PattayaMale

I really disagree!! Gaybutton is a real *&/#@!. And GayThailand is even a bigger %$*!@"%. The only person on this board with any sense is Pattayamale. He is so sweet an loveable.

LOL I guess it is just coincidence that the exact wording on the PGREPORT shows up as "your" post???????????? Nice try

I started a new post, taking this from what LAPOS posted earlier as I thought the announcement was hidden on page 3 of the original post about Mick. ...............We also wanted to let you know that we will be having a memorial get together in honor of Mick at Le Cafe Royale on Tuesday the 15th at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Tim and Tom "

Since this came from the "Weekly Report", published by Printer Graham, I thought it appropriate to give them credit.

Krung Thai Bank was the first to introduce ATM in Thailand in 1989......so maybe you are only 20 years old

Is this satire? I understand that most people come to Pattaya for the fine white sand beaches, the floating market, and the elephants..............I came for the.............. overpriced drinks

If your theory is correct, why do the bars with fewer boys and poor service charge the same price as those with more boys and good service. How do the girl bars that have high levels of service and are in the same expensive areas charge less?

It is always important to check the "fine print" when researching something. I believe the site you went to had this as an introduction: The Cybermetrics Lab is publishing this Webometrics Ranking of World Hospitals from a purely academic point of view and as such it should be used. The Web indicators applied does not measure at all the quality of patient's treatment and health care offered by the hospitals included. So please be aware that if you are looking for the best place to treat a health condition this ranking is not appropriated for such a search. Here are all the hospitals in Thailand with JCI accreditation. I believe the accreditation lasts for 3 years. Then hospitals must re-certify. Bangkok Hospital Medical Center Bangkok, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 30 June 2007 Program: DCSC Certification Acute Coronary Syndrome First Certified: 30 October 2008 Program: DCSC Certification Breast Cancer Conserving Therapy Program First Certified: 1 November 2008 Program: DCSC Certification Heart Failure Program First Certified: 29 October 2008 Program: DCSC Certification Primary Stroke Center First Certified: 31 October 2008 Bangkok Hospital Phuket Phuket, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 23 May 2009 BNH Hospital Bangkok, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 29 May 2009 Bumrungrad International Bangkok, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 2 February 2002 Re-Accredited: 8 April 2005 Re-Accredited: 31 July 2008 Program: DCSC Certification Program Primary Stroke Program First Certified: 28 October 2006 Program: DCSC Certification Program Acute Myocardial Infarction with ST Segment Elevation First Certified: 28 October 2006 Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital Bangkok, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 11 August 2007 Samitivej Sriracha Hospital Chonburi, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 8 November 2008 Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital Bangkok, Thailand Program: Hospital First Accredited: 27 January 2007 Program: DCSC Certification Program Lung Cancer Program First Certified: 6 December 2008 Program: DCSC Certification Program Acute Myocardial Infarction Program First Certified: 4 December 2008

GT, When I read your post, I misunderstood. I got it backwards. I still hope you will let the hospital administration know of the problem. It would certainly help us that use this hospital. The administration of this hospital will hopefully help make sure this does not happen again

GT, something went horribly wrong for you. I am a real fan of Bumrungrad hospital. I have taken several people their when they have told me that the service from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya was not working. Not one of the people I have taken there had anything but compliments. Not all those I took were Farang, one was Thai. I had a serious heart problem that they solved and the service was excellent the 3 times I have been hospitalized. My insurance company reps, Blue Cross, have even told me that they hear great things from other world wide patients who use Bumrungrad. After reading your post I tried to figure out what went wrong. Of course I am guessing here, but it seems that you said they suggested you not check him in through the emergency and sorta demanded they do it your way. (This is how I read your post). I believe they actually gave you the right advice. By going through the clinic, your boyfriend would have seen a specialist, not an emergency room doctor. You would not have had to wait. They would have wheeled him up, taken his vitals and blood work, and you would have had a report in about 45 minutes and talked to a specialist. But as you said "you knew what you wanted" and wanted them to do it your way....which was the problem. The Emergency room doctor had him check into a room and they gave him medication.....so he would not have to wait "4 hours". The emergency room is usually for things like heart attacks, people bleeding profusely, etc. as you know. The emergency room just makes them stable or stops the bleeding. If you would have did what the hospital wanted I think you would have been happy. In my opinion, it is very hard for us Americans to believe that the Thais know what they are doing. Since their English is not as good as ours, it is easy not to understand what and why. Going through the clinic you pay at the end of the procedure. The emergency room wants money up front because if it is a true emergency (life and death), you may not be able to pay....especially if you die. Just yesterday I went with my Thai friend to Bumgrungrad for his yearly check up. They treated him with great respect in every way. I started to follow him around to make sure they didn't make any mistakes (as an American I thought they would do a better job because I was watching!) My friend suggested I go get a cup of coffee and he would call me when he saw the doctor to give him the results. (At 27 he is not a kid he has said). So I waited for the doctor. My friend went in first and the first thing the doctor said after hello was to my friend. He asked him in Thai if it was ok for me to hear the results. My friend said sure and the doctor was very through in explaining everything to both of us (Thai and then English). At one point I said to the doctor "he understands English" (I was afraid they would try to hide something from me..I mean Thais do that, right?). The doctor very calmly and politely said "good, then he can understand it when I speak both in Thai and English", (smile, smile). Now GT if you don't agree with me, you need to tell the hospital administration. I truly believe they need and want to know this. As to the room. If there was not a private room available, it is just because you were at the end of the cue. They would have no reason not to give you one if it was available. I had to "endure" a semi private room when they were having me relax and being prepped for surgery. It is just as you described. The only difference is when they were shaving my groin, the visiting family wanted to peek in and see what the nurses were doing. I "demanded" that the nurses clip the curtain shut and have one stand guard so the peepers would not be able to peep. (Damn it, I am an American!!!!) I really was upset. My Thai friend put it in perspective and said, "you really don't have much to see". How dare he say that...both in English and then Thai!!!! The nurses started to laugh which made it worse. But I survived. I hope your boyfriend did too!

Now that Sophorn Cable has Universal and Sci-Fi, I am now watching that more than UBC (Trurevisions) by far. I am seriously considering giving up UBC. They seem to hardly have anything but reruns. I miss BBC Entertainment too. I don't see the value in UBC (Truevisions) any more.

Good luck with the surgery. I have seen it really help some people loose weight. I have thought of having bariatric surgery, but am not sure if it is covered my insurance. Anyway, let us know how you progress.

Of course countries have a right to make laws and penalties for violating laws. But the discussion was about "thinking out side the box" and what and why the laws exist. My thought on "magic numbers" was meant to provoke thought. Like your example of why a person at 18 is mentally fit to kill people in war or conflict but not fit enough to drink until 21?

I saw where I could fly to Hong Kong and then onward. Also many of the European airlines fly there. GT= I am curious as to why you have never tried Cuba. If you don't mind...

I have been trying to think of a new place to travel to. Being a US citizen, there are some barriers against Cuba. But searching the web, I noticed that there are flights from Bangkok. I see that most of the world can visit without a problem (what is up with this US Embargo). So since many gay men living in Thailand like to travel, has this been a place someone has visited? And is there gay life there?

I agree with GB's major objection. I have a few friends (farangs) that use illegal drugs. A couple of these friends even had farang lovers when they moved to Pattaya. The use of these illegal drugs affected their relationship. It seems that the stories are the same. One of them started to do bizarre things. One become very paranoid. If drugs, even legal things like alcohol, become a major problem for a person, what is done then and by who? This problem is so complex. Unfortunately for some that can handle illegal drugs, they are unduly subjected to laws that are meant to protect those that can't handle illegal drugs. This issue is not just free choice. For some, the free choice vanishes, and it leads to the major problem GB objects too. Many laws seem to be made to protect the exceptions. Maybe it is easier to pass that kind of law. I also don't understand the "magic number" that is used in different laws. Why is the "legal" drinking age 21, or 20, or 18, or 16? Same with sex. Why is age in some places different for gay sex and straight sex? Why is it legal in some places at 14, other places 16, 18, 20, 21, unless someone receives renumeration? What are these magic numbers based on?

Is this the same area that GB told us about a few months ago? Or is there more than one area?

After Gaybutton is gunnked, can we bid to wash him to get the gunk off? I won't bid to do it but happy to donate to see it....well maybe not. But I will bid to wash off the cute Thai boy!!

It does work very well. Your English is very good! I am confused about what you use the Thai man for.

Instead of Muck, could we bid on water boarding?? Sorry GB, just a thought

I can understand the idea for making bar owners responsible here in Thailand, even though it seems unfair. I am guessing but I imagine that the law was made in an effort to put pressure on the employees (through the employer). If the bar has to close, employees are out of work, they can not make money so peer pressure maybe applied to stop drug using employees. To many of our western trained minds, this may seem wrong. In the US we have the highest number of drug prisoners in the world (I think). It costs billions of dollars. Thailand does not have the same system. How else should it be handled? This has been a tough issue to solve. But what would other members suggest?

I posted earlier today about a person at Wild West. I want to let people know that the person I thought was scamming me, actually might have been sick that night. I went in to Wild West tonight and the same person upon seeing me came over and said he was sorry he was sick last time I was in a few days before. He asked if I wanted to off him because he was feeling fine now. I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion a few days before.

Actually, there are a couple reasons. When Allen was hospitalized he could not get to the bank to move money. This worried me. If I became hospitalized for a period of time, it would be a problem. Also I just purchased rental property in the US and have a few credit cards to payoff. I can not split my pension in a direct deposit. But I can wire part of it.

Last month I paid over $240 in fees to use my US account in Thailand. Not only do I get charged the 150 baht here but a fee from my bank and a % for the foreign currency exchange. I was going to open a Bangkok Bank account and have my full pension deposited as a direct deposit, but with the regulation of showing up at the branch to get the funds I decided against it. A friend told me that he uses Citibank for his direct deposit and then makes an online wire transfer to the New York Bangkok Bank payable to his Bangkok Bank Pattaya account. Total cost $18.50 he said. Total transfer time is 1 day. Then using a Bangkok Bank ATM, withdrawals are without charge. I have now set up an online account with Citibank and will see if this works for me. Since I control when and how much to wire transfer, when in the US I simply will not make a transfer.