Gaybutton

My reaction to that is it doesn't matter what people believe about you or say about you. The only one who really knows the truth about you is you. People are gossips. People enjoy talking about others, but usually aren't so thrilled when they find the object of discussion is themselves. A great many people come to Thailand who are not in Thailand for sex or bars. A great many people also come to Thailand for precisely that. I don't think anyone is owed an explanation for your reasons for wanting to be in Thailand. It's none of their business anyhow. If they want to believe you go to Thailand for reasons they think are negative, then that's their problem, not yours. That's my opinion, anyway.

No, I haven't heard anything so far. If I do, I'll let you know.

That's very kind of you. On behalf of the GayThailand web site, I thank you.

I'm not particularly concerned about it now, since they allow you to cross out the important numbers, but I'm curious about the "logic" behind it. If that's the reason, then I wonder what's wrong with simply showing them the ATM card instead of having to provide a copy of it. I wonder why showing the Thai bank passbook wouldn't be enough. I also thought the required letter the bank provides confirms that the money is being deposited via a foreign source. This whole thing is just another item for my "I don't get it" list.

A Little Striptease for Your Web Password? New Scam Uses Disrobing Blonde to Trick Unsuspecting Internet Users By Jordan Robertson The Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a new online striptease, the buxom, beautiful blonde who promises to remove her slinky scraps of lingerie doesn't want your money. She's interested in your brain. Really. The creation of online scammers, she's trying to trick unsuspecting Internet users into helping the scammers break the online barriers that banks and e-mail services set up to thwart crooks. The striptease is the latest attempt to defeat so-called CAPTCHA systems, which is short for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Those safeguards require users to prove they are human by reading wavy, oddly shaped jumbles of letters and numbers that appear in an image and typing them out. In the new scam, an icon of an alluring woman suddenly appears on a Windows computer infected by a virus. After clicking on the icon, the user sees a photo of an attractive woman who vows to take off an article of clothing each time the jumble of figures next to her is entered. But the woman never fully undresses, and after several passwords are entered the program restarts, possibly enticing unsuspecting users into trying again. Trend Micro researchers say the scam appears to be isolated for now to spammers trying to register bogus e-mail addresses and flood chat rooms with unwanted pitches. But they worry schemes to infiltrate financial institutions could soon appear. Paul Ferguson, network architect at Trend Micro, speculated that spammers might be using the results to write a program to automatically bypass CAPTCHA systems. "I have to hand it to them," Ferguson said, laughing. "The social engineering aspect here is pretty clever."

The following appears in PATTAYA TODAY: http://www.pattaya2day.com/index.php?actio...ews&id=2588 _____ Retirement Visa New Rule Most Extensions are Affected Pattaya immigration bureau has announced several rule revisions which affect both one year retirement visa holders and, in addition, those requesting 7 or 30 day extensions to shorter visas. Yearly retirement visa applicants, whether registering for the first time or re-applying, are now required to photocopy (back and front) a current credit or ATM card in their own name and hand it in with their other required paperwork from their Thai bank showing cash balance and, in most cases, a letter from their embassy guaranteeing pension income from the home country. Separately, all holders of visas on arrival and tourist visas who are seeking an extension at Pattaya immigration – 7 days extra in the case of visas on arrival and 30 days extra in the case of tourist visas obtained abroad – must now show original documentation, plus photocopy, which explains their onward travel plans. This means that applicants for these shorter extensions must present an air ticket or overland ticket to a neighbouring country with a clear travelling date and not open ended. The latest changes are not in force in every immigration office, but are specific requirements at the Pattaya office. A spokesman said, “Pattaya has an unusually large number of foreigners on its books and these amendments are designed to provide evidence of good intention on their part. Retirement visa applicants will show a current ATM or credit card as evidence they are in good standing with a bank, whether in Thailand or overseas. Separately, those applying for extensions on shorter visas will need to show they have a clear plan to leave the country once the extension has been used up.” In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of new rules and amendments to the various categories of visa holders. For example, the Royal Thai consulate in Penang is now restricting the number of 60 day tourist visas for any individual to three. After that there’s a note printed in the passport to the effect that future applications will probably fail. Other Thai embassies in south east Asia are reported as operating the same policy. The purpose behind these changes seems to be to discourage farangs on short visas living permanently in Thailand . The argument is that tourists will be leaving the country to go home after their trip is completed. On the other hand, those wanting to reside in Thailand should be applying for a one year visa of some kind, backed by sufficient financial resources to ensure they are not a burden on the Thai state. The main one year visas available are for retirees with an income, those with a Thai spouse who can show regular cash transfers to Thailand and extensions linked to possession of a work permit issued by the labour office. A well connected Pattaya travel agent and visa specialist agreed that the trend was to discourage back packers and the impecunious from living permanently in Thailand. “Those on very modest means are welcome as tourists and holiday makers, but increasingly the long stay foreigners are being means tested,” he said. He added that the Thai elite card had visa advantages, but required a membership fee of one million baht. There was also a three year non immigrant business visa available at some overseas Thai embassies, but this required sponsorship from commercial enterprises or the board of investment here in Thailand.

There's a simple solution for that. Tell 'em you live in Bangkok.

Very good point, one that I completely overlooked. You're absolutely right. You've definitely got me on that one and I plead guilty of jumping to conclusions. We really don't know whether the boy(s) were ever actually in the hotel at all. Now that you mention it, nothing in any of the articles say that the boy(s) were even seen on CCTV cameras either, so you may very well be correct in the idea that nothing actually happened at all in the hotel. It will certainly be interesting if the media ever publicizes just where these liaisons actually took place. I sure hope it wasn't in a hotel, but unless it was in some sort of a private residence or unless it took place outdoors, where else? The articles do state that the boy was found in the Sunee Plaza area and that he was either taken there or ended up there somehow on his own. The "farang" was staying at a Sunee Plaza area hotel. Based on that, I suppose it is logical to conclude that the sexual activity took place in the "farang's" hotel room, but you certainly are correct in having realized that none of us can actually know that at this point. Excellent call, ReneThai.

That's a good question and I wouldn't be surprised if the reason turns out to be some form of "Thai logic," a favorite oxymoron. In any case, since they cannot do anything with crossed out information, then I've got better things to lose any sleep about. I still think it's a regulation that will be short-lived and won't last very long. I wonder what people do if they don't even have an ATM card. Not everyone wants to carry one. Are they really going to force people to obtain an ATM card against their will in order to obtain a visa? "Sir, you must make copy you ATM card, two side." "But I don't have an ATM card." "Oh, you must have Thai bank account for visa." "I have a Thai bank account. Here's my bank passbook along with the required copies." "But you no have ATM card?" "That's right. I don't want one. Too many stories of illicit use and theft." "Not make sense no have ATM card." "Well, it makes about as much sense as this rule, doesn't it?"

That very question was recently addressed in another thread. Rather than repeat what was already said, click the following to see that thread: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2109

It would be a bit less horrible if that article is correct, but I'm quite skeptical about it. If the article is correct, so far nothing of the sort has appeared in any of the English language Thai media, other than the article itself, which was not written in Thailand and was not written by Thai journalists. Also, how would the frantic mother at Carrefour fit in? According to the original articles, she was shopping with the boy when he disappeared. There is another problem with the article. It states the boy was at a shopping mall at midnight. Considering the other articles say the incident occurred at Carrefour, then it's a bit difficult for me to accept the idea that friends, including an 8 year old boy, would have even been at Carrefour at that hour. By midnight Carrefour is closed. I'm also interested in how the original article stating, "the man was arrested and the boy was returned to his Mother," and the man also admitted to the crime, changed to an 8 year old boy was out with a group of friends at midnight, was not kidnapped, and then they all decided to head for Sunee Plaza. Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture? Which version of the story seems most probable to you? Even if it turns out that the article is correct, there is still an unanswered question that was brought up in another thread: How did they manage to get the boy into the hotel and up to the "farang's" room in the first place?

Maybe this will make a few of them think twice before preying upon children in Thailand. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Wanted Paedophile Arrested in Canada Police in Canada have arrested Orville Frank Mader, 54, who was the subject of a manhunt in Thailand after reports he abused boys as young as 8 years old. Canadian authorities in Vancouver arrested Mader, who had fled Thailand to his home country after a warrant was issued for his arrest, said Pol Col Apichart Suribunya, head of Thailand's liaison office for Interpol. "We have asked Canadian authorities to extradite him because he has committed crimes in Thailand," said Pol Col Apichart. Mader is accused of paying 600 baht to an eight-year-old boy last Saturday night for oral sex. Police said they believe Mader abused at least three other boys. Mader allegedly stayed in the same hotel as Christopher Paul Neil, 34, another Canadian who was detained in Thailand two weeks ago following a worldwide manhunt because he was wanted on suspicion of having sexually abused young boys. The Thai police warrant for Mader's arrest issued early this week was accompanied by photos of Mader taken by security cameras at the Ben Mansions Hotel in Pattaya. According to Thai police, Neil has also had checked into the Ben Mansion two days before his arrest in Nakhon Ratchasima. Mader allegedly stayed in the same hotel as Christopher Paul Neil, 34, of Maple Ridge, who was detained in Thailand two weeks ago on suspicion of having sexually abused young boys. The Thai police warrant for Mader's arrest issued early this week was accompanied by photos of Mader taken by security cameras at the Ben Mansions Hotel in Pattaya, a sex-trade hub 110 kilometres south of Bangkok. According to Thai police, Neil has also stayed into the Ben Mansion. (BangkokPost.com from agency reports)

How would you like to find out that your child was one of their students?

Thank you very much for letting us know. As long as they don't mind people crossing out those numbers, then I don't see this as anything to get upset about.

I appreciate that and I'll try. I'll be out of town for the next several days. When I return I'll probably do some more bar hopping. I really don't go to the bars more than a few times per month, if even that much, but every so often I like to go and see what's happening and if there's anything new that might be of interest.

You left out one thing from your report. Did they want a copy of only the front of the card or did they want a copy of both front and back? In any case, I'm glad to know they at least let you cross out some of the numbers.

This is one time I agree with you. What has not yet come out is just how this boy, or any other boy in that age bracket, ended up in the room, although I'm not ready to start making accusations about complicity involving Ben Mansion just yet. Perhaps the boy was sneaked in somehow by someone else. Maybe certain staff members accept bribes. Maybe it's something different. At this point, I don't think enough information has come out about it, but that's one question I would like to see answered: How do these boys get to the rooms? Even if it turns out that Ben Mansion and/or its staff is entirely innocent, they too have been hurt by these incidents. People are likely to be quite reluctant to stay in a hotel at which their room will probably be raided every night.

One of the more controversial issues in Pattaya are the baht bus fares, 5 baht for Thais, 10 baht for "farang." After the first of the year, according to the PATTAYA MAIL, the fares are likely to increase. Click the following link for the story: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd7

Last night I did a little bit of bar hopping in Pattayaland. Many of you are familiar with the Star Boys bar, the one that for so many years sat all by itself across Second Road from Pattayaland, Soi 1. Now they've closed it and re-opened a new Star Boys in Pattayaland, Soi 1. I gave it a try and I liked it. There's really nothing different about it from any other typical Pattayaland bar, but some of the boys in there are really cute. However, if you're into the Tawan type muscle boys, then that's the wrong bar. All drinks are 150 baht and the "off" fee is 300 baht. I also went to the Serene Bar, in Pattayaland, Soi 3. It's a host bar connected with the Serene Hotel, right in the heart of Pattayaland. It's at the corner, next door to the Panorama Pub. In all the years I've come to Pattaya, last night was the first time I ever went to the Serene Bar. Now I'm kicking myself for never having gone before. I really enjoyed it. Most of the boys are really cute and they see to it you have a lot of fun there. All are at least 18 years old. One boy, who I thought was about 20 years old turned out to be 30 years old. I could hardly believe it. He didn't look anywhere near 30, but nevertheless he was. Drinks there are 95 baht. The "off" fee is 300 baht. One of the things I liked most about it . . . no music blaring at you. No music at all. Thank goodness! As I was leaving Pattayaland I ran into three boys who had been working at the Happy Bar, the one that suddenly closed a week or so ago. I knew two of them. They told me they were not informed that the bar was going to close. They came to work and everything was locked. They were not paid after working for an entire month, something I think is reprehensible. They said the owner's boyfriend told them the bar is closed because the owner is in a hospital in Bangkok and plans to reopen about a month from now. I told them the story I heard was a little different from the one they were told. They told me they are now looking for work. They don't really want to go to another bar, but if they can't find anything they have no choice. They said several of the boys who had worked with them gave up on Pattaya and went back to their home villages, broke and disillusioned. They had no money to pay their rent. Others, they said, went to the Look Bar, the new name for the Y2K bar in the Sunee Plaza area. A few are remaining in Pattaya and trying to find other work or other bars. Some are going to try the beaches. As an aside, at the beach yesterday I ran into Eric, from the Clubber's-Jungle Boys-Don Plaza group. He confirmed that he is no longer with that group and just wants to relax for some time before deciding what he wants to do next. He said he has made no decisions yet, but he does wish to stay in Pattaya.

Now there's even more. In the thread about Neil, I asked that if anyone recognizes the hotel where he stayed, then please don't name it because the hotel had no way of knowing at the time. However, the latest PATTAYA CITY NEWS article, which you are about to read, does name the hotel, so it's no longer an issue. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: for photos see http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_31_10_50_3.htm _____ Another Canadian Wanted in Thailand on Pedophilia Charges An update now on a story we featured yesterday concerning the abduction of an 8 year old Boy from the Carrefour Shopping Center. He was allegedly taken by Khun Yotsapan aged 24 and he was then “sold” to foreigners for sex. One of the Hotels used by the suspect was the Ben Mansions in Soi VC, which is the same hotel as Christopher Neil, a Canadian arrested earlier this month in Korat, nicknamed “Mr. Swirly” stayed. He was dubbed as the worlds most wanted suspected Pedophile. We can now report that another Canadian National who stayed at the same Hotel is also wanted in connection with this case. He was named as one of the foreigners who allegedly had sex with the 8 year old boy. CCTV pictures from the Ben Mansions were taken by Police to confirm his identity and a copy of his passport was also obtained. An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Orville Frank Mader aged 54 who, at this time, cannot be located. Police were told that he paid 500 Baht to have sex with the boy and similar to the Christopher Neil case, he his now subject to an intense man-hunt. Police are urging Mr. Mader to hand himself in as soon as possible or if anyone knows him, please contact Pattaya Police as soon as possible. The Canadian Embassy are also involved in locating the suspect and all border crossings and Airports have been alerted to detain the man if he attempts to leave the country.

That's too bad. Do you have any idea why? There is a very good video of the 2006 parade on YouTube. See:

This one is so sickening it almost makes the Neil case look good. 8 years old! And sold to "farang" for sex. What the hell is wrong with these people? I can't help but wonder about how many more young boys are out there in similar circumstances and have yet to be rescued, if they'll ever be rescued. The fact that this boy was kidnapped right out of Carrefour is truly scary and reminds me of the Adam Walsh case. Some of you may remember that case, back in 1981, also an 8 year old boy. He was kidnapped while with his mother, and right from a department store not very much unlike Carrefour. His head was found in a canal two weeks later. The rest of his body was never found. What do these people do with these boys during "non-working" hours? How do they get them to engage in sex with "farang"? How do they prevent them from asking someone to help them? What happens to them when the kidnappers are through with them? If any of the goddamned pedophiles who engage in this sort of activity happen to read this, why don't you do something to rescue these children instead of just fucking them for your personal pleasure? Don't you care? Don't you even care? You're out there literally destroying people's lives. And why? So you can cum. Can it really be true that the only thing that bothers you is the possibility of getting caught? Have you no conscience or morality of any kind at all?

Here's the latest. All Boys most recent name was Hunter Bar. It is still open, but now I see no signs showing a name for the bar at all. Maybe yet another new name is imminent. I dropped by Siam Boys again last night. They are open, but the whole thing has changed. At the moment they have a grand total of seven go-go boys and none of them are boys who had been working there before. I spoke with the mama-san who told me they are recruiting more boys and that the bar just recently changed ownership. I received no credible explanation as to what became of all the boys who had been working there and why every one of them are now gone. I asked a few times. Each time I got a different story as to what happened, so at this time your guess is as good as mine. Personally, I hope Siam Boys will quickly come back to life and will start attracting customers to Soi Day-Night again. Only a few years ago there were several go-go bars on Soi Day-Night. Now there is only one, along with the Butterfly gay karaoke. The Bank bar is now closed. I was never in there, but I believe it was a karaoke. There have been rumors that someone is going to reopen the old Lek's Bar, but so far I have seen nothing to indicate that anything at all is going on. I have always believed that Soi Day-Night has excellent potential, but so far nobody has come up with a formula that attracts much of a customer base.

While it is true that Eric is no longer with the Clubber group, there is nothing to indicate that any of it is going to close down. All of this is very recent and there is more rumor around at the moment than fact. From what I have been able to decipher from those in a position to know, Eric is not with the Clubber group anymore and he intends to just relax for a few weeks while deciding what he wants to do next. The Clubber restaurant, the Jungle Boys bar, and the Don Plaza Hotel are all still open and running as usual. I am not hearing anything about any of those being in danger of closing down or any plans for any of them to close down. I have also heard there is a group of Swedish investors interested in the Don Plaza. At this point, however, that is strictly rumor and I have no supporting facts about it. From what I understand, those who have reserved rooms at the Don Plaza Hotel have nothing to worry about. It is not closing down. Regarding snooker, there are three I have seen in the immediate vicinity of Sunee Plaza and they seem to be doing just fine, although I wouldn't exactly expect to be able to eventually retire in the lap of luxury based on ownership of a snooker parlor.

A Long Way from the Seminary http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home