TRIBUTE TO GAYPATTAYAN

[Maple]

TRIBUTE TO GAYPATTAYAN on AUGUST 5

 

A tribute honoring Allen Briggs, a/k/a "Gay Pattayan", moderator of www.PattayaGay.com and publisher of the Pattaya Gay Weekly Report, will be held on Saturday, August 5. It will start at 7 p.m./19:00 and will be held at Niddy's Nook, located on Soi Day-Night 1 between Soi 17 and South Pattaya Road.

 

Allen has been a pillar of the Pattaya Community for the past 12 years and has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for the past seven years to publish the Weekly Report. Published on www.pattyaagay.com, it provides timely updates about important happenings in the gay Pattaya Community. This report is read far and wide around the globe and provides long-distance viewers with a chance to live in Thailand vicariously, while also providing local Ex-Pats with much needed quality information.

 

A special Thai and American Buffet will be served priced at just 200 baht per person. A new designer cocktail, the "Gay Pattayan" will be launched at the event to honor Allen; this new tropical drink will be offered at the introductory price of 90 baht.

 

Please plan to attend this important event by marking your social calendar now.

[Guest catawampuscat]

It should be a memorable evening and the creme of Pattaya gay society should be there, althou since it is at Niddy's Nook , I imagine one or two frequent posters may pass or just may surprise us all and show up to honour Gaypattayan and try the new drink..

 

I would like to bring a Thai friend and wonder if others will bring bfs or will it just be a farang only event.. Nothing more boring to a young Thai man than a bunch of old farts speaking English,German, French etc.. I know Allen has a Thai life partner and of course Niddy will there but I hope others might bring a Thai to make it more fun for all... B)

[Guest ear wig]

It should be a memorable evening and the creme of Pattaya gay society should be there, althou since it is at Niddy's Nook , I imagine one or two frequent posters may pass or just may surprise us all and show up to honour Gaypattayan and try the new drink..

 

I would like to bring a Thai friend and wonder if others will bring bfs or will it just be a farang only event.. Nothing more boring to a young Thai man than a bunch of old farts speaking English,German, French etc.. I know Allen has a Thai life partner and of course Niddy will there but I hope others might bring a Thai to make it more fun for all... B)

 

 

 

As nice as the Guys at Niddy Nook are Im sure, I would have thought

Pattaya Gay Festival could have trumped up some award for Allen for putting up

with for years and holding the fort, when Pattayagay forum was the best place

to go to find the dope on every thing, he was often up all night with his co

conspirator the late David (of Pattaya) Fergusson.

 

You could find from recipes to who is in or who is out in Pattaya, This man

Allen needs a big big medal not a soppy drink stuffed down his throat, all in the

name of publicity, tucked away in the back and beyond, but then again its better then nothing.

[Guest Hedda]

"...the creme of Pattaya gay society should be there."

 

I suppose almost every place has its creme, but I doubt many are this curdled.

 

Perhaps they can install some fresh cement on Niddy's front walk and have GP leave his handprint to commemorate the event.

 

They can then rename the place Niddy's Chinese Theatre and forget about the Nook.

[Guest stef]

[Gaybutton]

Why all the sarcasm? I don't think anyone would rightly dispute the fact that Allen deserves to be awarded for all the work he has put in over the years. As far as I know, since the first weekly report he ever did, he has not missed publishing the report even once. He gets it done even when he is traveling, ill, dealing with personal problems, or anything else. If anyone thinks obtaining all the information, writing it up, and publishing it is easy, then try it and see for yourself how much work goes into it. People have come to rely on his web site for information and the latest for what's going on around town. He asks for nothing in return for all the work he does for the gay community.

 

I realize that some out there have something against Niddy's Nook for whatever reasons you have and yes, Allen deserves to be rewarded at the finest restaurant, but I hope people will consider posting the statements of gratitude that he so richly deserves rather than using this thread as an excuse to chop apart the venue in which the award will be presented.

[Guest namjai]

I have never met Allen, but in the past he has answered email that I sent to him. I have met Chris and Niddy and have eaten at Niddys more then once and found that everything was fine for me. Chris is a very nice guy and tries to make everyone who visits feel comfortable. Hedda, sometimes you are a nice person and sometimes I think a jerk. Even if Niddys is not a five star establishment, he is providing employment for a few Thaiboys and making a try at a business. Lets keep this forum a place of interest and information and not a mini-sawaadee.

[bkkguy]

Why all the sarcasm? ... using this thread as an excuse to chop apart the venue in which the award will be presented.

 

if LMTU/Ear Wig gave Allen an award for spelling and grammar and did the presentation in the toilet block on Jomtien Beach it would have more credibility and show more respect for Allen's service to the community than this farce!

 

naming a cocktail after someone then charging people to come and try the cocktail is not giving someone an "award" - the whole thing is nothing but a crude publicity stunt by Niddy's Nook to (ab)use Allen's reputaion to buy acceptance and popularity for themselves, it gets the response it deserves!

 

bkkguy

 

 

[Gaybutton]

if LMTU/Ear Wig gave Allen an award for spelling and grammar and did the presentation in the toilet block on Jomtien Beach it would have more credibility and show more respect for Allen's service to the community than this farce!

 

naming a cocktail after someone then charging people to come and try the cocktail is not giving someone an "award" - the whole thing is nothing but a crude publicity stunt by Niddy's Nook to (ab)use Allen's reputaion to buy acceptance and popularity for themselves, it gets the response it deserves!

 

bkkguy

 

If you feel that way, and obviously many others do as well, I yield to that, but I wish those who want to criticize Niddy's Nook would at least also write something in praise of all the fine work Allen has done. Many out there would be hard pressed for the kind of information he presents if it weren't for all the work he puts in. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just seems to me to be inappropriate to be attacking Niddy's Nook within the same thread that I thought would be about praising Allen.

 

Of course, if Allen agrees with the idea that this whole thing is nothing more than a publicity stunt at his expense, then I suppose he might choose to express that opinion by refusing to show up.

 

I also concede that I must be missing something. The only time I've eaten at Niddy's Nook was the night they first opened, so I don't really know anything about the place. I've only met Chris and Niddy once and they seemed nice enough to me. I only rarely read the Sawatdee forum, but I have seen threads there criticizing Niddy's Nook, although I admit I didn't read through them. If there is a reason why there is such harshness toward Niddy's Nook and a reason for the assumption that this tribute to Allen is only a publicity stunt rather than something genuine, perhaps someone can write about what that reason is. In all honesty, I have no idea.

 

[Guest LoeplohandNalac]

We are very happy and agree that G.P. is a great Gay man in Pattaya. Hereby our sincere best wishes and hopefully the august 5 dinner/dance will be a fantastic event. Printing his hands in concreet in front of Niddy's nook would be a good start to upgrade this so called new gay area.

 

However we think that also G.B deserves some compliments and thats why we would be happy to see that a cocktail would also have his name or could we collect some money and built a statue of G.B. the Great.

 

We think G.B is also an Important Pattaya Gay Man.

 

Its very difficult to choose who is the biggest Gay in town.

 

Is it G.B or is it G.P.

 

Who do you think is the biggest Gay ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Hedda]

There are very few things in this world that are beyond critique on a board like this , expecially cast, as I thought mine was, in a humorous vein.

 

That applies doubly to commercial establishments who try to use the boards for their promotions in less than subtle ways. Advertising on the boards is a two-way street.

 

My guess is that GayPattayan is probably less concerned and more amused by some of the comments made here, than the folks who seem to be so upset on his behalf. I hope that the folks at Niddy's feel the same way.

 

It's always nice to know that somone appreciates your efforts, and I'm sure that GP and Niddy's are no exception. But let's not make too much of the instant production, as promoted.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gaybutton]

We are very happy and agree that G.P. is a great Gay man in Pattaya. Hereby our sincere best wishes and hopefully the august 5 dinner/dance will be a fantastic event. Printing his hands in concreet in front of Niddy's nook would be a good start to upgrade this so called new gay area.

 

However we think that also G.B deserves some compliments and thats why we would be happy to see that a cocktail would also have his name or could we collect some money and built a statue of G.B. the Great.

 

We think G.B is also an Important Pattaya Gay Man.

 

Its very difficult to choose who is the biggest Gay in town.

 

Is it G.B or is it G.P.

 

Who do you think is the biggest Gay ?

 

A statue and a drink named after me? Well, as far as a statue is concerned, considering the amount of weight I should lose, it would have to be an awfully big piece of marble.

 

Some say piss and vinegar would be an appropriate drink to name for me.

 

Perhaps it would be appropriate to name a sandwich after me too . . . half tongue and half baloney.

 

[Guest mauRICE]

"...the creme of Pattaya gay society should be there."

 

I suppose almost every place has its creme, but I doubt many are this curdled.

 

Perhaps they can install some fresh cement on Niddy's front walk and have GP leave his handprint to commemorate the event.

 

They can then rename the place Niddy's Chinese Theatre and forget about the Nook.

 

[bkkguy]

If there is a reason why there is such harshness toward Niddy's Nook and a reason for the assumption that this tribute to Allen is only a publicity stunt rather than something genuine, perhaps someone can write about what that reason is. In all honesty, I have no idea.

 

"awards" are usually handed out by organisations that have some dregree of respect in the community else the award has liitle value

 

below is the original announcement of the "tribute" and the recent press release, both exactly as sent out by the owner of Niddy's. read these and form your own conclusion but keep in mind while you are reading that Allen has been a well respected figure in Pattaya for more years than I can remember and Niddy's is a fairly forgettable small cafe in a back soi in Day Night that has only been open a few months and most people would never have heard of them if not for all the (mostly negative) comments on Sawatdee - either this is a crass stunt to profit from Allen's reputation or these people really beleive they are legends in their own lunchtime!

 

A well-deserved Tribute

For Immediate Release

 

Dear Gay Pattayan,

 

This month marks a half of a year (6 months) operation for Niddy

[Guest ear wig]

I have read on other forums mention about this small cafe, but as soon as something positive is said, its turned into a negative.

 

Im sure the owners of the Nook are fine upstanding gents, I know Allen Briggs is a wonderful man no one is doubting that.

 

Having said that reading through the dross about this establishment, all that many guys are saying is the owners are not listening to there customers.

 

All I can see is much advise to what ex-customers find wrong with it, hope something will be done to put it right, customers vote with there tatse budds, the place would be buzzing like round the corner at Au Burre Cuisine, but nothing ever changes, so out of frustration we have guys go there once and never again.

 

Like Boy Bars many guys spend up to 5 million on the Bar and as I have been saying over the years, if you spend 1/2 million on the Bar and 4 & half on trucking in good looking Boys to it, your make a fortune, same as if you advertise then when customers get there, eat good food, then they wont go away unhappy, becaue they never tell the business they did not like the food, but do tell every one else on web sites like this, or any one that will listen.....

 

As far as the exploitations of a revered person like Gay Pattayan Briggs, if Nookies do just like they do with PGF gave a good percentage to his favorite charities, as I believe has been said on other forums, Im sure they could under stand the blatant publicity and go for it.............

 

Lets face the facts, Its just a stunt and some guys think its using one of our esteem revered Icons of the Pattaya gay community. simply for self gain.

 

That all there is to it. plain and simple.

[Guest LoeplohandNalac]

We also think that Niddy's Nook, G.P. and G.B. are the best what Gay Pattaya has to offer.

We think that Niddy's Nook should be on the list of the world wide Gay inherritage sides.

 

Thank you to much for the wonderfull things you guys do for gay Pattaya.

Our warmest and best wishes and a very Big Tribute to the three of U for making sure that Pattaya is on the Gay Map of the world and thanks to U Pattaya is not fading as a Gay Paradise.

 

 

NOTE :Remember that this message was written at a certain place and time. (merlot) Things in Thailand change often..so....!!!

[Gaybutton]

I rest my case

 

bkkguy

 

You've certainly answered my question. I can't argue the fact that they are going overboard with the wording of their promotions. At least they admit it, right at the end of their statement where it is signed:

 

Respectfully Submitted

Niddy's Nook Promotions

 

Apparently Allen has been doing quite a bit to help Niddy's Nook along, so a tribute to him coming from them seems appropriate to me. But I do agree that I would much rather see the emphasis placed on a tribute to Allen instead of the emphasis being placed on the venue in their promotional jargon. Whether they mean it that way or not, it does come across that way.

 

I intend to be there, but for Allen's sake, not for the sake of the venue.

 

I do agree, though, that Allen deserves to be honored from many more venues and organizations than just the one. I hope that eventually happens.

 

[Guest ear wig]

There is an easy way round the problem of exploiting Allen Briggs gaypattayan, for the profit of a cafe owner.

 

Give all the money for the Drinks on the night to His favorite charity sorted?

[Bob]

Setting aside the extraneous comments, Allen certainly deserves many tributes. Like a few others (I'll not name them but many know who they are), he's been of immeasurable help to hundreds if not thousands of visitors to Thailand and Pattaya - through his prior board and continuing newsletter and through his personal efforts. An extremely likeable guy who I've had the pleasure of meeting a couple of times. Like David in Pattaya (and, again, a few others), he's gone out of his way in the past to assist newbie and seasoned travelers.

If you're reading this, Allen, I'm sorry I can't be there to toast you . Enjoy.

[Guest Hedda]

"There is an easy way round the problem of exploiting Allen Briggs gaypattayan, for the profit of a cafe owner. Give all the money for the Drinks on the night to His favorite charity ...."

 

Good suggestion, and far more generous than most promotions we usually see emanating from another part of town. It certainly puts the horse and heart in the right place.

 

[Guest catawampuscat]

I am a big fan of Alans and for years, he ran the forum with all the headaches and heartaches and the weekly report and lots of valuable info for newbies and veterans alike.. I know that the trolls and

several posters, who have already commented on this thread, were the biggest headaches and problems for Alan..

 

Of course, Chris runs a business and of course if he can get some publicity from events like this, that is a plus for him.. I suggest those who don't like Chris or his restaurant and don't think Alan worthy of

a tribute , take a chill pill and a back seat.. Of course this will be impossible for the idiots and trolls out there, but if you don't like someplace or someone, just don't go..Try shutting up for once and see that the world goes on without you and the place for trolls in under bridges in fairy tales..

 

It is a shame when people with good intentions make a tribute for a worthy man and all are attacked and subjected to the crackpots and idiots ..Sorry Alan but this is the way of the world and please know you are appreciated and this small tribute is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of respect and gratitude you are entitled to.. I would suggest to SPICE! that you be considered for their person of honour in an upcoming issue and I am sure you have thick skin after all your years dealing with the muck and mire... I am not in Pattaya and don't expect to return until after the tribute and I hope

you enjoy it and the new drink...

[Guest Hedda]

Sorry, pussy, but you threw a fur-ball on this one.

 

No one suggested that GP isn't worthy of being honored. The issue is whether selling drinks for the benefit of the house is honoring anyone, or simply padding the coffers of the folks doing the promotion. There's a big difference between using someone and honoring them.

 

Ear wig made a very good suggestion, in coherent language for a change, and which you seem to have ignored, that the traditional way to honor GP or anyone else, is to raise money for a good cause in his name. Surely GP would also feel much better if he knew that his reputation was being used as an asset in raising money for a worthy cause.

 

What's wrong with that ?

[Guest LoeplohandNalac]

O please lets not start all over again.

Lets be nice to each other on this board.

Lets not start again to see how far each other can pissssssss.

Pattaya is such a small gay community and we should all be happy and gay together.

We ( the all new L and N ) think we should enjoy much as possible in this small community of elderly gays. We are living in a paradise and we should try try to keep it this way.

We have all learned from the passed and we should be polite and friendly to each other. We for sure will open up our hearths for all of U. Yes not our pussy

No we do not open our pussy for you, not even if Hedda or Earwig ask us to open it up for charity.

 

 

 

 

we think that giving to charity is a noble thing to do. Nobody should tell anybody how and when to do charity. Everybody does charity on their own way. So we think that G.P. and the owner of Niddy

[Guest Hedda]

"O please lets not start all over again."

 

Is that Loeploh talking to Nalac, or did you have someone else in mind ?

 

 

 

[Guest A Rose By Any Other Name]

I am always shocked to read of such malicious flouting towards a business of our community. I do know the owner of this restaurant and I know him to be an upstanding, friendly and honest person. I also know that his intentions regarding this tribute are purely unfeigned; he wanted to honor somone who has provided much enjoyment and support for him for many years. Big profit off of this event? Really? How much do you think he will stand to make after taking into account all expenditures of the evening? The venue isn't the issue, nor the point. The point simply is that you have a good man honoring a good man. And as a good community, we should stand strong behind this action and applaud. Not gripe. Not b****. Not raise our fur and don our claws.

 

Regarding charity giving, I have been told that there is more to this story than has been reported. But even if there isn't, don't you think that is an issue between Niddy's Nook and the gay pattayan? How is it any of our business? Why would we want it to be?

 

Let's all come down off our high horses and just enjoy the evening.

 

The Rose