Gaybutton

No, we haven't and we don't intend to. We're going to do what we think is best at our own discretion and we're not going to concern ourselves with whether what we do follows the precise letter of the code or not. We are not going to sit down and write a set of precise, specific rules as if we are trying to write law. I'll repeat what I stated in a post above: I'm sorry if that bothers you, but that's the way it's going to be. Also, this forum is not all about Ear Wig and his posts. I intend to treat Ear Wig, you, and everyone else in precisely the same manner. So far, the only posts we have eliminated are posts that attack others or go so far off on a tangent that they are not even remotely connected with the original topic. If it helps to figure out how we're going to do things here, I'm much closer to full agreement with Stef, buaseng and bkkguy than anyone else who has so far posted on this thread.

As far as I'm concerned, they already stand warned. I think I have made it clear what I'm going to do and I'm not going to get involved with a complex set of rules. I think it's quite simple . . . if someone wants to attack someone else, don't. What I can't do, and I'm sorry I can't, is take the advice of everyone who wants to offer it. It creates a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for me, so I'm simply going to do it my way and quite frankly I couldn't care less who likes it and who doesn't. I'm trying to be as liberal about it as I can and I believe most people who knew how I operated my own board are already well aware that a great many posts have been allowed to stand here that never would have even seen the light of day on my board, but the decisions here are going to be made by Stef and me, along with Rainwalker if he is able to stay with us, and I'm not going to get into debates or arguments about it. Unfortunately, no matter how I do it, someone is going to be unhappy about it. The way I see it, better that they be the ones unhappy about it instead of me. As far as I can tell, the vast majority of people who visit this web site are sick and tired of the nonsense attack posts, thread hijackings, and flame wars. So are the moderators. It's not just me. All the moderators mean to put an end to it, and that's just what we're going to do. If a post gets deleted or a thread gets locked, please don't make the mistake of jumping to the conclusion that I'm necessarily the one who did it. I have a very simple philosophy regarding moderation of this board: If you like the way I do it, great. If you don't, tough luck. This thread was originally about GayThailand and his sabbatical. I reopened it so that people who wish to discuss it can do so. If anyone cares to get involved with a debate about how to run this board, please do so on the "Equitable moderation, a suggestion" thread. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd kind of like to get back to the original subject of this thread, which is why I agreed to reopen it.

Curiosity got the better of me and this evening I went to Sansuk to give it a try. First, I have some additions and corrections to my original post: 1. I had said that you cannot see into the exercise room. Wrong. Yes you can, from the pool side. I asked how I could possibly have failed to see that when I first visited. It turned out that they had it curtained off when I was there and I did not realize the exercise room was right behind the curtains. 2. Behind the pool there is a Jacuzzi. It's large and quite nice and bubbly, but it's a cold water Jacuzzi. I hope they decide to heat it. 3. As you face the Jacuzzi from the main lounge area, to the left there is a second steam sauna that I had not noticed before. It's small, but it's there. It's a herbal steam room. 4. I had posted about the volume of the large screen television. I was right about the volume being turned down during business hours. You would have to be right next to it to hear it, thank goodness. 5. The locker system is exactly like the Babylon. When you arrive you will be given a key and locker number attached to a wrist band. If you order anything to eat or drink, the fee will be charged to your locker number. When you are ready to leave the sauna, you turn in your key at the front desk and that's where and when you pay your food/bar bill. 6. When I visited the first time I was told they do have over-size towels for those of us who also are over-size. Well, no they don't. The towels are all standard size even if you ask for an over-size towel. So, if you happen to have too much extra padding to be able to wrap a standard size towel around yourself, then you better bring a large enough towel with you. The worst part was me going around the sauna in a towel. How nauseating. I'm only grateful there aren't many mirrors there. So, if you happen to be there while I'm there, you better bring a few barf bags. Unfortunately, the sauna doesn't supply them. 7. I was wrong about having no seating in the main steam room. Yes they do, on each end of the room. However, there is what I consider to be a design flaw. I sat down on the bench seat on the entrance side of the room. Apparently steam is sent out from directly underneath the bench seat. It nearly scalded my legs. I think they ought to do something about that, if they can. The other side of the room is fine, but if you sit down on the entrance side, be careful about the steam. Also, make sure you have a towel wrapped around you if you sit down on that side. The bench seat gets so hot that you can easily burn yourself without the towel insulating your skin from the bench seat. The main steam room is lit with subdued light, but not subdued enough. You can see from one side of the room to the other. I think it should be much darker in there. There seemed to be an equal number of Thais and "farang" this evening. Not one of the Thais were money boys. A couple of them had no inhibitions about total nudity at the pool or in the steam room. However, nude swimming in the pool is not allowed. The staff consists of some very cute boys. If you frequent the beach you'll probably recognize some of them. Sorry, no "off" is allowed and they are not allowed to accompany you in a privacy room, but they are at liberty to make arrangements with you during their non-working hours. Several people were having dinner there, although I did not take a look at what they were eating and did not look at the menu. Punya, the owner, was there this evening and is perfectly willing to listen to and consider suggestions. I think the biggest problem that needs to be overcome is transportation. Unless you like hiking up and down the long, steep hill from Thappraya Road to get there, then most of you will need to get there on a motorcycle taxi. That gets you there., but I saw no motorcycle taxis to get you back where you came from when you leave, so that means a hike all the way back up the hill to get to a motorcycle taxi or baht bus. All in all, I think Sansuk is definitely worth a try. Again, do not expect a clone of Babylon, but it was a very enjoyable experience and I'll be there again . . . . I come for the waters.

Ok, Wowpow. You've convinced me. I've reopened the thread and we'll try it that way. However, I leave open all my options, including the option to lock it again if it becomes necessary. Regarding transparency, there will be none. I am not going to get into arguments or justifications and I do not feel that I owe public explanations as to why things are done the way they're done. Sorry if that bothers you, but that's the way it's going to be. I've met you halfway. For the time being, that will have to do.

At Wowpow's suggestion I have reopened this thread so that posting with regard to the original intent of the thread can continue. However, please be aware that those who try to post attacks or hijack this thread, or any other thread, will find that their posts don't last very long.

The exchange rate between the baht and other currencies has remained stable, without the predicted weakening of the baht following the bombings in Bangkok. Aa of the closing rates on Monday, January 8, the exchange rate has remained essentially the same since before the bombings occurred. The following are the latest exchange rates: US dollar: 35.72 Euro: 46.37 British pound: 68.95 Australian dollar: 27.66 Canadian dollar: 30.2975

Good news, gents. It will not be necessary to make the suggestion to Sansuk. They've beaten us to it. Today at the beach I spoke to a young man who was handing out fliers for Sansuk. I brought up the issue of attracting Thais. He informed me that the policy already is as follows: Admission for Thais age 25 or less: Free Admission for Thais age 26 or more: 90 baht I asked if there is a clientele of boys yet. He said last night about 20 boys showed up and word is quickly spreading among the boys about the free admission. He also said the best time to come, if you are looking for boys, is after 8:00PM.

Give me time. I'm going to try several methods to put a stop to this nonsense, and I will also try your suggestion. I'm trying to handle this in a manner that I believe GayThailand would handle it or would want it handled, but it's too soon to engrave anything in stone just yet. I can assure you that one way or another it will be handled. When I find the method that works best and seems to be satisfactory to all concerned, except of course to the offending posters, that's what I'll probably stick with. I'm not going to reopen locked threads, but I have no objection if anyone wants to create a new thread in order to continue the original discussion. However, as soon as I see posts that are inappropriate to the thread and/or degenerate the thread to the attacks and counter attacks, there are three things I can do. One is to lock the thread. One is to delete the offending posts. One is to do both. I will not partially edit posts. People will either post properly or they'll find either the thread locked or their post gone. I'm trying my best, but it isn't always easy trying to deal with people who think they get to ignore the rules or just make up their own rules.

Yes, although that's just about the limit of the gay beach area. If you are coming up the walkway from the 7-Eleven - Police Box area, the gay beach area starts just beyond the Avalon Hotel. You'll see the circular public restroom. That's where it starts. Once you get as far as the Rabbit Resort, that's about where it ends. Most of the boys sit closer to the public restroom area up to the "Jim's Beach" concession. It starts to thin out after that.

Like anything else, it is a question of being in the right place at the right time. Without knowing what you consider to be the most attractive boys, I suggest being at the beach between 1:30 to 2:00PM. That's when most of the boys start showing up. Some days a great many boys come to the beach and some days they don't. You never know. It also helps to make sure you are sitting in the gay beach area. I once received an E-mail from someone who couldn't understand why he was never able to find boys at the beach. After a few E-mails went back and forth, I finally realized the problem was he was sitting at the wrong part of the beach. If you spot a boy you find attractive and is not already otherwise engaged with a "farang," simply smile and signal him to come over to you or go up to him and say hello. Usually, that's all it takes. Only yesterday one of my closest friends, who almost never comes to the beach, surprised us all by putting in an appearance. It didn't take him long to realize what he had been missing all this time. Only two seats away he spotted a boy who was extremely attractive to him. He signaled the boy to come over. Needless to say, my friend did not leave the beach alone. Somehow, I have a feeling he won't be such a stranger at the beach anymore. I have two suggestions if you find a boy at the beach who you wish to take with you or arrange to meet later in the evening. The first is to pay his beach bill. It probably won't amount to more than around 100 baht or so because most beach boys who are there looking for "farang" can't afford to run up a bill more expensive than that. The second suggestion is to make sure he has his national ID card with him. Check his age. This year, on the Thai calendar, is 2550. That means his birth year has to be 2532 or earlier for him to be 18 years old. Since this is still the early part of January, then I would suggest making sure he was born in 2531 or earlier to be sure he has actually reached his 18th birthday. Also, you want to make sure he has his ID card with him when you take him back to your room. That's your only security. Without the ID card you have no way of knowing who he is, in case of any trouble. Make sure the front desk checks his ID card to make sure it's really his and that he is also of legal age. Also make sure the front desk holds his ID card while he is with you and will not give it back unless you personally accompany him when he leaves or they call your room to make sure everything is ok. Make sure the boy understands that.

I agree and think Kregger has come up with a great idea, considering the reason most "farang" go to gay saunas in the first place. The average Thai boy cannot afford the 180 baht admission price, and that's only the introductory price. Having a special price, or even free admission, for anyone, Thai, 'farang,' or anything else, between whatever ages are appropriate might be just the thing that could make Sansuk quickly become highly popular and attract a sizable clientele. The Sansuk business card shows the E-mail address as info@sansukpattaya.com . Perhaps it would be helpful to send that suggestion to them via E-mail.

Ok, gentlemen. Welcome to the new posting policy. I suppose some people simply don't think I mean what I say. On the very thread on which we announce that we are not going to permit any more threads to deviate from the original intent and become a series of attacks and counter attacks, it's turning into just that. We are not going to have any more of it on this thread or any other. This thread is now locked.

In all honesty, I'm not. At least not yet. The problem is that I can't help but compare Sansuk with Babylon and that really is not fair to do. If I had never been to Babylon, then I probably would have been much more impressed. But at least Pattaya finally has something and I think it's a very positive thing and I hope Sansuk succeeds. I think those who go there looking for the sex so readily available at Babylon will be disappointed for the time being. Perhaps once the Sansuk is established and enough gay Thais give it a try it can be a success. If people give Sansuk a try, without expecting a clone of Babylon, then I think they will be pleased. I intend to go there because I happen to really enjoy steam saunas for their own sake. The fact that it will also be a gay environment will be great for me. I used to go quite often to a combination sauna and traditional Thai massage in Naklua. The only reason I was there was for the steam rooms. Several months ago the sauna closed and re-opened in a new location on Third Road, very close to the bridge. However, they have yet to open steam rooms. Every time I check, I'm told it will be a few more months. Now that Sansuk has opened, I plan on being there. I also think it will be a viable alternative to the bars. We'll see.

Since the Sansuk Sauna has now opened in Pattaya, this afternoon I paid my first visit. Unfortunately I was there too early. I went at 2:00. They don't open until 3:00, but I was given a tour. First, the operating hours, for the time being are 3:00 PM until 11:00PM to 12:00AM. The closing time will depend on the number of customers. Also, for the time being, the admission price is 180 baht. I looked through the sauna, but did not look at the guesthouse at all, at least not today. The entrance decor did remind me of the Babylon Sauna in Bangkok . . . all tile and quite appealing. I suppose comparing Sansuk to Babylon can't be helped. It is similar to Babylon on a much smaller scale. On the ground floor there is a large lounge area, with a bar, tables, couches, etc. The drink prices range from 40 baht to about 160 baht, depending on what you order. In the lounge area there is a large-screen television. A few boys, employees of the sauna, were watching a music program and the volume was turned up quite high, far too high for my taste. Of course, this was before opening hours so perhaps the volume is more subdued when customers are present. I asked about the towels. They do have large size towels for the, shall we say, more portly among us. There is a swimming pool, about half the size of the pool at the Babylon. The ground floor is where the sauna is. There is a one hot rock sauna that is essentially identical to the one at the Babylon. There is one steam sauna, much smaller than the one at Babylon. It is rectangular shaped. The second floor consists of privacy rooms, quite similar to the Babylon. The third floor is another lounge, all outdoors, with plenty of tables and chairs, a view of the swimming pool, and a bar. I was told restaurant facilities will soon be there, similar to the old Babylon. There is an exercise room, well equipped. However, if you wish to observe boys working out, you'll have to be in there with them. It is not glass-fronted as is done at the Babylon. I was impressed with the quality of the furnishings and decor. However, I feel that the steam sauna is much too small and there is nowhere to sit down in there. Also, the Babylon has water fountains available. I saw none at Sansuk. While I was there, all the rooms, sauna, privacy rooms, etc, were awash with sunlight. If they are going to darken everything, Babylon style, I think that may need some work. Of course, after nightfall, it all will be naturally dark. Now, bear in mind that I was there a full hour before opening time and the sauna has only been open for a few days. Punya was not there, so I was not able to ask him any questions. I will have another look during opening hours and post my observations unless someone else beats me to it. I have attached the Sansuk business card below.

I'd appreciate it.

Are you sure you read my post correctly? I believe I said there will be no appreciable changes coming from me. The change I stated above comes from an agreement with GayThailand and the moderators and would have taken place whether he was going to be around or not. We feel that the flame and attack posts are serving no purpose other than diminishing the quality of this board. If anyone feels that such posts enhance the quality of a board, then that opinion differs from ours. Before people start finding me guilty of reviving my "control freak" attitude, how about first waiting at least until I commit the crime. Rainwalker, if you do decide to move on, I wish to state that I have greatly appreciated your help, wisdom, and advice. Your participation here as a moderator will be sorely missed.

Thank you very much, GT, and best of luck with your new venture. Now, before people start to panic about the board being essentially in my hands over the next few months, you do not have to worry (or celebrate) that this board is now under the control of the power hungry "control freak" that I am often reputed to be. I have agreed to moderate this board by the policies and wishes set by GayThailand, keeping in mind that this board belongs to him and not to me. GayThailand and I disagree about certain types of posts and specific posters that appear on this board. Quite frankly, if this board belonged to me there would be a few people who regularly post here who would have been history long before now. However, I fully intend to do things as GayThailand wants them done without regard to my personal opinion. Before anyone starts contacting me, telling me who I should ban from posting, I think I better make it clear that I have agreed not to ban anyone. Despite the fact that GayThailand is off doing whatever it is that he's doing, that doesn't mean we're out of touch. If there is any reason to ban someone, I will contact GayThailand and that decision will still rest solely with him. There will be one change, however, and GayThailand and I agreed to this before he told me about his upcoming hiatus. It has to do with the preponderance of attack posts. What we are going to do is to lock threads that deviate from the intent of the original topic and start to become nothing more than a series of attacks and counter attacks. We will also delete any threads or individual posts that, in our opinion, are an attempt to circumvent threads that have been locked. Other than that, there will probably be very few noticeable changes.

For the record, the Sansuk Sauna in Pattaya has no connection of any kind with the Babylon Sauna in Bangkok.

CHIANG MAI, Jan 6 (TNA) A British tourist committed suicide Saturday morning by jumping from his room on the sixth floor of a condominium in this northern city, falling to his death on the roof of an adjacent building, police said. Entirely naked, the victim -- identified as Mark Anthony, age 35 -- leaped from his apartment room, breaking his neck and wrists in the fall. Police said he had lived in the central Chiang Mai condominium for more than six months. Police said Mr. Anthony had a medical checkup at a provincial hospital two days earlier and was stressed after returning to his room, apparently after learning that he was suffering from a chronic disease. Police said they would conduct further investigation. His body is now being kept at a hospital here. (TNA)-E111

That's true whenever such an article is online. I hadn't thought of that. Ok, now the basics, I believe, are covered. Are we at some point going to discuss the content of the article?

Ear Wig did attribute this posting to Sticky Rice. It is, however, at the end of the article. There is nothing wrong with that, but I would prefer to see attributions at the beginning of a post. If it is from a magazine article, then it should include the title of the magazine, issue number, title of the article, and name of the author if it is given. However, this time I don't see how anyone can say that Ear Wig plagiarized. He cited his source, and that makes it ok. Personally, I would also rather read comments about the content of the article instead of even more arguing about plagiarism, Ear Wig, etc.

I haven't stayed at any of them because I can't afford them, but I've seen the one in Chiang Mai and the one in Phuket. They are magnificent hotels, but I'm not sure I would stay at any of them even if I had the money. All I'm interested in doing in a hotel is going to sleep in the room. I don't spend time in hotels other than that, so I would feel like I'm throwing money out the window to pay hundreds of dollars for amenities I'm not going to use in the first place. I like a nice hotel, for sure, but unless I'm going to use what I'm paying for, I don't see the point in staying in a luxury hotel. That's just me, of course. In Phuket, for example, I'm perfectly happy in a place like the Connect Guesthouse because it offers what I'm looking for at a reasonable price. In Bangkok, I like staying at the Pinnacle for the same reason. Usually. when I go to Bangkok, I drive to get there. The Pinnacle is easy to get to from the expressway. The rooms are just what I'm looking for. The price, if I book through Jimmy, is reasonable. I'm not interested in swimming pools, spas, in-hotel shopping, or anything else. All I'm interested in is the room itself and the location of the hotel. In Chiang Mai, I like the Come On Place, although after reading about PJ's, I may give that a try next time I go to Chiang Mai. In other words, if you're looking for luxury and have the means to pay for it, then the hotels on the list would be excellent choices. If you're more like me, and have no interest in that kind of luxury, then despite how nice those hotels are I wouldn't stay at any of them. Besides, hotels like that probably frown on bringing a "guest" to the room. So, if a "guest" is part of your itinerary, can you imagine paying $500 or so for a room and ending up spending time in a short-time room somewhere? That's not for me.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Airlines Say Business as Usual After Bombs BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA The bomb blasts in Bangkok have not scared away air travellers as most airlines reported no abnormal cancellations in reservations _ not even from sensitive Japanese and Singaporeans. It has been business as usual for airlines operating through Thailand, including Thai Airways International (THAI), Japan Airlines (JAL), Singapore Airlines (SIA), Bangkok Airways and AirAsia. To the surprise of many, Japanese and Singaporeans, who normally react swiftly to any negative incidents such as unrest, terrorism and disease outbreaks, had largely maintained travel plans to Thailand. Kriengsak Mungnirandr, deputy vice-president of JAL in Thailand, confirmed yesterday that the flow of Japanese, who represent about 80% of all passengers on Bangkok-Japan flights, remained surprisingly steady in the aftermath of the blasts. ''I think they may consider the incidents a local issue, not significant enough to necessitate them to change their visit plans,'' he said, adding that JAL continued to see a cabin factor of 80% on the five wide-body aircraft flights per day between Bangkok and Tokyo and Osaka. Furthermore, unlike governments of western countries and Malaysia, Japan has not urged its citizens to exercise caution when visiting Thailand. Their reaction would be drastically different if the bombs were the act of international terrorists, Mr Kriengsak said. Vipawan Potiket, passenger sales manager for SIA's Thailand office, was also taken aback by the calm reaction of Singaporean passengers, who comprise 60% of travellers from Singapore to Bangkok. ''Everything looks pretty normal for our flights in and out of Bangkok since New Year's Eve,'' she noted. ''There is no unusual sign.'' SIA operates 41 flights a week between Bangkok and Singapore. No unusual movements were recorded in THAI's reservation system, especially international flights through Thailand. ''No, there are no drops in bookings, though there are the usual cases of no-shows of three to four passengers on each flight'' in and out of Thailand, said Wallop Bhukkanasut, THAI's executive vice-president for commercial affairs. THAI's current cabin factor remains relatively high at 72%. Mr Wallop said one of the key reasons carriers have been able to sustain normal passenger traffic was the limited coverage of the bombings on global media networks including CNN and BBC World, where the execution of Saddam Hussein dominated coverage. Even so, Bangkok Airways reported some ''minor'' cancellations on domestic flights among certain Europeans, Australians and Americans who reacted to travel advisories, said an executive. At the budget carrier Thai AirAsia, staff had received no calls asking for refunds or flight changes as they did after the Sept 19 coup. Although short-term impact on air travel has not yet been felt, airline executives are concerned that further violence would really hurt the industry.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ BOMBINGS AFTERMATH CNS: Political Emergency May Last Two Months Govt Departments Put on High Alert, Public Asked to Cooperate to Prevent Further Attacks All government agencies nationwide were put on high security alert yesterday while the public was urged to cooperate in preventing further acts of urban terrorism as political turbulence was expected to last two months. The Council for National Security (CNS) in a circular to ministries, courts and state enterprises urged officials to watch out for strangers or unidentified objects left abandoned in buildings and public places. The agencies, including the ministries of finance, foreign affairs and public health, the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Administrative Court, were told to inform their communities to prepare for possible threats to life and property. During a press conference following Thursday's coup rumours, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the public should prepare for more political violence after the New Year bomb blasts in the capital. He said he believed the country would see political turmoil for the next two months. The overthrow rumours may have been be part of a coordinated political attack, he said. "The bombings on December 31 and the subsequent rumour of a second coup appear to have a link." He had chaired a morning meeting at Government House with CNS chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin to assess the situation. CNS secretary Winai Phattiyakul also attended. On Thursday night, the coup buzz persisted even though government and military leaders issued a series of statements denying a second putsch. In a bid to quash future speculation, people should notify police or the Internal Security Operations Command about any provocation seemingly meant to undermine morale, Surayud said. Authorities will keep the public informed about troop movements and step up publicity designed to foster understanding in society, he said, adding that security in the capital would remain on high alert for one or two months as a precaution against political violence. Security measures are meant to deter further outbreaks of political violence, as authorities cannot anticipate every target of attack, he said. Authorities will try to enforce safety with moderate measures in order to cause the least inconvenience to the public, he said. "Public cooperation is the key to implementing security measures and boosting investor confidence," he said, adding that the local press could help by disseminating verified facts instead of spinning misinformation. In an early-morning interview broadcast live on Army Channel 5, CNS chief Sonthi ruled out the possibility of a power seizure produced by rifts among the eight CNS members. "We need unity in the Armed Forces. We believe in good ties and good spirit. I think there will be no coup," Sonthi said. Public trust in the military-installed government has nosedived in the aftermath of the New Year's Eve bombings, according to the Abac Poll Research Centre. Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said he had ordered his staff and all hospitals nationwide to prepare their personnel and equipment for any emergency situations created by political upheaval.

Others may disagree with me, but I feel the following is appropriate: 1. Taking a boy "off," whether it be from a bar, the beach, or anything else: 1000 baht for "short time," 1500 to 2000 baht if he spends the entire night with you. 2. Beach massages in Pattaya are generally 200 baht. A 20 to 50 baht tip is plenty. 3. Taxi from the airport to the Tarntawan: 20 to 30 baht. 30 baht more if the driver helps you with heavy luggage. 4. Bartenders: I have never met anyone who tips Thai bartenders at all. You cannot add a taxi tip to the hotel bill. You'll have to tip the driver directly. I don't know why you won't have any Thai money until you reach the hotel. Hotel exchange rates are terrible. There are plenty of ATMs and exchange booths that take care of travel checks and/or cash at the airport. I suggest making your initial exchange at the airport upon arrival. You'll get the normal bank rates, which will be far better than rates you will get at your hotel.