Gaybutton

The first thing that grabbed my attention was "We have two different licenses available: A ten-year license priced at 5,500 Baht and a twenty-year license available for 6,500 Baht. This license is valid in over two hundred countries around the world, listed below on this page." Until now I never knew an International Driving Permit is available for greater than one year. In the USA, the only place I know of to obtain an International Driving Permit is AAA. As far as I know, they only issue the permit with a validity of one year. If they have ten and twenty year permits available, they never told me. Of course, the one year permit is much less expensive than what is being advertised on that web site.

Does it really matter how dictionaries define it? I don't think so. I think what really matters is the practicality. We can debate the fine points as to what constitutes a pedophile from now until Kingdom Come, but the fact is that under Thai law you're a pedophile and you're going to jail if you are caught engaging in sex with anyone under age 18. Some people might say, "Yes, but that only applies if money is involved. Under Thai law the age of consent is 16 provided no money is involved." While that may be true, I wonder if any farang actually believes that if he is caught engaging in sex with a 16 year old the police and the Thai courts are going to accept a claim that no money was involved. I wonder if anybody really wants to find out. The point is that whether it is technically correct to refer to someone as a pedophile if he engages in sex with someone who has already reached puberty, that's not going to change what will happen if caught engaging in sex with someone under 18 years old despite whatever dictionary might be available.

My favorite comedian, George Carlin, made dozens of comments about the ludicrousness of organized religion. My favorite one is the following: _____ Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man who lives in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! But He loves you.

Photoshop is a wonderful thing . . .

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen roasting bags in Thailand at all. I haven't been looking for them, but I think I would have noticed. Has anyone spotted them anywhere?

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: ____ UDD Will Rally Until Abhisit Calls an Election Red-Shirts to Start Gathering on Sunday By: Post Reporters and TNA Published: 26/12/2008 at 12:00 AM Anti-government forces yesterday promised to begin a mass rally that would continue until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva calls a general election. Leaders of the red-clad pro-Thaksin Shinawatra group, the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), said they would start their demonstration on Sunday, the day before the government is due to deliver its policy statement to parliament. It would continue until the prime minister dissolved the House. They said they did not believe Mr Abhisit and his cabinet would run the country honestly. The UDD leaders and hosts of Truth Today, a political talk show recently removed from state-run television station NBT, said their protest would be peaceful. Key UDD leader and veteran politician Veera Musikhapong, one of the Truth Today hosts, said the protest would start at Sanam Luang on Sunday about 3pm. Supporters would show their disapproval of Mr Abhisit. "Mr Abhisit is not qualified for the job as he avoided military conscription. His behaviour violates the constitution and the UDD cannot trust him to lead the country," Mr Veera said. Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan, another Truth Today host, said attempts to prevent UDD members in the provinces from joining the protest rally in Bangkok would not be successful. Natthawut Saikua, a former government spokesman and leading UDD member, said a new strategy had been planned and a House dissolution was the only target. Mr Natthawut said some UDD members would rally at parliament on Monday, but would not resort to the tactics used by the People's Alliance for Democracy, which seized Government House and both of Bangkok's airports. Mr Abhisit said yesterday it was far too soon to think about setting a date for a general election. The government's priorities were to turn the economy around and bring about peace and reconciliation. Only when the job was done would he consider whether to dissolve the House. "I do not think it is necessary to fix the timeframe," said Mr Abhisit. When the time was right power would be returned to the people, he said. People needed to be realistic. There were several factors to consider and several pressing matters, including political reform. He dismissed concerns that conflict within the party over the distribution of cabinet seats could be his government's undoing. The government's stability would depend mainly on its ability to solve the country's problems, Mr Abhisit said. If the government could not regain the confidence of the public and foreigners, its stability could be at risk. The prime minister said he had impressed upon his cabinet ministers that they were working against time to achieve those aims and he required a total commitment from them. He stressed that the government would press ahead with political reform and would bring in people acceptable to all sides to work together on the political reform. Responding to a warning by social critic Prawase Wasi to beware of adopting the populist policies of the Thaksin government, Mr Abhisit said other countries had also taken necessary measures to jump-start their economy. Failure to maintain the purchasing power of the people could lead to a severe economic slump, he said. Dr Prawase warned that embracing Thaksin-style populist policies aimed at helping rural people could be "addictive" without proper management. Mr Abhisit said urgent measures were needed to ensure people have ready money in their pockets. But disbursements must be controlled with a clear aim to generate returns. He said his frequent interviews with the foreign press were necessary to clarify the country's situation to the world and win back foreign investor confidence. Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart was confident the Abhisit administration would remain in power far longer than most people expected. After the government's policy statement is delivered in parliament, dissident members within coalition parties, particularly the Democrats, could be tamed, he said. He was confident the military would not meddle in politics.

I think, but am not certain, that with a valid Thai driver's license the better travel agencies can issue them. If not, they can probably point you in the right direction. If you are able to find out, please let the rest of us know.

I've always had a warm spot in my heart for a major religion that preaches all about how God and Jesus loves you, but in history didn't have much of a problem about gruesomely torturing people and burning them alive if they said or did anything the church didn't like. I also enjoy the idea that someone elected by humans gets to declare himself infallible. I was under the impression that overpopulation is the current major threat to the future of the human race. If that's the case, then he ought to be grateful for the existence of gays and lesbians. Not too many gays and lesbians are adding to the overpopulation problem. I believe one flaw in the evolution of humans is the tendency to hate and condemn minority groups. How would you like to have been a European Jew during the Nazi regime? What makes me sick is that here we are about to enter 2009 and this kind of hatred toward minority groups is just as rampant as ever. I believe if some anti-gay fanatic ever gets into a position of leadership, then another form of holocaust can easily happen again. If there really is a God, then I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to live in a country like Thailand, where being gay is acceptable.

Come over to my house. He stopped by for a quick drink . . .

That's a new one to me. I've taken many people to get both licenses and they were denied the motorcycle license without an International Driving Permit that had motorcycle marked on it. Maybe the trick is to do just what your friend did; just fill out the applications and go for it. Obviously, until we know for sure that it can be done that way as a matter of policy, it's still best to have an International Driving Permit that specifies both. Actually, as long as you fulfill all the other requirements, you can get a Thai driving license, one for car and one for motorcycle, without an International Driving Permit at all, but you will be required to sit through the movie, take the written test, and take the "road" test, which is really only driving around a small obstacle course. It's an all-day affair, but at the end of the day you will have both licenses.

I agree. I believe Sunee Plaza earned its reputation years ago, when bars were operating with under-age boys, very under-age boys, with virtual impunity. There were also a lot more under-age freelancers in those days. There is not nearly as much of it going on today, but it does still go on. I think as long as bars continue to employ under-age boys and as long as pedophile arrests continue to occur in Sunee Plaza and vicinity, the reputation has little chance of changing.

I don't know where he found one in Ubon, but I'm pretty sure I've seen them in Pattaya at Villa Market.

That's a debatable point. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as: paedophile (US pedophile) · n. a person who is sexually attracted to children. It doesn't say anything about it being necessarily pre-pubescent. However, at my age a 45-year old can seem like a child!!!! Dig out the handcuffs! All kidding aside, whether he would fit into the profile or strict definition of a pedophile or not won't help him very much. The important issue is for people to be damned sure about the age of a boy they are taking. If there is any doubt whatsoever that he is at least 18 years old, then you are placing yourself at this kind of risk, even if it is a scam. I also wonder if there is more to the story than was published. If the only evidence the police have is the say-so of the boy, I don't know whether that would stand up in a Thai court. I also wouldn't want to have to find out.

Do the banks have to be open? Don't they have cash deposit machines?

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Great Food and Music - Pity about the Closures By: THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL Published: 25/12/2008 at 12:00 AM Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday apologised to the public for his controversial remarks about the airport closures. He said the statements he made before joining the government would stay on record and admitted that some sentences might be misinterpreted or mistaken. He told participants, including diplomats and foreign journalists, in a seminar at Chulalongkorn University last Friday, that the protest rally led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to close the two airports was "a lot of fun. The food was excellent and the music was good". "I have to apologise to the people if I said something that caused misunderstanding or misinterpretation. I do not have any malicious intent or want to discredit Thailand," Mr Kasit said after paying homage to the statue of Prince Devawongse Varoprakarn, the country's first foreign minister who was later known as the "Father of Thai Diplomacy," on his first day in office. Mr Kasit was in the spotlight after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva picked him to be his foreign minister. Some members of the Democrat party were opposed to him being in the cabinet amid fears he would become a target of people loyal to convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the former career diplomat was a regular speaker during the PAD protest rally, which culminated in the blockade of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports on Nov 25 and 26 respectively. At the time he strongly supported the airport blockade, calling the demonstration an "innovation" among rallies. Shutting down the airports led to complaints by business groups as it severely affected the economy and eroded international confidence. Tourists cancelled their plans to come to Thailand and exports and imports were damaged. Mr Kasit said what he had said or done before becoming a minister was because of his intention to promote democracy in Thailand. "I have been part of the democratic support for Thailand and fought for the transparent democratic society in Thailand," Mr Kasit said. The prime minister defended his foreign minister over his remarks about the airport closure, saying Mr Kasit wanted to convey a message that there was no violence in the protest. "But when it was reported, it made people feel he approved of the airport shutdown," he said. Mr Abhisit said there was no need to change the foreign minister as Mr Kasit's comments had been made before his appointment to the cabinet. The foreign minister was from now on obligated to observe nine requirements laid down for the cabinet ministers to follow to ensure good governance, the prime minister said. ____________________ The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Foreign Minister Says Sorry for his Airport Seizure Remark By Supalak Ganjanakhundee The Nation Published on December 25, 2008 Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday apologised to the Thai people over his controversial speech on airport closures, saying he had not intended to harm the country. "I apologise to all Thai people if what I said has resulted in misunderstanding or misinterpretation. It was impossible for me to have any intention of harming the country," he said. He was speaking after paying homage to the statue of HRH Prince Devavongse Varopakarn for his first day in office. Kasit is quoted by The Telegraph that he enjoyed the airport closures by protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy because the food was good and the music was excellent. According to The Telegraph, Kasit told an audience of astonished diplomats and foreign journalists last week that the protests were "a lot of fun." "The food was excellent, the music was excellent," Kasit was quoted as saying. He did not deny outright to the media that he did not make the statements. He just gave a "yes" nod when asked by reporters to confirm his statement. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended his foreign minister saying the comment was reported inaccurately. "His comments were made before the royal command appointed him as minister," Abhisit told reporters. "He merely wanted to convey the message that there was no violence during the occupation, but the way the media reported it amounted to him endorsing the shutting down of the airports," the Prime Minister said. Kasit reiterated that what he said or did was for democracy, for the good of Thai society, and for the enhancement of Thai politics. "I would like to divide my life into two phases - before and after December 22, the day I was appointed as foreign minister. I don't want to erase or defend what I said before December 22. However there were attempts to misinterpret it," he said. "(By now) my work and behaviour will be under the leadership of the premier. The government has set up measures for the ministers. I will follow them and do my best," Kasit said. The former career diplomat was an active participant in the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)'s street protests. He took the stage at protests at the occupied Government House and the Suvarnabhumi Airport when the group rallied against the previous two governments. The opposition has threatened to grill him in Parliament when the government delivers its policy announcement on December 29. Having the outspoken former diplomat as foreign minister was not a good asset but a liability, it said. Kasit said he is ready to answer all questions in Parliament when the government delivers its policy statement next week. He said he understood his remarks would affect the government's performance.

Assuming the allegation turns out to be true, it's yet another example of thinking with one's crotch instead of one's brain. Either way, once again Sunee Plaza gets negative publicity. The story didn't mention the name of the "local hotel," but I can't help but wonder which hotel(s) still let a farang bring in an under-age boy. In my opinion any hotel that fails to insist on checking the ID of a boy brought in by a farang has a share of the responsibility for these incidents continuing to occur. The article says the man was arrested in Sunee Plaza and that he had taken the boy to a "local hotel," which I believe translates to a short-time room somewhere in the Sunee Plaza vicinity. I have a feeling that what transpired was that this man was lured by the 14 year old, and the 14 year old is one of the under-age boys who hang around Sunee Plaza trying to make some money by seducing the pedophiles. If the man was arrested in Sunee Plaza, then most likely the boy went with the police and personally pointed out the man. I tend to agree with Luvthai in that the reason for the arrest was that the man refused to pay the boy whatever amount the boy wanted. I also tend to believe that the parents don't exactly object to their child bringing in money this way if he's allowed to be out at night hanging around Sunee Plaza. Somehow I get the feeling that this farang was not the boy's first experience. I believe the fact that the man was turned in was a result of not forking over enough cash rather then the result of horrified, indignant parents who somehow found out that this man had sex with their child. I could be wrong, of course, but if I had to bet on it, that's the way I'd bet. In any case, this incident, whether the man is innocent or not, only goes to show once again that any kind of sexual involvement with an under-age boy can lead to disastrous results. Nothing will happen to the boy. Nothing will happen to the parents. Nothing will happen to the "local hotel," but for the farang, if he's really lucky, getting out of this will at best cost him a fortune, not to mention the stress he must be going through. The moral of the story: Don't take a boy unless he is at least 18 years old.

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE: _____ Italian Arrest Following Allegations of Sexual Assault of a 14 Year Old Boy Acting on an arrest warrant, Police from the Children and Woman’s Protection Division, based at Region 2 Police Headquarters in Chonburi, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Gritar, arrested an Italian Man in Soi Sunee Plaza, South Pattaya following a complaint from a 14 year old boy who claimed he was sexually assaulted by the suspect, named as Mr. Massimo Mannari aged 49, a Chef from Italy. The suspect was taken back to his home in Soi Neun Pleub Wan where evidence was collected and he was then taken to the Region 2 Police Office in Chonburi District for further questioning. It was revealed that the Tourist Police had arrested Mr. Mannari 6 years ago following claims that he was in possession of child pornography. Since then, he has been travelling to and from Thailand on a regular basis. The current arrest warrant stated that the parents of the 14 year old boy claimed that Mr. Mannari sexually assaulted him in a local Hotel. These claims will now be investigated further and for now Mr. Mannari is assisting Police with the enquiry.

My policy with Viriyah allows any licensed driver to drive the car. As long as it's a licensed driver, the policy fully covers it.

Why carry a large amount of cash at all? If something happens to it, you're up Shit Creek. You get a better rate with travel checks than with cash anyway, so if I were you I'd get travel checks instead. Pattayamale is right. Unless the 50's are new bills, in close to mint condition, most banks are going to refuse to exchange them. The difference between rates for different dollar denominations is negligible. Unless you're planning to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars, it's not going to make a significant difference. I advise travel checks. If it were me I would only bring a few travel checks in case of emergency. I'd put all those 50's back into the bank and bring an ATM card instead. The last thing I would do is carry cash. If you decide to take my advice and use your ATM card instead, make sure you notify the issuing bank before your trip. Let them know where you will be and your travel dates. That way they won't lock your card and it's a lot less hassle if there is any fraudulent use of your card. Ask your bank for an international contact number in case anything happens to the card or if they lock it despite your prior call.

It's really very simple. You can buy a car or motorcycle in Thailand whether you have a Thai driver's license or not. You cannot buy insurance for a car or a motorcycle without a valid Thai driving license. If an unscrupulous insurance agent sells you insurance anyway, but you don't have the Thai driving license, then if there is an accident the insurance company will not pay. If you do have the Thai driving license and insurance for your vehicle, then if an accident happens you call the insurance company immediately and they will send an adjuster over. If you are involved in an accident in which you are injured and rendered incapable of contacting your insurance company, then that's why your vehicle is required to show an insurance sticker on display so the police both know you actually have insurance and can contact your insurance company for you if you are rendered incapable of doing so. If it's a minor one-vehicle accident, such as denting your car on one of those too-high curbs, then you can drive over to the insurance company office. If you are involved in an accident with another vehicle, do not leave the scene. Call both the police and your insurance company. There are 3 levels of car insurance available. The first class insurance covers everything, liability and collision. There are limits set as to how much the insurance company will pay, but there is no deductible. The second class insurance also covers both, but only if the other driver is blamed by the police. If you are blamed, they pay nothing. The third class insurance is liability only, with no collision coverage. As a farang driver, I recommend the first class insurance. If you are buying a new car, then your auto dealership will probably set you up with insurance. You do have the option of obtaining insurance on your own. I highly recommend the Viriyah Insurance company. There are several offices around town, but I suggest going to their main office on Sukhumvit, north of Pattaya in Banglamung. See the Viriyah web site at: http://www.viriyah.co.th/english/Edefault.asp You can call Viriyah by simply dialing 1557. When driving, you are required to carry both your Thai driving license and your passport. Most of the time, when the police stop your vehicle they will ask to see the license, but rarely ask to see the passport. But if you're not carrying it and they do ask, you'll see more of a smile appear on the police officer's face because he now has grounds to give you more of a fine. Remember, the police do not have to accept a copy of your passport and when driving, that's when there is more chance of being stopped by a police officer and asked to produce your papers than any other time. By the way, the stuff the message board "experts" post about how if an accident occurs, then the farang will automatically be blamed whether it's his fault or not is absolute, total nonsense. That is simply not true. I can tell you from personal experience that I was involved in two accidents in which the other driver, each a Thai, was at fault and he was the one who was charged and fined, not me. Other farang drivers out there have told me similar stories.

You don't? Hmmmmm. What are you doing Saturday night?

I always get my little laugh for the day when religious leaders decide to attack gays. No offense to anyone Catholic, but what was that we kept hearing about priests and altar boys? I doubt there is any less of that going on now than there always was. They probably just figured out different ways to avoid being caught. Only a few years ago the joke was that when the Pope called in all the Cardinals to try to do something about the priests and the altar boys, the only way he could get them to agree to attend was to inform them the entertainment would be provided by the Vienna Boys Choir.

Why does everybody always offer to buy a drink? I'll buy my own drink. Now, if someone offers to buy me a boy for an hour or two . . . . . . . .

10,000 baht? Are you serious? I've never heard of such a thing. 1000 baht, that I could understand, but if any boys were asking for 10,000 baht, that's just ridiculous. I hope you shooed them away. Anyway, yes indeed you can easily pick up boys at the gay beach in Pattaya. That's the reason many of them are there in the first place. I call them "farang hunters," because that's exactly what they are there to do. They want to "have farang." Many of the boys are also bar boys. Many boys are regulars and are there every day. Not a bad job, when you get right down to it. Spending the day on the beach and making some money along with it every so often. I have never been to the beach, ever, even on the slowest days, without at least a few boys there hoping to be picked up. They're not even the only ones. Many of the boys going around asking if you want a massage are also available. Some of the boys working at the beach concessions are also available and sometimes can go with you right then and there (as long as they give a little back to the concession owner). In other words, picking up a boy at the beach is the easiest thing in the world, and a lot less expensive than taking them off from bars. Most of them are very nice and it is quite rare for there to ever be a problem. However, you do have to bear in mind that there have been isolated incidents, including a murder about four years ago. If you do pick up a boy at the beach, I would advise taking some common sense precautions. I would at least make sure he has an ID card and that it's actually his ID card and not a card he borrowed from someone else. Without at least that, if an incident does occur you have no way of tracking him down. Make sure that wherever you are taking him, whether your room, his room, or a short time room somewhere, that the front desk holds his ID card until you give the "all clear" before he can get it back. In other words, I advise taking the same precautions you would take if you were meeting a boy from an online personals site. Again, it is extremely rare for an incident to occur as a result of taking a boy from the beach. I hear about fatal plane crashes more often than I hear about an incident involving a beach boy, but it doesn't hurt to take the precautions.

I agree with that part. People are always sticking their noses into other people's business on these boards. The gossip queens seem to love that. Unfortunately, whether that would make a board a dull place or not, it doesn't make it a right thing to do. In my opinion it's one thing for people to post about a business being open or closed, but it's quite another when people post speculation without having the facts. When you start a sentence with "Presumably," that tells me you don't have the facts or you didn't speak to Googie before posting. Regarding Googies, what we know is that for at least the time being he is closed. That's all we know. As for the reason he is closed, I've heard your version of it along with several other versions. What nobody posting about it seems to have done is to ask Googie himself. In my opinion, posting guesses as to why he is closed without at least being able to post what he says about it himself is unfair, especially if your guess turns out to be wrong. That's what I think, anyway. I have nothing personal for or against Googie. For the record, I've eaten there a grand total of once, and that was nearly five years ago. I don't know Googie personally. I wouldn't know him if he was sitting next to me. It doesn't matter to me personally whether his restaurant is open, closed, or anything else. However, I do think that businesses, especially gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses, ought to be treated fairly on the boards. I think it's the responsibility of the boards and the people posting on them to at least do their best to make sure they're right before writing negative posts that can potentially harm someone's business. I don't know what's going on with postings about Googie's on other boards. I haven't read those posts. But on this board, let's at least have his version of it before declaring "open season," as you put it, on him. Fair enough?