Gaybutton

The rumor mill has been quite active lately. The rumor that the bars were going to close for three or four days turned out not to be true. Today I received an E-mail from a friend who heard that Le Caf

Maybe they took your words to heart. Today the web site is unblocked again. One of these days I'd love to figure out what's going on with this. The same occurred with my own web site for quite some time. One day it would be blocked and the next it would be unblocked. As I said, I'd love to figure it out, but I gave up, long ago, trying to figure out the way many things work in Thailand. Maybe someopne else can figure it out and inform the rest of us.

The following letter-to-the-editor appears in the Friday, June 9 edition of the PATTAYA MAIL: _____ The Sky is Not Falling Letter to the editor: We represent a group of prominent real-estate agencies in Pattaya. This (email) is sent to a number of property magazines and related media publishers. There is a lot of commotion and confusion over the new property regulation (issued this month by Suraart Thoingniramol, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry) that requires all partly foreign-owned companies to prove the source of their funding before purchasing properties. We expect quite a bit of media response with readers

For about the past two weeks I have had no problems at all getting into this web site and the Sawatdee Forum. As recently as this morning I still had no problem. Now it is Friday, June 9 at about 2:50 PM in Thailand, and both web sites are blocked yet again! I had hoped that after two weeks with no blocking, that would be the case from now on. It didn't work out that way. The cyber censors are at it again. Your guess as to why is as good as mine.

That is also the way I am hearing it. I am being told the bars will all be closed from June 9 through June 12. I'd like to emphasize I am being told that. If there has been an official announcement, I haven't seen it. But most of the time there never is an official announcement. The police simply go from bar to bar and tell the owners verbally. It's not as bad as all that, though. The compensation will be the beach. Probably, if the bars are really going to close for those days, then a lot of boys will go home. But a lot of boys also won't go home and will be at the beach looking for "farang." Well, we'll know soon enough.

That's the whole point. Confusion and chaos reigns, as usual. This entire matter just wasn't properly thought through. Nobody, apparently including Thai authorities, seems to know what this means. If you are correct and the intent really is to go after certain high profile foreign land developers, then what would have been wrong with making that clear? They haven't made that clear, so people are frightened, sales are taking a plunge, and even the province of Chonburi is taking a knee-jerk reaction by declining deeds. I don't know who thought this one up, but all I can say is . . . way to go.

Nobody knows yet what will happen with existing property. What we do know, so far, is that at least in Chonburi province, which is Pattaya's province, they are now refusing to issue deeds to corporations with "farang" ownership. Whether that policy will continue is anybody's guess. What they have said is that they are going to inspect corporations with "farang" ownership to see if the Thai corporation members have sufficient means to be a member of the corporation. Maybe someone else knows, but at this point I have no idea what constitutes sufficient means or what will happen if it is determined that any of the Thai members do not have sufficient means. I am guessing that means the corporation would be quashed. I have no idea what is supposed to happen after that. Does the "farang" end up losing the property? I don't know. If the "farang" does end up losing the property, what happens to the property? Who ends up with it? I don't know the answers to those questions either. At this point there is still very much confusion as to what's going on, why it's going on, how far this will go, where it will lead, and everything else involved with it. The main thing is that Chonburi is presently refusing to issue deeds to corporations with "farang" ownership. Apparently, from now on any corporation that forms, it will require more than getting several Thai citizens to sign as members. It is my understanding that they will have to be personally present at the land office at the time the land transfer occurs and will have to show up with proof of sufficient means. What we also know is this has no effect on condominiums owned by "farang" provided that no more than 49% of the units are "farang" owned. So, yes, you can still buy an apartment as long as you are within the 49% of "farang" ownership. For a long time I felt as if I had made a mistake by buying my home under my boyfriend's name, rather than a corporate name, and taking out a long-term lease in my name. Now that this is going on, I am comfortable with my decision. My lease is legally valid and I am fully protected for the duration of the lease. My boyfriend has already agreed to another lease, assuming I am even still alive once the term of the lease runs out. My lease also includes subletting privileges. I don't understand why Thai authorities suddenly came up with this decision. Technically, this law has always been in effect, but has never been enforced. That's somewhat like the bar scene. Technically, prostitution of any kind is against Thai law, but as long as the boy one wants to "off" is at least 18 years old, nobody gives a damn. It's been like that with property too. "Farang" are usually advised that buying property under the corporate method is not totally legal, but it is a safe thing to do. Now it doesn't seem so safe. To my mind Thai logic comes into play yet again. Thailand is quite dependent on foreign money and wants "farang" to come to Thailand, and yet they seem to do everything they can think of to drive "farang" away. For those who bought property in Thailand, now the 1:00 AM closing rule seems like nothing in comparison with the prospect of losing one's property. A close friend suggested that maybe big money is behind this. If a "farang" loses his property, then a well-to-do Thai citizen can buy the property, probably at a very cheap rate. He would become the owner and if the "farang" wishes to remain at the property, now he'll have to start paying rent on property his money bought in the first place. Maybe something like that is behind this and maybe it isn't. I don't know. Also, maybe I am misunderstanding this and someone will correct me, but I hear several condo construction companies are up in arms because this will drive away a great many potential "farang" customers. For example, many condos are being built with "farang" in mind. Thai citizens are unlikely to buy 51% of the units. The idea has been to sell 49% of the units to "farang" and most of the remaining 51% to "farang" who buy under a corporation. Now, how can that 51% of the units be sold? Chonburi won't issue the deeds. I don't know what's going to happen with that either. It seems to me that the answer to the question as to whether "farang" can buy an apartment still remains yes, provided that he falls within the 49% limitation. The problem is what's going to happen to the other 51% of the units? Suppose they can't be sold? What happens to the building? If you buy a condo that is under construction, and then the construction is halted as a result of this, what kind of hassle will you have to go through to get your money back? Can you get your money back at all? Answer . . . another one that I don't know. Another thought that occurred to me, and nobody seems to be discussing this aspect of it, I would think Bangkok Bank, one of Thailand's largest banks, would be upset about this too. They got into the business of providing mortgages to "farang," remember? You have to go through their Singapore branch to get the mortgage, for reasons I don't understand, but now this is going to put a gigantic damper on their mortgage business, won't it? Also, "farang" who decide to cut their losses and get out might simply default on their mortgage loans. So, there is plenty of confusion, fear, and anger over this. I don't get it. All these years nobody has worried about "farang" buying under a corporation. Now, suddenly a law that has been overlooked all this time is going to be enforced and nobody seems to know what to expect. Along with the questions about what will happen, I think another big question is why. Why is Thailand suddenly doing this? There must be a reason. I'd like to know what it is.

That's right. Sorry, it is TT&T, not TOT. My mistake.

TOT is offering ADSL at the 1024/512 speed for 1000 baht per month. I signed up for it two days ago. I had been using their service at the 512/256 speed for the past several months. That costs 790 baht per month. Double the speed for 210 baht more per month, less than US $5, seemed worth trying and apparently this is a new offer. I'm very pleased with it. It truly is lightning fast now, as fast as anything I had back in the USA. For those of you living in Pattaya, if you want to try it, then go to the second floor at Carrefour. That's where you'll find the TOT office to sign up for the service. I signed up for it Wednesday afternoon and it was up and running by Friday morning.

Hate posts and flames are going to be posted and tolerated here? Are we really going to do this again?

I also have become far more forgetful, but with me it is usually something I meant to do and totally forgot about it. It's gotten to a point that if I don't write it down I'm more likely to forget than remember. Maybe it isn't something a psychiatrist or psychologist can deal with. Maybe you should try going to a good hospital, explain the problem, and have yourself evaluated. I'd probably do the same thing . . . if I could remember to do it. In keeping with the idea that every cloud has a silver lining, the positive aspect of it for you is that each boy you take "off" will be a whole new experience, even if it isn't the first time.

I get the impression that the gentleman is looking for a place where he can simply meet other gay people, especially cute ones, who are interested in hooking up rather than being paid for their services. That is almost non-existent in Pattaya. Even when you pick up someone at the beach, on the streets, in a shopping mall, or whatever, in Pattaya you are expected to "tip" the boy for his services, or at least offer money. Unfortunately, I really do not know of anywhere in Pattaya where paying for sex is not expected. Pattaya has nothing comparable to a place such as Bangkok's Babylon Sauna. As a matter of fact, if someone out there with big bucks invests in something similar to Babylon, it still probably wouldn't work because the boys would likely avoid it since they wouldn't be paid there. Bangkok is a different story. I agree with Gay Thailand, that it is possible, but unlikely, in Pattaya to end up with non-working boys. For most of these boys, being paid for their services is the reason they come to Pattaya in the first place. I also agree with Gay Thailand that Blue House is probably the best choice for a gay massage, followed by Narcissus. Narcissus is located in Pattayaland, Soi 1. Several of the massage boys that work the beach are very good and many are willing to make an arrangement to give you a "private" massage in your hotel room after beach hours. Since you specifically mentioned anal sex, I suggest making it clear to the boy what you want before taking him from a bar or anywhere else. Some are quite willing and some are not. If the boy knows what to expect in advance, and agrees to it, then you are not likely to end up disappointed. Another massage experience to try, and this is a legitimate massage, are the foot massage places. I clearly remember the first time I saw a foot massage place I couldn't figure out what the attraction would be when you can get a full body massage for the same price. But then I noticed these foot massage places are literally everywhere. so there must be something good about it. I tried it and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone who has never tried it Oddly enough, my own boyfriend recently mentioned that he had never tried it. I couldn't believe it, but that was true. We went to a foot massage place and now he is always saying let's go. I can't really recommend one foot massage place over another. They are all essentially the same. There are several web sites out there that handle personal ads. Many Thai boys do advertise themselves on such web sites and many are legitimate and not looking for money. You might consider giving that route a try.

There is a good vet near my home. I can take you there personally, but I couldn't describe how to tell you to get there yourself. Next time we see each other, remind me. I'll get you there.

Our view of justice is not the only thing that is different from what we see in Thailand. I love Thailand too, but I started sleeping a lot better the day I stopped trying to figure out the logic behind the way a great many things are done here and the logic behind the mode of thinking we so often see. I don't view it as throwing in the towel. I view it as the most practical thing to do. I'm not going to get my computer back even if he tells me what he did with it. It's been a year. The computer has most likely changed hands several times already. The computer was nearly three years old at the time it was stolen, so it's obsolete now and I probably wouldn't be able to even give it away. As far as punishment, any punishment resulting from charges I could press would hardly be comparable to the punishment he's going to get anyway. Certainly he must have been involved with others. Our information is he was caught with at least 1000 yaba tablets. You don't pick those up in boxes of Cracker Jack. According to my boyfriend, this guy is probably far more afraid of what those 'others' will do to him than he is of any sentence a court would hand down. He's got a hell of a lot more to worry about than any additional charges I could press. I could always simply keep on top of what charges will be pressed against him and what sentence he receives from the court. Somehow I doubt that he'll be released if he simply promises not to do it again and promises to behave himself from now on. Of course, if the sentence does turn out to be nothing more than a slap on the wrist, I won't have any problem finding out about that long before he is released. I could always press additional charges at that time. I take my satisfaction in the thought that he is now in jail, whether the reason he's in jail has anything to do with his crime against me or not, and he's likely to still be there long after the rest of us are history and forgotten. I see no need for a pound of flesh beyond that.

You never know how things work in Thailand. A friend suggested, this afternoon, that I do not even see this boy, let alone try to get him to reveal the whereabouts of the computer. He said that the boy had to have gotten those yaba tablets from somewhere, and most likely it was from the local mafia since he had that much in his possession. He warned me that all the boy has to do is give the word, and the mafia will come after me, so I would be safest to let it drop. Meanwhile, this evening, my Thai boyfriend said precisely the opposite is true. He said the boy had to have been selling these drugs for the mafia. He also said, if anything mafia will seek revenge on him because he managed to lose 1000 of their yaba tablets and they don't take kindly to that. He said the boy is probably scared out of his mind, with good reason. So, who is right? I don't even know if either of them are right. Actually, I think I'd rather listen to both of them. They are saying essentially the same thing. According to my friend, I'd be placing myself in danger if I do anything. According to my boyfriend, terrible things will happen to this guy anyway, so there's little point in me doing anything. I'll let my boyfriend be the one to make sure they've got the same kid who burglarized my home. If it is the same person, then according to my boyfriend there won't be much need for me to do anything, although I'll never get my computer back. At this point I didn't expect to get it back anyhow.

Well, they're not blocked this evening. It's 10:00 PM here and I just got in again without encountering any blocking, which is kind of strange since you seem to be encountering it. I wonder if different ISPs are enabling and disabling the blocking, although I would have thought if a web site is blocked, then it's blocked, period. Maybe it doesn't work that way. In any case, I've gotten through withno problem both times I tried today. We'll see if it's the same story tomorrow.

One problem I envision is that someone is going to scheduled for a flight out, when the new airport is supposed to open, and end up going to the wrong airport. Would it come as a major shock to read a story telling us that someone was told by the airline that the flight will leave from Suvarnabhumi, but ends up having to depart from Bangkok International instead, and the passenger(s) were not notified? Based on the way everything else seems to happen, I'll be amazed if we don't hear a few stories like that.

Some of you may remember a thread that was on my web site about the fact that my house was burglarized and my laptop computer was stolen. That was nearly a year ago. Try as we might, we were never able to catch him. We knew exactly who it was, but he disappeared from Pattaya. It was a bar boy who had befriended my boyfriend and managed to get the key to our house copied. That's how he entered. I was just lucky he didn't steal anything else. We just found out he has been caught. My boyfriend received a call from another friend of his, telling him that the same boy returned to Pattaya, hooked up with a "farang" and stole money, a mobile phone, and gold from him. We do not know the circumstances as to how he was caught, but my boyfriend was told that when he was caught, he ws in possession of over 1000 yaba tablets. My boyfriend says he's likely to be sentenced to 60 years for that crime alone, and in Thailand there is no sentence reduction, time off for good behavior, or anything else when it comes to drug crimes. We are told that if he is convicted, then no matter how long his sentence is, he'll serve every day of it. We're probably going to pay him a jailhouse visit. I'd like to do that to make sure it really is the same boy and also to see if we can get him to tell us what became of the computer. I seriously doubt that a year later I'll ever see that computer again, but there's nothing to lose by trying.

At the moment, at least, your web site is not blocked. Neither is the Sawatdee forum. I just tried both and got right in, with no problem at all. I have no idea whether the blocks have been lifted or if it's a temporary thing. When these blocks first began appearing, I remember my web site would sometimes be up and running normally and sometimes it would be blocked. Maybe you'll be lucky and the blocking is finally lifted for all these sites . . . blocks that were illegal in the first place. We'll see.

Sooner or later the new Suvarnabhumi Airport is bound to open. For quite some time we all were hearing about how it will open in June. June is one week from the date of this post. It's not even close. I suppose better late than never. Now they're saying the airport will open by October. Somehow, I wouldn't want to bet on that either. Nevertheless, that's what they're saying. Supposedly, the airport will be operational in time for the high season. Let's hope so. Here's the article: Suvarnabhumi Airport to Open Before October BANGKOK, May 25 (TNA) Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal on Wednesday confirmed that Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport would be opened for commercial services before the high season would begin in October. He said the Board on Suvarnabhumi Airport Development is unlikely to set a schedule for the opening of the airport for commercial services at its meeting on Thursday because there is a delay in certain construction works. However, officials concerned would accelerate the construction to ensure readiness for the opening of the airport services as soon as possible, he noted. He said the ministry would attempt to have the airport opened prior to October when a large number of tourists would arrive in Thailand because it is the high season. In that period, a number of flights will increase significantly, making it difficult to manage the new airport. It must take some time for the airport to accommodate the large number of passengers. Mr. Pongsak said the airport

I don't see where I wrote anything that consititutes an excuse for thieves, I do not agree at all with you when you say, "Saying 'don't wear gold chains' is like saying 'don't carry any money' or 'don't wear a watch.'" You have to carry money, but you don't have to carry the equivalent of hundreds of dollars. Most people wearing gold chains have spent several hundred dollars for them. You don't have to wear gold chains. You don't have to wear a watch either, that's true, but if you do wear a watch, it doesn't have to be an expensive one, although I don't read or hear about watch thefts very often, but I do read and hear about gold chain thefts all the time. If you think it's a good idea to take the risk and wear gold chains, then wear them. If you want to be cautious and prevent the temptation for thieves, then don't wear them. Very simple. You could also place the chain in your pocket until you reach your destination, put it on again when you get there, and pocket it again when you're returning to your room or going somewhere else. This thread is meant to be about tips for preventing becoming a victim of a thief. I fail to see how who is at fault even has relevance to that. Of course the thief is at fault. Unfortunately that doesn't help very much when you've lost something valuable to a thief. It might be his fault, but it's your belongings that are now gone.

Good contribution there, Jomtien. Not a suggestion or additional advice to help people. Only a snide remark. I see nothing has changed.

Somehow, this thread about preventing becoming a crime victim in Pattaya turned into a thread about how much it costs to put a boy through college? Now, maybe I'm just being narrow minded, but I would have thought that issue would have been just a little more appropriate on a separate thread. I hope nobody minds too much if I bring this thread back to crime prevention issues. One of the latest scams seems to involve "farang" scamming other "farang" at ATMs. There are several methods being used, but the general idea is that they convince you to use your ATM card in their presence. No matter what someone tells you, do not ever let someone observe you using your ATM card and make damned sure nobody can see you entering your PIN number. In last Friday's Pattaya Mail, one reader sent a letter-to-the-editor explaining how this very kind of scam cleaned his friend's bank account of over 500,000 baht. At today's exchange rates, that's well over US $13,500. Don't be caught off guard. Any time I use an ATM I give thought to the possibility of a scam. I cover the keyboard with one hand while entering the PIN with the other, even when nobody is around. I am constantly on the alert for anyone else nearby. I always try, if it is possible, to use an ATM when nobody else is even around. To date, I have not lost any money to scam artists and I plan to try to keep it that way. The police recommend that if there is any suspicious activity, call them. Try to have as accurate a description of whoever was suspect as you can, including height, weight, age, hair color, any distinguishing characteristics you can remember, what color the clothing is, etc. If the person makes off on a motor vehicle, try to get the license number. If you can't read the Thai writing, you can at least try to get the numbers. I want to reiterate what I said above about wearing gold and jewelry. Especially gold chains. Gold chains seem to be a very attractive target for criminals. These crimes are being committed in broad daylight, even with witnesses available. A typical method is for a motocycle, with driver and passenger, to sneak up from behind on the intended victim. The chain is grabbed, yanked off, and before the victim recovers from the surprise and shock, the criminals have made their escape. My recommendation - forget about the gold. Leave the gold, especially chains, in your room safe. Personally, I fail to see the pressing need for wearing those kinds of things in the first place, but that's just me. You definitely won't see me wearing gold chains. I don't own any and I never will. To my mind, the only thing those chains do is invite trouble. No thanks. I'll just have to struggle through life without wearing gold chains. I don't think a week goes by without reading about gold chain grabs. All I can say is that if the victims weren't wearing those chains in the first place, then they wouldn't have been victims. Another "I am begging to be a victim" type of crime is perpetrated on people and their mobile phones. I constantly see people placing their mobile phones on tables at outdoor cafes and restaurants. My response to that is, "You've got to be kidding me." That is literally begging for some criminal to sneak up, grab the phone, and run off with it and be out of sight before you can even get out of your chair. And it happens. It happens all the time. I see people being careless with their mobile phones in many other ways too. Unless you're expecting a call from Ed McMahon, asking where to bring the check, I fail to see the point of carrying the mobile phone in a careless and unsafe manner. As a matter of fact, even if you really are expecting that call, I still don't see why people can't figure out that they need to be more protective of their mobile phones and other valuables. Most of the theft and scam crimes I read about are so easily preventable. Just use some common sense, take a few precautions, and you will be able to read about someone else being the victim instead of having to cut out the article about what happened to you for your scrapbook.

Those of you who were readers of my web site are well aware that I have been warning for years not to come to Thailand and get involved sexually with boys under the age of 18. The following is just the latest, and typical of what happens, sooner or later, when you don't heed that advice. If you are attracted to under-age boys, ask yourself if you would want to be in this guy's shoes: _____ Thailand to Deport Accused US Pedophile BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) - Thailand's Immigration Police handed over to US Embassy staff Friday an American teacher who will be deported to face trial on charges of paedophilia in the United States. Steven Erik Prowler, a 57-year-old English language teacher at an unnamed Bangkok school, has been in jail since being arrested last year on paedophilia charge. Police raided his apartment and found more than 100 photos of naked Asian boys. The raid, which came after a lengthy investigation, also revealed the presence of two teenage boys, from whom Mr. Prowler had secured sexual services. The boys told police investigators that Mr.Prowler had paid them for their services and had videod and photographed the act for publication in a foreign magazine for homosexuals. Police found diaries detailing the accused's sexual activities with many Asian boys. He had been sentenced by a Thai court to serve one-year jail term for committing sexual abuse of minors. His name is also on a Thai Immigration Police blacklist of persons who are persona non grata. He will be tried in the United States for sexually abusing more than 100 underaged boys in North America. A US Embassy representative praised Thai police for their cooperation that led to the arrest of the accused paedophile. (TNA)-E001