reader

Yes you are, TW, yes you are indeed.

Glad, you can't even remember what you posted in the same thread. In post #6, you advise: "Five days in CM should be enough to cover most of the major sights comfortably. As you've been to CM previously, you can zero in on the places you'd like to visit." In post #9 you advise: "I think I might have misread your earlier post. I think you should go to Chiang Mai if you've never been." WTF? Across the three boards, you have more personas than you can keep track of and in most you present yourself as a sexy young guy when you're anything but. But we still luv ya' even if your meds are screwing with your mind.

That's because you are one, LOL. Oh course he isn't. How can your right palm be Thai or farang?

Agree that it's hard to trace cash transactions but passport required when exchanging currencies or cashing TC's so authorities have a fairly good handle on who's converting how much to the baht. ATM withdrawals from foreign banks are easily tracked. CC transactions provide a wealth of data about where foreigners are spending. Rich Egyptians and other well-heeled Middle-Easterners probably choose the LOS for some of the same reasons we--and those of the other persuasion--do. But we shouldn't neglect Benjamin Disraeli's take on stats: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

From Pattaya One A video of Maha Sarakham police using Y-shaped and hooked sticks to subdue a frantic drunken man, which went viral on Monday, was part of a wider strategy, it was revealed. It is part of Provincial Police Region 4 training to reduce injuries to suspects and arresting police when attempting to subdue knife-wielding or agitated people, said Muang Maha Sarakham precinct superintendent Colonel Chairoj Nakharaj. He said that once a week since last year, each precinct under Provincial Police Region 4 has had a team of four officers trained in how to use three Y-shaped and one hook-shaped stick to subdue suspects. The hook stick is used to pull a suspect off their feet and the Y-shaped sticks are used to hold them down. http://pattayaone.news/en/stick-method-subdue-suspects/

As they might, let's say, with a Singaporean exchange student studying in Chiang Mai?

The BP published this article today, listing 39 categories of professions reserved for Thais. I don't see "massage" or "entertainment" among them. Perhaps they're lumped under labour work. From Bangkok Post The Employment Department will revise the list of 39 professions reserved for Thai citizens to accommodate the changing circumstances of Thai workers. Director-general Varanon Peetiwan said on Wednesday the list had not been updated for a long time, but the circumstances of Thai society had changed. The list included bricklaying which proved not to interest Thai workers any longer, he said. The number of reserved professions was 39 but the cabinet had already allowed migrants to work as labourers and domestic helpers, Mr Varanon said. The Employment Department would invite representatives of professions to help revise the list to better respond to situation and economic condition, he said. The 1979 list of reserved professions comprised: (list continues at) http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1290075/list-of-jobs-reserved-for-thais-to-be-revised

Tabulate voluntary answers to the immigration card you submit upon arrival, review mega data on financial transactions and conduct random interviews at Swampy. While waiting for my return flight on last trip, I was approached by an pleasant, English-speaking young Thai woman who asked if I'd be willing to answer some questions about my visit. She wasn't interested in any personal information (other than nationality) but was very interested in length of stay, how much I spent on airfare, daily accommodations, meals, purchases and activities (and yes, massages was among them along with cultural tours, local travel, and medical care). The government is well-aware of why so many foreigners are choosing to visit the LOS. It's obviously very much interested in promoting the ways outside currencies enter the nation and not interested in taking actions that would reduce that flow. It should come as no surprise that they see the value in extended stay, high-spending visitors. I see no difference in their objective than I do in that of other nations.

It be, I assure you. Many plausible factors have been cited and I believe that they all can come into play depending upon the individuals involved. I think of it as a wonderful puzzle we get to continually explore knowing that we'll never fully arrive at a final solution. But be aware that there is a danger in overthinking all this: our fantasy may vanish--along with our erection--at a most inconvenient moment.

From Bloomberg News Focus instead is on boosting daily spending and length of stay Thailand is now so popular for holidays that almost 35 million foreign tourists -- equivalent to half the country’s population -- are expected this year. As the influx gets harder to manage, the government is shifting strategy. It’s now targeting a minimum increase in tourism revenue of about 5 percent annually instead of a particular number of visitors, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said. That means encouraging longer stays and higher daily spending, a mix the typical Australian holidaymaker exemplifies, she said. “Maybe they’re the ones who are like: this is my time -- I eat, I shop, and I eat, and I shop," Kobkarn, 56, said in an interview. Australian visitors were among the top 10 biggest spenders in terms of per capita daily expenditure last year, forking out 5,831 baht ($172), Tourism Ministry data shows. Their average length of stay of almost 14 days was the highest in that group. Some nationalities take even longer holidays but tend to be more parsimonious. British tourists, for instance, stayed for just over 18 days on average while spending 4,376 baht daily. “We no longer have a target for number of tourists,” she said. “We shouldn’t go beyond the limit that we can cope. But there’s no statistic on that yet. When people say that Phuket may be too crowded, or Bangkok is too crowded, we have to make sure that we are introducing new destinations too.” Arrivals from overseas more than doubled in the past decade, powered by a surge in Chinese holidaymakers who contributed 28 percent of 1.6 trillion baht in foreign tourism receipts in 2016. Quality doesn’t just mean targeting wealthy tourists as Thailand needs travelers on a variety of budgets, Kobkarn said. Instead, it refers to offering good value experiences that encourage return visits, increase the average length of stay and bolster daily spending per head, she said. Even as Kobkarn tries to focus on revenue targets rather than visitor numbers, arrivals are projected to climb, whether drawn by the allure of white-sand beaches in resorts such as Krabi, the gastronomic delights of Bangkok or the perennially notorious sex capital Pattaya. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-16/spendthrift-aussies-embody-thailand-s-new-strategy-for-tourism

From CNN (CNN) — Thailand is a country blessed by an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Navigate a local market and you'll find a diverse selection of fresh produce in massive quantities. Sounds like a dream destination for vegetarians, right? Not so fast. Once you sit down and browse a Thai restaurant menu, you'll soon realize that pork is an obsession in Thailand and fish sauce is a main flavoring ingredient in many dishes. But don't worry, one of the great things about Thailand is that in most restaurants your food isn't cooked until you order it. This means that you can specify exactly what you want to exclude from your dish before it is prepared. I wrote the Vegetarian Thai Food Guide to show travelers who don't eat meat exactly how to take advantage of the famous tongue-pleasing flavors of Thai cuisine. Here are a few tips from it. To stick to your vegetarian or vegan diet in Thailand, it's helpful to understand the Thai view of vegetarianism. "Vegetarian" loosely translates to "mang sa wirat" (มังสวิรัติ), a word that specifies you don't eat noticeable pieces of meat or seafood. Everything else -- including eggs, meat stock, fish sauce or other animal products -- is fair game. Just not chunks of meat. Vegan translates similarly to the Thai word "jay" (เจ), referring to a person who eats no meat, no seafood, no animal byproducts, no garlic, and even excludes a few herbs and vegetables that have too pungent of a flavor. The first thing you'll need to do is tell the cook or waiter that you are vegetarian: "ben mang sa wirat" (เป็นมังสวิรัต). To play it completely safe, you can say "gin jay" กินเจ). When you order your dish, emphasize again that you are vegetarian and make sure to mention that you want your food without any form of meat ("mai gin neua sat" ไม่กินเนื้อสัตว์). After that you can give further personal requests like no fish sauce ("mai ow nam bplaa" ไม่เอานำ้ปลา) or no oyster sauce ("mai ow nam man hoy" ไม่เอาน้ำมันหอย). To get you started, here are five popular Thai dishes and tips on how to order completely vegetarian versions of them. Continues at http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/thai-food-vegetarians-guide/index.html

Sounds like a plan! Regarding polluted beaches I mentioned, came across this on Pattaya One. Shamed into action by social media – Pattaya authorities and soldiers in hurried beach clean-up operation After damning reports that Pattaya beaches were an “environmental disaster zone” the local authority and soldiers swooped on the resort. But concerns remain that the action is little more than sticking a plaster on a gaping wound. Social media had been abuzz on Thursday with ghastly pictures of black water, sludge and mountains of rubbish across a large swathe of South Pattaya. One foreigner posted a damning footage of pipes spewing effluent directly into the sea. Yesterday it was all action as dozens of cleaners and soldiers moved to restore some pride to the beaches. Tnews reported that after the clean-up operation there was much less rubbish and the sea was “a better color than the previous day”. Local council representative Wirat Jirasriphaithoon said that the authorities had acted swiftly. He blamed overflow from the drainage system released into the sea to save the city from flooding. He also blamed storms. However, Thaivisa notes that Pattaya residents are unlikely to be convinced that this is anything more than sticking a plaster on a large wound. Many would like to see the underlying problems of dirty, untreated water flowing into the sea being properly addressed. http://pattayaone.news/en/shamed-action-social-media/

Although I rarely get to Pattaya, disappointed to hear that Winner Boys--after a strong start--seems to be suffering the same fate of its neighbors. The owner followed a formula many here and on GBT applauded. The real test will come when high season rolls along. If it doesn't provide the necessary lift it's hard to see how these places can remain above water. In the final analysis, the tipping point may well have less to do the annoyance factors than the dwindling numbers of expats and farangs who have traditionally been the area's bread and butter. And as others above point out, influential local developers continue to envision Pattaya as an altogether different destination. Personally, I don't see how that's possible with the existing transportation infrastructure and the decade or more it would take to upgrade it. Or the pollution of the water on its beaches.

From Bangkok Post Teetering on the line that differentiates a tourist or long-term visitor from an expat is a wealth of knowledge, information and experiences. Being a foreigner who lives and works in Bangkok may make you an expat, but by literary definition only! There are many boxes to tick if you want to become a bona fide Bangkok expat. Here are 25 things you can do or see to earn your legit expat stripes. (continues at) http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1287003/rites-of-passage-bangkok-style

While checking fares i came across a notice on the EVA website, announcing new regulations regarding electronic devices that will come into effect on July 17. An article with more details was published in the Taiwan News. Although I don't know if this is specific to Taiwan or will be implemented world-wide for US-bound flights, I suspect the latter. TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Passengers bound to the U.S. from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport who are carrying electronic devices in their carry-on bags will be subject to tougher screening starting July 17, according to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) which announced the new measures on Thursday. The CAA said that the new restrictions are being implemented to be in compliance with heightened security measures adopted by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Thursday. The TSA launched the measures in response to reports by US intelligence agencies that believe ISIS and other terrorist groups have developed new methods of placing explosives in electronic devices which can evade standard screening techniques. In line with the new TSA guidelines, electronic devices larger than a smartphone such as tablet computers, laptops, e-books, DVD players, digital cameras and video game consoles that are being taken aboard aircraft cabins will be subject to stricter screening. This, however, does not mean that such devices are banned from being carried on board, rather it means that passengers need to prepare to have their devices screened, said the CAA. Starting on July 17, passengers planning to carry such devices on board the plane will be subject to random spot checks at the departure gates, which in some cases could be quite time consuming, as the inspection of each devices could take more than three minutes, according to the CAA. Security officers will be equipped at boarding gates with specialized screening detectors to examine electronic devices for explosive material. The CAA recommends stowing such devices in their check-in luggage to save boarding time. http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3200181

At least we don't have to deal with this dilemma: a contributor to the July 2 Stickman blog complains that some Thai ladies not only wear two pair of panties but even resort to two bras.

From CNN Evidence from a mass vaccination campaign for an outbreak of bacterial meningitis in New Zealand had unexpected results: reduced rates of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, a study published Monday a in the journal The Lancet finds. It is the first time a vaccine has shown any protection against gonorrhea. Scientists say the results provide fresh inspiration for developing a specific vaccine against the STD, which causes about 78 million new cases worldwide each year. In recent years, gonorrhea has shown increasing antibiotic resistance, with some patients unable to be treated with any available drug. Because of this, the World Health Organization includes gonorrhea in its list of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/10/health/gonorrhea-vaccine-study/index.html

The massage guys or offs with a some English will frequently make conversation. I always respond by asking about where they're from and about their families. Some from outside of Thailand describe fears of getting caught working there without a permit. Now, in light of the current crackdown on illegal workers, I'm wondering how much this may have played into MonBoy's decision to return home. I'm inclined to believe that although it factors into the boys' thinking, the resourceful will continue to take their chances and seek their fortunes in BKK and Pattaya. It may not be their ideal life choice, but it's a life that may make it possible to eventually return home for good with the resources to build a new home and get a head start that would otherwise elude them. This, to me, is part of the attraction of getting to know these guys on more than a one-off basis. Sure, I risk getting pulled into their day-to-day existence and likely to be more generous to those who make that special connection. But since I travel half-way around the world to be be among them, I'd be a fool not to take the very risks I seek--with all the due caution I can muster while lying with the naked incarnation of my dreams a short reach away..

From Pattayaone A former Muay Thai champion, once convicted for stabbing a Russian tourist, has been arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill a British man who refused to buy an imitation watch from him in Pattaya. Phayu Sisaeng, 35, was arrested late Sunday night after David Bruce Cowperthwaite, 52, filed a complaint with Pattaya police at about 10pm on Sunday. The Briton owns a sandwich shop in Pattaya and he was accompanied by one of his employees, Chanthana Nupaengtha, 39, in filing the complaint. Chanthana, who works in the shop’s kitchen, told police Phayu came to the sandwich shop at about 11pm on Saturday July 8th and tried to sell the imitation watch to Cowperthwaite but the Brit refused and asked him to leave. Chanthana alleged Phayu became angry and engaged in a fist fight with the shop owner before he left. He alleged that after the shop was closed that night, Phayu returned and shouted outside the shop that he would kill the Briton. Chanthana alleged Phayu returned on Sunday evening and again threatened to kill the Briton, terrifying female staff at the shop. http://pattayaone.news/en/threatening-kill-british-man/

And perhaps it will work for me. Indeed, time will tell.

It's not possible, namazu, for me to come away from your writings without recollections of my own experiences I now feel compelled to relive--and examine--under the lens that your adventures impose. You easily rekindle memories I was content to leave compartmented in the past. You force me to confront unresolved emotions. I find myself recalling faces of those I met over 15 years of visits. How many have returned to the farms, the villages, the families they described to me? How many did not? How did they survive? I don't think it possible to sleep with someone, awake to their smile and then totally erase them from my life. We really don't possess a delete button. My second trip was the first and only time I agreed to be seen off at the airport. It was a week into my last trip when one of my new guys said "I go to airport with you" after asking what day I was leaving. I gently but firmly discouraged him. How much are they pursuing their game plan? How much are we pursuing our's? In the end it probably doesn't matter because we're both destined to repeat the scenario with other players. Some of these guys we may well see again while others simply disappear from our lives. What I'm becoming more aware of is the need to let them know I appreciate the time they shared with me. I hope I treated each with with respect and left them their innate dignity. These, namazu, are the reflections of a much older man who is indebted to you not simply for the entertainment you provide but for the issues you bring forward. And after I finish reading the forum today I'll begin planning my next trip--as I hope you, too, are doing!

From Pattayaone The newly appointed head of the Chonburi Immigration Office said anyone applying for long-term visas would be thoroughly investigated. Pol. Col. Songprode Siri­sukha was introduced as the new Pattaya area immigration chief June 27. Pol. Maj. Satawat Srirattanapong was named deputy in the annual reshuffle. Songprode told his new staff he intends to dedicate his work and commitments toward the security of visitors to Pattaya and the surrounding areas. Part of that will be ensuring that those on long-term visas are safe to have in the country. Therefore, people who are requesting a long-stay permit will be thoroughly investigated for the safety of the community and the nation, he said. He added that illegal immigrants and international criminals will also be a priority. Songprode is said to be a laid-back person with a friendly personality. His policy will be to provide services and welcome visitors with open arms as if they were family, staffers said. Source: Thai Visa http://pattayaone.news/en/immigration-boss-investigation-expats/

Super A, GC and NB's--like just about all other venues of this type--remind me of that boiler plate language oft cited in the investment industry: past performance is no guarantee of future results. My recent visits to all three places met were with immediate attention as I was the only customer. But I acknowledge that much depends on what boys are available on a given night, the position of the moon in its orbit and the hairs on the back of my neck. Looking back on my trip, I'm reminded what a rare experience Thailand presents. The people who read this forum fly in from points all over the globe or have chosen to work or retire there because of its rarity. The boys accept us as we are. That's usually quite different how we're treated at home. If I find myself losing cite of this fact, I hope someone gives me a swift kick in the ass.

Could well be (doing this from memory without notes). Encouraging to hear that Myanmar boys can now be found at Scorpion.

All the Suriwong shops were 500 for an hour. And with the exception of the massage I prematurely ended, always got a full hour of service. Since there are so many in a compact area, it keeps them competitive. Although I didn't patronize it, Indra massage (opposite Tawan) had a load of guys. Went there four years ago was not impressed by the experience. But there's a whole group of new faces there now. Jupiter will be visited next time.