Gaybutton

Just for the record, there seems to be some confusion as to whether the restaurant is White Knight or White Night. It is White Night, without the letter K. Don't forget, if anyone would like a copy of the menu, all you need to do is send an E-mail to me at gaybutton@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send the menu to you. As far as the perception that referring to boyfriends as boys adds to the perception that all gays are pedophiles is concerned, perhaps that is somewhat of a good point. I used to refer to my boyfriend as "my boy," but I eventually changed that when people sent complaints to me saying essentially the same thing. However, considering that it is not very likely that many people other than gays read this web site in the first place, I don't see it as a major problem and it probably doesn't make much difference. I doubt that changing "my boy" to "my boyfriend" will do much to change the profiling done at customs clearance.

His Majesty, the King has approved the new interim constitution for Thailand. So far, I have not seen any details as to what is in the new constitution. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Broadcast of ceremony A nationwide broadcast has been scheduled this afternoon of the ceremony at which the interim prime minister will receive the royal command on his appointment, a TV Pool source said last night. The Government House ceremony will be broadcast from 4.45pm. The Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) is due to submit its choice for PM - expected to be General Surayud Chulanont - for endorsement by His Majesty the King today, after the expected promulgation of the interim charter. The interim constitution was submitted for royal endorsement yesterday. Former Senate speaker Meechai Ruchuphan, a key figure in the drafting of the interim constitution, has resigned as legal adviser to the CDR, a source said.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ US Wary of Army Man as Thailand's Post-Coup Prime Minister WASHINGTON - The United States expressed unease over reports Friday that a former army chief had been chosen to run Thailand's government after the military ouster of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack withheld formal comment on the reports that Thailand's ruling junta had selected retired general Surayud Chulanont,63, to replace Thaksin pending confirmation of the appointment. "But certainly somebody with close ties to the military is going to have to at least overcome the perception that they are maintaining a close relationship with the military and may be not acting in defense of Thai democracy," McCormack said. McCormack said the United States continued to watch developments in Thailand "very closely: Who is appointed as prime minister, that person's background, the policies that they pursue." "We certainly hope that that person is somebody who has the deep interests of Thai democracy at heart and who not only abides by the principles of democracy but acts in their defense in getting Thailand back on the pathway to democracy as quickly as possible," he said. Agence France Presse Now I get it. I don't know what took me so long. Thai officials don't know what's best for Thailand. US State Department officials do. You know who they are, don't you? Most likely people who have never so much as set foot in Thailand and have to take a moment or two just to find Thailand on a map.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Suvarnabhumi: A Traveller's Lament As flight TG 401 touched down at the futuristic-looking Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday night, the inefficiency of this new Bt150-billion facility took me and other passengers by surprise. The impressive view from the outside, of architectural structures bathed in blue light, gave way to appalling design flaws and apparent mismanagement by officials. "It's a new airport, so why did we have to board a bus [after deplaning]?" asked a fellow THAI traveller from Singapore. Less than two minutes later we were stuck in a bottleneck at the only escalator from the ground floor up to the first floor. We wondered why more planning wasn't put into such a crucial matter. Then after a considerable hike past a few duty-free shops, I arrived at the hi-tech immigration desk. It was speedy and convenient. But as I got through the counter and proceeded to find out where to reclaim my luggage, my eyes were dazzled by four flashing TV monitors with letters so tiny that anyone over 40 or with reading difficulties would have a hard time deciphering the messages. After a few minutes of eye-straining search, I discovered that I had to go to carousel 18. But wait! When I got there, the overhead display said the luggage coming through belonged to flights from Siem Reap and Seoul, not Singapore! There weren't enough luggage carts and it took me 10 minutes to get one. So which computerised monitors should I trust? I hung around with other passengers whom I recognised from our flight until one Westerner finally got his luggage. "Amazing," he said to me, as I asked if he was on that THAI flight from Singapore, to make sure that this was where my suitcase would emerge. Then there was a sign on a pillar next to the conveyor belt printed on A4 paper. "Temporary toilet". The lack of enough toilets appeared to be haunting the new airport on Day Two. But there was more travail to go through. The arrival lobby is too small. People squeeze together forming a wall so you can't see if someone came to pick you up. Then I couldn't figure out where to hail a metered taxi. There was no sign and I ended up having to ask for information at an AOT counter. The woman there was pushing a pricey limousine service, but eventually caved in and told me to head one level down. "But the queue down there is very long," she warned me. The taxi queue was actually twice, if not thrice, longer than those at Don Muang. Why? Partly bad coordination and partly because this is a single-terminal airport. The taxi pick-up points must actually be fewer than at Don Muang, which has one domestic and two international terminals. And there was no proper sign telling you this is where you should wait! While in line, two THAI passengers complained to me. One, an elderly gentleman who flew in from Brisbane, said he waited an hour and a half for his luggage to arrive. When he inquired about it with THAI ground staff, they didn't have a clue as to how long he had to wait. "It was a long walk," he said, referring to the mega-long terminal and hall. Another THAI passenger said the exit gate at the arrival hall was simply "miniature", which didn't make any sense. Nobody seems to want to explain why this new gateway is not laid out better and more conveniently than the 92-year-old complex at Don Muang. I couldn't help wonder why AOT has to force thousands of travellers to undergo such a trying experience. In the first few days they may claim that many things are not functioning properly because it's still new. But the management's attitude was self-congratulatory even though they should be profusely apologetic and do their best to meet travellers' expectations. I couldn't see or feel a sense of excellence and a service mindset from them. Suvarnabhumi may end up becoming just another expensive airport that's better to look at than to use. Perhaps a new management team that is more concerned and attentive to travellers' needs and satisfaction, comforts and convenience might improve things. A few executives deserve - not only to be shifted or reassigned - but fired. Pravit Rojanaphruk The Nation

I agree. I've never placed it on my list of restaurant recommendations because I don't see anything particularly different or unusual there, but since you posted about it, I've never had any complaints at all about the food or service. I did like the food and it is very inexpensive. They also make very good fried chicken and it is available for take-out. The Thai boys seem to like the food there too. It's also, as far as I know, the least expensive decent breakfast in the Pattayaland area. That 40 baht American breakfast includes your choice of bacon or ham, as I recall, and also includes toast and coffee or tea. The breakfast is available all day. It's been a long time since I last ate there, so if I'm wrong about what is included on the breakfast, please correct me.

He asked why you were getting your baggage? I don't understand that part of the story. What were you supposed to do with your baggage, leave it there? On the list of ridiculous questions you've probably been asked during your life, that one sounds like it would easily fall into the top ten. If you would, I wonder if you can tell us some of the other questions you were asked. Obviously there's nothing we can do about it, but I really dislike the unfairness of profiling single males as probable pedophiles and then subjecting them to this sort of nonsense. I guess all of us horrible gays better schedule connecting flights so that you have at least a three or four hour layover at your first port of entry into the USA, especially if you are doing something horrendous such as carrying a laptop computer. I can't help but wonder how many people they actually nab compared to the number of people they subject to their third degree.

If that's the case in Phuket, then I'd say not to get involved with a boy working in a Phuket bar. Seems logical to enough to me. Somehow, getting involved with organized crime bosses in a foreign country, even indirectly, doesn't seem like the smartest thing in the world to do. If what you say is true, then I wouldn't put it past them to threaten the boy's family as well, which would really put the boy between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately, some "farang" stop thinking with their brains and start thinking with their crotch instead as soon as they step off the plane. If anything, then you're probably doing the boy more of a favor by refusing any involvement with such a scheme, which would put him in deeper with this sort of mafia than he already is. Apparently, pete1969 has seen these goings on for himself, so I'm taking his word for it as being true.

Can you tell us the URL for that web site? It has been my experience that most Thai people prefer and appreciate a cash gift more than anything else. They don't look at a cash gift the same way we do. They see it as an opportunity to buy what they want. Many times a well-meaning "farang" brings a gift and what ends up happening is the recipient smiles, acts very grateful for it, and gets rid of it after the "farang" leaves.

They have never been to Thailand and they don't speak a word of Thai. They asked for my help booking someone in advance. Their time in Thailand is going to be quite limited. They prefer to have someone known to be a good guide, booked in advance, so that all they need to do is get to Chiang Mai and not have to even think about trying to find a guide once they get there.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST (Saturday, September 30): _____ US-Thailand Relations 'Will Continue' [Text of the US State Department briefing is below] Washington (dpa) - The US government Friday signalled its intent to keep relations with Thailand despite its concern about last week's military coup. But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it is "watching the situation ... very closely." McCormack said he did not know if the US suspension of nearly $24 million in military aid to Thailand earlier this week would change plans for the annual Cobra Gold joint military exercise next year. But the military funding denial "does not mean we are going to break our relations with Thailand or sever all of the ongoing programmes of cooperation," he said. The US has said it was "extremely disappointed" with the coup that ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "We've clearly stated that it's a setback for Thai democracy," McCormack said. There have been reports in Thailand that respected former army chief Surayud Chulanont could be named the next prime minister. "Certainly somebody with close ties to the military is going to have to at least overcome the perception that they are maintaining a close relationship with the military and may be not acting in defence of Thai democracy and moving Thailand along as fast as it possibly could," McCormack said. xxx Here is the full text of the exchange concerning Thailand at the State Department press briefing: QUESTION: Military assistance to Thailand: does that include cancelling next years Cobra Gold exercise? MR. MCCORMACK: I'll look into it for you. I am not sure that it does. I'm not sure that it does. There -- the law has precise restrictions and areas that are covered. Look, this does not -- the fact that there was a coup in Thailand is of deep concern to us and we've clearly stated that it is a setback for Thai democracy. We have taken certain policy steps in compliance with the law. That does not mean that we're going to break our relations with Thailand or break or sever all of the ongoing programs of cooperation, but we are going to be watching the situation in Thailand very closely, who is appointed as prime minister, that person's background, the policies that they pursue. We certainly hope that that person is somebody who has the deep interest of Thai democracy at heart and who not only abides by the principles of democracy but acts in their defense in getting Thailand back on the pathway to democracy as quickly as possible. QUESTION: So you're planning with the Thai military right now for this? MR. MCCORMACK: I can check on that specific question for you. Yeah. QUESTION: It appears that Thai coup leaders are ready to appoint an ex-Army chief as their prime minister. Do you have any assessment of his capability to lead the country? MR. MCCORMACK: Well, my understanding is there has not been a final announcement yet. So I'm -- since there is no final announcement, I'm not going to have any particular comment. But certainly we are going to look at who that person is and what they do, what they actually do. That's what's important here. Are they truly acting in a manner consistent with the principles of democracy. I'm not going to try to read anything in particular into somebody's background, but certainly somebody with close ties to the military is going to have to at least overcome the perception that they are maintaining a close relationship with the military and maybe not acting in defence of Thai democracy and moving Thailand along as fast as it possibly could. I'm not going to make any judgments now about that. I think what's important is what that person actually does.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ THAI Executive Pays the Price Airline Cracks the Whip over Baggage Bungling at Airport Thai Airways International Plc yesterday sacked an executive over the hours-long luggage delays on the opening day of Bangkok's new international airport. "The problem was caused by internal management problems at Thai Airways. We have already sacked a top person in charge of handling luggage," said airline president Apinan Sumanaseni. THAI's board members held an urgent meeting yesterday to discuss the luggage problem and decided to reshuffle several executives. The board has removed Pethai Boonyaves as vice president for ground equipment services and appointed Chokchai Panyawong, director of project investment, to replace him. The board said that Pethai had failed to deal with the luggage-handling problem. Suvarnabhumi airport officially opened on Thursday, with more than 800 flights carrying 120,000 travellers passing through the glitzy US$3-billion (Bt120-billion) airport on the first day. However, the new airport was flooded with complaints from disgruntled international passengers who had to wait several hours to collect their luggage. Airports of Thailand (AoT), which operates Suvarnabhumi, blamed Thai Airways for causing the long delays. "Luggage-handling equipment from Thai Airways did not arrive on time, and some luggage-handlers from the airline did not even show up at the airport," said Chotisak Aspaviriya, president of the airport operator. "The airline must take responsibility for these problems," he said. Chotisak said services to passengers on Thursday night and early yesterday morning had significantly improved even though there were larger numbers of passengers on both inbound and outbound. He added that AoT and THAI staff had remained on duty overnight to ensure smooth service to passengers. The general manager of Suvarnabhumi, Somchai Sawasdeepon, said all operations, including luggage-handling, had improved yesterday. "So far we have had smooth operations on the second day. The problems experienced on Thursday were normal and acceptable for a new airport," Somchai said. He said an extra 10 X-ray machines would be installed to make checking in faster and THAI would separate its domestic and international check-in areas. Domestic passengers must now check in at counter C, international passengers H and J. Meanwhile, the airport is to increase the number of seats in both the departure and arrival areas. The AoT also extended free passenger parking for a month. The airline's chief, Apinan, said he had received no reports of problems yesterday, when another 800 flights were expected to pass through. Ministry of Transport Director-General Wanchai Sarathoontat said he was 80 per cent satisfied with the first two days of the airport's operations and expected that all services would soon be running smoothly. Sopin Deangteth, president of Airlines of Committee (AOC) said any problems would be sorted within a week. THAI has apologised in a statement to all THAI passengers for the inconvenience caused as a result of delayed baggage, saying it will ensure that every item is delivered to the home address of the passenger as soon as possible. The company will also pay compensation for any delayed luggage, $100 a piece for economy class and $200 for business and first class. Vice president of Thai Airports Ground Services (TAGS), Sonthi Amaruji, said: "At the new airport, checking in is taking only two to three minutes per person, down from four to five minutes at Don Muang." The airport, 25 kilometres east of Bangkok, replaced the creaking Don Muang, which was handling about 37 million passengers per year, two million more than it was designed for. Suvarnabhumi has annual passenger capacity of 45 million, making it Southeast Asia's largest aviation hub. Once the new facility becomes fully operational, Thailand plans to expand it to accommodate 100 million per year. Suvarnabhumi, which means "Golden Land" in Sanskrit, has been under development for more than 40 years and suffered repeated delays due to construction problems and graft allegations. Thailand hopes the new airport, which opened at the start of the peak tourist season, will boost the country's $12-billion-a-year tourism industry. However, industry officials have voiced concern that some of the 14 million visitors expected this year may delay their travel plans, scared off by last week's bloodless coup, which ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Suchat Sritama The Nation, AFP

It sounds like a real racket to me. I don't see how such a thing can be enforced. Why wouldn't the boy simply quit? Even if the boy owes the bar money, I know of no laws in Thailand that permit slavery or indentured servitude under any circumstances. If it were me, I wouldn't say anything to the bar in the first place. I'd simply "off" the boy as usual and that would be the end of him ever returning to the bar. If anyone from the bar tracked me down and demanded a large amount of money, I would first tell him fine with me . . . I'll be glad to handle the transaction at the police station. Second, if I had not said anything to the bar, then that could only mean the boy had. I would smell a very big rat and would certainly suspect that the boy is in on the racket. I'm picturing a scenario in which the "farang" pays whatever the amount is (which would put him in serious trouble, I would think, if authorities from his home country ever found out about that), and then a short time later the boy tells the "farang" sorry, but this just isn't working out for me. The boy returns to the bar and gets his share of the take. What could the "farang" possibly do about it? Somehow I can't picture a "farang" going to the police and saying, "I bought a boy from such-and-such bar, but the boy backed out of the deal and now the bar won't give me my money back." Even if such buying and selling does occur, I would advise keeping well away from a thing like that. I've heard of poverty stricken families virtually selling a boy to a "farang," although I know of no actual cases of that occurring. But buying a boy from a bar? That's a new one to me.

For those of you who love Indian food, you may already know that there are a number of excellent Indian restaurants in Pattaya. My favorite is a "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant called Ravi, within walking distance of both Pattayaland and Sunee Plaza. It's on Soi 16. From Pattayaland just walk past the school, where all the baht buses line up to pick up passengers heading toward the beach, and you'l easily spot Soi 16. There's a big sign at the entrance of the soi that says "Paradise Inn." Thurn left and walk down the soi about a block or so, and you'll spot Ravi on the right. The food is excellent. They have a wide vasriety of choices and the prices are incredibly inexpensive. If you like Indian food, don't miss Ravi.

I'm riled because he ran off with my cheeseburger! I mean, there I was at Niddy's Nook. Just as they served my cheeseburger, here comes LMTU. He said, "Look at that wonderful new painting on the wall." I turned and looked. I didn't see anything new. When I turned around again, there was LMTU running down the street. He turned around and held up a cheeseburger, pointing at me and laughing. I looked down and my plate was empty. I'm too fat to chase him down! And Chris wouldn't even give me another one. He said he is not responsible for theft. He did, however, offer me a plate of grilled bats . . . free of charge and properly seasoned, to be served with fava beans and a nice Chianti.

In a weird way, the sanctions might also be doing a favor for Thailand. Many businesses, especially the tourism and export trade, have been complaining that the strength of the baht against the US dollar hurts their business. If these sanctions force the baht to weaken, that might be a silver lining on the cloud.

Beach talk and gossip is one thing, but I don't think gossip about anybody is appropriate for message boards, especially when it is negative gossip and the people posting that gossip can't prove what they say. I know many people feel that LetMeTellU asks for it, but even so I don't think it's appropriate to chop apart people or businesses on message boards, especially in light of Thailand's libel laws. If people don't like someone's posts, then nobody is forcing them to read those messages. If LetMeTellU, or anybody else, is posting misinformation or misleading information, then the information itself can be refuted without including gossip.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ US cuts off millions in Military Aid to Thailand WASHINGTON - The United States cut off millions of dollars in military assistance to its ally Thailand on Thursday, in response to the military coup that ousted civilian prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the State Department said. "In response to the military coup on September 19 in Thailand, the United States has suspended almost 24 million dollars of assistance to the Thai government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. He said the aid cutoff involved foreign military financing, international military education and training, and peacekeeping operations. "The United States continues to urge a rapid return to democratic rule and early elections in Thailand," McCormack said. "We look forward to being able to reinstate these programs after a democratically-elected government takes office," he said. The Thai military has enjoyed years of close ties to US armed forces in the Asia-Pacificregion. The United States, which has also forged close anti-terror ties with Thailand, had previously condemned the coup and called on the ruling generals to call elections before their one-year deadline. Official US military trips to Thailand had previously been suspended and all temporary defense duties in Thailand frozen, according to Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the US military. US military personnel in Thailand on temporary orders have been recalled, it said. The White House has also hinted that so far inconclusive talks with Bangkok on a free trade agreement might also depend on a return to democratic rule. Thailand's military rulers said earlier Thursday they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend, but refused to say when they would lift martial law and pull troops off the streets. Thailand is a key US diplomatic and non-NATO ally and has been a voice for democracy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which also includes several totalitarian states. The fate was also unclear of the next annual "Cobra Gold" live-fire exercise, the largest US war games in Asia, which the United States hosts along with Thailand. The exercises, launched 25 years ago and originally limited to US and Thai troops, has been expanded in recent years to include an anti-terror component. It was not clear if next year's operation would be affected by the coup. Thailand has also played an important role in the US "war on terror" launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Hambali, leader of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiya, was captured in the country in August 2003. But Thailand has denied reports in the US media that it was one of the sites for the CIA's secret prisons, now emptied, for top Al-Qaeda suspects. In recent weeks, the United States had registered concern at an insurgency raging in the Muslim-majority south of the mainly Buddhist kingdom, fearing it could feed into Southeast Asia's Al-Qaeda-linked terror networks. Agence France-Presse ____________________ And this, also from THE NATION: _____ US Imposes Sanctions on Thailand After Coup WASHINGTON - The United States imposed sanctions against its ally Thailand Thursday in response to the military coup which ousted civilian prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the State Department said. The sanctions involved cutting off millions of dollars in assistance to the Thai military, which has enjoyed years of close ties to US armed forces in the Asia-Pacific region, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said. The United States, which has also forged close anti-terror ties with Thailand, had previously condemned the September 19 coup and called on the ruling generals to call elections before their one year deadline. Official US military trips to Thailand had previously been suspended and all temporary defense duties in Thailand frozen, according to Stars and Stripes, a daily newspaper published for the US military. US military personnel in Thailand on temporary orders have been recalled, it said. The White House has also hinted that so far inconclusive talks with Bangkok on a free trade agreement, might also depend on a return to democratic rule. Thailand's military rulers said earlier Thursday they had selected a new prime minister to be unveiled at the weekend, but refused to say when they would lift martial law and pull troops off the streets. Thailand is a key US diplomatic ally and US non-NATO ally and has been a voice for democracy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which also includes several totalitarian states. The fate was also unclear of the next annual "Cobra Gold" live-fire exercise, the largest US war games in Asia, which the United States hosts along with Thailand. The exercises, launched 25 years ago and originally limited to US and Thai troops, has been expanded in recent years to include an anti-terror component. It was not clear if next year's operation would be affected by the coup. Thailand has also played an important role in the US "war on terror" launched after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Hambali, leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiya, was captured in the country in August 2003. But Thailand has denied reports in the US media that it was one of the sites for the CIA's secret prisons, now emptied, for top Al-Qaeda suspects. In recent weeks, the United States had registered concern at an insurgency raging in the Muslim majority south of the mainly Buddhist kingdom, fearing it could feed into Southeast Asia's Al-Qaeda-linked terror networks. Agence France-Presse

Would that work? I should have mentioned that this is a straight couple, in their sixties, from the USA. They don't have anything at all against gays, but they are looking for city and area tours, but not a tour of gay night life.

BANGKOK, Sept 29 (TNA) Long delays in collecting passenger baggage appeared as a big problem needing urgent solution on the first day of regular operations for Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday. The troubles were evidenced in a protest staged by around 200 Korean passengers of One-Two-Go by Orient Thai Airlines, who waited for up to four hours for their baggage but found they were missing. The baggage collection process is part of ground service provided by Thai Airways International Public Company Limited. The company apologized to passengers for the delay in collecting their personal belongings, stating that it would quickly solve the problem and deliver the baggage to their local addresses. The delays in supplying passenger baggage were in part due to a container carrying passenger baggage from the aircraft to the passenger terminal being too big to be moved through the underground transit to the conveyor service spot. Chotisak Asapaviriya, President of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AoT), said the delays were caused by a shortage of trailers for baggage transport provided by THAI. However, THAI executives ruled out the blame, saying up to 800 trailers had been in the airport since Thursday morning. (TNA)-E005 ____________________ And this, from the BANGKOK POST: _____ First-Day Fliers Left Irked Baggage and Check-in Delays at New Airport AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK Frustration and confusion were among the sentiments of many passengers using Suvarnabhumi airport, which opened for full operations yesterday. The new airport, which took over duties from Don Muang at 3am, encountered several problems. The most serious was the luggage handling system run by Thai Airways International (THAI). Other problems, less serious, were the failure of the check-in system run by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) and the dearth of signs inside the terminal. Complaints from 400 South Korean passengers highlighted the dissatisfaction. ''I lost my baggage,'' one told TV crews last night after waiting for five hours after Orient Air flight OX301 from Seoul landed at 2.30pm with no sign of the luggage. In fact, the problems began early yesterday morning. Some passengers on delayed flights, including THAI flights TG951 from Copenhagen, TG326 from Bangalore, TG945 from Rome, and Etihad Airways flight EY403 from Abu Dhabi, ran out of patience and complained when they had to wait for more than an hour to get their bags, with not an official in sight to help them out. The opening was low-key, without an official ceremony. Only senior officials from AoT, the Transport Ministry, THAI and the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) attended. The atmosphere may well have been different had Thaksin Shinawatra still been in power. The launch date was set by the ousted prime minister, despite warnings from airlines and some officials, when he was head of the government before the coup on Sept 19. Mr Thaksin, now in London after the CDR's takeover, hoped to use the airport to boost the popularity of his Thai Rak Thai party ahead of a general election. ''Had Mr Thaksin been here, the airport would have had an extravagant opening ceremony that would have been remembered for a long time,'' said an AoT official who insisted she was not pro-Thaksin. Suvarnabhumi, located in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, hosted 813 flights on its first day of operations. The airport commissioned THAI and Bangkok Airways for the ground handling services. Most airlines, including Orient Thai, hired the national flag carrier. But THAI could not provide services for everyone. It struggled to handle luggage even for its own passengers as it did not provide enough luggage lorries. AoT said the conveyor system functioned properly but the problem was caused because luggage lorries had not reached Suvarnabhumi from Don Muang. THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said all 880 lorries were moved from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi by 2pm yesterday, but the airline later apologised for the problem. AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya had to solve the luggage problem by urgently hiring Thai Airports Ground Service (TAGS) to work at the new airport until this morning. . TAGS was a ground service firm at Don Muang but it lost out in its bid to work at Suvarnabhumi. The check-in system run by AoT did not work properly from the morning-scheduled flights, causing delays for 17 out of 19 flights operated by THAI. About 200 pieces of luggage did not accompany planes carrying passengers out of the airport. The delays were between 15 and 45 minutes, the THAI president said. THAI staff had to issue boarding passes and luggage tags by hand. The problem was due to an information overload in the system, transport permanent secretary Wanchai Sarathulthat said. Mr Wanchai admitted that signs inside the terminal were inadequate, causing several passengers to struggle to find their way once they disembarked from aircraft. The official ordered AoT to relocate a duty free shop and its advertising signs operated by King Power out of the arrival zone, saying they blocked the passage of passengers from airplanes to the immigration area. King Power chief executive officer Vichai Raksriaksorn said the problem was not serious and added that the firm, which runs commercial areas at the airport, was still ready for negotiations. AoT and Transport Ministry executives had said before the opening that the problems were not beyond their expectations for the first day of a new airport's operations. ''This is a minor problem and will not happen again once the transition period is over,'' Mr Chotisak said.

Wonderful new restaurants are popping up all over Pattaya. Yet another restaurant recommendation is Ernesto's. Many of you may recall the Ol

My boyfriend was with us last night too. It was actually his idea to eat there last night, so that's one Thai boy, at least, who enjoys it. White Night does serve Thai food too, but none of it is spicy. I have seen many Thai boys eating at White Night with "farang" and they seem to enjoy it. On my former web site I had the White Night menu available for downloading. I still have the menu available. If anyone would like to have it, just send me an E-mail at gaybutton@gmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you.

I have some friends who want to go to Chiang Mai and are looking for a good tour guide. I recommended Ben's Tours, but Ben is booked up on the dates they are going to be there. Does anyone know of another good English-speaking tour guide in Chiang Mai? It does not necessarily have to be a gay tour guide.

The following appears in the NEW YORKER magazine: _____ AIR KISS American Airlines Flight 45

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police Arrest Pattaya Beach Gang Responsible for a Spate of Attacks on Foreigners Police Colonel Supapon, the Regional Commander of Tourist Police was joined by Police Lieutenant Colonel Wootishart, the Chief of Pattaya