Gaybutton

This is yet another one for my "I don't get it" list. Local mom-and-pop retailers threatened to stage major protests if Lotus Express stores were to come to the Pattaya area, and that's exactly what happened. You can read the article about it on the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS web site, along with several photos and you can watch a video of what took place: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004193 This makes it to my ever-growing list because I've been in several Lotus Express stores in Bangkok and they're virtually clones of 7-Eleven. Whatever you'll find at a Lotus Express is the same thing you'll find at any 7-Eleven, at the same prices. Anyone who has been to Pattaya knows there are more 7-Eleven stores in this city than you can count. They're everywhere, including the area at which the protest took place, and more are under construction. Family Marts run a close second. On the two major sois that lead to my house, from Sukhumvit, there are five 7-Eleven stores alone. I know of no protests about all the 7-Elevens and Family Marts. In light of that, I can't figure out why the coming of Lotus Express stores is causing such a brouhaha.

Honey Boy is one of Pattaya's newest bars, having opened just yesterday (November 10). It is located directly across the street from Wild West Boys and I understand the bar is owned by the same people that own Wild West Boys. We dropped by this evening to have a look. It is a very pleasant bar, comfortable seating, and an array of boys to please most tastes. It is a typical Pattayaland bar. From opening time until 10:00, all drinks are 99 baht. After 10:00, all drinks are 150 baht. The "off" fee is 300 baht. The bar puts on a nightly show at 11:00, but we did not stay long enough to see the show. It is certainly worth a look. My only complaint would be the music volume. It's far too loud for my taste and you do have to shout to be heard. Other than that, I truly liked the bar and the boys. Tai Boys is also brand new. Louis, the owner of the former Tai Boys Boys and Gacuya bars has opened a new Tai Boys bar in Pattayaland, Soi 1, next door to the new Star Boys bar. I have not yet had an opportunity to take a look, but I soon will. As long as I mentioned music volume, that's another one for my "I don't get it" list. Why in God's name so many bars insist upon music volume being so loud goes beyond me. I don't stay very long in bars at which the music volume is so loud that you have to shout and end up with ears throbbing for a half hour after leaving the bar. Whenever I've heard customers saying anything about music volume in these bars, it's always a request to lower the volume. I've certainly never heard a customer say, "Please turn up the volume." Since it ought to be perfectly obvious to anyone that most customers dislike the extreme volume, would someone please explain to me why so many bars do that anyhow?

The PATTAYA MAIL article states, "However, he had been taken to Ben Mansion on Soi Sunee and forced to provide sexual services to foreign men." I don't see how, unless the article has the facts wrong, an assumption that the boy was not taken to the room can still be maintained. If the boy was not taken to a room at Ben Mansion, then why would the article be written this way?

I suppose he should have used the word "probably," but yes, I suppose that is being insistent. I can't disagree with you. Either way, to me the more important issue is how the boys ended up in the rooms.

I hate to tell you this, but this is not a personals board. You're not going to get the responses you seek on this board. Not only that, but this board deals primarily with Pattaya and you're not even coming to Pattaya. I suggest trying sites such as Gaydar or Gay Romeo if you are seeking boys who advertise themselves online.

I agreed with ReneThai, and I still agree with him. I don't think he was insisting that it didn't happen. I think he was merely pointing out that assumptions were being made when there had been nothing, at that time, to indicate that anything took place at Ben Mansion at all. I think he was right to point that out. Now that the PATTAYA MAIL article indicates that this did indeed occur at Ben Mansion, we now know the facts according to the article. But we did not know the facts at the time ReneThai made his statement. Now, to my mind, the original question is now appropriate to ask, in light of the PATTAYA MAIL article: How did the boy (and apparently boys) get into rooms at Ben Mansion?

According to today's PATTAYA MAIL, the boy was taken to Ben Mansion after all. The PATTAYA MAIL article is far more detailed and up-to-date than the previous articles posted. See for yourself: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd9

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=123376 _____ Canada May Free Wanted Child-Abuse Suspect Vancouver, Canada (BangkokPost.com from Agencies) - A Canadian court says it let a convicted child sex abuser wanted in Thailand free on bail, because the government has not filed an extradition request to bring the man to Thai justice. The court told Orvile Mader, 54, who ran from Thailand after police issued a warrant for his arrest, that he can go free as early as today if he simply agrees to conditions that keep him away from places frequented by kids, such as playgrounds, schoolyards and community centres. The court appears likely to free Mader even though he has already successfully fled from one conviction for child abuse and paedophilia in Cambodia. Canadian media noted that Mader was convicted in Cambodia of similar charges this year. Information used to obtain an arrest warrant for Orville Mader says he was convicted in absentia in Cambodia for debauchery for offences that occurred in 2004. Mader made a brief court appearance at court in Abbotsford on Wednesday via video link, to confirm he has obtained a lawyer and will make a bail application on Thursday, Vancouver time. Mader has lived in Asia for years, and fled hours before his arrest last week on charges he had sex in Pattaya with an eight-year-old boy. Mader was arrested last Friday after stepping off a flight at Vancouver International Airport and held under a protective order after a provincial court judge ruled he could present a threat to children. Thai officials have said they will ask for Mader's extradition on child-abuse and rape charges, but the court and Canadian prosecutors said they have heard nothing from the Thai embassy or government so far.

I have no idea what happened, but as far as I know the pool has not reopened.

Gentlemen, we're not going to have this. Not on this message board. If anyone wants to engage in personal insults and battles, you'll have to do so by PM. I will get rid of any further insult trading.

Well, I certainly appreciate that. My opinion remains the same, however. You don't have to go to Thailand for people to think you're gay, a pedophile, or whatever else negative they choose to think. I don't see it as hiding one's head in the sand. I see it as 'think whatever you want and I couldn't care less. Maybe you ought to wonder what I'm thinking about you.'

My reaction to that is it doesn't matter what people believe about you or say about you. The only one who really knows the truth about you is you. People are gossips. People enjoy talking about others, but usually aren't so thrilled when they find the object of discussion is themselves. A great many people come to Thailand who are not in Thailand for sex or bars. A great many people also come to Thailand for precisely that. I don't think anyone is owed an explanation for your reasons for wanting to be in Thailand. It's none of their business anyhow. If they want to believe you go to Thailand for reasons they think are negative, then that's their problem, not yours. That's my opinion, anyway.

No, I haven't heard anything so far. If I do, I'll let you know.

That's very kind of you. On behalf of the GayThailand web site, I thank you.

I'm not particularly concerned about it now, since they allow you to cross out the important numbers, but I'm curious about the "logic" behind it. If that's the reason, then I wonder what's wrong with simply showing them the ATM card instead of having to provide a copy of it. I wonder why showing the Thai bank passbook wouldn't be enough. I also thought the required letter the bank provides confirms that the money is being deposited via a foreign source. This whole thing is just another item for my "I don't get it" list.

A Little Striptease for Your Web Password? New Scam Uses Disrobing Blonde to Trick Unsuspecting Internet Users By Jordan Robertson The Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a new online striptease, the buxom, beautiful blonde who promises to remove her slinky scraps of lingerie doesn't want your money. She's interested in your brain. Really. The creation of online scammers, she's trying to trick unsuspecting Internet users into helping the scammers break the online barriers that banks and e-mail services set up to thwart crooks. The striptease is the latest attempt to defeat so-called CAPTCHA systems, which is short for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Those safeguards require users to prove they are human by reading wavy, oddly shaped jumbles of letters and numbers that appear in an image and typing them out. In the new scam, an icon of an alluring woman suddenly appears on a Windows computer infected by a virus. After clicking on the icon, the user sees a photo of an attractive woman who vows to take off an article of clothing each time the jumble of figures next to her is entered. But the woman never fully undresses, and after several passwords are entered the program restarts, possibly enticing unsuspecting users into trying again. Trend Micro researchers say the scam appears to be isolated for now to spammers trying to register bogus e-mail addresses and flood chat rooms with unwanted pitches. But they worry schemes to infiltrate financial institutions could soon appear. Paul Ferguson, network architect at Trend Micro, speculated that spammers might be using the results to write a program to automatically bypass CAPTCHA systems. "I have to hand it to them," Ferguson said, laughing. "The social engineering aspect here is pretty clever."

The following appears in PATTAYA TODAY: http://www.pattaya2day.com/index.php?actio...ews&id=2588 _____ Retirement Visa New Rule Most Extensions are Affected Pattaya immigration bureau has announced several rule revisions which affect both one year retirement visa holders and, in addition, those requesting 7 or 30 day extensions to shorter visas. Yearly retirement visa applicants, whether registering for the first time or re-applying, are now required to photocopy (back and front) a current credit or ATM card in their own name and hand it in with their other required paperwork from their Thai bank showing cash balance and, in most cases, a letter from their embassy guaranteeing pension income from the home country. Separately, all holders of visas on arrival and tourist visas who are seeking an extension at Pattaya immigration – 7 days extra in the case of visas on arrival and 30 days extra in the case of tourist visas obtained abroad – must now show original documentation, plus photocopy, which explains their onward travel plans. This means that applicants for these shorter extensions must present an air ticket or overland ticket to a neighbouring country with a clear travelling date and not open ended. The latest changes are not in force in every immigration office, but are specific requirements at the Pattaya office. A spokesman said, “Pattaya has an unusually large number of foreigners on its books and these amendments are designed to provide evidence of good intention on their part. Retirement visa applicants will show a current ATM or credit card as evidence they are in good standing with a bank, whether in Thailand or overseas. Separately, those applying for extensions on shorter visas will need to show they have a clear plan to leave the country once the extension has been used up.” In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of new rules and amendments to the various categories of visa holders. For example, the Royal Thai consulate in Penang is now restricting the number of 60 day tourist visas for any individual to three. After that there’s a note printed in the passport to the effect that future applications will probably fail. Other Thai embassies in south east Asia are reported as operating the same policy. The purpose behind these changes seems to be to discourage farangs on short visas living permanently in Thailand . The argument is that tourists will be leaving the country to go home after their trip is completed. On the other hand, those wanting to reside in Thailand should be applying for a one year visa of some kind, backed by sufficient financial resources to ensure they are not a burden on the Thai state. The main one year visas available are for retirees with an income, those with a Thai spouse who can show regular cash transfers to Thailand and extensions linked to possession of a work permit issued by the labour office. A well connected Pattaya travel agent and visa specialist agreed that the trend was to discourage back packers and the impecunious from living permanently in Thailand. “Those on very modest means are welcome as tourists and holiday makers, but increasingly the long stay foreigners are being means tested,” he said. He added that the Thai elite card had visa advantages, but required a membership fee of one million baht. There was also a three year non immigrant business visa available at some overseas Thai embassies, but this required sponsorship from commercial enterprises or the board of investment here in Thailand.

There's a simple solution for that. Tell 'em you live in Bangkok.

Very good point, one that I completely overlooked. You're absolutely right. You've definitely got me on that one and I plead guilty of jumping to conclusions. We really don't know whether the boy(s) were ever actually in the hotel at all. Now that you mention it, nothing in any of the articles say that the boy(s) were even seen on CCTV cameras either, so you may very well be correct in the idea that nothing actually happened at all in the hotel. It will certainly be interesting if the media ever publicizes just where these liaisons actually took place. I sure hope it wasn't in a hotel, but unless it was in some sort of a private residence or unless it took place outdoors, where else? The articles do state that the boy was found in the Sunee Plaza area and that he was either taken there or ended up there somehow on his own. The "farang" was staying at a Sunee Plaza area hotel. Based on that, I suppose it is logical to conclude that the sexual activity took place in the "farang's" hotel room, but you certainly are correct in having realized that none of us can actually know that at this point. Excellent call, ReneThai.

That's a good question and I wouldn't be surprised if the reason turns out to be some form of "Thai logic," a favorite oxymoron. In any case, since they cannot do anything with crossed out information, then I've got better things to lose any sleep about. I still think it's a regulation that will be short-lived and won't last very long. I wonder what people do if they don't even have an ATM card. Not everyone wants to carry one. Are they really going to force people to obtain an ATM card against their will in order to obtain a visa? "Sir, you must make copy you ATM card, two side." "But I don't have an ATM card." "Oh, you must have Thai bank account for visa." "I have a Thai bank account. Here's my bank passbook along with the required copies." "But you no have ATM card?" "That's right. I don't want one. Too many stories of illicit use and theft." "Not make sense no have ATM card." "Well, it makes about as much sense as this rule, doesn't it?"

That very question was recently addressed in another thread. Rather than repeat what was already said, click the following to see that thread: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2109

It would be a bit less horrible if that article is correct, but I'm quite skeptical about it. If the article is correct, so far nothing of the sort has appeared in any of the English language Thai media, other than the article itself, which was not written in Thailand and was not written by Thai journalists. Also, how would the frantic mother at Carrefour fit in? According to the original articles, she was shopping with the boy when he disappeared. There is another problem with the article. It states the boy was at a shopping mall at midnight. Considering the other articles say the incident occurred at Carrefour, then it's a bit difficult for me to accept the idea that friends, including an 8 year old boy, would have even been at Carrefour at that hour. By midnight Carrefour is closed. I'm also interested in how the original article stating, "the man was arrested and the boy was returned to his Mother," and the man also admitted to the crime, changed to an 8 year old boy was out with a group of friends at midnight, was not kidnapped, and then they all decided to head for Sunee Plaza. Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture? Which version of the story seems most probable to you? Even if it turns out that the article is correct, there is still an unanswered question that was brought up in another thread: How did they manage to get the boy into the hotel and up to the "farang's" room in the first place?

Maybe this will make a few of them think twice before preying upon children in Thailand. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Wanted Paedophile Arrested in Canada Police in Canada have arrested Orville Frank Mader, 54, who was the subject of a manhunt in Thailand after reports he abused boys as young as 8 years old. Canadian authorities in Vancouver arrested Mader, who had fled Thailand to his home country after a warrant was issued for his arrest, said Pol Col Apichart Suribunya, head of Thailand's liaison office for Interpol. "We have asked Canadian authorities to extradite him because he has committed crimes in Thailand," said Pol Col Apichart. Mader is accused of paying 600 baht to an eight-year-old boy last Saturday night for oral sex. Police said they believe Mader abused at least three other boys. Mader allegedly stayed in the same hotel as Christopher Paul Neil, 34, another Canadian who was detained in Thailand two weeks ago following a worldwide manhunt because he was wanted on suspicion of having sexually abused young boys. The Thai police warrant for Mader's arrest issued early this week was accompanied by photos of Mader taken by security cameras at the Ben Mansions Hotel in Pattaya. According to Thai police, Neil has also had checked into the Ben Mansion two days before his arrest in Nakhon Ratchasima. Mader allegedly stayed in the same hotel as Christopher Paul Neil, 34, of Maple Ridge, who was detained in Thailand two weeks ago on suspicion of having sexually abused young boys. The Thai police warrant for Mader's arrest issued early this week was accompanied by photos of Mader taken by security cameras at the Ben Mansions Hotel in Pattaya, a sex-trade hub 110 kilometres south of Bangkok. According to Thai police, Neil has also stayed into the Ben Mansion. (BangkokPost.com from agency reports)

How would you like to find out that your child was one of their students?

Thank you very much for letting us know. As long as they don't mind people crossing out those numbers, then I don't see this as anything to get upset about.