Gaybutton

It always seems that those who were the worst off before a crisis end up being even worse off after a crisis. One partial solution could be that the businesses get financial assistance and they help their staff from the money they receive. Of course, whether the businesses would actually give any money to their staff, or how much they would give, or even how long it will take before the businesses see any assistance money in the first place is another story. I'm glad businesses are at least able to register for assistance, but the powers-that-be can't just dole out money to whoever walks in with no evidence to back up their claim and says they've lost everything because of the riots.

A little peeve of mine is when I see people spelling it "Sunnee" or even "Sunny" and pronouncing it "sunny" as if it were a sunny day. Wrong! It is "Sunee" Plaza and pronounced "SOO-nee." However, if you really want to misspell it and mispronounce it, who am I to stand in your way? You can always get all the latest information about Sunee Plaza and all the goings-on and events on the Sunee Plaza web site (SPI) at: Sunee Plaza, Gay Pattaya, Gay Thailand This week's newsletter includes: _____ “Oh what a week” This has been one week to remember. Why; because for two nights I had a stream of phone calls from willing boys wanting to come to my room for almost no money. We had a curfew. It was the first one since 1993. And if I didn’t watch the TV, or listen to the news, that would be the only thing that would be remarkable for me about this week. In Pattaya, there have been no problems at all. Everyone coming into and leaving the airport has come and gone as they should. The sun has shone almost all week (if anything we have had better weather than normal). The beaches were lovely and the massage boys and ice cream sellers are working hard. The bars have had a good time; many reporting business equal to or better than normal. One party was postponed because of the curfew, but apart from that, it’s been business as usual. It’s like the airport closure in 2008. One company I know of offered to fly their Executive home in a private jet to America if he was in danger. They were so worried about his safety from all they were hearing in the press. His reply was that the only danger was from sunburn – he was sitting on the beach drinking Piña Coladas and privately hoped the airport stayed closed a long time! The two days of curfew have been interesting. The first one was so suddenly announced that no one had any time to prepare. In some cases drinks were literally taken off tables and check bins were ignored. A few phone calls later and here and there a boy went to a room to keep a farang company on the long evening. The second night was better prepared. Some of the gogos opened at 6 pm and the bars generally at 5. By 9, people were scurrying home, again frequently with a pre-arranged rendezvous for the evening. By the third night, just as suddenly as it started, it was all over. Life here trucked on almost as if nothing unusual was happening. All the stores stayed open in the non-curfew hours. The banks closed, but few need to go inside a bank. Cash machines and exchange offices were all open. It was annoying that the 7/11s closed and the late night supplies were denied, but hey! The Pattaya branch of Paradise sauntered on very nicely indeed thanks. But of course there were problems in Thailand. To ignore them would be superficial and offensive. And this editorial did not set out to be either. The press reported “The Land of Smiles has become the Land of Tears”. Bangkok has had its heart ripped out. People died and many buildings now lie in charred ruins. After 6 weeks of (relatively) peaceful rallies, the troops went in and cleared the site. The fires and mayhem that resulted have been well documented. It’s not our place to comment on the rights and wrongs of the events; nor to pass any editorial on this, but it did happen. Forums asked “Has Thailand’s image been tarnished forever?” It has certainly been hurt. Will it recover? I’ll end with one story. A friend of mine went to Bangkok Saturday. His taxi took a wrong turn and he found himself going down by the Lumphini Stadium. All over the place there were gangs of people and fire trucks. But these people were not setting fires and looting, they were cleaning. Some had taken the day off work, many were locals, but not by any means all. They had Dettol and scrubbing brushes and brooms and were cleaning. And they had smiles. They cheerfully waved my friend through in his taxi, shouting out “Farang Taxi” and the waving and smiling at him. Has the reputation been harmed? Yes. Will it take time to recover? Yes. Is Thailand still the “Land of Smiles”? YOU BET! NEWS FROM THE PLAZA SPI 1st anniversary party hots up! The SPI 1st anniversary party is now less than a week away. The stage has been booked for the Miss Sunee Plaza competition, the crown has been made, the posters distributed and now it's up to the bars and YOU. Come along and have a great evening. Many bars will be having parties of their own, the Krazy Dragon is doing 50B drinks all night and the Corner Bar has specials on Margheritas and their special Shrimp Basket (both 100B). They also have a "best dressed cowboy" competition. The Alangkarn theatre will be performing in the soi and there will be general fun and frivolity everywhere. This will be the bggest event since the White Party. Come along and be a part.

Our dear friends and guests of Casa Pascal, Once again we are pleased to invite you to experience our new fabulous offer, the “Wine & Dine” Menu ( Schlemmer Menu )! And it is truly a sensational menu which goes with a stunning free flow wine offer ! This menu will be served every day for lunch & dinner. With culinary greetings, Pascal & Kim http:/www.restaurant-pattaya.com 038 723 660 4-Course “ Wine & Dine “ Menu With unlimited Wine only 790 B + APPETIZER Appetizer Plate with : Smoked Salmon, Prawn Cocktail, Parma Ham, Beef Carpaccio, roasted Pork Loin Salads & Garnishes or Caesar’s Salad SOUP Lobster Bisque or Pumpkin Cream Soup with Croutons MAIN COURSE Sirloin Steak green Pepper Sauce & Café de Paris Butter Sauce or Fish Filets in white Wine Dill Cream Sauce or Wienerschnitzel ( Breaded Pork Escalope ) or Grilled Pork Steak Hunter Style with green Pepper, Onions & Mushrooms Sauce Dessert Sweet Surprise Three (3) different delicious Desserts White Wine : Mont Clair, Chardonnay Colombard, Australia Red Wine : Mont Clair, Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia Food only 3-Course @ 540 B + 4-Course @ 590 B + Food & unlimited Wine @ 790 B + *** All prices are subject to 7% VAT. Service tip is at your own discretion ***

Come to Corner Bar's Texas Ho Down!

I think you're right. I'm not here to try to change the way Thailand functions. And so far I haven't seen very many Thai people asking foreigners for advice or to physically involve themselves. While those of us who live here have a vested interest in Thailand, that does not alter the fact that we're guests here. It's one thing for us to get on message boards and talk among ourselves about our ideas for what Thailand and its leaders ought to do. It's quite another to get personally involved, especially when that involvement includes criminal activity. I know that some would love to tell Thailand how to run their country. As for me, I'll limit what I have to say to the message boards until the Thai people start asking for my advice and participation.

I agree. I think most people would. It will likely have a severe effect for the time being, but if no further problems occur and if things settle down and stay that way, and if along with it the exchange rates improve for foreigners, then this too shall pass.

Ok, now the announcement is out: __________ Curfew extended to Monday for Bangkok, 23 provinces The Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation extended curfew for Bangkok and 23 other provinces to Monday, prohibiting people from leaving home from 11 pm to 4 am. Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the CRES spokesman, said the curfew period was shortened to minimize the impact on the people who have to travel. Earlier, the CRES imposed curfew from 9 pm to 5 am. The CRES will review on Tuesday whether to extend the curfew, he said. Curfew extended to Monday for Bangkok, 23 provinces

I don't know whether he ought to stay or go. The easiest thing in the world is to look back after it is essentially over and say this is what he should or should not have done. To me, if there are any "should haves" to be discussed, then formal negotiations with non-binding arbitration should have taken place to start with, before the riots. What has been the result? Downtown Bangkok has been destroyed. Many people killed, injured, and arrested. Soldiers forced to attack their own people. Hatreds, resentment, and ill-feeling now seething just like a volcano that erupted, settled down, but is on the verge of erupting again. You actually have to be careful about what color shirt you wear, for crying out loud. Businesses and jobs lost. Tourism nearly destroyed. And for what? I don't see how either the Red-Shirts or the government is any better off now than they were before this whole madness got started. I also don't see any of this as having paved the way toward reconciliation. I'm already hearing hints that the Red-Shirts may be planning even more protests. That is currently in the rumor mill, but would anyone truly be surprised if more trouble starts up, and soon? Other than destruction, lives lost, livelihoods lost, major financial loss, and Thailand's reputation as a wonderful holiday destination close to destroyed, what has been accomplished? As far as I can tell, absolutely nothing.

There has now been an announcement that the curfew in Bangkok will be in effect at least through Sunday and Monday nights. No announcement has yet been made as to the curfew hours.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. Embassy Visa Services Closed May 24, 2010 Due to continuing security concerns in the area and access issues on Wireless Road, the U.S. Embassy is currently operating under emergency personnel staffing only. The Non-immigrant and Immigrant Visa sections will be closed May 24, 2010. If you have a non-immigrant visa interview appointment scheduled for May 24, 2010, your appointment will be rescheduled. As soon as the U.S. Embassy has determined the situation to be safe for Embassy Consular staff to return to work and for visa applicants to travel to the Embassy for visa appointments, we will advise those impacted through e-mail or phone with details on new appointment dates. Please Note: As a large number of people have been affected by these events, and the volume of appointments that have been scheduled for the upcoming weeks, it will not be possible to consider expedited appointments. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this has caused. Frequently Asked Questions: How can I reschedule my appointment? At present, we must ask applicants with visa appointments scheduled for the period of May 14 through May 24 to wait until the Embassy has determined when that it is safe to conduct visa appointments. All those impacted by this unexpected closure will be notified through the e-mail address or phone number provided during the visa interview appointment process. I had a visa appointment scheduled during the period of May 14 - May 24. I have urgent travel to the United States, what can I do? Unfortunately, due to the current security situation, the U.S. Embassy Visa Services is currently closed. We are unable to reschedule any visa appointments for applicants who had appointments made for the period of May 14 - May 24 and will be unable to accommodate expedited appointments. We suggest that you make alternate travel plans. I had a visa appointment scheduled during the period of May 14 - May 24. Can I reschedule my appointment at another U.S. Embassy in a neighboring country? Each U.S. Embassy has its own scheduling system and requirements for visa applicants. Fees paid in Thailand for the visa interview cannot be used abroad. I had a visa appointment scheduled during the period of May 14 - May 24. Can I reschedule my appointment for the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai? The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai has its own appointment system and you must live within their consular district to schedule an appointment there. Please see Chiang Mai Consulate for more information. I had a visa appointment scheduled during the period of May 14 - May 24. Can I make a special request? Due to the current security situation, the U.S. Embassy Visa Services will be closed for the period of May 14 – May 24. As such, we will be unable to reply to visa inquiries and/or special requests during that period. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience our disruption of service has caused. I am an immigrant visa applicant – can I come in for my scheduled appointment, to drop off documents, or to pick up my visa? If you had/have an immigrant visa appointment for the period of May 14 - May 24, it will be rescheduled. You will be contacted with a new date and time once the Embassy reopens. If you have been told to bring in documents on Mondays or Wednesdays, or to come in to pick up your visa, please do not come in until the Embassy reopens. Please look for announcements on the Embassy website. ______________________________ Warden Message Update: American Citizen Services—Temporary Location Announcing...all services available at the Westin Grand Sukhumvit: The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has set up a temporary location to provide consular services to U.S. Citizens (this does not include any visa services). We will have staff available for all services, so please come on by if you can, even if you don’t have an appointment. For a limited time, we have extra staff on hand to assist, so we will be able to accommodate a large number of applicants. Once we reopen our U.S. Embassy facilities, we will be limited on the number of applicants we can serve per day, so this is a great time to come and have your service provided. Please note that our U.S. Embassy facility is still closed. You must bring your original documents (when available). If at all possible, please bring a photo copy of each of those documents as well. Many of the forms are available on-line. Please print out and complete your forms. Bring the completed forms with you. This will help us serve more people. Beginning at 8:00am Wednesday, May 19, 2010, the services listed below will be available until further notice. Newly issued Passports and Consular Report of Birth Abroad will not be available for pick up until the following work day. WHERE: WESTIN GRAND SUKHUMVIT, BANGKOK 259 SUKHUMVIT ROAD (corner of Soi 19) BTS: Asok, MRT: Suhkumvit (note: neither the BTS nor MRT is currently running) Phone: 02-207-8000 HOURS: 08:00 – 12:00 Monday - Friday SERVICES: * PASSPORTS – EMERGENCY and REGULAR * CONSULAR REPORT OF BIRTH ABROAD (CRBA)* * NOTARIALS (AFFIDAVITS, INCOME AFFIDAVITS, etc) * PICK UP OF COMPLETED PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS LISTED ABOVE * DROP-OFF OF DOCUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF AN APPLICATION PAYMENT: CASH ONLY - U.S. DOLLARS OR THAI BAHT. No credit cards, checks or travelers checks will be accepted. Please bring exact change! Those who have appointments, or had appointments on a prior day when the Embassy was closed will be given priority, but all applicants for all services are welcome to come. Appointments must be made on the Embassy website, Embassy of the United States Bangkok, Thailand - Home Appointments cannot be made by phone. *CRBA APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Please come prepared with valid documentation; a detailed list is available on-line. Failure to provide complete documentation may significantly delay the processing of your application. IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR AN EMERGENCY PASSPORT PLEASE BRING: * 2 passport photos with white background * Police Report * Proof of Citizenship (if available) * Proof of identity * Fee - $100.00 (one hundred U.S. dollars) FOR COMPLETE DETAILS OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, SERVICES, AND FEES PLEASE CONSULT THE EMBASSY WEBSITE Embassy of the United States Bangkok, Thailand

A Bangkok Post article now says "CRES set up a panel to assist small business operators and others affected by the rally." No details have yet been published.

To make sure there is no confusion, there will not be a reinstatement of the curfew in Pattaya. The day-to-day curfew applies only to Bangkok and a few other provinces, but not Pattaya. The article also says that CRES has "set up a panel to assist small business operators and others affected by the rally," but that's all it says. No details have yet been published. _____ Curfew on a `Day-to-Day' Basis CRES SAYS NO IMMEDIATE END TO EMERGENCY RULE, MASSIVE CLEAN-UP UNDERWAY Published: 23/05/2010 Bangkok and some provinces will be under curfew today from 11pm to 5am and the Centre for the Resolution for the Emergency Situation (CRES) has no immediate plan to repeal the emergency decree, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday. The curfew would remain in place today and the decision on whether to extend it would be made on a day-to-day basis, said Mr Suthep, who is the centre director. Yesterday a curfew was declared between 9pm to 5am. The curfew was lifted in Pattaya. Curfew on a `day-to-day' basis

California teen becomes youngest to climb Everest (Reuters) - A 13-year-old American boy on Saturday became the youngest climber to conquer Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, a climbing website said. Jordan Romero from Big Bear, California, scaled the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) summit from the Tibetan side, on the same day a Nepali man broke his own world record for the most number of successful Everest attempts. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64L0TV20100522 "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" - James Cagney, 'White Heat'

Maybe they do. Maybe they have another video, one that simply wasn't posted on YouTube. But he exercised his right of free speech. And it looks like he free speeched himself right into jail.

Well, they had to put them there, didn't they? The Peninsula Hotel was full . . .

Some of what he said was hard for me to make out, but he clearly said, "We are going to loot everything." Next question: What was he doing out there in the first place? And Thailand is a guilty unless proven innocent country. There can be no dispute he was out there. There can be no dispute about what he said. I have no idea whether that is enough for Thai courts to find him guilty, but I have a feeling that even if there is no evidence of any kind to connect him with actually participating in arson and looting, this guy has already seen Pattaya for the last time. Maybe he'll be lucky enough to be released, but I've seen people do smarter things.

I'll bet I know what this same genius was doing during Songkran . . . Thai Government Accuses Foreigners In Bangkok Arson

I have "unpinned" this announcement. I think by now everybody knows about the curfew cancellation.

While that idea may be feasible in theory, how would it be done on a practical basis? Reconstruction needs to begin immediately. Holding Red-Shirts and Yellow-Shirts liable would mean lawsuits, wouldn't it? If that's the case, by the time it all gets dragged through the courts years could go by. I suppose in a lawsuit it could be incumbent upon them to reimburse the reconstruction costs later, but I don't think that's how the money will play out. Also, if the Red-Shirts and Yellow-Shirts prevail in such a lawsuit, then who pays? The thing on my mind right now is not who pays for the reconstruction, but what is to be done for all the people, especially those who were poor in the first place, who lost their jobs as a result of these riots. I haven't found any figures published yet for just how many people that would be, but I imagine it will be a tremendous number. I also haven't seen anything published about what, if anything, is to be done for those people, especially those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. And they all have bills to pay and rent to pay, much of which will be due in little more than a week from now. I think it's going to be a real mess. Even if the government offers to provide help, I'm guessing endless bureaucracy will cause long delays before these people see one baht. They would probably have to show evidence that they even had jobs in the first place that were lost as a result of the riots, to prevent cheating. They would probably have to show previous income evidence. They would probably have to show how many people are in their families. All kinds of things. I hope, if they even receive any kind of help at all, that it will come in time to truly help them. Too little, too late won't put much food on their tables or provide them with a place to live.

The MRT (subway) has announced service resumption beginning Sunday. On Sunday the MRT will run from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Full service is scheduled to resume on Monday. The BTS (Skytrain) expects to resume service on Monday. There has not yet been an announcement whether it will be full or limited service. Damage and potential problems will be fully assessed before resumption of service, which means there is a possibility that service will not resume on Monday, but at the moment resumption of service on Monday is expected. I have also seen reports that repair and reconstruction of the damaged shopping centers is expected to take at least six months.

Curfew lifted in Pattaya Published: 21/05/2010 The Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) lifted curfew in Pattaya on Friday night. The announcement, which was made at 8.45pm Friday, is effective immediately. Curfew imposed in Chonburi province greatly affected tourism in Pattaya, so the CRES decided to lift curfew there, according to local reports. The curfew has been imposed in Bangkok and 23 other provinces since Wednesday. Curfew lifted in Pattaya

Only Pattaya. The article says, " . . . it remains in force in other areas around Chonburi Province which remains under a State of Emergency." I wonder if the ATMs are working tonight as a result of the curfew cancellation, although I would think most people have already pulled out whatever money they need. I'm not going to personally find out. I'm in for the night and unless people are going out to the bars, most businesses and venues are probably shut down for the night anyway. By the time this news was publicized it was probably already too late for many businesses to reopen if they hadn't heard. However, tomorrow everything should be shipshape again.

NEWSFLASH – PATTAYA CURFEW CANCELED 21st May 2010 At 7pm on Friday Night we received information that the curfew has officially been lifted here in Pattaya. This follows a meeting held at Pattaya City Hall earlier on Friday where a number of business owners pleaded to the Pattaya Mayor to get the curfew lifted which they felt was uneccesary as there was no intelligence suggesting that any riots or other disturbances would take place here in Pattaya. Upon consultation with Police Leutenant General Asawin, the Region 2 Police Commander, the curfew in Pattaya was lifted, although it remains in force in other areas around Chonburi Province which remains under a State of Emergency. Whether, at this late hour, staff can be recalled to ensure that shops and entertainment venues can be opened on Friday Night is yet to be seen. We will provide more details on this important development on Saturday. NEWSFLASH – PATTAYA CURFEW CANCELED | Pattaya One News ____________________ I just spoke to friends who are in Sunee Plaza. The police did come around to let the venues and customers know the curfew has been lifted. Most of the beer bars are open and so are several of the go-go bars.

PM: Order is Restored in Bangkok, Provinces Published: 21/05/2010 Order has been restored in Bangkok and other provinces and the government will continue to swiftly restore normality throughout the country, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a nationwide televised address on Friday. "You can be assured that this government has every intention of moving the country forward, restoring order, making sure that our recovery is well on track, and that we will do so in a transparent manner," he said. An independent investigation into unrest in Bangkok will be held and rehabilitation will be part of the plan to bring the country forward. "We recognise that as we move ahead there are huge challenges ahead of us, particularly the challenge of overcoming the divisions that have arisen in this country," he said. PM: Order is restored in Bangkok, provinces ____________________ Thailand Works to Restore Order By the CNN Wire Staff May 21, 2010 Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai officials created two programs Friday aimed at returning life to normal in the nation's capital after clashes between anti-government protesters and troops crippled the city for days, a government spokesman said. A rapid-response team of police and civilian city officials will start patrolling Bangkok to ensure stability, prevent disruptions and help people resume their daily lives, spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said. And a new business relief center will give companies that nee assistance a chance to register, starting at 3 p.m. (4 a.m. ET). "We'll be looking for measures in the next few days to make sure that in this transitional period, Thai society is in the process of healing," Panitan said. A dusk-to-dawn curfew for 24 provinces is scheduled to remain in place through Sunday. Thai premier unveils reconciliation plan after chaos - CNN.com

That's very good news indeed! I think that clip must be a day or two old. Excellent! Except for the banks and the curfew, it looks like Pattaya is almost back to normal.