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I received an Email today to that effect. I have not personally confirmed it, but obviously the story is spreading like wildfire, true or not. I really don't think the story should have been publicized until ironclad confirmation could be obtained, but it's too late to do anything about it now. The story is circulating through the rumor mill quite rapidly.

I'm sorry if the reason Asia Moon is closed is because he just couldn't make it. It was a very good buffet at very reasonable prices, comparable to the White Night. Some of us who ate there would often remark, "How can he do it at this price?" Well, maybe he couldn't. I wish good luck to whoever bought it. I forgot to mention that Simon's Fish & Chips is also located in that area. If you're a fish & chips lover, I think you'll really enjoy Simon's. You don't even actually have to go to Simon's to give it a try. That restaurant is included in the Door-2-Door menu.

I know very little about wine. All I really know is I either like it or I don't. On the "don't" end, a few years ago a young gentleman from Laos brought me a gift. Chinese champagne. At least that's what the bottle said. It was a magnum bottle and cost about 200 baht, or about six times what it was worth. It was like effervescent mouthwash, although I think the mouthwash would have been better. Out of politeness I had to act as if I loved it. Of course, as soon as the gentleman was gone, so was the champagne . . . right down the sink. I don't think the drainpipes ever forgave me for that. I was going to keep the empty bottle, but I decided instead to throw it out. I didn't want anything around that would remind me of that so-called champagne. Well, at least the lad's heart was in the right place, but if someone ever offers you some Chinese champagne, I suggest you run, not walk away. Obviously, I thought it was excellent . . .

That's one restaurant I have not yet tried. I don't know whether I should regret that or not, but now that Helmut will be taking it over, it's bound to be good. Pascal, of Casa Pascal, now runs the Poseidon restaurant and Helmut will be running Flamboyant. Also, Hot Stone Grill and L'Olivier are both in Jomtien Complex and Mignon is right across the street from the complex. Meanwhile, both Continental Bakery and Linda's are in close proximity, both of which are my favorite breakfast places. Asia Moon, one of the most reasonable buffets is also in Jomtien Complex and they also do a great breakfast along with a great dinner. The famous Dick's Cafe is also there (same as the one in Bangkok). In other words, Jomtien Complex has plenty of excellent places to eat and several gay venues are there, including Rock Hard go-go bar, Monty's, Bondi, and several others. There is also a Blind Masseur legitimate massage parlor in the complex. In my opinion, those of you who have not spent any time in Jomtien Complex are missing some great venues and excellent dining.

When I first moved here, I started a written list of the things I miss. So far, I'm still looking at a blank page. Actually, that's not 100% true. There are a few things I wanted that I can't find here, but Villa Market has solved most of that problem for me. I still do ask my friends to bring some small items for me when they come. I remember a few months ago I asked for some packages of dry Lipton Onion Soup, which I use for cooking. Now I have so much that I think I'll be long dead and gone before I ever use half of it. Also, several months ago I mentioned that I missed my bread making machine, from the USA. It was too big and bulky to bring over and I couldn't find one in Thailand to save my life. One poster here was kind enough to offer to get one for me and put it in a shipping container he was going to send over here. Before I took him up on his offer, someone posted that they thought they saw some for sale at Paragon, in Bangkok. I went to Paragon and sure enough, there they were! The even had the same brand I had in the USA and the fact it was being sold here meant that I didn't have to worry about electricity differences. I bought it, of course. I haven't bought a loaf of bread ever since. I just make my own now. It's just a few small, hard to find items that I miss, but nothing more than that. Other than that, everything I need and everything I want is right here in Thailand.

Quite likely yes. If they don't already have bus tickets to go back home, there's a pretty good chance they won't be able to get one. I've already had three boys tell me they want to go back home, but when they tried to buy bus tickets they discovered that their destinations are already sold out and there won't be seats available until after Songkran. Songkran is one of the busiest travel seasons for Thais and most of the boys cannot afford to travel other than by bus.

Film Legend Charlton Heston Dead at 84 By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84. The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details. "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country." Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure." With his large, muscular build, well-boned face and sonorous voice, Heston proved the ideal star during the period when Hollywood was filling movie screens with panoramas depicting the religious and historical past. "I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked. The actor assumed the role of leader offscreen as well. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. With age, he grew more conservative and campaigned for conservative candidates. In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle. He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, telling members his five years in office were "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it." Later that year, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President Bush said at the time. He engaged in a lengthy feud with liberal Ed Asner during the latter's tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild. His latter-day activism almost overshadowed his achievements as an actor, which were considerable. Heston lent his strong presence to some of the most acclaimed and successful films of the midcentury. "Ben-Hur" won 11 Academy Awards, tying it for the record with the more recent "Titanic" (1997) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003). Heston's other hits include: "The Ten Commandments," "El Cid," "55 Days at Peking," "Planet of the Apes" and "Earthquake." He liked the cite the number of historical figures he had portrayed: Andrew Jackson ("The President's Lady," "The Buccaneer"), Moses ("The Ten Commandments"), title role of "El Cid," John the Baptist ("The Greatest Story Ever Told"), Michelangelo ("The Agony and the Ecstasy"), General Gordon ("Khartoum"), Marc Antony ("Julius Caesar," "Antony and Cleopatra"), Cardinal Richelieu ("The Three Musketeers"), Henry VIII ("The Prince and the Pauper"). Heston made his movie debut in the 1940s in two independent films by a college classmate, David Bradley, who later became a noted film archivist. He had the title role in "Peer Gynt" in 1942 and was Marc Antony in Bradley's 1949 version of "Julius Caesar," for which Heston was paid $50 a week. Film producer Hal B. Wallis ("Casablanca") spotted Heston in a 1950 television production of "Wuthering Heights" and offered him a contract. When his wife reminded him that they had decided to pursue theater and television, he replied, "Well, maybe just for one film to see what it's like." Heston earned star billing from his first Hollywood movie, "Dark City," a 1950 film noir. Cecil B. DeMille next cast him as the circus manager in the all-star "The Greatest Show On Earth," named by the Motion Picture Academy as the best picture of 1952. More movies followed: "The Savage," "Ruby Gentry," "The President's Lady," "Pony Express" (as Buffalo Bill Cody), "Arrowhead," "Bad for Each Other," "The Naked Jungle," "Secret of the Incas," "The Far Horizons" (as Clark of the Lewis and Clark trek), "The Private War of Major Benson," "Lucy Gallant." Most were forgettable low-budget films, and Heston seemed destined to remain an undistinguished action star. His old boss DeMille rescued him. The director had long planned a new version of "The Ten Commandments," which he had made as a silent in 1923 with a radically different approach that combined biblical and modern stories. He was struck by Heston's facial resemblance to Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses, especially the similar broken nose, and put the actor through a long series of tests before giving him the role. The Hestons' newborn, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film. More films followed: the eccentric thriller "Touch of Evil," directed by Orson Welles; William Wyler's "The Big Country," costarring with Gregory Peck; a sea saga, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" with Gary Cooper. Then his greatest role: "Ben-Hur." Heston wasn't the first to be considered for the remake of 1925 biblical epic. Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson had declined the film. Heston plunged into the role, rehearsing two months for the furious chariot race. He railed at suggestions the race had been shot with a double: "I couldn't drive it well, but that wasn't necessary. All I had to do was stay on board so they could shoot me there. I didn't have to worry; MGM guaranteed I would win the race." The huge success of "Ben-Hur" and Heston's Oscar made him one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood. He combined big-screen epics like "El Cid" and "55 Days at Peking" with lesser ones such as "Diamond Head," "Will Penny" and "Airport 1975." In his later years he played cameos in such films as "Wayne's World 2" and "Tombstone." He often returned to the theater, appearing in such plays as "A Long Day's Journey into Night" and "A Man for All Seasons." He starred as a tycoon in the prime-time soap opera, "The Colbys," a two-season spinoff of "Dynasty." At his birth in a Chicago suburb on Oct. 4, 1923, his name was Charles Carter. His parents moved to St. Helen, Mich., where his father, Russell Carter, operated a lumber mill. Growing up in the Michigan woods with almost no playmates, young Charles read books of adventure and devised his own games while wandering the countryside with his rifle. Charles's parents divorced, and she married Chester Heston, a factory plant superintendent in Wilmette, Ill., an upscale north Chicago suburb. Shy and feeling displaced in the big city, the boy had trouble adjusting to the new high school. He took refuge in the drama department. "What acting offered me was the chance to be many other people," he said in a 1986 interview. "In those days I wasn't satisfied with being me." Calling himself Charlton Heston from his mother's maiden name and his stepfather's last name, he won an acting scholarship to Northwestern University in 1941. He excelled in campus plays and appeared on Chicago radio. In 1943, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served as a radio-gunner in the Aleutians. In 1944 he married another Northwestern drama student, Lydia Clarke, and after his army discharge in 1947, they moved to New York to seek acting jobs. Finding none, they hired on as codirectors and principal actors at a summer theater in Asheville, N.C. Back in New York, both Hestons began finding work. With his strong 6-feet-2 build and craggily handsome face, Heston won roles in TV soap operas, plays ("Antony and Cleopatra" with Katherine Cornell) and live TV dramas such as "Julius Caesar," "Macbeth," "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Of Human Bondage." Heston wrote several books: "The Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976," published in 1978; "Beijing Diary: 1990," concerning his direction of the play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" in Chinese; "In the Arena: An Autobiography," 1995; and "Charlton Heston's Hollywood: 50 Years of American Filmmaking," 1998. Besides Fraser, who directed his father in an adventure film, "Mother Lode," the Hestons had a daughter, Holly Ann, born Aug. 2, 1961. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1994 at a party with Hollywood and political friends. They had been married 64 years when he died. In late years, Heston drew as much publicity for his crusades as for his performances. In addition to his NRA work, he campaigned for Republican presidential and congressional candidates and against affirmative action. He resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist." He attacked CNN's telecasts from Baghdad as "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War. At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album that purportedly encouraged cop killing. Heston wrote in "In the Arena" that he was proud of what he did "though now I'll surely never be offered another film by Warners, nor get a good review in Time. On the other hand, I doubt I'll get a traffic ticket very soon."

Club One Seven has a web site at: http://www.cluboneseven.net

I suppose that is technically possible, but have you been to the bars lately? Based on the number of customers I'm seeing in the bars, these boys would be lucky to get three offs per month.

According to the PATTAYA MAIL, the Pattaya City Council has passed a resolution that would permit entertainment venues to remain open until 4:00 AM. Don't start jumping for joy just yet. What they passed is merely a resolution. The City Council doesn't get to make the final decision. That decision can come only from the Ministry of the Interior. However, the council has passed the resolution and those of you who prefer a return to wee hour closing times just might end up getting your wish. Of course, many entertainment venues have been flouting the law for years and have been closing whenever they feel like it, with apparent impunity (other than paying certain gentlemen in brown for the privilege, law or no law). You can read the full article at: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd6

The US Embassy sent out a notice and has also stated the following on their web site (At the moment, appointments can be made for the remainder of April and for May, but no appointment dates after May are available as yet. Note that you can still simply walk in, but those who make appointments will be given priority.): _____ New Appointment System for ACS Services Begins in March In order to serve you better, beginning this month, the American Citizen Services section introduced an appointment system for all non-emergency services to include notarials, passport services, and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. We will continue to provide emergency services on an as needed basis. **Appointments can be made online at: https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.as...K&appcode=1 This link can also be accessed by going to our website at: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html We will not be able to book appointments over the phone. The purpose of the appointment system is to cut wait times for services and allow us to provide you with better service as demand for our services continues to grow. As we transition to the new appointment system, we will continue to accept walk-ins, but will give priority to those who made appointments online. Thank you for your understanding as we work to provide you with a higher standard of service.

Primarily because there have been too many times when I have been told one thing, and then everything changes at the last minute. When that happens, I get criticized for publishing misinformation. So, if I'm going to be criticized, I'd rather be criticized for not naming the bars than be criticized because I wrote that a particular bar will be closed, and then it opened anyway. I wrote the post because that is what I was told by bar owners and I consider it perfectly appropriate to alert readers to the possibility that some bars may be closed those two nights, whether I name them or not. Sorry that you have decided my post is useless. I don't share your opinion.

I never knew of its existence until the day fliers were being handed out at the beach. Have you been there? If yes, what can you tell us about it?

So far, two bar owners have told me they intend to close for Songkran on both April 18 and 19. I'd rather not say which ones and I have no information at this point about other Pattaya bars, but I wouldn't be surprised if others also close. That's because many of the boys go home for Songkran or simply are not going to show up for work on those two days. The bar owners are also well aware that they're not exactly going to get a full house of customers on those two nights. They know they'll be lucky if anyone goes out to the bars at all on the 18th and 19th . . . that is if there are still any farang left in town and venturing out those nights. All should be back to normal on Sunday, April 20. Pattaya has started emptying out already. There are no crowds at the beach. Traffic is lighter than usual. Tonight I was in three bars, between 8:45 to 10:15 PM. I was the only customer in all three of them. Some people are uncomfortable in that situation. Not me. For me it was terrific!

Many of you are familiar with the Door-2-Door restaurant delivery service. You can order complete dinners from a variety of restaurants and within thirty minutes your order is delivered to your door. Now Door-2-Door has a rival, WOW, which stands for Waiter On Wheels. I don't need to go into detail for this one. You can pick up their catalog-menu at any participating restaurant and/or check it out on their web site, http://www.wowpattaya.com . If you don't already have the Door-2-Door catalog-menu, you can have a look at http://www.door2doorpattaya.com. Something tells me both of these delivery services are going to have plenty of customers during Songkran.

If it were me, if the boy works in a bar I probably wouldn't publish which one, mainly because so many of these boys either quit working in the bars or move on to a different one quite regularly. Chances are that by the time the magazine comes out, the boy has moved on. On the other hand, if the boy has an Email address or has a profile on any of the gay personals web sites, and if the boy gives his permission to publicize that information, then I don't see any reason not to include it. The publisher of Spice is open to suggestions. Why not send him an Email at editor@spicemag.net and ask if he can include that information?

I received the following Email today, including the attached file. As you know, SPICE Magazine is free and the web site is http://www.spicemag.net : _____ Dear Friends, It seems word is getting out about the new focus of Spice! Magazine due out shortly. So I am attaching a preview of it and letting you know what the travelers and readers can expect. The next issue will be a newly revised Spice! Magazine that will be known as "The Essential Guide for Men." Edward Carter has come aboard as Editorial Consultant to oversee the melding of Spice! into a first class guidebook for Gay Travelers. Dr. Carter has been an author, professor, publisher of the online travel guide (http://www.edwardcarterstravels.com) and entrepreneur par excellence. We have been hard at work for some time now on the revisions. We will still have the "stuff" in Spice! you want to see like interesting stories, photos of events, and information for and about the Gay community, as we are very supportive of the Gay organizations & charities in Thailand. There will still be reviews about all types of eateries and romantic getaways but gone are things like the horoscopes and agony aunt columns that are replaced by Highlights of where to go and what to see, the best shopping areas, and what is considered special about that city. New also, are easier to read maps of the major cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui, and Pattaya, with an easier to use directory of places you want to visit. Also, we will offer tips about touring, places of interest not to be missed, and an "insiders" view on each city's Gay scene. But wait, I'm not gonna tell all here, you'll have to wait and see all the stuff we have packed into this new and larger edition of Spice! Magazine!—The Essential Guide for Men that is scheduled to published the 6th of May and will be sent to all the usual venues throughout Thailand. If you think people saved the previous issues as a resource for themselves or their friends, wait till you see this baby! Thanks again for all your support, comments, suggestions, or info you send to update the maps/indexes in Spice! They are always welcome and can be emailed to: editor@spicemag.net. Kind regards

I did try. You've seen what I look like? That's what did it to me . . .

I haven't tried it yet. Apparently they just opened on Second Road, across from the North Pattaya Big-C. I have attached the flier they were handing out at the beach. I think they confused AM and PM. I think the flier is incorrect and the actual opening times are most likely from 12:00 PM to 1:00 AM. I don't know why it never seems to occur to Thai-owned businesses to have their fliers proofread by a native English speaker, but that's the way they do things.

And now it begins . . . Today I started to notice several stores selling water shooters. Traffic is way down. The beaches were quite empty of the throngs of farang that were here just a week or so ago. The beginning of April really starts the low season in Pattaya. This is the time of year when so many farang start to avoid Pattaya and the rest of Thailand, preferring to make their holiday here during another month. That's fine with me. Now I'm not getting stuck in traffic and am easily finding plenty of parking when I wish to go to the beach. There isn't going to be any water spraying going on until April 12 and at about 7:00 PM on April 19 it will all come to a halt. That's in Pattaya. However in other areas of Thailand, where Songkran is celebrated only for one day, none of it begins until April 12 anyway.

There's a way to test that. Use the water purifier, drink a glass of the water before you go to bed, and set your alarm clock for 7:00 AM. When the alarm goes off and you wake up to turn it off, then you passed the test. If you don't wake up, then you flunked the test . . .

Even the water company says not to drink the tap water. I don't know why, but I go by that advice. I really don't want to find out the answer the hard way and bottled water is readily available and very cheap. I use tap water for showering, brushing my teeth, washing dishes, and washing food items such as fruit. I have never had any problem, no matter where I am in Thailand. I use only bottled water for cooking. The only exception I make is boiling eggs in tap water. Again, I have never had any kind of a problem.

I just looked at that video and I enjoyed it too. I agree that tells it and shows it the way it really is. The only thing missing was more shots of the local "eye candy" and some of the items commonly sold by the beach vendors.

So far this has not happened to me, but I always look and I make sure they see me looking. I have, however, heard and read enough stories in the local newspapers to know this scam does indeed exist and the unwary are going to get fleeced sooner or later. Watch for other scams too. If you're driving a car, don't let a gas station attendant check under the hood. You can bet that you're extremely likely to be told you have some sort of a problem. In Pattayqa, just a few months ago I had my oil changed. I always have my car serviced at the dealership where I bought it. They are totally honest there and they charge no more than a service station does. I drove out with a fresh oil and filter change, stopped at a filling station less than ten minutes later, and was told I need oil and ought to also let them change the oil filter. I politely said I'll take care of it some other time. They proceeded to try to high-pressure me into letting them do it. Of course, I paid for the fuel and left, never to return to that station. When I find a good, honest service station, that's where I try to go on a regular basis. In Pattaya I always try to go to the Caltex station on the east side of Sukhumvit Highway, just south of Central Road (Pattaya Klang) and the MP station on Tepprasit Road (the one with that excellent car wash). I have always been treated with honesty and excellent service at those particular stations, so I make a point of using them. Also, if you ever have any tire trouble, need a new tire, or prefer a good used tire, try the tire service facility at that same MP station. Their service is quick, honest, and they stand behind their work. It seems like I'm in there every other month or so with a nail in one of my tires and they usually have me back on the road within 15 minutes and charge a total of 100 baht to repair the tire.

I don't share your opinion, but you are, of course, entitled to it. I think some people are expecting too much. Some out there must be expecting Broadway quality at a bar. Try to remember that you're going to a bar, one that offers a show along with everything else. It's one of the few shows I have ever liked. Sure, it could stand improvement. What bar show couldn't? I think this one is the best bar show available in Pattaya. If you know of a better one, please let us know where it is. As far as the quality of the boys is concerned, that's a matter of individual taste. Boys who could easily replace Michaelangelo's 'David' are not usually found in a go-go bar. I do have one complaint, however. There is a toilet attendant. I never did like that and don't understand why anyone would think that is necessary or even desirable. When I go to a toilet, all I want to do is pee and go back to my seat. I very much dislike having someone try to massage me or stare at me while I'm trying to go. I can't even do what I went in there to do when that sort of thing is going on and I'm extremely uncomfortable with it. I end up going into a stall instead. At least the attendant can't follow me in there. If I were to request a change at Birdcage, being left alone in the toilet would be my first request. I've managed to take care of myself just fine in toilets ever since I was first potty-trained. I neither need nor want an attendant in the toilet and, in my opinion, having a toilet attendant is a terrible idea. Maybe whoever it was who thought that one up enjoys it, thinks it's a wonderful idea, and assumes everyone else thinks the same thing, but I'm someone who ends up feeling harassed and being made miserable in the toilet when an attendant is present. In short, when I have a need to go to the toilet, please . . . leave me alone.