Gaybutton

I watched it too. I thought he was forthright, direct, and tried to explain his position so that people could really understand what he was saying and why he was saying it. I also liked the way he refused to allow Helen Thomas to continue her reign as queen bee of the White House correspondents when she tried to cut him off with another question. He simply ignored her and moved on to the next correspondent. I'll bet she'll be fuming over that for quite some time. I hope his economic package does pass mostly intact and that it works. It ought to be obvious to anyone, and he made it clear, that the Republican policies simply did not work. Maybe Obama's policies will. I can't imagine that very many people would disagree with the idea that a totally different approach to pulling the USA out of this economic mess is at least worth trying.

I'll give you a better one than that. I am not aware of anyone who ever took a boy off from a bar and got busted, no matter what the age of the boy was. Obviously I don't advise taking an under-age boy off, because a 'bust' could happen, but in all honesty I'm not aware of a single case in which it ever has. Still, I think it is a risk not worth taking. I've said it before; most of these cases arise from people taking street boys and/or diddling around with under-age boys in their own neighborhoods. I suppose Pattayamale's idea of having a police officer, or whoever, address the Expat's Club, or address some other group, can't hurt anything, but I doubt you would hear much of anything beyond advice to check ID's as thoroughly as you can, but the responsibility still rests on your shoulders. If it helps anything, even when these busts do occur, it is rarely when someone had a boy with him who was 16 or 17. Most of the stories I read involve someone with a boy much younger and it almost always turns out that the person had been involved with multiple under-age boys and had been under some form of surveillance for months before an arrest warrant is issued. I really don't think the police are after people who unintentionally were cheated by an under-age bar boy. I think they go after the people who intentionally seek out boys years younger than 18.

It will also be interesting to see if the US embassy ever changes its policy of accepting solely a sworn statement, which is nothing more than simply taking one's word for it. Nevertheless, whether the policy changes or remains the same, my question also remains the same: If Thailand's policy is heading for change such that Immigration will no longer accept an embassy's proof-of-income statement as the actual proof, then why require a proof-of-income statement at all anymore? Personally, I'd rather show Immigration proof than have to go to the embassy once a year and go through the inconvenience, as well as the expense, of obtaining the statement. Not everyone lives close to Bangkok and it can cost many retirees a lot of money each year, which I think would be an unnecessary expense if the proof-of-income statement literally will end up not being worth the paper it's written on. At the moment, Immigration has the option of accepting the proof-of-income statement or requiring more proof. I have no problem with it if it is either-or, but I can't see much logic in requiring both. In my opinion, either accept the embassy's statement or require proof. I wish they would just flip a coin and decide one way or another. Now when applying for the initial visa or applying for a renewal, it's going to be necessary to have the proof with you in case you are asked for it. As it stands now, you really don't have any idea whether you're going to be asked for additional proof or not. The whole thing makes little sense to me in the first place. If Immigration is moving toward a policy change, then the next obvious question is why? For what reason is Immigration suddenly requiring additional proof from people? What problem is causing them to do this? How is the decision made regarding from whom they will ask for additional proof? What do they do, decide based on whether they like someone's looks or not? Is it based on the idea that people may be lying about how much guaranteed monthly income they have? Is it random? Is it simply based on the whim of the Immigration officer?

Here's another thought: If a proof-of-income statement from the embassy is no longer sufficient to prove income, then why require the proof-of-income statement at all anymore? Another one for my "I Don't Get It" list. What do they do, hire someone to sit around and come up with new unnecessary ideas to make life more difficult for farang retirees? Now they can require additional proof if they so choose. But the question is are they asking for additional proof? If you have renewed your retirement visa since this announcement came out or if you are going to renew in the near future, please let us know if they really are asking for additional proof.

Ok, I'll give you some more trivia: 1. Anthropologists announced the discovery of another Mohican. The books are in the process of being recalled to be re-titled, "The Next to Last of the Mohicans." 2. Medical researchers announced today that saliva has been shown to be a leading cause of stomach cancer, but only when swallowed in small amounts over a period of many years. 3. Police fired warning shots over the heads of protesters. Unfortunately they killed 18 people who lived on the second floor. 4. A one-armed man was arrested today at a nearby lake. It seemed he was bothering the other row-boaters by continuously rowing in a circle. 5. A dog exploded at a busy downtown intersection this morning. Several people were overcome by fur. 36 fleas also lost their lives in the blast. 6. The ASPCA filed charges against a man they allege was keeping live goldfish in a moving blender. The man claimed this was only to provide them with exercise. He further claimed that he never had the setting above 'mix.' The ASPCA claims to have evidence that he had the blender up to 'whip' and 'puree' several times. 7. A woman attempting to walk around the world drowned today. 8. A Delaware man was arrested this morning when he was caught trying mail a watermelon with food stamps. 9. A man barricaded himself inside his house today. No one was hurt and no one is paying him the slightest bit of attention. 10. Weather reports say that the forecast for tonight is dark. Darkness is predicted to continue over a period of several hours. Widely scattered light is expected in the early morning hours. - George Carlin

My all time favorites are the urine drinkers. Someone had to be the first person to think of that. The unbelievable part is the fact that it actually caught on.

Ach soooooooooooooo! (Sefton, "Stalag 17") Now that makes some sense.

The information I have as of Monday noon is that in Sunee Plaza the open-air beer bars will be open, but the go-go bars will be closed. I have not heard anything at all about the Pattayaland-Boyztown bars.

Why not? Models and celebrities like to go out too. I would guess most of those models were paid, probably peanuts, to do those photo shoots, and were probably damned glad to get it. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find many of them willing and delighted if a foreigner with money in his pockets comes along and shows an interest in them. Only yesterday afternoon a close farang friend of mine and his Thai boyfriend were over at my house. While we were standing outside, a car pulled up to the house two doors down. The Thai boy's jaw dropped and he got all excited when he saw who got out of the car. It was some Thai "superstar," who I've never heard of, but apparently is quite famous in Thailand. He and his girlfriend (or maybe she's his wife) have lived in that house for about four years now. They are very nice, quiet people. Until yesterday, I had no idea that he is so well known in Thailand. It just goes to show that these types of people don't necessarily live in an Asian version of Beverly Hills and keep themselves hidden from public view.

Is their language similar enough to Thai that they might understand if spoken to in Thai?

Are you serious? I'll start with the fact that hotel staff are native to the country, speak and read the language, grew up with ID cards, are far more used to the tricks than a foreigner on a one or two week holiday, probably haven't been drinking that night, are not looking forward to sex with the boy, and are looking at these ID cards, probably several of them, every day. If your hotel desk clerk tells you the ID card is either fake or doesn't belong to the boy, are you really going to stand there and tell him he's wrong and try to take the boy to your room anyway? You're right in that the responsibility is ultimately yours. So, if there is any doubt in your mind or any doubt in the desk clerk's mind, then very simple: Don't take the boy to your room.

No. Of course. When you have something that works, there's always someone who comes along to tell you that it doesn't work. What I use, as I said, works quite well for me. I'll still get bites every so often, but without using it I'd get a hell of a lot more bites. What reason would any of us have to recommend something if it doesn't work, at least for us? If you know of something better than the suggestions we've written, or if you have a better idea, I'm all ears.

As much as I enjoy contacting you, right now I have to go PP . . .

You're absolutely right, but that's a totally different point. The point at hand is, at least my point is, that I don't see how one can rely on the idea that a Thai boy who has been involved with porn is necessarily 18+ years old and I'm trying to understand why Astrrro believes that you can (for off purposes).

I'm well aware of that. However Astrrro seems to think that a boy who has done a porn shoot is likely to be 18+ years old. I don't see the logic behind that. Meanwhile, why are you talking about American policy? What does that have to do with the age of a Thai boy who has done a porn shoot? Maybe I'm wrong, but I didn't think Thai boys, living in Thailand, who do porn shoots in Thailand are subject to American policies and laws.

Doesn't it also keep a record of which posts you have read? I thought that's how the "show unread posts since last visit" function works.

Regarding bar closings, the latest word I have is that the bars have to wait until about midnight tonight to be informed by the police as to whether they can open tomorrow (Monday) or not.

I remember that movie too. It was entitled "Them". I found the following synopsis on the Internet: _____ Police Sgt. Ben Peterson finds a little girl wandering aimlessly in the New Mexico desert and they trace her to the family's camping trailer a few miles away. There is no sign of her parents and the trailer itself has been badly damaged. Soon after, Peterson's partner and the owner of a general store are also killed. They're not sure what they have on their hands but are soon joined by FBI Agent Robert Graham and two doctors from the Department of Agriculture, Harold Medford and his daughter Pat. They discover that there is a nest of giant mutated ants resulting from the atomic tests in the desert 10 years before. They don't quite manage to kill all of them however and the ants migrate to Los Angeles and establish a nest in the vast subterranean sewer system.

That's you. That doesn't mean others, including me, necessarily think the same way you do. Certainly the 'supply' is a factor, an important factor, but it's not the only factor. I have many reasons why I choose Thailand to be where I want to live. I know you're kidding, but just in case you're not, what you think does not make it a fact. There is only one person who knows my personal motivations for being here . . . me.

It works beautifully for me. Once, on a trip to an area where mosquitoes were rampant I brought along the Skin-So-Soft. I was the only one not getting bitten. I was there for three days. I literally had people lining up to use it . . . each night. People who used it were not getting bitten. People using anything else were getting bitten. Scientific or not, it sure works for me. I suppose, if it doesn't work for you, then individual body chemistry may have something to do with it. But I swear by it.

Thai pornographers and Thai boys doing photo shoots for them would concern themselves about American law and American authorities? I don't understand your reasoning. To me that's the same as saying people ought to avoid doing something in Thailand because it's against the law in Bangladesh. I'm sorry if I'm missing something, but you're not making any sense to me on this one.

I don't understand. How can the fact that a boy has done a professional porno shoot guarantee that he is 18+ ?

Here's a photo of the contraption I'm talking about in my post above. It lasts about three weeks before the liquid is used up. You can buy replacement liquid at most stores such as Big-C, Lotus, etc.

That's precisely the part that is not obvious. That's the problem. Quite often the photo is several years old, the hair style is different, etc. It can be very difficult to tell whether the photo on the ID card is actually the boy you wish to take off or not.

I saw a post on another board that Krazy Dragon will be closed. I don't have any idea how many bars will close. Obviously, if they are ordered to close then they will all be closed, but I have a feeling that you'll just have to go to the bars and see, if you cant handle a one-night closing of the bars. If you're in Pattaya as a holiday maker, then look at the bright side. You'll lose the bars only for one night. Last year there were times when the bars were closed for several days in a row. Don't forget, maybe the bars will be closed and maybe they won't, but if they are there will still be plenty of boys who will be out there looking for farang. This might be a good time to experiment around and try just walking around the bar scene area, the shopping malls, etc. You can also get online and try personals sites such as Gay Romeo. I guarantee you'll find plenty of willing boys. It might be a good idea to make "arrangements" for tomorrow (Monday) today, if you are in the bars tonight. Also, if you are a drinker, then you better stock up on your booze supply today as well. Liquor will not be sold tomorrow, at least legally. I do know that several mom-and-pop shops often sell liquor anyway and even some 7-Elevens do as well. I don't know of any speakeasies in Pattaya . . .