Gaybutton

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Use More Bamboo

I appreciate that, Catawampuscat, but the truth is I do believe that Ear Wig has the capability of providing all of us with valuable information and if he does that without the constant childish nonsense, the present perception of him held by so many would vanish. The problem I have with him is the methods by which he provides his information. I know this applies to me, and I think it applies to the majority of people who visit the web sites on which he writes . . . we can do without the bragging, name dropping, self-aggrandizement, the attempts to convince people he has access to information that others cannot get, the putting down of others, the threats, and all the rest that is consistent with his posts. I can even live with the poor spelling and grammar. If he would simply post his information, as the rest of us do, without having to constantly convince people he is some kind of a big shot, then I believe he would be an asset to any board upon which he chooses to post. I believe he has more of a need to convince himself rather than the rest of us. As I said on a post I wrote on Baht-Stop, few people appreciate the constant postings of a braggart. I would prefer to feel respect for and good will toward him rather than the feelings I have at present. If he'll simply leave out all the posturing, then I believe instead of all the animosity he'll gain all the admiration and respect he seems to so desperately need, and he'll have it without feeling the need to say it all the time.

So far, today, the baht has been steadily plunging. It is now a little after 5:00 PM in Thailand, so the closing rates today are as follows: US dollar: 35.74 Euro: 46.73 British pound: 69.575 Australian dollar: 27.7075 Canadian dollar: 30.7175 To avoid any confusion, when I publish exchange rates I am not publishing the bank rates. I am posting the actual rate you will receive when you exchange money at banks or pull money from an ATM. If you wish to keep track of the exchange rates yourself, you can find the latest rates at http://www.krungsri.com/thai/king.htm .

Gooooood! I see you're quickly moving toward the dark side of the force. Last month you were the leading authority on libel law. This month you're the leading authority on journalism. Toward this point in the month, our expert in journalism resorts to this kind of post. I can hardly wait for next month. It's not only the plagiarism that's at issue here. It's the changing of the words to suit his own purposes and the betrayal of trust, something that your posts thus far have failed to address. And that's why I no longer give a good goddam about what he thinks or what you think about anything at all.

Goodness gracious, don't you ever learn? Are you actually trying to portray this incident as your means of teaching Hedda a lesson? As long as we're at it, since you also seem to have no problem ridiculing the physical appearance of others, I don't think you will mind if the same is done to you. While according to you some of us have beer guts, commit the crime of wearing white socks, are balding, etc, have you looked in a mirror lately? I have to admit that whenever I see you I'm forced to stifle my little laugh. That's because I'm reminded of a movie I saw when I was a kid. It was entitled "Dr. Cyclops." http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue142/classic.html

Not I. As a matter of fact, I couldn't care less. How do you like that?

Quite right, Wowpow. I checked this morning's exchange rates at 8:40 AM, Thailand time. There were already three rounds of exchange. The rates as of this moment are as follows: US Dollar: 35.70 Euro: 46.65 British Pound: 69.455 Australian Dollar: 27.6975 Canadian Dollar: 30.735 These are significant changes since yesterday and for the first time in months, the change is moving in favor of foreign currencies. Apparently this wil be quite an interesting week. I suppose we'll know soon enough where this is going. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ BAHT CRISIS BOT Bid to Limit Currency Dealings 30% of Big Cash Sums will have to be Deposited in Banks, it Says Foreign investors bringing in cash worth US$20,000 or more (approximately Bt700,000) would need to park 30 per cent of the amount in financial institutions. The money would be fully returned if the cash was taken out of the country after one year, the Bank of Thailand announced yesterday. The 30-per-cent reserve requirement on capital will take effect today. Thus, foreign investors who bring in more dollars than the amount would only be able to exchange 70 per cent of their money into baht. The reserve would be returned to them after 12 months. Tarisa Wattanagase, the central bank governor, said at a press conference yesterday the measure would help curb speculation that has made the baht volatile and appreciated above its fundamental level. "We think this measure will help slow down the short-term inflows as it would increase costs for speculators," Tarisa said. Yesterday's move is the most stringent since 1997 to counter baht speculators, who have brought in billions of dollars in the past few months and pushed the baht to a level that has damaged Thailand's exports. Last month, there were short-term inflows of US$300 million per week - that had tripled to $950 million per week this month, she said. Yesterday, the baht shot up to a nine-year high - Bt35.06 - 16 per cent stronger than the value of the baht at the beginning of this year (Bt41). The Thai unit opened at Bt35.21 to Bt35.25 to the dollar before closing at Bt35.30 to Bt35.35 after news of the BOT's new measure. The measure will not apply to foreign direct investment (FDI), as the reserve would be returned to investors as soon they arrive in the Kingdom. Exporters and Thai investors paid out of their foreign investments would also be exempted from the move. Foreign investors who bring in more capital than the criteria level and take it overseas before the end of one year would only be entitled to two thirds of the 30-per-cent reserve, or they would be charged 10 per cent of total capital inflow by Thai authorities. The central bank has threatened to introduce more measures if the baht speculation persists. The speculative inflows have pushed the Thai currency up by 16 per cent so far this year. Tarisa said the 30 per cent was calculated from profits expected to be generated by speculators. She said the new measure would effectively discourage speculative inflows and reduce baht volatility. However, the central bank would closely monitor the baht after the measure is launched today. She said the central bank might cancel the measure, change the reserve amount, or change the time limit depending on the situation. As a result, it is uncertain how long the measure will last for. The governor also ruled out tax moves to tackle baht speculation, saying there was no need. Such moves too much time to introduce and were less flexible than the reserve measure. Under the measure, financial institutions that withhold the reserve from foreign investors must submit the sum to the central bank on the 7th of every month. The BOT would make use of the capital to generate further returns. Tarisa said the move may also affect the debt market but the BOT did not want to see speculative inflows in the debt market either. Tarisa said several countries had implemented this measure to curb currency speculation. Chile used the 30-per-cent reserve for capital inflow for less than six months before cancelling the measure. She insisted it was not against development of the capital market. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula said before the BOT announcement that the new measure was positive news for exporters and investors. He admitted that the baht had been far too strong. Anoma Srisukkasem The Nation

It sounds like it would actually be safer without those, especially if pedestrians assume they are safe to cross. I drive through Pattaya every day and was not even aware of them until your post. I've never noticed them at all. While we're on the subject, it's a good thing Pattaya has no laws against jaywalking. If there were such laws, then it would be difficult to cross streets at all. There are pedestrian bridges at several intersections along Sukhumvit Highway, but within Pattaya the streets are too narrow to make them practical.

Not to be confused with the Ritz, of course . . . Khun Rit, of the popular Rit's Beach concession at Dongtan Beach in Pattaya, is hosting a free Christmas Day barbeque on Monday, December 25, at 1:00 PM, as his Christmas gift. The barbeque is sponsored by the Panorama Pub. There is one catch. You need a ticket. Although it's free, the tickets that have been given clearly state, "Please bring this card." If you'd like to go, then you'll need to ask Rit or one of his workers for a ticket. I'm sure he'll be glad to give you one. The reason for the ticket is because this is being hosted in the afternoon, when the beaches are full. He cannot accommodate hundreds of people who happen to be strolling by. So, get your ticket and join Khun Rit at the barbeque.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Justice to Amend Law to Make Alcohol Test Mandatory for Drunk Drivers The Justice Ministry is pushing for a traffic law amendment to force suspected drunk drivers to take an alcohol test and to permit police to detain those who refuse the test. Permanent secretary for Justice Charan Phakdithanakul said Monday at the launch of the "Young People Against Drink Driving" campaign the ministry had drafted two amendments to the Land Transportation Act 1979. The proposals would be presented to the Cabinet before being submitted to the National Legislative Assembly. They should be in effect for the next Songkran Festival, which is notorious for its annual road carnage caused by drinkdriving. The first amendment would force suspected drunk drivers to take a breath or a blood-alcohol test. Anyone who refuses can be automatically considered by police officers as being drunk, punishable by up to three months in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt10,000. Currently, refusal to take a test draws the lighter penalty of obstructing police, punishable by a fine of Bt1,000 compared Bt4,000 and a year in jail for drink drivers. The second amendment makes it mandatory for all involved in motor accidents to submit to alcohol tests instead of leaving it to a police officer's assessment, Charan said. Later, a fund would be established to help victims of drunk driving accidents. The Nation __________ Here's an example of why the new laws are considered necessary: The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Drunken Motorbike Taxi Driver Injures Passenger in Late Night Crash on Third Road We urge you to take care when employing the services of a Motorbike Taxi Driver here in Pattaya, especially late at night. The drivers will sometimes wait for long periods of time between customers which can tempt some to consume alcohol to pass the time. This crash which Police tell us was caused by a drunken Motorbike Taxi Driver took place in front of the Pattaya Fire Station on Pattaya Third Road in the early hours of Sunday Morning. It involved a motorbike driven by Khun Gitisuk aged 25 who was taking Khun Apon aged 37 from South Pattaya to her home in Central Pattaya. As the bike passed this location, the driver clipped the side of the pavement and crashed. Both the driver and passenger were injured but not seriously. Inside the bike were 5 whisky bottles hidden under the seat which were taken into evidence by Police. It appears that Khun Gitisuk

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: To view the photos that accompany this article, see: http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_18_12_49_2.htm _____ District Governor Orders Military Assistance as Pattaya

How about this one: Ear Wig = He's not a "TOTAL SHMUCK." - He's a . . . . (oh well, I can't think of anything else.)

I'm not sure of the source of that information, Wowpow, but today there were 12 rounds of exchange rates posted. Usually there are four or five. The currencies closed today as followis: US Dollar: 35.18 Euro: 45.95 British Pound: 68.565 Australian Dollar: 27.3475 Canadian Dollar: 30.235 There was also this: _____ Baht Appreciation Begins Affecting Thai industry BANGKOK, Dec 18 (TNA) Thailand

Thank you. And people keep telling me I have no sense of humor. I don't know why. I laughed once in 1972.

My goodness. Apparently you think I was joking. . . .

You know, I never even thought to pay attention or ask. I didn't see anything particularly noticeable to account for the name. Next time I go I'll take a closer look.

And I have an apology for you. The last time I was in your pool, I was also buck naked. I apologize for not returning to help clean up after everyone finished vomiting.

Yes, he most certainly is. The above post certainly demonstrates it quite adequately. I can't help but be touched by your postings supporting this wonderful, wonderful man. I believe we should all include, in our New Year's resolutions, to try much harder to consider both him and you to be our role models.

I suppose it was bound to happen. Naturally, just in time for high season too. The baht has strengthened to the point that it is now in the high 34's. At the time of this writing, the exchange rate is 34.96 baht to the US dollar. The present rate for other currencies is: Euro: 45.65 British Pound: 68.185 Australian Dollar: 27.1375 Canadian Dollar: 30.0375

Thank you GayThailand and Stef. To my mind, there is one person who owes GayThailand, you, definitely me, and everyone else who visits this web site an apology. There has not been one and I do not foresee one forthcoming, especially in light of his statement, one that I resent seeing more than any of them: "This is fun." Baht-Stop has punished him by public admonishment and probable suspension. In my opinion, the fact that he has managed to ruin his own credibility is punishment enough for a personality type like that. The problem now is that none of his future posts are likely to be taken seriously. That will probably include the bragging, name dropping, claims of hundreds of daily E-mails, claims of spies, and other forms of self aggrandizement so common in his posts. Even when future posts are the result of his own research and observations and are absolutely true, few are likely to believe him anymore. It really is sad. I don't know what else to say other than " Humpty Dumpty had a great fall."

Assuming "your moderator" refers to me, then I agree with you. You're right. I should have searched for the actual article and I did not. Obviously I have lived to regret not having done so. That was a failure on my part. I admit it and I apologize for it.

That just brings tears to my eyes. Whatever faults I have, they do not include deliberate deception. If that makes me a pompous drama queen, then I'm a pompous drama queen. If you want to justify that behavior, that's your affair, but I have a feeling there won't be many people sharing your view. I see no justification at all in trying to cause people to believe something that simply isn't true. You are entitled to feel that I am guided by prejudice, and I'm glad to see that you stated that as an opinion, but you can rest assured that I would feel the same way, and say so, no matter who had pulled a stunt like that. I've been wrong many times. When I feel I am wrong on the message boards I always publicly admit it and apologize for it, which is more than I can say for a few other people who post here. In this case I do not share your opinion and I also do not resort to name calling, referring to people as "drama queen" and "pompous." I'm surprised that you do. I thought you were above that sort of thing. I'm disappointed to see that you are not. Snowkat, I appreciate your addendum and there is no need for an apology.

Sorry, but I disagree with you. First, this article was not published in 'Pattaya Mail.' It was published in 'Pattaya People.' Second, I see nothing in the article that says this is a press release. Are you suggesting that the Ear Wig post is a plagiarism of another plagiarism? Even if it is, now that the article has been pointed out, it seems clear to me that an attempt was made to present this information as a result of his own investigation, and not as a result of what he read in an article. If that was not so, then why the deceptive changing of wording? An illustration of that is as follows: from the PATTAYA PEOPLE article: "Pattaya People Newspaper & TV exclusively asked Police Colonel Sutin Sappuang . . ." from the Ear Wig post: "My contacts asked Police Colonel Sutin Sappuang . . ." If Ear Wig was attempting simply to present information, then why would he not have copied and pasted the article and also have cited the source? Why would he have changed wording in this manner? Perhaps he did nothing illegal. I don't know. But it does seem to be perfectly clear what kind of attempt was made here. Again, I'm sorry, but I have been adamant about the unfairness of accusations without evidence. I still feel that way. Nothing has changed about that. However, the evidence seems to me to be quite clear. All this time Ear Wig could simply have said that his information came from the 'Pattaya People' article. He chose not to do so. To my mind, the truly sad thing is the destruction of his credibility as a result of this. I would have been happy to see him do the same thing he advises others to do, and that is to "be a man" about it and own up to it. I would have retained my full respect for him had he done so. Instead, I am now seeing nothing but trying to somehow justify this by posting claims that Hedda also plagiarizes and therefore there is no reason why he should not. However, I have never seen anything written by Hedda that was copied and left un-cited, and also an attempt to present the work as his own. What I do see, in Ear Wig's responses, is similar to what I hear from children when they are caught . . . "But he did it too." I believe Ear Wig is dead wrong this time and I also believe he ought to assure us that he will not repeat this sort of thing.

Not to me it isn't. I'm feeling betrayed. When someone destroys his own credibility, then I think fun time is over. Part of the title you created for this thread was "At last the truth can be told." I believe that is exactly what has taken place.

Considering it was discovered and posted by KhunPA, I see no reason why an apology is owed to you, but acknowledgement is certainly owed to KhunPA for taking the time to find this and bring it to light. However, it does turn out that you were proven right and I certainly do acknowledge that as well since there is no longer any question about it and no way to deny it. That's the first solid evidence I've seen in all these weeks. Your opinion is now a confirmed fact and the article was copied, but not cited, and it does indeed seem as if Ear Wig attempted to post this as if it was his own writing and his own discovery when it clearly was not. Ear Wig, would you care to explain?