Gaybutton

Contact you for what purpose? I'm not following what you are trying to do. Are you looking for information about the body building contest? Are you looking for somebody to help you hook up with some of the contestants? Something else? Very likely, you find the gay (or gay-for-pay) contestants at the Tawan bar anyhow. That seems to be the main gathering spot.

Don't you think a substantial number of people probably like to look at the personals sites, whether Gay Romeo or other sites, regularly whether they're in Thailand or not? If I was back in the USA I'd still be looking quite frequently and when it started getting close to the time for me to go to Thailand I'd be trying to arrange hookups with the boys who I want to meet. I would also just as readily spot user name changes.

A lot of people are preaching doom and gloom about Pattaya's bar scene. I see nothing to indicate that the bars are in any kind of imminent danger of closing their doors for good. Internet or not, people still enjoy going to the bars and despite the lower numbers of customers, the bars are still going strong. I think the bars ae going to be here or a very long time to come. As far as the boys working the bars and working the Internet, I don't think many of them are doing "either or." If anything, they're doing both. Don't forget that the primary goal for many of these boys is to reel in a farang for a permanent sugar-daddy relationship. Many are trying to get off the rice farm and lead a comfortable life. "Have farang" is the most promising chance of accomplishing that. So, they're going to be in the bars and on the Internet. Few of them lead much of a life in the first place. I get the same answer most of the time when I talk with these boys. I'll ask what they do most days. The most common answer is "I go work and I go sleep." When I ask them what else they do, the usual answer is "Look TV." When I ask why they don't do anything else, the answer is almost always "No have money." I see "experts" posting on these boards quite often who seem to be under the impression that most of these boys are taken off almost daily, often twice or even more and that they must have plenty of money. Nothing could be further from the reality. Most are lucky if they're taken off two or three times in a month. Very few are any more fortunate than that and a great many are far less fortunate than that. Every so often a boy gets lucky and a customer takes them off for days or even weeks at a time. But every one of them will tell you about how they, or their friends, get all kinds of promises of financial help and support from farang who have become infatuated with them during their holiday here. Then the farang returns to his home country and the boy never hears from him again or the money supply quickly fizzles out. Many people post about how the boys try to get money via the dead water buffalo, the sick grandmother, the mother who can't work, the leaking roof, etc. I don't blame them. So many of them get promises from farang that are only rarely fulfilled and many of the boys perceive farang as chronic liars who have only one thing in mind - sex, and couldn't care less about the boy and his future. It works both ways, folks. So, they're going to be in the bars and many will be on the Internet as well. And I, for one, do not believe the bars are going anywhere. Some will fail and some will change hands, but the scene itself, I believe, is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and beyond.

If you get away from the areas where there are loads of farang, the going price is often 50 baht. Just 4 doors down from me a Thai woman converted the front of her house into a barber shop. I always get my hair cut at her place. She's as good as any barber in town. Her fee is 50 baht. Come to think of it, I'm about due for a haircut. I'll be seeing her very soon.

I agree with you. I think part of the problem is the competence level of those in charge. "You're doing a great job, Brownie." Sheeeesh. You might as well have awarded Leona Helmsley the Medal of Freedom for her altruistic philanthropic work. The USA can't seem to get its own act together, let alone be ready to jump in and help other countries when disaster strikes. Hurricane Katrina comes to mind. I went through Hurricane Andrew. I was lucky. I had no serious damage and I had my electricity back within three days. But a major portion of Miami was completely wiped out. To this very day you can still see trees that were bent over during that hurricane. Thousands and thousands of people lost everything and their homes were just gone. A huge number of people had nowhere they could go and ended up sleeping outside, and then later in makeshift tent cities. What did the federal government do? The best I can remember is not much more was done other than to let victims be late paying their taxes without a penalty being assessed. I also remember that absolutely nothing was done in a timely manner. Everyone knows that when a major disaster occurs, the first 48 hours are the most critical. I remember President George Bush, Sr. came to Miami, surveyed the damage, said, "I've never seen anything like it," and went back to the White House. Well, that certainly was a big help. You've never seen anything like it? Guess what, Georgie - neither had anyone else.

I don't know where you are getting some of your ideas from, but you don't have to tip anything. Nobody can force you to leave a tip. And I sure as hell wouldn't give more of a tip to someone just because he "wasn't happy." I'll be the one who decides how much of a tip I'll give. Not happy with my tip? Tough shit! If you don't like what I gave you, give it back. I agree with most of what z909 is saying with regard to who he tips and how much. I will not, however, give a bar boy more of a tip, especially if I tipped above the standard in the first place. I also won't under-tip a bar boy, even if he's a dud, unless a very unusual circumstance warrants it. The only exception I can think of that I would make to that is if I have asked for something "special" and he agreed, but then won't do what he agreed to do. Taylorsquare, I get the impression that you are easily intimidated. Stop that! Don't let unscrupulous people walk all over you.

Not necessarily. Some do, some don't. Many apparently never look at their guestbooks or they simply don't understand the English. Many don't set up their own profiles and get help from someone who speaks and writes English much better than they can. If you see boys who seem to continually change their user names, that's usually a 'red light.' I stay away from them. Some change their names if they simply haven't gotten any 'bites' under their current name. Some change their names so that they appear in the "New User" column when people log on, figuring they will get more hits that way. It doesn't take long to get a feel for which ones are the bad apples. The same is true for those guestbooks. It becomes rather easy, after a while, to tell who is writing something negative because that's what happened and who is writing out of some sort of vindictiveness.

That is kind of bizarre, especially since he's the one who initiated contact with you on Gay Romeo. I'm glad you took it in stride and didn't let it bother you or stop you. "It is all a part of life's great pageant, you know?" - Peter Sellers, 'A Shot in the Dark'

If that is your preference, then why look for a hotel or guesthouse at all? It sounds like renting a condo would better suit your needs. As for a DVD player, you can buy them used, very inexpensively, at local pawn shops. Then, when you are ready to leave, you can give it to your favorite boy as a gift.

Of course the question is reasonable. But lvdkeyes has provided the answer, hasn't he? At least enough of an answer to also make it reasonable to give it a try. If it were me, no matter where my home country is, I would ask my bank about fees for a cash advance via debit card in a foreign country. Then I would call again later, speak to a different agent, and see if I get the same answer. If I like what I'm hearing, then once I'm in Thailand I would do a cash advance for a small amount of money and see what the charges actually turn out to be. If I'm not being charged, now I would know I can do cash advances without problems. On the other hand, if I find that I'm being charged that dreaded 3%, then I would go back to doing my transactions at ATMs where I'm not charged the 150 baht fee.

Ok, I thought your upcoming trip was going to be your first time in Pattaya. Since you are already familiar with Pattaya, then please let us know what you think of the Orchid Guesthouse once you stay there. Apparently, according to HeyGay's post, it is gay friendly, so I see no reason for you not to give it a try.

In that case, why are you disputing the actual experience lvdkeyes has had? You do have confidence in actual experience, don't you? We're talking about a cash advance on a debit card, not a credit card. The difference is a credit card is doing exactly that - extending credit. A debit card is not extending credit. It is debiting funds already present in an account. Lvdkeyes is using a debit card and is being charged a flat fee and not being charged a percentage. What's the problem? I don't understand the point you are trying to make.

Like I said, I've never heard of it. If you have, that's wonderful and maybe it is a great place to stay after all. Meanwhile, I would still recommend that someone who has never been to Pattaya before would be far better served staying in the well known, established gay accommodations, close to the major gay venue areas. Do you disagree with that?

I never asked that question. However, he indicated that his preference is Indian boys, so I asked why he is coming to Thailand rather than India. Isn't that terrible?

I don't know anything about it. It's a nice location, but awfully close to all that Thappraya Road construction. If you are considering staying there, I suggest you ask them about their policy about bringing boys to your room. Nothing in their ad indicates whether it is a gay friendly place or not. If this is going to be your first trip to Pattaya, I suggest you stay in established gay accommodations. I suggest you choose The Ambiance, Le Cafe Royale, Howard's, or Two Guys. You can't go wrong with any of those choices and their staff is quite accustomed to dealing with first-timers here. They'll know your questions, problems, and concerns before you even know them and they'll know the best ways to help you have the best possible experience here. While that guest house may turn out to be a wonderful place to stay, I've never heard of it, which means it is not a place popular for gays and may not even be gay friendly. You can always check it out while you're here and stay there next time if it suits your needs, but I would stick to the established gay accommodations if I were you. Also, if you have been a reader on this message board for any length of time, then you probably already know that I am always willing to meet and personally help out first-timers here. If that interests you, then send an Email to me at gaybutton@gmail.com and I'll be happy to help you however I can.

Do you get much of that? I get the ones from Ghana, but only about 1 per month or so. I've never gotten any from India and only 1 from the Philippines.

I don't mean this in any way as a snide remark, but I'd like to ask why, if you prefer Indian boys, you plan to come to Thailand. If you like Indian boys, then why aren't you going to India? There are plenty of Gay Romeo boys in India too.

It seems to me that by making one quick call to your issuing bank and you can find out.

Many of you, especially residents here in Pattaya, are sick and tired of the length of time it has taken for the Thappraya Road construction project to be finished. This has already been going on for nearly 5 years and now, right in the middle of high season, it's worse than ever. The city now promises everything will be complete by April. Anybody wanna bet? Of course, even if they really do get the project finished by April, I can't help but wonder how long it will be until they start digging it up again. After all, don't forget that Pattaya is going to be Thailand's first city with all electrical wiring going under the ground. Nothing along the project area, or anywhere else in Pattaya for that matter, suggests that work getting that done has even started. I shudder to think what the city will go through if they ever do. If you are angry and frustrated, you're not alone. The following appears in the PATTAYA MAIL: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd1 _____ Long-Delayed Thappraya Road Construction Angers Residents and Business Operators City Assures that the Over-Budget Road Work will be Complete by April by: Phasakorn Channgam Construction on the Thappraya Road leading from Pattaya to Jomtien Beach and extending into Jomtien Second Road will be complete by April, Pattaya officials say, bringing an end to a long-delayed project that continues to incite bitter complaints from residents and motorists. The project stretches from Bali Hai Pier along Thappraya Road turning left at the Macchanu circle into the new Jomtien 2nd Road and on to Sukhumvit Road opposite the Four Regions Floating Market. Officials announced that the construction “is now 70 percent complete”, but businesses and residents affected by the dust and diggings are skeptical about the claim. Said one businesses operator along the pot-holed, muddy and dusty road, “This has become a mother of all jokes. We have been suffering in these conditions for the past 4 years. Our business has dropped to almost nothing. Customers don’t bother to stop and risk breaking their limbs just to come and dine and shop in our establishments. City Hall should be ashamed of themselves. The high season has come and almost gone. We have lost the best period of our incomes.” Another resident commented, “The stretch of Thappraya Road that runs for a couple of kilometres from the Third Road overpass to the beach on Jomtien has seen a road widening scheme that has been going on seemingly forever and for a period appeared to be abandoned. We have seen the traffic lights at Thepprasit junction immobilised for months by design and only recently re-introduced. During this period we have witnessed countless accidents and several fatalities at the Thepprasit junction area alone.” He continued to say, “Almost every tourist visiting Pattaya will take a trip along this road at some point to visit Jomtien Beach and of course tourists on Jomtien Beach will do the reverse. What kind of impression will they get as they bounce around in the back of a baht bus that is trying its best to avoid potholes and roadwork obstacles only to arrive at an endless traffic build up at Thepprasit? I would say it could be the, “I’m not coming back”, impression.” Begun in 2005 with a budget of 488 million baht, the project has faced continual delays and cost over-runs due to property owners refusing to turn over land as ordered by the government until they received more compensation. Currently 28 plots with 17 owners remain in contention and the price tag has jumped to 1.1 billion baht. Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh remains confident, saying “the problems will be worked out and the entire project completed by April.” Ronakit acknowledged that the drawn-out construction has been a source of traffic congestion, pollution and complaints for too long. He said that besides property disputes the project was delayed by digging problems, laying of water pipes in some areas and the failure of the Provincial Electrical Authority to relocate high-voltage lines from the Pratamnak Hill Junction to the Hanuman Circle. “Pattaya City receives regular complaints about these issues from residents and drivers on Thappraya Road,” he said. “They consist of problems with dust, traffic jams, and the delay of project operations. However, Pattaya City once again is asking the public to forgive us for this inconvenience.” Sounding very convincing, Ronakit said “At the end of February residents should see road-surface work from the Bali Hai bridge to Rompho Market around the back of the Macchanu circle completed. The 2nd road running parallel to Jomtien Beach Road between the market and Sukhumvit Road will be done by April 2010.”

No, it wouldn't. A cash advance is limited only by the amount currently in the account the cash advance is coming from. Also, just to make sure, it is always a good idea to alert, by telephone, both the agent who answers your call and the fraud department of your card issuing bank, that you are traveling to Thailand, where you will be, in what city you intend to make large cash advance withdrawals, even from which bank if you happen to know, the dates you will be there, and the approximate amounts you intend to withdraw. That way they'll have that information on record and should not block anything. Also, just in case, ask them for a number to call in the event that a problem does arise. That may actually be too much information. All they wanted from me was to know that I will be making a large cash advance via my debit card in Thailand and the dates I expect to be in Thailand. When I made the final payment on my house in Pattaya, I withdrew over 400,000 baht via cash advance on my USA debit card with no problem whatsoever. I had made the calls I suggested above. I was in and out of the bank in less than 15 minutes. Just make sure you have your passport with you - the real passport, not a copy. If you are making the withdrawal in a Thai bank where you have an account, have the bank book with you too.

Please don't stop. Your reports, especially with all the details, are the greatest trip reports I've ever read. They certainly are not boring in any way. Quite the opposite. It's almost like being there with you and the information you are providing is very helpful and I'm certain many people are benefiting from it, including some bar owners who I know damned well are reading this thread. The fact that this thread has been read over 300 times already ought to tell you that people are very interested in your reports. You just can't stop now. If you do, it would be like reading a book that you can't put down, and finding that half the chapters are missing. To me, your reports have created the best thread I've seen on this, or any other board, in a very long time. I, for one, can't wait until your next chapter of "The Adventures of Firecat69."

When you click on a boy's profile, you will see a "send message" button. Click on it, write your message, and send it. Usually a simple "Hello, nice to see you" is good enough to initiate a chat. If you use common sense, there is nothing to be scared of. Many of the boys are money boys and are also bar boys. Many are sincerely looking for a relationship. Many really do like sex with older farang and are not necessarily looking for money at all. If you are chatting with a boy who you think might be a money boy, ask him. Most of the time they will be honest about it. After all, if he wants money why would he lie about it? Then he won't get any. If you want to meet him, tell him what your offer is. He'll either accept it or he won't. Normally, if you are interested in meeting him for short time, he'll probably accept whatever you normally pay for short time. If you are reluctant to give him your telephone number, you can simply arrange to meet him at a specified place and time. Try to make it somewhere he is likely to know and can easily get to. The Starbuck's Coffee at Tuk Com is usually a good neutral spot. The entrance door to the Friendship Market is also good. Most of the time the boy will offer to come to you, wherever you are staying. If you are staying in a hotel, you can have him come to your hotel and meet him in the lobby. Offer to pay his taxi fare. If he is a bar boy, you can ask him which bar and his badge number. You can meet him at the bar where he works and decide whether to go any further on that basis. If he gives you his own phone number, if you are still reluctant to call him, then call him from a pay phone or your hotel room phone.

Not a bad idea at all. Is this your way of volunteering to be the first one banned?

Exactly. If someone already has a Thai bank account or can open one (I think, but am not sure, that Kasikorn Bank, aka K-Bank, still lets farang open an account with the 30-day privilege), then all he has to do is come to Thailand, go and get a cash advance for however much he needs, then deposit the cash into his Thai bank account and no more searching for ATMs that don't charge the 150 baht fees, no more worrying about dealing with travel checks, no more worrying about a lost or stolen foreign debit card, no more worrying about the possibility of your home bank locking your debit card, and no more worrying about anything else . . . all for $3. If there is a better solution, I'd like to know what it is.

You can set the font colors when writing a post, but I think what RichLB is talking about is when he is trying to read a post. If there is a way to change the font colors for reading posts that already exist, I don't know how to do it.