Gaybutton

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.

This is indeed terrible news and a shock to us all. Anyone familiar with the message boards was familiar with Wowpow. Anyone who knew him also knew that he was the very essence of culture and class, and was a pure gentleman. Wowpow was an icon in both Pattaya and Bangkok and an integral part of the gay scene. His death is a terrible loss. We are presently awaiting information as to funeral arrangements. At this point, nobody seems to know if there will be a funeral in Thailand or whether his remains will be sent home for burial. Once we are able to find out, we will certainly let you know.

As I'm sure most of you know, the new Birdcage bar, which used to be Lek's Bar, followed by being Guys Bar, is located on Soi Day-Night, adjacent to the Day-Night Hotel. I have not visited the bar yet during opening hours. Today I was there two hours before opening time and had a talk with Kevin and Marsha. I must say I'm greatly impressed with what they are trying to do. Both said there were opening night problems, which is to be expected, and they are getting them worked out quickly. Marsha said he put the whole thing together only within the last ten days, so whatever those of you who have already been there experienced, and I understand most people were greatly pleased, it's going to get even better. I've read a few reviews that have appeared on other web sites. I will be in Bangkok until Friday. I'm going to try to make it to Birdcage at some point over this coming weekend, after which I'll post my own review. In the meantime, It really looks like it just may be the bar that finally brings real life to Soi Day-Night and I think Birdcage will succeed. I hope other bar investors follow suit and try to get Soi Day-Night really going as the third major gay venue area in Pattaya. However, from what I've seen and heard from both Kevin and Marsha so far, Birdcage will be a tough act to follow . . .

When in a city you don't know very well, or don't know at all, that's where having a GPS, with the ESRI software, can come in mighty handy. When I go to Chiang Mai, I'm going to drive to get there. I already have most of the places I want to visit marked on the GPS. All I'll have to do is decide which location I want to visit, crank up the GPS, and it will lead me right to wherever I want to go. I spent some time today putting in all the places you talked about and am looking forward to visiting the ones that seemed most appealing to me.

Thank you, Bob. I certainly will. It's been a couple of years since I was last in Chiang Mai. GT's posts and your suggestions are sure coming at perfect timing for me.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ BOT and Ministry Will Ride the Baht The Bank of Thailand and the Finance Ministry will jointly manage the exchange rate through the market mechanism, following tomorrow's end to 14 months of hard-knuckled capital controls. Published on March 2, 2008 Tarisa Watanagase, the central-bank governor, told Nation Channel yesterday that the new BOT Act would go into effect tomorrow and the Finance Ministry had a new public-debt management law to rein in the baht. Both laws let the central bank and Finance Ministry issue an unlimited amount of bonds to manage the demand for and supply of foreign exchange as a means to stabilise the baht, which will likely shoot up after the 30-per-cent reserve requirement is lifted. "Since we held an election and got a new government, the policy direction has become clearer. The Finance Ministry has also taken action to support the BOT in overseeing the baht via its public-debt management office," Tarisa said. The government now has more powerful tools at its disposal to influence currency movements, while before conditions were not conducive to removing capital measures due to the lack of legal power to deal with volatility in the forex market. The export sector has been the only engine of growth for the economy, so authorities needed to be cautious to avoid causing undesirable impacts, she said. However, the economic outlook is now better and figures for imports and exports, government expenditures, investment and consumption for the last quarter of 2007 show that the time is now ripe to unbridle capital flows, she said. Tarisa insisted that the central bank had not acted under pressure from politicians. The Thailand Development Research Institute has forecast that the baht will appreciate by Bt1 per US dollar due to the unfreezing of reserves. Small exporters could be hit by the falling competitiveness of Thai goods in the world market. Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the opposition Democrat Party, welcomed the central bank's move, while Korn Chatikavanij of the same party said the baht would continue its upward trend because of the US dollar's weakness. Korn also warned the government not to attempt to fix the value of the baht because that was not possible under today's market conditions. The government should instead manage the economy competently with sound policies so that it would help avoid imbalances, he said. Overall, economic growth should be sustainable, he said, supported by sound policies for domestic public and private investment, consumption and export. Afterwards, the exchange rate will reflect these economic conditions, he said. The Nation

Thank you for these posts, GT. For me, your timing is perfect. I expect to be in Chiang Mai myself about a week from now and I'm certainly going to try some of your recommendations.

You have my word on it. I will be in Bangkok this week. Now, between that article and your posts, I'm hoping to be able to stay an extra day so that I can start exploring Chinatown and devote the entire day to it.

Excellent post and even more excellent advice! Next time I'm in Bangkok I certainly intend to do just that. The gay stuff can wait. From what I have been reading, coupled with your post, I for one am kicking my own butt right now for not taking the time to experience Chinatown before.

I have never visited Chinatown in Bangkok, but I happened upon the following article and it sure makes me want to do some exploring next time I'm in Bangkok. Perhaps some of you have spent some time in Bangkok's Chinatown and can make some recommendations as to things to do, things to see, places to eat, and if there is any gay activity there. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Weekend/GD16Jp02.html

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ BANK OF THAILAND Capital Controls to Go on Monday Published on March 1, 2008 BOT Governor Denies Political Pressure Behind Sudden Move; Rules Out Rate Cuts The Bank of Thailand yesterday decided to remove controversial capital controls and introduce new ways to prevent baht speculation, ending 14 months of the "draconian" measures. The move is effective from Monday. After the announcement, the baht onshore rate rose against the greenback to close at its peak of Bt31.45-Bt31.50, from an opening of Bt31.91-Bt31.94, while the baht offshore weakened to Bt30.40-Bt30.90 from Bt29.45-Bt29.55. Meanwhile, the central bank insisted it would not cut the policy interest rate, though the Thai rate is higher than the US and makes Thailand attractive for capital inflows, which would strengthen the baht. The market earlier believed the revocation would come with a deep policy interest-rate cut of at least 100 basis points from the current 3.25 per cent. The bank said the managed-float exchange rate was suitable, because it was flexible and dealt with global volatility, an important factor that is closely monitored. Bank Governor Tarisa Watanagase yesterday said it considered it "good timing" to repeal the controls. Domestic demand and export growth have been stronger, apparently, since the fourth quarter. A government stimulus package will help restore investor confidence and strengthen domestic demand. Tarisa said the balance of capital movement was experienced due to a decline in the trade surplus in January, increases in investment abroad at US$13 billion in December and resident foreign-currency deposits. Finance Ministry public-debt restructuring and management will help bolster the balance of capital flows, she said. The bank has more instruments to manage liquidity and the baht under the new Bank of Thailand Act. Moreover, manufacturers and exporters can adjust to an appreciating baht through forex hedging, along with improvements in production efficiency, management and market diversification. "There had been widespread expectation we would lift the measure. As a result, market participants have adjusted behavior in line with these expectations. This lessens the efficiency of the withholding reserve requirement," said Tarisa. The bank believed it would be able to counter huge demand for the baht if existing foreign investors totally unwound their forex positions, worth a total of US$5 billion (Bt157 billion at $1=Bt31.4), which would lead to currency strengthening. Tarisa was optimistic foreign investors would not entirely unwind their positions if they had a different view on currency trends. She was hopeful the revocation would not cause exporter panic, and would have a positive psychological effect on the stock market. However, exporters yesterday expressed disappointment with the removal. Earlier, the bank took a strong stance that the measures would be lifted only when it could ensure exporters would not panic, imports increased significantly and volatility in the global finance market declined. Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee called a February 12 confidential meeting with the central bank on the measure. Markets expected ministerial pressure on the bank to revoke the withholding reserve requirement. Tarisa insisted she independently removed the measure based on sound economics. There was no political pressure, she said. The revocation was pursued under a joint agreement between the central bank and the ministry, which both found supporting measures to reduce the impact on the baht. "I will not quit, because I am a working person. I insisted it would continue to work. I have not been pressured as reported. We considered it was time to remove supporting measures," she said. Deputy Governor Atchana Waiquamdee said the bank would not manage the currency with interest-rate movements, although appreciation would have an impact on the economy. The policy interest rate could be slashed only when inflationary pressure decreased, she said. The bank will continue to monitor the global economy, but believes the managed-float exchange rate will serve fluctuations, said Deputy Governor Bandid Nijathaworn. The central bank will tell commercial banks about the revocation and details of supporting measures soon. Anoma Srisukkasem The Nation ____________________ And This, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ Capital Controls Lifted The Bank of Thailand announced on Friday it was reversing course and will lift the 30 per cent capital controls effective on Monday. The baht exchange rate immediately leapt nearly 2 per cent to 31.45 per dollar, the highest in nearly 11 years. "The central bank decided to lift the capital controls because of the improving economic situation," said central bank governor Tarisa Watanagase. The controls were imposed during the Surayud Chulanont administration in an attempt to control the appreciation of the baht against the dollar. They require that 30 per cent of all incoming investments to be held by financial institutions for up to one year. Mrs Tarisa had fought the government on lifting the capital controls. The BoT has predicted the baht will rise in value against the US dollar when the controls are gone. The baht has already gained 7.4 per cent this year, the most of any of the top-10 currencies in Asia outside of Japan. Mrs Tarisa said one effect of lifting the controls would be a merging of the local, largely artificial exchange rate with the so-called offshore rate found outside the country - which was 29.7 baht per dollar on Friday. The central bank implemented the one-year, 30 per cent withholding requirement in Dec 2006. It justfied the restriction by saying they would help to maintain the competitiveness of exports by restraining the rise of the baht. The immediate effect of the measure was the biggest one-day stocks selloff in Thai history, and damage to the country's reputation with foreign investors. On Friday, Mrs Tarisa acknowledged the inevtiable, and said that widespread expectations of the lifting of the controls have "eroded their effectiveness." The current government campaigned for election late last year on a platform which included trashing the capital controls. Mrs Tarisa, whose position as head of the Bank of Thailand is now severely threatened, opposed lifting the controls, but eventually lost the battle. She said that "other measures" will be implemented to try to keep the baht as weak as possible. A managed float of the baht remains an appropriate policy, she claimed. The amount that the BoT has spent in its losing effort to keep the baht weak has not yet been made public. It is widely believed to be well over $100 million. Despite the spending, the baht has continued to rise, and is currently at 11-year highs against the US dollar, both at home and in offshore trading. ____________________ And this, from TNA: _____ Thai Central Bank Lifts Capital Controls Monday BANGKOK, Feb 29 (TNA) After a year of implementing reserve withholding measure, by which Thailand forced investors to hold in reserve 30 per cent of all short-term capital flowing into the country, the Bank of Thailand (BoT), the country's central bank, acted Friday to remove the measure, effective Monday. BoT Governor Tarisa Watanagase announced the lifting of the controversial measures to take effect March 3, ending the regime of the unremunerated reserve requirement (URR) after nearly 15 months in effect, a measure that was introduced to rein in the volatility of the Thai baht when demand was falling and "robust export growth was the main driver of the economy". Political and economic players alike have both supported and condemned both the initiation the measures, and the ending of their implementation. Stating that the country's economic performance in the last quarter of 2007 and in January this year indicated that the time was right to withdraw the measures, Mrs. Tarisa indicated Friday that the time had arrived. "Foreign exchange inflows/outflows have become more balanced', according to a BoT statement, with a moderate trade account surplus in January 2008, increasing Thai investments abroad, and regulations permitting residents to deposit foreign currencies as of this month. The appreciation of the baht – whether it will continue, and by how much – is at issue. Mrs. Tarisa told a press conference that the controversial capital controls the BoT had imposed to restrain the country's currency from getting too strong had done the job they were intended to do. The BoT's move follows the policy of the new government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to remove the controls. The central bank's web site is carrying notification of the lifting of the URR measures, rules for non-resident baht accounts and related matters at www.bot.or.th. (TNA)-E006

I agree with that. Obviously not everybody has the means to be risking money on investments or even enough money to make an investment at all. But for those who can, good suggestions are being made on this thread.

Regarding the exchange rate, I hope the lifting of the controls doesn't mean "There goes the whole ballgame" for the US dollar. If the dollar depreciates further, then all who depend on the exchange rate can really start laughing. The value of the dollar continues to diminish while prices are rising in Thailand.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know she's right?

See the following from PATTAYA MAIL: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd18