Gaybutton

Apparently bars are being held responsible for the behavior of their employees even when they aren't there. As a result of a raid a few weeks ago several boys from various bars tested positive for the presence of drugs. Now, because of it, some bars are being forcibly closed for as long as three months, according to what I have been told. Kaos has closed as a result. I understand that a few other bars are set to be closed as well, although I also understand that they have not yet closed because they are trying to fight it. I don't blame them. This is yet another one I'm adding to my "I don't get it" list. These boys aren't doing drugs in the bars. They're doing drugs elsewhere, probably their own rooms wherever those might be. Would someone explain to me how that becomes the responsibility of the bars? Are they supposed to drug test their entire staff, at about 200 baht per test per person, every night? If they have to do that, then you better expect drink and "off" prices to dramatically rise. By that logic, then anyone working anywhere would force the management to close if they are caught testing positive for drugs. Can you imagine the police raiding somewhere such as Big-C, testing all the employees, and then forcibly closing Big-C if any of the employees are on drugs? I fail to see how it makes any more sense to close a bar because some of the employees are on drugs. Nevertheless, that's what's being done.

No comment. You just have to see this one to believe it . . . http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003897

The same thing is happening to me, so I assume it's happening to everyone. I have no idea what has happened or why that box has disappeared. I sent a message off to Stef, who is in charge of the programming. Hopefully the problem will be quickly fixed.

Until now, if someone managed to get your ATM information and clean out your Thai bank account, there was little you could do about it. The bank might tell you they're sorry it happened, and that's about all they would do. If you felt that your money should be restored by the bank, you first needed to give them a few minutes to have their little laugh before they made it clear that they would not be responsible. Now a landmark court ruling has changed things. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Banks Tighten Screws on Fraud Landmark Court Ruling on ATM Fraud Could Force Changes at Banks DARANA CHUDASRI Local bankers are reviewing their security procedures in light of a precedent-setting court ruling last week on ATM fraud. The Sukhothai lower court last week ordered Siam City Bank to repay a 71-year-old customer 180,000 baht that had been withdrawn from an ATM in Songkhla. The customer testified that he had not been in the southern province at the time of the withdrawals and that his ATM card remained in his possession. The court agreed that the theft was not the responsibility of the customer and directed the bank to repay the missing funds. Members of the Thai Bankers' Association met last week to discuss the growing problem of electronic fraud and potential liability in light of the court ruling. ''The SCIB case is one that all banks are monitoring very closely. It's the first time that a bank has been ordered to repay a customer in this type of case,'' one banker said. The customer acknowledged having shared his PIN code, the secret password used in electronic transactions, with his wife and children to allow access to ATM withdrawals from his account. Bankers said that the fact that the customer revealed his PIN to a third party but was still found not liable for potential losses would have profound consequences for the industry. ''If revealing one's PIN to a third party is held to be acceptable, then many types of banking services, such as internet banking, could be affected,'' the banker said. Pongsit Chaichutpornsuk, a senior vice-president and head of the fraud management division at Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), said he did not believe the case would necessarily create a new standard for the industry. But financial institutions are undoubtedly faced with greater challenges related to electronic fraud. Fraud can come in various forms, from computer hacking of internet accounts to credit card theft and ATM theft. One increasingly common method is for a thief to install a fake ''mask'' at an ATM to capture data from an ATM magnetic strip and record the PIN code. The thief can then fake the customer account data and use the captured PIN to withdraw funds. Local banks have issued warnings to customers urging caution at ATMs to prevent eavesdropping and to ensure that a keypad or card reader is genuine. Most banks also impose restrictions on internet banking and phone banking accounts, with transfers permitted only to previously approved accounts verified in person at a branch. ''I think that the [sCIB] court decision will help push banks to work even harder to investigate unusual transactions and communicate with customers on safe use of ATMs,'' Mr Pongsit predicted. He said that for SCB, losses incurred from ATM fraud were promptly repaid to the customer once an investigation is completed to ensure that the account holder had no complicity in the crime. ''Of course, there have been some cases where the bank has refused to refund the customer, as we found that the customer revealed a PIN to a close friend and that it was the friend who made the withdrawal,'' Mr Pongsit said. In the SCIB case, the court noted that the customer promptly alerted the bank about his loss and co-operated fully in the bank's investigation, even to the point of revealing that he had shared his PIN code with his family members, even though this could have weakened his case for a refund. The court said SCIB had failed to prove that the customer was culpable in the crime and thus ordered a full refund.

(AP) Marcel Marceau, who revived the art of mime and brought poetry to silence, has died, French media reported Sunday. He was 84. France-Info radio and LCI television said the family had announced the death of Marceau. No other details were released. Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red flower, the world-famous Marceau played the entire range of human emotions onstage for more than 50 years, never uttering a word. Offstage, he was famously chatty. "Never get a mime talking. He won't stop," he once said. A French Jew, Marceau survived the Holocaust - and also worked with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children. His biggest inspiration was Charlie Chaplin. Marceau, in turn, inspired countless young performers - Michael Jackson borrowed his famous "moonwalk" from a Marceau sketch, "Walking Against the Wind." Marceau performed tirelessly around the world until late in life, never losing his agility, never going out of style. In one of his most poignant and philosophical acts, "Youth, Maturity, Old Age, Death," he wordlessly showed the passing of an entire life in just minutes. "Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words?" he once said. Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923, in Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a butcher who sang baritone, introduced his son to the world of music and theater at an early age. The boy adored the silent film stars of the era: Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers. When the Germans marched into eastern France, he and his family were given just hours to pack their bags. He fled to southwest France and changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish origins. With his brother Alain, Marceau became active in the French Resistance. Marceau altered children's identity cards, changing their birth dates to trick the Germans into thinking they were too young to be deported. Because he spoke English, he was recruited to be a liaison officer with Gen. George S. Patton's army. In 1944, Marceau's father was sent to Auschwitz, where he died. Later, he reflected on his father's death: "Yes, I cried for him." But he also thought of all the others killed: "Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a cancer drug," he told reporters in 2000. "That is why we have a great responsibility. Let us love one another." When Paris was liberated, Marcel's life as a performer began. He enrolled in Charles Dullin's School of Dramatic Art, studying with the renowned mime Etienne Decroux. On a tiny stage at the Theatre de Poche, a smoke-filled Left Bank cabaret, he sought to perfect the style of mime that would become his trademark. Bip - Marceau's on-stage persona - was born. Marceau once said that Bip was his creator's alter ego, a sad-faced double whose eyes lit up with child-like wonder as he discovered the world. Bip was a direct descendant of the 19th century harlequin, but his clownish gestures, Marceau said, were inspired by Chaplin and Keaton. Marceau likened his character to a modern-day Don Quixote, "alone in a fragile world filled with injustice and beauty." Dressed in a white sailor suit, a top hat - a red rose perched on top - Bip chased butterflies and flirted at cocktail parties. He went to war and ran a matrimonial service. In one famous sketch, "Public Garden," Marceau played all the characters in a park, from little boys playing ball to old women with knitting needles. In 1949 Marceau's newly formed mime troupe was the only one of its kind in Europe. But it was only after a hugely successful tour across the United States in the mid-1950s that Marceau received the acclaim that would make him an international star. Single-handedly, Marceau revived the art of mime. "I have a feeling that I did for mime what (Andres) Segovia did for the guitar, what (Pablo) Casals did for the cello," he once told The Associated Press in an interview. In the past decades, he has taken Bip to from Mexico to China to Australia. He's also made film appearances. The most famous was Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie": He had the only speaking line, "Non!" As he aged, Marceau kept on performing at the same level, never losing the agility that made him famous. On top of his Legion of Honor and his countless honorary degrees, he was invited to be a United Nations goodwill ambassador for a 2002 conference on aging. "If you stop at all when you are 70 or 80, you cannot go on," he told The AP in an interview in 2003. "You have to keep working." Funeral arrangements were not immediately known.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Pilot Sent 'Mayday' to Tower Second One-Two-Go Plane has Crash Landing By Achadtaya Chuenniran and Thai News Agency The chief pilot of the ill-fated One-Two-Go airliner sent a distress signal to the control tower just before it crash-landed Sunday, said Pornchai Ua-aree, director of Phuket international airport. The pilot used a ''mayday'' signal to ask for help just before the plane veered off the runway and crashed into an earth embankment. Meanwhile, another One-Two-Go flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai yesterday had a minor crash landing, but the pilot managed to control the aircraft. One of the plane's lights and air-conditioning control panels fell on top of a passenger and oxygen masks also dropped down, airport officials said. One passenger suffered bruising. The incident took place less than a week after 89 passengers were killed and 41 injured when One-Two-Go flight OG269 from Bangkok veered off the runway and crashed at Phuket airport. Sqn-Ldr Pornchai, who briefed a delegation from the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) transport committee about last week's crash, said airport controllers had warned the pilot about gusting winds and rain. He said the controllers received information [from the pilot] that as the aircraft was about to touch down, its wheels were out, but they did not touch the ground. He cited the taped conversation between the air traffic controllers and the pilot. ''The chief pilot shouted 'mayday' repeatedly to ask for help until he lost contact with the control tower,'' Sqn-Ldr Pornchai said. The NLA committee, led by Bannawit Kengrien, yesterday travelled to Phuket to compile information about the crash and visit the injured at Bangkok Phuket hospital. On long-term measures to cope with emergencies at the airport, he said the airport needed better quality foam to extinguish fires. The foam used to douse the fire last week was not good enough to put the fire out completely, Sqn-Ldr Pornchai said. He also suggested large, better-equipped hospitals be built near Phuket airport. Currently, the closest hospital is Thalang hospital, a small hospital that cannot serve many emergency patients, he said, adding the large hospitals are situated far away from the airport. He said another 50 CCTV cameras would be installed in and around the airport, in addition to the 50 cameras already in place. The NLA panel also called on the airport to make sure its equipment is well maintained and staff properly trained, he said. Adm Bannawit said improvements must be made to the airport's rescue capability. He said the airport still lacked an efficient rescue team and there were no rescue helicopters available. He said he would pass on complaints about shortcomings in airport rescue work to various agencies. Adm Bannawit expected all airports under the supervision of the Airports of Thailand to finish installing security cameras by the end of the month. As for the data recorders which were sent to the United States, he said, the information on the cause of the crash should be made available in a month. Udom Tantiprasongchai, president of Orient Thai Airlines, operator of the One-Two-Go budget airline, said he had received a report on yesterday's incident which said the pilot had to make a crash landing on the runway to ensure the wheels firmly touched down. He said it was ''a normal situation'' which happened occasionally and did not suggest the plane was of sub-standard quality. He said officials of the Civil Aviation Department investigated the cause of the accident and had found nothing wrong with the plane. He said the department had allowed the plane to get back into service.

I believe it will be. When it comes to trying to describe things, I'm afraid I'm no Charles Dickens. I don't think my description does the place justice. Nevertheless, it is truly something different and I think it is at least worth a look. I agree with you. It may not be something that everyone is going to like, but as always it's best to try it and experience it for yourself rather than relying on the opinions of others.

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Plans to form Transsexual Association of Pattaya discussed at City Hall Meeting. Khun Wootisuk, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya chaired a meeting at the VIP Room at Pattaya City Hall attended by a group of Transsexuals who were supported by Khun Nayanar from the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand. They would like to set up a transsexual association in Pattaya which will allow them limited powers to “Police” themselves. The meeting was convened in response to a number of media reports detailing the arrest of transsexuals by local Police Divisions. It was mentioned that not all transsexuals who reside in Pattaya engage in illegal activities and the purpose of this new association would be to register transsexuals who resides in Pattaya who abide by the law. This would give the association members more respect in the local community and would allow them to disassociate themselves from those who break the law. They would require support from Pattaya City Hall. The association is in the planning stages and further meetings are required before the association is formed.

Pattaya has long anticipated the opening of a branch of Bangkok's famous Villa Market grocery store. Many of you are familiar with it in Bangkok and now Villa Market will open in Pattaya, according to my information, on Friday, September 28. The location is the new Cineplex shopping Center on Second Road, very near the Lek Hotel. What's so special about Villa Market? They carry a large number of imported goods and products quite difficult, often virtually impossible, to find anywhere else in Thailand. Many people, especially those who are now expats living in Pattaya, have many items they miss from 'back home.' Villa Market will solve much of that problem. I have heard, but have never checked, if there is something in particular you want, but they don't carry it, they can special order it for you. I don't know if that's true, but we'll soon find out. In any case, now Pattaya is going to have its own Villa Market and there will be plenty of items that you can't find elsewhere. Some products may be pricey because they're imported, but they will be a lot less expensive than having items shipped from other countries. I intend to have a look soon after they open. If there are items you have been looking for, let me know before September 28. I'll be glad to check to see if they can be found at Villa Market and how much they cost.

Early next week, possibly as soon as Monday evening, Pattaya's newest gay go-go bar, Jungle Boys, will open in Sunee Plaza. This evening the owner invited me for "the grand tour." This is going to be a bar like nothing you've ever seen in Pattaya, or anywhere else in Thailand for that matter. It is a totally innovative concept. The bar is owned by the same people who own the Don Plaza Hotel and the Clubbing Clubbers restaurant. You'll realize you're in for a whole new experience the moment you walk in the door. The bar has loads of private little cubicles, where you can watch the go-go boys and/or have a boy sit with you. There is no stage. The boys will be moving from position to position, some on tables in close proximity and some at more of a distance. There will even be "display" boys who won't be dancing at all, but will be readily available. Every privacy area will have its own ceiling fan to enhance the air conditioning. The air conditioning will be plenty powerful. This won't be one of those bars at which you'll walk out the door sweating. The interior decor is beautiful. It reminded me of the Babylon Sauna in Bangkok. The seating will be quite comfortable and each privacy cubicle will have its own unique features. They are paying special attention to the 'little things' too. I didn't think to ask whether smoking will be allowed inside, but I have a feeling there will be no smoking. We'll see. But the music will be subdued. The owner told me he's just as tired as many of us of the bars where you have to shout just to be heard at all. I was assured that every boy will be at least 18 years old. They are recruiting boys who have not worked in Pattaya before. They want a "fresh crop." I wish I could describe it better for you. I don't know how. However, I think most people will be very pleased with this bar and will understand what I'm talking about when I say you've never seen anything like it in Thailand. I'll try to be there the night they open and report more of what I see and experience. So far, I must say that I'm truly impressed.

I think the 32,000 baht is the fees charged for the hospital stay of two nights.

I'd love to come, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass. I'll be too busy writing posts.

Why what a surprise . . . another unprovoked snide remark from Smiles, the man whose major contribution to this web site is keeping score on the number of posts I write. That really bothers you, doesn't it? Tough luck. The answer to your question is: until the end of my lifetime or the end of yours, whichever comes first.

The question remains unanswered. How long should I wait before it's not 'bitchy...er, quick.'?

Sure. There is a costume shop that probably carries those kinds of things located on South Road (Pattaya Tai) just west of the Third Road traffic light. If that doesn't fit the bill, ladyboys are not exactly difficult to find in Pattaya. Ask them where to shop for those kinds of things.

Quick? Ok, how long should I wait?

Well thanks a lot! You were supposed to be keeping that a secret. If Topman wants to consider me a b****, that's perfectly ok with me. He's not alone in that opinion, that's for sure. As long as I'm being a b****, do we really need to have certain words replaced with asterisks? Considering the kinds of ads that appear on this web site, covering up words seems to be kind of ridiculous, doesn't it? I think the software probably has a simple option that can be checked or unchecked to prevent the asterisks, if you so choose. Certainly, bring the 8 boys. But you'll have to share . . .

The "off" fees are never as expensive as that. I think you may be confusing "off" fees with appropriate tips. As far as such suites are concerned, I may be wrong, but I know of no gay-friendly hotels that offer such accommodations because there is no demand for it. If you want that kind of suite, then you'll probably have to try the luxury hotels, but don't expect them to be particularly gay friendly. I don't know of any bars in particular that have concentrations of northern Thai boys. If that is something important, then simply ask him where he comes from. In Thai, that's "bahn koon yoo tee nai?" It's also difficult to determine whether a boy is new to the bar scene. If that's what you're looking for, then maybe you should change your approach and try not to seek out bar boys at all. Many boys work the beach who don't work in the bars at all. Also, restaurant waiters are not bar boys. Regarding why Boyz Town is more expensive than Sunee Plaza, your guess is as good as mine. I don't know why, but nevertheless that's the way it is.

Cities Cracking Down on Saggy Pants By MATTHEW VERRINDER, Associated Press Writer Sun Sep 16 It's a fashion that started in prison, and now the saggy pants craze has come full circle — low-slung street strutting in some cities may soon mean run-ins with the law, including a stint in jail. Proposals to ban saggy pants are starting to ride up in several places. At the extreme end, wearing pants low enough to show boxers or bare buttocks in one small Louisiana town means six months in jail and a $500 fine. A crackdown also is being pushed in Atlanta. And in Trenton, getting caught with your pants down may soon result in not only a fine, but a city worker assessing where your life is headed. "Are they employed? Do they have a high school diploma? It's a wonderful way to redirect at that point," said Trenton Councilwoman Annette Lartigue, who is drafting a law to outlaw saggy pants. "The message is clear: We don't want to see your backside." The bare-your-britches fashion is believed to have started in prisons, where inmates aren't given belts with their baggy uniform pants to prevent hangings and beatings. By the late 80s, the trend had made it to gangster rap videos, then went on to skateboarders in the suburbs and high school hallways. "For young people, it's a form of rebellion and identity," Adrian "Easy A.D." Harris, 43, a founding member of the Bronx's legendary rap group Cold Crush Brothers. "The young people think it's fashionable. They don't think it's negative." But for those who want to stop them see it as an indecent, sloppy trend that is a bad influence on children. "It has the potential to catch on with elementary school kids, and we want to stop it before it gets there," said C.T. Martin, an Atlanta councilman. "Teachers have raised questions about what a distraction it is." In Atlanta, a law has been introduced to ban sagging and punishment could include small fines or community work — but no jail time, Martin said. The penalty is stiffer in Delcambre, La., where in June the town council passed an ordinance that carries a fine of up to $500 or six months in jail for exposing underwear in public. Several other municipalities and parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months. At Trenton hip-hop clothing store Razor Sharp Clothing Shop 4 Ballers, shopper Mark Wise, 30, said his jeans sag for practical reasons. "The reason I don't wear tight pants is because it's easier to get money out of my pocket this way," Wise said. "It's just more comfortable." Shop owner Mack Murray said Trenton's proposed ordinance unfairly targets blacks. "Are they going to go after construction workers and plumbers, because their pants sag, too?" Murray asked. "They're stereotyping us." The American Civil Liberties Union agrees. "In Atlanta, we see this as racial profiling," said Benetta Standly, statewide organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. "It's going to target African-American male youths. There's a fear with people associating the way you dress with crimes being committed."

Regardless of who is who, they both represent the same venue and the same web site. My point was the fact that they don't mind posting free advertising here, and I have no problem with them or any other gay venue doing so, but at the same time they were refusing us a link. I do have a problem with that. Despite Topman's post above saying he'll give us that link again, as of the time I'm writing this, more than 12 hours after the post, I still see no link to this web site. You and I both know it would take about 30 seconds to add the link. Perhaps the link will be put in place at some point before they post another ad here. We'll see. As far a putting you up, no problem . . . You can even make it two or three lifetimes.

Yes, you are missing something. Topman or Mrsbucket - same thing, same web site. I'm referring to: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1942 And, Topman, I would have sent a private E-mail or would have completely ignored it if I had spotted the lack of a link if you had not been advertising here. You're getting a lot of free advertising on this and other web sites. I would have thought, considering you are paying absolutely nothing for using this space for ads, that your web site would have at least been courteous enough to re-establish the link . . . without my having to say anything about it publicly or privately.

Jet Crash in Thailand's Phuket kills 66 By RUNGRAWEE C. PINYORAT, Associated Press Writer A passenger plane filled with foreign tourists crashed Sunday as it tried to land in heavy rain on the island of Phuket, splitting in two as it was engulfed in flames, officials said. At least 66 people were killed. The budget One-Two-Go Airlines was carrying 123 passengers and five crew members on a domestic flight from the Thai capital of Bangkok to Phuket, one of the country's major tourist destinations, according to the Thai television station TITV. Survivors described their escape from the airplane's windows as fires and smoke consumed the plane. "I saw passengers engulfed in fire as I stepped over them on way out of the plane," Parinwit Chusaeng, a survivor who suffered minor burns, told the Nation television channel. "I was afraid that the airplane was going to explode so I ran away." Phuket's Deputy Governor Worapot Ratthaseema told The Associated Press that at least 66 bodies were laid out in the airport building. "At least 66 people have been confirmed and 42 have been hospitalized," Worapot said, adding the remaining passengers are missing. Worapot could not say how many of the dead were foreigners but he said among the dead were Irish, Israeli, Australian and British passengers. He said as many as 27 of the injured were foreigners. An Irish survivor, identified as Sean, told of being badly burned on his arms, legs and back as he escaped the flames. Speaking to TITV from a local hospital, he said he knew something was wrong even before the flight landed. "You could tell when it was landing it was in trouble," he said. "It was making a noise, this bang." Chaisak Angsuwan, director general of the Air Transport Authority of Thailand, said weather played a part in the crash. "The visibility was poor as the pilot attempted to land. He decided to make a go-around but the plane lost balance and crashed," he said. "It was torn into two parts." One-Two-Go is owned by Orient Thai Airways. The crash is the country's deadliest aviation accident since Dec. 11, 1998, when 101 people were killed after a Thai Airways crashed while trying to land in heavy rain at Surat Thani, 330 miles south of Bangkok. Forty-five people survived

You misspelled your link, omitting the 'p' in 'top.' I have corrected it for you. I also clicked the link to make sure it works. As long as I was on your web site I took a look at your links page. Since you had a dispute with the owner of this web site a few weeks ago, you removed the link you had to us. It is still gone. We have never given you any kind of problem whatsoever about advertising here. You advertise here, yet you refuse us a link. Personally, my friend, I think that takes one hell of a nerve.

The 7-Eleven is right next to the record shop. I forgot about the dog, but then I doubt he would be very useful as a landmark when driving, but he might not be a bad one when on foot. I'll bet that anyone who has passed by that bank is familiar with the dog. That dog is a large, gentle creature who has decided that particular area of the sidewalk is his territory, and that's all there is to it. Nobody bothers the dog and I have often seen people feeding the dog. He has literally become a fixture there and seems to be perfectly content. I don't know whether he's a stray or belongs to anyone, but there he is.

Well, I came close, but no cigar. You're right. I confused Sathorn and Rama IV. Sorry . . . I've edited my directions post above to reflect your correction and now I believe I have it right. Let me know if there are still any mistakes.