TotallyOz

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=88198

APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL Health authorities have stepped up measures to curb alcohol consumption among youth by moving up the minimum legal age of buyers from 18 to 25 years. Narong Sahamethapat, deputy chief of the Disease Control Department, said yesterday that the idea was proposed by a network of parents early this year during a public hearing of a draft bill to control alcoholic drinks. The measure to raise the legal minimum age of buyers is part of a national campaign to save Thai youth from alcohol abuse, he said, adding that it has already been incorporated into Article 28 of the draft. Under the bill, the following areas will be designated as alcohol-free zones _ temples, state offices, schools, universities and other places of education. Also, the authorities plan to declare an alcohol-free day when alcohol sales and promotional activities are prohibited. Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said earlier that a ban on alcohol advertising in all forms of media will be announced on Monday, while the draft alcohol product control bill will be proposed to the cabinet and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for approval as soon as possible. If approved, it will be the country's first law that gives health officials comprehensive power to tackle all alcohol-related issues, similar to the Tobacco Control Law. A study conducted this year by the National Economic and Social Development Board found the number of young drinkers, aged 15-24, has increased from 21.6% to 23.5%. It also found that Thais started drinking at a younger age, with almost 50% of new drinkers aged between 15-19 years old. Bundit Sornpaisarn, director of an academic centre dealing with alcohol problems, said the measure to raise the minimum legal age of buyers to 25 would effectively reduce youngsters' access to alcohol. Previous studies on alcohol controls showed that the earlier teenagers were exposed to alcohol promotions, the sooner they started drinking, he said. Wallop Tangkananurak, a member of the NLA, urged the government to hike the excise tax on alcoholic products. Phra Ratchdhamanithet, better known as Phra Payom Kalayano, voiced strong support for the anti-drinking movement. He said the drinking of alcohol, which is prohibited in the five Buddhist precepts, is much more harmful and sinful than lottery betting. Thailand ranks No. 5 in the world for consumption of alcohol. On average, a Thai consumes 14 litres of alcoholic drinks per year, according to the Thailand Development Research Institute. http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/14Oct2006_news10.php

Cat, I think perhaps we met the same boy. I went to Boyztown recently and had a very similar experience. I called the mamasan over and told her I thought the boys was able to look so deep into my eyes that he could see my soul. She replied that he doesn't wear his glasses on stage and perhaps he wasn't able to see beyond 4 feet in front of him. Isn't it amazing when we try to read something so profound into something so innocent.

I know many here don't think it a good idea to ride a motorcycle. I love riding mine and find it the best way to get around in Pattaya. However, I am often shocked when I see tiny babies on the bikes. I wonder how many accidents occur. It just blows my mind to see Dad driving Mom while she is holding little Pan in between them. Are there no laws here that forbid this?

We spent the day at Pattaya Park. The water park is a lot of fun and has swimming pools and slides. The cost was 100 bath per person. You can take a trolley up to the tower's 55th Floor for lookout. The cost is 100 bath for Thai's and 200 bath for Farang. The rides in the park were from 50bath to 100 bath. They have food and drinks inside the park. I had a good day just watching everyone have fun. The guys I took had a blast. They are high energy and that energy was tested today. It was great fun watching them jump off the 55th Floor on a zip line. For me, the elevator was calling my name and I had to answe. If you are looking for a fun day that is something most guys here won't get a chance to do all the time, take the to Pattaya Park.

I have always been a firm believer that Communism is a perfect solution to society ills. In pure form it is great. It is only when actual men get involved that the doctrine fails.

I was sitting at the beach yesterday when someone told me there was an article in the Post about the Thaii Elite Card being "dramaticallly" reduced. I was interested so I read the article. I then contacted the Thai Elite guys and their response was the article was incorrect and that they had no idea why they printed the article. Anyone else heard different?

LOL Thanks. Is the spell checker kind of like the Welfare system in the US; an entitlement? jk btw No pardon needed. We actually love political discussions. I am a political junkie going back to my days of protests and rallies. Now, all I rally against is a 20 baht rise in the cost of a drink at a gogo bar. I don't think a protest march town Soi Twilight would cause the bars to lower the prices. Plus, I may abandon ship at the first sight of a sexy doorman. Please post away and always feel free to post your opinion. I think you are in the majority of travelers here.

Perhaps they should have said, "since we did not intervene when your country put into office a President that did not get the majority vote, leave us the fudge alone."

I do understand that. When my ex first started dressing up to go out for drag I was very embarrassed. Then, the longer the time went, the more I realized how lucky I was that he went home with me every night. He had oodles of guys hitting on him. Yet, he was with me each night. I grew to love it as much as he did. They convinced me to dress up for my first time. I spend a day buying the right clothes and preparing. I walked across the first street in midtown and a group of hoodlums saw me and started talking. I heard one say hey you. I turned around and said, "yeah." They said, "can you take your picture with us." I said, "only if you give me a kiss." The kiss came the picture went and a I felt amazing. I had a great night and it was a lot of fun. I am not a woman. I am not a ladyboy. But, I had more sexy guys hit on me that night than any other night in my life. When in Thailand, I NEVER feel uncomfortable with a ladyboy. It is very accepted here and there are NO issues. It is often our western fucked up mentality that has the issues. IMHO

>Oz even big girls need love too That is so true. On the times in NYC when I dressed in drag I was always able to get a sexy boy for the night for free. It saved me money in the long run. But, damm, all that prep time kills. Plus, I hate shaving and when I dressed up, I had to shave places I had not seen in a mirror in ages. Kudos for those that can do this on a regular basis.

I think the answer to this is that he was sick. Not sick that he fell for the Paige but sick that he was so closeted for so long. I have always believed that if gays were more accepted in all aspects of society that men would not do stupid things like Foley did. I think the years of not being able to be openly gay led him to flirt with any cute guy he saw. I do not believe this would have been the case if he had been able to go frequently to the gay bars in DC and get laid. Just my opinion.

>Sounds a lot like our Rock Hard. As for me, I certainly see >nothing wrong if someone wants to do drag. But I wouldn't hire >him as the feminine aspect would be a turn off for me. That's >why I never hired a lady boy in Thailand! >Some of them are really pretty, though. Sometimes I like a sexy ladyboy.. I enjoy them. However, most of the time I look for a gay boy. In Thailand, the two are often blurred. What you and I think of as a ladyboy is NOT the same as the Thais. My Thai boyfriends have always been able to tell me just by look if a boy is a ladyboy or not. Often, many that work in the bars come across as simply gay boys. Last week, I had one boy I thought was a gay boy. He was about 22, tall, with a nice cock. When he showered, he lay on my bed with a towel covering this cock. This told me what he actually was. I also knew when we started having sex and his moans were that of a lady and not a guy. I had a great time with him and have seen him a few times since. But, just looking at him, I would never have been able to tell. I had one ex in NYC who was very androgynous. You really could not tell if he was a boy or a girl. We were together for 5 years. When we went to Montreal, he dressed more feminine as he was able to get all the dancers to fall in love with him. When we went to Brazil, he had all the boys there going wild. My first boyfriend in Thailand was 19 when I met him. After 10 days, he admitted that he was 24 and not 19. After I asked the hotel to look at his ID, they said he was actually 29. I saw him on every trip I ever made to Bangkok as I really enjoyed his company. A few months back I had him to my home for a week. When he arrived, all my Thai friends said he was a ladyboy. I told them he was a gay boy and not a ladyboy. They insisted I was wrong. After a few days I asked him. He said he was a ladyboy. As I had seen him and off for over 3 years, I was shocked I did not know this. It did not matter to me other than my pride. I hate being the last one to know anything.

I don't know if he is or is not. I also don't care if he is or is not. He is very sexy and very classy. I once knew the majority of boys working the scene in NYC. I cannot tell you the number of them that would dress up in drag for the fun of it. I remember one guy in particular who was a very well know escort. He was a tall, massive guy with a rock hard body. He was very masculine. He dressed up one or two nights a week to do shows in NYC and to perform. He had a good following but no one knew who he was outside of the dress. I remember once walking into a dark room in a disco and seeing this stud fucking some Chelsea muscle boy. The drag queen had a beautiful 9-inch piece and he knew how to use it. I also know many of the drag queens that travel the circuits. Many are tops. Not sure why I bring all this up other than to say that many in the gay world don't find someone that dresses in drag more odd than someone who hires escorts. It is more accepted among younger gays than anyone one this site would be. For me, it is irrelevant that any escort dresses in drag. I simply don't care one way or the other. However, walk with them to a dance club. All the hottie straight boys go clamoring for them. Thank goodness no one got a hold of my photo in drag. I would not look as beautiful as Trey unless you found Divine simply divine.

I have over 1 Million miles with NWA. I rarely use the miles without getting them back on the end of a flight. I always book a full coach ticket and use miles to upgrade. The full coach is usually 2400 USD give or take a few hundred. My last trip I had to pay closer to 2800. When I use my miles to upgrade, after the end of the trip, I have gotten back far more than I used as I am their top level rewards category. So, I never loose my miles when traveling. The key to getting the seats to to keep checking their website several times a day. Check after midnight, after 7am and then again early afternoon and evening. Why? Those seats come open when they are cancelled. It is not too hard to find the seats if you are patient and willing to spend some time online. I often travel on short notice and they I have not had to use the coach area in years. But, I am always flexible in my travel dates. If you are not, you may get stuck. Another thing you can do is to try the onliine site to see which seats have upgradable fares from every major city. Normally, you will find one. When you do, call NWA and tell them to book it from the city you live in to that airport that has the upgraded seat. Then, keep checking back to see if a more direct flight is available. When you reach Platinum with them, they will often open up a seat for you if you speak to them. I have had this happen on numerous occassions.

As always GayButton, you are share a wealth of information. Great advice for all!

Last night I went to a club for some music. I found a very sexy waiter and enjoyed his company. He also enjoyed having me near him. So much so in fact he kept going into my pockets to see what was there. After attempting to get into my wallet on 5 occasions, he got frustrated. He wanted to pour me a drink of high whiskey. I don't drink and declined. He tried to sneak some into my Soda but got more frustrated when I didn't drink that. We had a cat and mouse game for a bit and finally I tired of the game and sent him away. I travel to Brazil many times each year. There, one has to watch the money, wallet, watch and everything else of value in any place they go. I have had friends get pick pocketed at clubs and discos and even had a few get drugged with the Cinderella cocktail. I am happy that Pattaya is not in the same league as that but everyone should still use caution when out in crowed places as well as low traffic areas. I had one Thai friend mugged 2 nights ago in Sunee as he was walking home. He was over 23 years old and very smart. However, he was alone. Please be careful. Luckily, I had my wits about me but had I been drunk, this cute thing would be a few thousand bath richer. As it was, I gave him a few tips over the night and got a few sweet kisses. Every time he tried to reach for my wallet, I would start to play with his cock. As he was not gay and not use to a gay club, this disturbed him enough to leave the wallet alone.

Cambodia's Child Sex Crackdown Long a haven for foreign sexual predators, the war-ravaged country is suddenly taking a hard line with a number of high-profile arrests By KEVIN DOYLE/PHNOM PENH In his 17 years on the Cambodian police force, Keo Thea has seen a lot. But nothing quite prepared the deputy chief of Phnom Penh's anti-human trafficking police for the raid on the home of German national Karl Heinz Henning in August. At Henning's apartment, tucked away in a leafy neighborhood favored by foreign aid workers in the Cambodian capital, Keo Thea sifted through the country's largest ever haul of hardcore child pornography. Amongst the bondage gear, handcuffs, whips and battery-operated sex aids, Keo Thea's unit found soft cuddly children's toys. There was also video and photographic cameras, and 18 videotapes, each one hour long, depicting the S&M-style rape and torture of young local children by the tall, gaunt 61-year-old and another German, Thomas Engelhardt, 42, who was arrested a day later. Eight computer hard-drives were also bagged for the court. (Karl Heinz Henning's lawyer has denied his client's guilt and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor said that Engelhardt told the prosecutor that he had probably taken drugs at the time and didn't know what happened.) "It was very disturbing," Keo Thea recounted on a recent morning at his small unit's headquarters. A father of two, the 35-year-old deputy police chief, who looks older than his years and stockier than most Cambodians, had just returned from Miami, Florida, where he had given evidence in the case of a U.S. national arrested and deported from Cambodia on child abuse charges in 2004. "I am sending a message to pedophiles to not come here. I promise you, you will be arrested and sent to jail in Cambodia or you will be extradited and jailed in your own country," he said. Strong words, and he means it. But to fulfil that promise, Keo Thea has his work cut out. Not only are resources tight to fight child trafficking, especially in the rural provinces, but the courts in Cambodia are notoriously corrupt, and whether they actually carry through with prosecutions is entirely another story. Cambodia has been a haven for foreign sexual predators since the U.N. brought peace to the war-ravaged country in 1993, and more recently , since its neighbor Thailand started its own crackdown on child sex abuse over the last couple of years. But the arrest of at least eight alleged foreign pedophiles since the beginning of this year may signal that Phnom Penh is finally getting serious about stopping the sexual abuse of children. The arrests began in February with U.S. national Michael John Koklich, 49, who was apprehended after plowing his motorcycle into a police barricade

Does anyone in Thailand get a Flu Shot? It is getting Flu season. Where is the best place to go get one?

I have wanted to try some tailor made shirts for a long time. I never really took the plunge until now. I went to a tailor on Soi 5 in Jomptien. They are at the corner of Soi 5 and beach road. They made me a beautiful shirt that fit perfectly. It was very well designed and I can see that great care went into it. The cost was less than 1,000 bath. A great deal for a hand made shirt.

I watched the movie tonight with a few Thai guys. There were no English subs so I would have missed much had I not had them. It is a very beautiful movie. If you have a chance, try to see it. It really does show a fascinating side of Thailand and Thai Boxing.

Tonight I had a strange experience. I had a Thai guy in my home and he did not shut the door. He was taking a leak in the toilet except he was not standing up. He was sitting down. That in itself is not odd. However, he was sitting facing the back of the toilet and on the edge of the seat. He was peeing the same as one stands up except he was sitting down. He then used the water douch to clean his cock. I thought that was pretty cool. I guess I would try the same thing except I can't fit on the toilet that way. I tried but feel down backwards. Not a pretty sight.

Are you kidding? Have you see the show at Throb/Splash? If that ain't culture, I don't know what is. There are also several beautiful Wats in Pattaya. Rent a boat for the day, take a fishing trip and have lunch out on one of the islands. A great place for a nice view at night is Cabbages and Condoms.

I appreciate Niddy's Nook for letting us know about the special. I see no problem with them posting a message here to tell us about the special. Not only do I see no problem, I appreciate it very much. I have always encouraged all gay business owners to post here. Few do but it is not because we have told them not to. I want to be informed when something special is happening. I also look forward to the discount for the cheesburger. I'll take Niddy up on that offer.

haha. Again. As usual, you don't know what you are talking about. But, thanks for proving my point.