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Just to be sure, I'm not talking about the old All Boys bar. That bar is still open, although now it has a different name (I forgot the latest name, sorry). The bar I am talking about is Happy Bar. To make sure everyone familiar with the area knows which bar I'm talking about, if you are inside Sunee Plaza and exit on the Po Pot restaurant side, then to get to Happy Bar you would turn left and walk about a block and a half. It's right next to a Family Mart.

The following appears in THE NATION _____ Police to Release List, Photos of Indicted Western Paedophiles The Thai police will soon release to the public a list of 50 indicted Western paedophiles and their photographs that it has received from European police, Maj-General Wimol Pao-in said yesterday. Published on October 27, 2007 Canadian Christopher Paul Neil, who was arrested last week in Nakhon Ratchasima following a global manhunt, is ranked 13th on the list, said Wimol, commander of the force's Children, Juveniles and Women Division. All 50 people on the list are men. Most are accused of sexually abusing underage boys, though some are alleged to have targeted young girls. Most of them recorded their sex acts with children and distributed the images on the Internet. Wimol said that the list was prepared by a network of European police forces with Interpol's help. He gave the details of four men on the list who have already been arrested by his division, all in Chon Buri province. They are German Andreas Hueinger, 55, who was arrested in December 2006; Italian Enrigo Dellea, 48, in February 2006; Australian Jason Jenkins, whose arrest date is not known; and German Jjorg Rudolph Fiedler, 43, in March 2006. Other men on the list on the run in Thailand, and for whom warrants have been issued, are American Grant Richard; 61, Briton Stephen James Allison, 55; and Finn Ilkka Ylikojola, 55. All three men were also based in Chon Buri and were last seen there. Wimol said most paedophiles exploited children's innocence to prey on them. The lowest amount reported to have been paid to a child in exchange for sex is Bt200, he said. He said his division worked with Immigration Police to arrest suspects when they tried to enter or leave the country. The Nation

Usually every couple of weeks or so . . .

It's the one on Soi Yensabai, right next to the Family Mart.

Today I was at the Immigration office. A friend was trying to get a 30-day extension for his tourist visa. There is a new regulation, or at least today was the first time I became aware of it, so it's new to me. Now, in order to get the extension, you must present an airline ticket showing that you will leave Thailand prior to the expiration date of the extension. That doesn't make much sense to me considering the fact that there are other modes of transportation besides air available in order to leave the country, but there it is. No airline ticket, no extension.

Unfortunately, the news is not good. This evening I went out for a bit of bar hopping. One bar I like is Siam Boys on Soi Day Night. The bar was open, but all the go-go boys were gone. You can go in for a drink, but other than the doormen and the bartender, there was no one there. I was not able to find out why or whether this is something temporary. The second piece of bad news is one of my favorite go-go bars, Happy Bar, just outside of Sunee Plaza. It has closed. I ran into a couple of the boys who had worked there. They said the bar will be closed for one month. Later I ran into a friend who usually has reliable information. According to him, the bar is now closed permanently. According to his information, the bar went bankrupt, the boys were not paid, and the owner left the country. I have no way of knowing which story is correct or even if either story is correct, but the bar is closed for whatever reason.

I'm with you on this one, buaseng. I don't get it either, but I've never really liked porn in the first place. To me, if you've seen one porn flick, you've seen them all. However, there are plenty of people out there who do want it, whatever their reasons happen to be, and there are also plenty of vendors making their living by selling it. To me, the important thing to find out is not why people want it, but whether there are legal consequences for possessing it. I think it will take a trip to a Thai attorney to find out with certainty. All anybody on the boards is doing right now is guessing. I wouldn't want to find out what the consequences may be the hard way, by making the wrong guess.

I suppose if you ever receive such a threat, you might consider throwing away your porn collection.

I missed the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS story. It is far more detailed and there are several photos. Here it is: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004081 This man apparently was arrested not for possessing porn, but for having allegedly abused a 14 year old boy. In any case, while I doubt that the police would take much of an interest in those buying a few porn CDs from the beach vendors, apparently possession of porn is illegal after all. If you intend to buy porn or keep porn CDs in your possession, then you should at least be aware of the possible consequences.

I knew that selling porn or creating porn is illegal in Thailand, but this is the first time I've heard of an arrest for possessing it. You might want to read the following article if you are someone who buys and keeps porn. You might also want to think twice before buying porn from the beach vendors. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police Seize over 100,000 Indecent Images from 75 Year Old English Man We joined the Tourist Police as they conducted a raid of room number 95 at the Diana Estate in Soi Boekeow on Tuesday Afternoon on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court. The room occupant is Mr. Alan Charles Mawson aged 75 from England who was suspected of possessing indecent images. A search of the room took place and officers found photo albums and pornographic CD’s. More than 100,000 indecent images and more than 300 pornographic CD’s were confiscated and Mr. Mawson was placed under arrest and taken to the Tourist Police Station. We understand that Police suspect that Mr. Mawson was selling images to friends; however this is still under investigation. It is also known that he has been collecting these images over many years and other residents were aware of his actions. The British Embassy in Bangkok are monitoring the case and will offer consular services to the suspect if required.

It's not easy to answer that since I don't know what others may be looking for, but among the things I like about Pattaya are the beaches here. I like the Pattaya beaches far more than most others I have been to in Thailand. There is also plenty to do in Pattaya besides just sex; everything ranging from shopping to museums. There are more excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices in close proximity to just about anywhere than I have ever seen anywhere else. Pattaya is not everyone's cup of tea, but to me the thing to do is give it a try and see for yourself. For example, you seem to enjoy Phuket. I do not. It's all a question of individual taste.

The following appears in THE NATION (see http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/10/23...es_30053467.php for photos) _____ SIAM IN EUROPE Published on October 23, 2007 Continent Marks the Visits of King Chulalongkorn The Foreign Ministry is holding exhibitions in several European cities to mark the 100th and 110th anniversaries of King Chulalongkorn's grand European tours. Tracing the Siamese king's journeys into the heart of Europe provides us with a glimpse of how he manoeuvred to steer Siam from European colonialism and how he used his first-hand knowledge gained in Europe to modernise his own country. At the time, Siam's neighbours were struggling against colonialism, but one by one they fell to the force of the West. Japan, having been forced to open up to the outside world, had been through the Meiji Restoration that revived imperial rule against shogunate power. Japan then underwent industrialisation under the slogan "Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military". Imperial China was also struggling to come to terms with Western powers. Empress Dowager Cixi, who held power between 1861 and 1908, sought to benefit from Western technology after the experience of losing the Opium Wars. Burma no longer existed as an independent country after the fall of King Thibaw to British rule. He was removed from the throne and Burma was annexed as part of the British Empire. It became a province of India in 1886. France was securing its foothold in Indochina and Siam became a buffer state between the British and the French. King Chulalongkorn, who passed away on November 23, 1910, came to the throne in the midst of this profound political change in the region. His father, King Mongkut, had already had a hard time dealing with foreign pressure, and it was during King Chulalongkorn's reign that Siam had to walk a fine line. To remain independent, Siam had to cede territories and judicial rights, as well as pay monetary fines. King Chulalongkorn was the first Siamese king to travel abroad extensively. Before his time it had not been customary, nor had it been it practical, due to the transport limitations, for Siamese kings to venture beyond the country's borders. The only Siamese king who had gone abroad before him was King Naresuan, who travelled to Burma in the 17th century. King Chulalongkorn, arguably one of the greatest monarchs of the 19th century, had a thirst for knowledge. He was curious to see and to learn from foreign lands. In 1871, during the third year of his reign, he went to Singapore under the watchful guidance of the Regent, Chao Phraya Maha Srisuriyawongse, before continuing to Java and India. Chulalongkorn was well received in Singapore and Batavia (now Jakarta), where he had an eye-opening experience at what the Europeans had done to these colonies. He was determined to reform his kingdom through education and the knowledge of English. In 1893, the French sent their gunboats into the Chao Phya River and exchanged fire with the Siamese at Paknam, Samut Prakan. Britain intervened because it did not want France to gain complete control over Siam. As a result of the incident, Siam had to cede territories and pay fines to the French, but the British and the French eventually agreed to let Siam maintain its independence and integrity against any third power. The bitter experience of the gunboat incident provided the impetus for King Chulalongkorn to learn more about the world and the global powers, with the goal of modernising Thailand. In 1897, he started his first European tour, travelling on the Maha Chakri. He visited France and established a friendship with Tsar Nicolas II of Russia. In Germany he met with Kaiser William II. In London he met the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught and the Duke of York, and stayed at Buckingham Palace, although he did not have a chance to meet Queen Victoria. He also visited Austria, Italy, Sweden and Belgium. When he returned to Siam, Chulalongkorn launched sweeping administrative reforms in order to develop the country. These proved to be the most far-reaching reforms ever made by a Siamese monarch. He also sent his children to study in Russia, Germany and England, and they returned home, well educated, to work in various ministries. It was not until a decade later in 1907 that the King embarked on his second grand European tour. This time he travelled via Singapore, Colombo and Suez before reaching Naples and making a tour of the classical Italian cities. He then journeyed on to Switzerland, Germany, France, England and Denmark. Upon his return to Siam, King Chulalongkorn was already established as the greatest king of the Chakri Dynasty. He passed away three years later, after a reign of 42 years and having brought his country to modernity. Thanong Khanthong The Nation

That's a very good point. Apparently, if the allegations are true, he didn't make much of a distinction about whether his victims were male or female. However, the media keeps focusing on the boys he victimized, the fact that so far the only victims who have come forward are boys, and the fact that he checked into a Sunee Plaza hotel with a lady-boy in tow. Unfortunately that is serving to further many people's opinion that homosexuality is equivalent to perversion. Even if it somehow turns out that this guy is absolutely innocent, the whole matter has hurt the gay community. It will hurt us again when the next pedophile is caught. Even this morning, the media is reporting that a third victim has come forward. A boy.

Don't forget about us in dear old Pattaya . . .

But it is a gay issue for precisely that reason, in my opinion. It seems to me that most of the world already believes that and has believed it for quite some time. That's why it is discussed so much. The vast majority of gays want nothing to do with pedophilia, but every so often a person like Neil pops up and makes it difficult for everyone else. Even among ourselves there is a significant group of gays who are convinced just being in a place like Sunee Plaza makes one a pedophile. We can discuss it or we can ignore it. I think discussing it on these boards at least makes it clear to those who read them that it is an issue we care about and discuss, and it is also something for which many of us are sick and tired of being stigmatized when in reality pedophilia doesn't even apply to the vast majority of gays in the first place.

I believe the chances are nil, and that's one reason I don't give them anything. First, most of them don't even get to keep it. Most are working for organized crime and they end up with a tiny percentage of whatever they take in. Another reason I won't give them anything is because that is what perpetuates it. If nobody was giving, then they'd be out of business. I believe if nobody was giving, then that mother would not have been able to abuse her own child, at least not in that manner. To me what is even more of a disgrace is that, according to the article, the Thai authorities are going to give that little girl right back to her mother and send them home. I shudder to think what is going to end up happening to her.

Thank you all for the recommendations (and any more that may be posted) and I intend to try each one of them. I am not familiar with Fatboys at The Avenue. Where is it?

These days there are not nearly as many beggars in Pattaya as there were years ago, but every so often a few appear. It is not uncommon to find an old woman sitting on a sidewalk, holding an infant or young child, along with holding a collecting cup . . . the picture of pathos. In reality it's far more pathetic than that. Most of the time the child isn't even hers. Sometimes, again nowhere near as often as years ago, children show up on the beach trying to sell something, usually chewing gum. If you click the following link, you'll see a sad example of what is really going on and why I'll never give these people a single baht: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004053

That's a good point and I'll bet you're right. I wouldn't be surprised if there are several more out there who did something similar.

I post many restaurant recommendations. This time I'm asking for one. I'd like to know some of your opinions as to where to get the best fish and chips in Pattaya.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Police Tracked Canadian from Pattaya to Korat Published on October 21, 2007 It took just eight days from the time wanted Canadian and alleged paedophile Christopher Paul Neil entered the country to his being detained by police. He was found hiding at a Nakhon Ratchasima address with a Thai friend. France-based Interpol seized more than 200 pictures posted online of the suspect sexually abusing boys in Asia, including in Cambodia and Vietnam. His face had been digitally blurred using a swirl. Experts in Germany reconstructed images of his face and released them in a worldwide appeal earlier this month. A massive public response resulted in the identification of Neil, aged 32. He entered Thailand on October 11 from South Korea. The manhunt in this country began. Police here mobilized their immigration, tourist and children, youth and women divisions. Tourist police gathered information from the street, visiting night entertainment venues in Pattaya. There they learned Neil lived with a 20-year-old transvestite called Oam, and that the pair had traveled to Oam's hometown in Chaiyaphum. When police showed up, they found the couple had departed. Using telephone records for Oam's mobile phone, police tracked the two to Nakhon Ratchasima, where Oam has relatives. They were found in a rented house in Tambon Long Lawiang of Muang Nakhon Ratchasima. Police arrested Neil on Friday. He has been charged with molesting children, illegal detention and other offenses. Oam told police he had no idea Neil was wanted by Interpol and was shocked to discover this, so they fled. He said he dated Neil for two years after they met at a Pattaya night entertainment venue. They lived together in Pattaya and occasionally visited Chaiyaphum, he told police. Although Neil refuses to answer police questions, their investigation has discovered he taught English in Thailand. He taught in Hong Kong and Vietnam, too, as well as South Korea, but continued to visit this country regularly. Police alleged Neil's sexual behavior was deviant and he liked to detain victims, mostly Asian boys. He often had sex with between six and seven boys at one time. He has reportedly abused young girls, too. His sex acts were recorded and later posted on the Internet, leading to Interpol's interest and his eventual arrest. In Thailand, one boy, now believed to be aged 14, accused Neil of raping him in October of 2003, when he was nine. Neil allegedly lured the boy to his Din Daeng apartment to play computer games before detaining and molesting him. The boy came forward to police this week. Police have determined from Neil's recordings that two other boys were allegedly molested on this occasion, but have yet to find them. The father of the victim who approached police filed a complaint after finding the pictures of his son being molested on an Internet website. He was shocked because his son has never mentioned the incident. He now knows his son was playing computer games at a neighborhood shop when a local man approached him, inviting him to play at Neil's residence. The boy accepted but found himself locked up with a foreigner, whom he later knew as Christopher. The foreigner allegedly touched the boy's genitals and forced the boy to pose for a camera, before letting him go, the father said. Police children, youth and women's division commander, Colonel Worawat Amornwiwat, said the problem of foreigners sexually abusing children was a huge issue. Police preventive measures include the exchange of criminal records between Interpol, immigration and tourist police in various countries. Immigration and local police are privy to these files and are on the lookout for offenders. Where suspects commit crimes, or are wanted by other countries, police will arrest them. However, Worawat said, preventing children being molested was difficult because, in most cases child sex workers were the subjects and often agreed to the liaison. Worawat said boys selling sex were often poor and some "wandering the streets" were as young as 11. He said the law prohibiting sex with a person aged 13 and younger could be used in the case involving the known victim and Neil. It is an offense that carries jail terms ranging from seven years to life and a fine as high as Bt40,000, Worawat said. Sex with older children is prohibited, too. Kornwipa Khongdechsakda The Nation

That's the part that bothers me. We certainly hear plenty about gay pedophile arrests. Why do we hardly ever hear about anything more than a slap on the wrist for the bars owners that provide under-age boys in the first place? I don't understand that part. People consistently post about how Pattaya, especially Sunee Plaza, is a "haven" for pedophiles. My version of logic tells me that if the powers-that-be would also crack down on the venues that provide under-age boys for the pedophiles, then that would be the end of a significant part of the pedophile problem. The police are holding bars responsible for the behavior of boys using drugs, even during non-working hours. They have been closing bars at which boys on drugs are found. I still don't understand how the bars can be expected to be responsible for what employees are doing during non-working hours, but if the police can hold the bars responsible for that, then why can't they hold the bars responsible for something they can control, the age of their employees? It's one more item on my "I don't get it" list.

In this week's PATTAYA MAIL, the Dining Out & Entertainment section has an article about the Elephant Bar ( see http://www.pattayamail.com/current/dining.shtml ). Today a friend and I tried it for lunch and we thought it was every bit as good as the Pattaya Mail article describes. The service was prompt and polite, without being overbearing at all. The food came quickly and arrived piping hot and cooked perfectly. We were even served at the same time. My friend tried the sweet and sour pork. I tried the Steak & Kidney pudding (I love British food!). Both of us really enjoyed it and the Pattaya Mail article wasn't kidding about the large portions and the excellent quality of the food. What an extensive menu! There are plenty of western and Thai selections. There is even a whole menu area devoted to Russian selections. It takes a good deal of time to read it all. It will take a good fifteen minutes or so just to browse through it. Getting there is quite easy, as the attached business card shows. Pratamnak Soi 4 is the same soi that leads to the well known Cabbages & Condoms restaurant. As a matter of fact, the Elephant Bar is right next to the Cabbages & Condoms entrance. That's also the same soi on which you'll find Liam's Gallery. Hire a baht bus or take a motorcycle taxi if you don't have your own transportation. I think you'll agree it was well worth it. There were even several interesting boys walking by outside. The restaurant is completely open air, so if you must have air conditioning, then that's the wrong restaurant, but there were plenty of ceiling fans and even during the heat at midday we were quite comfortable. On Wednesday evenings they have an all-you-can-eat barbeque sparerib special for 179 baht per person. On Saturdays they have a suckling pig special, also all-you-can-eat for 199 baht. I'll let the Pattaya Mail article tell the rest. Both my friend and I agree with every word of it and I know we'll both be back many times.

More details about Neil's arrest and activities are now being published. Perhaps, if nothing else, it will drive home the point I and so many others have been making for years: Don't engage in sexual activities in Thailand unless it is with someone at least 18 years old. If there is a silver lining on the cloud, maybe it will be in that other pedophiles will think twice before coming to Thailand. The following two stories appear in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Bingo! We've got him! (bangkokpost.com, dpa) The Canadian target of a vigorous international manhunt as "a serious threat to society," sat calmly in dark sunglasses when he was taken to a press conference police arrested him Friday. He was detained earlier on Friday in Nakhon Ratchasima after police received a tip-off, authorities said. "Bingo! We've got him," said Pol Maj Gen Wimol Powintara to The Associated Press news agency. Thailand's deputy national police chief told more than 100 reporters that Christopher Paul Neil, 32, appeared to be "a serious threat to society" who is suspected of having abused scores, possibly hundreds, of boys - some younger than 10 - and girls. General Wongkot Maneerin said that it was likely that Neil, a wandering English teacher, would be tried in Thailand for abusing boys during his time as an English teacher in Bangkok in 2003. These crimes carry a penalty of 20 years in jail in Thailand. German police investigators triggered an international furore when they managed to "uncoil" his digitally altered internet photographs that showed him abusing many young boys in Cambodia and Vietnam. Neil had hidden his face by lifting his T-shirt after being escorted into Bangkok police headquarters past a scrum of reporters, many from overseas. Later as he was presented to the press he appeared calm, with no expression. General Wongkot himself questioned the suspect - a sign of the international interest in a case that galvanised police in a dozen countries. "His behaviour was not normal. His sexual behaviour seems to have been extraordinary," the deputy police chief said. "We are lucky that we have stopped him now. We have many of his victims coming forward to give evidence against him," he added. The Thai police issued an arrest warrant Thursday after a Thai boy came forward to accuse the Canadian of paying for oral sex. Neil was finally arrested Friday morning in Nakorn Ratchasima (widely known as Korat), northeast of Bangkok, after fleeing South Korea a week earlier, following the release of his picture by Interpol with a "red alert," its highest search signal. Police said he was tracked down after a tip-off. Canada also has laws allowing it to punish paedophiles for their activities in third countries. Former colleagues have regaled reporters with evidence of an "unassuming character" who was a "diligent teacher." But writings attributed to him on the Facebook social-networking website and elsewhere show evidence of an arrogant character who offered advice about cleaning a computer of "dangerous" photographs and how to avoid character checks when applying for teaching jobs. Neil fled Korea after wiping hundreds of postings he had made on an English teachers' discussion group and shaving his hair off. At least two young Thais said Neil abused them and paid them money after luring them to an apartment he used to rent in Bangkok several years ago, according to the Thai police. The German police started investigating his activities when they discovered three years ago that his swirl-disguised picture was common to scores of Internet images of his paedophile activities in Asia. His family in Canada had urged him to give himself up. _____ and this: _____ How to Catch a Paedophile Suspect Most-wanted Canadian Christopher Neil is behind bars after police traced a phone call, and questioned his transvestite friend. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. But the story behind the apprehension of Canadian pedophile suspect Christopher Neil is almost as strange as the pictures and the actions he's alleged to have taken to get into this trouble in the first place. It involved a race to get to his hideout - and the assistance of a transvestite friend. Thai police laid out the bare bones of his capture, which has attracted worldwide attention. It began when they decided to keep tabs on the people who knew Neil during his previous trips to the country. On Thursday night, that strategy paid off. Police were able to trace a call from a 25-year-old Thai transvestite, accused of arranging some of Neil's alleged sexual liaisons with young boys. When they confronted the katoey, he admitted he knew where Neil was, and led them to a rented home in Nakhon Ratchasima province, where the Canadian was hiding out. Five officers walked up to the residence and knocked. Neil opened the door and was immediately asked for proof of his identity. Neil acknowledged his name but refused to talk about anything else, demanding to see a lawyer. The 130-long kilometre trip back to Bangkok, where he appeared in court Friday morning, may have seemed a long one for the suspect. But it's nothing compared to the journey that lies ahead. That will likely include a trial in the country and another in Canada, where he may be extradited to face justice back home. (Agencies) __________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Suspect Arrested in Korat Canadian Tracked Down by Police Through His Thai Partner's Mobile Phone Records Published on October 20, 2007 Just 12 hours after obtaining an arrest warrant, police yesterday arrested much-wanted Canadian paedophile suspect Christopher Paul Neil at a house in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Neil did not resist arrest. Asked by arresting officers about his identity, he simply said "Yes". Police said later Neil had not given any other information apart from saying "I knew this day would come" and "I need a lawyer", before being driven to Bangkok and shown to the media at the Royal Thai Police compound in the afternoon. Officers said they were looking for two other Thai men whose pictures were found on Neil's computer. They suspect the pair may have been molested by the suspect when they were underage boys. Neil, 32, has been charged with child molestation, restraint of a person's freedom, and depriving a child of parental care. Deputy police chief General Wongkot Maneerin alleged that Neil had orgies with up to seven boys at a time on many occasions and sometimes had sex with girls. The nationalities of the boys included Vietnamese, Laotian, Burmese, Cambodian and Thai. Wongkot called on other victims to come forward. He said police would get Neil to undergo a blood test for Aids, although that would depend on his cooperation. He said the 18-year-old Thai man who came forward to the police as the first local sex victim of Neil, was actually only 14. Neil was accused of first violating the boy on October 14, 2003, at his apartment in Bangkok's Din Daeng area when the boy was nine years old. Neil is now in custody at the Children, Juveniles and Women Division, without a lawyer representing him as of yet. The initial authority to detain him lasts 48 hours and he is expected to be taken to the Criminal Court - possibly today - for consideration about further detention. Pol Lt-Colonel Phatthana Nutchanart, of the Tourist Police, revealed that officers had tracked Neil initially from "street information" gained in the Pattaya area in Chon Buri, where they learnt that Neil had dated a transvestite called "Oam" for two years before he last departed Thailand for South Korea. After learning the transvestite's home province was Chaiyaphum, a police team went there but found no trace of them. Police later obtained Oam's mobile phone number and call records and found he had called a relative in Nakhon Ratchasima - where Neil and Oam were found yesterday. The world-wide search for Neil began just 10 days ago with a ground-breaking appeal from Interpol for public help to track down a man seen in 200 photos posted on the Internet. The photos appeared to show him abusing a dozen young boys. The man's face had been digitally swirled, but German computer experts reconstructed the images, which Interpol then posted on its website along with its call for assistance. The operation was code-named "Vico" because the images were believed to have been taken in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2002 or 2003. More than 300 people replied to Interpol's call, with five people on three continents offering critical information, the agency said in a statement on its website. "The fact that we went to the public was the breakthrough," Interpol detective Mick Moran told AFP. "We are absolutely delighted this guy has been arrested." Neil was found in a one-storey rented house in Nakhon Ratchasima, around 300 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, where he was with the Thai transvestite, police said. There were conflicting reports about Oam's age, that he was 25 or 20. Police gave no details about Neil's relationship with his companion. General Wongkot said Neil could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted over accusations he abused a nine-year-old boy in Bangkok four years ago. If any other countries want to prosecute him, he could be extradited after serving any prison time received in Thailand, if found guilty here, Wongkut said. Neil had been teaching English at a school in Seoul, where South Korean police are also investigating his activities. He flew to Bangkok on October 11, when security cameras documented his arrival at the airport. Neil has visited Thailand six times since 2000. In 2003 he tried and failed to get a job teaching at an international school in Bangkok, according to Thai officials. Interpol says Neil is from suburban Vancouver, where Canadian media reported that his mother and a sibling still live. Neil once studied at a seminary, hoping to become a priest, but was eventually shunned by his teachers, who felt he lacked the moral backbone for the task, according to reports. An official at the Bangkok school where Neil tried to get a teaching job described him as an introvert, who was not hired because he had difficulty cooperating with school officials and other teachers. The school said no complaints were filed regarding any abusive behaviour. The Nation, AFP

In a thread below I wrote that I thought Christopher Paul Neil would never have shown up in the Sunee Plaza area, but it turns out I was dead wrong. Maybe he didn't know at the time that he was being hunted, but my guess is that he probably did. I wish he never came to Pattaya and to the Sunee Plaza area. It has a negative enough reputation already. His presence won't exactly help. The PATTAYA CITY NEWS article has photos, including CCTV photos of him entering a Soi VC hotel. I don't recognize the hotel from the photos. If any of you do, I hope nobody will post the name of the hotel. At the time, they certainly had no way of knowing who he was, so I don't see any reason to malign the hotel. The article and photos can be found at: http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_19_10_50.htm The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Exclusive – Canadian Pedophile Began his Thailand Trip Here in Pattaya. As reported in the National and International Press, the Canadian National wanted on charges of pedophilia has now been caught. Mr. Christopher Paul Neil aged 32 was arrested in Nakorn Rachasima Province in the North-East of Thailand, some 200 kms from Bangkok. Interpol, who has been tracking the man from South Korea, where he worked as an English Teacher, informed the Thai Police that he had come to Thailand on 11th October. We can exclusively reveal that his first stop on his trip to Thailand was here in Pattaya. We obtained CCTV pictures from a Hotel in Soi VC in South Pattaya which clearly show Mr. Neil checking in on 11th October with a Thai Friend who is believed to have previously organized liaisons with underage boys and girls, during his first trip to Thailand in 2002. He checked out of the hotel on 13th October as planned and then made his way to the North-East which is where he was eventually caught on Friday. __________ The PATTAYA DAILY NEWS also has a story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004055