Gaybutton

What's to update? It's exactly as we have described. Nothing is going to change in the foreseeable future.

Yes, it's the same area.

My major objection to drug use is not the drug use in and of itself. If people really want to dope themselves up on drugs, as far as I'm concerned that's their choice. My objection to drug use is the criminal activity it leads to. Not too many years ago I felt perfectly safe anywhere in Pattaya at any time of day. Now I don't even feel 100% safe in my own home. I've made modifications to my home so that a burglar would need a tank to break in. But street crime is rapidly on the rise . . . bag snatchings, armed and strong-arm robberies, armed gangs, pickpockets, scam artists, and so on. An awful lot of it is attributable to drug addicts trying to get the money to buy their next fix. That's where my objection is.

Actually, I think that's a damned good idea. I wonder why nobody ever thought of that before. It would certainly solve some problems. But I doubt that the bars will ever do it.

I've walked the same area several times and never had any problems, other than shooing away the more aggressive boys if I didn't want them. But you gave cigs to some of them? Since when do you carry cigarettes? Have you taken up smoking?

I agree. When a thread whose topic is seeking advice about a boyfriend evolves into bagels and writing skills, I'd also say "over and out."

I'm with TOQ. I love it . . . all of it. The only aspect of it that I dislike are the drunken farang dousing people and trying to knock people off their motorcycles. That part I'm sure we can all live without. Songkran seems to be something you either love or hate. There doesn't seem to be much of an in-between.

I'll be damned if I know why some cards are assessed the 150 baht fee and some aren't, even at the same ATM. Maybe it has something to do with the issuing bank, whether it's VISA or Mastercard, or lord-knows-what. All I know is, at least for now, it's on my "I Don't Get It" list.

I guess this is a foolish question, but I'll ask it anyway. Many people I know who own a Mac are virtually fanatical about them and wouldn't have anything else. My question is why? I don't know much about the Mac, so I don't know what advantage they have over PCs.

Please don't post messages that might be interpreted as anti-Semitic. We've got trouble enough around here.

That's when I know I can't afford it.

You see it one way. I see it another. In my opinion it was the whim of the police. That's what instigated his going to court in the first place. However, I don't think that's the point. The point I'm trying to make is there are no specific guidelines for the bars to follow. Yes, Mark has not had that problem recur, but it could happen again at any time. Without guidelines the police can simply tell him that what he's doing isn't good enough.

Me too. I love traveling throughout Thailand, but I always appreciate Pattaya even more when I return. I think everyone should experience Bangkok at least once, high prices and all. Chiang Mai and Phuket too. It's a different strokes for different folks kind of thing. Some people fall in love with Pattaya. Some with Bangkok. Some, other place, and so on. You'll never know unless you try.

As far as I know, most banks in Thailand allow ATM withdrawals up to 20000 to 25000 baht per day. Personally, I don't think it's the greatest idea to carry around that much cash. Apparently Aeon is the only ATM left that doesn't charge the 150 baht fee. The problem is that Aeon ATMs are few and far between in Pattaya and none are located conveniently to the places the average gay tourist here on a holiday is likely to be very often, if at all. I think for people in Pattaya, other than those who reside here, it's going to be much more convenient to stick with traveler's checks if they wish to avoid the ATM fees. Again, the alternative is to open a Thai bank account, if you can, and place your money in that account. By doing that you can use any ATM, and they're virtually everywhere you look, without paying any fee at all if it's an ATM from the bank at which you hold and account or a 25 baht fee at other ATMs.

Thai law requires the bars to keep copies of each employee's ID card on file. The bizarre part, in my opinion, is that no guidelines of any kind are provided for the bar owners to follow. Mark, along with every other bar owner, has to simply guess as to what is acceptable to the police and the Thai courts. That is why I think it is bizarre and why it would never hold up under most western court systems. In other words, whatever Mark or other bar owners can be held liable for is simply up to the whim of the police.

Do they give only 1000 baht notes, or after the first 1000 can you withdraw lesser amounts? For example, if I want to withdraw 1600 baht, can that be done or does it all have to be in 1000 baht increments?

That is an option, but I think it's about the worst one you can pick. I urge you to check the exchange rates available in Thailand before buying baht outside of Thailand.

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy Dead at 77 (CNN) -- Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77. "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," a family statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice." Kennedy, nicknamed "Ted," was the younger brother of slain President John F. Kennedy and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was gunned down while seeking the White House in 1968. However, his own presidential aspirations were hobbled by the controversy around a 1969 auto accident that left a young woman dead, and a 1980 primary challenge to then-President Jimmy Carter that ended in defeat. But while the White House eluded his grasp, the longtime Massachusetts senator was considered one of the most effective legislators of the past few decades. Kennedy, who became known as the "Lion of the Senate," played major roles in passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, and was an outspoken liberal standard-bearer during a conservative-dominated era from the 1980s to the early 2000s. "Senator Ted Kennedy's legacy in the United States Senate is comparable and consistent with the legacy of his entire family for generations," Kennedy's biographer, Ted Sorensen, said. Kennedy recently urged Massachusetts officials to change a law to allow for an immediate temporary replacement should a vacancy occur for one of his state's two Senate seats. Under a 2004 Massachusetts law, a special election must be held 145 to 160 days after a Senate seat becomes vacant. The winner of the election would serve the remainder of a senator's unexpired term. Kennedy asked Gov. Deval Patrick and state leaders to "amend the law through the normal legislative process to provide for a temporary gubernatorial appointment until the special election occurs," according to the letter, dated July 2. Kennedy suffered a seizure in May 2008 at his home on Cape Cod. Shortly after, doctors diagnosed a brain tumor -- a malignant glioma in his left parietal lobe. Surgeons at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, removed as much of the tumor as possible the following month. Doctors considered the procedure a success, and Kennedy underwent follow-up radiation treatments and chemotherapy. A few weeks later, he participated in a key vote in the Senate. He also insisted on making a brief but dramatic appearance at the 2008 Democratic convention, a poignant moment that brought the crowd to its feet and tears to many eyes. "I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States," Kennedy told fellow Democrats in a strong voice. Kennedy's early support for Obama was considered a boon for the candidate, then a first-term senator from Illinois locked in a tough primary battle against former first lady Hillary Clinton. Kennedy predicted Obama's victory and pledged to be in Washington in January when Obama assumed office -- and he was, though he was hospitalized briefly after suffering a seizure during a post-inaugural luncheon. Kennedy was one of only six senators in U.S. history to serve more than 40 years. He was elected to eight full terms to become the second most-senior senator after West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd. He launched his political career in 1962, when he was elected to finish the unexpired Senate term of his brother, who became president in 1960. He won his first full term in 1964. He seemed to have a bright political future, and many Democratic eyes turned to him after the killings of his brothers. But a July 18, 1969, car wreck on Chappaquiddick Island virtually ended his ambitions. After a party for women who had worked on his brother Robert's presidential campaign, Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick, off Cape Cod and across a narrow channel from Martha's Vineyard. While Kennedy managed to escape, his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. In a coroner's inquest, he denied having been drunk, and said he made "seven or eight" attempts to save Kopechne before exhaustion forced him to shore. Although he sought help from friends at the party, Kennedy did not report the accident to police until the following morning. Kennedy eventually pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. In a televised address to residents of his home state, Kennedy called his conduct in the hours following the accident "inexplicable" and called his failure to report the wreck immediately "indefensible." Despite the dent in his reputation and career, Kennedy remained in American politics and went on to win seven more terms in the Senate. Kennedy championed social causes and was the author of "In Critical Condition: The Crisis in America's Health Care." He served as chairman of the Judiciary and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees and was the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary and Armed Services committees during periods when Republicans controlled the chamber. Obama named Kennedy as one of 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. A White House statement explained that the 2009 honorees "were chosen for their work as agents of change." "Senator Kennedy has dedicated his career to fighting for equal opportunity, fairness and justice for all Americans. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that every American has access to quality and affordable health care, and has succeeded in doing so for countless children, seniors, and Americans with disabilities. He has called health care reform the "cause of his life." Born in Boston on February 22, 1932, Edward Moore Kennedy was the last of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy, a prominent businessman and Democrat, and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Joseph Kennedy served as ambassador to Britain before World War II and pushed his sons to strive for the presidency, a burden "Teddy" bore for much of his life as the only surviving Kennedy son. His oldest brother, Joe Jr., died in a plane crash during World War II when Kennedy was 12. John was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in 1963, and Robert was killed the night of the California primary in 1968. Ted Kennedy delivered Robert's eulogy, urging mourners to remember him as "a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it; who saw suffering and tried to heal it; who saw war and tried to stop it." The family was plagued with other tragedies as well. One sister, Kathleen, was killed in a plane crash in 1948. Another sister, Rosemary, was born mildly retarded, but was institutionalized after a botched lobotomy in 1941. She died in 1986 after more than 50 years in mental hospitals. Joseph Kennedy was incapacitated by a stroke in 1961 and died in November 1969, leaving the youngest son as head of the family. He was 37. "I can't let go," Kennedy once told an aide. "If I let go, Ethel (Robert's widow) will let go, and my mother will let go, and all my sisters." Kennedy himself survived a 1964 plane crash that killed an aide, suffering a broken back in the accident. But he recovered to lead the seemingly ill-starred clan through a series of other tragedies: Robert Kennedy's son David died of a drug overdose in a Florida hotel in 1984; another of Robert's sons, Michael, was killed in a skiing accident in Colorado in 1997; and John's son John Jr., his wife Carolyn and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette died in a 1999 plane crash off Martha's Vineyard. In addition, his son Edward Jr. lost a leg to cancer in the 1970s, and daughter Kara survived a bout with the disease in the early 2000s. Kennedy was forced to testify about a bar-hopping weekend that led to sexual battery charges against his nephew, William Kennedy Smith. Smith was acquitted in 1991 of charges that he raped a woman he met while at a Florida nightclub with the senator and his son Patrick, now a Rhode Island congressman. Like brothers John and Robert, Edward Kennedy attended Harvard. He studied in the Netherlands before earning a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School, and worked in the district attorney's office in Boston before entering politics. Kennedy is survived by his second wife, Victoria Ann Reggie Kennedy, whom he married in 1992; his first wife, Joan Bennett; and five children -- Patrick, Kara and Edward Jr. from his first marriage, and Curran and Caroline Raclin from his second.

I just discovered this one: Siam Rainbow Network http://www.siamrainbow.us/home.php Unfortunately, it is entirely in Thai. If there is an English language version, I haven't found it. Nevertheless, the site is there if you wish to have a look.

Oh, I'm sure many will come up with all kinds of tortures for me. Did you happen to see any episodes of "Surviving History" on the History Channel? This is a whole series in which a group called 'The Scare Factory' is actually reconstructing and testing out medieval torture devices, ranging from The Rack to The Iron Maiden. Somehow, I can't help the feeling that there may be some users out there who would love for me to be the one subjected to the tests . . .

There is a row of ATMs on the second floor at Carrefour too. I think there might be an Aeon machine on that level as well, but at the moment I can't remember whether one is there or not. The row of ATMs on the ground floor is just outside the entrance corridor to the restrooms. There is definitely an Aeon machine there. Agreed, of course. I can't be sure whether that fee originates from Aeon or the bank that issued the ATM card. If it originates from the issuing bank, the fee may be different from what we were charged.

Surely you can't possibly think anyone would ever want to 'muck' poor, misunderstood, kindly, ol' me . . .

This morning a friend and I tried an Aeon ATM. HeyGay is right. There was no fee. Actually we were charged a 25 baht fee, but I think that came from the issuing bank end, not from the ATM because there was nothing on the screen or receipt about a fee. Normally, when the local ATM charges any kind of fee, something does appear on the screen and receipt to tell you that. The Aeon machine we used (the one at Home Works) issued only 1000 baht notes. I don't know whether that is standard or whether the machine we used had simply run out of 100 and 500 baht notes. We were there early in the morning, so perhaps 100's and 500's were already gone before the machine had been refilled for the day.

Here are the ATM locations in Pattaya: Lotus North Pattaya (Pattaya Nua - North Road) - ground floor Lotus South Pattaya (Sukhumvit) 2nd Floor Home Works Pattaya - just outside the store (next to Big-C, Pattaya Tai) Carrefour - 1 ATM on each floor For other locations in Thailand, click the following link: http://www.aeon.co.th/lang/en/menu/Service_Location/region/off/option/atm#branchATMForm

By 2020 the road work on Tappraya will be a little closer to completion. Boys who are currently celebrating their 7th birthday will be heading for the bars trying to find farang. Some of the beach umbrellas will be replaced with new ones. Construction will have begun on View Talay 116. ATMs will be charging 2000 baht per foreign card transaction. GB will weigh 527 kilos. GT will be on his bicycle tour from the Aleutian Islands to Jakarta. GB will have banned his 864th board user and deleted his 12943rd message. The police will be drug testing boys for ya-babaloo. The powers-that-be will have imposed 9:15pm to 10:30pm as legal bar operating hours. But the bars will be, with the exception of more name changes, just as they have always been. That's my 2020 vision . . .