaged possessions in bundles, the new homeless travel by foot and by boat, navigating around the bodies that still clog the waterways of the Irrawaday, unclaimed and left to rot. The regime has sought to seal off the delta, setting up a grid of police and military checkpoints and turning back foreigners, including those seeking to help. The military leaders are determined to prevent the outside world from knowing the scale of the tragedy - or to discover that because of its own neglect this has become a man-made disaster, where starvation is now facing more than two million affected by the cyclone. Disease is also a growing possibility and doctors believe that cholera could take hold if the water supplies become very badly contaminated. Some doctors in Rangoon have already begun to try to treat children for it in case it does take hold. In an area near Kungyangon, south of Rangoon, where uncollected bodies are washed up in a paddy field, the stench of putrid flesh assaults the senses. One witness told The Observer they had received only a few bags of rice. 'Forty dead here,' he said. 'Most of them children.'

In that case you don't have to worry about reporting your address once you exit Thailand. You report again 90 days after you return to Thailand. If you clear customs in Bangkok, then yes, you must have a reentry permit. If you are going to remain in the international transit area, then you don't need a reentry permit because there will be no stamp in your passport that shows you have reentered. If you do want to clear customs in Bangkok for any reason, then you will need a multiple reentry permit. You've got me on that one. I don't know. What you would need to do is explain your situation to the Immigration office shortly before you leave Thailand and see what they say. If I were to guess, if you are talking about a month or less, then they would probably let you renew prior to leaving Thailand. More than that, then I would guess they will say you will have to go through the process again and obtain a new retirement visa when you return to Thailand. But I'm only guessing. I would also guess they would want to see your airline ticket if you are asking to renew significantly early. You're the first person to come up with that question, so we'll need you to let the rest of us know once you get an answer. 1000 baht for a single reentry permit. 3800 baht for a multiple reentry permit.

Do you know if this is a relatively new bar or one that has been established for some time? If it's been around for a while, and none of us even knew it existed, then that opens up the possibility of more gay bars in different Thai cities about which we also know nothing. How did you discover this bar? Also, I didn't quite understand what you meant by 'short time' and 'full off.' My interpretation of that is 'short time' means two hours in the bar's short time room. 'Full off' means you take him back to your place for 2 hours, or whatever the amount of time is. Is that correct? How much time is 'full off'?

The following appear in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: for photos see: http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_17_05_51_4.html _____ Police Check for Drugs in Sunee Plaza Area Soi Sunee Plaza in South Pattaya is well know for its gay bars, many of which employ underage workers. There is also a major drug problem in the area and local Police will often receive complaints from people who frequent the area. Responding to these complaints, Police Colonel Nopadon, the Superintendant of Pattaya Police Station organized an operation in Soi Sunee Plaza in the early hours of Saturday Morning. More than 100 staff members from bars inside the Soi were checked for the presence of illegal narcotics inside their bodies. 34 urine tests came back positive and these individuals were subsequently arrested and processed back at Pattaya Police Station.

This just keeps getting better and better! Only a few years ago it was quite rare to hear about raids on the bars. Now it's rare when you don't hear about them. Until recently, raids on Pattayaland were unheard of. Now we're hearing about them occurring more and more often. I guess those responsible for organizing these raids must think they're not already doing enough to drive away customers. I also like the fact that the bars can open, but they are 'advised' not to open. That's like IRS advising Americans that it's a good idea to pay their taxes. Great! Let's play, "Put the bars in a damned if you do, damned if you don't position." If I'm counting correctly, this is the sixth time since the first of the year the bars are being ordered, or in effect being ordered, to close. I'm surprised the bars are being harassed to this extent. After all, if they end up being forced out of business because of nonsensical closings, raids, ridiculous closing hours, and lord-knows-what-else, those in uniform who are somewhat less than scrupulous will lose getting their monthly 'tea' money. It's not just the bars. If the bars go, so will several hotels, restaurants, and many other related businesses. Well, maybe Pattayaland won't become wasted space. It would make an excellent location for a Thai branch of the Womens Christian Temperance Union.

It sounds very interesting, but awfully expensive, especially for that area. But apparently it's the only game in town, so there's not much choice. At least a game exists at all. Ubon Ratchatani is about an 8 hour drive from Pattaya, isn't it? Maybe a little less to Bangkok. So, it seems to me people will have to pay the price or do without.

The following appears in THE NATION: ____ More Protection for Buyers of Condos By Somluck Srimalee The Nation Published on May 17, 2008 Condominium buyers are to get better legal protection thanks to the amended Condominium Act, under which developers who do not deliver facilities as advertised will be penalised. The amendment will become effective on July 4. Surasith Sahasthamrangsi of the real estate business promotion bureau of the Land Department said at a seminar yesterday that the new Act would punish de velopers who used misleading advertising to boost sales. "If they can't deliver what they advertise, the Land Department is empowered to charge them with giving false information," Surasith said. The amendment followed complaints by buyers whose purchases did not include what was advertised. Most of the angry buyers were people who bought units before they were completed. From July 4, developers will have to submit advertising plans with their construction proposals. On completion, the Land Department will check if all is as advertised. Property Perfect's chief operations officer, Teerachon Manomaiphibul, said this law would hurt only developers who are inclined to cheat buyers. Meanwhile, experts said the amended law might hurt the resale market, as the provisional clause that allows foreigners or foreign entities to hold more than 49 per cent of condominium units in Bangkok, municipal areas and other specified areas will be scrapped. The limit will now be 49 per cent, without exception. ____________________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ Condo Act to Protect Consumers Aims to weed out shady developers KANANA KATHARANGSIPORN The amended Condominium Act will improve the overall condo market and screen out non-professional developers that take advantage of buyers, says Opas Sripayak, managing director of the condo developer L.P.N. Development Plc. ''The amendments will benefit condominium buyers as most of them will focus on consumer protection. Condominium developers should pay more attention to what the sellers promise,'' he said yesterday. He said a regulation in the amendment requiring developers to pay common area expenses for unsold units after unit transfers would put a greater burden on irresponsible developers who earlier tried to avoid this payment. ''L.P.N. will have no impact from the amendments as what we've done already will comply with them,'' said Mr Opas. ''This is the same for many listed and professional developers in the industry.''The Land Department will hold a public hearing about the amended Condominium Act next Friday before it becomes effective on July 4. ''After we talked with some developers about the amendments, what most of them were concerned about were odds and ends, not big issues,'' said Surasith Sahasthamrangsee, director of the department's Real Estate Promotion Office. The department was waiting for consideration from the Consumer Protection Board on condominium pre-purchase and purchase and sales contracts before submitting details to the Interior Ministry next week. The department hopes the board will help tighten loopholes in the agreements as it earlier received thousands of complaints related to unfair agreements. ''It [the contract] will be a standard for all condominium projects to use,'' said Mr Surasith. The amended Condo Act would require developers to keep all copies and versions of sale brochures or pictures advertised or sales letters publicised in any way at the juristic person office of the condominium for future reference, he added. ''Advertisements are part of a purchasing and selling contract. If there are many versions, all must be kept,'' he said. This requirement aims to focus on the common area that developers promise to customers, not on selling prices or promotions. In the past, some developers changed the common area for other uses, taking advantage of unit owners. ''The amendments, responding to many problems, aim to protect consumers. Formerly, the act had no provisions for punishment as it left the private sector to manage and solve the problems by itself.'' Mr Opas said L.P.N. planned to launch three low-priced CondoTown projects in the Rama II, Rangsit and Pak Nam in Samrong areas with at least 2,000 units each. Spending for these three plots would be around 200-300 million baht each. ''CondoTown will focus on a large community where a discount store is situated,'' he said. The location has more than 100 apartment buildings where tenants pay rent of 3,000 to 4,000 baht a month. During the first four months of this year, L.P.N. had pre-sales of 2.8 billion baht and it aims to achieve 11 billion baht by the end of the year. In the first quarter, it realised 1.2 billion baht and missed a target of two billion baht as government tax incentives took effect in late March and many buyers delayed purchases. However, the firm would realise tax benefits representing 4% of total revenue. It expected to realise 7.8 billion baht of revenue in 2008, said Mr Opas. Next month the company will launch the first phase of Lumpini Place Ratchada-Rama IX on a 15-rai site near the MCOT Junction with unit prices of 1.3 million baht. It will have a total of 2,000 units. ''A rise in steel prices caused higher unit prices of 2-5% so [prices of] units in the existing projects will be revised up,'' Mr Opas said. LPN shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 7.30 baht, up 10 satang, in trade worth 209.9 million baht.

Monday, May 19 is Visakha Bucha Day, one of the most important Buddhist holidays of the year. Tradition has it that on this date Buddha was born, reached enlightenment, and died. All banks and government offices will be closed, however it remains at the discretion of each bar (at least so far) to close or remain open and the bars get to decide for themselves, assuming they open, whether to serve alcohol. My guess is the bars will be open, considering the number of days they have already been forced to close this year. Be advised, though, all it takes is one highly placed government official to decide the bars should close. At the time of this posting, the bars are still allowed to decide for themselves.

Thanks, fedssocr. I did not see that version of the story. I think I will cry, HeartOfGold, because you're right. It does give Pattaya a bad name and it stigmatizes every gay who comes here right along with it. Obviously the vast majority of gays who come here are not pedophiles in any sense of the word, but in this kind of situation the facts don't matter. Only the perceptions matter and it affects everyone. I like the story about the person who tried to convince the court he was some other kind of "phile." That's right up there with the guys in the USA who try to get out of paying income tax by claiming it is unconstitutional. Works great, doesn't it?

The PATTAYA DAILY NEWS is also running an article about this. ( http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000005989 ). Unless you are reading an article I haven't seen, neither article says anything about where the apartment is or where he got the boys from.

Here are some excerpts from another old article of mine. As far as I know, the information is still the same: _____ Gay marriages are not legally recognized in Thailand, but many of the Buddhist wats will agree to perform the ceremony, and that ceremony is regarded as religiously valid. The decision as to whether to perform the religious ceremony is up to the Loong Paw. The Loong Paw is the head monk at the wat. Often, the Loong Paw is the oldest monk at the wat, but not necessarily so. The marriage is taken quite seriously by all concerned. This is a lifelong commitment made by the couple and, in the eyes of the Buddhist religion, the marriage is recognized and sacred. For the ceremony itself, a traditional costume is worn by both the 'bride' and the 'groom,' and there are plenty of places where the costumes can be rented. Your 'bride' will know where. If you want to have other guests in costume, that is up to you, but it is your financial responsibility. The rituals include preparing food for the monks who will be involved in the ceremony, giving ceremonial flowers to them, a few ritual items, such as candles and incense sticks, and putting money in an envelope to give to them. The local markets sell the traditional pots into which the food is placed. They also carry the flowers, food and other ritual items. The ceremony itself takes about twenty minutes. Nine monks perform the ceremony, including the Loong Paw. They will enter the wat and place themselves on the floor in front of the couple and invited participants. First the food, ceremonial items, and the money is given to each of the monks. Every participant is included in this ritual giving. The items are placed in front of each monk and the money is given, in a sealed envelope, and it is given with two hands. There will be bowing and ritual prayer chants. The Loong Paw will sprinkle the participants with water during the ceremony. The Loong Paw will tie white strings to the right wrists of the couple, to symbolize the binding together of the couple. During the ceremony the Loong Paw will give the couple a ceremonial bowl of water. The couple will exit the wat, pour the water over the roots of a tree, and say a prayer together. Then the couple will return to the wat and the ceremony continues. Final prayers are said, and the ceremony is finished. That also ends the involvement of the monks. At that point the participants simply leave the wat and nothing more is said to the monks. Now comes the wedding party, which can be held wherever you like. Everyone eats, liquor is served, and the participants will also tie white strings to the right wrist of the couple. A good time is had by all. Then everyone will leave, allowing the couple privacy following the ceremonies.

Friday, May 16: Opening rates: US Dollar: 32.16 Euro: 49.625 British Pound: 62.535 Australian Dollar: 30.14 Canadian Dollar: 32.00 _____ Closing Rates: US Dollar: 32.17 Euro: 49.695 British Pound: 62.565 Australian Dollar: 30.2125 Canadian Dollar: 31.995