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After trip reports--the meat and potato of this forum, threads like this represent to me the reason why the forum exists and prospers: it gives members an an opportunity to discuss and debate topics that catch their collective interest. We've had contributions that discussed the unknown factors, offered solutions, considered morality, related personal experience and provided some comic relief. The ancient Greek senate functioned not unlike this. Ideas emerge from time to time that that fit into this category. It may not be obvious from the OP, but one post leads to another and more members become drawn into the discussion. Over on the Gaybutton board, the campaign and administration one Donald Trump has been attracting posts for over two years now. It has a loyal following and reflects what many of its members enjoy debating. That's a healthy indicator as is the run of this thread. The more who contribute, the likelihood of reaching some sort of consensus is heightened. That can't be a bad thing. Even if we don't, it's still entertaining.

Size of bottle has yet to be established. As this very moment the same Scotland Yard inspectors who helped the BIB pin the Koh Tao murders on those Myanmar guys is en route to Swampy to get to the bottom of this. Room will be swept by forensic team and depositions taken. No bottle will be left unturned. If you're certain it was a miniature bottle, expect to among those interrogated.

He's one tough customer but perhaps the guy in second from last photo (short, bubble-but type, second from right) might pass his initial round of elimination process. He seems very much in the doable weight range. Alas, we cannot remotely measure skin temperature.

A quick visit to Trip Advisor yielded a few interesting pics guests submitted of mini bars in their upscale Bangkok hotels. Dream Hotel Sheraton Grande Although published by Trip Advisor in 2013, I believe it remains a good representation of what guests world-wide continue to value when it comes to hotel amenities: Most Important Hotel Amenities for U.S. Travelers 1. Free In-Room Wi-Fi (89%) 2. Free Parking (89%) 3. Free Breakfast (84%) 4. Free Personal Care Items (72%) 5. Free Lobby Wi-Fi (71%) Least Important Hotel Amenities for U.S. Travelers 1. Mini Bar (21%) 2. Spa/Beauty Treatments (23%) 3. Business Center (34%) 4. Laundry Service (39%) 5. Free Pool-Side Wi-Fi (42%) The following list of average mini-bar mark-ups from Huffington Post (2015) reflects US prices. In Thailand, where imported wine and spirits can be prohibitively expensive, you can expect even higher baht equivalent prices. The only thing I want to find in my mini bar is a refrigerator with some complimentary water. I can easily get anything else I need at 7-Eleven or Family Mart.

The Guardian (UK) posted this photo (provided by authorities), showing cops displaying the "evidence" confiscated in the raid. It apparently consisted mainly of condoms and lubricants--stuff that could be purchased at most pharmacies. The heavily-armed Swat team in background creates interesting optics. Some noteworthy quotes from the Guardian account: When asked about what the people in the spa were doing at the time of the raid, Yuwono noted that it was dark at the time. “LGBT is clearly between men and men or same-sex relationships. Male prostitution,” Yuwono said, without clarifying further. He said those charged could face up to six years in prison under Indonesia’s pornography law. “There’s a cashier, the manager there and also those providing facilities like towels and other things,” he said. I'm sure readers were shocked, shocked to learn that there was a manager and a cashier preseent and that towels were provided. That explains why the Swat team was required, I guess. Give me good, old Thailand any day.

Bangkok Post is reporting that International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has removed the "red flag" from Thailand, allowing Thai carriers to expand international routes. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1338422/aviation-red-flag-lifted

Based on comments, it appears there's three perspectives on loin cloths: aesthetic, function and comfort. Aesthetic -- compared to briefs (jockey) style, some of the loin cloths seem less revealing of what they cover (a common complaint made against boxers): Other loin cloths designs, however, are noticeably more revealing: Function -- loin cloths offer the wearer ease of movement and easy access to what they cover: Comfort -- since it's somewhat unlikely that more than a few readers have actually worn one, much is left to the imagination. Some enthusiasts claim it improves circulation. At the end of the video in the OP, the narrator observes: "some businessmen say that it even boosts performance in the workplace," although just what business they're engaged in wasn't mentioned. To assist in evaluating the comfort angle from afar, these candid photos may help stimulate the imagination: Hope this encourages more exploration. Who knows? It may even get Christian to reconsider his initial reaction.

Located this BBC special report released in January this year: Life and death on Thailand's lethal roads There is a ritual that is now very familiar to Thais, before the two big holiday seasons of the year, in late December for the new year, and in April for the Songkran Festival. The government will set a target for reducing fatalities on Thailand's notoriously dangerous roads, exhorting Thais not to speed, or drink and drive. Sometimes good citizens will run publicity stunts, like the coffin-maker, who last year invited journalists to film the huge stockpile his workers were building up for the holiday season. And every year these efforts fail. The grim statistics of death and injury on the roads are tallied each day in the media with, as often as not, worse figures than the year before. And so it was this last new year - 478 people lost their lives on the roads in just seven days. In one horrific collision in Chonburi on 2 January, 25 people died - some burned to death in a crushed and overcrowded passenger van they could not escape. Road accidents in Thailand 2nd in the world for road accident deaths, after Libya 24,000 people are estimated to die on Thai roads every year 73% of those killed are motorcyclists 36.9m vehicles ply Thai roads - it's gone up by 30% in the last five years World Health Organization Continues with video http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38660283

Damn good advice. Many, many years ago (when I was indeed a young man) I was on one of my frequent trips to the Fort Lauderdale area. I had brought along one of the popular gay guide books of the day and noted that there was, for lack of a better term, a small sex club operating out of an old motel in nearby Hollywood. Off I went in the rental car my first evening and found the place as advertised. The owner had taken three rooms at the end of a remote wing of the single story building, replaced the beds with old sofas and opened the connecting doors between the rooms. I think there there was a modest entrance fee and a bar where they sold cans of beer and soft drinks. The crowd appeared to be mostly local and young which was fine with me. I quickly settled in, spotted a cute guy and offered him a beer. We spent the next hour or so on one of those sofas, doing what came naturally. As we were saying our good byes, I instinctively checked my pockets. My cash was there but a folded wad of $25 travelers checks I couldn't find. I asked him, loudly I'm sure, if he taken them and he denied it, inviting me to search him. I declined and left in an angry mood, slamming the door. As I climbed back in the car I noticed my windbreak on the floor by the passenger seat. A sudden sinking feeling came over me. I quickly located the checks in one of its pockets. My first thought was to just get the hell out of there but then I though of the young guy I had falsely accused in front of his friends. I swallowed my pride and returned to the club. I approached the boy and apologized as sincerely as I could. He replied in a quiet voice, "I told you I didn't do it, why didn't you believe me?" I had no answer but I turned and looked toward the on-lookers and announced that i had been wrong and that this guy was no thief. No one said a word. I left in humiliation, knowing that i deserved every bit of it. I hadn't thought about that for a long time but vinapu's account instantly brought it back.

Escapes from grim reaper--no matter how narrow--are always better than the alternative.

Well, I'll meet you halfway on this quote. I agree that If an Australian visits Thailand, the probability of death is lower than visiting The Philippines. As for the remainder of the sentence (so Thailand cannot possibly be the most dangerous country, based on this data), it still remains the most dangerous in terms of greatest incidence of death. In any case, our arguing about how many angels can dance on the top of a pin comes as little solace to the 329 Aussies who met their death in both destinations.

Thanks for the vote, 909, but I look forward to our acknowledged expert on all things undie, Christianpfc, to weigh in.

If the minibar contents are in a separate cabinet, some hotels will lock them on request. If they're out in the open, you could always hide the liquor bottles before going out for the night, leaving only the less costly items on display. There's good advice in posts above. I think the bottom line comes down to just how memorable was your time with this guy. If he makes the "definitely want to do this again" category, forget about the loss and move on. If he doesn't make the cut, there are plenty of others who will. And in any case, you're wiser for the experience.

Volunteers are hitting the streets of Tokyo to clean up trash and spread the word about the latest trend in underwear: the loincloth. Not quite sure if they would pass muster with the board's authority on the subject. Video from Rueters TV http://www.reuters.tv/v/aG2/2017/10/06/volunteers-clean-up-tokyo-in-loincloths

True, but it will be interesting to see how this works out. These machines are already in quite a few 7-Elevens. And the Leo beer must be paying a hefty fee for product placement.

May the force remain with you and the wind be always at your back. And it can't hurt to pray that the odds remain in your favor.

The journalist didn't report death rates; he reported total number of deaths. Thailand accounted 203 and the Philippines 126. Those are accurate numbers and not in dispute by either of us. You're therefore not justified in calling the journalist lazy for reporting the truth.

Then why don't you get off your high horse and prove it? the numbers are are all available in great detail at the link. Or are you as lazy as you say the reporters were?

It's also the truth...or do you have a problem with that?

The figures reported by ABC News Australia are the same as those reported by the government. The actual numbers reported by Australian authorities can be easily accessed by clicking on following link to that report: http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-services/consular-services/Pages/consular-state-of-play-2016-17.aspx If you have contrary data by all means please do the math and correct the lazy journalism.

You seem to overlook that I acknowledged that you made a great point in your original post: I didn't disagree with you on that. Think I stated pretty clearly what I thought when I said it's admirable to have the courage of your convictions. It's one thing to talk the talk, another altogether to walk the walk. I did imply that those (you in this case) who believe that the villages must be backwards to enjoy cock fighting should have no problem then in confronting them. I leave it to you to select your own favorite color because it would be presumptuous of me to do so.

Great point, bkkguy. I wish you Godspeed on your next trip to an Issan where you set the backward villagers straight, and again when you do the likewise in Africa and middle east where even more heinous practices exist. It's fine to have convictions; it's admirable when you exhibit the courage of those convictions. Relinquish nothing, as the second amendment advocates say.

From Coconuts Bangkok After Thai netizens got just a little too excited about a new Leo beer-pouring machine at a 7-Eleven store in Bangkok’s Chinatown this week, Thai officials had to intervene. A video of fresh draft beer being poured from the automatic machine went viral on the Facebook page “Thai Smile” earlier this week. See how the machine tilted the plastic cup for the perfect pour? And at just THB49 (about US$1.50) for a cup of the draft brew, it’s a tasty bargain. While most commenters obviously dig the awesome machine, the Office of Alcohol Committee traveled to the convenience store yesterday after receiving “complaints” from people that questioned whether or not it was legal, Manager reported. When they arrived, it was found that 7-Eleven had the beer machine covered with a big white cloth that hid beer logo, meaning they are not in breach on Thailand’s Alcohol Control Act, which prohibits “advertising or displaying names or trademarks of alcoholic beverage deemed to induce people to drink it.” So thanks to that big white cloth, we can still have the Leo machine at 7-Eleven. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/food-drink/now-its-legal-officials-allow-it-after-7-eleven-covers-viral-beer-machine-with-big-white-cloth-video/

From ABC News Australia Thailand is the most dangerous destination for Australian tourists, with 203 deaths recorded in the last year. Philippines was next with 126 deaths, followed by Indonesia, the United States and Vietnam. The main causes of death were illness, natural causes and accidents. The figures are part of an annual Consular State of Play report issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Thailand also topped the list of consular cases (893), hospitalisations (195) and missing persons reports (74) during the 2016/17 financial year. Officials urged Australians to take out travel insurance and warned of the limits to the consular services available. "We may limit our assistance if we consider the circumstances warrant, for example, where the person's actions were illegal, or has put themselves or others at risk through deliberate or repeated reckless or negligent acts, or the person has a pattern of behaviour that has required multiple instances of consular assistance previously. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-05/thailand-tops-the-list-of-deadly-destinations-for-australians/9020610

I think we're seeing just how well prepared the gun lobby was for this event before it even occurred. They knew, sooner or later, something on this scale was inevitable. Instead of launching a robust confrontational response, they opted for a more philosophical and reflective approach: the shooter was a deranged and evil man and such men will always exist because of the nature of evil; we should wait to see what the investigation turns up before discussing any legislative solution. This was the mantra rolled out over the past 48 hours. Don't sound angry. Regularly mention the mental health angle (because that's where NRA wants to steer the discussion) and sound like you want to be part of the solution. This response has been consistent from Trump to politicians and differs from the usual bombastic retort we're accustomed to seeing from the gun lobby. The NRA is content to leave the messaging to others while still orchestrating strategy. Sadly, it will probably succeed. What's often overlooked in second amendment debates is what's at the heart of the right to own a gun among so many. There have been two wars that left their imprint in the minds of Americans: the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. When the former broke out, it was a rag tag group of men, formed loosely into local militias, that provided the initial opposition using their own, personal firearms. In the Civil War, many men from both sides reported for duty with their own rifles and handguns. And although the north eventually provided arms, the Confederates mostly continued to rely on their own firearms for the duration. This resulted a well-defined doctrine in the minds of most Americans: you have not just a right but an obligation to keep a gun to defend yourself, your family, and your community. Some, of course have taken it a step further and foresee a need to protect themselves from the power of the state itself. This is why I believe any meaningful legislation remains unlikely even in the face of such tragedies.