Gaybutton

What I meant was that if someone has a complaint about the Birdcage show, then posting about it here is unlikely to change anything. Marsha does listen and if someone wants something changed, then taking it directly to him will be the most effective way to see the changes actually happen, rather than complaining on the message board. You might notice that the complaints I post "often enough" never result in any changes. You know why? Because the only people reading the complaints are people who are in no position to do anything about it. Marsha is in a position to do something about it. Maybe he reads this board and maybe he doesn't. I don't know. But if you want to see changes made to the things you're complaining about, then it seems to me that talking directly to Marsha is the best way to go about it.

If the boys used in the scam are under-age, then the people who fall for the scam don't get any sympathy from me because they were involving themselves with an under-age boy. The fathers, if they are indeed the fathers, are just as reprehensible. Your post says the farang gets confronted as he is leaving the room. My interpretation of that is that the fathers are allowing the sons to engage in sex and then, afterwards, try to blackmail the farang. If that isn't child abuse, then what is? I'm surprised the farangs are not calling the bluff. Those "fathers" aren't going to go anywhere near the police. They would be in major hot water themselves for allowing their under-age sons to engage in sex with a farang, especially if they are also foreigners. If they're not the actual fathers, then they're in for just as much trouble as the farang, perhaps even more. Either way, involving the police is the last thing they would want to do. They might have a rough time explaining to the police that they did not set up the farang, since they obviously knew where their "son" was, who he was with, and what he was doing. It would be hard for them to convince the police they thought the farang was only reading Rumplestiltskin to the boy. Regarding naughtybutnice's post, I have not seen the posts that were removed. My guess is the posts would be removed if the names of specific bars were used. If the bar names are given in an accusatory post on this board, I would remove the post too. A board can't tolerate that due to Thailand's libel laws. Even if Thailand did not have this sort of libel law, I would still remove the post if there is no solid evidence included in the post other than the poster's say-so. We get too many people who have something against a bar or bar owner, and they set out to ruin the bar's business through posts. That is something this board does not allow. If no names were used and if there was nothing to make it obvious as to which bars were being referred to, then I would have to see the post to understand why it was removed. Whether the moderators should provide a public explanation as to why posts are removed is subject to debate. In my opinion, if a post is removed, then the reason for the removal is between the moderator and the person who wrote the post, but not between the moderator and the rest of the world. In my opinion, it is optional for the moderator to provide a public explanation. If the moderator chooses to post an explanation, fine with me. If he chooses not to, that's also fine with me. Moderators often end up catching hell whether they explain or not. In my case, when I have found it necessary to remove a post, it doesn't make any difference whether I provide an explanation or not. As soon as I remove a post, that's when I start getting called a control freak, a Hitler, and a whole litany of other names. I can't speak for other boards, but on this board we don't remove posts lightly, especially since we know the name callers are going to be right there, almost immediately. I am well aware that many disagree with me on that issue, but that is my opinion nevertheless.

I didn't find the show boring at all. I imagine that visiting the same bar several times and seeing the same show several times would eventually become boring. They can't present a different show every night, you know. My information is that the show will be changed periodically, but I have no idea when or how often. You're not going to get Broadway quality at a bar show. As I said above, I don't usually like any of the bar shows, but I did like the Birdcage show. A message board is the wrong place to state your complaint. Next time you're at the Birdcage, talk to Marsha. He's listening seriously to comments and suggestions and what you suggest to him will not fall on deaf ears.

Here's something else we haven't seen for a while . . . a "flying farang" story. Here's the latest, from the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ English Man Jumps to his Death at View Talay 2 In the early hours of Wednesday Morning, Police Major Anuchaert from Dongtan Police Sub-Station located on Jomtien Beach was called to View Talay Condominium 2, Building B to investigate a case of suspected suicide. At the base of the building, the body of Mr. Malcolm Roland Jackov aged 56 from England who was known to be staying on the 12th Floor of the apartment block was found. There is a suggestion that he may have jumped from the 16th floor although this has not been confirmed. Security Guards were alerted by a crashing sound and discovered the body of Mr. Jackov who was known to drink heavily on a daily basis. Pictures inside his room showed him with a Thai woman and for now Police theorize that a relationship issue may be the motive behind the suspected suicide. The British Embassy in Bangkok are aware of the case.

It's been a few months since the last arrests involving farang accused of having sex with under-age boys, so I guess we were about due. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Two English Men Arrested by Region 2 Police, Accused of Having Sex with Minors. We joined Police Colonel Tanisorn from the Child and Women Protection Unit from Region 2 Police as he attended two locations in search of two foreign men wanted by Police. We begin in Soi Bongkot where the Colonel served an arrest warrant on Mr. Morris John Praill aged 77 from England. The warrant stated that he was alleged to have engaged in sexual activities with minors aged under 15. Mr. Brown who is already facing similar charges relating to previous cases is alleged to have gone to Soi Sunee Plaza in South Pattaya and offered money in exchange for sex to a boy aged 8 years. Mr. Praill denied the charges but did admit to giving money to the boy as he felt sorry for him. Mr. Praill was taken into custody and will appear in court next week. The second arrest warrant was served on Mr. Ronald David Wiener aged 60 from London, England. He was arrested at his 13th Floor apartment in Jomtien. A search of the room uncovered CD’s featuring underage sex. The warrant stated that Mr. Wiener was accused of having sex with a 13 year old boy in exchange for money. He will now receive additional charges of possession of child pornography and will also appear in court next week. Both cases are being monitored by the British Embassy in Bangkok. __________ You might also want to read the following story from the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000005410

The exchange rate isn't getting any better for the US dollar. I'm sorry to say that now we're in the 30's. The following is the exchange rate as of 10:30 AM, Wednesday, March 19, Thailand time. I did 'beware the Ides of March.' Unfortunately that didn't help: US Dollar: 30.95 Euro: 48.405 British Pound: 62.125 Australian Dollar: 28.68 Canadian Dollar: 31.055 I notice that once again the Canadian Dollar has more value than the US dollar. It's not much consolation, but the Thais don't like this any more than we do. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ More Baht, Oil Price Worries Thai exporters yesterday asked the government to manage the exchange-rate policy competently amid increasing volatility in global financial markets following the latest bail-out of US securities firm Bear Sterns. Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) chairman Santi Vilassakdanont said the deepening US sub-prime crisis could jeopardise the baht, due to an expected rise in capital inflows. "Exporters are increasingly worried the US Federal Reserve Bank will further cut its interest rate [following the Bear Sterns crisis], resulting in huge capital inflows into Asia," he said. "China and Vietnam may not be seriously affected, because of their tight capital controls. However, countries like Thailand could be hurt, because of our liberalisation policy, so the authorities need to manage the baht properly, or else it could become much stronger, because of the cancellation of the 30-per-cent capital reserve requirement." The FTI chairman also urged the government to come up with urgent measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises and fishermen who are being hit hard by the unrelenting rise in crude oil prices, which soared to US$111 (Bt3,500) per barrel yesterday. Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Atchana Waiquamdee agreed the condition of the US economy and rising oil prices were still key risk factors for Thailand's economic growth. Paiboon Ponsuwanna, chairman of the FTI's Food Industry Club, said the growth of food exports would be hit if the baht appreciated further significantly. "If the exchange rate is Bt33.5 to the US dollar, our food exports will expand 7.6 per cent year on year. But if the baht become stronger, say, 30 to the dollar, exports will grow only 1.9 per cent," he said. A growing number of food factories have reduced output, because they expect big losses from the baht's appreciation and higher production costs, he said. The Nation, APDJ

I wonder who ratted on him. I believe he really was docked and that it isn't just a ploy to try to get "sympathy money" from you. I've heard stories like this far more than just once.

I never thought of Soi Buakao as a place to look for good restaurants, but last night I found out that I had been missing out all this time. A friend told me about Le' Kitchen and I, along with two friends, gave it a try. All three of us really enjoyed it. It's an open air restaurant, but no smoking is allowed. There is a chair and table set up outside for smokers. Le' Kitchen is a buffet. The staff is excellent and the food is very good. They've got everything there, both Thai and farang food. They have a small salad bar, three soup choices (last night is was cream of chicken, goulash soup, and a Thai chicken-coconut soup). There are several bread choices, ranging from French bread to croissants. The buffet selections last night included several chicken, pork and beef choices, all of which we thought were really good. They also have both steamed and fried rice. That's not all. They also have a kebob grill, with cooks. You get your choice of chicken, beef, and pork kebobs. They also have large shrimp (prawns) that they grill for you. Don't forget dessert. Danish pastry and ice cream is included in the buffet price. You have to ask for the ice cream and the choices are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. I'm still not finished. They have a coffee machine that dispenses good quality coffee of your choice . . . regular coffee, expresso, capucino, etc. If you prefer tea, they also have a pot of hot tea. How much for all this? Would you believe 229 baht? If you order bottled water, now the bill becomes 245 baht. Getting there is easy. Baht buses run constantly on Soi Buakao. The restaurant is located as part of, and adjacent to the Royal Suite Hotel. You can't miss it. If you're coming from South Pattaya Road (Pattaya Tai), take the baht bus down Soi Buakao almost to where it ends at Central Road (Pattaya Klang). You'll spot the Royal Suite Hotel on the right. You'll see they have their plants outside all decorated with small, orange-ish light bulbs, almost like Christmas lights. If that is too vague for you, no problem. There is a location map on their web site at: http://www.lkpattayahotel.com/royal_suite/location.htm I have also attached their business card to this message. Give it a try! As I said, all three of us really enjoyed it and we can't figure out how they can possibly do it at that price, but there it is. We're going to make Le' Kitchen one of our regular eateries from now on. After you try it, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you do the same thing. Le' Kitchen is also open for both breakfast and lunch. Sooner or later I'll get around to trying their breakfast, but I'm not much of a breakfast eater. Perhaps someone else will beat me to it and will be kind enough to post about it.

That's Udon Thani. Thai Airways also flies there for a lot less than flying directly into Laos. The following is an excerpt from a article I had on my old web site about a trip to Laos. Bear in mind that this article was written nearly ten years ago, and I haven't been back to Laos since, so I can't guarantee that there haven't been changes. But I would hazard a guess that any changes, other than prices, since then would be minor: __________ As soon as we exited the luggage retrieval area at the Udon Thani airport, just to the right we saw signs for a bus that leaves right from the airport to Nong Khai. The price of a ticket for the bus was 100 baht per person, and the trip takes about ninety minutes. We bought the tickets, boarded the bus, and the bus left immediately. Ninety minutes later, the bus stopped at Nong Khai, the border town. If you are traveling with a Thai citizen, he can enter Laos even without a passport. All he needs is his national identity card. There is a small, easy-to-find office right there at the bus terminal at which the Thai citizen pays a 200 baht fee, fills out some paper work, and is granted an exit permit. Once we finished the twenty-minute process, we boarded another bus that takes us across the border. The bus makes a stop just before crossing the Mekong River. At that point, you go through a line at which the Thai customs officials take your departure card out of your passport, and they rubber stamp in your exit. Then, you re-board the bus and cross the river. If you happen to miss the bus, you can take the next one, which will come along in about ten minutes. Make sure you take your luggage off the bus you were riding just in case you miss it. Once you cross the Mekong River, now you are in Laotian territory. The bus stops at the Laotian customs offices. The first thing you have to do, assuming you don’t already have an entry visa for Laos, is to go to the window, which is clearly marked in English, that is the visa-on-entry window. The fee for foreigners, other than Thai foreigners, is US $30, which is payable in either U.S. dollars or Thai baht. You will first receive some documents to fill out. Then you submit the documents, along with your passport and fee. A few minutes later, you will receive back your passport, which will now have the Laotian entry visa. You will also receive an entry-departure card, not very different from the one you received in Thailand. Then there is a second series of lines. One is for Thai citizens entering Laos. One is for Laotian citizens returning to Laos. The third is for all other foreign nationals. You present your passport and entry-departure card there. A few more rubber stamps are entered, and now you pass through. At that point, there will be a table where customs officials will inspect your luggage, if they so choose. Most people, however, are merely waved on through without anybody bothering to inspect your luggage unless you somehow appear suspicious to them. Now, you have to pay an additional 10 baht entry fee, and receive a receipt for it. I have no idea why they don’t simply include that in the visa fee, but that’s the way they do things. Now you have to pass through one final line, at which the receipt for the 10 baht is taken, the entry portion of the entry-departure card is taken, the visa is inspected, and the departure card is stapled to the inside of your passport. Welcome to Laos. The whole process took about a half hour.

Probably a couple more weeks. It will certainly be over by the time Songkran begins.

So do I. This evening I was in a bar and personally witnessed a 'farang,' who was already sitting with a boy and publicly fondling him, call another boy over. He had the boy stand right in front of him, in full view of everyone, and he pulled down the boy's underwear and started sucking him. The boy obviously didn't know how to respond and was as embarrassed as he could be, although several other boys were sitting around publicly masturbating. That's not the kind of bar I enjoy, and I was out of there as soon as I saw that going on. I almost wish I stayed a bit longer to see if the 'farang' at least tipped the boy and how much, but I didn't.

That's because it's all about money. I am not a fan of mama-sans, that's for sure, and to tell the truth I don't see why bars employ them at all. I can understand a manager, someone in a supervisory position, but this mama-san business can be quite corrupt. Some mama-sans are the nicest people you would ever want to meet and really do try their best to take good care of their boys. Others are in control and the bar owners let them get away with it. It is often the mama-sans who make the actual determination as to how much each boy is paid each month or which boys are 'pushed' on 'farang.' The reason some boys don't get a 'life of their own' is because any time they are with a 'farang,' the assumption is the boy is being paid and the mama-san is supposed to get his/her cut. So, even on a 'free day,' a boy can get in trouble with his mama-san if he's working in the wrong bar. The boy is with a 'farang,' and the mama-san isn't getting a cut, even if no money exchanges hands. That's why some of these boys get into trouble. The mama-san will fire the boy and deprive him of his monthly salary. There's nothing the boy can do about it. Three guesses who ends up pocketing the salary the boy was entitled to. In other words, even though all you might be doing is taking the boy out to dinner on his 'free day,' he can still end up in trouble if he didn't first go to the mama-san, get permission to go, and pay the mama-san his/her cut. Welcome to Thailand . . . .

Not quite the case. George, the German former owner of Happy Bar, has taken over and opened the bar under the name "Ligun." He is also going to take over the location of the former Jungle Boys bar and will change the name to "ligun 1." The present "Ligun" bar will become "Ligun 2." They will be two separate go-go bars. The bar currently open as "Ligun" is already operating. Several of the go-go dancers are clad in the attire from Jungle Boys. Drinks are 100 baht. I asked George what "ligun" means. He says it literally means "up to you." He also says he is in the process of recruiting "new" boys, all of whom will come from various areas in Issan.

Based on your post, I'd say no, we weren't in the same bar. I suppose people see things the way they decide to see them. I don't agree with your assessment at all.

A go-go boy is what you have been seeing in the bars for years . . . boys in underwear, sometimes dancing, sometimes doing nothing more than the "one-knee shuffle." Basically, a go-go boy is putting himself on display and that's about it. A coyote dancer is an altogether different thing, far more specialized than the average go-go dancer. Coyote dancers appear in, shall we say, provocative attire and dance with intentionally sexually explicit moves. Often their moves are choreographed. Personally, I prefer it when there is no choreography and their dancing is much more spontaneous and, for lack of a better term, ad libbed.

Yes. Right down the street from Lux'or, directly across from the entrance to Tuk Com, is Cuisine au Buerre. I think the food is very good there at excellent prices.

I certainly do. There is plenty to complain about in Pattaya, as in most cities throughout the world, but the things I love about Pattaya and Thailand vastly outweigh the complaints, in my opinion. My life is not exactly trouble free. Like anyone else, I have my share of problems too, but when something is really getting to me I am always able to step back and remind myself that at least I'm here having the problem.

Now there's an ego-satisfying new term! I never thought about it like that and you're probably over estimating my influence, but yes, The Birdcage definitely gets my seal of approval and you're right; I don't often review bars. Have a great time there tonight. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I can't speak for Hedda, but my own opinion is that I can think of a great many ways our tax dollars could be better spent, if the article has its information correct. Is it now the policy of the US government to send agents out to spy upon and police its citizens in foreign countries? That sounds like whoever came up with that idea received his training from the KGB and the Gestapo. I can understand foreign police agencies cooperating with the Thai police, but I would have a problem accepting the idea that some sort of secret police group is being formed in a foreign country to spy on its own people, and in the process circumvent the Thai police, as something justifiable. They must be under the impression that crimes being committed by US citizens are so rampant in Pattaya that now spies should be put in place.

You can count on it. I thought it was an absolutely fascinating experience. I'm only sorry I didn't have more time there. Even if exploring Chinatown is the only thing you're going to do in Bangkok, in my opinion that alone would justify the trip.

I am rarely impressed with a new bar and anyone who knows me will tell you that I dislike bar shows. Tonight that all changed. Tonight I visited The Birdcage for the first time since their opening a week ago. ( see http://www.birdcagepattaya.com ). I arrived about 10:00 PM and had a chat with Mark (aka Marsha). The bar is smoke free. There are plenty of signs, both inside and outside to let people know that smoking is verboten inside. There are smoking areas outside for those who wish to smoke. I really like the way the bar is set up. The elevated stage is where the go-go boys perform. I knew I was going to like this bar the moment I saw that the boys were actually dancing and enjoying themselves. There was none of the "one-knee shuffle" going on, with boys looking like they're bored out of their minds. These boys really dance and some are quite talented. Directly in front of the stage, in close proximity to the audience, but not in-your-face, are the coyote dancers. There are also four "birdcages," each housing a coyote dancer. They switch positions regularly, so you don't end up staring at the same face and body all night (although there were several I could easily stare at all night, all day, and then some!). The "cages" are cleverly positioned so that no matter where you are seated in the bar, you're going to get an excellent view of the boys dancing in the "birdcages," along with an excellent view of the go-go boys. By 11:00 PM the first of the two nightly shows began. There's another show at 12:15 AM. Now, usually when it's show time in a bar that's invariably the cue for me to pay my bill and leave. I stayed, however, for this show. I'm glad I did. I can honestly say this was the first bar show in all the years and all the shows I've seen in the Thailand bars that I really enjoyed. My congratulations to Mark. He has put together a highly amusing show, quite unique. So many of the bar shows are essentially clones of each other and too often the boys seem to be halfheartedly going through the motions and appear as if they can't wait to get it over with. However, it's a different story at The Birdcage. The different acts were truly sparkling, witty, and the most appropriate word to use is "clever." The boys performing the acts were not only talented, but were obviously having a lot of fun, and that makes it much more fun for the audience. I'm not going to describe any of the acts. You've just got to get there and see for yourself. I have never returned to a bar to see a show a second time, but I can tell you I will be back to see "The Birdcage" show again and again, and Mark will be changing the show periodically. I overheard other "farang" commenting about how much they also enjoyed the show. Mark has really put together quite a bar. I'm certainly going to be back, and often. He told me he is still working on improvements, especially to the lighting. In all honesty, I didn't think much of anything even needs improving. I thought it was just fine the way it is, and Mark is going to make it even better. I was also impressed with the drinks. Generous portions are served and the bartender actually puts alcohol in his liquor. None of the watered down garbage at The Birdcage. You'll find the drinks menu and prices on their web site. I was greatly pleased that there was no presence of mama-sans. Not one. There were no mama-sans trying to sit down next to anyone, uninvited and unwanted, trying to cajole people into having a boy sit down with them or trying to get anyone to take a boy "off." That, in itself, is a great relief. If you want a boy to sit with you, signal him to come over yourself, or tell one of the waiters. The go-go boys all wear number badges. The coyote boys do not, although they can be called over to sit with you and can be taken "off." The "off" fees are 300 baht for a go-go boy, 400 baht for a waiter or staff member, and 500 baht for a coyote boy. That's standard pricing in Pattaya these days. In my opinion, The Birdcage is not only well worth a visit, but I would go as far as recommending placing this bar on your "Must Do" list when visiting Pattaya. Finding The Birdcage is quite easy. It's adjacent to the Day-Night Hotel on Soi Day-Night. You can't miss it. I truly believe this bar is really going to bring new life to Soi Day-Night. It is already doing so, although if and when more bars open on Soi Day-Night, The Birdcage is going to be an awfully tough act to follow. It was already getting crowded when I arrived at 10:00. By show time the bar was packed and every customer seemed greatly pleased. I think most of you will be too. So, my congratulations to Kevin, Mark, and the boys. They have really put together something quite unique and of high quality. Go and see for yourself . . .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080306/lf_af...landtourismfood Bangkok Restaurant to Give Big Spenders a Taste of Poverty Agence France Presse A Bangkok restaurant is treating its biggest spenders to a 300,000-dollar meal prepared by Michelin-starred chefs -- but only after they have jetted to an elephant camp to see how the other half live. Lebua hotels, which last year put on a sumptuous dinner with a 29,000-dollar per head price tag, will on April 5 fly up to 50 of their top clients to Surin province in northeastern Thailand, one of the kingdom's poorest regions. After seeing the dwindling number of pachyderms and the impoverished lives of their handlers, the high-rollers will fly by private jet back to Bangkok where they will feast on lobster, black truffles and Roquefort ice cream. Deepak Ohri, managing director of Lebua hotels and resorts, hopes that the trip will spark an altruistic streak in the assembled bankers, casino magnets and real estate moguls. "We're taking these people to Surin, to see how the poor people actually are living and are managing their elephants. They cannot even manage themselves and they cannot manage their elephants," he told AFP. "So all these people can actually create the infrastructure in that particular location, and at similar locations all over the world." Unlike after last year's one-million-baht meal, no money will be given to charity, and this time Lebua will pick up the tab for the dinner prepared by French chefs Jean-Michel Lorain, Michel Trama and Alain Soliveres, who have eight Michelin stars between them. "We are spending 10 million baht here so we are not giving any money to charity ... We don't need any donation, we need them to think, come up with some products from their companies," Ohri told AFP. Some may question the ethics of such a display of wealth and poverty, but Ohri insists such projects help bridge the gap between the rich and poor, and predicts a warm welcome for the well-heeled foodies. "If I am a poor person and I see a rich person is coming, it would make me very delighted because they see at last there is someone coming to look at us," he said.

When the funeral arrangements for Wowpow become available, I would appreciate it if someone else will be kind enough to post it. Unless the information becomes available on Monday, neither Geezer nor I will be able to post it. For months we have been planning a rather extensive road trip through central and northern Thailand. Our original plan was to leave Tuesday morning. We discussed delaying our trip until after the funeral, but we have decided we really need to go ahead with our original plans. If the information does become available on Monday, one of us will go ahead and post it, but obviously, if the information is not available until Tuesday or later, then neither of us will be able to post it.

I promised to add to this thread after exploring Chinatown. I can only tell you that I agree with every word Naughtybutnice wrote, and then some! I'm kicking my own butt for not having visited Chinatown before. This is an area to walk through and take your time exploring. I think you could visit Chinatown every day for a year and still have only scratched the surface. There are so many narrow sois, filled with curio shops, mom-and-pop restaurants, Chinese herbal medicines, Chinese art, and "whatnot" shops that you just can't begin to take it all in. There are also loads of wholesale shops. I walked through one wholesale area that was street after street of wholesale shoes. There are Chinese restaurants of every kind. I love dim sum and there are plenty of restaurants that have all kinds of dim sum choices on the menu. There are even some that sell only dim sum specialties. I ate lunch in a dim sum restaurant that was just packed with locals. This particular one specialized in dozens of different shrimp and prawn dim sum items. I doubt I could find it again in a million years, but next time I'm in Bangkok I'm going to look for it. I loved it and every choice comes with three or four pieces. Each choice was all of 15 baht. There is so much to see and explore there that I couldn't even begin to describe it. And Naughtybut nice is right. I shouldn't even try to describe it. It's an area you just have to see and experience for yourself. And, I certainly recommend doing just that next time you're in Bangkok. I know I will.

The funeral could be as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Geezer is on top of this and as soon as the date and time can be confirmed, it will be posted here for those who wish to attend the funeral.