Gaybutton

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ US cuts off millions in Military Aid to Thailand WASHINGTON - The United States cut off millions of dollars in military assistance to its ally Thailand on Thursday, in response to the military coup that ousted civilian prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the State Department said. "In response to the military coup on September 19 in Thailand, the United States has suspended almost 24 million dollars of assistance to the Thai government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. He said the aid cutoff involved foreign military financing, international military education and training, and peacekeeping operations. "The United States continues to urge a rapid return to democratic rule and early elections in Thailand," McCormack said. "We look forward to being able to reinstate these programs after a democratically-elected government takes office," he said. The Thai military has enjoyed years of close ties to US armed forces in the Asia-Pacificregion. The United States, which has also forged close anti-terror ties with Thailand, had previously condemned the coup and called on the ruling generals to call elections before their one-year deadline. Official US military trips to Thailand had previously been suspended and all temporary defense duties in Thailand frozen, according to Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the US military. US military personnel in Thailand on temporary orders have been recalled, it said. The White House has also hinted that so far inconclusive talks with Bangkok on a free trade agreement might also depend on a return to democratic rule. Thailand's military rulers said earlier Thursday they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend, but refused to say when they would lift martial law and pull troops off the streets. Thailand is a key US diplomatic and non-NATO ally and has been a voice for democracy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which also includes several totalitarian states. The fate was also unclear of the next annual "Cobra Gold" live-fire exercise, the largest US war games in Asia, which the United States hosts along with Thailand. The exercises, launched 25 years ago and originally limited to US and Thai troops, has been expanded in recent years to include an anti-terror component. It was not clear if next year's operation would be affected by the coup. Thailand has also played an important role in the US "war on terror" launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Hambali, leader of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiya, was captured in the country in August 2003. But Thailand has denied reports in the US media that it was one of the sites for the CIA's secret prisons, now emptied, for top Al-Qaeda suspects. In recent weeks, the United States had registered concern at an insurgency raging in the Muslim-majority south of the mainly Buddhist kingdom, fearing it could feed into Southeast Asia's Al-Qaeda-linked terror networks. Agence France-Presse ____________________ And this, also from THE NATION: _____ US Imposes Sanctions on Thailand After Coup WASHINGTON - The United States imposed sanctions against its ally Thailand Thursday in response to the military coup which ousted civilian prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the State Department said. The sanctions involved cutting off millions of dollars in assistance to the Thai military, which has enjoyed years of close ties to US armed forces in the Asia-Pacific region, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said. The United States, which has also forged close anti-terror ties with Thailand, had previously condemned the September 19 coup and called on the ruling generals to call elections before their one year deadline. Official US military trips to Thailand had previously been suspended and all temporary defense duties in Thailand frozen, according to Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the US military. US military personnel in Thailand on temporary orders have been recalled, it said. The White House has also hinted that so far inconclusive talks with Bangkok on a free trade agreement, might also depend on a return to democratic rule. Thailand's military rulers said earlier Thursday they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend, but refused to say when they would lift martial law and pull troops off the streets. Thailand is a key US diplomatic ally and US non-NATO ally and has been a voice for democracy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which also includes several totalitarian states. The fate was also unclear of the next annual "Cobra Gold" live-fire exercise, the largest US war games in Asia, which the United States hosts along with Thailand. The exercises, launched 25 years ago and originally limited to US and Thai troops, has been expanded in recent years to include an anti-terror component. It was not clear if next year's operation would be affected by the coup. Thailand has also played an important role in the US "war on terror" launched after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Hambali, leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiya, was captured in the country in August 2003. But Thailand has denied reports in the US media that it was one of the sites for the CIA's secret prisons, now emptied, for top Al-Qaeda suspects. In recent weeks, the United States had registered concern at an insurgency raging in the Muslim majority south of the mainly Buddhist kingdom, fearing it could feed into Southeast Asia's Al-Qaeda-linked terror networks. Agence France-Presse

Would that work? I should have mentioned that this is a straight couple, in their sixties, from the USA. They don't have anything at all against gays, but they are looking for city and area tours, but not a tour of gay night life.

BANGKOK, Sept 29 (TNA) Long delays in collecting passenger baggage appeared as a big problem needing urgent solution on the first day of regular operations for Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday. The troubles were evidenced in a protest staged by around 200 Korean passengers of One-Two-Go by Orient Thai Airlines, who waited for up to four hours for their baggage but found they were missing. The baggage collection process is part of ground service provided by Thai Airways International Public Company Limited. The company apologized to passengers for the delay in collecting their personal belongings, stating that it would quickly solve the problem and deliver the baggage to their local addresses. The delays in supplying passenger baggage were in part due to a container carrying passenger baggage from the aircraft to the passenger terminal being too big to be moved through the underground transit to the conveyor service spot. Chotisak Asapaviriya, President of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AoT), said the delays were caused by a shortage of trailers for baggage transport provided by THAI. However, THAI executives ruled out the blame, saying up to 800 trailers had been in the airport since Thursday morning. (TNA)-E005 ____________________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ First-Day Fliers Left Irked Baggage and Check-in Delays at New Airport AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK Frustration and confusion were among the sentiments of many passengers using Suvarnabhumi airport, which opened for full operations yesterday. The new airport, which took over duties from Don Muang at 3am, encountered several problems. The most serious was the luggage handling system run by Thai Airways International (THAI). Other problems, less serious, were the failure of the check-in system run by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) and the dearth of signs inside the terminal. Complaints from 400 South Korean passengers highlighted the dissatisfaction. ''I lost my baggage,'' one told TV crews last night after waiting for five hours after Orient Air flight OX301 from Seoul landed at 2.30pm with no sign of the luggage. In fact, the problems began early yesterday morning. Some passengers on delayed flights, including THAI flights TG951 from Copenhagen, TG326 from Bangalore, TG945 from Rome, and Etihad Airways flight EY403 from Abu Dhabi, ran out of patience and complained when they had to wait for more than an hour to get their bags, with not an official in sight to help them out. The opening was low-key, without an official ceremony. Only senior officials from AoT, the Transport Ministry, THAI and the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) attended. The atmosphere may well have been different had Thaksin Shinawatra still been in power. The launch date was set by the ousted prime minister, despite warnings from airlines and some officials, when he was head of the government before the coup on Sept 19. Mr Thaksin, now in London after the CDR's takeover, hoped to use the airport to boost the popularity of his Thai Rak Thai party ahead of a general election. ''Had Mr Thaksin been here, the airport would have had an extravagant opening ceremony that would have been remembered for a long time,'' said an AoT official who insisted she was not pro-Thaksin. Suvarnabhumi, located in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, hosted 813 flights on its first day of operations. The airport commissioned THAI and Bangkok Airways for the ground handling services. Most airlines, including Orient Thai, hired the national flag carrier. But THAI could not provide services for everyone. It struggled to handle luggage even for its own passengers as it did not provide enough luggage lorries. AoT said the conveyor system functioned properly but the problem was caused because luggage lorries had not reached Suvarnabhumi from Don Muang. THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said all 880 lorries were moved from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi by 2pm yesterday, but the airline later apologised for the problem. AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya had to solve the luggage problem by urgently hiring Thai Airports Ground Service (TAGS) to work at the new airport until this morning. . TAGS was a ground service firm at Don Muang but it lost out in its bid to work at Suvarnabhumi. The check-in system run by AoT did not work properly from the morning-scheduled flights, causing delays for 17 out of 19 flights operated by THAI. About 200 pieces of luggage did not accompany planes carrying passengers out of the airport. The delays were between 15 and 45 minutes, the THAI president said. THAI staff had to issue boarding passes and luggage tags by hand. The problem was due to an information overload in the system, transport permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat said. Mr Wanchai admitted that signs inside the terminal were inadequate, causing several passengers to struggle to find their way once they disembarked from aircraft. The official ordered AoT to relocate a duty free shop and its advertising signs operated by King Power out of the arrival zone, saying they blocked the passage of passengers from airplanes to the immigration area. King Power chief executive officer Vichai Raksriaksorn said the problem was not serious and added that the firm, which runs commercial areas at the airport, was still ready for negotiations. AoT and Transport Ministry executives had said before the opening that the problems were not beyond their expectations for the first day of a new airport's operations. ''This is a minor problem and will not happen again once the transition period is over,'' Mr Chotisak said.

Wonderful new restaurants are popping up all over Pattaya. Yet another restaurant recommendation is Ernesto's. Many of you may recall the Ol

My boyfriend was with us last night too. It was actually his idea to eat there last night, so that's one Thai boy, at least, who enjoys it. White Night does serve Thai food too, but none of it is spicy. I have seen many Thai boys eating at White Night with "farang" and they seem to enjoy it. On my former web site I had the White Night menu available for downloading. I still have the menu available. If anyone would like to have it, just send me an E-mail at gaybutton@gmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you.

I have some friends who want to go to Chiang Mai and are looking for a good tour guide. I recommended Ben's Tours, but Ben is booked up on the dates they are going to be there. Does anyone know of another good English-speaking tour guide in Chiang Mai? It does not necessarily have to be a gay tour guide.

The following appears in the NEW YORKER magazine: _____ AIR KISS American Airlines Flight 45

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police Arrest Pattaya Beach Gang Responsible for a Spate of Attacks on Foreigners Police Colonel Supapon, the Regional Commander of Tourist Police was joined by Police Lieutenant Colonel Wootishart, the Chief of Pattaya

BANGKOK, Sept 28 (TNA) The first full day of operations of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport kicked off Thursday morning with little fanfare, but the first passengers experienced a minor glitch caused by delays in collecting passenger baggage. The futuristic US$4 billion airport which boasts the world's largest passenger terminal, the world's largest hangar, and world's tallest control tower--at 132.2 metres higher than Kuala Lumpur International Airport's tower by 10 metres--officially opened on schedule. However, passengers on the first commercial flight landing at Suvarnabhumi -- Aeroswit flight VV 171 from Ukrain's Kiev with 206 passengers-- had to wait more than one hour to collect their baggage from the new automated baggage handling machines. Chotisak Asapaviriya, president of Airports of Thailand (AoT) explained that the delay had nothing to do with the airport's baggage handling machines. "It's only a minor glitch," he said, "the delay was caused by ground equipment transportation of Thai Airways International (THAI) from Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang) to Suvarnabhumi." The full transfer of passenger flights and other commercial aviation responsibilities from Don Muang, which has served travellers for nine decades, to the new airport was completed at 3am Thursday (2000 GMT Wednesday). Thailand's military assigned 800 troops to the airport to ensure safety. Several army canine units have been deployed at the single passenger terminal to inspect suspicious packages. Suvarnabumi, about 25 kilometres east of Bangkok, is capable of handling 76 flights per hour and services 90 airlines. The airport will initially serve 45 million passengers annually, with capacity expected to more than double once it becomes fully operational. (TNA)-E001 Police to Introduce Fingerprint Scanning at Suvarnabhumi Suvarnabhumi, Sept 28 (TNA) The Immigration Bureau plans to install fingerprint identification equipment at Suvarnabhumi Airport within the next two months. The new equipment is part of a global trend among international airports to utilise biometric scanning technology for security and efficiency purposes.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ WET SEASON WOES Bangkok Prepares for Possible Flood Crisis Pasak Jolasit Dam 'full' but will let water out slowly due to sea tides With floodwater from the North causing the Chao Phya River to rise and heavy rain continuing to fall, Bangkok authorities set aside Bt100 million yesterday to tackle a potential flood crisis. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin also instructed 50 district offices to set up operation centres and closely watch 350 flood-prone areas. Apirak and General Boonsang Niempradit boarded a helicopter yesterday to inspect flooding in Greater Bangkok. The high level of water in the San Saeb Canal forced operators of public boats to suspend operations. Irrigation chief Samart Choknapitak said a slower release of water from the Pasak Jolasit Dam in Lop Buri should keep the flow under 2,500 cubic metres per second - thought to be a safe amount for Bangkok's flood barriers along the Chao Phya. Meanwhile, heavy rain forced an Airforce C-130 plane - carrying 400 relief bags, 11,000 sets of food and drink, four boat engines and medical supplies for victims of floods in Phitsanulok - to suspend its flight. In Tak's Ban Tak district, 200 villagers in Tambon Mae Salid were evacuated to higher ground away from the overflowing Wang River. At 6am, police and rescue teams saved 12 stranded members from one family just minutes before their two homes were destroyed by a 2-metre-deep torrent. The worst flood in a decade damaged 7,000 rai of farmland. Residents of 11 villages in Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district were grateful that HRH Princess Siribha Chudhabhorn sent trucks from the Princess Pa Foundation to cook them food. The trucks later helped other villagers in Phichit and Nakhon Sawan. Bang Rakam had some 24,400 residents affected by the floods. Of these, 1,122 suffered pink-eye (conjunctivitis). In Chat Trakan, Noen Maprang and Wat Bote districts, 392 people were found to have dengue fever - and one of these died. In Phichit, where the Nan and Yom rivers inundated 356 villages and 28,473 rai of farmland in nine districts, Buddhist monks from 40 temples used boats to take alms. In Pho Prathap Chang district, an opportunist offered rides on a banana boat in a flooded rice field at Bt50 per time. In Nakhon Sawan, the Chao Phya burst its eastern bank on Tuesday night, inundating 1,000 homes, a market and several Chinese shrines. Many residents suffered pink-eye, flu and pneumonia, while six people were bitten by snakes. In Sing Buri, the rising Noi and Chao Phya rivers flooded 80 homes and 8,000 rai of farmland in Tha Chang and Phrom Buri districts. The Pasak Jolasit Dam, now at its full capacity of 200 million cu metres, will slow its release of water over the next few days to ease flooding in Ayutthaya, Saraburi and Bangkok, as high sea tides are also due this week. Meanwhile, Pornnipa Limpapayom, secretary-general of the Basic Education Commission, gave a green light to flood-affected schools to adjust schedules for first-semester exams. Of 97 schools in Phichit, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan affected by floods, nearly 40 had to close. The Meteorological Depart-ment warned 15 provinces in the North, Central and upper South to brace for more heavy rain and floods over the next two days. The warning included Tak, Sukhothai, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Kanchana-buri, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong and Phang Nga.

How do you know that anybody in Pattaya is having "a great life from illegal money?" I am not rich either, but I don't resent other people simply because they have done better financially in life than I have.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ New Airport Up and Running The new $3.9 billion Suvarnabhumi international airport opened early Thursday as most citizens were asleep, with little hoopla - and none at all from the project's final backer, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup. "This will be a quiet opening," said Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukpasuk, the deputy chief of Thailand's Council of Democratic Reform (CDR), the junta that seized power on September 19, ousting Thaksin and his cabinet. Thaksin, a billionaire businessman known for his "can do" approach to governance, had strongly identified his administration with Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport, that is scheduled to officially open at 1100 GMT am Thursday. "The name Suvarnabhumi was given by the king, so we will need the king's attendance for the grand opening" later on, Chalit told a press conference at the airport. Nonetheless, Chalit insisted the airport was "100 per cent ready for operations." The new airport, which handled 155 domestic flights on Wednesday, will need to service 813 flights on its first day of full operations on Thursday. Snafus are expected. Both Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur experienced "teething problems" when they pushed the opening of their new airports. Suvarnabhumi has a capacity to serve 40 million passengers a year, or 110,000 passengers a day. When a second phase is completed in an estimated three years, Suvarnabhumi is to be five times larger than Don Muang International Airport, firming up Bangkok's position as an aviation and tourism hub for the region. Thai Airways International (THAI), the national carrier, operated the last official commercial flight out of Don Muang, Bangkok's 90-year-old airport heading for Shanghai. It was to be the first airline to land at Suvaranabhumi on Thursday, at 7:05 a.m. (2405 GMT) with flight TG 662 from New Delhi. Suvarnabhumi, or "Golden Land," as Marco Polo named Southeast Asia in his famous travels, has cost Thailand $3.9 billion to construct and has arguably been in the works since the early 1970s when the government purchased 3,238 hectares for it in eastern Bangkok. Construction of Suvarnabhumi actually began about 10 years ago, although former premier Thaksin, who first came to power in 2001, rushed the project through to completion. Thaksin staged a "symbolic" opening of the new airport on Sept 29 last year to prove its "technical" readiness. Critics called the event a publicity stunt to meet Thaksin's previously set deadline for the project. Thaksin set a new deadline for June this year, which has finally stretched to Sept 28. One of the reasons cited for the coup was mounting corruption. Suvarnabhumi has been the source of at least one public corruption scandal so far in the purchase of a security checking system for baggage. ____________________ And This: ____________________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ SUVARNABHUMI Just listen to our noisy nightmare As Airport Opens Today, Resident Challenges Director to Pay a Visit Fifty-year-old Wanida Sanwanitchpattana wants to invite Suvarnabhumi Airport director Somchai Swasdipol to spend a night at her place. Free room and board, nice breakfast included. Sound generous? Maybe, but Wanida has an ulterior motive. "I want him to know what one jet plane after another diving down from the sky sounds like," said Wanida, whose two-storey home sits right next to the fence surrounding Suvarnabhumi Airport. "He said on TV that he has done his best to resolve all of the problems affecting the surrounding communities. I haven't seen the shadow of a single airport official since construction started." To some people, the official opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport may bring with it a sense of relief or delight. To others, it might even be a dream come true. But to Wanida and thousands of other families living under the airport's flight path, the dawn opening will seem more like a nightmare. Wanida had her first taste of deafening jet noise on September 15, when Thai Airways ran 12 domestic flights to and from Suvarnabhumi. People inside her house had to stop whatever conversations they were having. Phone calls were cut short, and TVs went mute. Since that day, Wanida has not had a moment of peace because of the 20 or so flights that pass above her roof each day. From today onward, however, the Airports of Thailand expects to operate as many as 76 flights per hour. "I learnt that my house is in the flight path [two weeks ago], after the soft opening [of the airport]. Nobody informed me before," she said. Moo Baan Romreudee, where Wanida lives, is one of two housing estates that almost every aircraft has to fly over before landing. While many people have eagerly awaited the landing of Lufthansa freighter LH 8442, the very first flight to land at the new airport, marking the beginning of full-scale operations today, Wanida has dreaded the moment. After LH 8442, 649 more flights will land and take off from Suvarnabhumi Airport today. "I really don't want the day to come," said Wanida. "Even these days, when the airport is not yet fully operational, I cannot sleep well because aircraft pass right over the roof of my house." Adding insult to in jury, the heavy rains of the past few days have brought floodwaters right up to the doorsteps of many of the homes in the estate, including Wanida's. Until last year, flooding had never been a problem. Wanida said that if possible, she wanted the Airports of Thailand (AOT) to expropriate her two-story house and 50 square wah of land, saying she could not bear to stay there much longer. "If the AOT improved my house so that it could resist the noise, I doubt I would be able to afford the air conditioning bills because we would have to leave it on the whole day [because the windows would have to stay shut]," she said. When The Nation visited this housing estate on Rom Klao Road on Tuesday, residents still had no idea who would be able to solve all the problems that had come with the new airport. Some point out last year, representatives of a consultant company visited to survey the communities surrounding the airport. That was the first and the last chance residents had to actually talk in person with someone representing the airport. However, as Wanida pointed out, no one was able to report any problems because they had not experienced any at that stage. All the people could do was voice their concerns about the possibility of noise pollution. The residents of the housing estate stood with their feet almost inundated by the floodwater that was gradually seeping from a waste-water drainage pipeline. Klong Sam Prawet, which runs near their community, has flooded all the roads it runs through. Suradej Benjathikul, Wanida's neighbour, said this year was the second year that Romreudee housing estate had been flooded with water from Klong Sam Prawet. Suradej said the water flowed more quickly through the klong before the new airport was built. Though construction on the airport began in 2002, it was not until late 2004 that the 20,000-rai Nong Ngu Hao swamp was fully reclaimed. Paijen Maksuwan, director of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) which tried to build an irrigation system to prevent flooding around the airport, said that about 20,000 rai of flood-retention area had disappeared beneath Suvarnabhumi. The 78-metre-wide and 12-km-long irrigation canal will not be complete until mid-2008. "During the construction period, the [flooding] situation could not be helped," he said. The inauguration today of the new airport might strike some as a moment of national pride, but for the airport's neighbours, like Suradej and Wanida, today marks the day when their quality of life takes a nose-dive. "Come back and let me know who can help us," Wanida said. Pennapa Hongthong The Nation

What's with you and these kinds of comments? That is a completely unfounded generalization about people who carry large sums of cash. What's your problem?

I wonder if you would be good enough to explain how you know that before the place even opens.

And then look at the happiness on mine if he keeps driving . . . . . .

I don't see anything wrong with giving someone a second chance, depending on the circumstances and what caused the problems to begin with. Everybody makes mistakes in life, including Thai boys. If he made a mistake, that's one thing. If he intentionally set out to use you and do you harm, then that's something else and I wouldn't give a second chance under those circumstances. But if it was the kind of thing that you believe will not be repeated, then I see no reason not to try again if you would be unhappy without trying again. I would let him know you'll be watching and if he screws up in ay way again, that's it! I look at it this way: Haven't you ever made a major screw-up, and then regretted what you did and you know you'll never do anythng like that again? I think that would apply to most people. If you think it would also apply to this boy, then I'd say to give it another try. Also, if you don't, then you'll live the rest of your life wondering whether it would have worked.

I hadn't heard that story, but it is probably an isolated incident, assuming the guy was telling the truth. I guess nothing is 100% reliable, but I don't see how anything is going to be more secure than a hotel room safe for a traveler. What more can a person do? One of the more common crimes I hear about involves "farang" who lose large amounts of money to thieves. I would think the best thing to do would be to take out only the amount of money you need for a day or two, whether using travel checks or ATMs. Taking out large amounts of cash is asking for trouble. If something happens to it, then it's just gone and there really isn't much one can do about it.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin to Blame for Coup, Insists Ex-UK Ambassador to Thailand Former British ambassador to Thailand, Derek Tonkin, has expressed his support for the September 19 coup, suggesting that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to blame for creating conditions that led to his removal. In a letter to London-based The Times newspaper, published on Monday, Tonkin said Thaksin's "wealth has become so immense and has been used so shamelessly to undermine political opponents and critics that his position had become virtually unassailable through the ballot box". His letter was in response to The Times' leading article on September 20 in which it stated Thaksin's record "does not justify an illegal attempt to force him from power". "The problem for 30 percent of urban dwellers in Thailand who are mostly opposed to Mr. Thaksin is that his political party, through what would appear to be traditional but illegal vote-buying practices, has cornered 70 percent of the rural vote," Tonkin said. The ex-ambassador, who was in Thailand from 1986 to 1989, asked: "As the declared purpose of the coup is to restore democratic rights and bring an end to corrupt domination of the rural vote, is action against tyranny and for democracy not fully justified?" American authorities, meanwhile, were critical of the coup. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was "a U-turn" and urged coup leaders to get the Kingdom on the right path "very, very quickly", Agence France-Presse reported from New York. "The biggest problem is that in a Southeast Asia that was pretty stable ... it's a U-turn," she said in an interview on Monday with The Wall Street Journal. The State Department on Monday urged the coup leaders to avoid politically motivated actions and called for elections to be held ahead of a one-year deadline set by the military junta. The message came after the generals set up a high-powered committee to look into the books and tax records of the deposed PM, his cabinet members and their relatives, warning ill-gotten assets could be seized. "Certainly, what we want to see happen as this process moves forward is a quick hand-over to civilian authorities and that any investigations or other activities that are done again be done in accordance with the law rather than being done for political purposes," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. Washington has condemned the coup and is studying the possibility of reviewing military and other assistance to Thailand, a key Southeast Asian ally.

That is true. I don't know how they do it either. Maybe someone takes guest keys when they're not being used and makes copies of them. Personally, I would never keep my valuables in a hotel lobby safe in the first place. Most decent hotels now have room safes, with combinations set by the guest, and a key is not involved at all. If I am staying in a hotel that has no room safe, but I am in possession of something of significant value, one solution might be to buy some sort of a lock-box, with my own lock on it (or better still, a combination lock), and store the whole box in the hotel safe.

Actually, Bob, his rates are typical. I have three room air conditioners. The last time I had an air conditioning company over here to do a routine maintenance and cleaning, two workers showed up. They took each air conditioner apart, throroughly cleaned everything, and replaced the filters. They were here at least two hours. I was charged 250 baht! Meanwhile, when I was still living in the USA, I went home after a two month trip here. My air conditioner wouldn't start. I called a repairman. It took him 15 minutes to find and fix the problem. A stuck switch. All he did was lubricate it. That cost me US $400!

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Trouble on New Airport's Horizon? Chance of Bumpy Ride for Travellers BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA Passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport in the near future should not anticipate an entirely hassle-free experience, according to aviation experts. Experts warned of inevitable glitches as the countdown began to the official opening of Bangkok's 125-billion-baht airport in the early hours of tomorrow, and the closure of the 92-year-old Don Muang airport tonight. ''... It could take up to three months before everything falls into place,'' said Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the founder and chief executive of Bangkok Airways. ''Of course we are nervous that Suvarnabhumi Airport might fail,'' said Tony Fernandes, chief executive of the budget carrier AirAsia. ''Every new airport will have problems. No matter how much you test [the facilities], there's nothing like the real thing,'' he added. But he said he didn't expect any major problems for the new airport. The most likely problems to emerge at Suvarnabhumi may be connected to the IT and baggage systems. Teething problems could occur when around 90 airlines actually start operating 700 flights and carrying about 110,000 passengers per day through the new facility. A limited number of flights by a few airlines earlier this month, during the new airport's soft opening, was not enough to truly test its mechanisms. Although, even then, some hiccups occurred. The most recent case happened on Monday, when one of the airbridges failed, forcing passengers of Thai AirAsia's 737-300 from Kuala Lumpur (flight FD 3572) to disembark via steps and transfer by bus to the terminal. It then took nearly an hour for passengers of the same flight to retrieve their luggage due to some confusion about the assignment of carousels. Because of the uncertainties surrounding the smooth running of Suvarnabhumi, most carriers have adopted a wait-and-see attitude and will not yet expand their operations and services from those previously provided at Don Muang. Dr Prasert confirmed that Bangkok Airways operations would continue on a par with Don Muang, while Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said the budget carrier would freeze its operations at the current level for the next few months until Suvarnabhumi operations had settled down. Most airlines, including Thai Airways International, which operates the most number of services through Bangkok (around 200 flights a day) have made contingency plans in case of system failure.

I don't see how. The article states, "The receptionist told him that he cannot access the safe which requires two keys, one from the Hotel guest and the other from the Manager . . ." If the safe, at least at that hotel, requires a guest key to open it, then how will staff members open the safe to steal anything? The guest would have to be present, wouldn't he? So, what's not to trust with the night staff? They can't open the guy's box unless he's personally present. I think whatever the reason is, that isn't it. To me, it sounds more like an uncaring hotel manager who considered his own sleep more important than providing good customer service. Ok, the guest made a mistake. Big deal. It wouldn't have killed the manager to help him out. If you want to run a quality hotel, you help guests whenever the need arises. If you're going to mistreat a guest or refuse to help him through an obviously serious situation, then I'd say you're in the wrong business. The manager should have given up a half hour of sleep to help the guy no matter whose fault it was. If he had done so, then the guest would probably be a repeat customer and recommend the hotel. Since he didn't, and this incident was the result, then I don't know about others, but I wouldn't stay in a hotel like that even if the room was free. I doubt that same guest will ever set foot in that hotel again.

Just for the record, this morning was the "tomorrow morning" referred to above. Khun Doon and his son actually showed up half an hour early. It took them two hours to install the new heater. It required some new plumbing, parts, and drilling through tile and solid concrete, plus electrical work. The parts cost a grand total of 150 baht. They asked 400 baht for the labor. Total cost - 550 baht. They would not accept one baht more than that. The heater works perfectly and there are no leaks. They also do something I rarely see other workers do. They clean up thoroughly. They even took the box the new heater came in and the old heater outside and put it in the trash. All I needed to do after they left was take a shower with the new heater. Rest assured, as soon as I need more work done, Khun Doon is the man I'm going to call.

BANGKOK, Sept 26 (TNA) A draft temporary constitution for Thailand's interim government to serve the country has been completed and is expected to be submitted for royal endorsement this weekend, Thailand's Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) head Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said Tuesday. A draft containing 39 articles was to be viewed at its final stage Tuesday (September 26) by a group of academics and other civilians specially invited for this matter before being forwarded to His Majesty the King either on Saturday (September 30) or Sunday(October 1), he said. Gen. Sonthi did not elaborate on details of the temporary charter. Overthrowing the former government by a bloodless coup last Tuesday, the military leaders pledged to hand over power within two weeks to an interim civilian government which is expected to govern the country for about one year under the temporary constitution. During the one-year rule, a new constitution will be drafted and a general election will be held after that to return sovereignty to the Thai people. Gen. Sonthi said the council has not made a decision regarding the prime ministership of the interim government, but affirmed that the council would make its choice based on the democratic principle of a majority vote. The coup leader said also that the council is keeping the public need in mind, so that past mistakes are not repeated. As the interim government will run the country for a comparatively short period, the prime minister should be someone who can respond well to the problems the nation is currently facing. The new premier must have outstanding qualifications including known honesty, a readiness to rebuild a deeply divided society in a spirit of reconciliation and unity, and most importantly, being acceptable to all sides. Asked whether the council still believes that the prime minister must be a civilian, the coup leader said the word "civilian" has varied definitions, and that it can refer to a military officer who has retired from military service. The CDRM chief neither admitted nor denied a speculation that privy councillor Gen. Surayud Chulanond, former army commander, is one among strong candidates for the post of prime minister. Asked whether in the meeting with Privy Council president Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda on Monday the chief privy counsellor had contributed to selecting the prime minister, Gen. Sonthi said his meeting with the nation's leading senior statesman had nothing to do with this matter. Gen. Sonthi said the interim government will comprise 36 cabinet members including the prime minister. The prime minister will have full authority in choosing the cabinet members, with no involvement or interference from the CDRM. He affirmed that the interim government will be free from military Council influence, and that the Council has no intention to dominate or control the new government. None of the CDRM leaders has such an intent, Gen. Sonthi said. (TNA)-E009

I should also have mentioned that the elephant trek I recommend so highly is an outfit called "Ban Chang Thai." Their telephone numbers are: 039-551 474 081-761-1554 089-849-4902 They do have a one-hour trek that does not include swimming with elephants at 500 baht per person.