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.

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?

The same with Patty AH or Pa TAI yah. It is Patta YAH folks.

The same with Patty AH or Pa TAI yah. It is Patta YAH folks.

Don't forget "fah rang," like you "rang" a bell or even "fair-rang."

 

I have friends who think they live in "jom-shun."

 

Sheeeeesh!

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?

I thought it was SUE-knee??????????

I thought it was SUE-knee??????????

Well, sue me . . .

 

Maybe it's "SUE-one knee" as in the "One-Knee Shuffle" . . . .

 

Now a lot of the go-go boys don't even do that. With some, it's getting to be more like "Living Statues."

With some, it's getting to be more like "Living Statues."

Living? Some are propped up there eyes only for themselves in a mirror that they seem more dead than alive!

Living? Some are propped up there eyes only for themselves in a mirror that they seem more dead than alive!

Good point!

 

"There's Milton Berle. He died last year, but somebody forgot to tell him."

- Don Rickles, 'Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'