Gaybutton

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.

Can you know who my sources are? No, you can't. "High powered inside informants"? I don't recall claiming that I have any such informants. However, since you have a highly developed spy network and are also on intimate terms with the Mayor of Pattaya, then I'm sure your information is accurate, as always. Since you are not here, then you can get one of them to go back to tell them it's not going to happen. I won't because I don't care whether they think it's going to happen or not. I hope it does happen, but that remains to be seen.

You saw that post before I did. I don't sit in front of my computer screen 24/7, so sometimes I don't catch these things before they've been online for a while. I agree that the post did seem much more like a personal attack than a discussion of the issue. Considering that I have already stated personal attacks are not going to be permitted, I have removed that post. Aunty . . . please feel free to re-post, if you wish, but you're going to have to leave the personal attacks out of it.

Further details now appear in the BANGKOK POST: _____ HUA HIN BAD RAILWAY COMMUNICATIONS Three Dead, 93 Hurt in Head-On Train Crash CHAIWAT SADYAEM Prachuap Khiri Khan _ Poor driver-to-driver communication led to two trains colliding head on, killing three people and injuring 93 others in Hua Hin district yesterday, police said. A north-bound Chumphon-Thon Buri train, with about 100 passengers, went through a red light and ran into the Bangkok-Yala sprinter, carrying more than 300 passengers, near Ban Nong Kae station. The Yala-bound train was waiting for the train from Lang Suan, in Chumphon, to pass so it could continue south. The crash happened at about 2.30am. Three railway employees on the sprinter _ driver Paijit Chuyada, crew member Wanida Popa and mechanic Teerapol Boonchai _ died at the scene of the accident, police said. Ninety-three passengers were admitted to hospitals in Hua Hin. Most were allowed to go home later yesterday, but nine were still receiving medical care last night. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) launched an investigation into the crash. Initial inquiries indicated the Thon Buri-bound train ignored a red light, officials said. The driver of the Bangkok-Yala train reportedly tried in vain to contact the other train to inform the driver of his position and ask him to slow down and wait until his train moved to another track so they could pass. According to initial investigations, the north-bound train gave no response and ploughed head on into the sprinter. Deputy Interior Minister Banyat Chansena, who visited injured passengers in Hua Hin yesterday, said the SRT must find the cause of the accident to avoid a recurrence. An SRT spokesman said damage was estimated at 200 million baht. It will take at least two days to remove the damaged carriages from the area. The railway at Ban Nong Kae village was reopened to traffic later yesterday. Social Security Office secretary-general Surin Jirawisith said compensation would be paid to all injured passengers who are members of the fund. They would receive half their monthly salary while they were being treated and unable to work.

Well, for crying out loud, it never occurred to me that you were referring to an all Thai language web site in your original post about it. You suggested "dropping by" the TG message board, which I had never heard of, and nothing you wrote indicated that you were not referring to an English language board. If you had mentioned that it was an all Thai language message board, then I would not have asked for a link. I also have not asked for any full translations. What I am asking for is that you to post the gist of any messages you saw that provide any details or information you feel is something we ought to know that has not already been posted. If you have further information for us, I hope you'll post it since most of us do not have the capability to read it for ourselves.

First, I don't know for sure this is going to happen at all. As I said, this is only what I have heard. Since, assuming this is true, the idea was set into motion by business owners, then it stands to reason they are planning ways to do this so that customers will not feel uncomfortable. Before condemning the idea, I'd say that it makes the most sense to first wait until we know for sure whether it's true and second to wait to see what will be done and how it will be done. Many would agree that something ought to be done to clean things up and if that drives away customers who are also pedophiles, I'm all for it.

Well, llz, if you can read and understand Thai, that's wonderful. Probably one or two others who post here can do the same. Very few others can. I don't know why you are referring us to a thread that hardly anyone can read or understand. I fail to see how that's helpful. If there is anything on that thread that would be useful information, and if you can read and understand it, then it would be much more helpful if you simply tell us what we're missing instead of sending us to a thread that almost none here can possibly understand.

I'm not going to go off on this sort of tangent or get into an argument as to why I think the hits are legitimate. If you see him as a troll or a hit faker, then I suggest that you stop reading this thread. You're right . . . I'm a moderator here and I do not see him as a troll and I do not think he is jacking up the hit count. Unless I do and unless I see him intentionally violating posting guidelines, then the thread stays open for those who wish to read and/or participate on it. Now, and I mean it, this thread is a discussion of the Sansuk sauna. I am going to delete any further posts that accuse Kregger of being a troll, tell me to close the thread, or anything else that has nothing to do with Sansuk sauna or the debate about pricing policies. If you have a complaint about the thread or about Kregger, send me a PM.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. While Kregger does seem bent on continuing this issue, I don't see him as a troll. He has a position and he wishes to discuss it. Others wish to respond. A large number of people have obviously become interested in this particular debate. As long as discussions continue intelligently, I see no reason to cut it off in mid stream. It will eventually fizzle out on its own. In the meantime, those who have become bored with this thread are under no obligation to continue reading it. 2000 legitimate hits on this thread tells me that a large number of people are still interested in what is being said . . . on both sides.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ MAJOR TRAIN ACCIDENT 3 Killed, Over 100 Injured in Train Crash Prachuap Khiri Khan - Two trains crashed at the Nong Kae station in Hua Hin district early Sunday, killing three people and injuring more than 100 other passengers. As of press time, eight victims including a seven-year-old girl and a monk remained hospitalised. Screams rang across the accident scene immediately after a Thon Buri-bound train crashed head-on to a Yala-bound train on a diversion track at 2.42 am. Five train compartments were derailed, as passengers woke up to the nightmare scene in the middle of the night. "I was sleeping when I heard an extremely loud bang. When I opened my eyes, things were scattered all around and people were screaming. I tried to look out of the train window but it's so dark outside," Anas Yodkham, a 59-year-old passenger, said. He later managed to get out of his compartment with minor injuries. "It's my luck that I have survived," Anas said, after seeing the battered compartments from outside. Paijit Chuyod, driver of the Yalabound train, was found dead inside his locomotive compartment. Train hostess Wanida Phokhan, an employee of JM Food Industry Co Ltd, died shortly after she was retrieved from the debris. Train technician Theerapon Boonchai was conscious throughout nearly four hours when rescue workers tried to help him out of the battered compartment. However, he too later succumbed to serious injuries. Paijit and Theerapon were employees of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Medical professionals and rescue workers from various units rushed to help the victims at the accident scene. Siva Saengmanee, the chairman of SRT board, said the accident caused between Bt150million and Bt200million in damage. According to him, primary investigation suggested that the Thon Buri-bound diesel railcar ran against the light and thus hit the Yala-bound train that was on the diversion route. A fact-finding committee was now established to carefully look into the case and determine the cause of the accident. By 7.10 am Sunday, SRT removed all debris from the affected railway and train services were now available as usual. Public Health Ministry's spokesman Dr Suphan Srithamma said the train crash injured more than 100 people but most of them received only minor injuries such as bruises. "The hospitalised victims are also out of danger now," he said. Prachuap Khiri Khan Governor Prasong Pitoonkijja said he never saw two trains colliding before. The Nation

Neither can I. Maybe my post wasn't clear. A "clean up" of Sunee Plaza has nothing to do with the restaurant/hotel. If it comes, it is because a number of businesses have jointly requested the authorities to do something about it and, again based only on what I've heard, the authorities have agreed and intend to post officers in the area to do it.

I wish it was, but that's not what happens when I click the link. The link is sending me to a registration and log-in page along with a display of a number of links to related web sites.

Gentlemen, let's keep the personal attacks out of this. Everyone has his own opinion and can express it, defend it, or attack the opinion itself, but if we're going to get into personal attacks, which is one of the things the new moderation policy is trying to prevent, then the result will be closure of the thread and moderated mode for those who persist in attacks. This thread has evolved into a debate over whether the pricing policy at Sansuk sauna is a racist policy or not. Please stick to the issue itself and end personal attacks here and now.

I would like to ask that you post a specific URL for that thread. I had a look at that board and nearly everything is written in Thai. Also, there seems to be several forums. Rather than us having to wade through all that to find the thread you are referring to, a specific link would be of great help

I think these people know what they're doing. First, the Clubber restaurant is just excellent and the prices are quite inexpensive. As people, including locals, discover the restaurant their business will probably be booming even in the lowest part of low season. The hotel, I think, is an excellent idea. Based on what I am hearing, they are spending a great deal of money to gut the entire building and put in quite a nice place to stay. There are moves afoot, from what I have been hearing lately, to clean up Sunee Plaza. 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. I questioned why under 16 instead of under 18. I was told that, legally, there is no basis to keep anyone who is 16 years old, or older, from entering Sunee Plaza during business hours. In any case, if the hotel or guesthouse or whatever it is, turns out to be as good as the restaurant, then it will be a wonderful place to stay, right in the heart of the Sunee Plaza action, and most likely at very reasonable prices. Especially if there really will be a serious move to clean up Sunee Plaza as much as possible, then I think both the restaurant and hotel are likely to be great successes and will also serve to bring a much better reputation to Sunee Plaza, and that will benefit all the businesses in that area.

You keep writing "race" instead of "nationality." I'm beginning to wonder who is the real racist when race has absolutely nothing to do with the pricing policy, but you keep insisting that it does. There are many Thai citizens, including Caucasians, who are not members of this so-called Thai race, but they are Thai citizens nevertheless. According to the pricing policy, they too will be admitted at the discounted rate. You can keep insisting that this is a racist policy from now until Kingdom Come, but the fact is that the policy is based on nationality and not on race. Anyone holding a Thai national ID card is entitled to the discount, rich or poor, Thai "race" or any other race. As an aside, I can't help but note that this thread has received as many hits in a few days as someone else who posts on the various Thai message boards claims he normally gets within a half hour, or so, of his postings.

I might drop by if I knew what the TG Messageboard was. What is the TG messageboard and what is the URL for it?

The thing is that in your view it's a racist policy. In the view of most other people it is not a racist policy. The current results of your own poll so far indicate that very few agree with your position. Although Punya is welcome to post here if he so desires, I see no reason why he should feel any need to justify his policies to anyone. Your insistence that his policy is a racist policy does not make it a fact. It is your opinion and your opinion differs with nearly everyone else's. He is a Thai, running a Thai business within Thailand and is not in violation of any Thai laws, Thai morality, or Thai policies. If it was me I wouldn't see a need to try to justify something that not only needs no justification, but is a one-man issue with which hardly anyone agrees. Your syllogism is that Thai business that provide discounts to Thai citizens, and no one else, is a racist business. Sansuk sauna provides discounts only to Thai citizens. Therefore Sansuk sauna is a racist business. That simply does not stand up. Also, it is obvious that even if he does post a response here, you'll very likely try to tear apart anything he says, no matter what it is, because you are so adamant about your own position.

Did I say two wrongs make a right? Did I say anything to indicate that the policy at that bar is right? I don't mind participating in your argument, but I see no reason for you to put words in my mouth or decide what I'm thinking.