Gaybutton

Actually, I don't think it's too much of a problem in Thailand. I don't think it can hurt anything to get the shot, but as for whether you need it, I would ask a doctor, although Lvdkeyes and Topjohn5 might be able to give us their opinion. Both are knowledgeable.

I'm not following what you mean by "something different." Everything you listed seems like standard breakfast fare to me, but for a lot more money than most restaurants charge for breakfast. What is it about this restaurant that makes it different? Another one I like for "different" is Linda's, located on Thappraya directly across from the Jomtien Complex. Most of the breakfasts there are standard fare, but she also serves a "Scandinavian Breakfast, " consisting of fabulous open-face sandwiches. Linda speaks excellent English and acquired her Scandinavian cooking skills from many years in Scandinavia. As a matter of fact, Linda's entire web site is in Swedish (no option for English that I was able to fine), but here's the URL: http://www.lindasrestaurant.com

Since you doubt me, see for yourself: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/11/08...cs_30087916.php

It was: Why can't the English teach their children how to speak? Norwegians learn Norwegian. The Greeks all learn their Greek. If you spoke as she does, sir, instead of the way you do, Why you might be selling flowers too. - My Fair Lady

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ UK Cancels Visas of Thaksin, Wife Published on November 8, 2008 The British Embassy has revoked entry visas of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman. The cancellation, which was decided while the couple were outside England, has been notified to airlines yesterday. The decision was made by the United Kingdom Border Agency, and the notification email was signed by Bangkok-based Immigration Liaison Manager Andy Gray. The email read: "Dear All, The United Kingdom Border Agency has revoked the UK visas held by the following Thai nations: Thaksin Shinawatra. Thai Passport Number D215863 Potjaman Shinawatra. Thai Passport Number D206635 The UK visas contained in the passports of the individuals listed above are no longer valid for travel. Airlines are advised not to carry these passengers to the UK" *** end ***** The embassy would not comment on the report. Contacted embassy officials said they "cannot comment on policy matters." It was a big political blow for Thaksin, who was believed to be on his way from China to the Philippines yesterday. It was understood that the cancellation had to do with the recent court rulings that found Pojaman guilty of tax evasion and Thaksin guilty of breaking the conflict of interest law in the Ratchadapisek land purchase scandal. Their children's British visas are still valid. A senior People Power Party politician who has been in China this week answered The Nation's phone contact but replied to the inquiry about Thaksin's visa situation with only "I don't know. I don't know." Thaksin has always described England as a "democratically mature" country as compared to Thailand. But he always denied having applied for asylum although he said England would be the country where he wanted to live in exile. Last Saturday, in a controversial long-distance phone-in from Hong Kong, Thaksin accused his political opponents of breaking his family apart. In the same address, he also begged for royal pardon or a popular show of force to bring him back to Thailand. "Nobody can bring me back to Thailand, except royal kindness of HM the King or the power of the people," Thaksin said. He also claimed that many countries have offered him "honorary citizenship", "which made me a bit sad because I could do many things for anybody else in the world, but nothing now for my country." The statement triggered a major controversy in Thailand, with Thaksin being accused of trying to drag HM the King into politics. The UK visa move, however, gave Thaksin's statement a whole new perspective, making him sound more like someone desperate to find refuge rather than trying to provoke a political reaction. It is not immediately known, however, whether Thaksin was aware of the impending visa cancellation before he left England the last time. A source familiar with the UK legal and diplomatic thinking said the cancellation could have been based on "the different statuses" of Thaksin between the time he was issued the visa and now. The Supreme Court only found Thaksin guilty in the Ratchadapisek land case late last month, weeks after he fled Thailand during the Beijing Olympics. He fled with his wife, who only days earlier had been found guilty of tax evasion. England has been under the world community's watchful eyes when Thaksin is concerned. Diplomatic observers have said a decision whether or not to give Thaksin asylum would generate strong ramifications on England's relations with Thailand, as well as London's reputations when democracy, foreign relations and legal principles are concerned.

You're referring to a 'chanut,' which is essentially the same as a title deed. Unless it is registered in the Land Office, in your name, it isn't worth the paper it's written on. Before ever accepting it as a form of collateral, make sure to consult a competent Thai attorney.

I like Euro Boys too, but as far as that "bringing a few new guys from the north" is concerned, they've been singing that tune for the last six months.

Why do you make that assumption? I understood everything and I'm American. Most Americans who are at least semi well-read and have a halfway decent education would likely also understand. Perhaps we Americans are not quite so ignorant as you appear to believe. I can also understand why Lvdkeyes felt that you were being snide, even if you truly were not trying to be. You don't deny that you have before posted cutting remarks about the American version of English, do you? I recall a recent post of yours in which you said that American English is nothing more than a bastardized version of real English. Some Americans might not appreciate those kinds of remarks and would consider them snide. After reading that sort of post from you, a logical interpretation of your post above would be that you meant it as a snide remark. I'm glad to know that's not the way you meant it. In all honesty, I haven't seen the need for those remarks either. Simply because we do not speak or spell English precisely the same as you do, that doesn't somehow make us lesser people than you. Even if it does, why post about it at all, especially when what you're saying about American English really has nothing to do with the thread at hand in the first place? For me, the only time I have any problem understanding the British form of English is when some of the accents are so thick that I can't make out what is being said. There are also several British food item terms that I find difficult to understand. Other than that, I have no problem "understanding English."

I'm somewhat surprised, but I'm glad you posted this. I had heard that Sihanoukville is an up-and-coming gay area, but based on what you are saying, you may have just saved me a trip.

At the moment I think the beach concessions and vendors would be grateful even for low tourist numbers. Over the past few weeks there has been so much rain that beach days have been only few and far between. It must really be difficult for them. Not only that, but many of the beach concessions have annual Loy Kratong parties, complete with buffets, fireworks, etc. That holiday is only five days from the time of this post. Because of the weather, many people, including me, are seriously considering not buying tickets for the parties this year. If I can even get to the beach, because of the weather, I'm probably going to buy a ticket from Rit's Beach, where I usually go, out of loyalty for him, despite the fact that it may end up rained out. By the way, tickets this year, at least for Rit's Beach, are 390 baht per person. I would imagine most of the beach concessions that hold parties will charge a similar price.

I don't understand what you mean. I'm looking for rights while still alive. Also, if nothing else, in the USA married couples have a tremendous tax advantage over single people. Some gay couples wish to be married for religious reasons. While some may not see gay marriage as a major problem, or use of the term as a major problem, enough people do so that the issue is beginning to end up on ballots. To me, whether actually being married under the law is not so important, the fact that gay couples cannot choose to be married is a denial of their rights. To me, denying people the right to get married because they are gay is no different from telling a black person he cannot drink from this water fountain because he is black.

With the kind of sex life I've got, they owe me $75 . . .

You don't have to go very far from Pattaya to find crystal clear waters. Try some of the beaches toward Sattahip, to the south.

Yes, in Sunee Plaza the old K-Boys bar is now Good Boys. The old Kaos bar is now Villa Rouge. The old Nok Nok bar is now Ligon bar.

I believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't see Pattaya or Bangkok as being particularly beautiful, but I also don't see them as the modern day equivalent of Soddom and Gomorrah. In my eyes, what some people see as ugly are what I see as beautiful and vice-versa. A perfect example is Chiang Mai. A great many people absolutely love Chiang Mai. For me, Chiang Mai holds no attraction or interest at all. Different strokes for different folks.

To me, the saddest aspect is, given the number of popular votes McCain got, a hell of a lot of people in the USA were ready to accept the first black president or the first female vice-president. That's definitely progress, but they're still not ready to accept, at least not fully, gay people. I hate to break the news, USA, but gay people do exist. Quite a number exist and our lives have meaning just as everyone else's. Sorry if so many dislike it, but we want our rights too, just like anyone else. I would have thought the gay community would at least have had support from the right-to-lifers. After all, you're not going to find too many gay couples heading for the local abortion clinic. MonkeySee says, "If you are a confirmed butterfly in Thailand, then I guess gay marriage in California or anywhere else, is no big deal." I disagree in that, while it may not affect us directly, the indirect ramifications, I think, are significant. Black people do not want to be judged by the color of their skin. By the same thinking I, as a gay person, do not want to be judged by the sex with whom I prefer to share my bed. If you still find yourself having to sometimes hide the fact that you're gay, then something is still really wrong. For instance, when customs officials check your electronics for evidence of gay porn, you can end up really hassled if they find any. I never hear about hassles involving them discovering straight porn. Maybe it happens, but I never hear anything about it. You also get hassled if they think you travel to Thailand, at least in part, as a gay sex tourist, even if there is no suspicion that under-age sex was involved. Would someone please explain to me what's wrong with traveling to a location where sex, legal sex, is readily available if that's what you wish to do? As long as no laws are being broken, why should your sexual liaisons be anyone's business other than your own? Things change with the times. People keep saying that marriage should be only between a man and a woman. In case nobody noticed, marriage today is not the same as it was many years ago. It's not even the same as it was just a few years ago. Way back when, a married woman was close to being a slave for her husband. The marriage vows used to include, for the woman, a promise to love, honor, and obey. Divorce used to be virtually unthinkable. In other words, the institution of marriage, in and of itself, has not changed, but the paradigm of how it works in practicality has definitely changed. Life for gay people is certainly better than it used to be, but there is still a long way to go. I hope we are able to see full gay rights within our lifetimes. There is a very good movie appropriate to the issue of gay rights, "A Very British Sex Scandal." It's a true story about what life was like for gays in the UK during the late 1940's and 1950's. Much of the same was true in the USA. If you've never seen that movie, I highly recommend it.

My problem is coming out of the water. People keep pouring water over me and try to guide me back out to sea. If I'm sitting next to somebody, often people come over, point at me, and ask him, "What did you use for bait?" Now, it's no pleasure publicly admitting that I'm much, much too fat, but it sure is a shame that I can never dress in drag. If I wear high heels I take two steps and strike oil.

Here's a little bit of clarification about the "cure" for jellyfish stings. I thought I had made it clear that the papaya trick works on minor stings. It's not going to work on a major sting, such as the box jellyfish. I received a message from Topjohn5, who works in the medical field, with the following information, and his information is obviously far more reliable than mine: _____ First, I am not a doctor but I am a paramedic (EMT) and I have a lot of first hand experience in trauma situations including deadly stings and venom injections. I remembered reading about vinegar and the common home cures on these stings in one of my text books many years ago. So, I went and did a quick check online since my text books are in boxes somewhere, lol. I will be happy to provide you good medical text sources if you need it but a real quick read on the subject is on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubozoa Wikipedia does not always get it perfect sometimes but in this case they do a good job. The bottom line is that the compound in vinegar which is acetic acid is the ONLY reliable cure for this deadly sting and not papain. Of, the 19 box jellyfish species really only two can kill you and then they need to inject enough venom in you as well to do kill you. But, unfortunately, there are many deaths from these 2 creatures and acetic acid is the only thing that blocks the stingers (called nematocysts) from firing. It doesn't help the pain at all except by not allowing more injections of venom but it can save a life by blocking the firing of the stinger. Papaya is one of the many urban legands that are a cure for this sting. You are right about the meat tenderizer (papain) in papaya and it does help relieve stings of all minor types which would include your basic jellyfish. But papain does nothing for this venom which is one of the most deadly animal venoms in the world. Now, to be fair where there could be confusion with papaya as a cure (beside the meat tenderizer one above) could be simply from the fact that acetic acid is found naturally in small amounts when many foods especially fruits breakdown. So, it is possible that someone a long time ago got stung (but not a deadly sting) and then a rotten papaya was applied to the wound site (if there had been a rotten apple it would have worked the same way though). Since trace amounts of acetic acid were present in that papaya and, if the sting was minor, the papaya could have disabled the weak venom (very very weak venom and not this animal) and some minor relief could have occurred with the patient. But, there is NO, possible way that there is enough acetic acid in a rotten papaya (or any fruit) that would help a dying human stung by one of these creatures! _______________ So, there you have it. I guess if you take along some papaya and some vinegar, but are lucky enough not to be stung, you can at least make a salad . . .

No, it's much warmer than that in Pattaya, but not uncomfortably hot.

Unfortunately, yes.

A similar proposition to allow gay marriage was also on the Florida ballot. It too was rejected. The fact that the USA still stigmatizes gay rights robbed us of some of the joy of the Obama victory. It could have been worse. If McCain had won, gay marriage would still have been rejected.

In that case I recommend Sunee Plaza.

In Pattaya, at least, I have never heard of any sting ray attacks. Every so often stinging jellyfish appear, but they are a different species. Their presence is usually short lived and the stings are minor unless you are allergic. By the way, if you ever do get stung by a jellyfish, try to get a papaya. Papayas are readily available in Thailand year round. What you want to do is scoop out the pulp and place the exposed rind on the sting. Papayas are rich in papain, an enzyme that breaks down protein. If you are familiar with Adolph's Meat Tenderizer, look at the label. You'll see that the key ingredient is papain, and that's why it works. Jellyfish stings are protein stings, so the papain in papayas works quickly to provide relief. The Thai word for papaya is pronounced "mah-lah-GAW." There's also a way to avoid sting rays wherever you are. Sting rays settle on the bottom and wait for their prey. Most people who get stung stepped right on top of a sting ray and bingo! Right in the calf! So, it's quite simple. Don't walk forward in the water. If you do, you have to lift your foot to take a step and if there are sting rays around, you could step on one. Instead, walk backwards in the water. That way you can easily drag your feet, rather than lift them. Sting rays will feel the vibration long before you're close enough to be stung and they'll swim away.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Cold Weather to Last until Middle February: Forecast Chief The forecast chief of the Meteorological Department said Wednesday that cold weather would last until the middle of February. Somchai Baimunag, director of the department's Weather Forecast Office, said cold weather would begin on November 8 and would last until the middle of February. He said the temperature would be about one or two degrees lower than last year. He said the temperature in Bangkok in December and January would be drop to about 17 to 18 Celsius degree. ___________________ For Pattaya, that's good news. The temperatures here have been much more pleasant and mild lately and apparently will continue to be so for the next several months.

I suggest going to the Sawatdee Forum ( http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com ) and doing a search for Hua Hin. A large number of posts will come up which ought to provide all the information you seek. On that forum I also suggest contacting Smiles. He lives in Hua Hun and will probably be happy to help you.