Gaybutton

I just returned from another little trip. I started off at the Malaysia Hotel. We went to Kabin Buri from there. I wouldn't exactly recommend Kabin Buri as a tourist destination. We had some business there. However, we stayed at one of those resorts and it almost made the trip worth it. The room was absolutely spotlessly clean. It was also really beautiful. I wish my own bedroom was as nice. It was a large room, had a brand new television, air conditioning with remote control, lights with a dimmer switch, and large bathroom with hot shower. Included was a refrigerator and two free bottles of water. There was also a water heater and coffee and plenty of electrical outlets in case you need them for anything. I can honestly say that the room was much nicer than most hotel rooms where I've stayed in Thailand, including the Pinnacle and the Malaysia. In the morning they even gave us free, freshly baked croissants. The price: 500 baht per night. You can't beat that! From now on, when I'm traveling within Thailand, I'm going to be seeking out these resorts. The two I've been in so far have been very nice and much less expensive than most hotels. As an aside, we also went to a waterfall and a national park. Both had entrance fees and both had "special prices" for "farang." Thais pay 50 baht. "Farang" pay 400 baht! At both locations, for the first time I tried to see if showing my Thai driver's license would do anything and at both locations it did. I didn't get the Thai price, but I did get price reductions. At one location I was charged 100 baht. At the other I was charged 150 baht. That's still double and triple the Thai price, but it at least is better than the usual "farang" price.

I just returned from another stay at the Malaysia and I went to that Italian restaurant again. This time I got the information. The name of the restaurant is the Lido and it turns out they have a web site. Their complete menu is on the web site. Delivery is available too. Here it is: http://www.lidobangkok.com/lidostarters.html If there is any confusion about how to get there from the Malaysia Hotel, just cross the street after exiting the Malaysia and walk up the same soi where the 7-Eleven and the Siam Commercial Bank ATM is. You can't miss it. It's less than a five minute walk from the Malaysia. There were plenty of available boys at the Malaysia this time too, even more than last time, along the wall just outside the hotel, sitting on the wall in the parking lot, and even at the outside entrance door to the massage room. By the way, that dog that always hangs out in front of the bank was not there. I hope nothing happened to him. He has become almost an icon in front of that bank.

If you have never visited the Sanctuary of Truth, in Naklua, just north of Pattaya, now would be a good time to do it. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Sanctuary of Truth Special Promotion A special promotion to tell you about now from a popular Tourist Attraction located in Naklua. The Sanctuary of Truth is a gigantic wooden construction which covers an area of more than two Rai. The top point of the buildingis about 105 meters high. From now until the 5th December you can buy one admission ticket and get another free which saves you 500 Baht. The attraction also features a Dolphin and Muay Thai Boxing Show and is well worth a visit during your stay in Pattaya. For more information on this special offer you can call the Sanctuary of Truth on 038 367 229-30 or log on to http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com

Apparently the ruling junta in Burma will stop at nothing to retain their personal hold on wealth and power. I have been reading sporadic reports of murders by the hundreds, perhaps thousands, are taking place along with torture and mutilation. Actor Sylvester Stallone, who is presently filming a movie on location at the Burmese border says, "I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off," Stallone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific. This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams. All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river." Now, according to the Associated Press, people are being arrested and taken away in the middle of the night. Apparently the junta has started a massive terror campaign against its own people. It's too bad the soldiers cooperate with the junta instead of joining the people and rising up against them. _____ Soldiers Hunt Dissidents in Myanmar AP Soldiers announced that they were hunting pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar's largest city Wednesday and the top U.S. diplomat in the country said military police were pulling people out of their homes during the night. Military vehicles patrolled the streets before dawn with loudspeakers blaring that: "We have photographs. We are going to make arrests!" Shari Villarosa, the acting U.S. ambassador in Myanmar, said in a telephone interview that people in Yangon were terrified. "From what we understand, military police ... are traveling around the city in the middle of the night, going into homes and picking up people," she said. Residents living near the Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most revered shrine and a flashpoint of unrest, reported that police swept through several dozen homes in the middle of the night, dragging away several men for questioning. The homes were located above shops at a marketplace that caters to the nearby pagoda, selling monks robes and begging bowls. Meanwhile, the junta pursued other means of intimidation. An employee from the Ministry of Transport, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that he was told to sign a statement saying he and his family would not take part in any political activity and would not listen to foreign radio reports. Many in Myanmar use short-wave radios to pick up foreign English-language stations — a main source for news about their tightly controlled country. The U.N.'s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, declined to comment on his four-day mission to Myanmar, where the military junta last month crushed mass pro-democracy demonstrations led by the nation's revered Buddhist monks. Villarosa said embassy staff had gone to some monasteries in recent days and found them completely empty. Others were barricaded by the military and declared off-limits to outsiders. "There is a significantly reduced number of monks on the streets. Where are the monks? What has happened to them?" she said. The Democratic Voice of Burma, a dissident radio station based in Norway, said authorities have released 90 of 400 monks detained in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state, during a midnight raid on monasteries on Sept. 25. A semblance of normality returned to Yangon after daybreak, with some shops opening and light traffic on roads. However, "people are terrified, and the underlying forces of discontent have not been addressed," Villarosa said. "People have been unhappy for a long time ... Since the events of last week, there's now the unhappiness combined with anger, and fear." Some people remained hopeful that democracy would come. "I don't believe the protests have been totally crushed," said Kin, a 29-year-old language teacher in Yangon, whose father and brother had joined a 1988 pro-democracy movement that ended in a crackdown in which at least 3,000 people were killed. "There is hope, but we fear to hope," she said. "We still dream of rearing our children in a country where everybody would have equal chances at opportunities." The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962, and the current junta came to power after snuffing out the 1988 pro-democracy movement. The generals called elections in 1990 but refused to give up power when Suu Kyi's party won. The military crushed the protests on Sept. 26 and 27 with live ammunition, tear gas and beatings. Hundreds of monks and civilians were carted off to detention camps. The government says 10 people were killed in the violence. But dissident groups put the death toll at up to 200 and say 6,000 people were detained. Among those killed was Japanese television cameraman Kenji Nagai of the APF news agency. His body was flown from Myanmar to Tokyo on Wednesday. Gambari went to Myanmar on Saturday to convey the international community's outrage at the junta's actions. He also hoped to persuade the junta to take the people's aspirations seriously. He met junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies and talked to detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi twice. Gambari avoided the media in Singapore, where he arrived Tuesday night en route to New York. He was not expected to issue any statement before briefing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday. The junta has not commented on Gambari's visit and the United Nations has only released photos of Gambari and a somber, haggard-looking Suu Kyi — who has spent nearly 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest — shaking hands during their meeting in a state guest house in Yangon. In Singapore, Gambari met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc of which Myanmar is a member. A Singapore government statement said Lee told Gambari that ASEAN "is fully behind his mission" to bring about "a political solution for national reconciliation and a peaceful transition to democracy."

I certainly hope you're right. Time will tell. I do notice that the other View Talay buildings don't seem to have any adverse effect on traffic, so maybe this one won't. I do think my concerns, payless's concerns, and the concerns of others are valid concerns, but time will tell about those as well. I also think the real underlying concern is the way most problems seem to be handled in Pattaya. I doubt there will be any serious problems stemming from what the View Talay people will be doing. It's the problems that the Pattaya government will be the ones to handle that have my eyebrows starting to raise. I have one question for you, Wowpow, since you seem to know what's going on. As Pattaya Park does, do you know if there will be a viewing area at the top, that the public can access?

I have no objection to the building in and of itself, but I do worry about the residual effects it may have on the local infrastructure. I can only hope that water, utilities, potential traffic and parking problems, etc. are being competently planned so that Pattaya doesn't end up with a beautiful building, but even more problems along with it as a result.

I don't think they're more expensive in Thailand than anywhere else. I see prices ranging from 12,000 baht to 30,000 baht. If you already have a laptop, then that's the one I would use. If not, then I don't think it would make much difference where you buy it. If you buy it outside of Thailand, then make sure it's used before you enter Thailand. If you bring it in new in the box, you could end up paying an import duty of about 50% of the purchase price. I've heard that the best place to buy electronics of any kind is in Abu Dhabi. If you end up on a flight that stops there, that's where I'd go shopping. I suppose one advantage of buying it in Thailand would be the warranty. If you buy it outside of Thailand, and then something goes wrong, you will have a difficult, probably impossible time getting warranty service. On the other hand, the types of problems that are most likely to occur with a computer, such as the necessity for a new keyboard, a blown power supply, problem with the screen, or whatever, are usually inexpensive to have repaired in Thailand. As long as I brought up the subject of repair, I highly recommend a young Thai gentleman named Kilin (pronounced "killin'"). He speaks English quite well, will come to your home to repair computers, gets it fixed very quickly if he has to take the computer to his shop, and charges very reasonable prices. For example, only a few weeks ago the power supply on my desktop computer blew out. I called Kilin and he was over here within two hours. I told him over the phone that I believe the problem is the power supply. He brought one with him, had the computer repaired within fifteen minutes, and charged a total of 1200 baht for the power supply and the service call. If anyone wishes to contact Kilin for computer service, his number is: 081-295-3860

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Ocean 1 Tower Given the All-Clear Khun Prachar, Governor of Chonburi Province chaired a Monday Morning Meeting at Pattaya City Hall to discuss plans for the Ocean 1 Tower which is an ambitious 91 floor condominium complex comprising 611 units and a shopping plaza, 200 meters from Jomtien Beach. The concept is owned by the Siam Best Enterprises Co Ltd and has encountered some problems in the planning stages as environmental concerns have delayed planning applications for the building. This meeting confirmed that those concerns have now been addressed and a survey of 500 local residents resulted in no objections to the building. Planning permission has now been granted and construction, which will take 5 years, is expected to start soon.

It's the only short-term suggestion I can come up with. I have nothing to do with the actual programing, so I cannot personally fix the problem or restore the 'IPB 2.2.0 default' option. I don't know what happened to it any more than you do. All I can tell you is that Firefox works beautifully with this site and the problem doesn't exist for me. I do know that both Stef and GayThailand read the board and they are aware of the problem. I cannot speak to why they have not commented about it, but I am sure they are trying to fix the problem. Is anyone else out there who uses IE 7 experiencing the same problem Buaseng is having?

I use the Firefox browser, which after becoming accustomed to it, I like much better than IE 7 anyhow. It works beautifully with Firefox. Why not give it a try?

Those of you following the situation in Burma may be interested in what you will see when you click the following link: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/10/01...es_30050787.php

Maybe so. Now that the web site will certainly go offline because I revealed such a deep, dark secret that people could not possibly have discovered on their own, I guess I'll have to take the blame.

I went to the fireworks display. I was right at the Bali Hai pier. The show began at 7:15 PM and for about ten minutes it truly started off as one of the most spectacular fireworks displays I have ever seen. Then something went wrong. A set of fireworks went off, but instead of rising vertically as it was supposed to, it veered off horizontally, nearly hitting a boat (couldn't see whether people were on it) and then hit the water, causing a loud explosion. The crowd waited few moments. Nobody was sure whether that was part of the show or accidental. A police officer was standing next to me and was using his police radio. Then he turned to me and said, in English, "It hitting water. Show cancel now." I suppose for safety reasons they decided to cancel the rest of the show. Everyone ended up leaving disappointed.

I was back in Villa Market today. Good news. Now they do have hamburger buns. As a matter of fact they have two brands of them, one of which is the same brand they have at Foodland. They are a little hard to spot. I spotted them by sheer accident. When you enter the store, go to the opposite end of the bread counter and look on the lower shelves. That's where they are. Also, Villa Market is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Excellent! The only other 24-hour grocery store, besides the 7-Elevens, that I know of in Pattaya is Foodland.

According to PATTAYA PEOPLE, it will begin at 7:00 PM. I haven't been able to find any other time announcements. http://www.pattayapeople.com/default.asp?F...;IdArticle=7728

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Hollywood (Agencies, BangkokPost.com) - Actor/director Sylvester Stallone suffered a series of death threats on the Thai-Burmese set of the upcoming movie sequel about heroic John Rambo. He also provided Hollywood reporters with some unique accounts of events along the frontier that seem more out of one of the Rambo movie scripts than real life. Stallone and his crew made the movie around the border of Thailand and troubled Burma, where he insists a "full-scale genocide" is currently going on. The 61-year-old, who witnessed refugees fleeing from Burma to Thailand, and the crew received a "lot of threats" and were warned they'd be shot. Stallone tells TV show Entertainment Tonight, "It's the most brutal regime in the world and the most secretive. It has an oppressive regime that (keeps all riches) for themselves. Everyone is forced into drugs or prostitution or slavery. "People are escaping all the time (from Burma), coming over with gaping, maggot-infested wounds, their ears being cut off. You saw a lot of suffering, a lot of malnutrition. "We were on the Salween River and we were told to get out because we were going to be shot."

I can't answer you about why you are still getting everything centered. Is anyone else out there still having that problem? I can, however, help you a little bit with getting rid of the banners. I use Adblock plus, which is a free program. You can download it at http://adblockplus.org/en . You might have to block a lot of ads until it stops all of them on certain web sites, including this one, but once you do you're not plagued by them anymore.

Yes, while I think Villa Market is excellent, that still doesn't mean that it might not be necessary to shop around for specific items elsewhere. Before Villa Market opened, my priorities were to start at Carrefour, and if Carrefour didn't have what I want, I would then try Foodland, Tops, Friendship, Best, Food Mart, Lotus, and Big-C, usually in that order. Most of the time I would eventually find what I was looking for unless it was an item that just isn't carried in Thailand at all. Now that Villa Market has opened, I think from now on that's going to be my first stop.

I went to the Villa Market today too. As Wowpow says, "At last!" Villa Market is now open and I stopped by today. My first impression as I walked in was 'magnificent.' This is quite a grocery store. First, if you are not familiar with the location, it's on the ground floor of the new Cineplex. Getting there from Pattayaland, or just about anywhere else in south Pattaya or Jomtien, if you don't have a car just take a baht bus north on Second Road. Shortly after you pass the Royal Garden shopping mall, start looking for Soi 13. That's where it is. Those of you familiar with the Lek Hotel, it's about half a block before you get there. If you drive, then I suggest going up Soi Starboys (That's what I call it. I don't know the actual name of the soi, but it's the one where the Star Boys bar is). The entrance to the parking lot is on that soi. What a grocery store! As you enter, they have a very nice luncheonette, similar to the one at Foodland if you're familar with it. Prices are quite inexpensive, ranging from 50 baht for soups up to 250 baht if you want a steak dinner. As soon as you enter the grocery store itself, the first thing you'll encounter is their bakery. There is a fabulous selection of fresh baked breads, including breads from the Continental Bakery. They even have several different varieties of bagels. As a matter of fact, in their frozen food section they also have Lender's Bagels, if you are a fan of those. I haven't seen that brand anywhere else in Thailand. After the bakery section comes the produce section, filled with the highest quality fruits and vegetables. Free samples are given out at the produce section. In fact, free samples are given out all throughout the store, including their deli section, the bakery, and even in their liquor area. There is one of the best selections of liquors and wines that I've encountered anywhere in Thailand and they were giving out free samples of several different wines and beers. Their deli section is excellent. They carry many brands that you won't find elsewhere. I did not, however, see any corned beef. I was a little disappointed in that, but I don't have to be. I was talking with one of the store managers and asked about special orders. I was told that you can special order just about anything they don't normally carry. They'll be happy to special order it for you and call you once whatever it is arrives. Speaking of store staff, there are plenty of English speaking staff members, all of whom were very friendly and helpful. If you're looking for something, but can't find it, just ask. They're delighted to help. They won't just point and say "over there." They'll take you right to it. I was also impressed with their meats section. They carry many cuts of beef, for example, that I haven't seen elsewhere. They even have brisket. I haven't seen a brisket since leaving the USA. Some of the items I noticed, items I haven't seen elsewhere, included things like English muffins, frozen Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine dinners, real maple syrup, many different kinds of coffees including Maxwell House and Taster's Choice, Wishbone salad dressings, Birds Eye frozen vegetables, a full selection of various Sara Lee products, Jello, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (that's for you, Jomtien), and the list goes on and on. You'll just have to see for yourself. Within the Cineplex shopping center many of the stores have already opened and many are still not ready. Of course, both the movie theater and bowling alley are already open. There are some good restaurants there too, such as Shenanigan's, Au Bon Pain, BKK Grill, and an international food court is under construction and coming soon. I think most of you will enjoy a visit to the Cineplex and I know the "farang" living here are going to be greatly pleased with the Villa Market.

Click the following link for details: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd2

That's hard to say. It worked quite well for me, that's for sure. Most of the kiosks still offer a good view of the boys and some are more private, depending on what you are looking for. I think, as anything else, some people are going to like it and some won't. The best thought I can offer is for people to try the bar and decide for themselves whether they like the way it is done.

This evening was the opening night for Jungle Boys and some friends and I have the distinction of being the first customers. That didn't last long. Within an hour the bar was packed. I arrived at 8:00 PM. The bar was getting crowded by 8:30. I stayed until 11:30 and when I left it was still packed. It was easy to see that these boys really were new to the bar scene. At first they were a little awkward and unsure of what to do. That didn't last long either. As the bar started getting crowded, the boys became much more sure of themselves and by the time I left, they had shed all of their inhibitions and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. There was absolutely none of the usual totally bored attitude so common in many bars. Most of the boys come from Khorat. Most are boy-next-door types and there will be more coming. All of them were very friendly and seemed to be having just as good a time as the customers. I know I certainly enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the things I most enjoyed about the bar was not only the friendliness, but the cozy, welcoming atmosphere. I didn't feel as if I was just another customer, sitting in the audience and only ogling the boys. I felt more as if I was somehow a part of it all and every customer's presence is significant. The boys do not wear number badges. Instead they wear name badges. I like that idea. The numbers seem so impersonal, but the simple idea of having the boys wear name badges changed that and gave each boy an individual personality. Only a few boys dance at a time. The other boys "float" and 'kibbitz' with the customers, but are not pushy or aggressive in any way. There are no pushy mama-sans, thank goodness. If you call a boy over to sit with you, you will neither be pressured to buy the boy a drink nor pressured to take him "off." The bar does allow smoking, but the owner told me that he is in the process of having a ventilation system installed that will quickly clear out any smoke. The boys are not allowed to smoke, even when sitting with customers. There is a staff room for them and if they want to smoke, that's where they have to go. Beer and soft drinks are 100 baht. Hard drinks are 120 baht. I meant to ask the price of "off" fees and, of course, forgot all about it. Perhaps someone else can tell us that before I have a chance to go again. I really enjoyed Jungle Boys. The owner has put quite an effort into it and I think the bar will be a great success. There are still more innovations to come, but the bar was as ready as he could have made it in time for the announced opening. He has really been working hard. Last night, he said, he got a grand total of three hours sleep. I think this is a fabulous bar with a truly innovative concept. I think most people who give it a try are going to enjoy it as much as I did and will be repeat customers and will be there often. Congratulations to the owners of Jungle Boys. You have truly introduced something new to the Pattaya bar scene and I think your efforts will be very well received.

No, I'm sorry, but I don't. I don't understand why you are still experiencing the problem. It's working fine for me now. I'm sorry. I assumed that if it's working for me then it's working for everyone. I use the Firefox browser, if that helps. The only suggestion I can come up with is to try clearing your cache and hitting the refresh button. The web site owner is certain to see this post, so he will be aware that there is still a problem. It might help to let him know what browser you're using.

The U.N. seems to be all talk and no action. Commercial flights are still running between Burma and Thailand. Thai Air Force stands ready to evacuate Thais if the situation becomes dangerous for them. Thailand has issued travel warnings not to go to Burma. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Air Force on Standby to Evacuate Thais POST REPORTERS The Foreign Ministry has urged people to seriously reconsider plans to travel to Burma while the military has begun drawing up an evacuation plan for Thai nationals as the security situation there continued to deteriorate yesterday. People should closely watch developments in Burma before deciding to travel there, the ministry said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charunvat said the Thai embassy had called on Thais in Rangoon to stay in contact with the embassy after Burmese troops began to use violence to try and stamp out a monk-led uprising yesterday. Roughly 200 Thai diplomats and businessmen are known to be residing in the former Burmese capital. Events in Burma have also forced Defence Minister Gen Boonrawd Somtas to indefinitely postpone a scheduled visit to strengthen military ties with the ruling junta there today. Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit said the armed forces are being constantly updated on the situation by the Thai ambassador and military attaches in Burma. He said a contingency plan was being drawn up and aircraft were on stand-by to evacuate Thai nationals in case the situation worsens. Authorities are also monitoring the situation along the Thai-Burmese border but checkpoints remain open and commercial flights were also still operating between Thailand and Burma yesterday. The National Legislative Assembly will today ask the government to adopt a clear stance on the growing troubles. ''The government must take a clear stand on this issue,'' said legislator Wallop Tangkhananurak. However, while most people were expressing fears of a repeat of violent crackdowns during the 1988 uprising that left thousands dead, some were voicing concerns of how the unrest may affect trade. ''I hope the protest will not get out of hand and lead to border closures as it will have repercussions on border trade,'' said Pattana Sitthisombat, president of the Chiang Rai chamber of commerce.

The problem seems to be solved, so I'm un-pinning this topic.