Gaybutton

Note: Bear in mind that according to people who live in Chiang Mai, the reports a few days ago of weather devastation there were at best greatly exaggerated. Nevertheless, the weather has been poor lately. Even today, in Pattaya, there was a strong squall with heavy rains. It was over in less than an hour, but it was probably generated by this typhoon. If you are going to be in any of the areas predicted to be hard hit, be careful. ___________________ BANGKOK, Aug 3 (TNA) The Meteorological Department has issued a flash flood warning for low-lying areas in 14 provinces this week as more rain is expected from a typhoon. The department forecast that typhoon "Prapiroon"--currently over the South China Sea--will cause heavy rainfall in the upper part of Thailand and heavy seas in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Villagers in at-risk and low lying areas in 14 provinces including Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Sakon Nakhon, Prachin Buri and Nakhon Phanom should beware of flash flood and forest run-offs from August 3-5. Meanwhile, the flood situation in the northern province of Chiang Rai has receded and the situation is almost back to normal. About 50 houses and some paddy fields are still under water. However, local government officials are still on alert for possible floods as overnight rainfall on Wednesday raised water levels in the Mae Lao River and the Khok River posing a flood threat to low lying lands along both rivers. (TNA)-E004

Tomorrow, Friday, August 4, is literally going to be a big day at Carrefour. Bob,of Bob's Barbeque, is going to try to beat the Guinness World Record hamburger. There will be representatives from Guinness and even the Mayor of Pattaya will be there. Here are some details, direct from Bob's web site: _________________ Worlds Largest Burger Bob's BBQ & Grill Restaurant will unveil the Gennius World Record Burger on August 5 2006 at the Carrefour Center from 12:00 to 16:00. There will also be a charity presentation as this is a charity event and the children from the orphanage will eat the Burger. There will also be a burger eating contest in which contestants can apply at the Carrfour information desk or Pattaya People TV office. _________________ What Bob didn't say is that in order to win the burger must really be a burger, not simply look like one. It has to taste like a hamburger. It has to have all the "fixin's" The bun has to be fresh. Bob said there is an enormous list of items with which he has to comply in order to be eligible to break the record. About 70 kilos (about 155 pounds) of hamburger meat will be used. If you're a hamburger lover, then you won't want to miss the event. If you hate hamburgers, the event will still be fun. I hope to see you there . . . And, if you like good ol' American barbequed ribs, chicken, and items like chicken fried steak, along with other real "'suthun cookin'," then you won't want to miss Bob's Barbeque while you're in Pattaya. The restaurant is very easy to find. Simply go up South Road (Pattaya Tai) from the Boyztown, Sunee Plaza, Soi Day-Night area to Third Road. Almost the instant you cross the Third Road traffic signal you'll see Bob's Barbeque on your left. 'Geezer' and I go there quite often for the chicken fried steak. We're both from the south and we know good chicken fried steak when we get it. Both of us have said, and meant, that the chicken fried steak at Bob's is better than anything we ever had at home. When you go to eat at Bob's, be hungry . . . very hungry. The portions of everything on the menu are huge and absolutely delicious. Bob's web site is: http://www.bobs-bbq.com

I love loaded questions, just like 'When did you stop beating your wife?' Sorry, you're going to have to play that game alone. The scales aren't balanced until bank robbers go to jail too, but if they escape being caught beyond a Statute of Limitations, then they're home free. That doesn't make it right, but that's the way it is. This guy is going to suffer now, isn't he? As far as I can tell from reading the article, the legal issue for which he was arrested is not sexual molestation. The legal issue is that he paid for it and then never appeared in court. 42 years later it seems foolish to me and at this point there would be bigger fish to fry.. That doesn't mean it would be right to just let the whole thing go, either. But, if it were my decision, based solely on what is contained in the article, then at this point I would no longer be interested in making an issue of it.

Apparently there is no Statute of Limitations for the two of the most heinous crimes one can commit - murder and getting laid. Unless I am right and there really is much more to the story than stated in the article, it does seem ridiculous to me to make an issue of it now. I'm certainly no admirer of pedophiles, but on the face of it even I would say that it's ancient history and time to let it go. Again, while I realize that I am contradicting my own stance, I too believe there is a point at which it becomes absurd. I don't know just when it does become absurd, but 42 years later? Give me a break. Unless the victim has truly suffered as a result all this time, I'd say it's not only closing the barn door after the horse has left, but it's closing the barn door after the horse has left and long since died. The article says this man was on the run for 42 years. I wonder if he even realized he was on the run.

I'm not surprised by your report. Only a few weeks ago there were reports about major flooding in Pattaya. I never saw any of it. It was just as localized as you describe in Chiang Mai. Now, I wonder if certain newspaper reporters like to sensationalize their stories just a wee bit . . .

I never said that I don't think he's a pedophile. I simply said I feel some sympathy toward him and that someone his age, at the time of the incident, is not what I usually associate with the word 'pedophile.' For all I know, it's entirely possible he's been molesting minors ever since, has been getting away with it for the last 42 years, finally got caught, and belongs in jail for the rest of his life. Actually, that's quite likely if Canada was still pursuing him 42 years later. It's hard for me to believe that Canada would be actively still pursuing someone who did nothing more than simply pay for sex once in 1964. There's probably much more to the story than appears in the article. I'm only trying to say that when I think of the word 'pedophile' my first thought is not of someone 23 years old. Is yours? When I think of a pedophile, I'm more likely to associate that with someone, as you said, closer to age 65, a major generational difference. For me, the next logical question is what kind of social life did this guy have if he was busy paying for sex at age 23? Yes, I completely agree with you that the minor was still abused. I also said that I expect criticism for what I said since what I wrote is in direct contrast to my usual stance. Somehow it's no surprise to me that the very first criticism comes from you.

I'm delighted that LoeplohandNalac likes the decision to add me as a moderator of this message board. I have to admit, I was awake all night fraught with worry about whether he approved or not. Now I can sleep peacefully.

Now, in keeping with "What's wrong with this picture?", I can't help but be somewhat sympathetic to this person despite my negative feelings about pedophiles. The article says he is 65 years old. It also says he has been on the run for 42 years. When I do the math, it tells me he was 23 years old at the time of the offense. While he was technically a pedophile, if he is actually guilty in the first place, this is the first time I have ever thought of someone 23 years old as a pedophile, unless he was molesting babies or children. I expect criticism because I always take such a harsh stance against pedophiles and it probably seems hypocritical for me to express sympathy for him. Well, it is hypocritical, but I didn't say he should be given a slap on the wrist and then sent home. I said I feel sympathy for him because I think it is likely that he was only a very few years older than whoever it was with whom he was involved. To my mind, there is an appreciable difference betweeen that and sex between someone two or three times the age of a minor. Nevertheless, the law is the law. I side with the law. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: ________________________________________ Canadian National Wanted on Charges of Pedophilia back in Canada Arrested after 42 Years on the Run We joined Officers from Pattaya

As far as I know, the quickest way to get to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Pattaya is via Route 36-Route 7. If there is no substantial traffic, then it would take between one to one-and-a-half hours. Since many International flights arrive in the wee hours of the morning and departures often require that you be at the airport in the wee hours, then chances are good that you won't run into traffic problems if your flights are in those hours. However, that route is also a truck route and during daytime traffic it is quite common to encounter major slowdowns and backups. However, now there is a possibility that the airport will not open on September 28 after all. Read on: _______ BANGKOK, Aug 2 (TNA) A top executive of the Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) today lashed out at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) spokesman for his comment on the readiness of Suvarnabhumi Airport, saying the comment was bias and contained a hidden agenda. AOT President Chotisak Asapaviriya added that the comment was aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Suvarnabhumi. Albert Tjoeng, IATA spokesman in Singapore, earlier expressed skepticism that the 3.7-billion-dollar Suvarnabhumi Airport would be ready for the launch on September 28. Indicating that it was normal to conduct test flights before the official opening, the IATA spokesman said however that the trial did not test the airport's ability to handle heavy traffic. IATA currently represents 250 airlines. Mr.Tjoeng's negative comment, Mr. Chotisak said, may be related to the fierce competition in the aviation business now that many countries wanted to be the aviation hub. Mr. Chotisak said AOT, being responsible for the operations of Suvarnabhumi Airport, has to do its best to ensure the airport's smooth operations.

This is indeed a terrible story and it is not the first time we have heard about murdered and/or abused "farang" in Thailand. I think most of us have heard several stories about murdered gay "farang," the deed done by a boyfriend who is out for money or revenge. We've also heard stories about "farang" who have bought homes under a Thai person's name only to be kicked out of the home as soon as the mortgage has been paid off. Often enough, that happens after the same "farang" has also taken care of the family's financiial problems, put family members through school, bought them cars, etc. Only recently I heard a story about a gay "farang" who had a Thai boyfriend. The way I heard it, he bought a restaurant for the boyfriend and set him up in business. Not long after that the boy's former "farang" boyfriend showed up at the restaurant. The boy left the restaurant with that "farang" and the "farang" who had bought and paid for it, in the boy's name, was out . . . just like that. I don't mean to imply that this sort of thing is what to expect, or even that it happens very often, but it certainly brings home the idea that such a thing is possible. Before one gets too involved, especially with famly members, it would be a good idea to take precautions and make sure it is clearly understood that they have a lot more to lose than to gain if anything happens to the "farang."

Thew following appears in THE NATION: _______________________________ Unprecedented Floods Devastate Chiang Mai Roads, rail lines cut, leaving tourism in tatters and many businesses in despair for the second year in a row Chiang Mai is reeling under unprecedented flooding with businesses suffering huge losses, the tourism industry in tatters, schools being closed and train services being suspended. Since floods hit the northern capital early on Monday, hotels and tour companies have received massive cancellations from tourists concerned about their safety and disruptions to their tour programmes. Kunchit Changsuwan, chairman of the tourism business federation, said riverside hotels had been badly hurt while many shops were now closed for fear of a repeat of last year's devastating flooding. He said tourists could only get to Chiang Mai by plane and certain buses as some roads and the train service have been cut. Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat said the floodwaters should drop by tomorrow as a result of drainage efforts by the local authorities. He said flood water had not inundated financial districts in urban areas like Chang Khlan Road and the Nite Bazaar shopping complex. The affected areas are mostly residential located in outer districts. The governor said drainage efforts needed to be stepped up as weather authorities had reported Storm Phra Phirun was expected to reach Thailand by Friday. Last night, the State Railway Authority had cancelled all trains between Chiang Mai and Bangkok because flooding had damaged a portion of track in Lampang. A senior railway official said it would take about three days before services resume. Sangworn Santisuk, president of the Thai Hotels Association's northern region, said of the 10,000 hotel rooms in the city, about 400 are near the river. "Right now we are enjoying an occupancy rate of 50 per cent, but that could drop. We will have to closely monitor the situation," he said. On Monday, tourists were stranded at their hotels in Chiang Mai township because of the inundation. Rising floodwaters forced many schools in Chiang Mai to close yesterday and students in several dormitories were advised to return home. Nittaya Bodhirak, the dormitory guardian at Sacred Heart School, said: "We are concerned about the children's well-being if the flooding gets worse. So, we have contacted parents to pick up their children." She advised students to follow radio news reports to keep updated on when classes would resume. Sacred Heart, on Charoen-prathet Road, was flooded along with Chairot Witthaya and Regina Coeli schools, plus Montfort College. All suspended classes for at least a day. At the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, business operators filled sandbags as a barrier to block the floods. Last year, big floods ravaged the city's commercial and tourist zone, causing damage worth hundreds of millions of baht. Yesterday's floods came after the Ping River overflowed due to heavy downpours and run-off water from upstream. Despite last year's devastating floods and a government promise to prevent future inundations, Chiang Mai residents have been again left to fight floods with just sandbags and pumps. Even residents living a fair distance from the Ping River suffered, as many roads such as Huay Kaew, Khuang Singh intersection and several small lanes were under water due to poor drainage. The flooding also threatened many historical sites. Sahawat Naennha, who heads a local fine-arts office, voiced concern over the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam, which lies in a flat area that could easily flood. "We have pumps ready but if there is too much water, this measure will not be enough," he said. Sahawat was also concerned about the Phra That Chao Kulamak in the 1,300-year-old Rommanee-yaram Temple in Chiang Mai city. "There are cracks in it and we are worried that heavy rain could damage it," Sahawat said. He said his office was in the process of requesting funds to renovate and reinforce this religious site. Meanwhile, in Mae Rim district, more than 1,800 houses were flooded and officials were handing out relief items to victims. Officials at the Hydrology and Water Management Centre for the Upper Northern Region said the situation in Chiang Mai could return to normal if there were no more downpours. The northern weather bureau expects only scattered rain in Chiang Mai over the next two days. However, it warned that cloudbursts would spread over the upper North on Friday and Saturday. Residents living by the Ping and other rivers in Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Phetchabun were warned to watch out for possible overflows this weekend. In a related development, Mae Hong Son governor Direk Konkleeb urgently instructed all district chiefs in the province to prepare for possible flash floods and landslides. "We have evacuation plan ready," he said. In Lampang, the body of a flood victim was discovered yesterday. The woman, aged 50, disappeared when floods raged through her home early on Monday. In Uttaradit, more than 50 families in Tambon Nang Phraya were evacuated on Monday night after a landslide and floods damaged local farms.

In my opinion Pattaya is fading, but really hasn't lost its allure. I believe the primary reason Pattaya is fading is the distinct drop in numbers of gay "farang" customers. When I first started coming to Thailand the number of bars in Pattaya was increasing. It was common to see a new bar open and succeed. I remember bars in Pattaya such as Moonlight, Playboy, Boys Studio, Charlie Boys, and a few others. Soi Day-Night was up and coming with several go-go bars, such as Lek's and Fantasea, along with a few others. They're all gone now. Now there are no go-go bars at all on Soi Day-Night, although a few gay host bars and gay karaokes are still trying to make a go of it. Other bars have changed hands and changed names several times and are still changing names and changing hands to this very day. I also remember when I would go into a bar, no matter which one, there was always a crowd. Now most of the time the bars are empty or have only a few customers. The Pattayaland, Soi 3 bars usually still have a good crowd, though. Certainly Throb and Boyz Boyz Boyz usually have plenty of customers. Jomtien Complex seems to be an up and coming area, but still struggling along. There is certainly potential there. Punya, from Howard's Hotel, is about to try his hand at a Babylon-style sauna. I hope the wheel is turning for the better. Pattaya can become the gay paradise it once was. Unfortunately, factors such as the poor present exchange rates, higher airfares, higher "off" fees, SARS, Bird Flu, the insistence that venues close at 1:00 AM, the soaring crime rate, the more puritanical restrictions on what kinds of shows can be presented, restrictions on what the boys can and cannot wear, last year's severe drought, and other factors apparently are all acting to cause gay tourists to find other places to go. I think Pattaya is still the best place to go, but I don't think very many people who have been around for a long time would dispute the fact that today the gay scene just cannot compare to what it was ten years ago. Still, there are plenty of boys around and prices are still less expensive than most gay venues within Thailand and probably the rest of the world. In my view, Pattaya is still a gay paradise, but not the gay paradise it used to be. I hope it turns around and improves rather than become "Paradise Lost." I think it really all depends on whether Pattaya can re-attract the tourist numbers. As we are now seeing, gay venues end up going out of business sooner or later if the customers don't come.

Last night a close friend and I tried Monty's Enchanted Hut, located in the Jomtien Complex. As many of you know, there are three entrances to Jomtien Complex. To get to Monty's Enchanted Hut, take the first entrance as you are going toward the beach from town. If you know where the L'Olivier restaurant is, just keep going a bit further and you'll spot it. We were very pleased with it. Monty was there himself and we had a really nice chat with him. In a few days their show will be ready. Monty said the show will be "unlike anything you have seen in Pattaya." To prove the point, despite the fact that we were the only ones in there at that time except for one other customer, he had the boys stage one of the acts from the show for us. He is right. I have never seen anything similar in Pattaya. I don't want to spoil the surprise by revealing what we saw, but I'll bet most people will thoroughly enjoy it. We certainly did. We also loved the decor and the shirtless waiters. The service was excellent and the eye candy was beautiful. The food is bistro style. We ordered from the set menu. You get soup, salad, the main course, which was a choice of either salmon steaks or beef fillet, potatoes, and a vegetable medley. The potato choice on the menu was french fries. We preferred jacket potatoes (baked potatoes). Monty had no problem at all about giving us our potato preference. Dessert was a fresh fruit salad. Monty says everything is fresh. Nothing canned. That is true and it makes a big difference. Both of us enjoyed the food. My friend doesn't even like fish (he likes steak even less) but he enjoyed the salmon. I had the beef fillet and I enjoyed it very much. Everything was served piping hot and was deliciously flavorful. I told Monty that people will probably want to know if they can "off" the waiters. He said he does not permit "offs" at any of his establishments, but the waiters are free to do as they please after hours. He said that if anyone wants to make an arrangement with any of the waiters, he has no problem with that provided that such arrangements are during non-working hours. We enjoyed the food and especially enjoyed the eye candy along with it. I know of no other restaurants in all of Thailand at which the waiters are shirtless. The set menu is not always exactly the same as you'll see on their web site. Sometimes different choices are offered. If you like Thai food, which neither of us were in the mood for last night, others have told me that the six course Thai Banquet is outstanding. We certainly had no complaints about the price. The most expensive item on the menu is only 200 baht. For photos and the complete menu, have a look at their web site at: http://www.gardencentre.com.au/enchantedhut

Judging by the number of people who responded to this thread and also had this sort of inspection happen to them, then I'd say there is enough of it going on, for whatever reasons, to take precautions as to what they might find on your computer. It seems clear that at least one of the profiles they look for are single men. I doubt it is limited to single men traveling back and forth from Thailand, but that might be a flag they look for. The solution seems simple enough to me. Don't travel with a laptop that contains illegal or even questionable files on it. If you take digital photos that might be considered questionable, then E-mail them to yourself or upload them to a web site that stores photos, but do that from an Internet cafe, not from your laptop. Clear the flash or whatever storage media your camera uses. It seems pointless to try to get through customs with any such files on your computer. Obviously the odds of being caught or detained are too great a risk. Also, I have a feeling that even if your photos are perfectly legal, but are boy photos, then your name might be placed on some sort of "check thoroughly every time" list and you'll be hassled every time you go through customs even if you're not carrying a laptop. I don't know if that would really happen, but in this day and age I think the chances that it would are greater than the chances that it wouldn't.

It just keeps getting better and better. Well, they did say they are going to administer Tamiflu to suspected cases. They didn't say they will administer it to actual cases . . . just suspected ones. Here's the latest: _____ BANGKOK, July 31 (TNA) Thailand's Public Health Ministry said Monday that the country now has 131 suspected bird flu cases under surveillance, waiting for lab test results to determine whether they have contracted the bird flu virus. Department of Disease Control Director General Thawat Suntrajarn said that since the beginning of this year, there have been 1,960 suspected cases of bird flu, with 1,828 cases testing negative to the disease. The 131 cases are waiting for the lab test results. Of these, the highest number is 37 cases in the northern province of Phichit, followed by 35 and 16 cases in neighbouring Sukhothai and Phitsanulok Provinces and 12 cases in the central province of Suphanburi. After meeting public health officials, Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said he had ordered medical specialists and senior officials to be on alert around the clock to control bird flu, dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth syndrome. He also said that 765 persons in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom had been monitored for two weeks after having come into contact with diseased chickens. As many as 300,000 fowls were culled on Sunday in the province, where a bird-flu outbreak was detected with the H5N1 virus. The bird-flu virus killed a teenage boy in Phichit last week. Two mobile labs were sent to Phichit and Nakhon Phanom on Monday and 20 specialist teams visited "red zone" areas in the affected provinces to give 24-hour advice to local health officials. (TNA)E004, E002

The Thai baht is continuing to get stronger against the US dollar. Only a couple of months ago the predictions were that the exchange rate would reach 42 baht to the US dollar. It isn't working that way, at least not yet. This morning, the exchange rate opened at 37.69. BANGKOK, July 30 (TNA) The baht/dollar exchange rate could hit yet another new height this week as the Kasikorn Research Centre anticipates the baht to hover at the range of 37.65 to 38.15 per dollar. Factors affecting the exchange rate this week include the US economic performance in the second quarterand the monthly key economic indicators for the month of June, which are due to be announced by the Bank of Thailand on Monday, the research house said. During the past week, the baht rose steadily to strengthen against the dollar. The Criminal Court verdict that the three members of the Election Commission broke the law helped to clear the air, pushing the baht on the back of the US dollar since mid-week to hit a two-week high at 37.79 on Thursday. For the entire week, the baht averaged 37.82 per dollar compared to 37.95 the previous week. (TNA)-E007

Bangladesh. Not that Bangladesh ever pops up on my list of dream destinations in the first place, whether for gay activity or anything else, but the following article gives me yet another reason to stay away from a country in which acid attacks are so rampant there is actually an Acid Survivor's Foundation. Don't believe it? Have a look at the following URL: http://www.acidsurvivors.org The following article appears on the BBC News web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5133410.stm Bangladesh's Acid Attack Problem By Roland Buerk BBC News, Dhaka Lawyers in Bangladesh are calling for better implementation of legislation to stop acid attacks. In 2002 the death penalty was introduced for throwing acid after the number of victims rose to nearly 500 a year. There is also legislation to force businesses that use acid to store it safely. But 267 people were still attacked last year and campaigners say it is because the law is ignored. Tiny victim In an intensive care unit, filled with the sound of beeping heart monitors, sits the young victim of a crime so cruel it almost defies belief. Durjoy was just a month old when he was made to drink acid. A few weeks ago he had heart failure but was revived. Victim's mother He has had a series of operations, and now has to breathe through a hole in his throat. And as the baby boy cries the air wheezes in and out. No one has been brought to justice for the attack - his mother Etie Rani says the motive was a dispute over money. "As a mother I hope nothing like this will happen to anyone else," she said dressed in a green hospital gown against infection, and cradling her son in arms. "I pray to God, 'Please, make my child well and take care of all other children.' Always I feel pain inside me, nothing makes me happy. I feel terrible pain." Women targets Acid throwing remains a major problem in Bangladesh. There is even a special hospital and rehabilitation centre for victims in the capital, run by a charity called the Acid Survivors' Foundation. Although some of the patients are children and men, most are young women, like Asma Akhtar. She has scarring on the side of her face and is blind in her left eye. "When I was... 12 years old, a boy from my village wanted to marry me but as I wanted to study my family refused his proposal," she said. "And a year later he threw acid on me out of anger. On that fateful day I was sleeping on my bed and my father went to pray and the culprit took his chance and threw the acid on me." Attacks by spurned men are all too common. "Beauty is perceived as the asset of the girls and young women," said Monira Rahman, the director of the Acid Survivors' Foundation. "These men want to take away the beauty and therefore they will become useless for the rest of their lives. No one will marry them." Easily available In 2002 Bangladesh introduced very tough laws to try to stop acid throwing, including the death penalty in the most serious cases. And there are regulations on the sale, use, storage, import and export of acid. The number of people attacked has fallen from a high of nearly 500 in that year, but still, in 2005, according to the Acid Survivors' Foundation, 267 people had acid thrown on them. Campaigners say it is because the corrosive substance is still widely available. Old Dhaka is the heart of the capital - a warren of old crumbling buildings and winding streets, just wide enough for two cycle rickshaws to pass each other. Many people make their living from traditional trades. Some chip at small plates of marble making nameplates, others carve bangles from conch shells, worn by Hindu women to signify marriage, and still more work as goldsmiths in the area's many small workshops. They are crammed into rooms in dark buildings, with water dripping from floor to floor, fifteen or more working in an area three metres by four. Sitting cross-legged at small wooden workbenches they make jewellery by hand. Candles are used for heat; the flame is blown with a pipe in the goldsmith's mouth onto the metal to melt it into moulds. The acid comes in at the polishing stage. It is used to remove discolouration from the finished products. Law ineffective Many jewellery shops flout the law intended to stop acid falling into the wrong hands, as do tanneries and other industries using it. And campaigners say they are getting away with it. "The law is just like a dead law," said Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association. "Most of the time in our country our government, political leaders are crazy for making a new law and they think this is success." But she says it is much harder to get politicians to implement legislation. Salma Ali says the law should be reviewed to make it more effective. Almost every day at the Acid Survivors' Foundation brings a new victim of another brutal attack. The latest was a middle aged man whose shoulder, chest and leg were marked with a red raw splash. As a patient with a scarred face looked on sympathetically he sat on his bed, silently, tears trickling down his face.

I wonder what they expect you to say. It's kind of obvious how long you stayed when you have dated entry and exit stamps in your passport . . . you know, the same passport they have right in their hands and are looking at when they ask these questions. And there he is, inspecting all your luggage, and still insisting that you must have an I-pod or a laptop. Maybe he thinks you have them, but somehow made them invisible. Is Thailand exporting the concept of logic?

Here's the latest Bird Flu information: ___________ 112 Patients Admitted for Bird Flu Tests in North PHICHIT, July 29 (TNA) Thai public health authorities have admitted that over one hundred patients from 14 provinces suspected of having contracted avian influenza and are being monitored and tested for bird flu, but no new cases have been reported following a flurry of new reports during the past week. No new cases of avian influenza have been confirmed, a senior Public Health Ministry official said Saturday. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot said a total of 112 patients from 14 provinces, including two from Bangkok, had been admitted for further laboratory tests after earlier tests showed that most suffered from human influenza, but not avian influenza. Dr. Prat said health officers were also closely monitoring about three dozen medical personnel and three other persons who looked after a 17-year-old youth who died of confirmed avian influenza in the northern province of Phichit last Monday. Although no further cases of bird flu have been confirmed, public health authorities met Saturday in both Phichit and the neighbouring Phitsanulok Province to assess the situation and work out stricter bird flu control measures. So far no H5N1 virus has been found. Nonetheless, physicians, nurses and public health officials were told to be more alert for people suspected to have contracted the disease. Hospitals across Thailand had admitted more patients suspected of contracting avian influenza, Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat indicated Friday, most with cough and standard influenza symptoms. He said he would establish a special medical team to administer the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to suspected cases. (TNA)--E111, E002

I would be very interested to hear a response to this from an attorney, if any attorneys are reading this. Can they do something like that, especially the part about remote access to your computer, and do so without your knowledge or consent? I could understand that if they had sufficient reason to suspect terrorist activity, but even then I can't imagine them being able to do something like that without a court order. But to clandestinely place software on someone's computer so they can later monitor to see if you are looking at porn on the net? I hope they are not wasting our tax dollars and their manpower on something as ridiculous as that. Can you imagine having the police suddenly burst through your door, yelling "Gotcha!" while you're sitting in front of your computer looking at a porn site? I thought that kind of thing is what the USA is supposed to be fighting against. If this sort of thing is really going on, then welcome to Big Brother and neo-facism.

Trying to cover up something as serious as Bird Flu is not only reprehensible, it is also absurd. If the government is worried about Thailand's image, then it would make much more sense to me for officials to clearly state where the outbreaks exist, how widespread it is, and what they are doing about it. Sooner or later cover-ups have a way of coming out. When that happens, then how can anyone believe it when the government states that the problem is solved, even if it really has been solved?

So, they made you an offer you couldn't refuse. I hope it came from the Corleones and not from the Tattaglias. Well, whatever the offer is, best of luck with it.

Since you have used Ben's Tours before, maybe he can recommend someone in Bangkok. I'd see what he has to say before committing to anything.

BANGKOK, July 29 (TNA) The first commercial test flight from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, landed successfully at the new airport Saturday morning as scheduled. The THAI Boeing 747-400 aircraft, flight TG181, carrying Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, other cabinet members, senior government officials and some other 400 passengers, landed to make a place in history at 08:09 a.m. at Suvarnabhumi Airport. THAI offered a special airfare of Bt999 for the inaugural commercial flight from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Prime Minister Thaksin told journalists before boarding the flight that he was excited and delighted that finally the Bangkok's new international airport was successfully developed after more than four decades in planning. Upon his arrival at the new airport, the prime minister is scheduled to take some hours to visit and inspect the readiness of all its facilities before flying back to Don Muang Airport. THAI and five other commercial airlines, including Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Orient Thai, P.B. Air and Bangkok Airways, join the commercial flight tests for Suvarnabhumi Airport with special flights on Saturday. The first flight of the national airline is to be followed by 21 other domestic flights throughout the day. The Department of Aviation has already issued an Interim Aerodome Certificate for the Suvarnabhumi Airport giving operational permission to the new facility. Many airlines, including THAI, Bangkok Airways and Air Asia, have announced that they plan to open new international routes to serve the commercial opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28. With the scheduled opening of the country's new international airport only a few months away, complete testing of its facilities has begun since July 3 to ensure that the national showcase is fully ready for its launch. The tests include the airport's air-conditioning and lighting systems, passenger check-in counters, customes services and the operation of its CTX bomb scanners. The eight-storey airport complex, including an underground level, where there will be electric mass transit facilities and passenger terminals, has a total area of some 563,000 square metres and can cater to 45 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, the Department of Land Transport has affirmed the readiness of transport services for passengers to the new airport. The department said that transport services to the new Bangkok international airport include limousines, airport buses, and an airport express service. Airport buses, including inter-provincial bus services, will be run by the Transport Co., Ltd and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA). The airport express service, operated by the Thonburi Service Co., Ltd., will provide buses running through the capital's business areas and to downtown hotels in areas such as Silom and Wireless Roads. Prime Minister Thaksin said the transport service to the new airport is not aimed to reap benefit, but to promote the kingdom globally. Bus access and seating is also modified to facilitate passengers with disabilities, according to the Thai leader. (TNA)--E002

The next question, then, is how long does it take for such programs to find what has been deleted or completely wiped? Rainwalker says he was kept waiting forty minutes. Can such an in-depth search be conducted in that amount of time? According to what Rainwalker wrote, at least part of their search is conducted with some sort of a sophistocated keylogger program that requires special software just to eliminate later. Obviously, the only truly safe thing to do is to make sure the hard drive in the laptop does not, and never has had, illegal files on it. Suppose the customs search does turn up illegal photos, illegally downloaded music, pirated software, or something else illegal. What happens?