Gaybutton

Don't assume they are all necessarily uniformed. For example, a number of motorcycle taxi drivers are legitimate police volunteers and carry police transceivers. I know that for a fact. About a year ago I had a problem at my house and I called the police. The first to arrive on the scene were a couple of motorcycle taxi driver police volunteers, followed a few minutes later by uniformed police officers. All of them were legitimate and the taxi drivers were dressed as taxi drivers.

Opening Rates: Thursday, August 30: _____ US Dollar: 34.11 Euro: 46.445 British Pound: 68.575 Australian Dollar: 27.7475 Canadian Dollar: 31.96 _____ Closing rates: US Dollar: 34.14 Euro: 46.44 British Pound: 68.635 Australian Dollar: 27.67 Canadian Dollar: 31.90

Has anyone who reads the local media noticed that there seems to be more and more crime, along with taking advantage of the situation, perpetrated by police volunteers? Sometimes these crimes, usually some sort of a shakedown, are committed by people impersonating the volunteers, but just as often it turns out to be the legitimately trained volunteers themselves. I have no idea what powers and authority police volunteers actually possess, even if they hold actual documentation that shows them to be a bona fide police volunteer. Most of the articles I read about the police volunteers who turned to the dark side of the force are about them preying on other Thais, but often enough I also see articles about them preying on "farang." I also have no idea just how many police volunteers there are or what authority they have over "farang." What I do know is that if someone identifying himself as a police volunteer ever tries to get so much as one baht out of me, then my response will be to call the police and ask that an actual officer be sent to confirm whatever it is that is going on. I often see articles about police volunteers and/or police volunteer impersonators doing things such as trying to coerce bars into giving them free drinks or trying to shake down a motorcyclist into giving him money. But lately I've also read articles in which some of these volunteers have been involved in much more serious crimes. There was even a police volunteer involved in the murder of Earwig's friend a few weeks ago, according to the articles I saw. Just who are these people? How many are there? What kind of training and licensing do they receive? What authority do they have? Are there any female police volunteers? The only ones I ever read about are male. What are the "farang's" obligations to comply? How do we know whether someone claiming to be a police volunteer really is one? What are we supposed to do if we have any reason to suspect that something illegal is actually going on? So far I have never experienced any kind of problems whatsoever with anyone claiming to be a police volunteer, but with the crime in Pattaya constantly on the increase I'd be extremely skeptical if anyone ever stops me and tells me he is a police volunteer, whether he shows me an ID badge or not. I don't have any answers to the questions I posed above. Does anyone out there have any further information or know where to get further information?

When you say "some think . . ." I'm sure you're correct. Some also think otherwise. I'm one of them. The thinking I do tells me, whether you want to call it terrorism or something else, what's going on in the south of Thailand is as wrong as it gets and I doubt that anything anyone wants to say to try to justify it will ever make it right.

In my opinion, the most surprising part of Ttiger's post is the problems he had in Bangkok with taxi drivers. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone mentioning that problem. Going off the meter has been completely illegal for quite some time and taxi drivers who do that can get themselves into a lot of trouble. The last time I had a taxi driver try to go off the meter was over ten years ago. I don't go to Bangkok very often, and when I do I usually use the BTS or MRT to get where I'm trying to go. But I do end up in taxis a few times and they always turn on the meter immediately. I realize it can be difficult for people who have no prior experience in Thailand and who don't speak the language at all. My recommendation to those who find themselves in a taxi with a driver who wants to go off the meter, whether you speak the language or not, is very simple. Tell him no and get out of the cab. Another one will be along very quickly. Regarding Sunee Plaza, as GayThailand says, there are bars that employ under-age boys and there are bars that don't. As a moderator, most of the time when I talk about Sunee Plaza at all, I don't promote any specific bars. I'm usually talking about the idea expressed by some that mere presence in Sunee Plaza makes one a pedophile. Ttiger was in Sunee Plaza, but based on what he says in his post he is certainly no pedophile. I agree with Pa's posting. If only one hour was spent in Sunee Plaza, then that's simply not enough time to pass judgment on the entire area and then try to tell us not to promote the area, even if we really were promoting the area.

Craig Says 'I Am Not Gay,' Did No Wrong By TODD DVORAK, Associated Press Writer A defiant Sen. Larry Craig denied any wrongdoing Tuesday despite his guilty plea this summer in a men's room police sting, emphatically adding, "I am not gay. I never have been gay." Craig, a third-term senator from Idaho, proclaimed his innocence as well as his sexuality less than an hour after Senate leaders from his own Republican Party called for an ethics committee review of his case. "This is a serious matter," they said in Washington in a written statement that offered neither support nor criticism of the conservative senator. Issued in the names of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party leader, and several others, the statement said they were examining "other aspects of the case to determine if additional action is required." Craig, his wife, Suzanne, at his side, took no questions in a brief appearance in the capital city of the state he has represented in Congress for more than two decades in the House and then the Senate. He had "overreacted and made a poor decision" when he was apprehended by an undercover police officer in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport and later pleaded guilty. "While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct in the Minneapolis Airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away." He said he kept the information from his friends, family and staff, adding, "I wasn't eager to share this failure but I should have anyway because I am not gay." Nor did he hire a lawyer, Craig said, although he now has retained counsel "to review the matter and advise me on how to proceed." "I have brought a cloud over Idaho and for that I seek and ask the people of Idaho to forgive me," he said. His account contrasted sharply with the complaint in the case, in which an undercover officer said that Craig, while occupying a stall in the men's room, engaged in actions "often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct." Craig was read his rights, fingerprinted and required to submit to a mug shot at the time of his arrest. Police notes also show that on June 22, 11 days after the arrest, Craig returned to the police station and said no one had yet contacted him about his case. "Craig told me that he needs a contact so his lawyer can speak to someone," wrote the officer who spoke with the senator, Adam Snedker. The senator signed and dated his guilty plea to a charge of disorderly conduct on Aug. 1, and court papers indicate it was submitted by mail and filed a week later. The court docket said Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was put on unsupervised probation for a year. A sentence of 10 days in the county workhouse was stayed. Craig, up for re-election next year, said he would announce his plans next month. If anything, he sounded like a man inclined to seek six more years in the Senate. "Over the years, I have accomplished a lot for Idaho, and I hope Idahoans will allow me to continue to do that," he said. Still, there already was speculation about a successor in the reliably Republican state. The Club for Growth, an anti-tax organization, issued a statement critical of Rep. Mike Simpson, whose name has been mentioned as a potential replacement candidate. Regardless of Craig's plans, it was clear his political standing had suffered. On Monday, he resigned from a prominent role with Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, and the GOP White House hopeful was critical in an interview. "He's disappointed the American people," Romney said on CNBC's "Kudlow & Company." "Yeah, I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton," he added. Foley was a a Florida congressman who sent salacious e-mails to underage male House pages. Clinton, the former president, was impeached by the House and acquitted in the Senate after his dalliance with a White House intern. Another Republican running for president, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, distanced himself from Craig and his guilty plea. "It's disgraceful," McCain told host Jay Leno during a taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show" for broadcast Tuesday night. "It harms our reputation with the American people." Craig, 62, has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s, but allegations that he had engaged in gay sex have never been substantiated. He has denied the assertions. Trying to put his actions "in context," Craig lashed out at the Idaho Statesman, the state's largest newspaper, accusing it of carrying out a witch hunt. The newspaper on Tuesday published a lengthy story detailing allegations of homosexual behavior by Craig, which the story said the senator denied. "We didn't print anything until the senator pleaded guilty," the managing editor of the Idaho Statesman, Bill Manny, said in a statement issued after Craig spoke. "Our story outlined what we've done and it speaks for itself." The GOP Senate leaders did not say what other actions they were considering in connection with Craig. Separately, a private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed a complaint with the ethics committee seeking an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate rules by engaging in disorderly conduct. The official police complaint on Craig's case was detailed. It said airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia, who was investigating allegations of sexual conduct in airport restrooms, went into a stall shortly after noon on June 11 and closed the door. Minutes later, the officer said he saw Craig gazing into his stall through the crack between the door and the frame. After a man in the adjacent stall left, Craig entered it and put his roller bag against the front of the stall door, "which Sgt. Karsnia's experience has indicated is used to attempt to conceal sexual conduct by blocking the view from the front of the stall," said the complaint, which was dated June 25. The complaint said Craig then tapped his right foot several times and moved it closer to Karsnia's stall and then moved it to where it touched Karsnia's foot. Karsnia recognized that "as a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct," the complaint said. Craig then passed his left hand under the stall divider into Karsnia's stall with his palm up and guided it along the divider toward the front of the stall three times, the complaint said. The officer then showed his police identification under the divider and pointed toward the exit "at which time the defendant exclaimed `No!'" the complaint said. The Aug. 8 police report says Craig handed the arresting officer a business card that identified him as a member of the Senate. "What do you think about that?" Craig is alleged to have said, according to the report. ___ Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Matthew Daly and David Espo in Washington and John Miller in Boise contributed to this report.

What wonderful people. They say a thing like that as if other people's lives don't matter at all. They're just numbers. Only what they want for themselves matters. Give me what I want or I'll kill you and anyone else I can get away with killing until I do get what I want. It doesn't matter whether my victims are completely innocent and have absolutely no control over whether I get what I want. I'll just keep killing them. What a mindset. How would you like to see these people actually end up with what they want and they get to be the ones calling the shots? Then, after that, what happens when they want something more? Haven't any of them noticed that the terrorists don't end up with what they want and that this sort of violence doesn't lead to the results they want? They accomplish nothing. They only kill a lot of innocent people. I truly believe that plenty of them couldn't care less about the goals of this terrorism. They just enjoy torturing and killing people. Martin Luther King preached non-violence. He was killed for it, but in the end he got what he wanted. Gandhi preached non-violence and he too was killed for it, but in the end he got what he wanted. I wish these people would come up with a leader who preaches the same philosophy. They might actually end up with what they want. "There are causes for which I would die, but there is no cause for which I would kill." - Mohandas K. Gandhi

Opening Rates: Wednesday, August 29: _____ US Dollar: 34.18 Euro: 46.265 British Pound: 68.175 Australian Dollar: 27.465 Canadian Dollar: 31.8975 __________ Closing rates: US Dollar: 34.13 Euro: 46.28 British Pound: 68.255 Australian Dollar: 27.5475 Canadian Dollar: 31.9175

And, of course, one of the boys was 16 years old. The "farang" is 79 years old. There are two stories, one in the Pattaya City News and the other in the Pattaya Daily News, both with photos. The better photos appear on the Pattaya City News site, but the better story appears on the Pattaya Daily News site. Apparently the boys made their arrangements, according to the Pattaya Daily News story, with the "farang" online, which is yet another reason to be very careful about online hookups. Please . . . make damned sure to check any boy's ID card before taking him to your room. Make sure it is actually his, that he is at least 18 years old, and that the front desk or security guard holds their ID card while the boy(s) is with you and will not give the card back to the boy unless you personally accompany the boy to retrieve his card or they call your room to make sure everything is ok first. I've posted this recommendation many times before. Now you can see, yet again, the possible consequences when people fail to do that. I think I recognize the boy in the photos, identified as "Tong." I believe I've seen him at the beach several times. Since the other boy, yet to be arrested, is 16 years old, don't be too surprised if the "farang" ends up charged for sex with a minor along with everything else he is going through. Was it worth it? The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS ( for photos, see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003711 ) _____ Met on the Net: Two Boys Attack and Rob Foreign Man A foreign man, who met two young boys through Internet chatting, agreed to pay each of them five hundred baht for sexual services. The boys allegedly attacked and stabbed him after he requested a second session, but refused to pay extra. One boy was arrested, but the other escaped. Apparently, the boys were upset that they weren’t paid; so they helped themselves to the man’s belongings, including credit cards. One of the boys was caught attempting to use the cards get cash and to purchase goods at Big C. On 27 August, 2007, at 3 AM, Pattaya Investigator, Police Major Chaigrit Thong-Inn, rushed to Room 618 at Yensabai Condo, after being notified that a foreigner had been attacked. When he arrived at the room, he found Mr. Stapylton Cockpurn, from England, lying on the bed, naked; his hands and feet bound by a bed sheet. He had been hit on his face, body, arms and legs and stabbed. His body was covered with blood. Bloody footprints were observed on the floor and Mr. Cockpurn’s belongings were scattered about the room. Police immediately took the victim to Banglamung Hospital. At some point after bringing the two boys to his room, condo staff observed the boys rushing from the condo with blood-stained shirts. They rushed to Mr. Cockpurn’s room and saw that he had been attacked, and called police. Later in the day, police were notified by security, from the South Pattaya branch of Big C that a young man, who possessed a number of ATM and credit cards, was attempting to withdraw money from an ATM terminal. He had also used one of the credit cards to buy goods at the store. Suspicious that these were not his cards, they detained him and called the authorities. Police rushed to Big C to see the young man, Mr. Phisitchai Boonprok’s (nickname Tong, age18). Searching in his backpack, police found six credit cards, a Nokia mobile phone, three Rolex watches, a silver bracelet, 1500 baht cash and a foot long, blood stained knife. Police confiscated the evidence and brought Mr. Tong to the police station. Mr. Tong confessed that he and his friend, nicknaned "Gang" (16), from Srisaket Province, attacked Mr. Cockpurn. He said that they had met the victim through Internet chatting and that Mr. Cockpurn had agreed to pay each boy five hundred baht for sexual services. He claimed that Mr. Cockpurn was not satisfied with the experience and wanted them to perform again without extra compensation. This did not sit well with the two boys, who attacked Mr. Cockpurn and took various belongings, including the credit cards and cash. Mr. Tong claimed that Mr. Gang ran away and does not know where he lives. Mr. Tong was arrested and charged with various crimes. Police will attempt to find and arrest Mr. Gang, as well. __________ And this, from the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: (for photos see: http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_27_08_50_3.htm ) 79 Year Old Englishman Seriously Hurt in Assault and Theft at his South Pattaya Apartment Police Lieutenant Colonel Sirichai from Pattaya Police Station was called to the Yensabai Condotel in South Pattaya in the early hours of Monday Morning after security guards at the complex reported the discovery of an English Resident who had been repeatedly stabbed inside his room, which had also been ransacked. Rescue Workers arrived and attended to the seriously injured victim, Mr. Christopher Stapylton Cockburn aged 79 from Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire, England. The security guards explained to Police that Mr. Cockburn had gone to his room earlier in the night with two young Thai men who were later seen leaving the complex in a hurry, which alerted the Guards to a potential problem. Inside the room, the victim was found with his hands and legs tied together with a sheet from the bed and blood stains around the room suggested he put up a fight before he was eventually restrained by the assailants. The room safe had been opened and the contents taken. Police received descriptions of the two men who accompanied the victim and begun a hunt. In a stroke of luck, an incident occurred at the Big C Supercenter in South Pattaya on Monday Afternoon where a Thai Man attempted to use a Credit Card belonging to a foreigner to make a purchase totaling 23,000 Baht. The man was detained and the Police were called. He was found to be in possession of a number of credit cards, two wrist watches, a gold necklace and a mobile phone. The name on the credit cards matched the name of the victim and back at the Stationhouse Khun Pisitchai aged 19 explained he met the victim in Soi Sunee Plaza in South Pattaya and, along with a 16 year old boy; they accompanied the victim to his room. Khun Pisitchai confessed to the serious assault and robbery and was charged accordingly. We understand Mr. Cockburn was taken to Banglamung Hospital where he remains in a serious condition after sustaining multiple stab wounds to his upper body and a head injury. The British Embassy in Bangkok is aware of the case and is attending to the victim.

Opening Rates: Tuesday, August 28: _____ US Dollar: 34.21 Euro: 46.52 British Pound: 68.545 Australian Dollar: 28.035 Canadian Dollar: 32.1925 __________ Closing rates: US Dollar: 34.18 Euro: 46.53 British Pound: 68.405 Australian Dollar: 27.9725 Canadian Dollar: 32.1875

For the first time, I'm seeing a news item about this on the CNN web site. Here is the URL: http://us.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/08/2...o.ap/index.html

I think this article says it quite well. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Offshore Relocation 'Not the Answer' Leading Exporters Urge Govt to Manage Exchange Rate and Upgrade Infrastructure Published on August 27, 2007 Offshore factory relocation is not the answer to foreign-currency problems and the government should instead manage the exchange rate while upgrading infrastructure so local manufacturers can stay put and thrive, major exporters said last week. "Will it really help the country if we go to Vietnam?" said Thirapong Chansiri, president of Thai Union Frozen Products and one of the panellists at a roundtable organised by The Nation. "We can move, if it's necessary and if it's good. But, if we go out, who will lend to those exporters who can't tap credit even from Thai banks? What about farmers, can they move with us? The government hasn't yet come up with policies to help them." While the Bank of Thailand must ensure foreign-exchange stability at a competitive level for exporters, the government as a whole must remove obstacles to their development, he said. "We blamed previous governments for having politicians [with possible conflicts of interest in introducing changes]. But since this government, consisting of bureaucrats, couldn't do anything, I'm really desperate about the future," he said. Thamrong Tritiprasert, chairman of the Shoes Producers Association, said he was puzzled by the interim government's suggestion for exporters to set up plants in countries with lower labour costs and weaker currencies. "I opened a plant in Mexico, but it was shut down because all the components are here. All the supporting industries are here and they're growing," he said. Though China and India promise weaker currencies, labour costs in China are huge and supporting industries in India could take five to 10 years to catch up with Thailand, he added. Sawat Patiparnprasert, vice president of the Thai Furniture Industries Association, noted ironies in the government's policies and regulations. The government is vying for foreign direct investment (FDI) at the same time that it is urging Thai operators to go overseas. His industry faces a shortage of raw materials because a law unchanged for more than 50 years subjects wood to strict control. While local furniture-makers have to import lumber from the United States, wood from Thailand is shipped out to China and Vietnam - Thailand's main rivals. "It's no wonder that last year, when Thailand's furniture exports were valued at Bt40 billion, Vietnam's exports were Bt80 billion," he said. Moving abroad would also hurt workers, he said. The industry's 2,000 factories employ about 300,000 people. Srinya Tantirungrojchai, adviser to the Thai Footwear Association, said the government needed to come up with a precise policy of where Thailand should be heading, like what the Singaporean and South Korean governments did in setting clear directions for the private sector. While the private sector tackles currency-related risks, the government should reform the tax, financing and industrial structures. Without complementary systems in place, the Kingdom will go nowhere, she said. "Our industry in the upstream and intermediate levels is prospering but we are pushing Thai operators out to Vietnam, to empower it in moving downstream. Wouldn't it be better if the government tells the world what Thailand has to support downstream industries?" Dej Pathanasethpong, president of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, said that while many claim that the textile and garment business is a sunset industry, it is still prospering thanks to cluster industries in Thailand. The panellists could not see how overseas investment promotion would benefit the economy, as the export sector is the key economic engine of the Kingdom. If exporters go elsewhere, they wondered which industries would be left to underpin economic growth. Exports make up 68 per cent of gross domestic product. Somchai Harnhiran, director of the International Industrial Economics Division of the Industrial Economics Office at the Industry Ministry, said studies showed that since 1993 when the Asean Free Trade Agreement took effect, Thailand - where 80 per cent of export income is derived from manufacturing - had experienced no change in its top export items. This indicates the country's dependence on old products. Not only that, export volume has increased. "We welcome new investment, but FDI belongs to someone else. Meanwhile, export value tends to drop due to economies-of-scale production. How we can move towards value-added manufacturing?" Ekniti Nitithanprapas, director of the Fiscal Policy Office's Macroeconomic Analysis Group, acknowledged that several disadvantages were bedevilling exporters, including inefficiencies in the legal and regulatory structure as well as low productivity of skilled labour. Short-term measures to shore up export competitiveness include stabilising the baht, formulating concrete economic policies and creating linkages between the public and private sectors. All the attending exporters also complained about the strong baht's impact on exports. Each said their sector was threatened by the overvalued baht and unclear economic development strategies. They were worried that even the Commerce Ministry, which is responsible for international trade, has suggested that the export sector ride out the storm despite the forex pressure. "The July export figures dropped, but the authorities said they needed two more months to look into the problem. Why wait? It seems we have looked at problems from two different angles and the misunderstandings [that arose from that] could affect the way we deal with problems," Thirapong said. While showing sympathy for the Bank of Thailand, he said that to help exporters in the short run, the central bank should at least ensure that the baht's movement follows the currencies of competitors, not trading partners. The baht has appreciated 14.99 per cent against the dollar since the beginning of last year, while China's yuan has gained 5.8 per cent and the Malaysian ringgit 7.06 per cent. The Vietnamese dong has weakened 3.37 per cent. "The baht was too strong compared with Thailand's competitors such as Malaysia and the Philippines. The private sector wants a clear policy on the baht, which should be that the government makes the baht's value correlate with other countries in the region," said Buntoon Wongseelachote, chairman of the monitoring committee on trade rules at the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Vichai Sriprasert, honorary president of the Rice Exporters Association, said the Kingdom was losing competitiveness in rice exports. If the baht were weak, farmers would have been rewarded with the good prices in the world market, he said. Manit Lertsakornsiri, country manager of Toys Retailing (Thailand), said it was not only the baht's upward trend that has dulled export competitiveness, but also other factors, including infrastructure development, human resources and technology development. Exporters are not only handicapped by the baht's up-cycle, but also by a limited pool of available skilled labour, Manit said. The government must put the development of human resources on the national agenda, so the export sector can remain viable in the global arena. "Thais are taught English, but they aren't that good. Worse, how many Thais can speak Chinese, the language of the future economic powerhouse, or Japanese - the language of our main customer?" he added. Achara Deboonme, Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation

Opening Rates: Monday, August 27: _____ US Dollar: 34.15 Euro: 46.6 British Pound: 68.8 Australian Dollar: 28.1825 Canadian Dollar: 32.3225 _____ Closing Rates US Dollar: 34.17 Euro: 46.6 British Pound: 68.805 Australian Dollar: 28.26 Canadian Dollar: 32.385

Unnnnbelievable! How would you like to live there? Have a look: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

I read that blog too. It's not something I would want to try doing myself, that's for sure. Somebody with the skill and equipment to do it is going to make some serious money.

Aren't we jumping the gun a little bit here? If Castro was dead it would be all over the news. I'm not seeing anything on any of the news networks or any of the legitimate news web sites. Castro seems to go on and on forever. Not that I would shed any tears over his death, but so far I haven't seen anything about it. I think most of what is being said above will happen, but not overnight. But I do believe the day will come when Hyman Roth really will be able to say, "Michael, we're bigger than U.S. Steel."

BANGKOK, Aug 24 (TNA) Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej Friday endorsed the country's 18th constitution, five days after the kingdom -- a constitutional monarchy since 1932 -- voted in favour of the newly-drafted charter in the first national referendum to pave the way for the first post-coup national poll scheduled for this December. The charter took effect immediately after it was announced in the Royal Gazette on Friday. The Constitution was approved by about 58 per cent of voters, with about 41 per cent rejecting it. Voters the Northeast and the upper North voted against the charter in the largest numbers. The North and Northeastern regions are considered political strongholds of the now disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, founded by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was overthrown by military coup last year. Prime Minister Gen. Surayud Chulanont indicated Thursday the date of the next general election will be finalized early next week. The prime minister said earlier he believed the most suitable dates for holding the general election are either December 16 or 23, after celebrations of His Majesty the King's 80th birthday which falls on December 5. The premier said he planned to confer with National Legislative Assembly Speaker Meechai Ruchuphan and the Election Commission chairman on fixing the election date. (TNA)-E001

Let's hope so. Thank you very much for posting this, GaySacGuy. You just saved a lot of people from a whole pile of trouble and I'll bet there will be more people copying and saving your message than there has been for any other in quite some time. You did this before it is required. Once the requirement for this begins in October, I have a feeling there will be a lot more people there every day, trying to get the stamp. I shudder to think how long the wait will be once they start getting busy. So far it's a one to two hour wait. Is anything around there to do or see, or at least get something to eat or drink while waiting? Also, once you got to the point at which you took a taxi, what did you tell the taxi driver to get you there?

Anyone who has traveled internationally through Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi International Airport is sure to be quite familiar with the King Power duty-free shops that seem to hold a monopoly on duty-free shopping within Thailand. Now King Power is to be kicked out of Suvarnabhumi, but predictably the company intends to fight back. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/24Aug2007_news01.php _____ Duty Free Firm Gets the Boot King Power Ordered out of Suvarnabhumi AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK The Airports of Thailand (AoT) board has ordered King Power Duty Free out of Suvarnabhumi airport after a fresh investigation found that its contract was signed without approval from the government. The board, led by Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, also gave the green light to take action against present and past AoT officials who colluded with the firm. The evidence was in the findings of an outside committee headed by Pol Gen Pratin Santiprabhob set up to investigate King Power's right to operate commercial space in the passenger terminal of the new airport. AoT decided in March that the contracts were void because they were designed to avoid the Public-Private Joint Venture Act that requires a lengthy selection process for any investment worth one billion baht or more by the private sector in a state project. But the airport agency has not made any legal move. King Power and its sister firm, King Power Suvarnabhumi Co, filed lawsuits with the Civil Court demanding 20.8 billion baht and 48 billion baht, respectively, from AoT in compensation for nullifying their contracts in March. Yesterday's meeting was told for the first time that the Pratin investigation had found the deals had bypassed both the cabinet and the Suvarnabhumi airport development committee chaired by the prime minister. The approval given by the previous AoT board for King Power to operate at Suvarnabhumi was illegal, AoT board spokesman Chirmsak Pinthong said. The seven new members on the AoT board, including the chairman, Gen Saprang, resolved unanimously to order King Power to leave the new airport in due time, he said. They agreed to file the case with the Administrative Court and to ask the National Counter Corruption Commission to take up the case leading to action against present and past officials. A new bidding contest to find a few duty free shop operators at Suvarnabhumi airport was needed, he added. In response, Chulchit Bunyaketu, deputy chairman of King Power International Group, suggested AoT go to court. The Prime Minister's Office issued a regulation in 2002, requiring AoT to study any deal under the airport project thoroughly and seek approval from the airport development committee and the cabinet before implementation. However, the past AoT board, chaired by then transport permanent secretary Srisook Chandrangsu, approved the King Power duty free contract right away, without seeking approval from the prime minister's airport development committee and the cabinet, Mr Chirmsak said. According to Pol Gen Pratin's report, King Power firstly asked AoT on Jan 13, 2004, to extend its duty free shop contract that would expire in 2005. The contract covered its duty free shop only at Don Mueang airport and regional airports of AoT, but the requested extension was aimed at allowing King Power to expand its duty free business at Suvarnabhumi, which took over Bangkok air traffic from Don Mueang. Then acting AoT president Bancha Pattanaporn saw the issue as exceeding his authority and passed it to the previous AoT board. The Srisook board first consulted the Council of State, which is the government's legal arm. The council disagreed with the contract extension and suggested a fresh bidding contest because the business venue would change from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi airport. The past AoT board arranged for a working group to study the issue, headed by Vudhibhandu Vichairatana, the Budget Bureau director. The working group agreed to extend the King Power contract to Suvarnabhumi airport and the past AoT board approved the extension accordingly. Pol Gen Pratin's committee identified officials responsible for the irregularities but Mr Chirmsak declined to name them. Earlier, Pol Gen Pratin had implicated politicians, former AoT board members and AoT officials. Mr Vudhibhandu still sits on the present AoT board, but he and some other board members who were also on the past board did not attend the AoT board's meeting yesterday. Pol Gen Pratin said his committee would now examine the contract of King Power Suvarnabhumi, which won the right to develop the rest of the commercial space in the airport terminal.

Opening Rates: Friday, August 24: _____ US Dollar: 34.19 Euro: 46.24 British Pound: 68.405 Australian Dollar: 27.89 Canadian Dollar: 32.265 _____ Closing Rates US Dollar: 34.18 Euro: 46.335 British Pound: 68.275 Australian Dollar: 27.855 Canadian Dollar: 32.31 No further updates will be available until Monday.

Opening Rates: Thursday, August 23: _____ US Dollar: 34.21 Euro: 46.2450 British Pound: 68.12 Australian Dollar: 27.67 Canadian Dollar: 32.1325 _____ Closing Rates: US Dollar: 34.21 Euro: 46.23 British Pound: 68.165 Australian Dollar: 27.73 Canadian Dollar: 32.085

I wasn't able to get to posting the opening rates for today at opening time. The following are the rates as of 11:10 AM, Wednesday, August 22: _____ US Dollar: 34.36 Euro: 46.155 British Pound: 67.965 Australian Dollar: 27.3 Canadian Dollar: 32.0625 _____ Closing Rates: US Dollar: 34.27 Euro: 46.11 British Pound: 67.87 Australian Dollar: 27.3325 Canadian Dollar: 32.085

You're quite welcome.

Opening Rates: Tuesday, August 21: _____ US Dollar: 34.19 Euro: 45.9450 British Pound: 67.785 Australian Dollar: 27.3575 Canadian Dollar: 32.1475 _____ Closing Rates: US Dollar: 34.33 Euro: 46.19 British Pound: 67.915 Australian Dollar: 27.3325 Canadian Dollar: 32.2

There are conflicting reports about the percent by which the referendum passed, but apparently the Thai population has indeed passed the referendum. I'm not sure what it really means or what changes we will see, if any, in our own daily routines, but there it is. I admit that I really haven't paid very much attention to the whole thing. It seems that in Thailand everything changes, and yet nothing changes, so I haven't really bothered with it. Perhaps someone out there who has been keeping up with it can give us some ideas as to what to expect. One of the things that did catch my interest, though, is that the voter turnout was not very high. I would have thought that most of the Thai people would have wanted to get out there and vote, but the whole thing seems to be very ho-hum to the Thais with whom I've spoken. Maybe some of them think in the same vein as me, that no matter how it turns out, nothing much is going to change for them one way or another. We'll see.