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They were normal until you got here . . .

Pattaya Songkran Festivities announced at Press Conference 10th April 2010 On Friday Afternoon at Central Festival Pattaya Beach, Khun Itipon, the Mayor of Pattaya led a press conference to announce the local activities for the Pattaya Songkran Festival. (Click the link for specifics): Pattaya Songkran

I can appreciate why you feel that way, but I think you might be carrying things a little too far. I truly believe that while there are many who are just as you describe, there are many more who want to make money by working in the bars, but they're not out to cheat or steal from people to get it. The problem is the difficulty in determining who the "rotten apples" are. Too many people find out who they are the hard way. We've gone over the common sense precautions on this board many times. If you take the precautions and use common sense, then you should be fine.

Today both the police and the military moved in to try to start dispersing the Red-Shirts. At the time of this post, 135 injuries have been reported. Thus far no deaths have been reported. The protests have also caused operations to be suspended at 4 BTS stations. There is one report that Red-Shirt leaders have urged protesters to destroy those stations. The USA embassy has issued several alerts, which can be viewed at: Public Announcements and Warden Messages - U.S. Embassy Bangkok, Thailand Both THE NATION and the BANGKOK POST have published numerous articles about today's activities. Rather than pick and choose articles to post here, I think it is better that you check out their web sites yourselves. Bangkok Post The Nation It would be very helpful if those of you who currently are in Bangkok would be kind enough to post your own observations and reports of trouble spots. I'm not in Bangkok, so I don't know how safe or dangerous it might be to go to Bangkok at the moment. What I do know is Pattaya is perfectly safe and everything in Pattaya is functioning normally. There hasn't even been any Songkran splashings yet. Personally I would not choose Bangkok as a holiday spot just now, but all is normal in Pattaya.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find this part of the story a little strange? Since when do these boys get calls from the mama-sans after being taken off? As a matter of fact, the entire story seems a little strange to me, not to mention the fact that all this supposedly took place in January and we're hearing about it in April. However, assuming the story is true and this really happened, how do you know this wasn't a set-up? He has to go back now? Back where? The bar? I'll bet anything that he called the mama-san, if it really even was the mama-san, while you were in the bathroom. You don't find the timing of that just a wee bit convenient? If you're not pulling our legs, then you were most likely conned into giving him money without him having to do a damned thing. And then you followed it up with a gift? I'll accept that your story is true, but I sure as hell don't accept that his story was true. It's absurd. Just when the sex is about to happen he can no longer stay because he has to visit mama in the hospital the next day? He needed the mama-san to remind him of that, especially at just the right moment? And even if he really was going to visit mama in the hospital the next day, why would that cause him to be unable to stay with you long enough to 'take care you'? If it were me I would have gotten rid of him quick and stayed rid of him. And most, if not all, of that 500 baht would have remained in my own wallet. You ask if you should take him again on your next trip. Are you kidding me? My advice would be don't walk away from him, but run. The only way I would take him again would be if I want him to take me again.

I know Thai Airways and Air Asia have several non-stop flights per day. I've never checked other carriers.

Actually, there is one. Pattayaland Soi 3, the soi where The Ambiance and Le Café Royale are, is perfectly safe. No water splashing is allowed in that soi. Not ever, not even on "the big day." Of course, getting to and from that soi . . . .

It's hard to predict. My experience has been that along Pattaya Tai there will be some splashing going on, and it will escalate over the week, but until the big day there won't be very much. If you walk close to the businesses and as far from the street as you can, there shouldn't be any problem. They don't splash the businesses. It's mostly vehicles splashing each other until the big day, so you'll probably be ok for the most part from the 12th to the 17th. I wouldn't want to bet the rice farm on it, though. You never know what some people, especially drunken low-life farang, might do, so even though you probably won't get splashed in that area it is still a good idea to protect anything that water could damage. You should be safe in Sunee. They all know the farang don't come there to get splashed and the boys don't usually splash each other very much in Sunee. But again it can't hurt anything to protect anything prone to water damage. During that 12th to 17th (and 18th) period, the most likely areas to get splashed will be along Beach Road, especially along the north part where the open air girlie bars are. That's where a lot of farang hang out and start splashing people, especially those in baht buses. The same thing happens along Second Road, also in the area close to Central Road (Pattaya Klang). This year will be the first time that the new Central Festival has been a factor, so it's anybody's guess what may go on. Another problem spot is on the way to and from the beach. As soon as you pass the Thepprasit Road intersection, that's usually where the trouble starts, again more by drunken farang than by Thais. Once you're at the beach there is never any splashing. The best solution, if you don't want to be splashed, is to ask the baht bus driver if you can sit up front with him. If he says no, wait for a baht bus on which the driver says yes. Pattaya also now has those taxis, which might also be a solution. It really shouldn't be that bad until about the 17th, but again you just never know. You might recall that last year the Red Shirts caused major disruption in Pattaya just before Songkran. I posted daily reports of my own observations beginning on the 13th last year. If you review that thread it may give you an idea of what to expect: Meanwhile, Songkran in Pattaya Also, don't forget that when it comes to mealtime, if you're reluctant to go out, there's always Waiter on Wheels and Door-2-Door. They do quite a bit of business during Songkran.

You've definitely caught my interest. Can you tell us more details, such as what kind of gay nightlife you did manage to find and where it is, along with where one would go to cruise in Luang Prabang?

I'm embarrassed to admit that 'baht forward' is a term with which I am not familiar. Can you explain it?

You'll find everything you want to know about Songkran 2010 in the following PATTAYA MAIL article: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd2

I think you will be pleased with the person with whom I put you in touch. I hope others will also make suggestions. As for getting there, if you're looking for a more inexpensive way to do it, it's a lot less expensive if you fly to Udon Thani. Buses go from the airport to the border crossing at Nong Khai. From there you can pay the fees to enter Laos, clear customs, and another bus will take you across the Friendship Bridge into Laos. On the other side there are tuk-tuks and buses that can take you into Vientiane. It is far less expensive to do it that way than flights from Bangkok to Vientiane and I think also a much more interesting way to do it. Don't forget to obtain a re-entry permit from Immigration before you go.

Not in Luang Prabang. There is the Thai embassy in Vientiane. In Laos, that's all there is.

Apparently, at least on the various gay Thailand boards, board owners, moderators, and people prominent in the gay community here are considered fair game for the "crucifiers." As far as I can tell everyone who has been a board owner or moderator, and is also identifiable, has been flamed at least once. Of course, those who do the flaming never seek out the person they are flaming, identify themselves, and discuss whatever their problem is personally. It's much easier to hide behind anonymity and blast away. The very fact that they hide behind anonymity is the reason they have no credibility. It brings to mind two quotes: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." - Harry Truman "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts." - Peter O'Toole, 'Lawrence of Arabia"

Pattaya City Hall in conjunction with U-Tapao airport directors and local businesses and institutes joined together in announcing the official opening of a tourism link between Pattaya City and Luang Prabang, Laos. Pattaya, the 8th of April 2010 [PDN]: In a meeting at Pattaya City Hall on Thursday, Pattaya City Deputy Mayor Ronnakit Ekasing, Rear Admiral Suraphon Aisanon (U-Tapao Airport Vice-Director) and associated businesses and institutes joined to announce the opening date for an air travel link between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos. The planned route is designed to benefit the tourism industries of both countries by opening up new avenues of travel. http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/04/08/pattaya-laos-air-travel-link-announced/

Whether that is true or not, it brings up an issue I believe is more important than the attributes of an individual bar, or any other venue for that matter. I believe toilet facilities should be kept clean and odor-free, especially the venues that cater to farang customers. Every other aspect of a venue can be perfect, but if a customer walks into a disgusting restroom, a great many will not return to that venue. How hard is it for owners to see to it that the restrooms are clean and pleasant? Perhaps some owners don't see it as a major issue, but a great many customers do see it that way and I don't see any excuse for customers to have to use unacceptable facilities when nature calls. Also, when restroom facilities are unsanitary and virtually ignored, it certainly makes me wonder about the sanitation of the rest of the venue, especially the containers from which I am drinking. It would be difficult to convince me that scrupulous attention is paid to the cleanliness and sanitary qualities of the drinking glasses when nobody seems to give a damn about the restroom facilities. It seems to me that it should be a simple problem to take care of. Unfortunately, this complaint has been around for years, but in many cases it has fallen on deaf ears. The filthy restroom issue made it to my "I Don't Get It" list a long time ago. And I still don't get it. Why won't some of these venues clean up their facilities? What's the hard part?

It doesn't matter to me that I don't know him personally. If I do know him without realizing, it still doesn't matter to me. Why should it? What matters to me is how good of a moderator he will be and judging from the posts I've seen from him, including the ones in which we disagree, I have every reason to believe he will be an excellent moderator and a major asset to this board. Stirring up controversy is not a factor for me. Again, why should it be? I've certainly stirred up plenty of controversy myself, haven't I? Whether I know who z909 actually is or not, or whether I would have any reason to be upset if I knew who he is, as you imply, I'm very glad he wants to be a moderator here. By the way, our third moderator, TLP - I don't know who he actually is either. If either of them want me to know, I'm sure they will tell me.

To my mind, as long as the boys are at least 18 years old, then there's no such thing as a "bad" bar. It's either a bar you happen to like or a bar you happen to dislike. Considering the variety of individual tastes, what some may see as a "bad" bar is to others a favorite bar. I think it makes more sense to describe what you see and experience, but let people judge for themselves about it being good or bad.

I appreciate that and I agree with your thoughts about Z909.

And, by the way, for the person who has been sending me PMs, finding his recent posts deleted, and finding himself placed on moderated mode, once again I'll tell you I have deleted nothing and I am not the one who placed you on moderated mode. You're complaining to the wrong person.

I haven't had time to read everything that came up, but from what I did read I still don't see anything that indicates any of the powers-that-be don't want foreigners to own bars. As for the rest of it, nothing new there. Those stories have been around for weeks. As seems to always happen, at first there really did seem to be a crackdown. Now most of that has fizzled out. It never seems to take long.

I agree with that. Before getting involved, as a farang, in any business in Thailand, and especially the go-go bar business, you better make sure you know what you're doing. And message boards, including this one, would be the last place I would look for reliable business information. There is also a lot more to running a bar than buying it and then just handing over the actual business operations to a Thai manager and mama-san. Some have tried that. They're the ones who are now searching for their shirts in the lost-and-found. The one exception I would make to message board information would be the posts about what people like and dislike about bars. Those posts are coming from people who are the customers and I would damned sure pay attention, very close attention, to what the customers are saying. Why so many bar owners, Thai and farang, simply ignore what the customers say goes beyond me. It has been made very clear on these boards what customers want and don't want. The bars that do pay attention are the ones getting our business. The bars that don't are the ones pretty much empty night after night. That's obvious to everybody else. Why isn't it obvious to the bar owners? Welcome once again to my "I Don't Get It" list.

If it were me, I would ask current farang owners what they think. The poster wrote, "The word is out." I have heard no such word and he did not say who it was that put the word out, on what basis that word was given, or who "they" is. If I was truly interested in investing in a bar, I would not rely solely on an unsupported statement posted by an anonymous message board poster. I would be talking to farang bar owners, Thai accountants, and Thai attorneys.

Do you mean Foodland, Tops or Carrefour? There is no Lotus on Pattaya Klang.