Gaybutton

Look at the bright side. Neither you nor I have to renew again until next summer. By then the regulations will probably have changed at least a dozen more times. And I thought the exchange rate was unstable!

Based on the opening rates for Monday, September 3, there has been no significant change over the weekend. This topic is now un-pinned. I will start a new set of postings for exchange rates if an appreciable change occurs. The following is the set of opening rates for Monday, September 3: US Dollar: 34.12 Euro: 46.395 British Pound: 68.625 Australian Dollar: 27.7925 Canadian Dollar: 32.17

I hope your information is correct, as I'm sure everyone else who uses the proof-of-income statement hopes. I suppose we'll all know for sure soon enough. One odd thing, though . . . the part about continuing to take the original letter. They didn't take mine. I renewed a few months ago using the original letter I had from the year before. They readily accepted it and gave it back to me. So I am now in possession of an original letter that has thus far successfully been used twice. We need to find out the story regarding that too. We need not only to know whether they are supposed to return the original letter, but also how many years we're allowed to use it before having to obtain a new one. While we're at it, we might as well try to find out about the supposed requirement for a map. That requirement seems almost even more ridiculous considering the fact that the local police know where all the addresses are. Why they would need a map, no matter where one lives in Thailand, goes beyond me.

I wonder what will be next? Ankle bracelets with electronic tracking devices perhaps?

A friend sent an E-mail today that included more specific directions about getting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok. A photo of the building is included. Click on the link below to download the file. He also included the following in his E-mail: _____ That being said, it crossed my mind that for those that do not have a car or want to go to the expense of a taxi or hiring a car from Pattaya, getting there from Pattaya should not be too difficult. There are some express bus/van services to Don Muang Airport -- from there by taxi to the Ministry should be a fairly short trip - a few years back, I stayed at a hotel near the airport off Chang Watthana Road - it was about a 5 minute ride to the airport -- a little bit more from the airport as I recall because of the need to go further down the freeway to get a U-Turn ramp. One could also go to the North Pattaya Bus Station and take the bus to Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok, then take a taxi from there.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Two men sealed the state's first legal same-sex marriage with a kiss Friday morning, less than 24 hours after a judge threw out Iowa's ban on gay marriage and about two hours before he put the ruling on hold. It was a narrow window of opportunity. Thursday afternoon, Polk County Judge Robert Hanson temporarily cleared the way for same-sex couples across the state to apply for marriage licenses in Polk County. He ruled that Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed marriage only between a man and a woman, violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued. County attorney John Sarcone promised a quick appeal, and he asked Hanson to stay his ruling until the appeal was resolved. A dozen gay and lesbian couples were waiting at the county recorder's office when it opened Friday morning. By late morning, 20 had applied for marriage licenses when Recorder Julie Haggerty announced that she had been instructed to stop accepting the applications. Hanson later said the judge that he had formally stayed his ruling. The judge's stay means the recorder's office is not permitted to accept any more marriage applications from gay couples until the Iowa Supreme Court rules on the county's appeal. Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan were among the lucky few to get their application through. The marriage license approval process normally takes three business days, but Fritz and McQuillan took advantage of a loophole that allows couples to skip the waiting period if they pay a $5 fee and get a judge to sign a waiver. Friday morning, the Rev. Mark Stringer declared the two Iowa State University students legally married in a wedding on Unitarian minister's front lawn in Des Moines. "This is it. We're married. I love you," Fritz told McQuillan after the ceremony. Fritz explained their hurry: "We're both in our undergrad programs and we thought maybe we'd put it off until applying at graduate school, but when this opportunity came up, we thought maybe we wouldn't get the opportunity again." Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. "I can't believe this is happening in Iowa," Rants said. "I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January," when the Legislature convenes. Gov. Chet Culver left open the possibility of state action. "While some Iowans may disagree on this issue, I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman," the governor said. Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according the National Conference of State Legislatures. Dennis Johnson, a lawyer for the six gay couples who sued after being denied marriage licenses in 2005, said Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. The Defense of Marriage Act contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply "mean spirited," he said. Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue was not for a judge to decide. Hanson ruled that the state law banning same-sex marriage must be nullified, severed and stricken from the books, and the marriage laws "must be read and applied in a gender neutral manner so as to permit same-sex couples to enter into a civil marriage ..." "This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation. I just cannot believe it." Kate Varnum of Cedar Rapids, another plaintiff, said she was elated but expected more legal battles: "I don't expect this to be the last one." Even though the county Web site explaining how to apply for a marriage license still began with the words, "Marriages in Iowa are between a male and a female ...," several couples were waiting when the county recorder's office opened at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Katy Farlow and Larissa Boeck, both Iowa State University students, were waiting in lawn chairs outside. "This might be our only chance," Farlow said. "We already knew we were spending the rest of our lives together."

My ISP is Maxnet. Their office is on the top floor at Carrefour if you wish to switch over. I just checked again and am able to access YouTube with no problems at all.

As you can see, the predicted major baht volatility has not occurred. No further updates on the exchange rates will be available until Monday. I will check the rates on Monday morning. If there has been no significant change, then I will un-pin this topic and discontinue posting the rates. After that, if any major movement occurs, then I will start a fresh set of exchange rate postings. In the meantime, if you wish to continue checking the rates yourself, you can do so at: http://www.krungsri.com/thai/exchange01.aspx

I had tried YouTube as recently as yesterday and it was still blocked. Today I read your post and tried it. It's open now for me too. This is the first time I have been able to access YouTube without going through a proxy since Thailand blocked it a month or so ago.

It was clear to me too. My dispute was with atri1666, not Ttiger. That's the post to which I was referring. He now says he didn't mean an implication that Ttiger is a pedophile and I have no reason to doubt his word for that.

Opening Rates: Friday, August 31: _____ US Dollar: 34.14 Euro: 46.53 British Pound: 68.615 Australian Dollar: 27.69 Canadian Dollar: 32.0725 _____ Closing rates: US Dollar: 34.13 Euro: 46.55 British Pound: 68.695 Australian Dollar: 27.9775 Canadian Dollar: 32.21

Good. You could have phrased your original post better, but I'll take your word for it.

I'm glad to know that. Meanwhile, you said nothing as to why you think it's appropriate to post a not-so-subtle implication that Ttiger is probably a pedophile who is pretending not to be. According to my interpretation of what you're saying, anyone who writes a post critical of pedophiles is probably a pedophile himself. I hope I'm wrong about my interpretation. Most of us who are experienced in Pattaya know that the majority of people who enjoy Sunee Plaza are not pedophiles at all. I think Ttiger is wrong to say that Sunee Plaza is essentially nothing more than a haven for pedophiles based on a grand total of one hour there, but to suggest that he is probably a pedophile himself because of his post is absurd. Do you disagree?

At least that's a different form of attack. With you, usually it's keeping score of how many posts I write. If you want to feel dirty, go right ahead. I don't, whether I was "in the business" or not and despite your attempt to insult me. While I realize that you are the prime example of perfect morality, I make no apologies for having sexual desires and make no apologies for a desire to seek out the places where fulfilling those desires is readily available. If that makes me dirty or immoral, then I'm dirty and immoral. . . and I plan to be for whatever is left of my life.

Let's hope so. I see nothing wrong with Pattaya having some competition. I also see nothing wrong with "drooling lasciviously about another Asian country opening up as ... the New Pattaya." Maybe it makes you "feel dirty." It doesn't make me feel dirty. As long as it's legal, what's wrong with people traveling to different destinations for sex purposes if that's what they wish to do? I don't think very many gay "farang" come to Pattaya for the waters.

How about being more specific? What cities did you visit? Where did you find the boys, on the streets, at venues, at cruise locations? If so, where are these located? Did you encounter any difficulties taking them to your room? What are the going rates for Laotian boys in Laos?

For a Thai who wants to learn English, AUA seems to be the most popular and most successful. For a "farang" who wants to learn Thai, I suggest private lessons. I highly recommend Khun Choo. She will come to your location and she is absolutely excellent. Her telephone number is 081-753-3612. She is often completely booked. Perhaps others can post recommendations for other teachers.

I won't sit still for that. I see too many posts on too many web sites that try to make it appear that someone writing negative posts about pedophiles are actually pedophile wolves in sheep's clothing. I may not agree with everything Ttiger says, but he has written absolutely nothing to suggest there is anything sinister behind his intentions. I believe his true intentions are exactly what he says they are. What are your own intentions?

So do I. I completely agree with that part of your post. However, I have a couple of problems with your statement, "Gaythailand: As the owner of this site, it is your responsibility not to allow posts that condone pedophilic behavior. Any posts about the Sunee Plaza area is tacit compliance with what goes on in that area." I agree that part of the responsibility of any web site is refusal to condone the behavior of pedophiles, but I do not agree that simply posting about Sunee Plaza is in any way condoning such activity, tacitly or otherwise. In my opinion, that is the equivalent of saying that anyone who is present in Sunee Plaza is a pedophile. I could see your point if the only "farang" in Sunee Plaza were pedophiles and the only businesses in Sunee Plaza are those that hire under-age boys, but that is simply not the case. Is it your opinion that we ought to pretend that Sunee Plaza doesn't even exist and we should refuse to allow any posts about Sunee Plaza at all? I don't dispute what you say you saw with your own eyes. I've seen it too. That doesn't negate the fact that there are also plenty of businesses in Sunee Plaza and vicinity that will not allow any kind of under-age activity and it doesn't negate the fact that the vast majority of "farang" present in Sunee Plaza are not pedophiles and want nothing to do with pedophile behavior. Many "farang" do indeed refuse to patronize venues that hire under-age boys, but they still go to Sunee Plaza and have a wonderful evening there in other venues. A perfect example is the Topman bar. While some people are having a great time cutting down the looks of the boys who appear on their web site, one thing is certain: You won't find any under-age boys in Topman, and that bar is in Sunee Plaza. During your hour, were you in every venue in Sunee Plaza? Are you aware that a great many Thai boys who are 18 and older actually look much younger? Did you check any ID's to verify that your assumptions are correct? My feeling is that if you want to criticize the businesses that employ under-age boys, that's fine, but it is wrong to say that posts about businesses that do not employ under-age boys is a wrong thing to do simply because they are located within the Sunee Plaza area.

Don't assume they are all necessarily uniformed. For example, a number of motorcycle taxi drivers are legitimate police volunteers and carry police transceivers. I know that for a fact. About a year ago I had a problem at my house and I called the police. The first to arrive on the scene were a couple of motorcycle taxi driver police volunteers, followed a few minutes later by uniformed police officers. All of them were legitimate and the taxi drivers were dressed as taxi drivers.

Opening Rates: Thursday, August 30: _____ US Dollar: 34.11 Euro: 46.445 British Pound: 68.575 Australian Dollar: 27.7475 Canadian Dollar: 31.96 _____ Closing rates: US Dollar: 34.14 Euro: 46.44 British Pound: 68.635 Australian Dollar: 27.67 Canadian Dollar: 31.90

Has anyone who reads the local media noticed that there seems to be more and more crime, along with taking advantage of the situation, perpetrated by police volunteers? Sometimes these crimes, usually some sort of a shakedown, are committed by people impersonating the volunteers, but just as often it turns out to be the legitimately trained volunteers themselves. I have no idea what powers and authority police volunteers actually possess, even if they hold actual documentation that shows them to be a bona fide police volunteer. Most of the articles I read about the police volunteers who turned to the dark side of the force are about them preying on other Thais, but often enough I also see articles about them preying on "farang." I also have no idea just how many police volunteers there are or what authority they have over "farang." What I do know is that if someone identifying himself as a police volunteer ever tries to get so much as one baht out of me, then my response will be to call the police and ask that an actual officer be sent to confirm whatever it is that is going on. I often see articles about police volunteers and/or police volunteer impersonators doing things such as trying to coerce bars into giving them free drinks or trying to shake down a motorcyclist into giving him money. But lately I've also read articles in which some of these volunteers have been involved in much more serious crimes. There was even a police volunteer involved in the murder of Earwig's friend a few weeks ago, according to the articles I saw. Just who are these people? How many are there? What kind of training and licensing do they receive? What authority do they have? Are there any female police volunteers? The only ones I ever read about are male. What are the "farang's" obligations to comply? How do we know whether someone claiming to be a police volunteer really is one? What are we supposed to do if we have any reason to suspect that something illegal is actually going on? So far I have never experienced any kind of problems whatsoever with anyone claiming to be a police volunteer, but with the crime in Pattaya constantly on the increase I'd be extremely skeptical if anyone ever stops me and tells me he is a police volunteer, whether he shows me an ID badge or not. I don't have any answers to the questions I posed above. Does anyone out there have any further information or know where to get further information?

When you say "some think . . ." I'm sure you're correct. Some also think otherwise. I'm one of them. The thinking I do tells me, whether you want to call it terrorism or something else, what's going on in the south of Thailand is as wrong as it gets and I doubt that anything anyone wants to say to try to justify it will ever make it right.

In my opinion, the most surprising part of Ttiger's post is the problems he had in Bangkok with taxi drivers. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone mentioning that problem. Going off the meter has been completely illegal for quite some time and taxi drivers who do that can get themselves into a lot of trouble. The last time I had a taxi driver try to go off the meter was over ten years ago. I don't go to Bangkok very often, and when I do I usually use the BTS or MRT to get where I'm trying to go. But I do end up in taxis a few times and they always turn on the meter immediately. I realize it can be difficult for people who have no prior experience in Thailand and who don't speak the language at all. My recommendation to those who find themselves in a taxi with a driver who wants to go off the meter, whether you speak the language or not, is very simple. Tell him no and get out of the cab. Another one will be along very quickly. Regarding Sunee Plaza, as GayThailand says, there are bars that employ under-age boys and there are bars that don't. As a moderator, most of the time when I talk about Sunee Plaza at all, I don't promote any specific bars. I'm usually talking about the idea expressed by some that mere presence in Sunee Plaza makes one a pedophile. Ttiger was in Sunee Plaza, but based on what he says in his post he is certainly no pedophile. I agree with Pa's posting. If only one hour was spent in Sunee Plaza, then that's simply not enough time to pass judgment on the entire area and then try to tell us not to promote the area, even if we really were promoting the area.

Craig Says 'I Am Not Gay,' Did No Wrong By TODD DVORAK, Associated Press Writer A defiant Sen. Larry Craig denied any wrongdoing Tuesday despite his guilty plea this summer in a men's room police sting, emphatically adding, "I am not gay. I never have been gay." Craig, a third-term senator from Idaho, proclaimed his innocence as well as his sexuality less than an hour after Senate leaders from his own Republican Party called for an ethics committee review of his case. "This is a serious matter," they said in Washington in a written statement that offered neither support nor criticism of the conservative senator. Issued in the names of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party leader, and several others, the statement said they were examining "other aspects of the case to determine if additional action is required." Craig, his wife, Suzanne, at his side, took no questions in a brief appearance in the capital city of the state he has represented in Congress for more than two decades in the House and then the Senate. He had "overreacted and made a poor decision" when he was apprehended by an undercover police officer in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport and later pleaded guilty. "While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct in the Minneapolis Airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away." He said he kept the information from his friends, family and staff, adding, "I wasn't eager to share this failure but I should have anyway because I am not gay." Nor did he hire a lawyer, Craig said, although he now has retained counsel "to review the matter and advise me on how to proceed." "I have brought a cloud over Idaho and for that I seek and ask the people of Idaho to forgive me," he said. His account contrasted sharply with the complaint in the case, in which an undercover officer said that Craig, while occupying a stall in the men's room, engaged in actions "often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct." Craig was read his rights, fingerprinted and required to submit to a mug shot at the time of his arrest. Police notes also show that on June 22, 11 days after the arrest, Craig returned to the police station and said no one had yet contacted him about his case. "Craig told me that he needs a contact so his lawyer can speak to someone," wrote the officer who spoke with the senator, Adam Snedker. The senator signed and dated his guilty plea to a charge of disorderly conduct on Aug. 1, and court papers indicate it was submitted by mail and filed a week later. The court docket said Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed. Craig, up for re-election next year, said he would announce his plans next month. If anything, he sounded like a man inclined to seek six more years in the Senate. "Over the years, I have accomplished a lot for Idaho, and I hope Idahoans will allow me to continue to do that," he said. Still, there already was speculation about a successor in the reliably Republican state. The Club for Growth, an anti-tax organization, issued a statement critical of Rep. Mike Simpson, whose name has been mentioned as a potential replacement candidate. Regardless of Craig's plans, it was clear his political standing had suffered. On Monday, he resigned from a prominent role with Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, and the GOP White House hopeful was critical in an interview. "He's disappointed the American people," Romney said on CNBC's "Kudlow & Company." "Yeah, I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton," he added. Foley was a a Florida congressman who sent salacious e-mails to underage male House pages. Clinton, the former president, was impeached by the House and acquitted in the Senate after his dalliance with a White House intern. Another Republican running for president, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, distanced himself from Craig and his guilty plea. "It's disgraceful," McCain told host Jay Leno during a taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show" for broadcast Tuesday night. "It harms our reputation with the American people." Craig, 62, has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s, but allegations that he had engaged in gay sex have never been substantiated. He has denied the assertions. Trying to put his actions "in context," Craig lashed out at the Idaho Statesman, the state's largest newspaper, accusing it of carrying out a witch hunt. The newspaper on Tuesday published a lengthy story detailing allegations of homosexual behavior by Craig, which the story said the senator denied. "We didn't print anything until the senator pleaded guilty," the managing editor of the Idaho Statesman, Bill Manny, said in a statement issued after Craig spoke. "Our story outlined what we've done and it speaks for itself." The GOP Senate leaders did not say what other actions they were considering in connection with Craig. Separately, a private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed a complaint with the ethics committee seeking an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate rules by engaging in disorderly conduct. The official police complaint on Craig's case was detailed. It said airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia, who was investigating allegations of sexual conduct in airport restrooms, went into a stall shortly after noon on June 11 and closed the door. Minutes later, the officer said he saw Craig gazing into his stall through the crack between the door and the frame. After a man in the adjacent stall left, Craig entered it and put his roller bag against the front of the stall door, "which Sgt. Karsnia's experience has indicated is used to attempt to conceal sexual conduct by blocking the view from the front of the stall," said the complaint, which was dated June 25. The complaint said Craig then tapped his right foot several times and moved it closer to Karsnia's stall and then moved it to where it touched Karsnia's foot. Karsnia recognized that "as a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct," the complaint said. Craig then passed his left hand under the stall divider into Karsnia's stall with his palm up and guided it along the divider toward the front of the stall three times, the complaint said. The officer then showed his police identification under the divider and pointed toward the exit "at which time the defendant exclaimed `No!'" the complaint said. The Aug. 8 police report says Craig handed the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a member of the Senate. "What do you think about that?" Craig is alleged to have said, according to the report. ___ Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Matthew Daly and David Espo in Washington and John Miller in Boise contributed to this report.