Gaybutton

At least it looks like a good beginning. I have a feeling this one might head right up the ladder to the Supreme Court.

Part of that problem is due to the fact that other than private lessons, there is no kind of driver education in Thailand at all unless, of course, you consider cops stopping motorcycles a form of driver education. No surprise to me, each province seems to have its own set of regulations as to what a driver's license applicant has to do in order to obtain a license. In many cases, even if the applicant fails whatever tests are given, a few hundred baht later all of a sudden he's passed the tests after all. The licensing office for Pattaya at least does not accept bribes that I'm aware of, but new Thai applicants have to sit through a two hour driving education movie and pass a written test in order to obtain the license. That's it. That's the driver's education in Pattaya. A two hour movie. And people wonder why so many drivers in Thailand give a whole new meaning to the word "incompetent."

Judge Topples U.S. Rejection of Gay Unions By ABBY GOODNOUGH and JOHN SCHWARTZ Published: July 8, 2010 BOSTON

I've tried many times to explain that I had more to say, but ended up talking to myself. Sometimes that works.

Are these two contests going to be a "Suppose they gave a contest and nobody came" type of thing? Nobody is going to enter?

Pharmacy Raid Uncovers Mass Haul of Fake Viagra A successful sting operation on a Pattaya Pharmacy led to the discovery of a large haul of illegal and controlled medication on Tuesday. Pattaya 6th July 2010 [PDN] After receiving a report from a Pattaya Clinic Associate, a sting operation led by Police Colonel Akkhaeadet Phimonsri (Suppression Police Department Commissioner 2) and his team revealed illegal and controlled medication from the Viagra Group (kamka pills and gel) and a muscle building substance that was being sold at Top Pharmacy, 115/22, Moo 10, Pratamnuk, Banglamung. The medication was found to have been illegally smuggled into the country. Fake Viagra

Final Preparation meeting for the 2nd Pattaya International Fireworks Contest Preparations for the 2nd Pattaya International Fireworks Competition, which is due to take place on 14th August, are well underway and on Thursday Morning at Pattaya City Hall, a final preparation meeting, chaired by Khun Watanna, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya, took place. This meeting discussed the security arrangements for the contest which will feature entrants from 10 countries, including Japan, USA, China, Germany and Thailand. A stage will be erected on Pattaya Beach in front of Soi 4 and the fireworks will be detonated from floating platforms on the water. The event will include a Royal Fireworks Display in honor of His Majesty The King and for more information please call the Pattaya City Call Center on 1337. International Fireworks Contest

I just thought of something else. I don't know why, but you cannot upload PDF files to this board. Unless there is a reason for that, maybe the programmers can fix that.

Where are you even finding toilet paper? I never see any other than in hotels, some shopping malls here and there, and on dining tables used as napkins.

Are you kidding? I'm lucky if I can remember this morning, let alone months ago . . .

For USA citizens the embassy charges 1200 baht for the proof-of-income statement, although I'm expecting to see that cost rise along with everything else. I'm curious. How much do you, as a UK citizen, have to pay for a proof-of-income statement from your embassy?

I'm not so sure. When they want something I'm eating, it doesn't seem to matter where my plate is. And don't get upset if they don't ask first. Also, if there is only one item left on a serving plate, we usually ask if anyone wants it before we take it for ourselves. The Thais usually just take it if they want it.

Well, since you're old enough to know who she is:

I suppose a question of legality kind of negates whether it is correct to call it a custom, a peeve, or anything else. The real point is you better be very careful when crossing streets as a pedestrian in Thailand.

Airline Considers Fee for Lavatory Use By A. Pawlowski, CNN (CNN) -- Fresh on the heels of one budget airline announcing that it will ask passengers to pay extra to bring carry-on bags on board, another is considering charging them for using the lavatory. Ryanair, which is based in Dublin, Ireland, and bills itself as "Europe's first and largest low fares airline," is mulling a plan that would require travelers to pay either 1 euro or 1 British pound (about $1.33 or $1.52) for using the bathroom on flights lasting one hour or less. The plan, titled "Ryanair Cost Saving Proposal," was published in the airline's inflight magazine. The carrier said it is working with Boeing to develop a coin-operated door release so that when nature calls, passengers would need to deposit the change before being able to use the facilities. Airline considers fee for lavatory use

Passport Fees Going Up Next Week By A. Pawlowski, CNN July 7, 2010 (CNN) -- Get ready to open your wallet a little wider to satisfy your travel bug: It is soon going to cost more to apply for a new U.S. passport or renew an old one -- a move criticized by the public and some lawmakers. Starting next Tuesday, adults applying for their first passport book will have to pay $135 -- a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee. (The cost of the wallet-size passport card, which Americans can use on certain trips closer to home, is rising from $45 to $55 for first-time applicants.) Want to add more visa pages to your passport book? It's free now, but you will have to shell out $82 under the new fee schedule. The renewal fee for passport books will rise to $110 -- up from the current $75. There's even a new fee if you'd like formally to renounce your U.S. citizenship -- it costs nothing now, but the price tag will be $450 starting Tuesday. Passport fees going up next week http://travel.state.gov/news/news_5078.html

Is that really a custom, though? I see it as peeve more than a custom.

Why? Don't you think a little experience is better than a virgin with none at all? And speaking of virgins, you know those terrorists who are convinced they'll get 77 virgins, or however many, when they enter Valhalla? I hope they do. And I also hope every one of those virgins bear a strong resemblance to:

The first thing I would add is that these customs do not necessarily apply to all Thais and do not necessarily apply to the same degree. I've seen plenty of exceptions to every one of these on the list and I've also seen plenty of times when many of these customs are considered highly important. One thing I don't see on your list is the custom of removing shoes when entering a home, even if it's a dumpy hovel of an apartment. You are also expected to remove your shoes when entering places of worship. It's also considered good form to wear long pants when entering places of worship, but again the degree to which that is enforced or cared about is quite variable. But entering a place of worship in shorts and a tank top is definitely frowned upon at best.

I'm certainly happy with mine, at least now. When I first bought it and tried it out, it said, "Not on the first date!" I finally did score, but I had to get it drunk first . . .

I don't think that's so illogical. When you take a boy off, it's not necessarily for sexual purposes. I'm sure many take boys off only to take them to an opera, followed by viewing their etchings, ending with a glass of warm milk and then giving him a cookie and sending him home. Don't you agree . . . ?

Bottom line: Did he get it?

I don't think anyone is trying to do that. Certainly lack of logic applies anywhere. My continual references to the great and sainted Dan Quayle ought to illustrate that. And, if I was applying my "I Don't Get It" list to the USA, it would be infinitely longer than my list as it applies to Thailand. A country that has people who actually support fine folks such as Jimmy Swaggart, Fred Phelps, and the Ku Klux Klan definitely merits an "I Don't Get It" list. I don't think anyone is trying to come across as superior. It's just fun to point out some of the curious things we observe and experience in Thailand and wonder where, or even if, logic applies. My most recent example is something that I noticed only yesterday. In the area at which I live there is a hell of a lot of new construction going on. About two years ago the Bank of Ayudhya opened a branch office in that area. Yesterday I was passing by and I noticed a bank branch office under construction, less than half a block up the street from the Bank of Ayudhya branch office. When it opens, you know what bank it will be? Bank of Ayudhya! Two branch offices of the same bank, virtually across the street from one another. That might actually make some sense if they were going to close the first office in favor of the new one going in, except for one little thing. From what I understand they're not planning to close that first office. They're simply going to have two of them. I'd say that no matter where you come from, that's just a wee bit difficult to figure out . . . And speaking of "I Don't Get It" -> "The USA was founded by slave owners who wanted to be free. And they're banning toy guns, but they're gonna keep the fuckin' real ones!" - George Carlin

However it happened, I believe it was unintentional. I've never heard of anything like this happening before. I think it was just a fluke and RichLB was unfortunate enough to be at the wrong ATM at the wrong time. Murphy's Law strikes again.

I truly believe that. Few people would dispute that the deck chairs are about the most uncomfortable choice of chair types there can be, but the same style deck chairs are used at virtually every beach in Thailand. Why? I'm convinced that somebody has arranged something with somebody. And the uniformity regulations make no sense to me either. The chairs have to be lined up just so, and it has to be those chairs. Many of the concessions keep a few plastic chairs available upon request, but woe be unto the concession that ever puts in any other kinds of chairs.