Gaybutton

Thank you very much, Pete. For me, the only negative about my experience would be why didn't I ever try the Malaysia Hotel before? I wish I had, although I will still say I have always been perfectly satisfied at the Pinnacle (providing I book through Jimmy. Paying 'full fare' at the Pinnacle, in my estimation, would make that hotel too pricey. But after having tried the Malaysia, I can't imagine a better value for the money. For those of you who are not familiar with the Lumphini area, both the Pinnacle and the Malaysia are gay friendly hotels popular with the gay "farang" crowd. A taxi ride to the Silom-Suriwong-Patpong area is about 35 baht and usually takes no more than ten minutes or so, even when you wind up in heavy traffic. I suppose I should also mention something about getting there if you either own or are renting a car. From Pattaya you want to end up on the motorway leading in to Bangkok. There are two ways to do that. One is to simply go north on Sukhumvit highway. That's Route 3. It will take you through Laem Chabang (They finally completed that bridge that was under construction for so long. Now there is no wait at that horrendous traffic light that takes you into the port.), Si Racha, Bang Saen, and Chonburi. After you get through Chonburi, stick to the middle or left lane. The access road to the motorway is on the left. When you get on to the motorway you will be issued a toll card at the toll bridge. You don't pay anything until you exit. The current fee is 55 baht. Take the motorway all the way to the end. Once you get to the end, do not use exit one, two, or three. That will lead you into Bang Na. Take any exit starting with number four. That's where you pay the toll. Just keep following the signs to Din Daeng. You'll have one more toll booth that takes you onto the Din Daeng expressway (which is almost always backed up with heavy traffic). Work your way over to either of the right two lanes. Once you pass the area with the heaviest traffic (you'll know it, believe me, when the traffic suddenly dramatically clears up) move over to, and stay in the left lanes. Take the exit for Rama IV and get into the far left lane. That is the access road for Rama IV. Make the left onto Rama IV and again stick to the left. You'll go about half a kilometer. As soon as you pass under a pedestrian bridge, look for a 7-Eleven on the left. That's Soi Ngam Duplii (you'll often see it spelled Ngam Duplee). Make that left. Almost immediately you'll be at the entrance to the Pinnacle Hotel, on the left. Just continue up the street about 100 meters or so, and you'll see the entrance to the Malaysia Hotel on the right. The alternate way of getting there from Pattaya is to turn right, from Sukhumvit Highway, onto Route 36. You'll spot the entrance as soon as you get past Banglamung. About 11 kilometers up, you'll come to a fork in the Highway. Take the left fork. That leads you to Route 7. At present there is quite a bit of construction going on and you're likely to run into traffic delays. Also, be careful of potholes in the construction areas. Stay on Route 7 until you pass the service area. There is only one. After you pass the service area, take the second exit on the left. About two or three kilometers down you'll come to an overpass. Stay in the right lane and take the overpass. That will circle around to another highway. As soon as you enter the highway, get into the right lane. That will take you to the entrance to the motorway. Collect your toll ticket, enter the motorway, follow it to the end, and then follow the directions in the paragraph above. I think I also ought to mention that if you are asking anyone directions to Rama IV, don't say "rama." I don't know who comes up with these transliterations, but it is not pronounced "rama." It is pronounced "perr-ram." The Thai word for the number four is pronounced "see." So, if you're asking directions, ask for "Perr-ram see." Just in case you miss any of the exits once you're in Bangkok, do you know what to do if you're driving and end up lost? Just stop a taxi or motorcycle taxi, tell the driver where you're trying to go, and have him lead you to your destination. Pay him once you get there. Don't pay in advance. That way, he'll make sure not to lose you. I try to always have a copy of my destination's business card with me. That way the is address is written in Thai. If you don't have a card or a copy of one, try to at least have your destination's phone number. If the driver doesn't understand you or isn't sure where you're trying to go, simply have him call your destination and ask. If you don't have a mobile phone, the driver probably will. Getting back to Pattaya from there is also easy. From either the Malaysia or Pinnacle, go back to the entrance of Soi Ngam Duplii. You'll have to turn left onto Rama IV. There is no way to turn right. Once you're on Rama IV, work your way over to the right lane and stay there. That will take you to an overpass. About two or three kilometers down you'll come to a traffic signal. That's the first place available to make a U-turn. Make the U-turn and immediately get into the right lane. Just stay in the right lane. You'll be on the overpass again, which will lead you past where you started from. Shortly beyond that, you'll come to the entrance to an expressway. Follow the traffic turning right. You'll have a 20 baht toll to get onto the expressway. Then, simply follow the signs to Chonburi. That will put you back onto the motorway. You can simply go straight until the end of the motorway, and you're back in Chonburi. Make no turns and you'll end up back in Pattaya. There is an exit from the motorway to get back to Route 7, if you wish to take that route, but until they finish the construction I don't recommend it. There are almost always major traffic delays. There is also a series of detours and unless you can read Thai, it can be extremely confusing. If you don't know what you're doing you can easily get lost. I know those directions probably seem complicated, but it's all really easy. Depending on traffic, the drive from Pattaya will usually take between ninety minutes to two hours.

I'm sorry. I don't remember the name, but it's the only Italian restaurant there. You can't miss it. A friend has a GPS with Thai mapping software. It gives the names of local restaurants. I'll ask him to check. If he has it I'll post it. Perhaps someone else knows the name or will give it a try and post the name. Since there are several restaurants around, including the one at the Malaysia, that offer breakfast, do you have any recommendations as to where the best local breakfast is available? I'd love to take credit for coming up with that Chinese restaurant, but actually it was Lvdkeyes who first told me about it and recommended it. He certainly was right. They have a photo menu and they will make your order as take-out if you wish. However, they do not provide any utensils, so you would have to come up with your own spoon, knife, and fork. I have attached their business card to this post.

I received one of those "invitations," but it was obvious that it had to be some kind of mistake or spyware thing. I didn't fall for it and I doubt that many people did. Please don't worry about it. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. These kinds of things happen to a great many people.

I'm quite sure, now, that I remember the accommodation at which the gentleman had problems accessing the lobby safe. I'd rather not mention the name of the place, in case I'm wrong, but if I'm correct the incident occurred in Pattaya and definitely not at the Malaysia Hotel. Wowpow, would you mind explaining what you mean by, "the 'real' difference is only 18 The only other problem with the Malaysia is getting a room there as it is so p=2 baht." I'm not grasping it. What do you mean by the difference is only 18 and I also don't understand p=2 baht. You're correct, by the way, about the 1170 baht price at the Pinnacle. That's for one person. The last couple of times I was there I needed a room for two. That's what brought my price to 1270 baht. Also, my room was quite close to the construction site to which Wowpow refers. I never heard any noise at all and I know construction was going on while I was there. I also agree about, "respectable Thai friends will not want to meet you there." Well, what can I say? Few of my Thai friends who I would invite to visit me at the Malaysia would fall into the category of 'respectable.' Come to think of it, neither would I. I wonder why bar boys would be uncomfortable with the idea of going to the Malaysia. Maybe they think if they are asked to go elsewhere, then people would assume they're being invited for high tea and a game of Pinochle.

Yesterday I spent the night in Bangkok. For those of you familiar with them, you already know that the Pinnacle Hotel and the Malaysia Hotel are on the same street. Whenever I have stayed in that area, the Lumphini Park area, I have always stayed at the Pinnacle. This time, for the first time, I decided to give the Malaysia Hotel a try. If you look at the photo of the hotel room on the Malaysia Hotel web site, that's an accurate photo. They could have made that photo in the room I had. What they don't show is the bathroom, which does have a bathtub and shower and hot and cold running water both in the shower and the bathroom sink. The Pinnacle has both room safes and lobby safes. The Malaysia has only lobby safes. My room, at least, did not have a safe. Use of the lobby safe is free, but make sure to ask them what times access to your lobby safe is available. I can't recall whether it was the Malaysia, but I do recall reading something recently about someone having a real problem accessing his lobby safe during certain hours. The Pinnacle is much nicer than the Malaysia, in my opinion, as far as the room and amenities are concerned. However, even through Jimmy, the Pinnacle is nearly 600 baht more per night than the Malaysia. Through Jimmy, a room at the Pinnacle is 1270 baht. At the Malaysia I was charged 708 baht. The room might be a bit smaller, older, and a bit more dingy, but I think from now on, when I want to stay in that area my first choice will be the Malaysia. I found several advantages to the Malaysia that I preferred over the Pinnacle. First, the staff is much more friendly and helpful. At the Pinnacle I always feel that it is somewhat formal. At the Malaysia I felt as if I was being welcomed as if I were family. The room was very quiet, with no disturbing noises at all from the street or from within the hotel. Their restaurant is open 24 hours per day, while the one at the Pinnacle is not. I thought the restaurant at the Malaysia had many more selections than are available at the Pinnacle. Their restaurant also has a choice of indoor and outdoor seating, whichever you prefer. At the Pinnacle breakfast is included. At the Malaysia it is not. You can order breakfast at the hotel restaurant and several small nearby restaurants also offer breakfast. Even if you have breakfast somewhere, you'll still come out much cheaper than than a night at the Pinnacle. I did not, however, eat at the Malaysia's restaurant, so I can't comment on the food. The Malaysia also has a Thai massage parlor in their lobby, open from 11:00 AM until midnight. You can get a traditional Thai massage or a foot massage. The prices are the same as any massage parlor, so it's not a hotel rip-off at all. The foot massage is 250 baht. Another thing I liked about the Malaysia was the location. Despite the fact that it is on the same street as the Pinnacle and that the Pinnacle is much closer to the nearest MRT stop, it is a much shorter walk to the Babylon Sauna and to some of the better local restaurants than from the Pinnacle. As soon as you walk out the door, there is a 7-Eleven right there. There are also several ATMs right there. On the same street as the 7-Eleven there are several good restaurants at very reasonable prices. I walked up the street a little bit and saw several restaurants I thought would be worth a try, including a good steak restaurant. One of the restaurants I encountered was an Italian restaurant. That's where I decided to eat. It was surprisingly good, just as good, if not better, than any Italian restaurants I have tried in Thailand. It's a large menu with many excellent choices, ranging from salads to soups, to pastas, meat and fish dishes, several different kinds of pizza, desserts, and specialty items. I tried their version of Caesar Salad and a pork dish. I thought both were very good. You don't have to order a pizza to try it. They give you a little of it as an appetizer. Between the salad, main course, and a bottle of water, my bill came to 320 baht. Not bad at all. Next time I go to Bangkok I'll eat there again. I'm sorry . . . I wish I took down the name of the restaurant and their phone number, but if you want to try it you won't have any problem finding it. It's less than a five minute walk from the Malaysia Hotel. Another thing I liked about the Malaysia: Boys! There were several freelancing boys both in the coffee shop and sitting on the wall just outside the hotel parking lot. They were all boy-next-door types and some were really cute. I spoke with a few of them. They want 500 baht for short time. Not bad at all for Bangkok and I understand that the Malaysia does not give you a hassle about bringing a boy to your room. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I am certainly not withdrawing my support of the Pinnacle. I still think it's a great place to stay and there will probably be many more times when I'll choose to stay there. However, I now also think the Malaysia Hotel is an excellent choice as well, depending on what you're looking for. I would be interested in comments from others regarding their opinions of both the Pinnacle Hotel and the Malaysia Hotel. The Malaysia Hotel's web site is: http://www.malaysiahotelbkk.com I have also attached a copy of their business card.

Ok, nolo contendere. You have your point of view and I have mine.

I think if you read enough of Smiles' posts that include any references to me at all, which constitutes many of them, it won't take you long to understand why I consider his latest post an insult. I'm glad you had a laugh, but you might also notice, despite the fact that Smiles is apparently quite familiar with Hua Hin, his post included no information whatsoever.

A Pattaya Gay Festival (PGF) dinner will be held at the Amor Restaurant on Sunday, October 28. Please click the following link for details: http://www.amorrestaurant.com

That is something you won't have to worry about. Once was enough for me. I actually thought you would provide more information about Hua Hin for others instead of confining yourself to your usual insult directed at me. Apparently I was wrong.

I've been doing some traveling around lately. Having never been to Hua Hin I wanted to give it a try. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have been there several times and can tell you much more than I can, but here's what I have to say: In my opinion, if you're looking for a getaway spot that is everything Pattaya is not, then I would recommend a trip to Hua Hin. It is a very clean, beautiful little city without any of the "honky-tonk" style of Pattaya. It is a quiet place with clear waters and white powder sand beaches. It is easy to get to beaches that are set up similarly to Pattaya, with loads of beach umbrellas and concessions and just as easy to get to much more secluded beaches. There are accommodations for every taste and price range. There are inexpensive and very nice guest houses everywhere. If one is full you can easily find another. The street names are all signed in both Thai and English, making it much easier to find wherever you are trying to go. There are also plenty of luxury hotels, such as a Hilton, Sofitel, Marriott, etc. We stayed at the Top Mark's Hotel ( http://www.huahinafterdark.com/topmarks-hotel-hua-hin.htm ). We had a choice of rooms for 750 baht per night or 950 baht per night. We stayed in the more expensive room. It was very quiet, spotlessly clean, and on the ground floor. The bathroom has a hot shower, but typical Thai style, no shower curtain to separate the shower from the toilet. However, there was enough distance between the shower and the toilet that we did not end up with a soaking toilet. Top Mark's also gives you no hassle at all if you want to bring in a "guest." One of the reasons we stayed at Top Mark's was because of its location. It is a very easy walk to the local night market and an even easier walk to restaurants and beaches. There are also plenty of other small hotels and guest houses in the immediate area. From Top Mark's, if you walk toward the beach you encounter a soi with dozens of restaurants, ranging from several waterfront seafood restaurants, to French, Italian, Indian, German, Scandanavian, and of course Thai restaurants, all of which are reasonably priced. If you continue walking up the soi you come to a Wat. Continue walking around the Wat and there are the beaches. There is even horseback riding available on the beaches (at 300 baht for 30 minutes). As far as I know there are only a few gay bars in Hua Hin, none of which are go-go bars. Have a look at http://www.stickyrice.ws/?view=directory&a...h&place=hhn and http://rice-queen.net for further information. Perhaps someone more familiar with Hua Hin can comment on the gay scene. We did not go to any of the gay venues. There are several options for getting to Hua Hin. There are flights, buses from Bangkok, and if you have access to a car you can drive there. We drove. It took us exactly four hours and thirty minutes from Pattaya. We took the expressway to Bangkok and took the exit to the Dao Khanong expressway, which takes you over a bridge and places you on Route 35. Take Route 35 out to Route 4, a little less than an hour drive, and then turn left on Route 4. It takes you right to Hua Hin. Once you get as far as Hua Hin there are baht buses and motorcycle taxis, but they seemed to be few and far between. You may have to go hunting for them. The only place I saw any of them were at major intersections. One of the cities where we stopped on the way back toward Bangkok was Samut Songkram. A Google search will bring up plenty of web sites about Samut Songkram. I would recommend trying to get there by car. For 400 baht you can hire a boat that takes you all through the canals and will make several stops at different Wats. The highlight is the floating market, which begins between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. You can get there on foot if you wish, but you better have someone who knows the area to help you get there on foot. At night you can take another boat ride to an area that is literally filled with fireflies. The Thais love that! As I said, I don't know very much about Hua Hin. I hope some others out there will post more information for you. I thought it was a very pleasant trip, but I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for loads of excitement. I would, however, recommend it if you are looking for a quiet getaway.

I don't know anything about this place, but you might try: http://www.the-castle-pattaya.com

When you consider how long both LaGuardia and Kennedy International airports have been in New York compared to how long Suvarnabhumi had been in existence, I don't see how demand as an entry point has much to do with it. Whether in New York or in Bangkok, having to transfer from one airport to another to catch connecting flights is at best an inconvenience. For such an inconvenience to be necessary when a brand new airport, one that should have been the most advanced in the world, has been open for only a year, doesn't that bring words such as "incompetence" and "inexcusable" to mind? Only a year later and they already have to shift flights back to Don Muang? What does that portend about five, ten, or fifteen years down the road? It's already a massive problem and I don't see very many of the world's airports improving with age.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ UNLOCKING THE IPHONE Apple's iPhone is a marvel of modern technology, but getting it to work in Thailand can be equally impressive Story by B J JOHNSON An American business associate who frequents Thailand gave me an Apple iPhone as a gift. I should be pleased to have one of the first iPhones in Thailand, but there is a problem. The iPhone has a built-in dual locking system that prohibits unauthorized activation of its internal programs, while it ''locks'' the phone to AT&T, a US mobile operator. Locked in a box Only AT&T is authorized to activate and unlock iPhones. But since AT&T does not operate in Thailand, I have a very expensive, iconoclastic icon of advanced technology that can only be used as a fancy and lifeless paperweight, a sort of snow globe without the snow. Solution: I'll ask Apple Thailand for help. After all, Apple has its money and I have an iPhone. I just need to activate and unlock the phone so I can subscribe to a local phone service, and everyone will be happy. Right? Wrong! Surely, the famed mobile phone hackers at MBK can unlock it. Right? Maybe. Sleuthing around Seri I infrequently do investigative reporting, but having one of the first deadweight iPhones in Thailand is a good excuse to feign Sherlock Holmes. I started at the smaller stores to assess the market, learn the jargon, and get the names and mobile numbers of people who can spark life into my not-so-handy handset. My first stop was at a small Apple shop in Seri Centre on Srinakarin Road. Several salespersons admitted ignorance of the iPhone. Only one had heard its name and added that it was on the company's ''Don't Touch'' list. He directed me to Apple's corporate office, 25th floor of Siam Tower, on Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan. He jotted down the phone number. I remembered to ask, ''You got a name?'' No names. The Smart Mac shop was a short distance away in Seacon Square. Again, I explained that I have an iPhone that needs to be activated and unlocked. ''But we are not a phone shop,'' was the response. The staff was similarly unaware of Apple's iPhone. Eventually, Mr Tuk gave me a green map containing directions to the Macintosh Centre, an Apple Authorised Service Centre in Siam Discovery Centre. ''Thanks, but do you have a name?'' I queried. Still no name. Realising that Apple has not informed its staff of its hottest product since the iPod, I decided to try the hordes of independent mobile phone vendors on the ground floor of Seacon Square. After flitting about several shops that didn't know about the iPhone, I happened upon a vendor that directed me to the 3G Service shop, proudly managed by Mr Chairat. Chairat couldn't solve my problem but directed me to the venerable MBK, the Mahboonkrong shopping mall known for mobile phone outlets. The price to unlock a phone is 300 to 400 baht, Chairat offered. ''Yes, but do you have a phone number, perhaps a name?'' I ventured. Pausing, he said, ''Yes.'' I was to see Mr Ton on MBK's fourth floor. Down(town) time I'll use the figurative 45 minutes it takes to drive 20 km from Seacon to Siam Discovery to describe the coveted iPhone for readers not familiar with it. This is not a review of the iPhone, but the quickie description below will suffice. The iPhone is a 3.5-inch touch-screen-operated quad-band GSM EDGE-supported multimedia and Internet-enabled smartphone that is (to quote the phone itself) ''Designed by Apple in California [and] assembled in China'' and boasts web browsing, visual voicemail, Wi-Fi connectivity, email, and an auto-resizing virtual keyboard that predicts your next word and corrects typos with a dynamic dictionary. Its top model sells for $599 (20,000 baht) in the US only and the buyer is locked into an unbreakable two-year service contract that costs an additional 50,000 baht. It is a closed platform (uses only Apple software) device that has single-handedly catapulted the paradigm for mobile phone design ahead by five years. Its synergy between platforms, programmes and tasks is unrivaled. It is thin, powerful, and very ''bling-bling''. In short, it is simply awesome! It is for these reasons that I'd take a day out of my life to render an iPhone operable. But it is also accoutrement deficient _ it has no case, no games, no video camera, and it is not GPS, Java or Flash compatible. For a complete review of the iPhone, visit http://tinyurl.com/yo4np9 or do the video tour at http://tinyurl.com/2hlaow . ! A recent report in Post Database said 270,000 iPhones were sold on its release date, but weeks later AT&T had only unlocked 146,000. So, are the other 124,000 iPhones posing as paperweights too? Or are there thousands of global iPhone owners, like me, seeking alternative methods to liberate their handsets? If so, help may not be far away. Just recently, one youngster discovered a ''hardware unlock'' of the iPhone by re-soldering its internal wiring; and white hat hackers confirmed the first software unlock of the phone. But they were prevented from releasing the code by a 2am ''cease and desist'' email from AT&T's lawyers. So, my trek continues. Too hot to touch You can unbuckle your seatbelts now; we have arrived at Siam Discovery and are in the tiny but plush environs of Z29 Co, Ltd, the AppleCentre, where I'm talking with the supervisor. Namfon ''Fon'' Chaitaree is very familiar with the iPhone. Choosing her words very carefully, Fon reported that Apple does not ''recognize'' the iPhone in Thailand, and does not sell, support or service it here. Disappointed, I asked to meet with corporate management. She resisted. I insisted. She suggested the head office. ''May I have a name?'' I asked. ''Mr Phakpoom [setarath, marketing manager],'' she said. She also suggested that I first visit the Authorized Apple Service centre just down the hall. I did. There I met Ms Benz, a warm and friendly service rep. She was the first Apple employee who showed genuine empathy for my predicament. She was polite, sympathetic and very helpful until she spoke to her colleague in Thai. He whispered that she couldn't help me because they cannot service that product, whereupon her demeanour changed. Now she was strictly business: ''I'm sorry, we can't help you. That's just the way it is. We are not allowed to service that product. You may call our service hotline,'' she said as she handed me the same green map given me by the Smart Mac shop in Seacon, and shooed me away. So far, I've been to four Apple centres without success. Apple's position seems to be that since the iPhone is a product that ''officially does not exist in Thailand,'' my iPhone and its lack of operability, likewise, do not exist in the Kingdom. At the core of the Apple After a five-minute walk, I arrive at the head office on the 25th floor of Siam Tower and ask for Mr Phakpoom. Ms Pui was quite surprised that I knew his name, but explained that he is in Singapore, and all the other managers are in a meeting. In desperation, I explained my situation and requested Apple to help a loyal customer in need. When I presented the iPhone she said, ''Oh, we don't talk about that. No one is allowed to talk about the iPhone,'' and disappeared through a door to my right. Soon, a polite and gregarious man appeared from the door to my left and introduced himself only as ''Gohp''. Later, I learned he is Mr Therdsak Skulyong, general manager. When I showed him the iPhone he said without finishing, ''I'm not even suppose to touch that. I could lose my . . .'' I could see that he was torn between my plight and the company's hands-off policy. Like Benz, he wanted to help me, but couldn't. To assuage my mental anguish they later had Elisabeth Wongwasin, of Apple's outside PR firm, send me lots of free goodies. Last chance Dejected and unable to get help from Apple, I took the pedestrian bridge from Siam Discovery into MBK and called Krisanai ''Ton'' Chaimune. Within a minute, we were shaking hands. Ton is charismatic, larger than life and willing to please. It is a welcome respite from the corporate ''safe talk'' at Siam Discovery. Ton made a quick phone call and afterwards said to me, ''It can be done, but after 9PM tonight.'' ''How much?'' I asked. ''Oh, 3,300 baht,'' he said. I objected to the obvious price gouge. He insisted. I resisted. He won. I gave him my number on brown paper and left to continue my quest for the Holy Grail. Unlike at Seri and Seacon, everyone at MBK knew about the iPhone. Several shops offered to buy mine _ top offer: 30,000 baht. Still, no one had ''support'' for the iPhone (translation: the crack is not yet available). Curiously, a couple of hours later Ton bumped into me at another shop's counter, almost as if he had been watching me the whole time. This time he, too, was brandishing an iPhone. He reminded me of our appointment and slithered into the crowd. An hour later, I stumbled upon a shop that was obviously equipped to unlock phones. The techie said, ''Hi, come on in. I have your mobile number right here,'' and showed me the brown paper containing my number I'd given to Ton. ''There's a meeting tonight about your iPhone. We'll get it unlocked.'' We shook hands and I agreed to wait for the call. Saving the best for last Almost 10 weary hours after I started, I saw a shop that resembles Chatuchak Park crammed into a 7-11 store. It also had an iPhone box displayed in a locked glass cabinet. I swallowed hard, prepared myself for another defeat, and blurted out my story in a single breath. ''I can do it,'' said Id (real name withheld upon request). I cautiously asked, ''How much?'' and he quickly quipped 1,500 baht. I offered the fair price of 300. We settled on 500. I was dreading a wait of several more hours for the Crack of the Year but in less than three minutes it was done. He explained that the phone was now activated and operational, but not unlocked. So I now have an iPhone that in reality is a widescreen iPod on steroids. It can do most of what the iPhone is designed to do except make a simple phone call. For now, that's okay, since I have a another mobile. At least my iPhone is no longer just a pretty paperweight. By the way, I never got the late night phone call.

Thailand's hope for Suvanabhumi to become "The Asian Hub" is about as fouled up a mess as so much else is within Thailand's infrastructure. The world's newest modern airport and yet it has all these problems? I can't think of anything about that airport that isn't a problem. While it's true that many people using that airport have been quite satisfied with it and have not encountered any problems, there are also quite a number of people who have. Why? The way I see it is that Thailand ended up investing lord knows how much money into an airport that was build in a poor location in the first place, experienced runway problems almost from the beginning and also experienced an attempt to cover up the existence of those problems, has people complaining about the long walks just to get to and from the airplanes, the lack of enough bathroom and restaurant facilities, long waits trying to clear customs, has people who reside anywhere near the airport living in hell because of the noise, already can't handle the number of aircraft trying to use it, and the list just goes on and on. A brand new airport, but now flights have to end up going back to the old airport which will cause enormous inconvenience and hassle to people making connecting flights. Somehow, I don't see this airport as a project that ought to have Thailand's leaders proudly hailing it as "this is the way to do it." What was to be a fabulous new facility ended up being a disgrace. Can you picture another country saying, "We need a new airport. Let's do the same thing Thailand did."? I have a feeling that if anyone writes a book about how to design and build an airport, Suvarnabhumi will be the subject of the chapter entitled, "Don't Let This Happen to You."

I say go for it! If you do it right it ought to work. The trick is finding the right location.

Chonburi is Pattaya's province. One of the more common complaints is selective enforcement, especially when it comes to bars and karaokes. Karaokes seem to be allowed to open virtually anywhere they want, including residential areas. Despite laws limiting music volume and laws regarding closing times, these places seem to get away with anything they want and few of them have any regard for people living nearby. I agree with the people complaining. Fortunately for me, I don't live in an area plagued by noise at night, but there are enough complaints appearing in the media to make me wonder why the police manage to raid the gay venues and close them down for violations, but nobody seems willing or able to do anything about the karaoke places that flagrantly violate the law and are causing problems for the surrounding neighborhoods. Whatever problems occur at the gay venues, at least they aren't bothering the neighbors with noise. The last sentence in the open letter seems to suggest that these people have had it and are thinking about taking the law into their own hands. Some of the gay venues are being ordered to close because boys have failed the drug tests. Would someone please explain to me how bar owners could possibly have any control over whether the boys who work there are on drugs? What are they supposed to do, drug test their entire staff every night when they report to work? This week there was a letter to the editor in the Pattaya Mail, voicing a complaint about the karaoke noise: ( http://www.pattayamail.com/current/letters.shtml#hd4 ) The following is the open letter to the Chonburi governor as it appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: ( http://www.pattayadailynews.com/showfeatur...reID=0000000571 ): _____ From: group of Thai and tourists against karaoke and pub terror To: our governor Mr. Prachar Taerat Dear governor, We would like to inform you about concerns that we have. I'm writing this letter on behalf of many Thai citizens and farang tourists. I myself live regularly at Dolphin Apartments located on the marketplace soi 20, South Pattaya Road. Opposite Dolphin Apartments is a karaoke bar named "xxxxxxxxxxx", this venue is very bad place without a night operating permit also about 50 meters further is "xxxxxxxx" with the same story. The venue opens their music around 9:00 PM (21:00) until 07:00 AM (07:00) going louder by the hour. At 01:00 AM the venue closes the outside lights to cover their bad business. After 4:00 AM (04:00) the music starts getting really loud. The ground shakes 50 meters around this venue. It gets worse by the day. At 07:30 AM when the school kids prepare and make their way to school there is a unacceptable atmosphere that has bad influence on learning children. This time is when the venues close their doors and the intoxicated costumers leave the various venues all around Pattaya. Many fights take place around this time, loud screaming, dangerous traffic situations, etc. etc. We think that this situation is absolutely unacceptable and has not have a good influence on the children going to school. We think this will hinder social education for a lot of children. Everybody knows what happens at those venues even the police! These venues operate for females looking for male prostitutes. Also we know for a fact that many times costumers are underage, under influence of drugs and alcohol. The atmosphere surrounding these venues is many times aggressive; gang members from various gangs create this atmosphere around many venues around Pattaya. The venue "xxxxxxxx" is housed on the ground floor of a government educational center, strange combination in our eyes. If a Thai residential citizen complaints to the police they get an answer to go with their story to city hall. If the story is told to city hall the answer is to go to the banglamung police station. Also we try Bangkok complaint telephone number that will note our story and complaint down but nothing will be done either. The banglamung police station says they have 68 off those venues but that there is nothing they can do about this! The response from the banglamung police station is simply "Why you not move then?" We think this response is immoral and unacceptable for the good Thai citizens and Farang tourists. How can you explain to tourists, citizens and owners that their favorite bar, go-go bar or discotheque have a closing time and the karaoke and pub venues not? We think this is not a good way to handle business and think this may contribute to a situation of "miss understanding" which in turn keeps tourists and income away. We believe that this situation is slowly getting out of hand. Most karaoke and pub venues only receive costumers after 01:00 AM, when police checks a venue to make a fine of an undisclosed amount at 02:00 AM they venue will turn up the volume and continue their business as soon as police is out of sight. Everybody can see that these venues not close even after repeated warnings from police, just looking at the parking lots crowded with cars and motorbikes it's obvious business continues as normal. We are not professionals in searching for a solution but the authorities should be able to handle this. Why not let police work together with the electric company. When a venue is violating operating times, creating disturbances, operating without license, etc. etc. just removes the electric meter so that police authority will remain. There should be an easy way for Thai citizens and tourists to communicate with the authorities about this growing concern we have. Maybe a complaint hotline would make communication about this better. We know there are many people around that are scared to file complaints in fear of retaliation against them. It's well known that these kinds of venue operators are aggressive and will produce a gun to fear anybody off who is a threat to their wrongful business. An anonymous hotline would surely build evidence of wrong doings from various venues around Pattaya. This letter is of high importance, as we know of innocent civilians who are willing to take action, and that means not only a letter like this. Yours faithful

The following is the story as it appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Convicted Murderer of Two Russian Women on Jomtien Beach Sentenced to Death On 24th February we reported on a shocking murder of two Russian Tourists on Jomtien Beach. Miss. Tatiana Tsimfer aged 30 and Miss Liubov Svirkova aged 25 were found dead on Deckchairs at the Southern End of Jomtien Beach. Both had been shot which prompted an intense investigation and man hunt after it was determined that a single man appeared to be involved in the shooting. Khun Anuchit aged 25 was arrested on 2nd March and confessed to the murder. He has remained in custody since then and on Monday Morning he appeared at the Pattaya Provincial Court for sentencing after a lengthy trial. The Judge decided to impose the maximum sentence available and sentenced Khun Anuchit to death by lethal injection. At the courthouse to listen to the verdict was Khun Anuchit’s parents who were distraught when they heard the judge give his verdict. Also at the courthouse were the parents of both victims and officials from the Russian Embassy. Khun Anuchit’s Parents confirmed they will appeal against the decision and the convicted murderer appeared relaxed when the sentence was announced. He was taken back to Prison following the verdict where he will remain until the appeal is heard.

Look at the bright side. Neither you nor I have to renew again until next summer. By then the regulations will probably have changed at least a dozen more times. And I thought the exchange rate was unstable!

Based on the opening rates for Monday, September 3, there has been no significant change over the weekend. This topic is now un-pinned. I will start a new set of postings for exchange rates if an appreciable change occurs. The following is the set of opening rates for Monday, September 3: US Dollar: 34.12 Euro: 46.395 British Pound: 68.625 Australian Dollar: 27.7925 Canadian Dollar: 32.17

I hope your information is correct, as I'm sure everyone else who uses the proof-of-income statement hopes. I suppose we'll all know for sure soon enough. One odd thing, though . . . the part about continuing to take the original letter. They didn't take mine. I renewed a few months ago using the original letter I had from the year before. They readily accepted it and gave it back to me. So I am now in possession of an original letter that has thus far successfully been used twice. We need to find out the story regarding that too. We need not only to know whether they are supposed to return the original letter, but also how many years we're allowed to use it before having to obtain a new one. While we're at it, we might as well try to find out about the supposed requirement for a map. That requirement seems almost even more ridiculous considering the fact that the local police know where all the addresses are. Why they would need a map, no matter where one lives in Thailand, goes beyond me.

I wonder what will be next? Ankle bracelets with electronic tracking devices perhaps?

A friend sent an E-mail today that included more specific directions about getting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok. A photo of the building is included. Click on the link below to download the file. He also included the following in his E-mail: _____ That being said, it crossed my mind that for those that do not have a car or want to go to the expense of a taxi or hiring a car from Pattaya, getting there from Pattaya should not be too difficult. There are some express bus/van services to Don Muang Airport -- from there by taxi to the Ministry should be a fairly short trip - a few years back, I stayed at a hotel near the airport off Chang Watthana Road - it was about a 5 minute ride to the airport -- a little bit more from the airport as I recall because of the need to go further down the freeway to get a U-Turn ramp. One could also go to the North Pattaya Bus Station and take the bus to Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok, then take a taxi from there.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Two men sealed the state's first legal same-sex marriage with a kiss Friday morning, less than 24 hours after a judge threw out Iowa's ban on gay marriage and about two hours before he put the ruling on hold. It was a narrow window of opportunity. Thursday afternoon, Polk County Judge Robert Hanson temporarily cleared the way for same-sex couples across the state to apply for marriage licenses in Polk County. He ruled that Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed marriage only between a man and a woman, violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued. County attorney John Sarcone promised a quick appeal, and he asked Hanson to stay his ruling until the appeal was resolved. A dozen gay and lesbian couples were waiting at the county recorder's office when it opened Friday morning. By late morning, 20 had applied for marriage licenses when Recorder Julie Haggerty announced that she had been instructed to stop accepting the applications. Hanson later said the judge that he had formally stayed his ruling. The judge's stay means the recorder's office is not permitted to accept any more marriage applications from gay couples until the Iowa Supreme Court rules on the county's appeal. Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan were among the lucky few to get their application through. The marriage license approval process normally takes three business days, but Fritz and McQuillan took advantage of a loophole that allows couples to skip the waiting period if they pay a $5 fee and get a judge to sign a waiver. Friday morning, the Rev. Mark Stringer declared the two Iowa State University students legally married in a wedding on Unitarian minister's front lawn in Des Moines. "This is it. We're married. I love you," Fritz told McQuillan after the ceremony. Fritz explained their hurry: "We're both in our undergrad programs and we thought maybe we'd put it off until applying at graduate school, but when this opportunity came up, we thought maybe we wouldn't get the opportunity again." Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. "I can't believe this is happening in Iowa," Rants said. "I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January," when the Legislature convenes. Gov. Chet Culver left open the possibility of state action. "While some Iowans may disagree on this issue, I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman," the governor said. Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according the National Conference of State Legislatures. Dennis Johnson, a lawyer for the six gay couples who sued after being denied marriage licenses in 2005, said Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. The Defense of Marriage Act contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply "mean spirited," he said. Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue was not for a judge to decide. Hanson ruled that the state law banning same-sex marriage must be nullified, severed and stricken from the books, and the marriage laws "must be read and applied in a gender neutral manner so as to permit same-sex couples to enter into a civil marriage ..." "This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation. I just cannot believe it." Kate Varnum of Cedar Rapids, another plaintiff, said she was elated but expected more legal battles: "I don't expect this to be the last one." Even though the county Web site explaining how to apply for a marriage license still began with the words, "Marriages in Iowa are between a male and a female ...," several couples were waiting when the county recorder's office opened at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Katy Farlow and Larissa Boeck, both Iowa State University students, were waiting in lawn chairs outside. "This might be our only chance," Farlow said. "We already knew we were spending the rest of our lives together."

My ISP is Maxnet. Their office is on the top floor at Carrefour if you wish to switch over. I just checked again and am able to access YouTube with no problems at all.

As you can see, the predicted major baht volatility has not occurred. No further updates on the exchange rates will be available until Monday. I will check the rates on Monday morning. If there has been no significant change, then I will un-pin this topic and discontinue posting the rates. After that, if any major movement occurs, then I will start a fresh set of exchange rate postings. In the meantime, if you wish to continue checking the rates yourself, you can do so at: http://www.krungsri.com/thai/exchange01.aspx