Gaybutton

Children are used in movies, television, commercials, magazine ads, clothing models, etc. I don't see many people getting upset over those things. When I was a kid there were newspaper routes and school safety patrols. When I was 7 I had a lemonade stand. I had hopes for General Foods buying me out, but the deal fell through at the last minute. Oh well . . .

This one definitely makes it onto the list of the top 20 most moronic crimes I've ever heard of. It's almost too stupid to be believable, but there it is. See http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000004009 for photos. _____ The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: _____ FOREIGNER STABS CAR SALESMAN AND STEALS BMW A German university student, armed with a knife, allegedly, attacked a car salesman and stole the car that he was test driving. He threw the staff member out of the car and drove off in the stolen BMW. He tried to sell the car, but ended up getting caught. On 10 October 2007, at 11 AM, Banglamung Superintendent Police Colonel Sarayut Sa-gnuen-bpokai was notified by Mr.Suthee Phongsomboon (30), a staff member at Pattaya Car Center, located at 211/5 Moo 6, Nongprue, that a foreign man attacked him with a knife and stole a blue BMW 323I, license 2654, Bangkok. The incident occurred in front of the Thai Military Bank, Naklua Branch. Police rushed to the scene and met with Mr. Suthee, who was quite frightened and shaken up. He had numerous stab wounds on his body. His left hand palm was cut, as well. Police sent him to Banglamung Hospital for treatment of his wounds. Mr. Suthee reported that the thief was a foreign man who pretended to be interested in buying the blue BMW 323I, license 2564, Bangkok. They had agreed on the price of 890,000 baht. The man asked for a test drive. Mr. Suthee sat in the passenger seat. The thief pretended that he needed to change his Euro currency into baht at the Thai Military Bank, Naklua Branch. He went out and pretended to talk to the bank staff. When he came back, he told Mr. Suthee that the bank didn’t have enough money and he had to come back in one hour. The robber suggested that they have something to eat at Royal Garden Plaza, South Pattaya and then come back to the Thai Military Bank when they were finished. However, in front of the bank, the thug pulled out a knife and tried to slash Mr. Suthee’s neck. Mr. Suthee moved out of the way and grabbed the knife, but still sustained several cuts. Mr. Suthee tried to open the car door. The robber pushed him out of the car and drove off. Later that day, at about 4 PM, the perpetrator tried to sell the car to Mr. Pheerasut Homchuen, the proprietor of Rod Dee Mue Song used car shop, in North Pattaya, opposite Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Mr. Pheerasut was suspicious of the man and called Mr. Suthee from the original car shop, discovering that the car was stolen. Mr. Pheerasut tried to stall for time, but the robber was alert that something was amiss and jumped on a baht bus before Mr. Suthee arrived. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphachai Pui-gaew-kam, from the Crime Suppression Center, tracked the robber to D&K Apartment, 678/15 Moo 5, Naklua, Banglamung, Room B2; and was able to find and arrest him. After more investigation, the police determined that the alleged perpetrator was Mr. Robert Bertram Gerhard Demel (31), a third year university student in Giessen, Germany. Mr. Demel denied the charges and claimed that he had paid for the car. He refused to say anything else. Police detained Mr. Demel and took him to Banglamung Police Station for further interrogation.

Gore, U.N. body win Nobel Peace Prize By DOUG MELLGREN, Associated Press Writer Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Friday for their efforts to spread awareness of man-made climate change and lay the foundations for counteracting it. "I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize," Gore said. "We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity." Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary on global warming, won an Academy Award this year and he had been widely expected to win the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said global warming, "may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states." Gore said he would donate his share of the $1.5 million that accompanies the prize to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan nonprofit organization devoted to conveying the urgency of solving the climate crisis. "His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change," the Nobel citation said. "He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted." Gore supporters have been raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for petition drives and advertising in an effort to lure him into the Democratic presidential primaries. One group, Draftgore.com, ran a full-page open letter to Gore in Wednesday's New York Times, imploring him to get into the race. Gore, 59, has been coy, saying repeatedly he's not running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, without ever closing that door completely. He was the Democratic nominee in 2000 and won the general election popular vote. However, Gore lost the electoral vote to George W. Bush after a legal challenge to the Florida result that was decided by the Supreme Court. Peace Prize committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said a possible Gore presidential run was not his concern. "I want this prize to have everyone ... every human being, asking what they should do," Mjoes said. "What he (Gore) decides to do from here is his personal decision." However, when asked about the 2008 U.S. elections, he said: "I am very much in support for all who support changes." The last American to win the prize or share it was former President Carter in 2002. The Nobel committee cited the Panel on Climate Change for two decades of scientific reports that have "created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming." Members of the panel, a network of 2,000 scientists, were surprised that it was chosen to share the honor with Gore, a spokeswoman said. "We would have been happy even if he had received it alone because it is a recognition of the importance of this issue," spokeswoman Carola Traverso Saibante said. The panel forecast this year that all regions of the world will be affected by climate warming and that a third of the Earth's species will vanish if global temperatures continue to rise until they are 3.6 degrees above the average temperature in the 1980s and '90s. "Decisive action in the next decade can still avoid some of the most catastrophic scenarios the IPCC has forecast," said Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s top climate official. He urged consensus among the United States and other countries on attacking the problem. Climate change has moved high on the international agenda this year. The U.N. climate panel has been releasing reports, talks on a replacement for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate are set to resume and on Europe's northern fringe, where the awards committee works, there is growing concern about the melting Arctic. Jan Egeland, a Norwegian peace mediator and former U.N. undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, also called climate change more than an environmental issue. "It is a question of war and peace," said Egeland, now director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs in Oslo. "We're already seeing the first climate wars, in the Sahel belt of Africa." He said nomads and herders are in conflict with farmers because the changing climate has brought drought and a shortage of fertile lands. The committee often uses the coveted prize to cast the global spotlight on a relatively little-known person or cause. Since Gore already has a high profile some had doubted that the committee would bestow the prize on him "because he does not need it." Gore's climate change effort has had its share of criticism. A British judge said in a ruling published Wednesday that some assertions in his documentary were not supported by scientific evidence. The case involved a challenge from a school official who did not want the film shown to students. The ruling detailed High Court Judge Michael Burton's decision this month to allow screenings of the film in English secondary schools. The judge said that written guidance to teachers, designed to ensure Gore's views are not presented uncritically, must accompany the screenings. In recent years, the Nobel committee has broadened the interpretation of peacemaking and disarmament efforts outlined by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in creating the prize with his 1895 will. The prize now often also recognizes human rights, democracy, elimination of poverty, sharing resources and the environment. Two of the past three prizes have been untraditional, with the 2004 award to Kenya environmentalist Wangari Maathai and last year's award to Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank, which makes to micro-loans to the country's poor. The prize also includes a gold medal and a diploma. The prize for economics will be announced Monday.

The Pattaya International Magic Festival will take place from October 17 to 21 at the Big-C on Second Road, from 11:00 Am to 9:00 PM. Admission is free. There will also be magic shows taking place at the Alankarn theater. Admission at the Alankarn isn't free. Click the links below for details, times, and prices. http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd14 http://www.pattayamagicfestival2007.com

Can you be specific about which Big-C, in which city, you are talking about?

No, actually I do not jest at all. I don't dispute a word of what you say, but I can only tell you I have never experienced anything of the sort and I don't know anyone who has.

There is a very nice video of the 2006 Gay Pride parade in Bangkok on YouTube. It's 9 and a half minutes long. The URL for it is:

That's what I meant when I wrote, "In Pattaya, certainly the beach is a prime cruising spot." I'm sorry if that wasn't clear. It can be good in the day. There are usually a few non-money boys around, although not very many and usually much older than the usual money boy, but I also include money boys when trying to locate good cruising areas. Night used to be very good at Jomtien as well. Unfortunately, crime has pretty much finished off that area as a nighttime cruising area.

If your friends are living in Bangkok, then they probably don't have to worry about a hotel at all. I would presume they are living in a condo or house. Wherever they're living, it probably isn't a hotel. Where does the type of hotel at which someone is staying fit into your argument?

Perhaps so, but I'd like to see responses a little more specific than that.

The subject of cruising spots hasn't been discussed here for some time. In Pattaya, certainly the beach is a prime cruising spot, along with the Sansuk Sauna, Walking Street, Beach Road (especially if you are looking for lady boys), and the Beach Road entrance to Royal Garden. In Bangkok, the places I know include the Babylon Sauna, the Robinson's Department Store entrances at Silom, just outside of the Malaysia Hotel, and Saranrom Park ( see: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.ph...amp;hl=saranrom and http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.ph...amp;hl=saranrom ). I am wondering if anyone knows of other cruising spots in Thailand that are usually good.

You might be right, but if you are it comes as news to me. I've never heard anyone say a Thai boy, for any reason, refused to come to a "sex tourist" hotel. I don't know what constitutes a "sex tourist" hotel. Both the Pinnacle and the Malaysia cater to both gay and straight. I've seen plenty of heterosexual couples, including Thais, staying at both. In Pattaya, that would mean these same boys would refuse to come to the Ambiance, Le Café Royale, Howard's, or Don Plaza. Aren't these boys gay too? Why would they refuse to stay at a gay friendly hotel? Would they prefer a gay unfriendly hotel? A Thai boy, whether money boy or not, would advertise himself on a gay web site in hopes of meeting a "farang," quite often placing shirtless or even nude photos of himself within his ad, but then refuse to stay with him because it would be in a gay or gay friendly "sex tourist" hotel? That doesn't make much sense to me. If it really happens, then that's something I would find truly remarkable, even taking "Thai logic" into consideration. I don't dispute that it may have happened, but I would guess that boys who really would refuse to stay in these places are either a very small minority or using that as an excuse to get rid of the "farang" because of other reasons.

The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS. See http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003995 for photos. _____ LADYBOYS BRAWL IN FRONT OF WAT CHAI, SOUTH PATTAYA An older katoey hired four teenagers to beat up a younger ladyboy due to a previous dispute. They had both been working in the same area. The ladyboy that was beaten up asked her friend to help find the older ladyboy and beat her up as revenge. On 9 October 2007, at 3:30 AM, Pattaya Police Lieutenant Aniwat Thicharn was notified that a group of katoeys were brawling in front of the entrance to Wat Chai Temple in South Pattaya. It was reported that there were injuries. Police officers, along with Sawang Boriboon Rescue, rushed to investigate. At the scene, two younger katoeys were attacking an older katoey with a long club and a fluorescent tube. The older katoey was alone and had a box cutter in her hand. Although there were many bystanders, the katoeys were fighting ferociously. The two younger ones were pulling the older one’s hair and hitting her on the face. Police officers stopped the brawl, immediately, and confiscated the weapons. The two younger katoeys were Mr. Athitaya Roongroj, nickname “Amy” (21), from Ubonrachathani Province, and and Mr. Praphan U-parn, nickname “Khing”, from Petchboon Province. They both had scrapes and fingernail scratches on their bodies. The older katoey, who got the worst of it, was Mr. Jakraphong Suriyasing, nickname “Ice” (31), from Ubonrachathani Province. She had scrapes and bruises all over her body and a large, open wound on her left cheekbone, which was bleeding profusely. Police questioned all the combatants and determined that they all worked for a “service” along the beach. Earlier the same day, at around 1 AM, Ice got into a row with Amy and Khing. Later, Ice hired four teenagers to beat up Amy. Amy sustained head injuries and contacted the police, but her anger was not assuaged. Amy asked her close friend, Khing, to help her look for Ice. They eventually found Ice in the Walking Street area. Ice was alert to their presence and ran away. However, the other two caught up with her in front of Wat Chai and started to extract their revenge by attacking her. Police detained Mr. Arthitaya or "Amy" and Mr. Praphan or "Khing and charged them with assault with injury to another person. Mr. Jakraphong or "Ice,” the “victim,” was sent to the hospital to have her wounds taken care of before further investigation.

I gave up trying to second guess what goes on in the mind of a Thai guy a long time ago. I've been sleeping a lot better at night ever since. A rich sugar daddy doesn't necessarily spend his money on luxury hotels or fancy rooms. A person could be staying at the Malaysia merely because of its proximity to the Babylon, because the Pinnacle or other accommodation is full, because of its proximity to the embassies, because of its proximity to the expressway, simply because he likes it there, because of its gay friendliness, or for any number of reasons. If a Thai guy gives me the heave-ho because of my choice of hotels, then that's a Thai guy I wouldn't want in the first place.

They ask me if I'm going to arrive by 6:00 PM. I tell them yes, and if I'm going to be any later than that I will call and let them know. So far I haven't had any problems. As far as I know, most Thai hotels, including the Malaysia, will hold the room for you if you contact them and let them know you will be later than the arrival time you originally gave them. If not, after a period of time they usually assume you're going to be a no-show and they'll give away the room to someone else.

Based on that I'm glad I stayed at the Malaysia. They are having work done on the air conditioning system, but they at least have plenty of signs telling people about it and they also told me about it at the reception desk, before I checked in. I never heard any noise from it at all and the air conditioning was working just fine. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for the signs I wouldn't have even known there was any work being done. Also, despite the fact that major construction is going on just across the street, I never heard any of it at all while in my room. I still like the Pinnacle, but I think from now on my first choice will be the Malaysia. Based on what you wrote, even with Jimmy's prices a room at the Pinnacle is going to be more than 500 baht higher than the price at the Malaysia. I can think of a lot of things to do with 500 baht more in my own pocket rather than in the Pinnacle's pocket. While the Pinnacle's rooms are larger and nicer, the Malaysia suits me just fine.

I'm glad the dog is ok. I believe he does know where he belongs. It's the bank that doesn't know where it belongs . . . . .

I just returned from another little trip. I started off at the Malaysia Hotel. We went to Kabin Buri from there. I wouldn't exactly recommend Kabin Buri as a tourist destination. We had some business there. However, we stayed at one of those resorts and it almost made the trip worth it. The room was absolutely spotlessly clean. It was also really beautiful. I wish my own bedroom was as nice. It was a large room, had a brand new television, air conditioning with remote control, lights with a dimmer switch, and large bathroom with hot shower. Included was a refrigerator and two free bottles of water. There was also a water heater and coffee and plenty of electrical outlets in case you need them for anything. I can honestly say that the room was much nicer than most hotel rooms where I've stayed in Thailand, including the Pinnacle and the Malaysia. In the morning they even gave us free, freshly baked croissants. The price: 500 baht per night. You can't beat that! From now on, when I'm traveling within Thailand, I'm going to be seeking out these resorts. The two I've been in so far have been very nice and much less expensive than most hotels. As an aside, we also went to a waterfall and a national park. Both had entrance fees and both had "special prices" for "farang." Thais pay 50 baht. "Farang" pay 400 baht! At both locations, for the first time I tried to see if showing my Thai driver's license would do anything and at both locations it did. I didn't get the Thai price, but I did get price reductions. At one location I was charged 100 baht. At the other I was charged 150 baht. That's still double and triple the Thai price, but it at least is better than the usual "farang" price.

I just returned from another stay at the Malaysia and I went to that Italian restaurant again. This time I got the information. The name of the restaurant is the Lido and it turns out they have a web site. Their complete menu is on the web site. Delivery is available too. Here it is: http://www.lidobangkok.com/lidostarters.html If there is any confusion about how to get there from the Malaysia Hotel, just cross the street after exiting the Malaysia and walk up the same soi where the 7-Eleven and the Siam Commercial Bank ATM is. You can't miss it. It's less than a five minute walk from the Malaysia. There were plenty of available boys at the Malaysia this time too, even more than last time, along the wall just outside the hotel, sitting on the wall in the parking lot, and even at the outside entrance door to the massage room. By the way, that dog that always hangs out in front of the bank was not there. I hope nothing happened to him. He has become almost an icon in front of that bank.

If you have never visited the Sanctuary of Truth, in Naklua, just north of Pattaya, now would be a good time to do it. The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Sanctuary of Truth Special Promotion A special promotion to tell you about now from a popular Tourist Attraction located in Naklua. The Sanctuary of Truth is a gigantic wooden construction which covers an area of more than two Rai. The top point of the buildingis about 105 meters high. From now until the 5th December you can buy one admission ticket and get another free which saves you 500 Baht. The attraction also features a Dolphin and Muay Thai Boxing Show and is well worth a visit during your stay in Pattaya. For more information on this special offer you can call the Sanctuary of Truth on 038 367 229-30 or log on to http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com

Apparently the ruling junta in Burma will stop at nothing to retain their personal hold on wealth and power. I have been reading sporadic reports of murders by the hundreds, perhaps thousands, are taking place along with torture and mutilation. Actor Sylvester Stallone, who is presently filming a movie on location at the Burmese border says, "I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off," Stallone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific. This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams. All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river." Now, according to the Associated Press, people are being arrested and taken away in the middle of the night. Apparently the junta has started a massive terror campaign against its own people. It's too bad the soldiers cooperate with the junta instead of joining the people and rising up against them. _____ Soldiers Hunt Dissidents in Myanmar AP Soldiers announced that they were hunting pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar's largest city Wednesday and the top U.S. diplomat in the country said military police were pulling people out of their homes during the night. Military vehicles patrolled the streets before dawn with loudspeakers blaring that: "We have photographs. We are going to make arrests!" Shari Villarosa, the acting U.S. ambassador in Myanmar, said in a telephone interview that people in Yangon were terrified. "From what we understand, military police ... are traveling around the city in the middle of the night, going into homes and picking up people," she said. Residents living near the Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most revered shrine and a flashpoint of unrest, reported that police swept through several dozen homes in the middle of the night, dragging away several men for questioning. The homes were located above shops at a marketplace that caters to the nearby pagoda, selling monks robes and begging bowls. Meanwhile, the junta pursued other means of intimidation. An employee from the Ministry of Transport, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that he was told to sign a statement saying he and his family would not take part in any political activity and would not listen to foreign radio reports. Many in Myanmar use short-wave radios to pick up foreign English-language stations — a main source for news about their tightly controlled country. The U.N.'s special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, declined to comment on his four-day mission to Myanmar, where the military junta last month crushed mass pro-democracy demonstrations led by the nation's revered Buddhist monks. Villarosa said embassy staff had gone to some monasteries in recent days and found them completely empty. Others were barricaded by the military and declared off-limits to outsiders. "There is a significantly reduced number of monks on the streets. Where are the monks? What has happened to them?" she said. The Democratic Voice of Burma, a dissident radio station based in Norway, said authorities have released 90 of 400 monks detained in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state, during a midnight raid on monasteries on Sept. 25. A semblance of normality returned to Yangon after daybreak, with some shops opening and light traffic on roads. However, "people are terrified, and the underlying forces of discontent have not been addressed," Villarosa said. "People have been unhappy for a long time ... Since the events of last week, there's now the unhappiness combined with anger, and fear." Some people remained hopeful that democracy would come. "I don't believe the protests have been totally crushed," said Kin, a 29-year-old language teacher in Yangon, whose father and brother had joined a 1988 pro-democracy movement that ended in a crackdown in which at least 3,000 people were killed. "There is hope, but we fear to hope," she said. "We still dream of rearing our children in a country where everybody would have equal chances at opportunities." The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962, and the current junta came to power after snuffing out the 1988 pro-democracy movement. The generals called elections in 1990 but refused to give up power when Suu Kyi's party won. The military crushed the protests on Sept. 26 and 27 with live ammunition, tear gas and beatings. Hundreds of monks and civilians were carted off to detention camps. The government says 10 people were killed in the violence. But dissident groups put the death toll at up to 200 and say 6,000 people were detained. Among those killed was Japanese television cameraman Kenji Nagai of the APF news agency. His body was flown from Myanmar to Tokyo on Wednesday. Gambari went to Myanmar on Saturday to convey the international community's outrage at the junta's actions. He also hoped to persuade the junta to take the people's aspirations seriously. He met junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies and talked to detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi twice. Gambari avoided the media in Singapore, where he arrived Tuesday night en route to New York. He was not expected to issue any statement before briefing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday. The junta has not commented on Gambari's visit and the United Nations has only released photos of Gambari and a somber, haggard-looking Suu Kyi — who has spent nearly 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest — shaking hands during their meeting in a state guest house in Yangon. In Singapore, Gambari met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc of which Myanmar is a member. A Singapore government statement said Lee told Gambari that ASEAN "is fully behind his mission" to bring about "a political solution for national reconciliation and a peaceful transition to democracy."

I certainly hope you're right. Time will tell. I do notice that the other View Talay buildings don't seem to have any adverse effect on traffic, so maybe this one won't. I do think my concerns, payless's concerns, and the concerns of others are valid concerns, but time will tell about those as well. I also think the real underlying concern is the way most problems seem to be handled in Pattaya. I doubt there will be any serious problems stemming from what the View Talay people will be doing. It's the problems that the Pattaya government will be the ones to handle that have my eyebrows starting to raise. I have one question for you, Wowpow, since you seem to know what's going on. As Pattaya Park does, do you know if there will be a viewing area at the top, that the public can access?

I have no objection to the building in and of itself, but I do worry about the residual effects it may have on the local infrastructure. I can only hope that water, utilities, potential traffic and parking problems, etc. are being competently planned so that Pattaya doesn't end up with a beautiful building, but even more problems along with it as a result.

I don't think they're more expensive in Thailand than anywhere else. I see prices ranging from 12,000 baht to 30,000 baht. If you already have a laptop, then that's the one I would use. If not, then I don't think it would make much difference where you buy it. If you buy it outside of Thailand, then make sure it's used before you enter Thailand. If you bring it in new in the box, you could end up paying an import duty of about 50% of the purchase price. I've heard that the best place to buy electronics of any kind is in Abu Dhabi. If you end up on a flight that stops there, that's where I'd go shopping. I suppose one advantage of buying it in Thailand would be the warranty. If you buy it outside of Thailand, and then something goes wrong, you will have a difficult, probably impossible time getting warranty service. On the other hand, the types of problems that are most likely to occur with a computer, such as the necessity for a new keyboard, a blown power supply, problem with the screen, or whatever, are usually inexpensive to have repaired in Thailand. As long as I brought up the subject of repair, I highly recommend a young Thai gentleman named Kilin (pronounced "killin'"). He speaks English quite well, will come to your home to repair computers, gets it fixed very quickly if he has to take the computer to his shop, and charges very reasonable prices. For example, only a few weeks ago the power supply on my desktop computer blew out. I called Kilin and he was over here within two hours. I told him over the phone that I believe the problem is the power supply. He brought one with him, had the computer repaired within fifteen minutes, and charged a total of 1200 baht for the power supply and the service call. If anyone wishes to contact Kilin for computer service, his number is: 081-295-3860

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Ocean 1 Tower Given the All-Clear Khun Prachar, Governor of Chonburi Province chaired a Monday Morning Meeting at Pattaya City Hall to discuss plans for the Ocean 1 Tower which is an ambitious 91 floor condominium complex comprising 611 units and a shopping plaza, 200 meters from Jomtien Beach. The concept is owned by the Siam Best Enterprises Co Ltd and has encountered some problems in the planning stages as environmental concerns have delayed planning applications for the building. This meeting confirmed that those concerns have now been addressed and a survey of 500 local residents resulted in no objections to the building. Planning permission has now been granted and construction, which will take 5 years, is expected to start soon.