Gaybutton

Now I'm beginning to think I may be the victim of a slight exaggeration. Since my post, I've contacted a couple people who I know were in Sunee last night and they also don't know anything about a raid. So, whatever took place last night must have been quite small scale. I don't think two or three police officers in the area constitutes a raid, especially since apparently no bars were entered. On the Ting & Tong's Gay Thailand board, Oogleman posted the following in reference to last night: And this, also from Oogleman: I'll see if I can find out anything more during the day today, although now it seems like there isn't much to find out.

I was not in Sunee Plaza last night, so my information is coming second hand. Perhaps someone who was there can elaborate. The story I'm getting is that police showed up in large numbers and seemed primarily interested in what was going on in the streets. I have not heard any stories about police entering bars last night, so I don't know if bar raids were included or not. From what I am hearing, they were primarily checking the street boys for age, drugs, and weapons. I also heard that farang were not hassled in any way. I understand the Pattayaland area was not raided. Again, my information at this point is second hand and rather sketchy. If anyone has details, please let us know.

Dogs are good people! They certainly deserve better than they're getting.

I think several of you who frequent Bangkok and stay at either The Pinnacle Hotel or the Malaysia Hotel are familiar with the dog. It's my favorite dog in Thailand and I'm guessing it's a street dog. For years, at the corner of Soi Ngam Duplee and Rama IV, just outside the bank there is a big dog that hangs out there. He's almost always lying down, just sitting there watching the world go by, but he's always there. Every day, all day, the dog is there. The dog never bothers anyone and seems to appreciate it when passers by stop to pet him (or is it a her? I forget which.). Someone always puts out food and water for the dog and the dog seems perfectly happy. Do some of you recognize which dog I'm talking about? I'd post a photo of the dog, but I don't have one. I've always wondered about that dog. I wonder where he comes from. I wonder if he has an owner, maybe someone who works in the bank. I wonder why that dog chooses that spot and wants to stay there all day, every day. That dog has become somewhat of an icon in that area.

Also, if they do ship it, make sure it's done in a way that delivery is guaranteed, such as FedEx. Otherwise, there's a good chance the shipment will be stolen.

You could also ask what's in it. Then, when the boy tells you, you can always say that you're allergic to one of the ingredients.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thai Device Power Car with Water By The Nation Published on August 22, 2008 Udon Thani - Thai engineers yesterday launched their latest invention, the "Reactor 1" device, which extracts hydrogen from water to power a car, as the fruit of 30 years of study and labour that could be an alternative energy idea. Device developer Sumit Isarangkul na Ayutthaya, managing director of Pathum Thanibased Integrated Technology Consultant Co Ltd, and codeveloper Somchai Traisuriyathamma presented a hydropowered car at a press conference hosted by Udon Thani Rajabhat University's Mechanical Engineering Department. The conference did not reveal the cost of invention or its commercial use. Sumit said the reactor - a 12inch wide and 10inch high metal box installed inside the car's trunk - used electricity to extract two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen from water. It needed direct current (DC) from a 12voltage battery to extract hydrogen for the car engine's combustion, he said. This device extracted hydrogen for each use without having to store the gas in a tank, Sumit said. He said the "Reactor 1" could also control the heat produced from the hydrogen extraction to a safe level. The result was clean energy. Sumit said he continued to improve on the safety of the "Reactor 2" model by designing an electrical circuit to detect any abnormality in the whole system. The circuit would work with a "Micro Controller" to control the reactor and the engine to save the battery and have just the right amount of hydrogen produced for the car's engine usage. "I'm very happy to serve my country and there are many things to do. This invention is not my first and certainly will not my last. There will be more and better inventions to come," he said urging the Thai public to give support to his team.

Perhaps because that's the way Madam Sunee spells it, despite the way she pronounces it.

I have two suggestions. The first is to talk to the manager of GNC to see if they can order whatever you are looking for. They probably have an outlet in Bangkok. The second is to try Fascino Pharmacy, on North Road (Pattaya Nua). As far as I know GNC is the only other place in Pattaya, although both Boots and Watson's may carry the items you want, or can get them.

Fine with me. You get to be the one who changes all the signs that already say "Sunee." The part that's on my "I Don't Get It" list is the number of people who insist on spelling it "Sunnee" or "Sunny." I have yet to ever see a sign, ad, flier, or anything else around here that spells it any way other than "Sunee." Of course, most of that comes from people who still think we're "FAIR-rang."

Yes. You'll find it right next to the haggis.

And yet one more article on the La Cage web site. See http://www.lacage-pattaya.com Here is Mike's statement from the La Cage web site: _____ THE WHITE NIGHT BUFFET. I am very pleased to be able to report an exciting new development. After nearly ten years at the White Night Buffet, next door to the bar in Soi VC, Tony and Ken are retiring and handing over this well established restaurant to me. Tony and Ken have worked very hard over the years to make the White Night a firm favourite with visitors and residents alike. The much liked duo will be sadly missed. I am very proud indeed to be taking over such a well established eatery and have every intention of keeping the very successful buffet format as well as introducing some new ideas of my own. The Restaurant and the Bar, although next door to each other will remain two separate operations with very different atmospheres. Knocking down the dividing wall would ruin the ambiance of both units. However, the Restaurant will benefit from a much bigger drinks menu and the Bar will soon have a comprehensive hot and cold bar snacks selection, all freshly prepared in the White Night’s professional kitchens. There will obviously be some changes and one of the first will be the installation of air conditioning and very soon the restaurant will be opening earlier as well as offering a daily set menu as an alternative to the buffet. We are currently working on a new website for the restaurant but in the meantime I’ll keep you informed of changes here. The White Night Loyalty card will continue and all current cards will be honored. So to all customers old and new, please come in soon and say hello.” HAVE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE WHITE NIGHT - http://www.white-night-pattaya.com

I knew nothing about this until I read a post by Garfield on the Pattaya Passion web site. The information about White Night is on their new web site, not yet complete as of this writing, at: http://www.white-night-pattaya.com

No. That is not what I wrote at all. Have another look at my post. What's the hard part? Ok, we'll use Jomtien's spelling. It is pronounced "SUE nee." It is NOT pronounced "sunny," like a sunny day. That's what I said in my post above. Who Boo Shoe Too Goo Do New Sunee. I hope it's clear to everyone now.

I have been there. Yes, it's top quality. It's about 1000 baht per person. It is available every night. If you can think of something to eat, this buffet probably has it.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ 10,000 in Anti-Asylum Rally at British Embassy By THE NATION Published on August 20, 2008 More than 10,000 protesters gathered outside the British Embassy in Bangkok yesterday to demand that London return ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, to Thailand to face criminal charges. The protesters, organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), aggravated traffic conditions in Bangkok, as the British Embassy is located on Ploenchit Road in the heart of the city. The protesters arrived at the embassy at about 10.30am holding posters and shouting: "Thaksin, go to jail!" Police had to seal off roads in the area, including Wireless and Ploenchit roads. PAD leaders Chamlong Srimuang, Sondhi Limthongkul and Somsak Kosaisuk submitted a petition to an embassy representative at 11.10am. The protesters called on the British government not to grant political asylum to Thaksin. The petition said his request for political asylum in Britain must be turned down. "If Thaksin is not brought back to |face the charges against him in Thai courts, it will contribute further to the political and democratic deadlock and undermine the capacity to transform the public realm," said the PAD's letter, which was addressed to British Ambassador Quinton Mark Quayle. Thaksin and Pojaman jumped bail last week, to avoid the looming prospect of losing their Ratchadaphisek land-purchase case in court. They and their family have now settled in London and plan to seek asylum. On July 31, Pojaman was also sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion in stock transactions dating back to November 1997. The PAD protesters warned the British Embassy that if Thaksin's request were met, it would set a terrible precedent for other rich, powerful and non-democratic figures, both in Thailand and elsewhere. "The original meaning of 'democracy' is not merely majority rule, but rather the capacity to do things, especially the capacity to pursue change in the public realm. Through popular, legal and sovereign measures, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was recently brought to trial," said the letter. "Thaksin was charged with abusing his power as prime minister by securing inside deals on real-estate purchases for family members. This is the first time in Thai political history that a former prime minister has been brought to trial." The PAD also plans to organise a rally at the Foreign Ministry demanding that Thaksin and Pojaman's passports be revoked on the grounds they are now bail-jumping fugitives.

I always enjoy it when people both misquote me and also attempt to entirely change the context of a statement, and even do that multiple times. This is the second time you've done that in this thread and it still doesn't work. Are you planning to do that a third time? What I wrote was, "I see no valid excuse at all for bars to intentionally flout the law by hiring under-age boys. Doing so may satisfy the pedophile brigade, but look at the effect on everybody else." If you can't figure out the meaning of what I wrote and if you can't figure out that I never 'reported' that there are brigades of pedos in Sunee Plaza, especially in the sense by which you are trying to twist my use of the word "brigade," then I can only think you lack certain cognitive skills. If you really have to resort to misquoting and attempting to change context as a means of making your case and enhancing your argument, then your argument didn't hold much water in the first place. What do you want to do? Do you want to continue twisting my words or do you want to post a valid, reasonable, well thought out argument in favor of your position about ending reports of under-age boys, drugs, and pedos in Sunee Plaza?

I think that's an excellent suggestion, but I think it would have to include the sois that lead up to Sunee Plaza as well, for it to be truly effective. In any case, your idea would at least go a long way to help clean up Sunee Plaza itself.

Please be informed of our new Gourmet Set Menu serving from August 16. through 31 available at Casa Pascal Only Weekly Set Menu serving from August 12 ~ 25 available at both Casa Pascal and Poseidon. August 16 ~ 31 Gourmet Set Menu House Champagne *** Amuse Bouche *** White Wine Cackle Berry Chardonnay, Australia 2004 Beef Tatar enhanced with Korean Pear, Sesame and Quail Egg *** Clear Oxtail Soup with Tomato Tortellini *** Steamed Alaska Scallops with Crystal Noodles, Garlic and Spring Onions *** Raspberry Sherbet *** Red Wine Sea Horse Bay, Shiraz, Australia,2006 Roasted Pigeon, pan – fried Goose Liver and glazed Brussels Sprouts red Wine Shallots or Pan-fried Barramundi on roasted Baby Carrots, Kenya Beans and Cepes Mushroom Veloutée *** Rhubarb Tart with Apple Crisps or Selection of premium international Cheese *** Coffee or Tea Calvados, Grappa, Remy Martin, Williams Food only 1,450 Baht net (31.60 Є), Menu with Unlimited Beverages 2,900 Baht net (63.20 Є) <Weekly Special August 12 – August 18 > APPETIZER Tuna Tatar on Salad of assorted grilled Vegetables SOUP Cold Cucumber Soup with Dill and Walnuts MAIN COURSE Chicken stuffed with Prunes Polenta and Ratatouille or Oven-baked Sea Bass with Herbs, Olive Oil, Lemon and Vegetables accompanied by boiled Potatoes DESSERT Swiss Chocolate Mousse or Coffee or Tea <Weekly Special August 19 – August 25 > APPETIZER Shrimp Cocktail on green Asparagus and red Chicoree Salad SOUP Zucchini Cream Soup with Eggplant Crostini MAIN COURSE Poached Norwegian Salmon in Caper-, Tomato-, and Mushroom Cream Sauce Pilaf Rice or Pork Saltimbocca ( with Sage and Coppa Ham ) served with buttered Noodles and Tomato Sauce DESSERT Frozen Yogurt and mixed Berries Parfait or Coffee or Tea WINES White Wine : Monte Vino Bianco, Italy Red Wine : Monte Vino Rosso, Italy Food only 3-Course @ 580 Baht net 4-Course @ 680 Baht net Food & unlimited Wine 3-Course @ 950 Baht net 4-Course @ 1,300 Baht net *** All prices are including 7% VAT. Service tip is at your own discretion ***

That's good. Today you get to learn something new. "SOO" is pronounced as the first three letters of "soon." "SUE" is the name of of a boy immortalized by Johnny Cash, also pronounced that way. Flip a coin and take your pick. I know of no words in which "SOO" would be pronounced as the first two letters of "Sony." Do you (or is that pronounced 'yo' as in 'yo-yo')?

First, start spelling it correctly. It's "Sunee," pronounced "SOO nee." It is not pronounced "sunny" like a sunny day. Ok, so dwelling on the druggies and pedos reinforces a negative image of Sunee Plaza. So what? When the druggies and pedos are finally cleaned out, there won't be a negative image to reinforce anymore and no reason to "dwell" upon it anymore. I fail to see any valid reason why reporting facts and permitting discussion, whether a negative image is reinforced or not, should not be permitted. To do that would mean that we ignore the problems and pretend that no such problems exist, just like Ahmadinejad's claim that homosexuals do not exist in Iran. (Well maybe not. They kill the ones they discover.) Some forums, as in more than one? Would you mind telling me which forums have banned such posts? If some forums have banned these posts, does that mean that the rest of the forums ought to follow suit? Perhaps you're not the only person who thinks your way. I don't dispute that at all. I'm sure you're right. Strangely enough, there are also people who do not think your way. I'm one of them. In my opinion, the image of Sunee Plaza that these posts might convey is not the issue. The fact that bars still employ under-age boys and pedos still seek them out is the issue. You are going to have to carefully explain why this forum, or any forum, would be better serving the public interest by not reporting about the raids, not reporting about the pedo arrests, not reporting about drug arrests, and not reporting about under-age boys, whether they work in the bars or freelance, and the possible consequences of sex with under-age boys, before I would find myself in agreement with you. As a matter of fact, I am in complete agreement with every word KhorTose wrote in his post above.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if you turn out to be right. It's the old story . . . everything changes, but nothing changes.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Seminar: Police Under Fire over Human Trafficking By Chularat Saengpassa The Nation, Hat Yai Published on August 18, 2008 South locals at a recent seminar on child prostitution and human trafficking point their fingers at police inefficiency and corruption. Student leaders in Hat Yai and Sadao, Songkhla, said they knew where brothels and karaoke bars offering prostitution were. How is it the police are unaware of this? they ask. The head of a youth and student council in Hat Yai said "Why don't the police arrest traffickers? "They keep targeting teenagers like us at road checkpoints with trivial charges - like our motorcycles have loose chains." Both districts are used by traffickers to "rest" girls and women before they are smuggled into Malaysia. The girls provide sex service to locals and foreigners during their brief stays. The women and girls - who are either forced into or willing to enter the sex business - are from Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. Chinese women - or those who speak Chinese or English - are popular among Malaysian or Singaporean clients. Willing local women are smuggled into Malaysia or Singapore through these channels. They may end up being taken to Europe where the traffickers can get more money for them. Between 2004 and 2008, 532 cases of trafficking were reported to Malaysian authorities. Almost 490 involved girls from this country. Both police in Songkhla and immigration police rarely launch investigations or arrest traffickers. Police occasionally receive complaints from trafficked women who escape from brothels. And, in almost every case, the first thing these women get is not help, but charged with illegal entry. A woman official said she always had to be careful about "which police officers" she approached for help. "We are never certain about police officers we deal with. Are they on the traffickers' side. But we have no choice. We need the police to make arrests." The woman said the police here elect to charge trafficked women with illegal entry before deporting them. A Yunnam woman escaped from traffickers, but police charged her with illegal entry. They barely interviewed her about the traffickers, explaining they had no Chinese interpreter. A woman's foundation eventually came to her aid, providing shelter and translators. There were never any arrests because she was unable to provide enough details about the traffickers and their operation. She had been kept at more than 10 different locations. Anant Dissara, chief of the provincial human-development and human-security office, said more and more women were voluntarily entering the sex business. They hoped to find a foreign tourist who would keep them as a mistress. Entertainment venues, where sex is secretly provided, such as karaoke bars or massage parlours, are mushrooming in both districts. He said male sex workers were in increasingly high demand in Malaysia. Sopha Kaewsanit, an activist, said she believed there was no way Songkhla police were unaware of these operations. She said van after van packed with young, good-looking girls were being allowed to enter Malaysia through border checkpoints on a daily basis without being questioned. "The police should have been suspicious, and detained them for questioning. But no such thing has been done. They know about everything going on, but take no action," she added. Songkhla police officer Lt Colonel Thanawat Phoojinda said tip offs usually came too late for action. The traffickers are swift. The new anti-human trafficking law authorises police to conduct raids or searches or make arrests without getting a court warrant. But, Thanawat said police needed warrants as an assurance that officers would not face counter allegations of wrongful arrest if no evidence or women turned up. Sadao immigration officer Lt Colonel Phiphat Phongphan said police could do nothing without warrants because they would be sued.

Yes, I can attest to that. I know of at least one person who tried to use another long-time poster's handle for unscrupulous purposes on the Pattaya Passion board.

MESSAGE TO GEEZER... Dear Geezer, First off, let me apologize for the trouble you have been having trying to log-in to our message board. I saw your posting on GayThailand. I have noted with increasing alarm the multiple handles that your moniker was receiving. I thought that perhaps it was someone trying to take over your name -- or a troll looking to do character assassination. Since you are a long-standing, well respected member of the gay message board community, I wanted to make sure that your good name was being upheld. Therefore, I purposely deleted all Geezer accounts except the original which is Geezer -- please note the capital G as it is important. Your password should be the same as when you registered it, but I cannot view it. I can however issue you a new temporary password if you can not access it still. Just let me know. You should also know that the reason I was so quick to jump on this is because it has been a recent hotbed situation. As Gaybutton can attest to, some trolls have been trying to take long-time users name and pretend to be them. Also, we at Pattaya Passion have a no tolerance rule for nastiness and troll behavior. I certainly hope we haven't lost your patronage of our board as we do certainly value your presence. Please let me know if you have any further difficulties or if we can be of any further help. Sincerely, Passion Patrol