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Damned right! What really is surprising me is that so far lvdkeyes is the only one posting that he dislikes Songkran and plans to go elsewhere. I would have thought several others would have posted similar sentiments. Maybe people have caught the spirit . . .

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Tourists Suspected of Underage Sex Crimes Thai, Australian Police Work to Make Arrests By: WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM and AFP Published: 21/03/2009 Thai and Australian police have arrested three men accused of sexual offences against Thai minors while on holiday here in a joint operation. Under the joint operation codenamed "Hercules", Australian Richard Jeremy Morrush and Italian David Costa Ruggero, both 60, were arrested yesterday in Pattaya, Chon Buri province. The third suspect, another Australian identified as David Anthony Hadson, 41, was arrested in Australia. The suspects were charged with plotting to lure boys under 15 to have sex with them and with the physical or psychological abuse of their victims. The three came to Thailand as tourists in 2007 and went to Pattaya where they committed sexual offences against three 14-year-old boys, police alleged. Police also alleged that Mr Morrush committed similar crimes in Australia before he came to Thailand. Mr Ruggero was arrested by Thai police in 2007 on similar charges. He was released on bail and the case is pending in court, police said. Both Mr Morrush and Mr Ruggero denied all the charges and remained tight-lipped yesterday, said Pol Col Suwipol Imjairat, deputy chief of the Crime Against Children, Juveniles and Women Suppression Division. Mr Morrush fainted during his arrest and had to be sent to the Police General Hospital, the officer added. Police are checking a computer laptop seized from Mr Morrush to see if it contained any illegal images. Police began looking into the case involving the three foreigners after they were informed by the Australian Federal Police that suspects in sex crimes they were investigating had travelled to Thailand. The Australian police said yesterday the three were charged with child sex tourism, child sex abuse and child pornography offences. Britain's child exploitation and online protection centre also assisted with the investigation, they added. The Australian Federal Police "will not tolerate any form of child abuse in Australia or anywhere in the world, and will continue to work with local and overseas counterparts to arrest those behind child exploitation", said spokesman David Stewart. Last year, officers arrested four foreigners accused of similar offences in Thailand. They were middle-aged men from England, the US and Germany. Meanwhile, at the Southeast Asia Conference on Child Sex Tourism in Indonesia yesterday, Southeast Asian nations were urged to do more to tackle child sex tourism as the global economic crisis has exposed more young people to exploitation. "The current economic crisis will increase children's vulnerability to sex tourism," participants from governments, aid groups and corporations said. "Poverty remains a root cause of child sex tourism. Other factors include limited access to education, gender relations, and weak law enforcement capacity," the conference said in a resolution. Asean governments should "enforce legislation to prosecute child sex offenders and where relevant collaborate regionally and internationally to ensure successful prosecution", it said. The three-day conference heard earlier that more than 70,000 children across Asia were victims of child sex tourism and that children living in areas exposed to natural disasters, particularly orphans, were at increased risk of abuse.The conference is being held on the Indonesian island of Bali and has attracted participants from 17 countries including Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.

It's just incredible to me that given the number of arrests, people still think they're going to get away with it. Why do they even come to Thailand at all? Several other countries have ages of consent far younger than Thailand. Why do they come here? Just another item on my "I Don't Get It" list. The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: for photos see: http://www.pattayaone.net/news/2009/march/...9_03_52_3.shtml _____ British National Arrested for Engaging in Underage Sex Tourist Police held a press conference on Thursday morning to announce the arrest of Mr Paul Dixon, a 45-year-old British passport holder, on charges of engaging in sexual activities with a Thai male under the age of 15. Police told journalists they had set up an observation post in a known early morning area frequented by foreign men in search of sex with underage Thai males. Mr Dixon had allegedly come into this area at around 4:30am and offered the teenager 500 baht to perform sexual acts with him. Police pounced, arrested Mr Dixon and went to the man's room where they found what they claim are incriminating objects such as KY jelly, pornographic movies, and allegedly incriminating photos. Mr Dixon may now face court proceedings in coming days. ____________________ And this, in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ for photos see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000008692 ANOTHER BRITON ARRESTED IN PATTAYA ON PAEDOPHILE CHARGES On the morning of 19th March 2009 Pattaya police announced that a suspected British paedophile had been arrested in Pattaya, accused of having sex with an underage Thai male. At a press conference a police team led by Pol.Col. Krit Warit, Pol. Lt. Col. Chanchai Chowkasem, Pol. Lt. Col. Boon Rod Aung Gab, accompanied by Pol. Lt. Col. Suwan Aun Anan, revealed to the media that they had arrested Mr. Paul Dixon [45], a British national, for having sex with a Thai male under 15 years of age. On display were items collected from the suspect’s room at King Fisher House 504/498 Moo .10 Soi Yensabai, Pratumnuk Road, including KY jelly, pornographic movies, a video camera, sex toys, a bondage belt and a collection of photos which are believed to incriminate the suspect. Pol.Col. Krit Warit said they had been monitoring an area of the city frequented by foreign men looking for young Thai males for sexual purposes, and in particular a building no. 504/470 in Soi Tonson where many of these underage males were taken. Mr. Dixon, an engineer with the London Underground, was arrested by a police team when he ventured into the area in the early hours of the morning and propositioned a young teenager for sex. Police said the Mr. Dixon had been in Pattaya 5 times, normally on a 2 week stay. The suspect can now expect due processing according to the law. Pol.Col. Krit Warit added that his police team was under direct orders from The Tourist Police Commissioner, Pol.Maj.Gen. Adis Ngahm-Jit Sooksri, to seize foreign tourists who travel to Thailand to have underage sex, a problem which is still prevalent in Pattaya.

Yes, that's the one. Obviously totally different from Pattaya. It looks like great fun. That might be an excellent alternative for those who don't want to deal with it the way it works in Pattaya.

That is correct. Thailand does not permit police agencies of foreign countries to come in and act unilaterally. I know of no country that does. The Australian police would have had to act in conjunction with Thai police, and I'll bet as far as physically arresting anyone was concerned, their capacity was nothing beyond being observers.

This whole thing is so typical. A close friend of mine said it best, I think: "Everything in Thailand is reactive. Nothing is ever proactive." In other words, they come up with these things without ever thinking it through. There was absolutely no warning that this was coming. Everyone affected by this simply received the letter and was given less than two weeks to comply. If Bangkok Bank handled this the way it should have been handled, then they would have sent out notifications at least one or two months in advance and would have asked people what problems might arise and what suggestions for solutions could be offered, and would have given people plenty of time to make alternate arrangements if they wished. But noooooooo. Just send out the letter first and then worry about problems later. I wouldn't be surprised if once full clarification is received by Social Security, or whatever entity, it will turn out that none of this was necessary in the first place.

Seems to me that catering by Niddy would work. On the floral part of that link it says: "Personally Customized Floral Arrangements & Gift Baskets We are happy to design a beautiful floral arrangement or gift basket for your special day. We can do vase arrangements, basket arrangements, hand-held presentation bouquets -- just tell us what you want! Also, let us know your favorite flowers and a color or occasion theme and we will personalize your order to your specifications and needs. We are happy to hand deliver to any location within the greater Pattaya area." Seems to be an easy solution.

Thank you for that post, 2lz2p. I read the Expats Club letter. While it is encouraging that they are trying to do something about it, I'm reluctant to expect they're going to accomplish very much, although I'm hopeful. Some of the methods they posted about how to get around this seem to me to be much more complicated than just going ahead and changing over to the Direct Deposit account and going to the bank whenever funds are received. One potential problem the Expats Club letter did not address: Suppose you happen to be traveling in another country when your monthly benefit comes in and something happens to you that requires access to your money. Since you have no access to it at all unless you can physically get to a Bangkok Bank, what do you do in that situation? There is always the possibility that some bizarre situation will occur. In accordance with Murphy's Law, that's exactly what's going to start happening to people. How would you like to have been arrested for something, find you can pay or even bribe your way out of it, but can't access your money. "There's always the unexpected, isn't there?" - Warden to Shears, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' In my opinion, something is really wrong with a banking system in today's electronic age that prevents people from being able to access their own money. What Bangkok Bank needs to do is figure out some way to comply, but in such a way that the recipient can at least move the funds to a regular savings account without having to physically go to the bank to do it. It seems to me it shouldn't be all that difficult to come up with something satisfactory to all parties. By the way, last night I did receive a text message from Bangkok Bank notifying me that the SMS alert system for international deposits into my account is now in place.

Being the spoilsport that I am, I'm one of the crazies who absolutely loves Songkran. I thoroughly enjoy it, especially on the main insanity day (Sunday, April 19 this year in Pattaya). All those boys in wet T-shirts or shirtless! I don't mind the water splashing at all, at least on that day. I wouldn't dream of missing it. For those of you who will be here in Pattaya during the festivities, and many of you know the splashing starts sporadically several days before and there's more and more of it until the 19th, you can still avoid getting wet if you don't want to be wet. If you sit on a baht bus bench seat, it's virtually a given that you're going to get splashed. The trick is to sit up front with the driver. Then you won't get splashed. On the main day, if you're going to go anywhere or get into the traffic flow, make sure you have a full tank of fuel. You're going to be stuck in a hell of a lot of traffic and that would be the wrong day to run out of fuel. If you intend to go to Bangkok, if you go on the 18th (or come to Pattaya on the 18th), make sure you go via the Rt. 36, Rt. 7 expressway. Don't go through Chonburi. That's the main Songkran day in Chonburi and you'll be stuck trying to get through for at least two hours, probably more. But I too would be interested to know what those of you who dislike Songkran and are "stuck" in Thailand are going to do. Some choose to hole up in their rooms as much as they until it's over. If they won't even go out to eat and cannot or will not cook at home, they can always order food delivery from Door-2-Door or WOW. Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, and various Thai owned restaurants have delivery service of their own. During the day you're safe at places such as the beach, Pattaya Park, shopping malls, etc. Some choose to do as lvdkeyes is going to do . . . leave Pattaya during Songkran. If you are going to leave, where are you going? Last year TOQ posted some fabulous photos of Songkran in the rural areas of Thailand, on the Ting & Tong's Gay Thailand board ( http://www.gaytingtong.com ). I can't find those photos now. Maybe if TOQ sees this post he can post a link to those photos if he still has them online. But the point is that out in the rural areas Songkran is much more benign and subdued. A trip to the hinterlands might be a good alternative for some.

I see. Ok, then maybe they're in a Burger King in Nacogdoches.

"How often does a man get a compliment like that?" - Tevye, 'Fiddler on the Roof' Actually this old dog is still up to the same tricks. Sorry, no new ones. If you read previous threads on the Googie subject, you'll find that what I wrote on this thread is the same as I wrote on the previous threads.

"Mr. Towns, you behave as if stupidity were a virtue. Why is that?" - Dorfmann to Towns, 'Flight of the Phoenix,' 1965 version When you ask if they'll ever learn, and they don't, the above is the most likely reason I can think of.

That's absolutely right. No matter what you do, you still have to have the letter from the bank.

Yes. Googie can bring it to light himself, if he so chooses. Other than that, it's really nobody's business.

Maybe now they're in Purgatory.

Some who lives in Bangkok will probably know far ore than I do, but I've heard that the St. Louis hospital is very good: http://www.saintlouis.or.th/main_page.php

Not long ago, buckeroo2 posted: _____ OK, I did the retirement visa renewal this morning. There is a moderator on thaivisa.com forum who corrects people when they call it a "retirement visa". He always says Thailand does not offer a retirement visa but rather an extension of your stay in the Kingdom for retirement purposes. Anyway, when I entered Pattaya Immigration and went to the machine to get a service #, number 8 is clearly marked "Retirement Visa". As it is a Monday and supposedly a busy day at Immigration, I arrived early - at 8:10AM for an 8:30 AM opening. There were about 15 people already waiting when I arrived. I got in line and by the time they opened the doors at 8:30 AM there were approximately 50 people in line. As I said, I got a service ticket pressing #8 - marked "Retirement Visa" Even with 15 others entering before me, I was still #E002 - the second person applying for a retirement visa. I waited about 5 minutes and my # was called. I checked everything thoroughly and had copies of everything I figured they could possible ask for. But, of course, they always want something else. They told me I needed another copy of one page in my passport. It had the original Retirement visa stamp from 2007. I had already copied the page with the latest current/expiring retirement visa stamp but they still wanted a copy of the page with the 1st original retirement visa stamp. I went to the copy shop, had that made and returned to the desk to complete my application process. They did not ask for any additional income verification other than the U.S. Embassy proof-of-income letter. Also, I bank at Siam Trust and last week I decided to go to a different branch here in Pattaya to get the bank letter but I was told I had to get that from my original branch where the account was opened. I was trying to avoid that as I bank at Siam Trust at Tuk Com. While their hours are usually convenient as they are open 7 days a week until 8:00 PM they do not open until 10:30 AM. The bank from which I tried to get the letter opened at 8:30 AM. Anyway, I did not want to wait until 10:30 AM - wait in line for a service agent to draft the letter and then head off to Immigration. I figured by that time Immigration would be closing for lunch and I would have to be there all afternoon. So I took a chance and got my bank letter on Sunday - the day before I applied for my retirement visa. I figured the most Immigration could do was tell me they would not accept it and then I would just go back to my bank and get another letter and return the same day. Anyway, no one questioned the date on my bank letter - it was just one day earlier than the application. While I was there, a farang came over to the Immigration officer who was waiting on me - they exchanged pleasantries as if they knew each other. They shook hands and the farang placed 1,000 baht in the palm of the hand of the immigration officer who in turn put the money in a cup on his desk - and not in the same box where he put my 1,900 baht fee. This farang handed the officer some sort of form and the officer stamped it, the farang thanked him and out the door he went. After I finished this first process I was directed to another lady officer who had me sign all of the copies I presented and told me that I can pick up my passport tomorrow after 2 PM. I looked at my watch as I was leaving and it was 8:55 AM - so the entire process took 25 minutes once the doors opened. But to the question at hand, I repeat - no one asked me for any income verification other than the proof-of-income letter I presented from the U.S. Embassy. And yes, I dressed properly this time - dress shirt, khaki slacks, and loafers.

Last year Wowpow posted about it: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.ph...5&hl=prison

We're getting a bit off topic here, but it can't hurt to talk about hospital care for a moment. I'm happy for you if you're rich enough to be able to afford to have $10,000 worth of liquid cash readily available in a Thai bank. Unfortunately, not everybody has that kind of money. If you choose to live here, you have to do the best you can with what you've got. Alternatives to Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital are available for those who can't afford it. That hospital is the most expensive in the Pattaya area. For those who don't have so much, there are alternatives and far less expensive places to go, including Pattaya Memorial Hospital, P.I.C. Hospital, or even Banglamung Hospital. I understand the Samitivej Hospital in Si Racha is excellent. See: http://www.samitivej.co.th/sriracha/aboutus_en.aspx An excellent hospital is the Queen Sirikit Hospital in Sattahip. You won't have the luxurious accommodations that Bangkok-Pattaya can offer, but the competence of the doctors and staff is just as good and, in my opinion, often better. You won't be anywhere near as comfortable, but you'll at least have just as good a chance of coming out alive and well, and for a hell of a lot less money. See: http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/modul...cle&sid=937

A couple of things perhaps. First, you're thinking in terms of logic and you're right. But 'logic' and 'Thailand' is virtually an oxymoron. Bangkok Bank is interpreting a US Government Agency to mean funds received from any government source within the United States, whether it be national, state, or local. We might not see it that way, but people like me have to deal with the fact that Bangkok Bank does see it that way. I complied because I don't want any trouble receiving funds. I do receive monthly income from those types of sources. Also, at this time of year, those who are expecting an income tax refund from IRS, for example, might have problems getting it if they don't comply. People receiving funds through sources such as veteran's benefits, federal retirement, teacher retirement programs, etc, could run into problems. In my case I prefer to comply rather than risk difficulty receiving funds. Also, I may not be eligible for Social Security just yet, but that day will come if I live long enough. So, if this is the way Bangkok Bank is going to handle it, I might as well get used to it. I don't see where I have much of a choice. The fact that the letter was addressed to me, and the phone calls that went back and forth, made it clear that my account was specifically targeted. I suppose I could try to fight it, but I don't see how fighting a losing battle would benefit me. Unfortunately, Bangkok Bank is in the driver's seat on this one. So, I'll have two accounts and I'll have to go to the bank once a month. I don't see any other way to handle it.

For a very simple reason I did not. That's because I'm still too young to be eligible to receive Social Security benefits. I have a few years to go before I'm eligible. Maybe I could have created a new account as the Direct Deposit account, but the bank letter does say, "In compliance with the US direct deposit program regulation, we need to request that you change your savings account to a Direct Deposit account." It says to change my savings account. It doesn't say anything about creating a new one. I also chose not to try because the payments I do receive were already set up to be deposited into the existing account. There will be no change in the routing number or account number, so I saw no reason to do anything other than to change the account type from a savings account to a direct deposit account, in accordance with the letter's instructions. That way I don't have to bother informing the sources of my income and I also don't have to worry about anybody screwing up the new numbers or other types of unforeseen "Murphy's Law" scenarios to arise. I have to open a second account with Bangkok Bank anyway if I want to be able to do ATM transactions, pay bills online, etc, so it might as well be a new savings account. I'll let that one be the one with new numbers. I do have accounts with other Thai banks, so I suppose I could elect not to open another savings account with Bangkok Bank, but it would mean I would have to physically carry the cash to another bank. All I would need is for a criminal to see me leaving the bank with a lot of cash. Thank you, no. I'll just have to start going to the bank when my money arrives and have them transfer from one account to the other. I suppose I could do it with a cashier's check, but that would be more bother than simply opening a new savings account, and cashier's checks aren't free. From among all the options, converting my existing savings account to a direct deposit account and then opening a new savings account seems to be the lesser of the evils.

I didn't say that. Of course I mind it. But if they're going to do that whether I like it or not, then I would rather they go elsewhere. I admit it's selfish of me, but when they do those things in my neighborhood, it has a direct effect on my life. I hate to read about terrorist bombings too, but I'd much rather read about one than be a victim of one.

Unfortunately, as far as I know Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank that has a branch in the USA. If you know of another one, please let us know. If another one exists, I would switch provided they don't have a similar idiotic rule. If someone at Bangkok Bank came up with this nonsense because of a misinterpretation of the actual regulations, then it would have been very simple to pick up a telephone, call the appropriate office in the USA, and simply ask for a clarification of the rules and making damned sure before imposing this on account holders. All I know is the system was working just fine all these years until I received that letter. It wasn't broke, but someone fixed it anyway. Leave it to the Thai way of doing things to come up with a set of rules that throws a monkey wrench into the whole works. If the idea behind this is, as Astrrro suggested, "the usa gov doesn't want situations where friends of a dead person are withdrawing money from an atm," then how, pray tell, would those friends have done that anyway? I don't know about anybody else, but I'm not in the habit of giving out my PIN to other people. If under this new system, all it takes is a letter from a doctor to designate someone to withdraw the funds for an account holder, then how much effort do they think it would take to find a Thai doctor willing to write such a letter, especially if some money exchanges hands? My favorite paragraph in the letter is the one that says, "With a Direct Deposit account, funds are deposited directly into your account without you needing to physically receive a cheque and deposit it at the bank, saving you time and enabling you to receive your funds faster." What the hell do they think people like me were doing in the first place? I had always used direct deposit.

If you're back in Boyz Boyz Boyz again, checking is easy. If the boy you thought was him has the same set of tattoos, then it's him.