Gaybutton

I would advise either Pattaya Memorial Hospital or Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital. Neither will be very expensive. Another alternative might be close to your area. In the same parking lot where Food Mart is, directly across the road from Pan-Pan, you'll find Dr. Monkol's clinic. He's excellent and may have the medication on hand.

That's very interesting. As you may recall, a Thai immigration official had said that if Karr is not convicted of anything, then he would be welcome to return to Thailand. Here's the story: _____ SANTA ROSA, California (AP) A judge dismissed child pornography charges Thursday against former JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr after prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to take the case to trial. Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau ordered Karr released immediately. So ended Karr's strange, bringing two-month odyssey through the U.S. criminal justice system. It began when he was extradited from Thailand on suspicion of killing the 6-year-old beauty queen. Karr, 41, was returned to California last month to face the five-year-old pornography case after DNA evidence cleared him of killing the girl in her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996. The pornography case fell apart almost as quickly, as investigators admitted losing vital computer evidence that was seized from Karr in April 2001 when he was working as a substitute teacher in Sonoma and Napa counties. Defense lawyers tried twice unsuccessfully to get the charges dismissed and were seeking to have evidence barred from trial when prosecutors gave up. "The impression that we've had all along is that the prosecution had every intention of getting this case to trial, regardless of the evidence," said defense lawyer Robert Amparan. "I am pleasantly surprised by them having done the right thing." Karr's attorneys launched a fresh attack this week, saying the computer that held the alleged images was never used in California. Defense attorney Robert Amparan said Wednesday that the printout made by sheriff's deputies cataloging the contents of the hard drive on Karr's computer showed the computer hasn't been used in eight years. "Nothing has been accessed on that computer since 1998, two years before the Karrs moved from Alabama to California," Amparan said. Divorce records indicate Karr, his former wife and their three children moved from Alabama to Petaluma in 2000. At least one observer said if Karr obtained the images more than a year before charges were filed, a judge could dismiss the case because the deadline for bringing charges had expired. "If they can show that computer wasn't even accessed after 1998 and the last time it was accessed he was in another state, as well, then there's some serious problems," said Joseph L. Stogner, an attorney and professor at Empire Law School in Santa Rosa. Last week, a different judge refused to toss out the case after the defense filed a dismissal motion based on authorities' loss of Karr's computer. Investigators have acknowledged they lost the computer, but said they found a "mirror image" of its hard drive on a sheriff's department computer. On Thursday, Chouteau had been expected to hear two more defense motions -- one to exclude the evidence found on the hard drive, and another to invalidate the search warrant that led to the confiscation of the computer because investigators allegedly were relying on an informant who was mentally ill. Karr was charged with possessing child pornography in 2001, but the former teacher fled before his trial later that year.

A friend arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport two nights ago. He said his airplane parked at the gate at 1:10 AM and he had retrieved his luggage, cleared customs, and was out of the airport by 1:50 AM. He was in Pattaya by and in his hotel room by 3:30 AM. He said that he had no problems at all. He said clearing customs was far more quick and easy than he had ever experienced at Don Muang and was quite satisfied with the new airport. Another friend arrived on the night of September 29, the second night the airport was open. His story was about the same as the one above. At least as far as late night arrivals is concerned, the airport seems to have its act together. Once some of you go through morning and afternoon arrivals, I hope you will post about your experiences. Also, I hope some of you will post about departure experiences and domestic flight experiences. One of the goals of the new airport is to become a hub for Asian flights. There are nearby airport hotels, but they seem to be quite expensive for travelers who only want a room for a few hours. The Tokyo-Narita airport has inexpensive day rooms for rent, right within the terminal building. You don't have to clear customs to use those rooms, but at Suvarnabhumi you would have to clear customs to use any of the nearby airport hotels.The last time I used the Tokyo day rooms the price was US $5 per hour. Does anyone know if Suvarnabhumi has anything similar to the Tokyo day rooms?

Wow! I had no idea there were so many circumventing the visa rules in that manner. If that is the case, then that makes a lot more sense out of the new regulations. Unfortunately, it makes things much more difficult for the people who abide by the rules. Have your friends told you what they're going to do now and how they are going to be able to stay in Thailand? Are any going to give it up and leave?

I understand what you're saying and in many cases my guess is that you're right, but loaded questions make for unfair assumptions too. Someone recently posted that merely being in the Sunee Plaza area makes one a pedophile. To me, it's similar to the Niddy's Nook brouhaha. The Niddy's Nook haters have probably done more to bring business their way than anything else could have done. Many people are going there out of curiosity. Now, many people will probably patronize certain bars not because they are pedophiles, but out of sheer curiosity after reading all the hoopla about what goes on. I really do not think it is fair to imply that people must be pedophiles simply because they want to know the locations of these bars.

For those who have not been there, click the following link: http://www.utopia-asia.com/chakran There is a gay massage very near called V-Club. Their web site is: http://www.v-clubbkk.com As long as we're on the subject of saunas, yesterrday evening I was at Howard's Hotel to meet a friend for dinner. Punya was there and I asked him about the opening date of the sauna in Pattaya. He said he is hoping to be able to open at some point in mid-November. He said the reason for the delays is. "You know what it is like trying to get work crews to complete work on time and do things right." Yes, I do know what that can be like, so please be patient with Punya.

The most obvious solution to the whole thing is to obtain the one-year retirement visa if you are eligible for it. Most gay "farang" who choose to reside in Thailand are eligible for it The majority of cases in which one would not be eligible for it would be for those under age 50. How about that? Under-age "farang"! In any case, if you are under 50 years old or are otherwise not eligible for the retirement visa, then I believe this article makes it clear that you still can reside permanently in Thailand under the current regulations if you follow the procedure outlined in this article. Whtever you do, don't get involved in trying to over-stay your visa. That would be literally begging for trouble. Simply follow the rules and all should be well, although it may be more of a pain-in-the-butt process than it used to be.

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ A spectacular press conference now from the Plaza Athenee Hotel in Bangkok which announced the forthcoming 3rd Annual Miss International Queen 2006 which is due to be held at the Tiffany

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ (Note from GB: This is not the entire article. Another part of this article deals with the arrest of Cambodians working illegally in Thailand and is irrelevant to this issue.) . . . an announcement was made by the Colonel who clarified the new visa regulations for foreigners which came into force on 1st October. Pattaya City News has obtained a copy of a Royal Thai Police Order no. 608/2549 dated 8th September 2006 and signed by the National Police Commissioner, Police General Kowit which confirms regulations which many foreigners are already aware of. The main change is for those who reside in the Kingdom for long periods of time on 30 day entry stamps. From now on you will only be allowed to enter Thailand on no more than 3 consecutive 30 day stamps at which point you will not be able to re-enter Thailand again for a period of no less than 90 days at which point a further 3 consecutive 30 day stamps will be permitted. One easy solution to this problem is to obtain a multi- entry Tourist Visa from your Thai consulate or embassy in your native country which, if utilized fully, will allow you a total of 9 months stay in the Kingdom after making two border runs to renew the Tourist Visa during the 9 month period. There are other options available to you including a combination of 30 day stamps and single entry tourist visas should you not wish to return to your country of origin and wish to remain here in Thailand without conducting business for which a business visa would then be required.

Once you do, please let us know who you chose and how satisfied you are with the work and the price.

I don't know who you mean, but if you don't get a response in time, I suggest having a look at the listings on the Dreaded Ned wb site at http://www.dreadedned.com/directory/bytype/1/19/

You can't find one because the board doesn't have one. There are two solutions. One is to simply first write your post on a word processor and let the word processor check your spelling. The second is to download the Firefox browser. That browser does have a spell check button and it works beautifully checking spelling before you submit your post. I don't know why you are desperate for a spell checker, though. You haven't misspelled anything at all.

Justices refuse to hear Texas case on sex toys Outlawing sales of phallic devices unconstitutional, complaint says Associated Press WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court refused Monday to consider whether a Texas law making it a crime to promote sex toys shaped like sexual organs is unconstitutional. An adult bookstore employee in El Paso sued the state after his arrest for showing two undercover officers a device shaped like a penis. The employee, Ignacio Sergio Acosta, says a Texas law outlawing the manufacture, marketing or dissemination of devices shaped like sex organs is unconstitutional because it prevents individuals from using such devices, violating their right to sexual privacy. Colorado, Kansas and Louisiana have held such laws unconstitutional, while Georgia, Mississippi and Texas have upheld them, said Acosta's lawyer in urging the Supreme Court to take the case. An El Paso County court granted Acosta's motion to dismiss a criminal complaint against him, but an appeals court reinstated it, saying the Texas law did not infringe on private sexual behavior. Acosta also said the Texas law should be examined in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a Texas criminal law banning gay sex as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy.

Ach sooooooo. (Sefton - Stalag 17) - That does seem logical. I still frown, though, at the idea of making things difficult for everyone else when the problems are caused by the actions of a few.

Did I say that?

It is strange, isn't it? Yes, as a new board member I wouldn't blame you if you think we're all nuts or something, choosing Niddy's Nook to be just about the most controversial subject that gets posted. Most likely, you would be right. We're probably close to the end of the latest round of Niddy's Nook talk. But sooner or later there will be another Niddy's Nook ad and then we'll get to do this all over again.

Even that depends on the individual. Many of my friends love to go to the bars virtually every night. For me, I rarely go to the bars at all anymore and when I do go, I rarely stay very long. Can you imagine? I'm actually bored with the bar scene. I never thought that would happen, but there it is. As far as the restaurants go, I rarely eat at home. I'm not exactly a gourmet chef and I don't enjoy cooking very much and I enjoy cleaning the pots, pans, and dishes even less. I don't eat at the expensive restaurants very often, but I do eat out most of the time. There are so many good restaurants in Pattaya you can literally choose how much you wish to spend on food. Another thing: If you end up with a boyfriend, especially if he eventually lives with you, that's going to be a big expense too. You mentioned an income level of between

One of my chief gripes is that Americans pay high tax rates, even under retirement, and look what we've got to show for our money.

That question is nearly impossible to answer. There are too many variables. It depends on how much you're going to spend for a place to live, your lifestyle, your food and entertainment choices, transportation, utilities and telephone, medical expenses, etc. The only way I can think of to even come close to answering your question would be to say that I wouldn't want to try it on less than US $2000 per month. Many people live here on less, but I doubt they're having much of a life.

Doesn't it strike you as mildly ironic that US embassy officials, the people who are supposed to be the true experts on the goings on in the country to which they are assigned, come up with the most asinine statements of all? It's as if they don't have the first clue as to what is really going on and why it is going on. I have seen no reports of warnings, urgings, sanctions, or anything else coming from any foreign governments other than the USA. I am an American, but quite frankly I just don't see how the USA justifies trying to be the police of the entire world. If the US government really wants to impose it's own policies and form of government on other nations, then why don't they concentrate on nations that really need policing? Better still, why don't they hire embassy officials that at least know what they're talking about?

I don't know if I would agree that it is unfair. The point of the two methods is to ensure that the person applying for the retirement visa has enough money to be able to live in Thailand and contribute financially to the country. If one has a pension, that too has a minimum. I believe it is around a 70,000 baht per month minimum. I have forgotten. Perhaps someone knows the rule on that one. If someone does not have a pension, then 800,000 baht in the bank meets approximately the same minimum requirement for a year that the minimum pension would yield during the same time period. I do agree that the new three month rule about the 800,000 baht is unfair in comparison. They have made it clear that they want to put a stop to people who top off their bank account and then remove the money once they've secured their annual visa. That's the part that I don't get. What difference does it make whether someone withdraws it or not? What difference does it make whether the money is deposited 3 months in advance or on the very day the new visa is issued? Either way, the person obviously has 800,000 baht to live on, doesn't he? Perhaps they think people who do not have have the minimum pension and also not enough money borrow the 800,000 baht from someone, place it into their bank account, obtain the visa, and then return the money to the lender. If that's the case, that doesn't strike me as very realistic. How many people are going to trust someone else with 800,000 baht, whether it's one day or three months? Even if people do trust someone with that amount of money, when the borrower gives it back, then what's he living on? Would there be enough people pulling a stunt like that to justify forcing everyone else to maintain 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for three months? Unless I'm missing something, I think this is yet another example of a rule that has not been properly thought through.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ US Urges Thailand to Lift Martial Law in 10 Days "If martial law is not lifted in a week to 10 days, that would be a problem," a US embassy official in Bangkok said. Bangkok - The United States on Wednesday urged Thailand's military coup leaders to lift martial law within seven to 10 days and to bring forward elections the generals have promised for late next year. "A year seems like a very long time," said a US embassy official in Bangkok, speaking on condition of anonymity. The diplomat added, "if maritial law is not lifted in a week to 10 days, that would be a problem." The junta that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19 installed retired General Surayud Chulanont last weekend as interim prime minister until polls they have promised for October 2007. The generals had initially pledged to make way for a civilian government, but their new constitution maintains military influence over the new premier, and restrictions on political activity and the media remain in place. The White House had called Tuesday for "a quick return" to democracy in Thailand and warned its new military leaders that Washington was weighing action beyond US sanctions imposed last week. Spokeswoman Dana Perino said Thailand's relations with the United States and its global image would suffer until it returns to democratic rule. "We call for clear and unambiguous protection for civil liberties by the interim authorities and the military, and a quick return to democratic elections," she said as US President George W. Bush visited California. "Thailand's image in the eyes of the world and US-Thai relations will suffer until Thailand returns to its place as a democratic leader in Asia," she said. Perino said the United States had "noted" the appointment of Surayud as interim prime minister, as well as the promulgation of an interim constitution. "We remain concerned by restrictions on civil liberties, provisions in the draft constitution that appear to give the military an ongoing and influential role in decision-making, and the lengthy timetable for democratic elections," she said. "Following the implementation of Section 508 sanctions last week, we are assessing additional next steps to be taken," she warned. The United States halted 24 million dollars in military aid for Thailand last week in protest at the September 19 coup by top generals who ousted civilian prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over corruption allegations. The sanctions jolted years of close links between US forces and Thailand, a non-Nato ally -- the closest US designation a foreign military, that is not a member of the Western alliance, can enjoy. Some aid deemed crucial to US national security was spared, notably in the field of counterterrorism, in which the kingdom has emerged as a low-key, yet valued partner in the US battle against Al-Qaeda.

A good friend sent me the following in an E-mail today: __________ I just finished renewing my retirement visa this afternoon and I can report that this is even easier than before! As reported in Pattaya Today and Thaivisa.com, they are no longer requiring a medical certificate for renewal. I used the letter from the US embassy for proof of income and as before, they accepted a copy of the (three year old) letter, but they did want to see the original. A few changes: they now take a digital picture of you (in addition to the photo you provide) and the visa stamp in your passport has a block that says "RETIREMENT". All and all a piece of cake!

Agreed. In Thailand it's more presumption of guilt. We read articles all the time in which an alleged criminal is caught, confesses to the crime, confesses to every other crime he's ever committed in his life, and even re-enacts the crime for the police. Your guess is as good as mine as to how the police manage to accomplish that.

Oh, I don't think PapaDavid was lying. He was merely mistaken. Corruption? What corruption? Thaksin rooted out all the corruption. Didn't you know that? He also made sure nobody in Thailand is poverty stricken anymore and he made life just wonderful for all the Thai people. They all have plenty of money now. Why, the boys are even paying the "farang" now. The farms all have young, healthy water buffalo too and all the grandmothers are also in perfect health. Corruption? Surely you jest . . . .