TotallyOz

Jomptien, Your evil visitor reminds me of one of my favorite conversations:

Well, I don't know what to say other than perhaps you need to be careful chewing on your toenails. I have heard the pink toenail polish you use has toxins in it.

WIWAT CHANG That's G-A-Y not grey. There is anything between 5-10% of the Thai male population that are homosexual or gay. If 5% is the conservative guesstimate, then we're talking about 1.5m gays in Thailand alone and may be 150m in the whole world. Could this be a niche market that car makers could tap into? What do gay drivers want? A self-admitted gay motoring journalist said that most gays consider a car pretty much the same way as a woman - aesthetic and practicality are the two top concerns. He also believes that many gays love cars just like straight men - they read about cars, drive cars and buy cars they like driving too. That's not a problem, because there are already cars marketed for men and women. But wouldn't it be cool if there are cars especially made for gays? Sorry, there isn't one yet. However, there are now several businesses in Europe that cater to gay needs from gay-friendly car dealers to financing and from gay chauffeur-driven rental cars to honeymoon packages for same sex partners. Gay customers can now shop for what they want without fear of being ridiculed by homophobic salespersons. However, the number of services are still very limited What cars do gays like? To get a better picture of what car Thai gays like, we did a little unofficial online poll recently asking gays to vote for their favourite cars. Tied second places are Mercedes-Benz SLK and Peugeot 407 Coupe' (ah, yes, 'twas in Motoring last Friday). The number one vote is ... the Mini. 2006 European gay car of the year: Aston Martin DB9 Volante. Coincidentally, the Mini is bought and driven by some celebrities such as Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), David Hasselhof (Knight Rider and Bay Watch) and Simon Cowell (the foul mouth American Idol judge) - aren't they all seemingly gay? One TV personality we know owns a Mini but don't generalise that he's gay - he's a womaniser. Mini convertible was crowned European Gay Car of the Year 2005 - an award organised by a French gay car club called Club Auto Rainbow. The club apparently named its first gay car of the year back in 2003 with the Peugeot 206CC. More recently, the world's first gay motor show was held alongside a gay Mardi Gras in Cardiff, Wales. Several car makers were present and one even donated the big prize - a Chevrolet Matiz. You can see from these examples that gay cars are fashion statement cars (ok, may be not the Matiz). That's quite like clothes and shoes that gays buy and wear - it's mostly about looks. A gay car is not a car made for gays, but a car preferred by gays. Gay car marketing abroad In 1995, Subaru hired Martina Navratilova - a lesbian tennis legend - as celebrity endorser of the Forester and later the Outback model. The idea worked and the Forester became the lesbian car by choice (at least in the USA). Since then many other car makers have joined in the hunt for gay buyers. Volvo USA is a prominent one with ads featuring gay families: one ad shows two men and a baby and another shows two women - one embracing a pregnant one. Perhaps Volvo read a year 2000 US census which found over 600,000 households to be of same sex partners and upto a third have children. We think the idea also works because even the latest C70 model has an ad showing two men hugging a dog. Gay ads need to be done carefully and subtly, for they can deter the mainstream straight men or women buyers. Why we don't see more gay car ads might be down to the fact that in any company, gays are still a minority in the marketing meeting. Gay car marketing in Thailand? Thais are very forgiving when it comes to dealing with gays. A gay can be exempted from military draft if he is too womanly, for the fear of disrupting order in the barracks. Thais watch cross-dressed stand-up comedians on TV every weekend and transvestites doing lip-sync cabarets in Pattaya and Bangkok are popular tourist attractions. At least three Thai gay movies released in recent times were all box office hits. So why haven't we seen any gay car ads? Well, Thai executives are generally conservative when it comes to publicity and a topic as controversial as this. May be all it takes is one brave top executive to pioneer a gay ad - then he and his company would be branded as gay forever. But uh... didn't we see a car ad last year with a forever single male star as presenter? Yes, but who said he's gay? http://www.bangkokpost.com/Motoring/29Sep2006_motor004.php

Memories is set to open back up soon. They have been on holiday for a while. When they are away, the area is just not the same. Plus, I need my Pork BBQ Sandwish fix every week or two. Wishing them great success in the high season!

LOL.j No, I meant to say and and not but. I do think gays are more intelligent than straights. Why? Years ago we were more closeted and stuck to the books more. I am not sure that is the case with today's young gays, but it was for my generation.

I totally agree. However, was it the part about LetMeTellU and Niddy running away togehter that got your riled up? jk I do know how you love a good cheesburger.

Yes, it would totally work. They took us to the Temple, shops, amazing places to eat, the wood factories and outlets, etc. I tell you, both P and J are very well versed in all aspects of Chiang Mai. They are gay but both are highly intelligent and know the city very well. Their B and B is straight friendly.

My oh My how the gossip whores gather. When one of our own is away, the rumors often begin. When it is one of Pattaya

I know the pool is now closed. Are they going to reopen? Is it for rent? What are the specifics?

I have eaten there many times and really enjoyed my food. I love the buffet. Last night I wandered by and saw GayButton there. He has always been an avid fan of the place. My question is this, while I do enjoy the food there a great deal, do most of you that go there have Thai boys that also enjoy it? I am much easier to please than my Boy Special.

Last night, Jim Jimy James was packed with boys and plenty of customers. I often get there early. However, I have been trying to have a drink with the new boys who just started work there. What I have learned is that after 4 unsuccessful attempts to get there early, I need to arrive when they open the doors to have a chat with the new boys. I was there last night and the one I have been waiting to talk to was already off. The one that just started for the first night stood up as I was walking in the door and was taken down for a drink immediately. So guys, give Jim Jimy a try but if you want the new ones, get there early.

If your friends stay at PJ's Place, I recommend they get the Thai owner to be their guide. He did this for us in the past and his knowledge of the area is unsurpassed. We had the best info from a gay man who really does know the area and the bar scene. Plus, PJ's Place is the best place in Chiang Mai to stay at. IMHO

I went last night to Non restaurant. The place has a mix of both Thai and Farang food. I had the set menu, which was Shrimp Cocktail, Chicken Cordon Blue and Ice-cream. The price was 180 baht. The food tasted very good. My chicken was great and served in a very pleasant manner. My friends who ordered Thai food also enjoyed that. The staff is very friendly and the owner is a very sweet and sexy boy who once worked at Memories. I had not noticed this place in the past as I normally drive by but a friend recommend we try it and I am glad we did. Non

I went last night to JJ's Pub and Karaoke. First we opened a bottle of whiskey at the Karaoke place. The atmosphere was very fun and upbeat. The place has many TV

Honey, I don't trust your week wacker around my boys.

To clarify more, I paid the off fee for the guy but after spending time with him, I wanted him to be my boyfriend. He moved in with me. I did not want to leave the bar on bad terms so I kept paying his off fee for the bar for 10 days even though the guy was not working there any longer. I thought this was a good way to move him from bar to not working.

Well, normally I would have. But, he gets a monthly fee paid by the management company. He got his money this month. He did not show for 3 weeks. Do I want to reward that? No, I didn't. It was not an issue of money for me. It was an issue of trust. If he had problems, he should have told me. When someone has the key to the gate of my home, I need to trust them. After his no show and many promises to show, that trust was broken.

Long-term

Yesterday, I called my garderner to come and cut the grass. He has been MIA for a couple of weeks. He responded that gas was too expensiave to drive to my place and he would not be back. This was someone that was hired by the former resident of the home and we kept him on. Now, I am in need of a new garderner. Any help would be greatly apprecaited.

LOL. Don't forget I haven't reached 40 yet so Milton was a bit before my time. Can we substitute Robyn Williams?

I am not sure love is the right word. I am not sure stupidity is the right word. I am not sure there is any word that fits my feelings. I have an ex that got into a little bit of trouble before and we parted company. While time and distance separated us, I never really lost my feelings for him. I am not "In Love" with him by any means but I do love him and I do care for him. Mistakes of the past are easy to forgive but hard to forget. I decided to give one guy a second chance. While he and I will have obvious trust issues, we have both committed to giving it a second chance. Call me stupid but don't call me naive. I know what I am in for. I know what road I am taking. I take it with the utmost excitement. Why? Why would someone risk such obvious pain for the ability for another shot at a relationship? For me, the answer was easy. This guy is the one guy on earth who makes me laugh the most, almost to the point of crying. He is also the one I see the most potential. He is the one who has the most to loose in choosing a road of bad choices as he has a son and he is not just making decisions for himself. The Thai/Farang relationship has many facets that most that have not lived here will ever understand. I was at the beach a few weeks back when an acquaintance and I were talking about my old boyfriends. He said, "I always wondered what you wanted with a gaggle of straight boys." I laughed and said, "well, they made me happy." Isn't that what it boils down to in the end? I am not so much in need for the best sex on a nightly basis. I do not need the most handsome guy in town. What I have discovered is that a lot of laughter goes a long way. The one guy I have decided I want back in my life is the one that made me laugh the loudest, the hardest and the most. He is also the one I thought the most about when I was away on my soul seeking tour of Barcelona and Canada. Love is not the right word. I am not sure what the right word is. What trait do others look for in a relationship?

I have a new boyfriend. He is adorable. He is also fairly new to Pattaya and the gogo scene. He has been with me for about 2 weeks. He is such a sweet guy and makes me laugh many times every day. I wanted to treat him to a new cell phone so we can keep in touch. I took him to TutCom and bought him one. The smile on his face was a mile wide. He was so happy. He has now been looking and playing with it for 6 hours. He called his family to say hi and then his friends. He has been playing games and trying to learn every button. It is such a joy to watch. While a new cell phone is not really a most exciting experience it is one of many that I enjoy watching. I love to see someone bowl for the first time, go deep sea fishing, scuba diving, cook a hamburger on a grill, bath a dog, cook Thai food, go shopping, drive a motorcycle, sing a song at Karaoke and many other things. The newest aspect to someone that has not been exposed to many of these things is a beautiful thing to watch. Being jaded with time, the glisten in my eyes has long since disappeared and the ability to have a new experience has also dwindled by the wayside. Since, I am unable to experience many new things, it is really a job to watch someone you care for experience them.

LOL Thanks Rose, Actuallly, I have been dating an Alpha Male lately and he took over my Hog. It seems if I get what I want, he gets what he wants. He puts what I need between my legs and I put what he wants between his (hog).

Maurice, I enjoyed the entire post. I also have never been drunk in Thailand or anywhere for that matter. I have seen many farangs totally drunk and wandering the streets at night. I do often wonder how they make it home safely. As for your assets (organic or otherwise) can you elaborate?

ROFL Thanks Smiles. You always bring a smile to my face. Perhaps GayButton has more to say than the rest of us? Or, perhaps his posts are just more informational in nature. I told him once that he should consider trying to fit into the Pattaya crowd more and put on a bitchy, nasty, mean spirited persona and only post comments that were nasty and meant to inflame others. He decllined. It took him a 10 min speech to tell me why but after that I understood.