PattayaMale

The other day I was driving to my house going down Third Road. Almost across from the fire station was a sign, "Fish and Chips-Village Chipper". I like fish and chips so I turned to see what the place was like. Right next to it was another place (with a cute waiter). After I visited the Village Chipper, I went next door and ordered a diet coke, I asked the waiter for a menu and saw that they had an American breakfast for 70 baht. I went the next morning and had breakfast. It was very good. The point is, that breakfast is an inexpensive meal to make. So 99 baht may seem like a good deal since many really overcharge. Even in the USA, a simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee can be bought for $1.49.

Since the Visa on Arrival is no longer available, we had to go to the Burma (Union of Myanmar Embassy) in Bangkok. We drove to Bumrungrad Hospital since I had an appointment there and took a taxi to the Embassy (71 baht)arriving at 9am. You enter the Embassy on the side street Pan. When we entered there were four windows. You can get forms from window one if you haven't filled the forms out before arrival. They also check the forms to make sure you have all the paper work then then give you a number. (They also provide glue to attach your picture to the application). They have 3 types of numbers; tourist, Thai, business. Those wanting a Thai and Business visa were processed very fast. The Tourist takes longer. It seemed that the reason for this was that their are many back backers from different countries and the Embassy is staffed with only , Burmese, Thai, and English speaking staff. The fee was 850 baht and the visa would be ready in 2 or 3 days. For an extra 450 baht we could get express service, which allowed us to pick up the visa the same day which we did. We returned at 3:30pm and the process was simple to pick up the visa. Just give them the receipt they gave you earlier. There is a big sign asking that you ensure that the visa is correct AND that your arrival card has been signed by an official. If it has not been signed even though you have a visa you will not be allowed to enter. As I wrote earlier, most, maybe all of those seeking a visa were backpackers. Easy to start conversations with.

I don't have an answer to this. But I am hoping that others may have suggestions. It seems to me that there are only a handful of posters. With the current contest underway encouraging posters to post 300 posts by November 30 it may seem like an active board, but the number of posters is small. Anyone have suggestions on how to attract more posters from different areas? We seldom get posters outside of Pattaya (1 or 2 from Bangkok) asking for information about gay Thailand.

The PG (Pattaya Gay) newsletter was continued by Printer Graham and a couple of other volunteers. However almost 6 weeks ago the report was changed to a Blog and is very limited now. I think there is a need. It would be wonderful if the report covered all of Thailand AND had events listed far enough in advance so those that need to travel, would be enough time to make arrangements to enjoy the special events. I remember Allan spending hours and hours on the weekend getting his report out each week. I imagine this would be a big task, but I would certainly be grateful to have it.

I know 3 people that purchased this mattress topper from Fly Now. All 3 continue to say that it is very comfortable. I paln on getting one this week if they still have them in stock.

've also given some thought to the division of assets issue. I've recently emerged from a prolonged visit by mama (3 excruciating weeks!!!) and been amazed at the reactions of some of my friends. Rather than hoped for empathy I received mini lectures about how they would never allow that in "their" homes. But, after 12 years together when does "my home" become "our home"? Would my friends have been equally critical if it had been MY house guest who had come for a prolonged visit or would they have expected my boyfriend to accomodate without objection? Do we farang ever get over the notion that this is "mine" and move to this is "ours"? I am surprised that all you and your Boyfriend own, belong to both of you as in a 50-50 split. Do I understand that you bank account and investments are in his and your name? Does your BF have the same control over the money, or do you have the real say? Does he get 50% of your pension and investments? Do you pay him an allowance that is equal to 50% of what you make? Do only you and your BF live in your residence or do other of his or your relatives live with you full time? If he would decide to move other relatives in would this be OK with you? I am not being critical, just asking questions as you asked us. I would have been one to say that I would have offered to put them up in a hotel instead of having them stay 3 weeks. There are a couple reasons. I think that this might make the family comfortable since their is a great difference in language and culture. When I have friends visit me from USA, I let them know where their are good hotels for a good price. This way they can do what they want when they want. Why should I put that pressure on me and my partner? I think that your boyfriend should have done the same. There are plenty of rentals that are not expensive. You and he could still hang out with them every day. In my case, my BF actually owns the house we live in. But he does not get 50% of my savings, checking, or investment. I control that 100%. Some people may think that their life together with a young Thai guy is just like a marriage in the US. They think in terms of husband - wife. But I do not think it is that way. Even 12+ years of being together does not mean that there will be another 12+ years. If a time comes when you would not be together would he get "our" 50% of all assets? I doubt it very much. My BF would not. He has "his" truck, I have "my" car. He has his bike, I have my bike. He has his bank account, I have my bank account. He has his friends, I have my friends. It is very seldom he joins me for dinner with "my" friends. He is welcome, but he does not enjoy it. I am welcome to go with him and his friends, but I do not enjoy it. So when does his home become our home? I think it is but that does not mean that his relatives or my friends need to stay there. When I go to his parents house, we do not stay in their house. If I would they would go out of their way to accommodate me. But I would be so bored as I can not speak Thai. My BF speaks English very well. So it is much easier for him to be part of the "party" with my friends. This is an interesting post by RichLB. I do not know of a farang with a long term BF that really does not dominate the relationship. There are some that might want to think all is 50/50, but I wonder if it is reality

If you are serious about the books, CDs and DVDs, I's like to suggest that you consider donating them to Thais for Life in Pattaya. Since you travel so light, you could use you allowable luggage allowance and bring them to Pattaya or Bangkok when you stop next time

Cock-tail is my favorite. I know old joke. I like the idea of your different special drinks each week, But truthfully by the time I decide to go to try your drink of the week a new one is being announced! Not complainig. I wish more owners would post specials.

What is wrong with dedicating one's life to a never ending sex hunt? It is fun! Some people are looking for that perfect guy to spend their life with. Once they have found that guy, life may get a little bland, so they look for a bit of spice. Outside of that though that are many of the same things to do as in your home country. See the latest movies, go to eat with friends, fish, play golf, travel, go to the dentist, go shopping and of course hunt for sex! Today is a typical day for me. Here is what I did morning to late afternoon. Got up, read the paper, made breakfast, checked my emails, walked down to my neighbors house and had a chat, gave my dogs a bath, went shopping for food to put into the crock pot for tonight, went swimming, filled out forms for my Burma visa, watched a hour of TV, went out in the garden and planned where to move the dog house, made plans with some friends to have a small BBQ party later in the week, and then it was about 4pm. So alot too do. I think most people get on a schedule and have a good time. Let me throw this back at RichLB, what did you do today?

Yes it is this Shell station. It seems like they have new staff. And you are right with a car, watch out

I wish the owners of the different venues would do a better job in publicizing what is happening at their venue. It seems that now that the Pattaya report is so limited, that the owners themselves should take the initiative to post activities on the different message boards. Thanks for the reminder traveler Jim but by the time I saw this tonight is too late to go. Hopefully they will have the third anniversary.

The link that traveler Jim has inserted his from Thai visa.com. I didn't have a chance to read all of the posts concerning the article. Maybe others know more about this than I do, so when they refer to capital, I imagine they're not talking about the pension money we may transfer to Bangkok bank. Does anyone know if this is the intent?

I also have a D-Link wireless router. I have had it well over a year and never had a problem. If you look on the back of the router you should see a place to reset the router. Sometimes you must use a paperclip and insert it in the hole where it says reset, and then hold it for a few seconds. The only problem you may have with this is that all the setup information will be lost. You'll then have to reset the router with the information provided to you by your ISP.

Today I stopped at the gas station on South Pattaya road. I asked them to fill my motorbike gas tank and happened to notice that the attendant did not clear the display. When he was done he asked for 120 baht. I took the money out to pay him and pulled up put back on my gas cap. I noticed that the next bike asked for 50 baht and the attendant agin did not reset the pump to zero. I said to the attendant "excuse me quotation". It was at this time that he pulled out 60 baht and gave it to me. So be careful. Make sure the attendant re-sets the pump.

I have been to Hua Hin twice. Honestly, I do not really care for Hua Hin. It is really much too quiet for me. I do hope the owners of the bar do well, but for me I have not found any bar that is gay enough there.

Something a bit similar has happened with capital one. A friend told me last night that he had sent $5000 to Bangkok bank. The money was refused by Bangkok bank even though this friend had use this system many times. The problem seems to be a computer glitch in capital one system. Apparently it gets some of the initials of the person's name wrong. Bangkok bank will not accept the transfer unless the name is exactly the same as they have on record.

I really don't know if the paperwork for opening a charity is hard to do or not. However, I have been told that all charities are taxed. In fact it is my understanding that the tax may be as high as 50%. I'm not really sure if this is the case. But I've been told this several times when the subject has come up. As for this particular young man I am sure that traveler Jim would be happy to publish the amount paid out for medical care. He has done this in the past. It is true that there many men in Thailand that are very needy. As gay Thailand has said those that are taking illegal drugs will not be helped by much of the therapy. Since traveler Jim has dealt with this many times, not meaning to speak for him, I am sure that Jim will make sure illegal drugs are not being used. Some posters here may be able to donate others may not be able to donate or they may not wish to donate. In my mind donating is a personal choice. I just don't understand the need for a poster to discourage others. This emergency request would not have been posted by traveler Jim if he did not think it was important. The Thai phrase up to you certainly applies here.

Another way to surprise your boyfriend is to show up without him knowing you're coming. I did this several years ago. I told him before I came that I had a surprise for him. When I arrived in Thailand, I went to the condo we lived in and knocked on the door. When he opened the door, his eyes were wide with pleasure. As soon as he saw me he gave me the biggest hug. I know that cost much more than flowers or candy but truthfully it was one of the gifts that he says he really liked. And I'm certainly not saying that he did not like the money that came with me, but I am easy to be fooled.

Yes it is available as a stand alone. I believe the cost is 139 baht. As mentioned, the salad bar is not just salad. In addition to soup, I have seen tuna, deviled eggs, pate', Thai salad (meat and whatever), plus different vegetables, and very good bread.

TJ, For the benefit of those considering helping, has Dr. Jueerat given any guess on how much will be needed? Also, once again, thank you. You are always the go to guy when people need medical help. You certainly have set a wonderful example. Do you have a bank account number in Thailand where people can make a deposit?

I like to try different places, ONCE. If the experience has been good, meaning food quality, service, atmosphere (like in no smoking?), I usually go back and will suggest it to friends. If the quality is not so good and the price high for the quality, I could care less about how many crystal glasses, or dancing "Brazilian" girls they have. If my experience is not good, I won't go back.

The first Krispy Kreme Dounut shop in Thailand is to open Sept. 28 at Paragon Shopping Mall in Bangkok. I hope they will soon open in Pattaya. If you have never had one, well you may have a chance. They are sugary sweet. Best warm as they roll off the in store conveyor belt!

what was the price of the meal? Do they have a suggestion box? If so, I would put in the suggestion to have good-looking macho guys as waiters. I've only eaten at a Brazilian restaurant once, and that was in Los Angeles. That one meal alone made me want to go to Brazil. Not for the food but for the boys that serve it.

in my view the right mindset behavior and habits do not develop naturally. These are things that are taught in school and by the family. If the family has not been able to experience how to build wealth, you cannot pass this on to the children. Education is the other instrument in which people learn how to build wealth. I think sometimes we forget that Thailand is still a country controlled by the military. It certainly isn't as much as in Burma, but the military is always there to step in when it does not like the direction the government goes. I believe also a country needs to allow citizens to develop wealth by not having restrictive laws in place. Just the idea of a poor family having to pay for education, paying teachers such a small salary, and not requiring students to finish high school is a failure of Thai society. Some may say that elementary education is free but it is not. Parents must pay for books for uniforms and transportation to this school site. I believe that the countries that require children to go to school and complete high school provide a much better opportunity for those children to gain wealth. People may criticize the United States. But certainly the opportunity for people to gain wealth is much greater not only because it is a richer society but because students must graduate high school. Poor families that have immigrated to the United States may not be able to help their children as a model for wealth building. But the opportunity surrounds the students

if I was a moderator on this board, which I have no desire to be, I would certainly make this post invisible. I do not see how it helps the board at all. May I suggest, that if you want to argue, you consider doing it on SGT. I hope this can be an end to the arguing and we can get back to good solid posts.