ChristianPFC

The Thai text in the picture roughly translates as "Revealed! After murdering (nickname, real name) he works in a gay bar" (there is no Thai word for "gay bar", they use transliteration of English "bar gay").

Another point on the disabled beggar / NGO / donations subject. When you give money to a disabled beggar, there is no long-term benefit for society. It buys him a meal, but the next day he is at the same point. Things that really improve the lives of many would be investment in infrastructure (electricity, water, roads). A lot of time is wasted in traffic jams in Bangkok. On my recent trip in Myanmar I saw emergency lighting and generators everywhere in Yangon. If that money (that individuals spend to have emergency lighting powered by generators in their house) was spent on the electricity network, everyone could have reliable electricity. In 2012 (?) I saw a boy's room not far from my room. He paid 200 THB per day, which makes 6000 per month, whereas I paid 4500 per month, and my room was three times as big, nicer, had a window and private bathroom. The boy's problem was that he first cannot calculate the savings, and second does not have 4500 for deposit, and subsequently 4500 each month to pay rent at the begin of the month. I have read similar about water and electricity, and can generalize that the poor often have to pay more for the same service. Or education. But in many cases there is lack of mental capacity, you can teach a stupid person with the best teachers and offer him high awards, but if the brain can't process the information it is all in vain, and teaching is a long-term commitment, we are looking at years between the effort or learning something and having a better life as a result, many locals don't think that far in advance.

My opinion is similar to this: from: http://riverqueencambodia.blogspot.com/2016/06/ (however not written by the blog author, but copied from elsewhere)

That statue was recently moved to X-Boys. Re Bangkok vs Pattaya. I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya, but it's great for one trip (3 days 2 nights, arriving in the evening and departing in the morning) per month. I am living in Bangkok, the prices in Soi Twilight (even with transportation (bus) and hotel costs, Pattaya comes out cheaper!) and the fact that I could go there any day deter me from going to bars here. And in Bangkok I would take boys to my room (with all my stuff, and being busy traveling I just manage to keep my room in a state where I can invite someone, and still I worry "I hope he will not look into that corner, there is too much dust") vs in Pattaya to hotel which I prefer. None of these points apply to tourists. As for daytime activities in Pattaya, I made a list: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/03/daytime-activities-in-pattaya.html There is enough to keep me entertained for months, but I have visited everywhere over the years. And most of it is not accessible by public transport (advantage of Bangkok where you can get almost everywhere by public transport). Overall: the advantage of Bangkok is that it's 2 hours by bus from Pattaya, and the advantage of Pattaya is that it's 2 hours by bus from Bangkok.

I don't like wind blowing through open windows in buses and trains at all! It irritates my eyes, blows in my book or newspaper, and on train during all kind of plant matter, insects, and soot (from burning dry plants/wood) blows in. From my travels all over Thailand I have found Bangkok taxis to be the most comfortable and cheap way of private transport. Everything else I had was much more expensive and much less comfortable.

This (money exchange) is one of the subjects discussed ad nauseam, and should better be treated in a wiki than in a forum. I wrote extensively about money exchange, from Euro in Germany to THB: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2016/07/money-exchange.html (numbers will be different for other currency pairs and home countries)

About two weeks ago, I was about to enter Jupiter hoping to see (and maybe more) MonBoy in there. But boys in jeans on stage, and half an hour to wait before show starts (which is supposed to have boys in underwear - info from staff) deterred me, and now that MonBoy is home, there is no reason for me to visit Bangkok bars with Pattaya matching my style much better.

I have been a few times, and while the first are interesting experiences, it quickly becomes boring. No problems with request for money, there is just nothing to do and nowhere to go in the village, and I'm dependent on them for food and transportation.

Hello Moses, the prices quoted "Day - 8 h / $50 Night - 6 h / $30 Day+Night - $70" are just for the guide, or does it include car with the guide as driver, or does that (car and driver) has to be booked separately? (For places where a car with driver is the best way to get around.)

The idea of tipping is alien to me. In Germany I very rarely get into situations where a tip could be / would be expected. In Thailand I don't tip. It's a bit like religion. Some people pray every day and think it does good for their life, others tip and think they get better service. I do neither and do not notice any difference between their life (those who pray or tip) and mine.

from: http://www.snopes.com/college/risque/salty.asp During my trip to Myanmar, within two days my body odor changed completely, to sweetish with a hint of vinegar (I don't know what my body odor was before because my nose was used to it). Must be in the diet, I didn't eat any chocolate or Western food, only local food.

I knew that was coming!

Shamelessmack had an overview of massage places that includes type of massage table. A copy of that (from 2009) is on my blog: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2013/10/shameless-mack-fragment-found.html Someone on this forum made a overview over massage places last year, I don't remember if that included type of massage table.

Massage places are on main road and on side road leading to Phahon cinema and 39 underground sauna. Only one a bit further away (to the north, W of Pahonyothin road) is The Nine.

I have never observed or heard of such activities in Thailand. Best to show a video to explain.

That translates more as "fuck your mother", or can be used where we would just use "fuck" in English. I don't know of an equivalent of "motherfucker".

Charoen Krung, that means easy access to BTS Thonburi or Saphan Taksin? Then I would recommend the cluster of massages around BTS Saphan Kwai, simply for easy of access (still a bit of a ride, but not traffic jams on the BTS). Following that thought (ease of access), you can as well use those around BTS Sala Daeng.

There is no excuse for such long queues. The minute the airplane takes off, Thai immigration knows it will arrive x hours later and there are y passengers on board and can prepare for them. On a positive note, this afternoon it took me 6 minutes to go through immigration arriving in DMK.

I'm just back from Myanmar, where number plates on cars have only English characters and Arabic numbers, and bus lines are mainly in Burmese numbers! But asking locals, I got the right bus. Most buses have destinations, and stops in between, written in Thai on the side, and some in English as well. In 98% of cases it is pretty straighforward where the bus is going. Hua Lampong to Morchit would be northwards, board on the left side of the road. Morchit to Hua Lamphong is southwards, board on the right side of the road. Most bus stops even have arrows "inbound" and "outbound". It happened only twice to me that I took bus in wrong direction: once because I forgot that traffic in Thailand is on the opposite side of the road than continental Europe, and once on Ngam Wong Wan road where a bus that goes overall from N to S has a stretch where it is E to W.

I;m guilty of not reading the headline with the date clearly stated. There is a good chance of me being in Pattaya on that day (however not by train, the train is too early, but the return train to Bangkok is fine).

I went in February, and that was the only book expo or book sale where I didn't find anything I like (I have been many times to Neilson Hays, QSNCC, Logos Hope, and always found something to buy). http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2017/06/big-bad-wolf-childrens-book-sale-in.html

You can take train from Hua Lampong, there is about one train per hour and departure from Hua Lampong is usually on time. There is a pedestrian overpass to the airport right next to Don Mueang railway station. I'm afraid they are closed. Last times I walked past, I saw neither boys nor sign for massage. You could select a masseur the day before and ask him to come to your room in the morning.

I would love to watch, depending on their stock even join, but I'm not in Pattaya.

Theft from wallet occur in two types: When the thief is with me in my room, or we are close in location and time in other ways, he will as much as he thinks I will not notice (and if I hadn't counted money before and after, I would not have noticed). In other occasions the thief takes all the big notes, but leaves some 20s, 50s or 100s so I can still have a meal and a taxi home. And there are honest thieves: I asked one boy "did you steal 1000 Baht last time you were in my room?" and he replied "Yes". (And I forgave him and saw him several times afterwards, and would still be seeing him if he wasn't horrible unreliable and a great time waster.)

It would be very interesting to know what sum was paid for the website, and what is now paid per month (or per column). Whoever bought the website and stickman as an author, didn't think this trough or started with a tight budget.