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As disheartening as it was to learn that S. Korea--a first world industrialized nation--discriminates against gay servicemen, it pales in comparison to the torture and coercion taking place in Russian Chechnya. We tend to think that this sort of repression is limited to places like Saudi Arabia. We're lucky, lads. We get to enjoy the freedom to be ourselves. We get to debate the fine points and share our adventures. Reminders like the following makes me value my experiences and acknowledge their unique opportunity in this world. From NY Times GROZNY, Russia — It was supposed to be a night out. But for the young man who calls himself Maksim, as for scores of other gay men arrested in a pogrom this month in Russia’s Chechnya region, it pivoted into nearly two weeks of beatings and torture. Maksim said it had started with a chat room conversation with “a very good old friend who is also gay,” and who suggested that they meet at an apartment. When Maksim arrived, however, he was greeted not by his friend but by agents who beat him. Later, they strapped him to a chair, attached electrical wires to his hands with alligator clips and began an interrogation. “They yelled, ‘Who else do you know?’” Maksim said, and zapped him with current from time to time. “It was unbearably painful; I was hanging on with my last strength,” he added. “But I didn’t tell them anything.” Gay men have never had an easy life in Chechnya. But the targeted, collective punishment of gays that began last month under its pro-Kremlin leader, Ramzan A. Kadyrov, is a new turn in the region’s long history of rights abuses. Novaya Gazeta, an opposition newspaper, first reported the pogrom, saying that at least 100 gay men had been arrested and three killed in the roundup. Human Rights Watch corroborated those findings. The sweep has been widely condemned by Western governments, the United Nations and rights groups. Activists in Russia have set up an underground network to spirit the victims out of Chechnya and to protect them from potentially violent reprisals from their families and others. The victims use assumed names in their everyday dealings. The following account is based on interviews with Maksim, who is in his 20s, and two other gay men who were detained by Chechen security agents. Homosexuality is taboo in Chechnya and the mostly Muslim surrounding areas of the Caucasus region in southern Russia. “This society is highly homophobic,” said Ekaterina L. Sokiryanskaya, Russia project director for the International Crisis Group and an authority on Chechnya. “Homosexuality is condemned. It is believed Islam considers it a great sin.” Nevertheless, before the crackdown, gay men in Chechnya could at least lead social lives, if heavily closeted ones, Maksim said. They met largely in private chat rooms on social networking sites with names like the Village or What the Mountains Are Silent About. “When two gay men meet, they don’t tell one another their true names,” Maksim said. Men met at cafes or at apartments rented for a night, he said. “Nobody suspected my sexual orientation, not even my best friends.” Article continues: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/world/europe/chechnya-russia-attacks-gays.htm

The profit motive is alive and well in the MD community. Once had a doctor try to persuade me have a colonoscopy under general anesthesia! I disabused him of the notion and went elsewhere for the procedure. I've developed a healthy skepticism about initial medical opinions that has served me well over time.

From South China Morning Post A watchdog group says South Korea’s army is hunting down and prosecuting gay servicemen after a video of two male soldiers having sex was posted on the internet earlier this year, stoking fear in an already persecuted minority group. Military investigators looking into the case have threatened soldiers to out their gay peers, confiscated cellphones to check communication records, and even used dating apps to dupe soldiers into revealing their sexual identity, said Lim Tae-hoon, the head of the Military Human Rights Centre for Korea, which tracks down abuses in the armed forces. South Korea’s army says it’s conducting a proper criminal investigation into soldiers allegedly involved with filming and uploading the video, which is a violation of the country’s communications laws and a military penal code that makes homosexual activity punishable by up to two years in prison. The army has denied allegations tha “Military investigators used the information they gained from the investigation on the sex video to track down other gay soldiers in the army, starting by forcing the suspects to identify who they had sex with and then widening their search from there,” said Lim, who said a soldier tipped his group off about the alleged crackdown. In conservative South Korea, gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people are harshly stigmatised and struggle to be politically visible, while a powerful Christian lobby immobilises politicians seeking to pass anti-discrimination laws. That stigma is amplified in the military, where most able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve about two years as the country maintains a large force in the face of potential conflict with North Korea. Gay men are not exempt from conscription but are banned from engaging in homosexual activity while serving, leading to an environment in which they serve without revealing their sexual identity for fear of discrimination and reprisals. http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2089473/sex-tape-featuring-south-korean-soldiers-prompts-crackdown

In effect, there is no difference. It was a slight-of-hand concept of the type officialdom uses to give the appearance of addressing an issue that may reflect poorly on then in the media. It's over with almost before it starts. Although not specifically mentioned in the article, the gay venues are typically required to tone down their shows and dress up their boys until the thing blows over. Sometimes non-Thai guys are required to make themselves scarce for a while. The French news agency AFP visited Pattaya after the Happy Zones were implemented and distributed the following account that was picked up by The Nation. By Agence France-Presse PATTAYA, Thailand In a daring nautical themed outfit, sex worker May confidently predicts the survival of Thai sleaze town Pattaya despite a junta attempt to tame the kingdom's "Sin City". She is bullish because she, like tens of thousands of others in the industry, have no plans to give up their jobs. And there are no signs the hordes of foreign sex tourists are abating. Two hours east of Bangkok, Pattaya's bawdy reputation hails from the Vietnam War era when American GIs partied in their downtime. Today it spins money off its no-holds-barred reputation and its most successful sex workers earn anywhere between 70-150,000 baht ($2-4,400) a month, as much as ten times the national average wage. "I make good money here, for me and my family," May told AFP as she touted for clients near 'Walking Street' -- a mile-long drag festooned with bars and clubs pouring out ear-crushing EDM music. But concerns about the impact on Thailand's reputation have spurred authorities to act, while frequent reports of underage sex workers, drug abuse and mafia operations further muddy Pattaya's name. May, who is transgender, said the strip has felt more subdued in recent weeks as police and soldiers conduct frequent patrols as part of a clean-up ordered by the censorious ruling junta. Police Lieutenant Colonel Sulasak Kalokwilas is one of those tasked with what many might deem the ultimate Sisyphean task: weaning Pattaya off sex. "We are suppressing obscene and dirty shows. We're trying to make those bars disappear," he explained. As he spoke, lines of women stood behind him in revealing outfits enticing punters into bars with names like Taboo and G-Spot as well as Fahrenheit -- a nightspot boasting "The Hottest Girls in Pattaya". "The lady boys and women working there, they are not involved in the sex trade," said Pattaya's police chief Colonel Apichai Kroppeth, echoing the kind of Thai police rhetoric commonly divorced from reality. For many residents of the city the latest moral outrage fits a familiar pattern: negative overseas headlines prompt authorities to launch high-visibility -- yet limited -- crackdowns on an industry that pays the bills for everyone. "You're expecting the poachers to be the gamekeepers?" said one westerner who has made Pattaya his home, when asked if the latest clean-up will work. The sex trade is a cash cow for the bar owners, girls, massage parlours, hotels, taxis, mafia and, many have long alleged, the cops charged with policing. A small "bar fine", usually around 500 baht ($14), secures private "short time" away from the bar where any deal struck for sex is purely between the punter and prostitute. While authorities have vowed to shutter the trade, there is little discussion on what happens to the sex workers -- who often support large families with their earnings. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312573

Agree. But for that to happen, the guys on display would have to first stop getting hard-ons. As much as they hate to admit it, the sight of an erect penis continually reminds them of what a cunt can never do.

Gays men have been generally lamenting the endangered species known as the gay bar. Back in the US, all of the ones I remember from my early adulthood are gone and few that replaced them survived. The diminishing gay bar scene in the LOS is less dramatic but posts keep appearing about the closure of places many of patronized over the years. According to this NY Times article, it's much worse for our female counterparts. The writer, I figure, at least deserves a nod for coming up with this line: "Lesbian bars are dropping faster than drag queens on a slippery stage." From the NY Times CHICAGO — “Where is everyone?” It was a late Saturday night in August 2010. I had just moved to Chicago, and the second my girlfriend and I unloaded the U-Haul (yes! clichés are fun), I sat down on a box in our new apartment and Googled “lesbian bar Chicago.” Two hours later, we stood outside the first search result, hesitating. Nervous sweat trickled down my sides in the unrelenting humidity that I didn’t yet recognize as a defining characteristic of Chicago summers. We were about to meet our new community, a whole sea of queers who had never had any dealings with me or my exes! Music thudded from inside the bar. It seemed promising, so we walked in. No one was there. Continues at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/14/opinion/sunday/i-want-my-lesbian-bars-back.html

Met a guy at Balcony on the last night of my first trip. Saw him on my next visit but only once. He was sweet and we always chatted briefly whenever our paths crossed in Silom or at Babylon (when Babs was still a place to go to meet guys you travel half way around the world to find). Went for about 7-8 years without seeing him again until 2014 when I found myself behind him in a checkout queue at the Tops market below Silom complex. He recognized me before I did him. Although he was with a farang who I assumed was his BF, the eye contact and smiles we exchanged told me he had good memories of me and that he was doing OK. He had matured gracefully and was now in his mid to late 30's (still offable, as Vinapu might say). It's a small world. Still smile when I think about the coincidence of it all.

"Happy Zone" article began popping up in international media after officials unveiled plans to open them nation-wide in tourist areas to make the visitor experience safer and more pleasant. More pronouncements quickly followed that these zones would usher in the metamorphosis of Sin City into a family resort destination. Not many believed it for a moment. In Thailand, ideas like this pop up from time to time, photo ops abound, soon followed by the reality that TIT. Fast forward seven weeks and here's news today out of one of Pattaya's happy zones: From Pattaya One Where are the Police? Injured tourists complain With police supposed to be stepping up their duties during the busy Songkran period, we were amazed to find some injured tourists complaining that they were struggling to find any. Earlier on, a top ranking policeman had been visiting Pattaya, assuring tourists of their support and protection during the festive period. As soon as he left, however, many of the police posts which were being manned during his visit were left deserted. Trouble broke out in South Pattaya on Sunday night, with a handful of tourists being attacked by a gang of Thai youths who were said to be highly intoxicated. Several injuries were suffered including some to the head. Paramedics arrived onto the scene to treat the victims for their injuries, but amazingly, the police were no where to be seen. It was earlier on in the afternoon that day that Region 2 commander Sarawut Tansakun had made his way into Pattaya to inspect the performance of his men in the area, with the focus supposedly being on helping any foreigners in trouble. As you can imagine, all were present during the commander’s, but unfortunately, it was a very different scenario from what we expected later on in the day. Thousands of both Thai and foreigners were celebrating in the specifically designed area’s, but inevitably when alcohol is involved, scenes turned ugly. http://pattayaone.news/en/pattaya-police-injured-tourists/

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From Amazing Thailand Closing party at Central World Pool party at U Sathorn Hotel http://gothaibefree.com/top-lgbtq-songkran-parties/

More illustrations from show

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Agree all are offable. Next step: off with their shorts.

Some needs to write a special travel guide for clueless foreigners who decide Pattaya is a fine place for that carefree vacation by the sea. Maybe Pattaya for Dummies.

Gwydion wrote: "Pathetic wannabes." _________________________________________________________________ One of them clearly is no wannabe; he's a retired UK cop.

The most dangerous place in Thailand seems to be a window or balcony in Pattaya. Excerpts from The Mirror (UK) Eye-witness Pol Nuttinon said: “There was a lot of panic and the foreigner was naked in the street. He was big and he landed so hard. Police Captain Kengsart Nuanpong said the rooms of the guest house were rented on a “daily basis” and none of Christopher’s valuables or possessions were found there. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/naked-british-tourist-31-dies-10226608

From Wikipedia The strict legal definition of PIC (pilot-in-command) may vary slightly from country to country. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency, definition is: "The pilot responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft during flight time." Flight time for airplanes is defined by the U.S. FAA as "Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing."This would normally include taxiing, which involves the ground operation to and from the runway, as long as the taxiing is carried out with the intention of flying the aircraft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_in_command

From Pattaya One In 2002 Pattaya, Thailand invited foreigners to assist them as tourist police, at first for translation and as an informal tourist information service, but its scope has since been widened to include real law enforcement.Thailand’s most sinful city, Pattaya is famous for getting men a little hot under the collar. And discontent is boiling over at the police mobile unit stationed at the entrance to the resort town’s infamous Walking Street. A giant Pakistani man is stating his case vociferously to the volunteer foreign cops who patrol the red-light district on a nightly basis. Beside him, a feminine Asian form on skyscraping stilettos chews gum and shoots him sour looks. “I am not a homosexual,” cries the man. “This thing deceived me,” he says, jabbing a finger at his companion, whose perceptibly manly features and guttural tones make it obvious she was born a he. “He refused to pay her,” says Andros Plocins, an English member of the Foreign Tourist Police Assistants (FTPA), as we watch the scene unfold. “So now we have to sort it out.” The situation is soon defused. The man, who it transpires, had got a degree of value for the transaction before he realized the reality of the situation, has to pay the agreed price. The ladyboy, meanwhile, is hit with a 200 baht ($6) fine for soliciting. “He should have just paid in the first place,” continues another policeman, laughing. “She was pretty hot.” Taking care of such misunderstandings is among the many responsibilities of the FTPA. Foreign volunteer police have been pounding Walking Street since 2002, when Pattaya’s Tourist Police Division invited foreigners to assist them. At first, their primary role was to help Thai officers with translation and to provide an informal tourist information service. The FTPA still provides support to foreign visitors, but its scope has been widened to include duties such as stopping bar fights and apprehending thieves. Although volunteer officers don’t have powers of arrest (approval is needed from a supervising Thai officer), they carry handcuffs, batons and cans of pepper spray. Indeed, with their black SWAT-esque uniforms, they cut imposing figures. The FTPA numbers around 60 members from 20 different countries while its reach extends across the greater Pattaya area thanks to the recent introduction of motorbike patrols. Despite this diversification, however, Walking Street, which they patrol every evening from 9PM to 3AM, remains the primary beat for volunteer officers. Article continues at http://pattayaone.news/en/foreign-tourist-police-thailand/ Yet another flying farang At around 4:30am in the early hours of April 14th, a British tourist died after falling from the third floor of a guesthouse on the world famous Walking Street in South Pattaya. Police and emergency services arrived onto the scene to find 31-year-old, Mr. Christopher Andrew Laidler, from England, lying seriously injured in the street, struggling to catch a breath, but still alive. He had fallen from the Sweet Heart guesthouse, which is also home to the Sweet Hearts agogo underneath. http://pattayaone.news/en/briton-plunges-death-pattaya-guesthouse/

Message shops you may want to consider include Arena and Banana Club, both I've always found reliable. Directions and details on the Travel Gay Asia site. Have a drink in Dick's Cafe on Soi Twilight (opposite Dream Boys) and watch the world go by is a good way to get a feel for the neighborhood. The message guys at Bonny's next door are friendly.

That jogged the memory. Think I first drove down Santa Monica Blvd. sometime in the late 70's. Sun-bronzed guys on many corners. Seem to remember a large coffee shop toward the east end that was a popular gathering spot late.

From Khaosod English More pics at link http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2017/04/13/see-silom-celebrate-songkran-style-photos/

From Pattaya One Two ladyboys arrested for robbing Australian tourist on Pattaya Beach Road Tourist police have arrested two ladyboys who stole a wallet belonging to an Australian tourist as he walked along Pattaya Beach Road, in the early hours of this morning. Police heard how Bruce Lauchie McCown, 34, was approached by the two ladyboys just after 5am on Thursday morning. Originally, all was good, with some general chit chat talking place. Who knows what they were discussing? The ladyboys started hugging Mr McCown, which is a tell tale sign they are after your possesions, and is probably when they managed to steal his wallet containing 16,000 baht from his pocket. Before Mr McCown realised what had happened the pair quickly fled. However, the Australian tourist was able to alert nearby tourist police who arrested the ladyboys a short time later. The two ladyboys identified as Chaiwat Sriwanit, 24, and Thanatcha Saengsan, 21 confessed to police are currently being held by Pattaya police, and will be charged for their crime accordingly. http://pattayaone.news/en/two-ladyboys-arrested-pattaya/

From Chicago Tribune The passenger dragged from his seat aboard a Sunday night flight at O'Hare International Airport took the first step toward potential legal action against United Airlines or the city on Wednesday. David Dao, who has retained a high-powered personal injury lawyer, asked the Cook County Circuit Court for an order requiring United and the city of Chicago to keep all video, cockpit recordings and other reports from the flight, along with the personnel files of the Aviation Department officers who pulled Dao from the plane. The request was filed a few hours before the Chicago Department of Aviation said it had placed two more officers on administrative leave until further notice as a result of the incident. Another employee already had been placed on leave, and the city said it continues to review the incident. Demetrio also has represented former NFL and NHL players and their families in concussion litigation against the leagues, including the family of late Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson. The Duerson family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL in 2012, which became part of a class-action case that resulted in a $1 billion settlement. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-united-ceo-apology-dragged-passenger-0412-biz-20170412-story.html

Like many here, I've flown internationally often but I was surprised by some of the information I came across while scanning through the Dept. of Transportation's Consumer Guide to Air Travel. There are numerous exceptions and special provisions to rules depending on factors such as aircraft size. You'll also find international flight oddities and the role of Article 19 of the Montreal Convention in seeking compensation for expenses incurred due to delayed or cancelled international itineraries . Not for the easily bored, but certainly informative. And on the topic of forcing a passenger off an aircraft they have already boarded, the captain has the authority to have anyone removed if he believes that they may pose a security or safety threat. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights

I agree that UAL screwed up horribly in this situation. What most passengers don't realize that when buying a ticket, they are agreeing to the contract of carriage of that particular airline. UAL's is similar to those of all US carriers and allowed by US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) regulations. Among those conditions is the right to "involuntary" bump a passenger. The DOT has rules that dictate compensation in these situations. The easiest way this could have been prevented was keep upping the incentive as Steveboy says. I certainly hope the passenger is successful in suing UAL and there's no shortage of attorneys who specialize in this area. As I write this, I'm listening to a news broadcast that quotes UAL president Oscar Munoz who says the airline will no longer request law enforcement to forcibly remove a passenger in bumping situations. If any good can be said to emerge from this fiasco is that other carriers witnessed what happened are very likely reviewing their bumping procedures, also.