Gaybutton

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Row with S'pore Escalates CNS switches from AIS on suspicions of wire-tapping; threatens to revoke licenses The military junta yesterday threatened to exercise its power to revoke the licenses of Singaporean-owned telecom and satellite operators if they were found to be wiretapping communications channels and sending sensitive information back to the city-state. For security reasons, the eight members of the Council for National Security changed their cellular provider from Singaporean-controlled Advanced Info Service to other firms, said junta spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said Singaporean-owned mobile-phone and satellite operators would lose their licences if they were caught eavesdropping on customers. Junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin on Wednesday said all mobile-phone conversations were being picked up and relayed to Singapore, so that the country could spy on Thai security. Yesterday, he said the junta was "concerned about the operation of mobile phones and satellites whose concessions were transferred to a foreign country". Singapore's investment arm, Temasek Holdings, bought Shin Corp - which owns the biggest players in the local mobile-phone and satellite businesses - from the family of deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Sonthi raised his concerns amid a diplomatic stand-off with Singapore for allowing Thaksin to meet its deputy prime minister, S Jayakumar, and use the city-state as a launching pad for interviews with international media to cast aspersions against the junta and military-installed government. The ICT Ministry called all telecom and satellite operators, including Shin Satellite, to a meeting and reiterated to them that the junta would cite its 21st Announcement in putting them out of business if they conducted electronic surveillance of signal transmissions, said ministry spokesman Wissanu Meeyu. All the operators insisted to the ministry that they had never condoned such practices, he said. As a group of students staged a protest in front of the Singaporean Embassy, and residents in the northeastern province of Udon Thani urged the Thai military to return second-hand jet fighters, a key junta member rushed to soothe passions before the anti-Singapore sentiment spiralled out of control. General Saprang Kalayanamitr, assistant to the Army chief, refuted a local media report that the military might review an agreement for Singapore's military to use a Thai airbase as its exercise ground. He told reporters the ongoing diplomatic spat would not set back military cooperation between the two countries. Chareon Mookachornphan, a coordinator of the Udon Thani-based People's Assembly, said the retaliation taken by the government against Singapore - suspending a few bilateral meetings - was not enough for the mistake the city-state made in letting its deputy premier speak with Thaksin. In 2005, Singapore donated seven F-19A/B jet fighters - three Alphas and four Bravos - to Thailand during the Thaksin administration in exchange for the right to use the Wing 23 airbase in Udon Thani for 15 years to train its military. More than 100 police were stationed at the Singaporean Embassy for fear the students staging a noisy protest there planned to burn the mission down. One student dismissed the rumour, saying they just wanted to air their anger at Singapore. A group of six Ramkhamhaeng University students gathered in front of the embassy to demand an explanation within three days of why the republic allowed Thaksin to do what he did. They waved signs reading, "This is Thailand. Don't look down on your neighbour," and, "Singapore, get out." Another said, "We know what you think." They said they represented the Thai Students' Network for Democracy and were not being paid to demonstrate. Former Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan called on the government to control nationalistic reactions in dealing with the matter. Otherwise, the situation could turn ugly, like what happened between Singapore and the Philippines when the city-state hanged a Filipina maid. __________ And this, also from THE NATION: _____ Thai public Supports Actions Against Singapore: Survey The Thai public supported the Surayud government's reaction against Singapore for permitting ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to meet a top senior official and they demand an apology from the island country, an opinion survey has found. Thailand on Tuesday decided to suspend indefinitely all high-level meetings with Singapore, including a ministerial dialogue next month, to protest the island's insensitivity to Thailand's political situation. More than 64 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the Thai government's reaction, while 18 per cent disagreed. The rest had no comment. Almost 56 per cent of those surveyed said Singapore should apologise Thai people for allowing Thaksin to meet Singapore Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar and allowing him to use the island state as a launching pad to attack the Thai government.

You're always welcome to post here, if you wish.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ FLARE-UP RAISES QUESTIONS OVER MILITARY COOPERATION Spat with Singapore Sends a Warning to All Countries on Dealings with Thaksin It was all hugs and kisses last week at the Asean summit in Cebu, in the Philippines, when the 10 Southeast Asian leaders came together to launch the first-ever blueprint for the grouping's charter - deemed crucial for shoring up the bloc's credibility and legal identity. But as they were trying to turn this regional grouping into a rules-based organisation, they were also banking on the notion that their long-standing tradition of non-interference would hold. But that very spirit quickly fell apart just days after the summit. On Tuesday Bangkok accused Singapore of being insensitive to its political situation when the island-state permitted ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra to meet with its deputy prime minister Shunmugam Jayakumar. Thaksin took advantage of his presence in Singapore to give interviews to CNN and The Wall Street Journal. The content of the interviews was critical and quite damaging to the current government and Council for National Security (CNS). Anger flared in Bangkok as critics lashed out at both the island-state and the Foreign Ministry, with the ministry's old guard accused of not giving their all to the CNS. While Asean members have engaged in some bitter disputes in recent years, it was somewhat surprising to see Thailand and Singapore at loggerheads. Though not treaty allies like Thailand and the United States, Thailand and Singapore are deemed long-term strategic partners in terms of investment and regional security. Singaporean ground forces train annually with their Thai counterparts in Kanchanaburi, where they can stretch out as they engage in conventional warfare training - something they cannot do on the island-state, without blowing up a shopping mall. Singapore has become a key component of Cobra Gold, one of the largest multinational military exercises in Asia. Its armed and civil forces was one of the largest in Thailand after the tsunami struck, delivering food and medicine as well as carrying out search-and-rescue operations. In the intelligence sphere, information from Singapore was crucial in tracking down international terrorists such as Hambali and Arifin bin Ali, members of Jemaah Islamiyah, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organisation. "Singapore is concerned that Thailand could be used as a staging ground for terrorist attacks against them," said Chulalongkorn University's Associate Professor Panitan Wattanayagon. The island-state also utilises Thai airspace to conduct flight training for its airforce. Its 20-year lease for an airbase in Udon Thani was deemed quite generous. But given the current sentiment, it should not come as a surprise if the terms for the lease - as well as other military-related cooperation - now become bargaining chips. Factoring trade, investment and military cooperation into consideration, one can safely argue that Singapore and Thailand are the closest allies in the region. "It's a relationship with different dimensions," Panitan said. "Singapore is at an advantage when it comes to trade and investment, while Thailand is at advantage in military and security [spheres]," he said. Unfortunately, this cooperation does not translate into the realm of public diplomacy. Many in the country continue to perceive Singapore as coming out ahead. Besides traditional security, Singapore is quite concerned about its vulnerability and its place in the region - and the world for that matter. Singapore is stuck between two big and not very friendly neighbours - Malaysia and Indonesia. Strategically, Thailand serves as a counter-balance for Singapore's relations with the two Muslim countries. It's too early to say how much damage the current stand-off will inflict on the two countries' bilateral ties. The strong retaliation from Bangkok shows how seriously the CNS views the Thaksin factor. The move was also a stern warning to China, Britain, Australia, the US, Indonesia and others over Thailand's sensitivities about any future dealings they may have with the ousted premier, who is accused of massive corruption and heading a highly divisive administration. While Singapore stands to lose greatly on military and security matters, if ties with Thailand continue to deteriorate, one should not forget that a great number of Thai civil servants from various ministries have received training in Singapore, a country known for its accountability and efficiency, but not necessarily for its political freedom. Panitan said he was not sure why Thailand had not used its military links to hit out at Singapore. Perhaps it's an indication of things to come, if the situation does not improve. But once the dust has settled, dealings between the two sides will have to be conducted with greater sensitivity. Singapore does not need to be told that it needs friends like Thailand. Luckily, Thailand is not like Malaysia, where constant bickering is expected over every minor issue. But then again, a mature relationship sometimes needs things to be spelt out in blunt terms - as in the current predicament between Thailand and Singapore. Recent history has shown that the island-state can be unkind and insensitive to its neighbours. This time around, unfortunately, it came just days after the Asean summit. And if these two countries cannot get their act together and are prepared to let a man like Thaksin come between them, then what hope is there for the Cebu declaration? Don Pathan __________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ Analysis: Singapore's Insensitive Miscalculation Opinion by Thitinan Pongsudhirak The Singaporean government cannot feign ignorance and provide implicit recognition of Thaksin Shinawatra without serious consequences for bilateral relations between Thailand and the island state. [The writer is Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University] Singapore's recent misstep in unwittingly allowing deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use the island republic as a staging ground for media interviews on CNN and in the Asian Wall Street Journal that chastised the performance of the caretaker government of General Surayud Chulanont indicates a mind-boggling miscalculation. Having become entangled in Thailand's political drama following the Shinawatra family's scandalous sale of Shin Corp to Singapore's government-linked Temasek Holdings early last year, Singapore's elite should have stayed on the sidelines and waited out the resolution of Thailand's deep-seated and ongoing confrontation and conflict. But Singapore's leaders did not, and have not. They keep shooting themselves in the foot. They never got Thailand right. In view of their latest diplomatic blunder, perhaps they never will. That Singapore's elite has persistently coddled Mr Thaksin prior to, and in the aftermath of, the military coup on Sept 19, 2006, is understandable. Mr Thaksin's ties with Singapore's ruling Lee family run deep. The former premier was one of the first Lee Kuan Yew fellows back in 1994. The Singaporeans annually pick out up-and-coming young politicians from the region and treat them to red-carpet packages on the island in an effort to win over future regional leaders. In Mr Thaksin, the Singapore government picked a winner. In addition, Mr Thaksin's and the Lees' common Hakka Chinese background further deepened their relationship. Like the Lees' one-party dominance of Singapore's democratic system, Mr Thaksin's authoritarian, decisive leadership style, and virtual monopoly in Thai politics during his nearly six-year rule also helped to solidify ties. It was thus somewhat unsurprising that when it bought Shin Corp and allowed Mr Thaksin to cash out for 73.3 billion baht, Temasek was headed by none other than Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's wife, Madam Ho Ching. During Thailand's prolonged political crisis and street protests against Mr Thaksin, the Singaporean government never flinched in the face of adverse Thai criticism of its role and connection to Temasek, as its embassy in Bangkok laid low in a vain attempt to ride out the storm. Even after the Sept 19 coup, Prime Minister Lee stated unequivocally in an October speech to the Asian-European Editors Forum that the Thai putsch was a setback for the country's democracy. PM Lee justified his view of Mr Thaksin's electoral prowess, and completely missed the essence of the Thai crisis revolving around Mr Thaksin's erosion of legitimacy due to a long trail of constitutional violations, corruption, and abuses of power. Unlike Singapore, winning elections in Thailand without accountability and effective checks-and-balances provided by institutions mandated under the constitution and by individuals from the media and NGOs, is not sufficient to retain a democratic mandate. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew followed up on his son's remark with the insistence that the Temasek-Shin Corp transaction was completely above board. Both father and son did what Mr Thaksin would have done by insisting on technical legality with a blind eye to legitimacy considerations and ethical and moral implications. To be sure, the Thaksin visit would likely have transpired smoothly without the CNN and Asian Wall Street Journal interviews, despite Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar's odd unofficial reception of someone who had no official status. Kishore Mahbubani, an erudite diplomat who now heads the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, consequently criticised Mr Thaksin for putting Singapore in a tight spot with his media comments. It was the first public rebuke of Mr Thaksin from a member of the Singapore elite. The Surayud government's measured response by withdrawing an invitation to Singapore's foreign minister to speak at a bilateral civil service exchange programme, and its cancellation of an informal summit meeting between the two countries, are moves in the right direction. With these concrete diplomatic signals, the Singaporean government can no longer feign ignorance and provide implicit recognition of Mr Thaksin without serious consequences for the bilateral relationship. To be fair, the primary responsibility for this debacle lies with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, ultimately, with the Council for National Security and the Surayud government. With Thaksin loyalists still in command, the Foreign Ministry has dragged its feet throughout the post-coup period in going after Mr Thaksin's passport status. Despite vocal calls from the anti-Thaksin coalition, the ministry took more than three months to revoke Mr Thaksin's diplomatic privileges. Rumours and anecdotal evidence of Thai embassy resources being used to facilitate Mr Thaksin's movements in London, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore have been rife. Both the CNS and the Surayud government should clarify Mr Thaksin's status once and for all. This would enable foreign governments around the world to treat Mr Thaksin properly. To its credit, the Chinese government walked a balanced line by letting Mr Thaksin stay in China for weeks but not giving him any high-level recognition. However, other foreign governments should not have to make this calculation on their own. They have the right to know how they should receive Mr Thaksin. The onus is thus on the CNS and the Surayud government. Mr Thaksin's murky status is yet another indication of the weak and indecisive post-coup management.

The following appears on PATTAYA DAILY NEWSs: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000002275 _____ ALLEGED BRITISH PAEDOPHILE SLIPS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL VETTING NET Alleged British child rapist, Sean McMahon, 45, of Torquay, Devon, was working as an English teacher in a Bangkok international school when he was arrested at his home in an apartment on the northern outskirts of Bangkok on Monday evening, at the request of the British Embassy. He had apparently been under surveillance by the Thai police for some time. After a similar case involving an American teacher who had been jailed for abusing teenage boys in 2006, the new case reveals that Thai educational vetting procedures of foreign teachers are not sufficiently stringent. McMahon had apparently skipped bail in the UK where he had been accused of raping an eight-year-old girl between 1997 and September 1998. He failed to show in court in 1999 after he was charged for the alleged offence. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said today, Tuesday, that McMahon had been detained in Thailand and was remanded to appear in court. "The suspect will be repatriated to England to face the charges in accordance with the extradition treaty," Thai Police Lieutenant-General Kamronwit Thoopkrajang confirmed.

The most active I've seen is http://www.gay.com

As a matter of fact, there are several differences, all of which greatly pleased me. I have attached their map of how to get there, but let me try to make it a bit easier for you. Happy Bar is what I would call an "Off-Sunee Plaza" bar. It's actually quite easy to find. If you exit Sunee Plaza on the Po Pot restaurant side, that's Soi Yensabai (Not to be confused with the Yensabai Condo). Turn left and just follow the soi. Just before you reach the Family Mart, about a three minute walk from Sunee Plaza, you'll spot Happy Bar on the left side of the soi. It is very well worth a bit of a detour to get there. From among all the bars in Pattaya, many will likely agree with me that this is the most beautiful. It's small, but uniquely elegant with a beautiful Art Decco color scheme. The decor is intimate and the lighting is perfect. I also enjoy the fact that the music is kept at a much lower volume than most bars. One of the things I have always appreciated about Gentlemen Club is the low music volume and now Happy Bar gives your ears a similar break. You can easily have a conversation at a normal level and your ears won't be throbbing when you leave. The owners are two European young gentlemen, George and Roman. They make sure you feel welcome and are having a good time. Another great thing about the bar. No pushy mama-sans. Actually, no pushy anything. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure they even have mama-sans there. If there are any mama-sans, they are indistinguishable from the waiters. The drink prices are also a welcome break. I had a gin and tonic - a good one, not watered down - and it was only 95 baht. Most bars charge 120 baht and up for a drink, and many of them are watered down. Not at Happy Bar. You get a legitimate drink at what I believe are the lowest prices of any go-go bar in town. The boys themselves are definitely cute and there are all types, something for just about everyone. They all wear tiny loin cloths that just barely cover the goodies. They dance. They really dance. None of the "one-knee-shufflers" at Happy Bar. They dance two at a time on tables right in front of you, and yet it doesn't come across as an in-your-face type of setup at all. There are actually three floors at Happy Bar. The ground floor is the go-go bar area. The next floor up has sets of sofas and a very large lounge seat. If you wish, you can take the boy of your choice to the second floor, where there is much more privacy. The boys tend to lose their inhibitions on the second floor and touchy-feely is permissible as long as you do not carry it too far. Of course a tip is expected. I recommend 100 to 200 baht for the boy, depending on how well things go for you. If you are interested in carrying things to the next degree, well, that's what the third floor is for. That's where the short-time rooms are. Of course, you also have the option of taking the boy "off" and going back to your hotel room. All of the boys are age 18 and up. You will not find under-age boys at Happy Bar. The "off" fee is 250 baht. I was definitely happy at Happy Bar. Give it a try. I have a feeling a great many of you will quickly become regulars there.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ TIES WITH S'PORE SUFFER SETBACK High-Level Meetings Canceled as Govt Retaliates over Thaksin Visit; City-State 'Saddened' by Reaction Thailand yesterday decided to suspend indefinitely all high-level meetings with Singapore, including a ministerial dialog next month, to protest the island's insensitivity to Thailand's political situation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinond said yesterday. An informed government source said this diplomatic retaliation could also affect the planned summit later this year between the leaders of the two countries if the situation does not improve. Yesterday's move was a retaliation against Singapore for permitting ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to meet deputy premier S Jayakumar and to use the island-state as a launching pad to attack the government. "We informed the Singaporean [ambassador] that we are concerned by the political movements made by Thaksin," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told reporters after Thai Foreign Ministry officials met Ambassador Peter Chan. "Singapore should be more cautious about allowing such movements as we have already revoked Thaksin's diplomatic passport," Surayud said. In response to Thailand's move, the Singaporean Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying they were "saddened" by the Thai action and expressed hope that Bangkok will respect the island-state's position "as a sovereign country." "The Thai government did not notify us that Dr Thaksin has been charged for any offence. There is also no restriction on where he can travel to," the statement said. "He [Thaksin] had chosen to make a visit to Singapore on his own. Dr Thaksin had asked to meet Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar, who is an old friend. It was purely a social and private meeting. No official calls or meetings were arranged." The statement went on to say: "There is no reason for Singapore to turn Dr Thaksin away. Prior to Singapore, Dr Thaksin had also visited several other countries without any protest by the Thai government." Krit Garnjanagoonchorn, permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry, yesterday summoned Singapore ambassador Chan to lodge Thailand's protest. "The main reason behind our measures was because Singaporean President SR Nathan had told PM Surayud on November 9, 2006, that Singapore will not betray [Thailand] and will not do anything to damage the trust and understanding between the two countries," Kitti said. Informed sources told The Nation the decision to hit back at Singapore was reached after Surayud asked the Foreign Ministry to assess the damage caused by Thaksin's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, as well as his interviews with CNN and the Wall Street Journal (Asia) on Monday's night. Last week in Cebu, Chan informed Foreign Minister Nitya Phibulsonggram and Krit Garnjanagoonchorn that Thaksin would be visiting Singapore for four days on a private visit and that Jayakumar would host him a private lunch. No immediate action was taken after the message was relayed to the Thai side. But Thaksin appeared to have crossed the threshold when he went to the foreign media during his visit to attack the government and the junta. A Thai source said Thaksin's visit was at the invitation of Singapore. In his interview with Wall Street Journal, Thaksin discredited the Thai government's economic policies and also derided the power seizure that deposed him from power on September 19. Thaksin also took a political pot-shot during his five-minute stint on CNN and reminded the audience that he was democratically elected. Thaksin also denied the government's accusations that he had any link with a series of bomb blasts on 31 December 2006. Thai officials said they were shocked to learn that a senior Singapore official would be giving a private lunch to Thaksin following hot on the heels of the revoking of his diplomatic passport and the ill-feeling caused by the Shin Corp-Temasek deal. "It shows Singapore's insensitivity to Thailand," said one of the sources. The move is expected to set a precedent for other countries over how to handle Thaksin's visit and meeting in their respective country. China was said to be "more than understanding" when informed about the revoking of Thaksin's diplomatic passport. After his return from Cebu on Monday, Surayud hinted at yesterday's action, saying some diplomatic action might have to be taken in response to Thaksin's meeting with Jayakumar in Singapore. At the Asean summit meeting in Cebu, Nitya informed his counterpart George Yeo about the revoking of Thaksin's diplomatic passport. Nitya was told that it was a private visit. Asean has a visa-free voluntary scheme for its citizens. The indefinite suspension of the important summit retreat between the two leaders scheduled for later this year represents a low-point in Thai-Singapore relations. Both countries are key Asean members that have cooperated closely on issues related to economic integration and political deliberations. This informal retreat has been the main forum for leaders of both countries to engage in a tete-a-tete on pivotal bilateral and regional issues. The fourth summit retreat was scheduled later this year in Singapore. The first was held in Phuket in 2003, the second in Sentosa Island 2004, and the latest summit was held in Chiang Mai in 2005. Another important bilateral meeting, known as Thai-Singapore Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP) has also been suspended. Singapore Foreign Minister Yeo was scheduled to fly in for the CSEP meeting in early February. This programme started in 1998 and was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the civil service sectors as part of the "strategic partnership" banner. Thailand has provided airstrips for the Singaporean air force to train their combat jetfighters as well as other defence cooperation. The island also participates in the Cobra Gold military exercise, under the Thai-US military co-operation. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2005 amounted to nearly US$13 billion (Bt466 billion). _________ And this, also from THE NATION: _____ Overall Economic Picture not Affected by Sour Ties with Singapore: Pridiyathorn Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula insisted that Thailand's abolition of high-level diplomatic cooperation with Singapore would not hurt the overall economic picture. He noted that the government would ensure fair treatment to the Singaporean investors who are doing business in Thailand. "The diplomatic ties do not concern the overall economic picture. Our treatment to Singaporean investors would not be biased," he told reporters. He was also pleased with Thailand's better rankings in the Heritage Foundation's economic freedom index, saying that boosting the freedom is the government's obligation. In Asia, Thailand is ranked 9th, from 12th in the previous year. __________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ SINGAPORE 'REGRETS' THAI RETALIATION Singapore (dpa) Singapore's government on Wednesday said it regretted Thailand's decision to cancel its foreign minister's visit to Bangkok, which was made in response to ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra's visit to the city-state. "The Singapore government hopes that Thailand can appreciate Singapore's position," a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said, adding that there was no reason for the city-state to turn Thaksin away. "The Thai government did not notify us that Dr Thaksin has been charged with any offence," it said, adding that there is no restriction on where he can travel. Thailand on Tuesday informed Singaporean Ambassador Peter Chan that it was cancelling a visit to Bangkok by Foreign Minister George Yeo planned for later this month and was also cancelling civil aviation cooperation talks. The Thai government called the city-state's stance toward Thaksin "inappropriate" and expressed concern over a meeting between Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar and Thaksin last week. An earlier statement issued by the Singapore foreign ministry described Jayakumar as an old friend of Thaksin and said their meeting was "purely social and private." Thaksin "had chosen to make a visit to Singapore on his own," the latest ministry statement said. "Thai nationals do not require visas to visit Singapore. There is no reason for Singapore to turn Dr Thanksin away." Singapore also noted that Thaksin had visited several other countries "without any protest by the Thai government," referring to trips to China, Hong Kong and Indonesia. "We are therefore saddened that the Thai government has chosen to take this course of action," the foreign ministry said. "We hope Thailand will respect Singapore's position as that of a sovereign country. We value the longstanding friendly relations with Thailand." Thaksin was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup on September 19, while he was attending an annual UN summit of leaders in New York, and has been living in exile since. The military appointed a new government to take his place. Thailand's new prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, said Singapore's ambassador was told the city-state should be more cautious about allowing such movements "since we have already revoked Thaksin's diplomatic passport." The meeting between Thaksin and Jayakumar, "even though it was a low-key affair, sends the wrong signal to the Thai public," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman. Relations between Thailand and Singapore have been strained since January last year when Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment arm, bought Shinawatra's 49 per cent holding in Shin Corp, Thaksin's business empire, for 1.9 billion dollars in a tax free deal. Many Thais saw the purchase as selling off national assets to a foreign company. Thailand's military-appointed government last week revoked Thaksin's diplomatic passport, making it difficult for him to travel without visas. While in Singapore Thaksin gave an interview to CNN - censored in Thailand - in which he vowed to stay away from Thai politics in the future. He also denied any involvement in the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok that killed three people and injured 40.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ DOMESTIC FLIGHTS Opposition to Don Muang Plan Mounts Travel and Hotel Bodies Warn of Inconvenience, Especially to International Travelers The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) and the Thai Hotels Association (THA) yesterday voiced their objection to a plan to move most domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Muang Airport as it would inconvenience travelers. ADT president Charoen Wangananont said the use of two airports in Bangkok would not help, because those who had to fly on both routes would have to travel from one airport to the other. The two airports are located far apart without a mass-transportation system to connect them yet. "Imagine people living in Ubon Ratchathani province who have to travel abroad. They will need to get a flight to Don Muang Airport and then take a bus or a taxi to Suvarnabhumi Airport, which could take two or three hours on the road, said Charoen. "This will annoy travelers." Earlier this month, the Airports of Thailand (AOT) board of directors approved moving most of the domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang tentatively from March, due to traffic congestion at Suvarnabhumi. The Cabinet is set to make a decision at its meeting next week. Charoen said although AOT had said it would maintain domestic flights with international connection, such as Phuket, at Suvarnabhumi, some travellers connecting to other flights to Phuket from elsewhere would have to go to Don Muang. "The connecting flight time might take longer than flying between Suvarnabhumi and Phuket," he said. Passengers will end up paying more for transportation. Charoen said the plan to revive Don Muang had been proposed without proper study or research, particularly about return on investment. "The government bodies just want to re-use the old airport, but they have not discussed the details in-depth," he added. Charoen suggested using the old airport as an optional or reserved airport rather than for commercial flights. Prakit Chinamourpong, vice president of THA, made the same point, saying the association disagreed with the plan, because it would cause trouble for connecting passengers. Apichart Sankary, president of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said that the body had urged the government and AOT to inform the private sector three months before moving domestic flights to Don Muang, so that they could make preparations. "I also told AOT to find out whether they would provide free shuttle buses between the two airports," said Apichart. ATTA urged the government to complete the airport link if it wants to reopen the old airport soon. Representatives of inbound tour operator CTS Travel Asia, and a hotel operator in Phuket, Club Andaman, said they support the reopening of Don Muang Airport as they believed the airport still had a good infrastructure and cheaper operation costs. "The new Suvarnabhumi Airport has been open for just four months, but it has already reached full capacity. So Don Muang can be used to accommodate more flights or charter flights," one of the operators added. The reopening of Don Muang could also help businesses, especially airport hotels and shops, located in the north part of Bangkok. ATTA figures show tourists using its members from January 1-14 totaled 97,501, 9.1 per cent down from 107,265 in the same period last year. Suchat Sritama

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW AVAILABLE CNN's Full Interview with Ousted Thaksin to Air this Weekend CNN's full interview with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in which he vowed to retire from politics will go on air this weekend, the television network said. CNN had broadcast five-minute excerpt of the interview with Thaksin from Singapore on Monday night. The full half-and-hour interview with CNN's Bangkok Dan Rivers will be aired on its special edition "Talk Asia" at 7.30am and 11pm Saturday and at 8.30am and 9pm Sunday Bangkok time. Thaksin told Rivers in the interview aired on Monday that he decided to stay out of the political arena and lived like a normal citizen. "Enough is enough," he said. He also denied that he was behind the New Year's Eve bombing that killed three people and injured 40 others. The following is the CNN's transcript of the interview aired on Monday. (DR - Dan Rivers/TS - Thaksin) TS - It's baseless allegations. No one believes so. Because everyone knows who is, who am I. I come from election, I come from the people. I owe gratitude to our people. I do everything for the good of the country and the people. I don't do something that's stupid. DR - So you had no involvement.. TS - Not involvement at all. Uh, and but I would like to express my deep sympathy, deepest sympathy for those who lose, lost their loved ones and also all those who are injured. And the individuals who are involved must be brought to justice. DR - This is the first time you've spoken since the coup of September the 19th, first of all, you were in the United States, in New York at the UN, when this happened, how did you find out that this was going on? TS - Well I find out just uh, about uh, 4, 5 hours uh, before, before it happened, but I trying to get into the television station but uh, its very difficult at that time I cannot get into it until I can get into channel 9 briefly, but uh, you know, which I, it's a rumors at that time but I don't believe that this can happen again in the 21st century. DR - So it was surprise when it happened? TS - It's very surprise because you know, but anyway 70 years in Thailand, 17 coups happened is very unfortunate but it's, uh, it's an event that happened here in Thailand. DR - Will you go back to, go back into politics? TS - No. No. (DR: Go back as a private

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Police "Have Clues" about Bangkok Bombing Masterminds Police do have clues about who was behind the bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year's Eve but are gathering more evidence to implicate and prosecute them, assistant national police chief Pol Lt General Jongrak Juthanont said Tuesday. "They are the people the public have been suspicious of or widely discussed about. But police cannot yet take any action against them without evidence," he said, without giving further details. Jongrak, the lead investigator handling the case, also pleaded with eyewitnesses or those who saw the suspected bombers before the explosions to volunteer information to police.

I can't for Bangkok, but I can for Pattaya. Try Modern Smiles, located on Central Road (Pattaya Klang) just west of the Third Road traffic light. I have been completely satisfied with their work and their prices. They have a web site at: http://www.modernsmiledental.com

I do not want to get into my personal financial affairs on a message board, but I do hold a long-term pre-paid lease on my home, since as a "farang" I was not able to buy in my own name. Suffice it to say that I am fully legally protected for the rest of my life, without having had to go through the Thai corporation route, and there is no possibility that I will ever involuntarily lose my home.

As many of you know, Gaypattayan, who produces the "Weekly Report" on the Pattayagay.com web site has been going through some difficult medical problems. As a result this week's "Weekly Report" has not appeared. You will find a good temporary alternative on the http://www.suneeplaza.com web site for the time being. I am placing a duplicate of this post on the Baht-Stop web site.

I just loved this one. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Two trainee Police Volunteers Arrested after Taking the Law into their Own Hands In the early hours of Tuesday Morning Police arrested two trainee Pattaya Police Volunteers accused of working outside of the law and without the supervision of Police and other volunteers. The two men are Khun Gitisak aged 23 and Khun Pitsopar aged 25. Both men recently went through a training course but do not possess Police Volunteer ID cards and are therefore not permitted to work as volunteers unless they are supervised by Police or existing volunteers. It appears that both men took it upon themselves to arrange a drugs sting after they received information of a suspected drug dealer operating in the area. Both men intended to purchase drugs from the suspect, however during the illegal sting operation, no drugs were forthcoming. Instead, the two men decided to take money from the suspect and alleged threats were issued to the suspect. Police Sergeant Major Songtum, the officer in charge of the Pattaya Police Volunteer Program confirmed to us that all genuine volunteers are issued with Identification Badges and should you ever be approached by a so-called Police Volunteer he urges you to challenge them to produce an ID Badge first. Both men will now face charges relating to their evening activities and have been removed from the shortlist of new trainee volunteers.

Who knows? Maybe nothing can be done. Maybe passes will be issued. Maybe there will be curfews. I have no idea how it can be done. All I know is what I've heard. If it goes the way most things happen around here, it will end up being all talk and no action anyway.

I wouldn't go quite as far as that, although if it were me I might consider waiting until we are quite clear on where all this is leading and what the exchange rate is going to do. At this point I don't know if anyone thoroughly understands what any of this is all about and I would even go as far as guessing that many Thai officials are also not certain what all of this means. Nevertheless, as far as I can tell, foreigners can still safely buy condos under the 49% rule. I do not have any expertise in this field whatsoever, so I can only state my personal opinion based on what I have been reading. If it were me, unless there was a necessity for buying at this time, then I would wait before committing to anything in Pattaya. With all the construction that has been going on for the past few years and all the construction going on presently, I would gamble that a real estate crash has a good chance of occurring in Pattaya, eventually making it a true buyer''s market. Even if I did need to buy a condo, I would not buy one still under construction, other than from a completely reliable company such as View Talay. Even then, I would first try to check to find out if there is any significant difference between promised completion dates and actual completion dates at sites recently occupied before I'd sign on the dotted line. If one buys a condo at which construction is not complete, then what can you do if the company goes under and construction is halted? I would not buy anything, no matter who the builder is, without first consulting a competent Thai attorney who is well versed in Thai real estate law.

PM Orders Diplomatic Response to Thaksin Visits BANGKOK, Jan 16 (TNA) Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use diplomatic channels to inform countries visited by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of the Thai government's position on his current status. Speaking after returning from the Philippines to attend the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Monday evening, Gen. Surayud said Mr. Thaksin's trips to different countries have no impact on the interim government but some diplomatic actions are needed to deal with this issue. He said Thailand, which has diplomatic relations with many countries, needs to inform those countries of the kingdom's stance on Mr. Thaksin's visits, given the fact that the diplomatic passport he holds has been revoked. Gen. Surayud noted that making an understanding through diplomatic channels with countries visited by Mr.Thaksin would not cause any problems since it was a proper channel and needed to be done. Living in exile following the September 19 coup, Mr. Thaksin travelled to Britain, China, Indonesia, and Singapore. Thailand views his mobility -- and his visits to government officials in some places -- as an attempt to keep himself in the news, which can cause confusion and division among the Thai public. A senior member of the military Council for National Security (CNS) had earlier expressed "uneasiness" over Mr. Thaksin's movements overseas -- including his latest trip to Singapore where he sought to meet with Singaporean deputy prime minister S. Jayakumar In an apparent attempt to make it less convenient for the deposed premier to move freely internationally, the Ministry of Foreign Affaires stripped him and his wife Pojaman of their diplomatic passports, citing his changed status, and the inappropriateness relating to national security concerns of his continued possession and use of such a passport. Gen. Surayud declined comment when asked how the foreign ministry should clarify Mr. Thaksin's current status to other countries, saying the foreign minister could himself give a better answer. Regarding the appropriate time for the ousted premier to return to Thailand, Gen. Surayud said the matter must be discussed further among the concerned parties, but that so far Mr. Thaksin has asked the government to return yet. (TNA)-E009

If you're going to quote me, then use the full context of the quote instead of paring it down to suit your own purposes. What I wrote was, "It is my understanding that several legitimate business owners in Sunee Plaza have approached the authorities, and are getting cooperation, to take steps to keep boys under age 16 out of Sunee Plaza entirely." While all these business owners are sending you E-mail, my information comes from someone who told me about it. I then confirmed what I heard with two Sunee Plaza business owners. You also included in your post two additional paragraphs that have absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand. That, my friend, is the last time we're going to have that here. Do it even once more on this or any other thread and you'll be placed on moderated mode. You stand warned.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ AVIATION AIRPORT CONGESTION Only Three Airlines Set to Move to Don Muang BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA Only three carriers including Thai Airways International are prepared to move their non-connecting domestic operations to Don Muang Airport, raising questions whether the shift would ease crowding at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The other two airlines that are prepared to move are the budget carriers One-Two-Go and Nok Air, whereas Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways have opted to remain at the new airport. Their willingness to move point-to-point domestic flights to the old airport is driven by a desire to relieve passengers and staff of the inconveniences and frustration they are enduring at Suvarnabhumi. On the passenger side, the problems involve long queues for check-in, long waits for baggage and long walks to boarding gates, while airlines have been subject to flight delays due to poor traffic management and congestion. THAI, One-Two-Go and Nok Air are reportedly prepared to pay the additional costs in setting up separate operations at Don Muang, which was closed on Sept 28 when Suvarnabhumi opened. However, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways prefer to stay at Suvarnabhumi due partly to the high costs of operating at two sites. They also do not want to lose connections with their international flights. Both Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin and One-Two-Go vice-chairman Kajit Habanananda said yesterday that passengers' convenience overshadowed the incremental costs involved in setting up again at Don Muang. ''We are ready to go back to Don Muang on 30 days' notice,'' Mr Patee said, adding that all of Nok Air's current flights were domestic point-to-point. Mr Kajit said One-Two-Go was prepared to absorb and costs arising from move and would not pass it on to passengers. THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said that the sooner the national carrier could move its non-connecting flights to Don Muang, the better it would be for its passengers, who are mostly Thais. Both Mr Apinan and Mr Kajit said their airlines could start their flights out of Don Muang on March 15. Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways said its operations had been built around Suvarnabhumi and that Don Muang was not in its plans. M.L. Nandhika Varavarn, vice-president for corporate communication, said 90% of Bangkok Airways' passengers were foreigners who required connections with international flights. Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said that unless Airports of Thailand Plc allowed it to also shift its international services to Don Muang, it would rather remain at Suvarnabhumi. ''We cannot afford to split our operations at two sites. It doesn't make economic sense.'' Instead, Mr Tassapon urged AoT to speed up consideration of a plan it had outlined earlier to build a special terminal for budget carriers at Suvarnabhumi. Aviation analysts estimate anywhere from 15% to 30% of the load at Suvarnabhumi could be reduced by reopening Don Muang for commercial flights. Mr Apinan said THAI could make a ''significant'' contribution by moving. The national carrier operates about 300 domestic flights a week. It wants to offer certain flights on three domestic routes frequented by foreign tourists - from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi - at Suvarnabhumi to facilitate connections.

For those who are interested, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin's CNN interview last night was not shown in Thailand. It is my understanding that the actual interview lasted about four minutes. The CNN web site has a video of about 2 minutes of the interview and it is all in English. If you wish to view it, the URL is: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/...view/index.html The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin: Enough is Enough Ex-PM vows he won't re-enter politics; denies being behind blasts, saying he wouldn't be so stupid as to plant bombs Overthrown prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed not to re-enter politics, saying "enough is enough". Speaking to an international news organisation for the first time since his ousting, Thaksin told CNN he wants to return to Thailand as a private citizen. "After six years in politics it is time for me to be a normal citizen," he said, adding he would like to return to Thailand and "contribute as a private citizen outside the political arena". He described his years as prime minister as a "sacrifice". In a brief taped interview from Singapore, Thaksin strongly dismissed suggestions he was behind the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok that killed three and injured about 40 more. "I came from an election. I came from the people," Thaksin said. He asked rhetorically why he would do something "stupid" like plant bombs in crowded places. The former PM called on the authorities to bring the culprits to justice and expressed sympathy with the victims and their families. Thaksin told CNN he learnt of the coup that ended his leadership about four hours before it was publicly announced, while in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly. He was only able to get a brief appearance on ModernNine Tele-vision to counter events at home. The then director of the station Mingkwan Saengsuwan resigned a few days later accepting responsibility for broadcasting Thaksin's comments. ModernNine and Channel 7, contacted last night, said they were now practising self-censorship and would not air yesterday's CNN interview. One Channel 7 official said the station did not wish to enter into a debate with the Council of National Security (CNS) after last week's much-criticised demand for local broadcasters to not carry stories about the former prime minister. "Just the name Thaksin is enough. We don't need to look at the content," said a Channel 7 source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Thaksin's chief counsel in Bangkok, Noppadon Pattama, con-tacted about 30 minutes after the interview, said he was still waiting for the item. "What? It has been broadcast already? You sure it wasn't blocked?" he said. Thaksin has been travelling through East Asia, to Hong Kong, Beijing and Bali, over the past month in what was seen by the CNS as an effort to map a possible comeback. In an unprecedented move, the government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont revoked his diplomatic passport and instructed Thai embassies not to provide special assistance - just treat Thaksin as an ordinary citizen living abroad. On his return from the Asean summit in the Philippines Surayud offered no opinion on the Thaksin interview. Neither did he react to broadcasters' self-censorship. He said "some diplomatic action" might need to be taken in response to Thaksin's meeting with a deputy prime minister of Singapore last week. "We need to let all countries know of our stance [towards Thaksin's travels] because his diplomatic passport had been revoked. "We will not issue documents or anything to anyone. But it will be a mutual understanding on all sides making it clear how the matter should be dealt with diplomatically."

That's all just wonderful, Ear Wig. However, this thread's topic involves a question about Clubbing Club and the Diamond bar, not the story of your life yet again. Any further posts that are not on the topic will be eliminated.

I'll leave it up to others to post links to the pics you seek. However, I caution anyone who posts links to avoid posting links to any porn sites. The Code of Conduct on this message board clearly states the following: "No links to pornographic websites are allowed. Posting these links will result in immediate removal of the post and disillusion of the membership of the poster." I believe most people are aware that any links that are posted here will be checked and I will enforce the rule, although the word "disillusion" is misspelled and should be "dissolution." If anyone has a link to post and is not sure whether the link would be considered a porn link, please send me the link in a PM first. I will be happy to check it out and let you know whether it is ok to post it or not. You could also simply send the link to Steve1903 in a PM. That would not violate the rules because it would not be publicly posted. In the meantime, since you went to Egypt, what can you tell us about Egypt? Is there a gay scene there? What did you discover?

Once you are able to decipher the above post, I can assure you there is no reason to avoid Sunee Plaza or any of the bars there. The thing to do is to check a boy's ID card before taking him "off" to make sure he is at least 18 years old. If the boy doesn't have his ID card or comes up with some story to explain why he doesn't have it, then don't take him "off." The current Thai year is 2550, so he would have to have been born in 2532 or earlier to be of legal age. I would advise taking boys who were born in 2531 or earlier because you'll be here when it is still January-February. Even if boys were born in 2532 they still probably have not yet reached their 18th birthday. Also, have the desk clerk at your hotel double check the boy's ID card to make sure it is a genuine ID card and that it actually belongs to him. Sometimes under-age boys are good at switching ID cards with a boy who is 18 or more when a "farang" wants to take him "off." If you take those precautions, then you won't have any problems. Also, if you think under-age boys in bars is limited only to Sunee Plaza, I advise you to think again. Regarding a perception of being a pedophile, I wouldn't worry about that. First, anyone who would think of you as a pedophile simply for being in Sunee Plaza would have to be in Sunee Plaza himself to even know you are there. Second, if your mode of thinking is anything like mine, then I wouldn't care about what someone else thinks anyhow. It doesn't matter what someone else may think. The only thing that matters is what you think. Third, the only people I have ever encountered who automatically assume one is a pedophile for being in Sunee Plaza are a few people who post on the message boards and don't know what they're talking about in the first place.

That is true. This evening Thaksin will get four minutes on CNN, as reported in THE NATION: _____ Ousted Prime Minister Gives Live Interview to CNN Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will give live interview to CNN from Singapore tonight at 7pm. Thaksin will be interviewed for four minutes on the CNN's World Business Programme. It will be the first time that Thaksin speaks publicly to the media since his ouster. _____ I fully expect Ear Wig to be sitting right next to him.

Sorry you feel that way. Your post is still visible to Stef, Rainwalker, and GayThailand. If any of them agree that your post is not a personal attack, then any one of them is at full liberty to restore it without argument or resentment from me. I make no claims to be perfect in my judgments and being human I'm not going to get it right all the time, but I do see your post as a personal attack and I meant what I said . . . if a personal attack is posted, it's going bye-bye no matter who posts it. I doubt this will be much consolation, but I actually agree with what you said. It's the manner in which you said it that I considered to be a personal attack. Again, I have no problem at all if any of the moderators decide to restore your post if they disagree with my opinion of it.