Gaybutton

I think it depends on the individual boyfriend and his personal preferences. I've met many who don't want to leave Thailand at all, not even for a holiday, and some who would love such an opportunity. Also, I think it depends on what he'll be doing while there. If you're going to be with him at all times and take him around to different places, that's one thing. But if it is to be the type of holiday in which all he gets to do is lounge around the house, waiting for you to come home from work, do you really think he would enjoy that? If he takes you to his home town and leaves you there alone for hours while he is off doing something else, do you really think that would be a pleasant experience for you? The same goes for him. Another factor is food. Many of the Thai boys know their Thai food and that's about it. Some are quite finicky and won't even try other kinds of foods. I'd make sure about that too before thinking about bringing him over for a holiday. You might also want to make sure he brings along his spices, much of which might not be available where you live. After all, he might starve to death without them. In other words, you want to make sure he is really going to enjoy it and would jump at the chance to come again. You also need to make sure, in your own mind, who the holiday is for. Is it really something you are doing for him or in the end is it really for yourself?

Also, Trongpai knows that area quite well. If he sees this post he will probably respond or you can send a PM to him. If anyone would know what's available in that area, he would.

For their long-haul flights, they use primarily Boeing 747s and 777s. I think you'll find most of the information you seek at: http://www.seatguru.com

You're talking about only 5 days. I doubt that you're going to succeed in finding a condo for rent for such a short period of time. Condos normally require a minimum of one month, or at least require you to pay for a minimum of one month. Unless there is some reason why it must be a condo, you're probably better off staying at either the Pinnacle Hotel or the Malaysia Hotel, both of which are close to that area, are gay friendly, and are reasonably priced. The Malaysia Hotel is the cheaper of the two. Their current price is 800 baht per night. Price-wise, I doubt you're going to do better than that, even if you can find a condo willing to rent a room to you for a short stay. If you decide upon the Pinnacle Hotel, don't book directly with the hotel. Book through Jimmy, an English speaking Thai whose office is on the 13th floor at the Pinnacle. You will get the room at a substantial savings through Jimmy. Also, if you are unfamiliar with the area, Jimmy is a wealth of information and recommendations. The way it works is that you book your room through Jimmy. Then, when you check in at the hotel, you tell the desk clerk that you made a reservation through Jimmy. The desk clerk will let you check in, probably charge you a key deposit, and give you your room key. At some point you go to Jimmy's office and pay him, not the hotel. He's usually there from about 10:00am to 3:00pm. If he isn't there, you can simply put the money in an envelope, write your name and room number on the envelope, and slide it under his door. When you book through Jimmy, you're going to have to call him. He almost never responds to Email. He answers his phone between 10:00am to 3:00pm, Thailand time. The number is 081-859-6585. The Pinnacle Hotel has a web site at: http://www.pinnaclehotels.com/lumpinee/index.html The number for the Malaysia Hotel is 02-679-7127 Their web site is: http://www.malaysiahotelbkk.com

Regarding the roads being torn up, at least they're doing it during the lowest part of the low season, but it's anybody's guess how long it will be before they complete the road construction. It seems to be dragging on forever. Sometimes weeks go by without any work being done on the roads at all, despite the fact that they tore it all up. As for Continental Bakery, at least they have other locations where you can get the same breakfast, but it must be terribly difficult for all the businesses along the torn up areas. You can still get there easily enough on a baht bus or motorcycle taxi, but for local people who have their own transportation it is very difficult, let alone trying to find somewhere to park. So, their business is definitely going to suffer since there are so many other places to go for breakfast, including making your own if you're a resident here or if you're on a holiday and renting a room with kitchen. Since there are so few tourists right now, that makes it all the more difficult.

It's a very sparse low season. Several bars have closed, changed hands, or are up for sale. The most popular bars still get plenty of customers, but not nearly so many as before. Also, I think part of the problem is that Pattaya is not really lacking too much for tourists, but they're just not spending as much money as before.

I don't know what difference it makes who the owners are. I would think most people are interested in the bar and the show itself and couldn't care less who owns the place. Last night I did see part of the show and I think it is quite elaborate (definitely too loud for my ears, though) and well done. People who enjoy cabaret shows are certain to enjoy The Venue. I like the fact that the seating is table seating rather than the usual bench seating found in most bars. I also like the colors and the lighting. I've always hated it when strobe lights give me a direct hit in the eyes, or a support pole blocks the view. There is none of that at The Venue and they are drawing a crowd for good reason. Again, if you like cabaret shows, then I think it's definitely worth heading for Jomtien Complex and seeing the show at The Venue.

I think we may be getting it through the back door. For the past couple months my net income has been about US $30 more than it had been. I've been told that's how it's being done - less tax pulled from your monthly income. I don't know for sure if that's correct, but it would account for the additional money each month.

Today I went with a friend to a Bank of Ayudhya (yellow) ATM. He pulled money with his foreign ATM card and was not charged the 150 baht fee. So, as far as I know the yellow Bank of Ayudhya ATMs are the last ones that are not charging the 150 baht fee.

Now I have. The way I'm hearing it, the police were rounding up the street kids and checking them for drugs. I do not know whether the police entered any of the bars.

I'm not sure why you dredged up a thread nearly a year old already to make this point and I'm not sure who your source(s) of information are when you say "I was told," but yes, it is common knowledge that certain bars pay for such "security." I have had more than one bar owner freely tell me that they pay and how much they pay. That just seems to be a part of how things work here. Not all bars pay, but when police raids occur none of them seem immune to me, whether they pay or not. There have been no major raids for months now, but when the raids do happen the usual target is Sunee Plaza. Pattayaland is pretty much left alone. I know of only one major raid that took place in Pattayaland. What was that, about a year or two ago when farang caught up in that raid were ordered to produce their passports? If I remember correctly, if a farang had his actual passport or had a good copy on his person, he was sent on his merry way without further incident. I also seem to remember that a very few farang were actually taken to the police station, but all were later released. I don't remember whether they had to pay fines, but I suspect they did. Anyway, that's the only Pattayaland raid that I recall at all. On the Ting & Tong's Gay Thailand board, Oogleman posted that one bar in Sunee Plaza was raided Wednesday, this week. I haven't heard about it personally, but you can read what Oogleman has to say about it at: http://www.gaytingtong.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4583

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: For photos see http://www.pattayaone.net/news/2009/may/ne...0_05_52_4.shtml _____ Jellyfish Alert Following the recent rainstorms around the Pattaya area, Jellyfish have been spotted in large numbers around the coastline from Pattaya all the way up to Sattahip. For this reason we must warn you to be on your guard, especially if you enjoy a “dip in the ocean”. We have been told that if you come into contact with these Jellyfish you will notice an intense burning sensation and this may affect your mobility, therefore coming into contact with them is extremely dangerous. If you are unfortunate enough to be stung by them, we recommend that you make your way to Hospital as soon as you can.

I can't help you with the Thai menus. I can speak Thai fairly well, but I haven't even tried to learn to read it. I'll take the durian, but I'm with you on the fermented eggs. Forget it! I can't eat the chilies either, at least not yet. Burns the hell out of my mouth and then I can't even taste anything. Not exactly a pleasure for me. I have people tell me all the time why I should like the chilies. Maybe they like it, but so far it's not for me. But there are Thai foods I'd like to be able to make, especially some of the seafood.

That never occurred to me. I often wonder just what I'm eating too. Now that you took the course, are you less afraid of it or did you end up even more afraid of it? I took a look at the BaiPai web site you you posted. That does seem like a good course and at a reasonable price.

The following appears in the PHUKET GAZETTE: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=7389 _____ Aussie Woman Confesses in Phuket, Released on US$ 28.00 Fine PHUKET CITY: Australian tourist Annice Smoel today pleaded guilty to theft charges at Phuket Provincial Court and was released after paying a 1,000-baht fine (approx US$ 28.00). Pol Maj Songserm Preecha of the Kathu Police told the Gazette today that the maximum sentence for the theft charge was one year imprisonment and a 2,000-baht fine, but Phuket Provincial Court halved both the prison sentence and fine based on her confession. The court then suspended the prison sentence because Ms Smoel has no previous criminal record in Thailand. Ms Smoel’s case has made major headlines in her native country, which is a prime source of tourists to Phuket at this time of year. She was arrested and detained for two nights in a cell at Kathu Police Station after police caught her with a stolen beer mat (aka 'bar mat') from the Aussie Bar on Soi Bangla in Patong. The bar mat, measuring 145cm by 45 cm, was made of thick rubber. The Australian mother or four initially denied the charges, saying friends had put the item in her handbag without her knowledge as a prank. Kathu Police forwarded the case to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office and seized her passport, preventing her from leaving Thailand to go home to her children. The non-stop, worldwide publicity surrounding the case – and its possible impact on tourism – apparently made the court expedite the case. A Thai person facing the same charge would typically have to wait weeks or months for a court hearing. Maj Songserm also denied that Ms Smoel spent four nights in prison, as has been widely reported. She spent two nights in prison and was released after 48 hours, the maximum allowable under the law, he said. Ms Smoel was in an angry mood and quarreled with staff at the Aussie Bar. She was arrested by uniformed officers after staff at the bar reported the theft, not by “undercover police” inside the bar as previously reported in major media around the world, he said. – Kamol Pirat ____________________ and this: _____ http://www.theage.com.au/national/phuket-a...90520-bfp8.html Phuket Accused Mum 'Going Home' * Paul Millar * May 21, 2009 MELBOURNE mother of four Annice Smoel, who had been facing a jail term in Thailand after being charged with stealing a bar mat, was trying to arrange a flight home last night after the governor of Phuket intervened to resolve the matter. Governor Wichai Praisa-nob, who was under pressure from the Thai foreign and tourism ministers, made a personal appearance at Ms Smoel's case hearing yesterday - which was brought forward - and even paid her fine, according to local media. Alan Morison, a journalist with the The Phuket Wan news website in the Thai resort town, said it was highly unusual for the governor to turn up at a court hearing and then pay the fine of the accused. He said the governor had received calls from the Foreign Minister and the Tourism Minister about the case. "It appears it was a clear attempt by the Government to expedite the matter as it was quite damaging to Phuket tourism," Mr Morison said. The website said Ms Smoel had pleaded guilty to theft and was given a six-month suspended jail term and a 1000 baht ($A38) fine in a court ruling yesterday. Bernard Murphy, the chairman of her legal firm, Maurice Blackburn, confirmed last night that there had been progress. "There have been some very good developments today, but it is still sensitive and we would not want to say anything more until Annice is on a plane," Mr Murphy said. "The most important thing for us is to get her home." According to the report, Ms Smoel's passport was being returned to her, and she was quoted as saying: "I think I am going home. The governor is waiting for my passport now. He has been very gracious. I don't know exactly how it all happened today. I think it was probably a combination of my lawyers here, my lawyers in Australia and my Government and the Thai Government. "The governor has apologised to me and been very kind. He seems like a lovely man." The maximum sentence for the theft charge is a year's imprisonment and a 2000 baht fine, but her guilty plea had been taken into consideration. A Thai facing the same charge would have to wait weeks or months for a similar court hearing, the Phuket Gazette said.

I love these kinds of things. I found some more: _____ Lawyer Says Client Is Not That Guilty. Alzheimer's Center Prepares For An Affair To Remember Gas Cloud Clears Out Taco Bell Harrisburg Postal Employees Gun Club Members Meet Georgia Peaches California Grown 89 Cents lb. The Boston Globe ran a story on the Ford/Volvo deal. The headline was "Have You Driven a Fjord Lately?" Legislator Wants Tougher Death Penalty Man Jumps off 2nd Street Bridge Neither Jumper Nor Body Found After Detour To California Shuttle Returns To Earth Fried Chicken Cooked In Microwave Wins Trip Woman Improving After Fatal Crash Properly Drafted Will Reduces Anxiety After Death Study Reveals Those Without Insurance Die More Often Experts Increase Probability of Big Quake in California Man Found Dead In Cemetery Gunfire In Sarajevo Threatens Cease-fire Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge Arson Suspect is Held in Massachusetts Fire British Union Finds Dwarfs in Short Supply Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half New Vaccine May Contain Rabies Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax Eye Drops Off Shelf Fund Set Up for Beating Victim's Kin Gators To Face Seminoles With Peters Out (The Tallahassee Bugle) Governor Chiles Offers Rare Opportunity To Goose Hunters (The Tallahassee Democrat) Governor's Penis Busy [should be "Pen Is"] (The New Haven, Connecticut Register) Half of U.S. High Schools Require Some Study for Graduation He was asked if he contemplated any further act of matrimony. 'Certainly' was his evasive reply. New York World Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors The choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir. Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan in preparing for the girth of their first child. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. Please use large double door at the side entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Wally Burman of Sioux Falls have just arrived at the Lindau home where they will be housepests for several days. - Minnesota paper If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While Include Your Children when Baking Cookies Iraqi Head Seeks Arms Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus? Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant Stolen Painting Found by Tree Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies Checkout Counter Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years Drunken Drivers Paid $1000 War Dims Hope for Peace If Strike isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Times in 10 Years Latin Course To Be Canceled—No Interest Among Students, Et Al. Lawyers Give Poor Free Legal Advice Lingerie Shipment Hijacked--Thief Gives Police The Slip Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half Long Island Stiffens For Lili's Blow (Newsday) Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge Marijuana Issue Sent To A Joint Committee (Toronto Star headline) Married Priests In Catholic Church A Long Time Coming (The New Haven, Connecticut Register) Messiah Climaxes In Chorus Of Hallelujahs (The Anchorage, Alaska Times) Never Withhold Herpes Infection from Loved One Organ Festival Ends In Smashing Climax (San Antonio Times) Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told Prostitutes Appeal to Pope Publicize your business absolutely free! Send $6. (Entrepreneur Magazine ad) Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges Rose Petroleum Jelly Keeps Idle Tools Rust-free (Chicago Daily News) Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted Some 40% of female gas station employees in Metro Detroit are women, up from almost none a year ago. (Detroit News article) Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Starr Aghast At First Lady Sex Position (The Washington Times) Stolen Painting Found by Tree Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents Teacher Strikes Idle Kids Thanks To President Clinton, Staff Sgt. Fruer Now Has A Son The public is to be allowed to inspect the Crematorium on Sundays. Other amusements will be found advertised in the local press. Canadian Paper Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead War Dims Hope for Peace Would She Climb To The Top Of Mr. Everest Again? Absolutely! (The Houston Chronicle) Textron Inc. Makes Offer To Screw Company Stockholders (The Miami Herald)

Yes, it's a US requirement. Gay_grampa was joking.

Party Night at La Cage

China Demolishes 'Love Land' Sex Park (CNN) -- Chinese authorities were explicit: Tear down the nation's first sex-themed amusement park before it gets going full steam. Love Land had not opened its doors yet, but authorities in the city of Chongqing -- a sprawling metropolis on the banks of the Yangtze River -- got all hot and bothered over the park's plans to display naked human sculptures, giant replica genitals and a photo gallery on the history of sex, the state-run China Daily reported. Lu Xiaoqing, park manager, told the newspaper he got the idea for building Love Land after a visit to a sex park in Jeju, a popular destination in South Korea. Love Land would include sex-technique workshops and sex education to help adults "enjoy a harmonious sex life," Lu said. "Sex is a taboo subject in China, but people really need to have more access to information about it," he told the newspaper. "We are building the park for the good of the public." Whatever Lu's intentions, the newspaper said Chinese officials saw it another way: "vulgar, ill-minded and misleading." The park was to open in October but was demolished over the weekend -- thongs, replicas of derrieres and all. Reactions posted on the Internet were varied, according to the China Daily. Some thought sex was best left behind closed doors, while others argued that a real need for sex education existed in China. "Sex is a matter of privacy. It is not for publicity," said Xia Xueluan, a sociology professor at Beijing University. The officials in Chongquing apparently agreed.

'Gay Nights' Underground By Steven Jiang For CNN SHANGHAI, China (CNN) -- In between selling tickets and greeting customers, Min Min turned his curvy 6-feet-tall frame to survey the spacious dance hall and revealed he is no ordinary doorman at this extraordinary place. "When I first started this, it was only a dozen or so of us," reminisced the former factory worker-turned-drag queen. "Now 300 people or more come each night." Welcome to Lai Lai Dance Hall, arguably the only entertainment venue for older gay men in Shanghai, if not the whole of China. Tucked away in a rundown neighborhood in the city's northeast, Lai Lai sits atop a public bathhouse, and features cracked wooden floors and a primitive sound system. Its location and facilities, however, belie its prominence in a community that thrives almost entirely underground. Every weekend, men flock here to unleash their ballroom dancing skill as well as their true identities for three treasured hours. Lai Lai's "gay nights" are only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Casually dressed in jeans and sneakers, men of various ages -- but mostly in their 40's and upwards -- and shapes filled the dimly lit dance floor one recent evening. They waltzed, jitterbugged and rumbaed in pairs to the nostalgic Mandarin tunes churned out by a live band on the small stage. "You won't see this anywhere else," said Min, organizer of this regular gathering, himself a middle-aged gay man whose dual passions lie in ballroom dancing and performing in drag. On this Sunday night, however, he was out of drag, donning a sweater and cargo pants. "I don't really do this for the money -- it's just great fun." Patrons pay a mere 5 yuan (70 U.S. cents) to enter and enjoy cheap drinks -- a bottle of beer costs just 3 yuan. Observing from the sidelines, one of Min's fellow drag queens -- known as Teacher Zhang -- noted most older gay men don't feel comfortable going to the more expensive bars or clubs frequented by the younger generation. "It's a totally different culture and environment in those places, while everyone fits right in here," said the 58-year-old former soldier and retired school administrator. "It's a rare outlet for people to relax, to find friends or sex." Zhang's personal story mirrors those of many patrons at Lai Lai. Realizing he was gay at an early age, Zhang -- like many gay men in China -- married a woman because of family and social pressure. He is expecting to become a grandfather this autumn. "My wife and my son have suspicions about me, but it's always going to be a question mark in their minds," Zhang said. "They have seen me perform folk dance in drag, but I will never let them see me in an intimate situation with another man." Unlike many among Lai Lai's largely blue-collar clientele, Zhang said success in running his own catering business has injected freedom and flexibility into his closeted life. "I bought a big duplex for my wife, and I told her I would stay in the old apartment to concentrate on work," Zhang said. "Chinese women at her age are very pragmatic -- they are satisfied as long as you take good care of the family." Taking precautions Family issues aside, activists have pointed to inconsistencies in government policy to explain older gay men's reluctance to come out. Although homosexuality is not illegal in China and has been removed from the country's list of officially recognized mental disorders since 2001, it remains a taboo topic in the state-run media. Gay venues have popped up in major cities across China in recent years, but the authorities sometimes shut them down during politically sensitive times. The upcoming Olympics appears to be one such occasion, amid reports of a series of recent police raids on gay clubs, saunas and cruising spots in Beijing and Shanghai. Activists have voiced their worries about a new crackdown aimed at "cleaning up" the country ahead of the Summer Games in August. Both Zhang and Min said they will keep a low profile and be even more cautious about staging drag shows in the next few months. As an extra precaution, they requested their real names not published and Min also insisted no pictures be taken at Lai Lai. For now the dance routines continue and have attracted new fans like Ray Mahoney, an American volunteer with a local AIDS-prevention organization. Mahoney, 50, has been visiting Lai Lai with fellow volunteers to hand out free condoms and safe-sex literature. While he loves the uniquely romantic dance scene, Mahoney emphasized that he has an urgent message for Chinese gay men of his age group. He said many people in this generation, because of their educational and social background, have never used a condom before -- either with their wives or with their male sex partners. "I had three friends in the U.S. die in the 1980's of AIDS," Mahoney said. "The people at Lai Lai don't realize AIDS is really close to them and it's spreading quickly in the gay community here." Acknowledging the rising HIV-infection rate among gay men, Chinese health officials have quietly started their own outreach program, which calls for sending trained staff to gay venues nationwide to promote AIDS awareness and encourage voluntary testing. Although he has welcomed the volunteers and admires Mahoney's dedication, Min still focuses his attention on dancing. He is even prepared to set his sights on an alternative "Olympic" event that includes ballroom dancing as a competitive sport. "In the future we might," Min responded when asked if he and other Lai Lai regulars would join the Gay Games -- the gay answer to the Olympics -- next to be held in 2010 in Cologne, Germany. "We probably won't win," he said with a laugh. "But I bet we could finish in 6th place!"

I didn't necessarily mean that literally. No matter where you find a boy, the thing to do is make sure he has his ID card, that it's actually his own card, and that he's at least 18 years old. Gay and gay-friendly hotels know to hold his ID card until he is ready to leave and they have checked with you to make sure everything is ok. Before you give that ok, make sure nothing is missing. When you go out at night, before leaving your room make sure you have secured your valuables and that nothing is in sight if you bring a boy back. No sense inviting a potential burglary. If you have any reason to be seriously suspicious that the boy might come back and attempt to burglarize your room or whatever, since he now knows your room number, you could always ask the hotel to let you switch to a different room. Outside of a few rare cases, the only serious crimes and thefts I normally hear about are when farang took a Beach Road or Walking Street prostitute back to his room. Most of the time it's the street walkers who commit those thefts. I don't hear about lady-boys working in the various lady-boy bars committing those kinds of crimes. Of course, the safest is finding your boys in well-established venues. I don't know if this helps, and I can't speak for others, but I can tell you that I've met plenty of boys who work in the bars, come to the beach, from gay personals sites such as Gay Romeo, when shopping, and yes, on occasion someone I met while walking the streets. I've never had any kind of problem at all with any of them. That doesn't mean throw caution to the wind, but I think it does mean that the odds are greatly in your favor that you're not going to be robbed and that you're going to have a very good time with the boys you meet.

Ok, gentlemen, I've got my answer. When I can see that nearly 3 times as many people want me to continue the reviews, as opposed to those who don't, that tells me what I wanted to know. When I find restaurants I like I'm going to continue writing about them, even if they don't chill the salad forks or have tassels on the menus. For those who dislike my reviews and/or dislike the restaurants I recommend, then nobody is forcing you to read the reviews or go to those restaurants. Once again, I'm not trying to tout only those restaurants that meet gourmet standards. I write about restaurants I like regardless of whether they come up to snobbish standards. I don't pretend to be a professional restaurant reviewer. When I find restaurants I haven't been to before, and I try them and like them, I write about them. There are restaurants that meet all tastes and budgets in Pattaya and I like the "good plain food" restaurants as well as the gourmet quality restaurants. In deference to those who think I'm trying to pass off mediocre restaurants as gourmet quality, I'll try to make some sort of distinction in my reviews from now on. Some think I ought to assign ratings and stars to the restaurants. I won't do that for two reasons. One is that my opinion is obviously different from other people's opinions. The other is that I have no idea what criteria goes in to assigning stars. As I said, I'm no professional and I don't try to be. I simply make people aware of these restaurants and describe them as best as I can. Then it's an "up to you" as to whether to try them or not. The complainers are perfectly welcome to write and post their own reviews of restaurants they like, if they so desire. With that, I think enough has been said and I'm closing off the thread now.

The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: For artist conceptions, see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000009256 _____ CENTRAL TO OPEN NEW SUPER SHOPPING COMPLEX IN CHONBURI The Central Group is to open a new lavish shopping mall in Chonburi, scheduled for May 29, 2009, to augment its extremely popular Central Festival Pattaya Beach Mall. The new Chonburi mall will cost Bt4.6-billion and cover an area of 165,000m2, housing in the range of 200 shops, which will include Robinson Department Store, Tops Market, PowerBuy and SF Cinema City. The Central Group had earlier put expansion plans on the back-boiler due to the gloomy economic outlook. However, new economic stimulus packages in neighbouring Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and China have restored an optimistic attitude to the SE Asian region, which will have knock-on effects on Thailand’s economy. There have also been encouraging signs that the American economy is also picking up, which will help to restore confidence worldwide. Central Group’s CEO, Kobchai Chirathivat, said "We believe that our economy and politics have already passed their lowest point and it is now the time to take off again". Accordingly, the company will revise its earlier decision to put on hold the construction of new shopping complexes in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Bangkok’s Rama IX and the proposed renovation of Central Plaza Lat Phrao. The company has also been pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response of shoppers to the Central Festival Pattaya Beach and its new Bangkok shopping mall. The grand opening of CentralPlaza Chonburi is due to take place on May 29 and the company expects to spend in the region of Bt90 million on the ceremony. The Central Group regards Chonburi Province as flourishing commercial and industrial area, housing a population of over 1 million locals as well as a significant number of expats, both retirees living in and around Pattaya and the employees of the numerous industrial estates, like the huge Amata estates, in the area.

What does that have to do with anything? Here's what you posted on Baht-Stop: _____ ...or eaten at one of Gaybutton's "not to be missed" restaurants. _____ You consider your posts quality posts? You attack on Baht-Stop, and I don't recall posting anything to provoke that attack, and now you come to this board to continue. So far every one of your posts on this board has been a put-down of one kind or another. As far as me opening that door, now I'm closing it. If you wish to continue posting on this board, you're perfectly welcome to post your opinions about the issue, without the personal attacks, whether directed toward me or directed toward anyone else. You gave me an unsolicited suggestion. Now I'm giving you one, but consider it a warning: Don't do it again. I don't think I need to explain how I deal with trolls.

I apologize if I gave you the impression that you I thought you were. That's not what I meant. I'm only trying to emphasize my opinion that if they are taking reservations at all, they need to say so and give people who are not in close proximity a method by which they can make reservations.