Gaybutton

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Classical Music event to be held at the Horseshoe Point. At Pattaya City Hall, Khun Niran, the Mayor of Pattaya chaired this press conference to announce a major classical music event which will take place here in Pattaya next month. The event is called

What's wrong with praising the atmosphere of a restaurant that isn't open yet? At different times, both TeePee and I were in the restaurant and saw the atmosphere for ourselves. Besides, TeePee is professionally experienced in the field and his review, so far, is certainly good enough for me. I plan to have my first actual experience at about noon on Friday, for lunch. We originally wanted to have dinner there, but circumstances will not permit that on Friday. So, I'll let you know what I throught of the lunch and I'm sure TeePee will let you know his opinion Saturday evening. As far as the best Angus beef, I have never experienced beef that came from cattle that grazed on sumptious (sic) Scottish grass. If that's the best beef, then I'm all for it. I'd say let it be Kobe beef, if I could afford it.

I'm behind the car park area near JJ

You made it quite clear. Unfortunately, nobody seems to know the answer as yet. I would imagine you might be able to get the answer through a visit to the Immigration Police office.

Last week there was a thread inquiring where one can go for a truly great steak. Regarding true greatness, I'm hoping that Manhattans Steak House (that's the correct spelling, by the way . . . no apostrophe) will proivide the answer to the dream. I hope Letmetellu will forgive me for being the one to "scoop" this little item, but the long awaited Manhattans Steak House will open for business on Friday, September 15. That's tomorrow, folks, and I'm hoping to be one of the first ones in there. This evening I dropped by to have a look at the menu. Actually, the bar is already open. I met the manager, Tom Vicario, an American. He is a very pleasant, experienced gentleman and he assures me that all the steaks are imported prime Angus beef from the USA and the steaks will be just what you would find in the finest American steak houses. The first thing I looked for on the menu was what I miss most of all . . . prime rib. I mean real prime rib. And, to my delight, they have it, with different cut sizes available. The menu looks fantastic. The atmosphere of the restaurant is just perfect. The prices are expensive by Thai standards, but are on par with prices you would find in better steak houses in the USA. Given that all of their beef is imported from the USA, I'm surprised at how reasonable their prices really are. Depending on what type of steak you want, and the size you want, the prices range from about 850 baht up to 1800 baht. Not bad at all. They will also be open for lunch. I have been looking forward to their opening for months. I can't wait to try it. Usually when a new restaurant opens, I wait about a month before going, to give them time to work out problems and kinks, but based on what I saw and based on their offerings, I don't think there are going to be any kinks. The location is on toip of the hill, on the way to Jomtien Beach. The telephone number is 06-103-4497. They do have a web site, http://www.manhattans-pattaya.com , but the web site is currently "under construction."

Sheeeesh! I don't have all the answers. Nobody has ever asked me about that and I have never investigated. My best guess is that the only thing that is going to change is the 30-days. Nothing else has been publicized and nothing has been said about changing anything other than the 30-days. If an under-50 year old guy was able to get a multiple O and B type Visa, to stay for a year, before now, then I know of no reason to assume that anything different will be the case in the foreseeable future. I suggest checking with the Thai embassy or the various Thai consulates in one's home country to find out. What I do know is that different consulates seem to make up their own rules about what it takes to get visas.

OPENING OF NEW BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 1. This Public Announcement is being issued to alert U.S. citizens of the potential impact the opening of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport may have on travelers arriving in and departing Thailand. The Suvarnabhumi International Airport will replace Bangkok's current airport, Don Muang, and is scheduled to begin operations in mid-September. Delays stemming from the phase-in of initial operations at Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) are inevitable and travelers should plan accordingly. Additionally, international travelers arriving during the phase-in period may be required to travel from Suvarnabhumi airport to Don Muang airport to catch their domestic flight. Limited domestic service on Thai Airways will shift from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport on September 15. Current plans call for full international service at Suvarnabhumi beginning September 29. These dates are subject to change. Suvarnabhumi will inherit Don Muang's "BKK" international airport code and Don Muang will be recoded as "DBK". Therefore, travelers are strongly encouraged to reconfirm destinations with airlines if your travel falls on or near these dates. Information on the new airport can be found at: http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/. 2. Suvarnabhumi International Airport is located 18 miles (30 kilometers) east of downtown Bangkok and is approximately a thirty minute drive to/from downtown Bangkok in light traffic; this time is roughly equivalent to that for the existing airport. However, the drive time could be longer due to Bangkok's ubiquitous unpredictable traffic. The new airport will have no taxi facilities in the main terminal. Arriving passengers who need a taxi will have to board an airport shuttle bus from the main terminal to a nearby taxi and bus terminal. 3. The only convenient hotel near Suvarnabhumi International Airport for overnight or same day transit stops in Bangkok is the Novotel Suvarnbhumi. The hotel is located immediately in front of the airport terminal. 4. American citizens traveling to and from Thailand during the planned phase-in period are encouraged to contact their airlines for additional details and to plan accordingly. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, go to: <http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/acsemaillist.htm> The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit) American Citizen Services Unit Window Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 11 AM and 1 - 2 PM Note: The ACS unit is CLOSED on the last Friday of every month. Tel: +66-2-205-4049 Fax: +66-2-205-4103 E-mail: acsbkk@state.gov <mailto:acsbkk@state.gov>

Continually leaving the country on the 30-day privilege is what they consider to be abuse. That is what they are going to change, so they say. No other types of visas or methods of renewing them are slated to be changed, as far as I know.

It seems to depend on the whim of the personnel. Sometimes there is a driving test and sometimes there isn't. That's the best I can tell you. I should mention that what I wrote above is how it's done in the Pattaya area. A few years ago I had an experience in the province of Khampaeng Phet. That boy failed the written test. 500 baht later, somehow he had passed after all. There was no driving test. Whether the boys can still get away with that or not, I don't know. After all, the current government has cleaned up all corruption, haven't they?

Some of you may recall my article about obtaining a Thai driver's license. That article, by the way, along with any of my other articles, is still available upon request if you send an E-mail to me at gaybutton@gmail.com . It is quite easy for you to get a Thai driver's license if you have an International Driving Permit and your driving license from your home country. It's a different story for Thai citizens. Some of you may want your boyfriend to obtain a driving license for a car or motorcycle. My boyfriend and I went through it just yesterday for a driving license for a car. First, make sure he arrives at the driving license office no later than 8:30 AM. It takes a good hour just waiting to submit the paper work and going through the color blindness and vision tests. Also, seating for the lecture they have to sit through is limited. The lecture begins at 9:45 AM. They get a break at about noon, and then they take the written test. That test is 30 questions and they must get at least 27 of the questions right in order to pass. If they don't pass, they can come back on any day, sit through a second lecture, this time about one hour, and re-take the test. If they do that within the same month, then at least they don't have to submit new photos and documents again. If they wait until the following month, then they have to go through the entire process again. Even if they pass the test, they still have to come back again the next day to pick up their license. It will not be issued the same day they take the test. If you go with him when he is going through this, it's a six hour ordeal for you while waiting for him to go through everything. The list of document requirements for Thais is written in Thai, and the list is available only at the driver's license office, and it's quite a distance from town. However, I made a copy of the list. If you would like to have a copy of the list to give to your boyfriend, so he'll know in advance what he needs, send me an E-mail and I'll be glad to send you the list.

I know of no visa that permits you to stay as long as you please. Even the retirement visa is good or only one year at a time and then has to be renewed, at which time it can be turned down if there is a legal reason to turn it down.

A few people who post here ought to take the quoted post and save it. This is the way to write constructive criticism. Positive things were also said and the criticism is written in a manner that is not even remotely insulting or harmful to the business, and yet still accomplishes what the author wants to see changed or improved. I will be out of town on the day of the "Birthday Bash." I will be sorry to miss it.

I don't see the point of these cash cards in the first place, whether one likes King Power or not. Why would someone buy this cash card when one can just as easily pay cash in most currencies or pay by credit card? I don't get it.

RichLB and I are personal friends. He is just fine and all is quite well with him.

Oh my gosh! More urine? Well, I can't comment on that one, having never been there, but GayThailand brings up a very important point . . . pushy mama-sans. That can be very intimidating to first-timers in Thailand's gay bars, especially when they do not know how things work or what they can and cannot do. I'm sure many readers here have suggestions as to how to handle that sort of situation, and I hope they will post their suggestions. For the benefit of newbies, how do you handle it when you find yourself dealing with a pushy mama-san?

TeePee, I don't understand the point you are trying to make. When I say that this policy will apply only to holders of the 30-day whatever-it-is, am I incorrect about that? Is that what you are saying? Please clarify.

BANGKOK, Sept 10 (TNA) Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) and King Power Group,the largest operator of duty free and tax free in Thailand, plan to launch the

Is that what "we" think? Sorry, but being a moderator does not mean that the moderator has to forfeit his right to post. The task of a moderator is to make sure that the posts fall within the posting rules and that posts do not contain anything that could cause problems for the owner of the web site. I know of no valid reason why a moderator should not be able to post just like everyone else.

That is correct. I far less strict about it on this web site because it is not my own web site and I do my best to follow the policies of the owner. I'm also curious as to why you pass yourself off as two people when you are only one person, and use "we" and "us" all the time instead of "I." May I ask why you do that?

My interpretation is that the policy applies only to foreigners arriving in Thailand without previously having obtained the 90-day, or better, non-immigrant visa. You are given 30 days upon arrival if you did not previously obtain a visa. That can be extended for an additional 10 days by paying a fee at an immigration police office. I believe they allow you to do that only once per entry into Thailand. After the 10 days is used up you have to leave the country. Of course, you can simply opt to leave the country and re-enter without obtaining the additional 10 days. If you leave the country, and then re-enter, it's the 30 days all over again, starting fresh. I remember that government officials have talked about this before and now are going to put a stop to it. Apparently they do not have a problem about people renewing the 90-day visa ad infinitum, but there are people actually living in Thailand on the 30-day privilege, which means they are living in Thailand with no visa at all. People living in Thailand like that don't have to report their address to the immigration police, don't have to prove their income, don't have to obtain re-entry permits when leaving the country, or live up to any of the other requirements expected of foreigners living in Thailand. That, I believe, is what they consider to be abuse. The article does not make clear just how long you have to remain outside of Thailand, before re-entering, before numerous repetitions are going to be considered abuse. Actually, I don't see why this would be a big problem. If you are over 50 years old then you are most likely eligible for the one-year retirement visa. If you are under 50 years old, it is not difficult to obtain the 90-day visa. I see this as a problem only for people who, for whatever reason, don't want to do anything at all. Let me repeat - this is only my interpretation of the article. That does not make it fact. If you are someone who would be affected by this, then I urge you to speak to the immigration police and/or a Thai attorney, to be sure just where you stand. I don't know if this is a matter of law or policy - policy controlled by the immigration authorities. Suppose it is a matter of law? If you get stopped by the immigration authorities and are refusied entry into Thailand, then law or no law, what can you do about it?

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Visa Rules Will be Ttightened to Stop Abuse Maximum Stay of 90 Days for Foreigners By Chatrudee Theparat Visa-on-arrival (VOA) regulations will be tightened for nationals of 41 countries to prevent abuse of the privilege and curb the rising number of illegal entries, according to the Immigration Police Bureau (IPB). Foreign nationals from those countries, including the US, China and India, will be able to stay longer but with fewer chances of renewing the VOA. IPB commissioner Suwat Tumrongsiskul said nationals from those specific countries are currently allowed to remain in Thailand for 15 days maximum after the VOA is granted. The VOA is normally renewable once. However, some foreigners including tourists ''tiptoe around the law'' by resorting to so-called visa runs to extend their stay. Most take a bus to a border, check out of the country and then return the same day to have the VOA renewed. They repeat the practice as many times as they wish, affording them almost unlimited stay in the country. The policy is largely intended to serve tourism. Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said the change of the VOA rules is in order. In future, foreigners from those 41 countries will be able to stay in the country for 30 days from the first VOA stamp, which will be renewable twice at most, each time for a maximum of 30 days. In other words, a foreigner will be permitted to remain in Thailand for no longer than 90 days in total after three VOA stamps. The commissioner said the current system is prone to abuse as many foreign nationals make numerous visa runs so they can stay on long term to do business. In some cases, they have gone unregulated, causing social problems. Official figures showed that about 400,000 Chinese nationals were granted a VOA last year, and 18,000 of them have stayed behind. Around 200,000 Indians made VOA visits last year and it was found that 16,000 of them have not left. Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said the new VOA rules will be put into effect once approved by the Royal Thai Police Office. He said more information technology will be employed in the blacklisting system. The IT-operated immigration clearance system is now in use at 15 out of 55 checkpoints nationwide to check in tourists and screen out undesirable individuals. The technology lets the bureau enlarge its database of foreign visitors to identify those on the blacklist and expel them. Pol Col Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, head of the Pattaya immigration centre, said its IT-operated database is shared by many hotels and resorts in Pattaya to help track down blacklisted people. The technology has been credited with weakening the local mafia network. The Betong immigration centre in Yala is also using the system to trace people of dual nationality, some of whom are believed to be behind the southern strife. Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said more authority to issue visas will be delegated to regional IPB offices. At present, IPB chief inspectors are authorised to grant visas, and in future their deputies will also be able to approve visa requests

In other words, what we did not know was that moderators can inadvertently and unintentionally lock a thread with one click. If we don't notice that we have done so, the thread gets locked. That's what caused the confusion and that's what happened. It's a board feature available to the moderators, and we didn't even know that could happen until it happened. To avoid this in the future, we will make sure to check and see that we did not accidentally lock a thread.

One of the things everyone was concerned about was that Suvarnabhumi Airport was going to have passengers having to take a shuttle bus to the taxi stands. The authorities have listened to the complaints and now you will be able to catch a taxi at the terminal, just like at Don Muang. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ New Airport to Sport Taxi Stands Heeding passenger concerns, a taxi stand will be installed on the second floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport's passenger terminal. Somchai Sawasdeepon, Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) general manager, said the decision was in response to problems during the September 1 test flights when many travellers had difficulty catching taxis from the public bus terminal. The AOT's previous plan was to only allow taxi drop-offs at the passenger terminal. Pick-up service was conducted at the public bus terminal, 2.5 kilometres from the main terminal. A shuttle runs between the bus and passenger terminals. AOT officials came to the realisation that this system would be inconvenient for passengers arriving with heavy luggage. A stand will be established at the passenger terminal with at least 20 taxis available at all times. Somchai said officials would ensure that there are enough vehicles to serve passengers. People will still be able to take a shuttle to the public bus terminal to catch a cab. Shuttles will be available every three to five minutes. From the bus terminal, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will provide service along six routes between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Bangkok.

Thank you for your very well thought out suggestions, TeePee. I'm sure we will take it under advisement and carefully consider what you have to say.

I can't recall where I got this from; perhaps on a segment of "Biography" or something similar, but they made a point that in reality she probably only met the King once or twice during her entire time here.