Gaybutton

Your friend is told one thing and we're told another. Either way, I can agree with you about one thing . . . "Phuket are Bangkok & Pattaya's yesterday's boys." That's for sure in Phuket, as far as I'm concerned. I saw a grand total of one boy who I thought was attractive. One bar in Paradise complex had plenty of boys. I think the youngest one in there was at least 32. Another bar had plenty of boys, but nearly all were lady-boys. I have nothing against lady-boys, but these boys were as femme as I have ever seen and that wasn't attractive to me at all. A third bar, a short distance from Paradise Complex, a much older bar, had a grand total of 4 boys working as dancers. As we were approaching the bar, the doorman gave them a high-sign. They were dancing when we entered. After no more than three minutes all of them sat down and that's the last time any of them got up of their butts. I hope your friend is right about the going rate. I only know what we were consistently told. It wouldn't matter to me if the rate was 50 baht or 50,000 baht. I wouldn't have "offed" any of the boys I saw even if they were free. That's just my opinion, of course.

One of the more popular articles that was on my former web site was "How to Get a Thai Driver's License." As of May 10, 2006 I have revised and updated the article. If you would like to have it, please feel free to send me an E-mail at gaybutton@gmail.com . I will be happy to send you a copy of that article, or any other articles, that appeared on my web site. Also, you may not be aware of this: As of March 16, the daily fine for over-staying your visa was raised to 500 baht per day. Prior to that it was 200 baht per day. Don't forget, if you are ever caught over-staying your visa before you voluntarily report to the Immigration Police office or are leaving the country at the airport, you are going to be in for a big problem. Also, now they make a note in your passport that you over-stayed, even if you voluntarily report it.

Unfortunately, Pattaya has changed over the years from a city in which all of us could feel perfectly safe to a city in which you could easily become a crime victim if you're not cautious. The following story appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS and illustrates what I'm talking about: _____ New Zealand man assaulted as gang of youths attempt to steal his motorbike. Mr. Goran Jurec aged 40 from New Zealand made his way to Pattaya Police Station on Monday Night and informed officers that he had just been assaulted by a gang of young Thai men on the Pratamnak Mountain. They attempted to steal his motorbike without success. Mr. Jurec wearing a blood stained Polo-shirt, made a report to officers who immediately began a search for a gang of four young men who were known to be armed with small pieces of wood. After a search, the gang were located and arrested under the overpass leading to the Bali Hai Port at the south end of Pattaya Third Road. Three men were arrested, one man who is thought to be the main instigator managed to escape. The men aged between 14 and 18 were taken back to Pattaya Police Station where they confessed to the assault but denied prior knowledge of the attack on the foreigner. Despite these claims, Police believe they are part of a gang who target foreigners who drive rented motorbikes. The bikes are stolen by force and resold in Pattaya and surrounding districts. The gang members are now behind bars on charges of assault and theft and will now face a judge who will decide their fate. _____ The article does not mention what time this incident took place, but I can guess. It was probably in the wee hours of the morning and the "farang" was probably alone. These sorts of crimes don't take place when there are plenty of witnesses around. The thing to do is to stay in well lit tourist areas at night and refrain from venturing off by yourself to other areas. If you have a reason to be in a more remote area, then at least try not to be alone. If you are a "farang," alone and in a more remote area, then you might as well wear a sign that says "victim." Street gangs that prey on easy targets have become a major problem in Pattaya and the police simply don't have the manpower to control it as much as we would like. Street gangs prey on tourists by night. Scam artists prey on tourists by day. You have to watch out for them too. Of course, the odds are that you'll come to Pattaya, have a fantastic time, and never be the victim of anything, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. I have a few suggestions: 1. At night, as I said above, stick to the well lit tourist areas where there are plenty of people around. 2. Most of the violent crime takes place after the bars have shut down for the night. When the streets are more or less deserted, then don't be out there. 3. At night, especially late at night, use the baht buses for transportation. 4. If you have expensive jewelry or gold bracelets and chains, leave it in your hotel safe. If you're out there wearing it, then you're looking for trouble. 5. Don't flash around large amounts of money. When you go out, take only the amount of money you actually need. If you anticipate taking a boy "off," then take the amount you plan to tip him and put it somewhere hidden in your room. That way, when the boy is in the room with you, you can immediately place your wallet in the room safe and won't have to take it out again to give him his tip. 6. Definitely put your wallet and other valuables, including passport and plane tickets, in the room safe if a boy is in the room with you. If your room has no safe, then be careful about "the shower." Many boys want to shower before "other activities" and want you to shower too. No problem about that, of course, but many "farang" have become victims when they emerge from the shower only to discover the boy has disappeared and so have any valuables that were accessible to him. I hope others will post additional advice, most of which is common sense whether in Pattaya or anywhere else. I think it was Mark Twain who said something like this: "The only thing common about common sense is that it's uncommon."

I agree completely with Paulg and, unfortunately, I know people who are like that too, but they don't necessarily reside in hovels. They just try to get away with paying these boys as little as possible and come up with every justification in the world for it. The standard is higher in Bangkok. Phuket too. I don't know why the standard is higher in Bangkok and Phuket, but there it is. My boyfriend and I just returned from having spent five days in Phuket. We were told, by many sources, some of which have no reason to lie about it, that the expected tip in Phuket is 1500 baht for short time, 2000 baht for long time. I'm sure, as in other cities, you could get away with paying less in Phuket if that's what you want to do, but that's what we were told the standard expected tip is.

I don't dispute that Thai owned sites may be blocked if Bkkguy says so, but I haven't seen any. None of the Thai owned sites that I look at have been blocked. Can you point out a few of the Thai owned sites that are blocked? In any case, whether Thai owned sites are also being blocked or not, that doesn't change the fact that, at least according to my Thai attorney, such blocking is illegal in the first place. I still want to know who is responsible for it and I would still like the answers to my other questions, mainly who decides these sites should be blocked and why.

I hope that at least something can be resolved with a positive outcome for the blocked sites. I know of no valid reason why my web site was blocked and I know of no valid reason why this web site is being blocked, especially when compared to the content on Thai owned web sites that are not blocked. If these sites are "bad for Thai people," then I would like to know what it is about these sites that constitutes the "bad" part. I would also like to know who decided that and upon what basis. Not only were we never notified, but I have not been able to find any kind of criteria, whether on the Internet or elsewhere, that lists what is acceptable and what is not. I've been wrong about a great many things in my life, but I think I'm right when I point out that the blocked web sites are all "farang" owned. If that is true, then why? Why would the Thai authorities, if indeed these sites really were blocked by Thai authorities, care about whether the site is "farang" owned or not? I can't make any sense out of it.

As it was before I took my own web site down, sometimes you could get on and sometimes you couldn't. On my web site that lasted about two weeks and then it was impossible to get on at all. Even proxy servers were being blocked. I hope Gaythailand can get unblocked or at least get some answers. I still would like to know why these sites are being blocked and who, specifically, is doing the blocking. Somebody had to be the one who decided to block these web sites. Perhaps fortunately for Gaythailand, but unfortunately for other sites that are being blocked, he may be able to resolve the problem for this web site, but Thailand doesn't have class action lawsuits, so even a positive outcome will apply only to this web site. I still would like to meet face-to-face with whoever it is that is responsible for blocking my web site. I would like to hear a face-to-face explanation as to why my web site was blocked, especially since such blocking is illegal in Thailand. I want to hear why my web site was "not good for Thai people" while many Thai web sites that deal in personal ads, even pornographic personal ads, and other forms of pornography go merrily along with no blocking. I can't prove it and it might just be coincidence, but has anyone noticed that every one of the blocked web sites are "farang" owned? As far as I know not any Thai owned web sites are blocked, despite the strong sexual and pornographic content. How much do you want to bet that if I reinstated my web site as a Thai owned web site, then there would be no blocking? To me, this whole thing is another form of the famous Thai logic. My web site provided news, information, and a message board. Many "farang" tourists came to Thailand, wallets filled with cash, precisely because of my web site. My web site was entirely in English and directed toward foreign tourists. I really would like to hear, directly from whoever it was that was responsible for blocking my web site, how that was "not good for Thai people." How many Thai people would have even been aware of my web site, let alone have been able to read it? I wonder if whoever is responsible for blocking these web sites ever actually sat down and read any of them. I would also like to hear why my site, along with all the other sites that have been blocked, were given no advance notification of any kind that they would be blocked and no opportunity to correct whatever the "evil" was that we were doing, to the satisfaction of Thai authorities. Why do I have a feeling I'll never hear the answers to those questions and never will meet the person responsible for this blocking?

Another one is what we call "Thai time." Punctuality is not exactly a priority in most cases. Those with a lot of experience in Thailand have almost certainly heard, "Just a minute, I come." That usually turns out to mean anywhere from half an hour to five or six hours, or more. Are you supposed to meet someone at 9:00 for dinner? Are you taking your boyfriend? Better tell the boyfriend that dinner is at 7:30. That way you shouldn't be more than half an hour late for your 9:00 dinner. One of the more frustrating things is when a service technician tells you he'll be there on Thursday. "What time on Thursday?" "Morning." "Can you be more specific?" "About 10:00 morning." I've seen that mean anywhere from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sometimes they don't show up at all. It never occurs to anyone to call and tell you they can't make it or call and tell you they will be hours later than they promised. One time my boyfriend and I were going to make a trip in our car. We were going to take some of his friends with us. I told them, very clearly, "Be here at 9:00 in the morning. We are going to leave at 9:00 and we won't wait. If you're here at 9:01, you missed the trip." One boy didn't show up and we left. At about 3:30 that afternoon we received a phone call from the boy. "I at your house. I come now. Why you not wait for me?" Have you ever "offed" a boy and decided to ask him to stay with you for a few days? Has he ever said he needs to go to his apartment for awhile, but he'll be back in an hour? Has he ever actually been back in an hour? Most of the time that means anywhere from two to six hours before he shows up again. If you are going to spend time in Thailand, you might as well accept the idea of Thai time and be prepared for it. No matter how hard you try or how clearly you state it, you're going to understand all about Thai time by the time you return to your home country.

Here is another example of Thai logic. Just yesterday a close friend told me he had ordered a pizza. He placed the order by phone and the pizza was to be delivered to him. This was a pizza "set" that was to include the pizza, a soft drink, and chicken nuggets. What he received was the pizza, the soft drink, and two orders of french fries. He called the pizza place and asked about this. "No have chicken nuggets," was the response. They simply substituted french fries for the chicken nuggets. My friend told them he didn't want any french fries. He asked why they would substitute french fries, of all things, for chicken nuggets. The response was, "It is same same." My friend replied, "No it is not 'same same.' Chicken nuggets and french fries are not 'same same.'" The pizza man said, "Same same. Chicken nuggets 40 baht. French fries 40 baht. Same same." After recovering from that statement, which the pizza man apparently thought was perfectly logical, my friend asked why they didn't tell him they were out of chicken nuggets when he placed the order. He got no answer; only a sheepish laugh.

If it was me, I would certainly want to know. Assuming the information comes from someone trustworthy, with no reason to make up such a story, I would be grateful for the information and certainly not angry. Also, if it was me, and I later found out that a friend knew what was going on, but didn't tell me, that is what would make me angry.

People like that are going to come up with all kinds of reasons to rationalize their own cheapness. However, no matter what they say they are arguing that it is justifiable to give these boys a pittance for what they do. The standard is 1000 baht for short time and 1500 baht for long time, and that has been the standard for years. If anything, due to inflation the tip amount ought to be more. Just about everyone who has experience in Thailand knows the going rate and I think these people know it too. But they want to use these boys for sex, give them practically nothing, and go home feeling good about themselves. The kindest way I can put it is that I do not share that attitude.

Obviously I am going to agree with Catawampuscat. I am disappointed in the attitude that other posters seem to be taking. They seem to be saying these boys are nothing but prostitutes, so just treat them like sex objects, give them as little money as possible, and too bad about anything else. Well, I don't see it that way and I think my logic is perfectly reasonable. The going rate is the going rate. I didn't set that rate, but that's the rate people are expected to pay. If you want to pay less than that, there's really not much these these boys can do about it. To me, comparing the money these boys get to painters, teachers, or whatever, is absurd. The painters and teachers chose their work and knew the amount of money they would be paid. These boys also chose their work and they know the expected rate. Apparently, some readers here think they ought to pay a lot less and they try to justify paying less. Good. Go ahead. Brag about all your money and brag about how little you can get away with paying these boys. Go right ahead and justify paying them 500 baht instead of 1000 or 1500 baht. After all, these boys are only prostitutes being pimped out, right? So, take them for your personal pleasure and give them squat for it. Do that right after you leave your pleasant, air conditioned hotel room, after having your gourmet dinner, your drinks and your wine. What a wonderful attitude. Also, I never said you are going out on a date. I said to treat the boys as if it was a date. That's what I think any decent person would do. Evidently, some out there have a different concept of decency.

Well, Jomtien, if you want to treat these boys as if they are dirt and want to behave as if you are somehow better than they are, that's your affair. Yes, you should treat him as if you are on a date. What reason do you have not to treat him that way? How do you think he should be treated? From the tone of your message, I get the impression that you think the boy ought to be treated like a piece of scum, to be used, discarded and deprived of even a decent tip. If that actually describes your attitude, then I'm glad I don't share it. Emily Post has nothing to do with the going rate. It's common knowledge. Ask any of these boys. Ask the mama-sans. Ask the bar owners. That is the amount these boys expect and deserve. How much do you believe is appropriate and on what do you base your belief?

That, Gay Thailand, is an excellent point. "Farang" need to understand that these boys are working for a living, and they get damned little money as it is. If a boy is lucky, the bar might pay him 3000 baht per month. Some bars don't pay these boys at all, and the only income these boys have is what they make from being taken "off." Once the boy pays his share of the rent (many live with several other boys because they can't afford privacy, and they usually live in a tenement-type hovel that no "farang" would want to even have nightmares about), that doesn't leave him much to even eat the rest of the month, let alone normal cost of living expenses. You are absolutely right. The boy might enjoy the disco, a restaurant, a gift, etc, but that's not what he's there for. "farang" are supposed to treat him as if they were on a date, but the tip he receives should be no less than 1000 baht. If he spends the night with you, then he should receive no less than 1500 baht. That's the going rate in Pattaya and that's why the boy goes "off" with a "farang" in the first place. I don't get the thinking of some "farang." Do these people truly believe that these boys live under those conditions because they enjoy dancing almost naked in front of old men, in hopes of a free meal, a night at the disco, and a US $15 tip for having sex and spending the night? Give me a break. This is their job. This is what they depend on for their income and to simply live. Just like "farang," they want to be paid appropriately for their work, and having sex with an old-timer is their work. They are not there for pleasure, despite the fact that the "farang" are. I can guarantee one thing. Given a choice of either the restaurant and disco, along with a crummy tip, or a good tip without the restaurant and disco, do people out there really need me to tell them the boy will want the tip instead of the night out? I'll give you something else to think about. A restaurant such as Luxor does indeed have the finest food . . . "farang" food. Most Thai boys are not used to that kind of food and don't even like it. If you want to take the boy to dinner, how about letting him decide where to eat? If he gives you the usual "up to you" respnse when talking about where to eat, then at least take him somewhere that has Thai food that he can enjoy. So, this "farang" made a scene when the boy didn't want to go with him a second time. Maybe he would have done better to give some thought as to why the boy didn't want to go with him a second time. I wish some people out there would think with their brains instead of their crotch..

Ok, here's my favorite, and I see it all too often: 1. "Farang" who spend large amounts of money for airline tickets to come to Thailand, stay at good hotels, eat at fine restaurants, drink enough alcohol to put King Kong under the table, and then save money by cheating the boy they "offed" out of a decent tip.

Here's a few more things you never see in Thailand . . . 1. Thai boys who genuinely enjoy being publicly fondled and groped by older "farang." 2. off-the-rack clothing tht fits me. 3. legitimate software, CD's, and DVD's (except at very rare locations.) 4. baht bus drivers who don't toot their horns at every pedestrian they see. 5. horse race tracks, trotter tracks, and greyhound tracks. 6. people smoking a pipe (except the occasional water pipe at middle eastern restaurants) 7. rip-off prices at airport restaurants. 8. rip-off prices at convenience stores. 9. self-service car washes 10. Thai people who know (or care) who Tonto was. (not that I care either - I just needed something for number 10)

Ok, I stand corrected. Here's a few other things you never see in Thailand, or at least I don't . . . 1. A real New York style deli. 2. Hellman's Mayonaise 3. Rocking chairs 4. Self service gas stations (and I hope I never do see those. That would go over about as well as a self service massage parlor) 5. bread machines 6. buses, 18-wheelers, and pickup trucks that don't belch out clouds of black exhaust fumes. 7. abortion clinics 8. Here's one I do see, but only rarely . . . stop signs. 9. designated handicapped parking spaces (actually I do see that, but I've seen them only at Carrefour) 10. surf boards

If you think that's weird, try reading some of the US tax code. By the way, I recently read that 78% of the very legislators who write the tax code have to have their own taxes done by professionals. Even they can't figure it out. Here's a few more laws that actually exist in the USA and elsewhere. Your guess is as good as mine as to the circumstances that caused laws about them to be passed. It might be good for some out there to remember a few of these the next time they want to complain about Thai logic: 1. Theaters in Glendale, California can show horror films only on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. 2. You can't plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina. 3. In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes. 4. Under the law of Mississippi, there

One of our favorite "beach chatter" subjects is the oxymoron, "Thai Logic." We constantly talk about the way things are done in Thailand and try to figure out the logic (or lack thereof) behind it. For example, only a few days ago a close friend told me his Thai boyfriend had given him a phone number to enter in his mobile phone. My friend entered the number as given. It turned out to be an incorrect number. "You put wrong number in telephone," the Thai boy said, apparently upset with my friend for having entered the wrong number. "But that's the number you gave me, exactly as you gave it to me," my 'farang' friend insisted. "But you put in wrong number," was the Thai logic answer. My personal favorite example is the motocycle helmet law. Now, anyone riding on a motorcycle as either driver or passenger must wear a helmet . . . apparently with the exception of childen. I've lost count of how many times I've seen motorcyclists dutifully wearing their helmets while carrying helmetless children, often babies. Law or not law, a large number of people still try to get away with not wearing a helmet. My own boyfriend's reasoning is typical Thai logic. "Where I going not have police." I can't convince him that the reason to wear a helmet has nothing to do with whether the police like it or not, but for his own personal safety. It is illegal in Thailand to sell pornographic Cd's and DVD's. You can own them. You can buy them. You just can't sell them. At the beach, there is a vendor who comes around regularly selling them for 80 baht a pop. If he gets caught he could be looking at serious jail time. My boyfriend and I were at the beach one day and he was interested in looking at the vendor's wares. While he was looking, I asked the vendor why he sells these. I pointed out that if he sells anything else, the worst that could happen to him is losing his wares if the police confiscate them, but he could have a big problem if he is caught selling this porn. He gave me a big smile and said, "No problem. My brother police." Many of you know the age-old peeve about 'farang' pricing. 10 baht for 'farang' on the baht buses, while the Thais pay 5 baht. I often wonder how much Chinese, Korean, and Japanese people pay. Double pricing for 'farang' at many other places, sometimes triple or even quadruple for 'farang.' Have you ever asked Thai people what they think about 'farang' pricing? Most tell me they agree with the higher pricing for 'farang,' and these are not necessarily people who have anything to gain by 'farang' pricing. "'Farang' have more money than Thai people," is the usual logic applied. Of course, I don't really understand what makes the 'farang' think their own logic makes any more sense than Thai logic. The following is a list of laws that are actually on the books . . . in Florida. And these are just Florida. If you do a little searching, you're bound to come up with a list of laws just as absurd where you come from: Florida

Thank you for those comments. I don't remember you under the name "xstreamlove." I don't know your name, so perhaps I would remember you after all, if I knew. On any case, I'm not much of a drinker, but make it a dinner and you've got a deal. The travel agent is Rhonda, of Norcross Travel. You want to ask specifically to speak with her. The number is 1-888-888-7157. She's located in Norcross, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. She'll handle all the arrangements by phone and she'll mail the tickets to you. I highly recommend her. Obviously she can only help people located in the USA. What I suggest is finding the best deal you can and then calling Rhonda. She almost always can beat whatever price you found, usually by several hundred dollars.

Actually, they had early voting, in which people could come in and cast their votes days before the official election date. That's what most of the people who wanted to vote did, although the total voter turnout was quite low. I also agree with you in that while Songkran might be fun, a full week is much too long. The problem is, I don't see a whole lot of Thai people worrying about whether the "farang" like a week of it or not. But you know something? They should take that into consideration. Other than the "farang" immaturity brigade that spent the week hurling water on people, Pattaya has become nearly deserted over the past week. The beaches, bars, restaurants, etc. have been virtually empty and they all still are.

I agree with Catawampuscat, but only to an extent. His message makes it seem as if these sorts of incidents are the norm and occur virtually everywhere. Incidents such as these do occur, to be sure, and I despise those sorts of things too, but for the most part there were very few such problems. I didn't know the person with the caustic water gun had actually tried to jump from a roof to escape the police. I hadn't heard that. If Thailand has a book, I hope they throw it at him. However, this was one isolated incident. As far as I know no other similar incidents occurred. Catawampuscat is correct about the ice. I did see several people stopping at points at which huge blocks of ice were being sold and these blocks were being placed into their water barrels. Shooting ice water is illegal in Pattaya. As I said in a previous comment, there was virtually no police presence to control this sort of behavior. There were a few traffic cops trying to alleviate the traffic jams along Sukhumvit Road, but they were the only ones I saw. So, the lawbreakers who think they're funny got away with it, along with the ice vendors who had no business being out there selling it in the first place. My point is that these sorts of incidents are relatively isolated and do not even come close to representing the behavior of the majority. Unfortunately, there are enough of these incidents that you just never know if you are gong to be the victim of any of them.

I agree with Hedda. The Thai people get plenty of holidays and the vast majority take full advantage of them. I disagree, however, that there is really a valid reason for "farang" to be bitter about Songkran. It does go on for a week, that's true, but for the most part it is only the one day that a soaking is inevitable if you venture out. I meant what I said in my first post on this thread, that there was no reason at all for "farang" to hibernate, other than today. I also agree about the drunken revelers, but it is incorrect to believe that represents the majority of people out there. Most people were out there today simply having a good time. There was almost no police presence at all, in Pattaya, and yet everyone seemed to be quite well behaved, considering the circimstances. One thing that struck me as odd, however, was the lack of police presence. According to this week's Pattaya City News, there was to be an abundance of police checkpoints during Songkran week, at which suspect drivers would be checked for driving under the influence, proper papers would be checked, etc. Well, all I can say is I've been driving around Pattaya all week. Do you know how many police checkpoints I saw? None. Not one, with the exception of the one mentioned in the article about a checkpoint on Sukhumvit Road at Naklua. The checkpoint was there. Trouble is, there were no police officers at all manning the checkpoint. It was simply a booth, completely empty of police officers. So much for enforcement of driving under the influence rules. I drove through the thick of the revelry today. I had intended to find a place to park and get right out into the middle of it all, but we decided not to do that. By the time we got out there, I doubt we could have found a place to park anyway and we were having a good time watching all the goings on. We decided we're going to remain dry this year. That's one big advantage to having a car. We drove down Sukhumvit Road, went down South road to Second Road, then down toward the beach. We turned on Tepprasit Road, went back to Sukhumvit Road, and returned home. On a normal day tha circuit would take about a half hour. Today it took nearly four hours. Everyone we saw was having a great time and we saw no inappropriate behavior at all. Interestingly enough, there were a lot of street vendors out there, along with a lot of stores and restaurants remaining open. Nobody was spraying water into any of these establishments. People would come up to the street vendors and put that talcum powder-water mixture on their faces, but nobody was spraying their wares at all. In my opinion, the people were quite well behaved and it was just good fun.

Many "farang" avoid Thailand, especially Pattaya, like the plague during Songkran because they dislike being totally soaked wherever they go. Yes, it does go on for an entire week. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the big day in Pattaya and yes, you will certainly be soaked on that day. On Thursday and Friday there will still be isolated pockets of revelers shooting water at people. By Friday night it will all be over for this year. Actually, there really is not problem at all about venturing out during Songkran week. While it is true that if you are on a baht bus or motocycle taxi you're going to get a soaking, the solution to that is so simple . . . when on a baht bus, sit in the cab with the driver. If he has no room in the cab, wait for a baht bus that does have room. Most of the water soaking has been taking place on Beach Road and the area of Second Road between about the area of the Lek Hotel and the Dolphin Roundabout. On South Road there are a few isolated pockets of revelers, but not much of anything at all, other than maybe a five-year old with a squirt gun. I have not been to the beach at all during Songkran week, so I have not personally observed what is taking place along the route to the beach, but I can guess. If this year is anything like previous years, when you get close to the beach area, that's where it all starts. If you are on a baht bus, but not in the cab, you might want to get off a little sooner and walk the rest of the way. One way to avoid it is to get off at the entrance to the Avalon Hotel and walk through to the beach that way, where there will be nothing going on at all. Few people walking on the sidewalks are getting soaked. Most of the water shooting is directed toward the street, where baht bus riders and motorcyclists are the primary targets, along with the pickup trucks filled with revelers shooting their water at others, but even they are directing their water shooting only at groups that are on the sidewalks shooting back. The average pedestrian is going and coming without a drop of water hitting him at all. In other words, if you are among those who don't want to tolerate the soaking, you really have little to fear. Most of the water spraying doesn't even get started until well after noon. As recently as yesterday I walked from Tuk Com to Royal Garden and wasn't hit by even one drop of water. Neither was anyone else walking along and minding his own business. Even along Beach Road, you're not going to get soaked unless you want to get soaked. If you are walking along the curb area, then yes, you're going to get it. But if you are walking on the walkway, they leave you alone. There is one aspect of all the goings on that I find personally as distasteful as it gets. You know who is doing most of the water shooting? "Farang!" That's right. If you're going to get soaked, it most likely that the people soaking you are going to be drunken "farang" in front of roadside bars. Sure, there are plenty of Thai people going around shooting water, but this is a Thai holiday. If you take away the "farang" that are out there doing the soaking, then there would be very little indeed going on at all. If I am going to be involuntarily soaked, I really don't mind it at all if it is Thai people shooting the water. But I deeply resent it when I see people involuntarily soaked, and it's being done by none other than drunken "farang." What are these people thinking? It can also get out of hand. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: English Man Arrested after Allegedly Spraying Songkran Revelers with Harmful Chemicals Instead of Water Unfortunately some individuals forget the real meaning of the Songkran Festival and simply go too far when it comes to participating in the event. Tourist Police Officers were called to the front of Soi 5 on Pattaya Beach Road over the weekend by a Norwegian Man, Mr. Irwin Scruger aged 32 after he had been attacked by an English Man carrying a tube used to expel water. However, Mr. Scruger suggested that it was more than water in the tube and after sustaining burns to his face and neck, he feared that the man was expelling harmful chemicals instead. The suspect was located and arrested in possession of the tube and its harmful contents. He was taken to Pattaya Police Station where he was identified as Mr. Nicholas Masters aged 41 from London and was known to be part of a small group who had made their way along the beach. A young Thai boy known as Junior aged only 10 also reported minor burns to his skin thought to have come from the tube. Mr. Masters denied all allegations of actual bodily harm and the case is now under further investigation. The fate or Mr. Masters is unknown.

I very much appreciate your comments. I have received a number of E-mails with similar requests. Please understand that the articles and information that were on my web site represented an enormous amount of research and writing. I don't want to just transfer it all over to someone else's web site. Besides, the people behind this web site are doing a marvelous job and don't seem to be in need of any assistance from me. As you pointed out, books such as The Men of Thailand are no longer being published or updated. I am working on a book myself, now that I no longer have a web site, and much of the information that was on the web site, as well as plenty more, will be included in the book. Of course, I can already see that it is going to take quite awhile, at least a year or two, before the book is ready, which is why I am happy to provide copies, upon request, of any articles that were on my web site. As a matter of fact, I have also been receiving excellent ideas from people. One in particular that comes to mind is trying to come up with a way to have supplements that contain "getting there" cards to show taxi drivers without having to schlepp around an entire book. I too relied on The Men of Thailand when I first came to Thailand, but it was a pain to have to carry the book around to be able to show taxi drivers where I wanted to go. Also, I managed to forget the book in a bar ot two on occasion and had to buy another copy. There's got to be a better way, and I'm working on a number of ideas. Another consideration is going to be methods by which updates can be provided on a regular basis, since bars now seem to come and go, change names, change phone numbers, etc. almost monthly. I'm looking forward to one thing I'll need to do: In order for the book to be as accurate as possible, I'm going to have to visit every gay bar in Thailand. All of them. Anyone want to come with me . . . .?