Gaybutton

This year's Loy Kratong holiday will be celebrated on Saturday, November 24 in Pattaya. One of the nicer ways to spend the evening is at your favorite beach concession. Many will be hosting Loy Kratong parties. For some of us, Rit's Beach is a favorite. This year he will be hosting another one of his wonderful BBQs, with his usual huge assortment of foods and salads that please both western and Thai palates, along with the roast pig. He'll have all the beach chairs and tables set out and it's plenty of fun with plenty of boys showing up, many in totally outrageous costumes. It all begins at 8:00 PM. The price is 380 baht per person. Advance reservations are highly recommended and he has tickets on sale now. There are many other beach concession areas to choose from if you prefer somewhere other than Rit's or if he is sold out by the time you purchase your ticket.

Sheeeeeesh! I give up. I think everyone who has read EarWig, and that's probably everyone except total newbies, knows his writing style. So what? The point is, whether it's a lot of hype or not, he does manage to provide useful venue information quite consistently. I could do without the hyperbole and hype too, but that's EarWig and he's not going to change. I'd much rather put up with his writing style and be informed of these things, and disregard the hype, than be without the information. What would you have us do, force him to tone down his writing style so that it suits those who can't tolerate it? Do you want to put him on your ignore list and have a moderator rewrite his posts in a more subdued manner so that you don't have to read the hype? I'm not going to volunteer for that job. Do you want us to put him on moderated mode and first submit his posts to you for approval and/or editing before allowing them to appear? Very simple. Given that EarWig is unlikely to change his writing style, then if it really bothers people that much, put him on your ignore list and find out these things on your own.

I'm definitely with you on that. I had merely locked the thread. I'm glad you took it a step further and got rid of the thread entirely. This board is for posting information about legitimate issues, venues, and goings on within Thailand and within the gay scene. It is definitely not here for people to be fighting their personal battles online or posting accusations. Some of those battles are fought between people who know each other. If they can't handle the idea of personally discussing their problems, then they can fight their personal battles by PM. I also see no need for pissing contests here. If you want to piss, go to the Men's room.

I don't understand why some people feel the need to chop apart the bar show before it ever even opens or is seen by anyone. If it makes you feel better, I'm among the people who don't like bar shows. For me, when it's show time it's also get up and leave time. I don't enjoy watching boys in drag, lip syncing, or lady boys with breast implants going topless on stage and I definitely don't enjoy the music volume at a deafening level. However, obviously plenty of people do enjoy these shows and many bars typically fill up for show time. Also, it is true that when Mark was with Throb, the most common comments were that it was the best show in town. Since Mark will be putting together the show at TopMan, you might at least consider seeing the show before trying to cut it down. Other than fulfilling some sort of urge to be mean, what are you trying to accomplish? Are you expecting a bar show to rival a Tony Award winning Broadway musical? While one is "peeing in my adult diapers with excitement!" and another is feeling "the giddy thrill of another drag show in Pattaya," the fact is you don't know what the show will be like until it opens. You might keep your mind open about it as well. I'm not brimming over with anticipation about the prospect of a new bar show either, but before passing judgment on it I'm at least going to see it for myself. If it turns out to be another drag and lip sync show, then that will be another bar I'll leave when it's show time. But maybe it won't be like that at all and maybe it really will be something new and exciting.

Monday, December 24 will be a bank holiday throughout Thailand, due to the elections. If you need to take care of any banking transactions in time for Christmas, make sure you do them prior to December 24. ATM's will be working, though. The following appears in THE NATION: ____ December 24 Bank Holiday The Bank of Thailand Thursday announced that December 24 will be a special holiday for banks and financial institutions. Earlier, the Cabinet announced that December 24 would be an extra holiday for civil servants and state enterprise employees. The BOT reasoned that December 24 would be a bank holiday to encourage people to return to their home provinces to vote on December 23 in line with the government's policy. The Nation

This is all fascinating, but is anyone going to answer my question? What will be going on, if anything, at Topman between now and December 14?

If I understand your post correctly, all this begins December 14. Is that correct? That's still a month away. Will there be anything in particular taking place there between now and December 14?

bump

Once again, folks, I don't make these things up. Click the link and read about it for yourself: http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_14_11_50_2.htm

It's always just in time for high season! The baht is growing ever stronger against the US dollar. At the moment of this posting, the following are the exchange rates: _____ US Dollar: 33.65 Euro: 49.205 British Pound: 69.765 Australian Dollar: 30.26 Canadian Dollar: 34.905 It's like the 98 pound weakling going to the gym. He keeps getting stronger and stronger. This is the first time I can remember seeing that a Canadian dollar yields more baht than an American dollar. __________ Baht Strengthens in Accord with Regional Currencies: BoT BANGKOK, Nov 13 (TNA) Thailand's baht has strengthened in tandem with other regional currencies, caused by a dumping of Japanese yen by exporters, according to the Bank of Thailand. Pongpen Ruengvirayudh, senior director of the BoT Financial Markets and Reserve Management Division, said the current baht appreciation stemmed from the heavy selling of the yen by exporters. At the same time, importers had purchased the baht, but in small amounts. However, the baht had still appreciated in parallel with other regional currencies. A money dealer said the baht had risen continuously to touch 33.82 to the US dollar, the strongest in three months or since early August. The baht had appreciated by almost 6.7 per cent against the US dollar since early this year although the central bank had imposed a 30 per cent reserve requirement and periodically intervened in its movement to prevent too much currency appreciation, that could affect exports. BoT Governor Tarisa Watanagase said the baht still moved in the same direction as other currencies in the region. It had strengthened by 6 per cent as had the Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit since early this year. She conceded currencies of other many countries had weakened against the baht while inflation rates are relatively high. So, Thailand is in a better position in terms of trade competitiveness. Regarding a call for an end to the 30 per cent withholding requirement, Mrs. Tarisa said the central bank had supported it because it viewed the measure should be taken only temporarily. But the cancellation of the measure needed to take into account internal and external factors carefully. She viewed it as being inappropriate to abandon the measure now, but indicated that whether or not it should be cancelled next year depended on the situation at that time, as well as investor confidence. (TNA)-E005

I don't know the actual owner's name, but from what I understand he's based in Germany.

I think you're right about the name. Next trip, contact me if you wish. I'll join you there.

The name of the restaurant is simply 'Vegetarian Food.' Usually, I attach business cards to these sorts of posts, but their card is written almost entirely in Thai and it's quite easy to find even without their card. If you are coming from the Pattayaland-Sunee Plaza area, just take a baht bus heading up South Road (Pattaya Tai). Get off the bus just when it comes to the first traffic light. That's Third Road. It's right there. You can't miss it. You'll see their big yellow sign. I and some friends have really been enjoying this restaurant. We've been there several times already and have yet to be disappointed in any way. It's a small restaurant, only about a half dozen tables, but it is sure good! The restaurant is air conditioned. I never would have guessed I would particularly like strictly vegetarian food, but you must try this place. They have an extensive menu, including pictures of all the dishes. Ask for both menus. For whatever reasons (another one for my 'I don't get it' list . . .) there are different items on both menus. Among so many other things, they make a vegetarian chicken cutlet, a vegetarian pork cutlet, and even vegetarian hamburgers and hotdogs. I couldn't believe it. Not only do these dishes taste like the real thing, but they even have the texture down pat. The food is served piping hot and it's all absolutely delicious. This restaurant will be among my regulars from now on. Take-out orders are available too. Even the prices are excellent. A few nights ago three of us ate like kings, more food than we could finish. The total bill, including the water, came to 120 baht apiece. Amazing. This is one restaurant you don't want to miss, even if you think you won't like a vegetarian restaurant. I didn't think I'd like it, but it managed to make it to my top ten 'first choice' list. The restaurant opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM

Today I heard that Eric is going to open a restaurant of his own in a hotel, probably on Soi Yensabai, just outside of Sunee Plaza. I'm not sure which hotel, but I'm told he may be open as soon as the end of this week. I also hear that he intends to continue the nightly specials and will also be doing the barbecues. I certainly intend to go as soon as I know he's open. I'm glad he's going into the restaurant business. I loved Clubber's when he was running it and I have a feeling I'm going to love his new restaurant.

This is yet another one for my "I don't get it" list. Local mom-and-pop retailers threatened to stage major protests if Lotus Express stores were to come to the Pattaya area, and that's exactly what happened. You can read the article about it on the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS web site, along with several photos and you can watch a video of what took place: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004193 This makes it to my ever-growing list because I've been in several Lotus Express stores in Bangkok and they're virtually clones of 7-Eleven. Whatever you'll find at a Lotus Express is the same thing you'll find at any 7-Eleven, at the same prices. Anyone who has been to Pattaya knows there are more 7-Eleven stores in this city than you can count. They're everywhere, including the area at which the protest took place, and more are under construction. Family Marts run a close second. On the two major sois that lead to my house, from Sukhumvit, there are five 7-Eleven stores alone. I know of no protests about all the 7-Elevens and Family Marts. In light of that, I can't figure out why the coming of Lotus Express stores is causing such a brouhaha.

Honey Boy is one of Pattaya's newest bars, having opened just yesterday (November 10). It is located directly across the street from Wild West Boys and I understand the bar is owned by the same people that own Wild West Boys. We dropped by this evening to have a look. It is a very pleasant bar, comfortable seating, and an array of boys to please most tastes. It is a typical Pattayaland bar. From opening time until 10:00, all drinks are 99 baht. After 10:00, all drinks are 150 baht. The "off" fee is 300 baht. The bar puts on a nightly show at 11:00, but we did not stay long enough to see the show. It is certainly worth a look. My only complaint would be the music volume. It's far too loud for my taste and you do have to shout to be heard. Other than that, I truly liked the bar and the boys. Tai Boys is also brand new. Louis, the owner of the former Tai Boys Boys and Gacuya bars has opened a new Tai Boys bar in Pattayaland, Soi 1, next door to the new Star Boys bar. I have not yet had an opportunity to take a look, but I soon will. As long as I mentioned music volume, that's another one for my "I don't get it" list. Why in God's name so many bars insist upon music volume being so loud goes beyond me. I don't stay very long in bars at which the music volume is so loud that you have to shout and end up with ears throbbing for a half hour after leaving the bar. Whenever I've heard customers saying anything about music volume in these bars, it's always a request to lower the volume. I've certainly never heard a customer say, "Please turn up the volume." Since it ought to be perfectly obvious to anyone that most customers dislike the extreme volume, would someone please explain to me why so many bars do that anyhow?

The PATTAYA MAIL article states, "However, he had been taken to Ben Mansion on Soi Sunee and forced to provide sexual services to foreign men." I don't see how, unless the article has the facts wrong, an assumption that the boy was not taken to the room can still be maintained. If the boy was not taken to a room at Ben Mansion, then why would the article be written this way?

I suppose he should have used the word "probably," but yes, I suppose that is being insistent. I can't disagree with you. Either way, to me the more important issue is how the boys ended up in the rooms.

I hate to tell you this, but this is not a personals board. You're not going to get the responses you seek on this board. Not only that, but this board deals primarily with Pattaya and you're not even coming to Pattaya. I suggest trying sites such as Gaydar or Gay Romeo if you are seeking boys who advertise themselves online.

I agreed with ReneThai, and I still agree with him. I don't think he was insisting that it didn't happen. I think he was merely pointing out that assumptions were being made when there had been nothing, at that time, to indicate that anything took place at Ben Mansion at all. I think he was right to point that out. Now that the PATTAYA MAIL article indicates that this did indeed occur at Ben Mansion, we now know the facts according to the article. But we did not know the facts at the time ReneThai made his statement. Now, to my mind, the original question is now appropriate to ask, in light of the PATTAYA MAIL article: How did the boy (and apparently boys) get into rooms at Ben Mansion?

According to today's PATTAYA MAIL, the boy was taken to Ben Mansion after all. The PATTAYA MAIL article is far more detailed and up-to-date than the previous articles posted. See for yourself: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd9

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=123376 _____ Canada May Free Wanted Child-Abuse Suspect Vancouver, Canada (BangkokPost.com from Agencies) - A Canadian court says it let a convicted child sex abuser wanted in Thailand free on bail, because the government has not filed an extradition request to bring the man to Thai justice. The court told Orvile Mader, 54, who ran from Thailand after police issued a warrant for his arrest, that he can go free as early as today if he simply agrees to conditions that keep him away from places frequented by kids, such as playgrounds, schoolyards and community centres. The court appears likely to free Mader even though he has already successfully fled from one conviction for child abuse and paedophilia in Cambodia. Canadian media noted that Mader was convicted in Cambodia of similar charges this year. Information used to obtain an arrest warrant for Orville Mader says he was convicted in absentia in Cambodia for debauchery for offences that occurred in 2004. Mader made a brief court appearance at court in Abbotsford on Wednesday via video link, to confirm he has obtained a lawyer and will make a bail application on Thursday, Vancouver time. Mader has lived in Asia for years, and fled hours before his arrest last week on charges he had sex in Pattaya with an eight-year-old boy. Mader was arrested last Friday after stepping off a flight at Vancouver International Airport and held under a protective order after a provincial court judge ruled he could present a threat to children. Thai officials have said they will ask for Mader's extradition on child-abuse and rape charges, but the court and Canadian prosecutors said they have heard nothing from the Thai embassy or government so far.

I have no idea what happened, but as far as I know the pool has not reopened.

Gentlemen, we're not going to have this. Not on this message board. If anyone wants to engage in personal insults and battles, you'll have to do so by PM. I will get rid of any further insult trading.

Well, I certainly appreciate that. My opinion remains the same, however. You don't have to go to Thailand for people to think you're gay, a pedophile, or whatever else negative they choose to think. I don't see it as hiding one's head in the sand. I see it as 'think whatever you want and I couldn't care less. Maybe you ought to wonder what I'm thinking about you.'