Gaybutton

I'm glad to know that and I'm sure you just provided a sigh of relief to many. Please let us know what takes place on November 2. That way we'll all know for certain.

So will I. I too would like to know how this sort of information is of any possible practical use to the officials. I am normally perfectly willing to cooperate with whatever it is they are trying to do, but not to the extent that I am being asked to provide information that has the potential to wipe out people's bank accounts. I think the immigration officials who came up with this idea ought to be obligated to explain just what they intend to do with this sort of information, but most of us know that we're all expected to just grin and bear anything they decide to do, without question. It will be very interesting to see if any of the embassies are going to have anything to say about this one. I think, assuming this requirement truly exists, there will be enough pressure from complaints and, I hope, the embassies to get them to eventually rescind this idea. After all, it didn't take long for them to rescind the idea of forcing people to provide maps to their residences and get a stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That one lasted less than a month, as I recall. Sometimes I can't help but try to visualize the meeting in which this sort of idea was discussed and approved. "Hey Woot . . . I've got a great idea! Let's make the 'farang' give us copies of their ATM and credit cards. Hey? What do you think?" "Wonderful idea, Chon. Call the printer." What's next? Finger prints and scrotum prints? I can't imagine that this regulation is going to really last very long.

The latest PGF dinner was served to a packed house at Richard Burk's wonderful Amor restaurant this evening. The dinner was excellent. You can see the menu on the Amor Restaurant web site at http://www.amorrestaurant.com. As always, Jim Lumsden did a terrificly entertaining job as M.C. The raffle prizes included everything from bottles of fine wine, to dinner vouchers, and even included a fabulous ruby ring and a Phuket holiday at a luxury resort including airfare. A great time was had by all and 182,400 baht was raised by the time I left.

Ok, here's the deal. . . . If you buy a ticket with the dinner, 250 baht will be donated to PGF. If you buy a ticket without the dinner, 100 baht will be donated to PGF. If you buy the ticket through Spice Magazine (see the ad in their latest issue), Spice Magazine will donate the 250 baht commission they get to PGF. That means if you buy a ticket with dinner, and buy it via Spice Magazine, then PGF gets 500 baht.

I'm wondering about this one. First, it seems to me like this is the kind of rule that won't last very long. Probably everybody is going to complain about it and I don't understand what this rule is supposed to accomplish. Second, when it comes my turn to renew, the first thing I'm going to do if asked for front and back copies of my cards is check with the head honcho and make sure this is actually a rule in the first place. The way around it, as I see it, would be to open another Thai bank account and keep only minimal funds in it. If it really is a rule, then they can have the front and back of the ATM card for that account. If they really want to steal the 500 baht, the max I would keep in that account, they can have it.

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ International Stand-Up Comedy Event Coming to Pattaya. At the Sandalay Resort on Pattaya Beach, a press conference was held on Wednesday Afternoon to officially announce a stand-up comedy event which will take place at the resort on Thursday 15th November. For the first time here in Pattaya, Mr. Lane Holmes and the First man Corporation will bring the Punch Line Comedy Club to Pattaya. The Event in aid of the PGF Charity will feature top comedians from the UK and Canada and tickets are priced from 1,300 Baht. Tickets can be purchased from the First Man Coprporation Office on the Second Floor of Tops Supermarket in Central Pattaya and the Sandalay Resort on Pattaya Beach or you can call 085 436 1900. For more information on the event you can also log on to http://www.laughoutloudasia.com.

Just to be sure, I'm not talking about the old All Boys bar. That bar is still open, although now it has a different name (I forgot the latest name, sorry). The bar I am talking about is Happy Bar. To make sure everyone familiar with the area knows which bar I'm talking about, if you are inside Sunee Plaza and exit on the Po Pot restaurant side, then to get to Happy Bar you would turn left and walk about a block and a half. It's right next to a Family Mart.

The following appears in THE NATION _____ Police to Release List, Photos of Indicted Western Paedophiles The Thai police will soon release to the public a list of 50 indicted Western paedophiles and their photographs that it has received from European police, Maj-General Wimol Pao-in said yesterday. Published on October 27, 2007 Canadian Christopher Paul Neil, who was arrested last week in Nakhon Ratchasima following a global manhunt, is ranked 13th on the list, said Wimol, commander of the force's Children, Juveniles and Women Division. All 50 people on the list are men. Most are accused of sexually abusing underage boys, though some are alleged to have targeted young girls. Most of them recorded their sex acts with children and distributed the images on the Internet. Wimol said that the list was prepared by a network of European police forces with Interpol's help. He gave the details of four men on the list who have already been arrested by his division, all in Chon Buri province. They are German Andreas Hueinger, 55, who was arrested in December 2006; Italian Enrigo Dellea, 48, in February 2006; Australian Jason Jenkins, whose arrest date is not known; and German Jjorg Rudolph Fiedler, 43, in March 2006. Other men on the list on the run in Thailand, and for whom warrants have been issued, are American Grant Richard; 61, Briton Stephen James Allison, 55; and Finn Ilkka Ylikojola, 55. All three men were also based in Chon Buri and were last seen there. Wimol said most paedophiles exploited children's innocence to prey on them. The lowest amount reported to have been paid to a child in exchange for sex is Bt200, he said. He said his division worked with Immigration Police to arrest suspects when they tried to enter or leave the country. The Nation

Usually every couple of weeks or so . . .

It's the one on Soi Yensabai, right next to the Family Mart.

Today I was at the Immigration office. A friend was trying to get a 30-day extension for his tourist visa. There is a new regulation, or at least today was the first time I became aware of it, so it's new to me. Now, in order to get the extension, you must present an airline ticket showing that you will leave Thailand prior to the expiration date of the extension. That doesn't make much sense to me considering the fact that there are other modes of transportation besides air available in order to leave the country, but there it is. No airline ticket, no extension.

Unfortunately, the news is not good. This evening I went out for a bit of bar hopping. One bar I like is Siam Boys on Soi Day Night. The bar was open, but all the go-go boys were gone. You can go in for a drink, but other than the doormen and the bartender, there was no one there. I was not able to find out why or whether this is something temporary. The second piece of bad news is one of my favorite go-go bars, Happy Bar, just outside of Sunee Plaza. It has closed. I ran into a couple of the boys who had worked there. They said the bar will be closed for one month. Later I ran into a friend who usually has reliable information. According to him, the bar is now closed permanently. According to his information, the bar went bankrupt, the boys were not paid, and the owner left the country. I have no way of knowing which story is correct or even if either story is correct, but the bar is closed for whatever reason.

I'm with you on this one, buaseng. I don't get it either, but I've never really liked porn in the first place. To me, if you've seen one porn flick, you've seen them all. However, there are plenty of people out there who do want it, whatever their reasons happen to be, and there are also plenty of vendors making their living by selling it. To me, the important thing to find out is not why people want it, but whether there are legal consequences for possessing it. I think it will take a trip to a Thai attorney to find out with certainty. All anybody on the boards is doing right now is guessing. I wouldn't want to find out what the consequences may be the hard way, by making the wrong guess.

I suppose if you ever receive such a threat, you might consider throwing away your porn collection.

I missed the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS story. It is far more detailed and there are several photos. Here it is: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004081 This man apparently was arrested not for possessing porn, but for having allegedly abused a 14 year old boy. In any case, while I doubt that the police would take much of an interest in those buying a few porn CDs from the beach vendors, apparently possession of porn is illegal after all. If you intend to buy porn or keep porn CDs in your possession, then you should at least be aware of the possible consequences.

I knew that selling porn or creating porn is illegal in Thailand, but this is the first time I've heard of an arrest for possessing it. You might want to read the following article if you are someone who buys and keeps porn. You might also want to think twice before buying porn from the beach vendors. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police Seize over 100,000 Indecent Images from 75 Year Old English Man We joined the Tourist Police as they conducted a raid of room number 95 at the Diana Estate in Soi Boekeow on Tuesday Afternoon on the strength of a search warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court. The room occupant is Mr. Alan Charles Mawson aged 75 from England who was suspected of possessing indecent images. A search of the room took place and officers found photo albums and pornographic CD’s. More than 100,000 indecent images and more than 300 pornographic CD’s were confiscated and Mr. Mawson was placed under arrest and taken to the Tourist Police Station. We understand that Police suspect that Mr. Mawson was selling images to friends; however this is still under investigation. It is also known that he has been collecting these images over many years and other residents were aware of his actions. The British Embassy in Bangkok are monitoring the case and will offer consular services to the suspect if required.

It's not easy to answer that since I don't know what others may be looking for, but among the things I like about Pattaya are the beaches here. I like the Pattaya beaches far more than most others I have been to in Thailand. There is also plenty to do in Pattaya besides just sex; everything ranging from shopping to museums. There are more excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices in close proximity to just about anywhere than I have ever seen anywhere else. Pattaya is not everyone's cup of tea, but to me the thing to do is give it a try and see for yourself. For example, you seem to enjoy Phuket. I do not. It's all a question of individual taste.

The following appears in THE NATION (see http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/10/23...es_30053467.php for photos) _____ SIAM IN EUROPE Published on October 23, 2007 Continent Marks the Visits of King Chulalongkorn The Foreign Ministry is holding exhibitions in several European cities to mark the 100th and 110th anniversaries of King Chulalongkorn's grand European tours. Tracing the Siamese king's journeys into the heart of Europe provides us with a glimpse of how he manoeuvred to steer Siam from European colonialism and how he used his first-hand knowledge gained in Europe to modernise his own country. At the time, Siam's neighbours were struggling against colonialism, but one by one they fell to the force of the West. Japan, having been forced to open up to the outside world, had been through the Meiji Restoration that revived imperial rule against shogunate power. Japan then underwent industrialisation under the slogan "Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Military". Imperial China was also struggling to come to terms with Western powers. Empress Dowager Cixi, who held power between 1861 and 1908, sought to benefit from Western technology after the experience of losing the Opium Wars. Burma no longer existed as an independent country after the fall of King Thibaw to British rule. He was removed from the throne and Burma was annexed as part of the British Empire. It became a province of India in 1886. France was securing its foothold in Indochina and Siam became a buffer state between the British and the French. King Chulalongkorn, who passed away on November 23, 1910, came to the throne in the midst of this profound political change in the region. His father, King Mongkut, had already had a hard time dealing with foreign pressure, and it was during King Chulalongkorn's reign that Siam had to walk a fine line. To remain independent, Siam had to cede territories and judicial rights, as well as pay monetary fines. King Chulalongkorn was the first Siamese king to travel abroad extensively. Before his time it had not been customary, nor had it been it practical, due to the transport limitations, for Siamese kings to venture beyond the country's borders. The only Siamese king who had gone abroad before him was King Naresuan, who travelled to Burma in the 17th century. King Chulalongkorn, arguably one of the greatest monarchs of the 19th century, had a thirst for knowledge. He was curious to see and to learn from foreign lands. In 1871, during the third year of his reign, he went to Singapore under the watchful guidance of the Regent, Chao Phraya Maha Srisuriyawongse, before continuing to Java and India. Chulalongkorn was well received in Singapore and Batavia (now Jakarta), where he had an eye-opening experience at what the Europeans had done to these colonies. He was determined to reform his kingdom through education and the knowledge of English. In 1893, the French sent their gunboats into the Chao Phya River and exchanged fire with the Siamese at Paknam, Samut Prakan. Britain intervened because it did not want France to gain complete control over Siam. As a result of the incident, Siam had to cede territories and pay fines to the French, but the British and the French eventually agreed to let Siam maintain its independence and integrity against any third power. The bitter experience of the gunboat incident provided the impetus for King Chulalongkorn to learn more about the world and the global powers, with the goal of modernising Thailand. In 1897, he started his first European tour, travelling on the Maha Chakri. He visited France and established a friendship with Tsar Nicolas II of Russia. In Germany he met with Kaiser William II. In London he met the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught and the Duke of York, and stayed at Buckingham Palace, although he did not have a chance to meet Queen Victoria. He also visited Austria, Italy, Sweden and Belgium. When he returned to Siam, Chulalongkorn launched sweeping administrative reforms in order to develop the country. These proved to be the most far-reaching reforms ever made by a Siamese monarch. He also sent his children to study in Russia, Germany and England, and they returned home, well educated, to work in various ministries. It was not until a decade later in 1907 that the King embarked on his second grand European tour. This time he travelled via Singapore, Colombo and Suez before reaching Naples and making a tour of the classical Italian cities. He then journeyed on to Switzerland, Germany, France, England and Denmark. Upon his return to Siam, King Chulalongkorn was already established as the greatest king of the Chakri Dynasty. He passed away three years later, after a reign of 42 years and having brought his country to modernity. Thanong Khanthong The Nation

That's a very good point. Apparently, if the allegations are true, he didn't make much of a distinction about whether his victims were male or female. However, the media keeps focusing on the boys he victimized, the fact that so far the only victims who have come forward are boys, and the fact that he checked into a Sunee Plaza hotel with a lady-boy in tow. Unfortunately that is serving to further many people's opinion that homosexuality is equivalent to perversion. Even if it somehow turns out that this guy is absolutely innocent, the whole matter has hurt the gay community. It will hurt us again when the next pedophile is caught. Even this morning, the media is reporting that a third victim has come forward. A boy.

Don't forget about us in dear old Pattaya . . .

But it is a gay issue for precisely that reason, in my opinion. It seems to me that most of the world already believes that and has believed it for quite some time. That's why it is discussed so much. The vast majority of gays want nothing to do with pedophilia, but every so often a person like Neil pops up and makes it difficult for everyone else. Even among ourselves there is a significant group of gays who are convinced just being in a place like Sunee Plaza makes one a pedophile. We can discuss it or we can ignore it. I think discussing it on these boards at least makes it clear to those who read them that it is an issue we care about and discuss, and it is also something for which many of us are sick and tired of being stigmatized when in reality pedophilia doesn't even apply to the vast majority of gays in the first place.

I believe the chances are nil, and that's one reason I don't give them anything. First, most of them don't even get to keep it. Most are working for organized crime and they end up with a tiny percentage of whatever they take in. Another reason I won't give them anything is because that is what perpetuates it. If nobody was giving, then they'd be out of business. I believe if nobody was giving, then that mother would not have been able to abuse her own child, at least not in that manner. To me what is even more of a disgrace is that, according to the article, the Thai authorities are going to give that little girl right back to her mother and send them home. I shudder to think what is going to end up happening to her.

Thank you all for the recommendations (and any more that may be posted) and I intend to try each one of them. I am not familiar with Fatboys at The Avenue. Where is it?

These days there are not nearly as many beggars in Pattaya as there were years ago, but every so often a few appear. It is not uncommon to find an old woman sitting on a sidewalk, holding an infant or young child, along with holding a collecting cup . . . the picture of pathos. In reality it's far more pathetic than that. Most of the time the child isn't even hers. Sometimes, again nowhere near as often as years ago, children show up on the beach trying to sell something, usually chewing gum. If you click the following link, you'll see a sad example of what is really going on and why I'll never give these people a single baht: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004053

That's a good point and I'll bet you're right. I wouldn't be surprised if there are several more out there who did something similar.