Gaybutton

I don't know what a 'whiz wit' is, but I do know that I liked it. Since I don't come from Philadelphia, I'm not qualified to judge whether this is a purist's cheese steak, but I haven't found a better one in Pattaya. But I'm always willing to try if anyone has a suggestion.

I tried it too and I enjoyed it as much as you did. It is located about halfway down Soi Yamato, between Second Road and the Beach. If you start at Royal Garden, just go north, toward Central Road (Pattaya Klang). Soi Yamato is two sois up from Royal Garden. It is also marked as Soi 13/2. I liked the Philly Cheese Steak very much. I also liked the Toasted Italian Sub. I haven't tried it yet, but he's got a meatball sub on the menu too. I won't take me very long to get back there to try it. There are plenty of other subs and sandwiches on the menu. Give it a try. I have attached the Subs-N-Suds business card if you would like to have it.

Apparently so. I guess you're either going to hit it lucky or you're not, depending on how many boys decide to work that area on any given night. Another area I have never even tried is Lumphini Park. I know that for a long time that was the place to cruise at night, but eventually died down. Has anyone tried it lately? If yes, what's the story there? I've also heard, but have not tried, that Benchasiri Park, very close to the Phrom Phong BTS station, about Sukhumvit Soi 35, near the Regency Park Hotel, is a good cruise area. In Laos, in Vientiane, a good place to cruise was downtown along the riverfront at night. It's been six years since I was last in Vientiane, so perhaps someone with more recent experience can enlighten us as to the cruise situation there. As long as we're on this subject, does anyone know of other good areas to cruise in Bangkok, or elsewhere in Thailand?

Again, I thank all of you for your comments. It will make his getting an education easier for me as well. The financial responsibility on our end will be room and food. I understand the scholarship pays for nearly everything else. Unfortunately, kids are still kids. He has been getting congratulatory comments from other students, but he has also been the recipient of mean-spirited comments by students who didn't make it. They say things like, "Who did you pay to get the scholarship?" or "You only got the scholarship because you 'smoke' farang." He tells me some of the negative comments have really hurt his feelings. He hasn't let any of that get him down, though. He knows those kinds of comments are nothing but jealously. He felt much better when I told him my favorite story about Liberace. First I had to explain who Liberace was. The story occurred long before Liberace added the flamboyance to his act. He was being interviewed by a reporter who asked him something like, "How do you feel knowing the entire country is aware that you are a homosexual?" Liberace's immediate response was. "I cry about it . . . all the way to the bank." My boyfriend understood exactly what he meant.

I have read reviews people have written about that restaurant many times, but it wasn't until this most recent trip that I finally ate there. It's a hole-in-the-wall, immediately to the right of the Pinnacle Hotel, in Bangkok, as you exit the hotel. For those of you who stay at the Pinnacle, if you like Chinese food, you must give it a try. The food is outstanding and the prices are incredibly inexpensive. I ate there twice. I tried some of their dim sum style dumplings, which were fantastic. 60 baht per order and they give you so many of them that it can easily constitute an entire meal. I also tried their cucumber and egg soup and their sweet and sour pork, both of which which I also loved. The service is very good and the food comes piping hot. Even if you are ravenously hungry, your bill probably won't exceed 200 to 300 baht. If the restaurant is crowded or if you prefer to eat in your room, they will make "take away" for you. If you ask, they will even deliver the food to your room. I have some favorite restaurants I always try to get to when I'm in Bangkok, but I liked this little Chinese restaurant so much that I didn't even try to go to those favorites this trip. I preferred to eat at that restaurant instead. If you're looking for a late-night snack or late-night dinner, I walked by at about 12:45 AM, and they were still open and serving customers. I have no idea what time they close. When they finally do close, it's way past my bed time.

I agree with you entirely. Far too many threads on this web site, and others, end up degenerating into cat fights and pissing contests. When that happens, the intent of the thread is lost as yet another war of words takes over. It's almost always the same people having the same fight over and over and over again. It's who can out-insult or out-put down who, who can catch someone contradicting himself, who can catch who in a lie, who can write a loaded question, who can make the best retort, or Lord-knows-what. It all reminds me of a line I liked in "The Godfather II," in which Michael Corleone says something to the effect of, "Hyman Roth has been dying of the same heart attack for twenty years." I suppose there are a number of people that enjoy reading and/or participating in those sorts of things and they'll probably still be doing the same thing for the next twenty years. Personally, I do not find it enjoyable to have to wade through them to find the intelligent posts. Then again, maybe the people who write those posts think they are contributing something intelligent.

BANGKOK, Dec 7 (TNA) Bank of Thailand

I'm the one wearing a trench coat with nothing underneath, ready to flash. Besides, what makes you so sure he wasn't in Bangkok with me?

PATTAYA MAIL publishes the following on the opening page of its web site, which is another reason why, if someone wants to quote from that publication or any other, it would be appreciated if the source is cited within the post: _____ WARNING! It has come to our attention that certain unscrupulous web masters are stealing news and photos for display on their websites. Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd. own the copy rights to materials published in the Pattaya Mail newspaper and on our website. We will prosecute any offenders to the fullest extent of Thai and International Law.

I probably qualify as one of those fat slobs. But I won't wear a thong. I won't even take off my shirt. Whenever I do, people keep trying to help me back into the water. Besides, there are plenty of other ways to get sick in Thailand without my bod contributing to a potential epidemic.

Unfortunately, Assumption University is located south of Bangkok, nowhere near that area. If you're coming in to Bangkok from Pattaya, when you're on the expressway, getting close to Bangkok but not quite there yet, you'll see a very tall structure off toward the east, standing alone. That's Assumption. Getting to the Pinnacle or Tarntwan Place would take about another half hour or so. Thanks for the compliment about my report. Now you need to get there and see for yourself. I hope your luck is more like GayThailand's and mine instead of a washout like Geezer ended up experiencing. Let us know.

There are several reasons that may have happened. First, are you certain you were even in the right place? As I said, many taxi drivers are not even familiar with that park and your driver may have simply taken you to the wrong park. Saranrom is not the only park in that area. That's what the driver of the taxi I was in tried to do until I saw a sign and pointed out that this is not the right place. Maybe you were there at the wrong time of night. Whatever it was, it certainly must have been an anomaly judging from the numbers of boys I saw. Also, this park is not frequented by "farang." I was the only one there. I saw no other "farang." I did see some cars drive by, slow down, talk with small groups of boys, and either just drive off or a boy would enter the car and go, but they were all Thai. I'm not surprised. First, at least in my case, I knew nothing about Saranrom Park until GayThailand wrote about it. Second, it's not near any of the areas that "farang" are likely to frequent at night. But I'll bet, after this thread makes the rounds, there will be a lot more "farang" appearing at Suan Saranrom.

Agreed. I won't go so far as to say that most "farang" behave in that manner, but I do think, as long as they are going to publish this anyhow, that it would be a good idea to hand out the booklets on all international flights coming in to Thailand. Maybe that would help, but with some people I doubt much of anything would help.

Drunk or sober, the stupidity of it is unbelievable. First, the "lese majeste" laws in Thailand are strictly enforced. Second, in Thailand His Majesty the King is highly revered and deservedly so. He will probably go down in history as one of the greatest kings who ever lived in any country anywhere. It's quite upsetting to see that anyone, especially a foreigner, would come to Thailand and do such a thing, no matter what the reason. This incident is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard about a foreigner doing. You would think a 57 year old man would have better sense. Too bad caning isn't a punishment in Thailand, as it is in Singapore, because this guy deserves to get his ass kicked.

That's an interesting adjective to use. Ok, go on, Snowkat. Tell me about it. Tell me all about how if it was you and your board, you'd have done it differently.

Not long ago, on the thread entitled "Bangkok Parks and Street Hustlers" (see http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.ph...kok%20park&st=0 ) GayThailand wrote about the scads of boys he saw at Saranrom Park, in Bangkok. Yesterday I was in Bangkok and I decided to see for myself. It's absolutely true. If you go to Saranrom Park at night you're going to find available boys virtually everywhere! Most of them are college students, or at least they say they are. Some work alone and some work in small groups. Every boy and group I spoke with were very friendly and I felt perfectly safe walking though the area. It's well lit and on a major thoroughfare, so you don't have to worry about being in an area of sleazy back alleys in the middle of the night. It's fun even if you're not going to take any of the boys back to your hotel with you. But it will be awfully difficult to resist the temptation. Many of these boys are very good looking. VERY good looking! All of the boys said they ask 500 baht plus cab fare for their services. All of them appeared to be at least 18 years old. Most seemed to be in their early 20's. Some speak English quite well and some speak only very little, but all of them seemed to be able to speak enough to get by. If you decide to take any boys back to your hotel with you, make sure they understand and agree with what you want to do. Not all of them are gay. Several are "gay-for-pay" and may not be willing to do what you might have in mind. Make sure first so there won't be any disappointment. So, where is this "untapped resource" and how do you get there? The easiest way is to take a taxi and have the driver drop you off. Then you can do your "exploring." The park is pronounced "sah-lahn-LOM" The Thai word for park is "soo-wan," so you'll ask to be taken to "soo-wan sah-lan-LOM." Pronounce it clearly to make sure the driver understands where you want to go. The taxi drivers are not all familiar with the park and may not know where it is. If they can't figure it out, just tell the driver to take you to Wat Po (the famous Thai massage school wat), but make sure the driver understands. When you say "Wat Po" they tend to think you are trying to say Patpong. It sounds similar and they would expect you to be familiar with Patpong. When you arrive at Wat Po, the park is directly across the street. You'll find boys on the Wat Po side of the street, but most seemed to be hanging out on the other side of the park, which runs along a canal. To make sure you can easily get there, I've attached a file that has maps, both in English and Thai, so that you can print it out and show the taxi driver. From the Pinnacle Hotel it's a 65 baht, ten to fifteen minute taxi ride, depending on traffic. If you're staying at Tarntawan Place, or somewhere in that area, the cab fare should be a little less. Take your hotel's business card with you to show the next taxi so he get you back to your hotel without any problems. On the larger scale map, look for the red 'pin' on the left side of the map. The later you go, the more boys there are. I got there around 10:00 PM and there were literally dozens of boys. Several told me that if you come around midnight, there are even more. If you are an "early bird," you'll start finding boys around 7:00 PM. It's a great alternative if you're tired of the Bangkok bar scene and dealing with the prices, mama-sans, the music volume, buying a drink you may not want in the first place, buying the drink for the boy, and all of that. Saranrom park is just the opposite . . . quiet and very friendly. I highly recommend giving it a try. If you do, please look for this thread and let us know if your experience was similar to GayThailand's and mine.

I am very grateful for all of these comments. It's also very nice to see a thread in which everyone has something positive to say, rather than turning it into another war of words. Now that my boyfriend won the scholarship, that doesn't mean he gets to slack off. He still has to perform well in his present school. The school made it clear to the scholarship recipients that if anyone does not continue to achieve, their scholarship can be rescinded. But since these are the top 20 students in that school, I doubt that will happen to any of them. He is also well aware that once he graduates starting salaries won't exactly permit him to live a lifestyle similar to Thaksin's, but it is a good beginning. The very fact that he is in school on a scholarship will provide him opportunities that he never would otherwise have had.

Thank you for that. It hasn't always been easy, to say the least, and we've both been through quite a lot that I wouldn't want to have to go through again, but today's announcement made it all worth doing. The next time I see a post in which someone says these boys are nothing but prostitutes, not even worth a decent tip, I'll be thinking of one of my favorite Franklin Roosevelt quotes: "Tell that to the marines."

That's true. In Florida I was a bar boy. As a matter of fact my photo was used in a trade magazine article for bar boys. The caption on the photo was "Don't Let This Happen to You."

Thank you. I will certainly tell him. I also just discovered that if he does well enough once he's there, then he'll be eligible for yet another scholarship for two years in New York, although I don't know yet which college that would be. As far as deciding his major, it's far too soon for that, but he seems to be primarily interested in economics, business, and law. I like the law part. That will be a big help in responding to the "Attorneys of the Internet" who we often see on these message boards. In any case, to me he represents the answer to the "experts" who consistently post about how these boys are interested only in how much money they can soak from "farang." I think it is quite a mistake when I see people stereotype these boys as people who only want to take "farang" for as much as they can get and then end up right back on the rice farm. Perhaps that does happen all too often, but I've also seen boys work their tails off trying to achieve something in life. My boyfriend and his best friend both made the scholarship. It wasn't handed to them on a silver platter. They worked for it and they worked hard. Nearly every night they were up until 1:00, 2:00, and sometimes 3:00 AM working on their assignments. They made a lot of sacrifices to achieve this. So did I. Most of my friends know that when I do things during the daytime, and quite often at night too, such as going to the beach, out to eat, or whatever, I am almost always alone. That's because my boyfriend is either in school or working on projects and assignments. This is where it pays off. He never thought he could do it, but here we are. He's also excited because when he receives the actual scholarship papers, he will receive them directly from the hands of the Crown Prince at a formal ceremony. Not bad for someone who started off as a bar boy.

Thank you very much. From what I understand it's one of the best and quite expensive by Thai standards. By my standards too. If he had not made the scholarship, that particular university would be far beyond my reach. Somehow, though, I doubt he'll be trading in the wai in favor of making the sign of the cross . . .

Today I had a piece of great news and I'd like to share it with you all. Some of you who know my boyfriend also know he has been working very hard in his school, trying for a college scholarship. Today, to coincide with His Majesty the King's birthday, his school made the announcement as to which students won the scholarship. Out of 2000 students only twenty were selected and my boyfriend was one of them. He has won a full scholarship to Assumption University in Bangkok. He begins in May. Needless to say he is absolutely ecstatic about it and so am I. I couldn't be happier if I were twenty people rolled into one. Come to think of it, if I don't lose some weight, that's exactly what I'll be. It's certainly nice to be able to share happy news like this with all of you. I know how hard he has been working and I'm extremely proud of him.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Fiji Government Toppled by Military SUVA - Fiji's military has toppled the government and dismissed elected Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, commander Voreqe Bainimarama announced Tuesday. "As of six o'clock this evening, the military has taken over the government, has executive authority and the running of this country," he told a press conference. The commander, who has for months been locked in a bitter standoff with Qarase, said he was suspending certain provisions of the country's constitution and taking over the role of the president as the head of state had been unable to act. "Therefore, having stepped into the shoes of the president, I shall now therefore dismiss the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase," he added. He said an interim government would be appointed pending elections, and appealed for Fijians to remain calm and for businesses to continue to operate. The military commander vowed the takeover would not be permanent. Bainimarama, who had repeatedly warned Qarase to resign or be toppled, said he took the action after the premier failed to show up at a meeting with the country's president Tuesday. "This stalemate has forced me to step forward and the military has taken overpower," he said. Agence France-Presse _____ And This, from AP: _____ SUVA, Fiji (AP) -- Fiji's military commander announced Tuesday he had taken control of the country from the elected government, confirming the South Pacific nation's fourth coup in less than two decades. "As of 6 o'clock this evening, the military has taken over the government, has executive authority and the running of this country," Commodore Frank Bainimarama told a news conference broadcast nationally. Bainimarama said he had invoked special powers under the Constitution to assume some powers of the president, and was using them to dismiss Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase from office and appoint an interim replacement. He said he would surrender the presidential powers next week, and would ask the country's Great Council of Chiefs to restore them to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, who he expected would then appoint a full caretaker government. Elections to restore democracy would follow sometime after that, he said. Bainimarama said he was compelled to act against Qarase because the government was backing bills that undermined the Constitution, and insisted he was acting within the law. The takeover was immediately condemned by acting Police Commissioner Moses Driver. "The military has now indulged in a very serious criminal act, and ... we are not going to support the military in this regard, because it is unlawful," Driver told the Legend radio network. Fiji's mostly unarmed police force has said previously it can't challenge the military's might, and Driver said police opposition would be limited to refusing to take orders from the military. Armed trooped locked down the capital, Suva, on Tuesday, setting up checkpoints outside government buildings and at other sites. Troops surrounded Qarase's house, blocking roads with tire-bursting spikes, with the prime minister holed up inside with his family and a handful of ministers. "My impression is that I am under house arrest," Qarase told reporters hours before Bainimarama's declaration. "What happens next is anybody's guess." Bainimarama had been threatening to "clean up" Qarase's government for weeks, bringing to a head a long-running feud between the two men that has at its roots deep-seated ethnic divisions in Fiji and personal grudges linked to a coup in 2000. The slow-coming takeover has already been condemned internationally. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced in Parliament on Tuesday that defense ties with Fiji were being severed and officers and their families from that country would be banned. Bainimarama is believed to have children studying in New Zealand. "This is an outrage what is happening in Fiji today," she told reporters in Wellington, the capital. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would impose similar conditions if it was confirmed Qarase had been removed, adding that two international groups -- the Commonwealth of Britain and its former colonies and the South Pacific Forum -- would consider suspending Fiji. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Tuesday that Qarase had asked Canberra to send troops to try to prevent the coup, but that he had rejected the request. "The possibility of Australian and Fijian troops firing on each other in the streets of Suva was not a prospect that I for a moment thought desirable," Howard told a news conference in Canberra. Bainimarama previously warned that any foreign intervention would be fiercely opposed. Fiji, with about 900,000 people, is among the richest and most developed nations in the South Pacific, attracting up to 400,000 tourists a year to resorts built on idyllic beaches mostly in the country's west, away from Suva. But it has lurched from one political crisis to the next since the military twice grabbed power in 1987 to ensure political supremacy for the 51 percent of the 900,000 population who are indigenous Fijians. Ethnic Indians are a minority of about 44 percent, with most of the rest ethnic Chinese. Gunmen, angry those advantages were being eroded, seized Parliament in a 2000 coup that brought Qarase, a moderate nationalist, to power in a deal brokered by Bainimarama. Qarase has since won two elections, based partly on populist policies that appealed to indigenous Fijians. Bainimarama sees himself as the guardian of Fiji's constitutional guarantees to all Fijians, and opposed as racist legislation proposed by Qarase that would pardon conspirators in the 2000 coup and secure coastal land rights for indigenous Fijians. Bainimarama survived a mutiny and assassination attempt linked to his resolution of the 2000 coup and the jailing of its leader, George Speight. The architect of the two 1987 coups, former military chief Sitiveni Rabuka, is currently on trial in connection to the mutiny.

Of course, I can think of a few manners that some Thais ought to apply when dealing with "farang," but that's a different issue. Here's the article: _____ BANGKOK, Dec 4 (TNA) Thailand's Ministry of Culture will distribute a handbook on Thai manners and 10 'Do's and Don'ts' in Thailand to foreign tourists to enable the visitors to understand and avoid doing things considered taboo in the kingdom, according to Ministrer of Culture Khunying Khaisri Sri-arun. Khunying Khaisri said the handbook is designed to create more understanding among foreign tourists regarding Thai etiquette and actions that may not appropriate among the Thai public. The Fine Arts Department and the Culture Monitoring Centre frequently receives complaints of inappropriate behaviour by foreigners such as placing Buddha image heads at inproper places. "Some foreigners use the Buddha images as hatracks, some put them at the foot of their beds and some use them as a decoration in the product sales display cases," she said. Many foreign tourists were found dressing inappropriately when visiting temples in Thailand, she added. The minister said the handbook would be issued in eight languages including English, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, and would be given to foreign embassies in Thailand for distribution. The manual would also available at hotels, Suvarnabhumi Airport and on board Thai Airways International aircraft. (TNA)-E003