Gaybutton

No rules or guidelines have been broken. It is a suggestion on my part and nothing more. My view is no more 'powerful' than anyone else's and I am not trying to imply that it is. The only view that really matters is Gaythailand's view. I don't think I said that 4 pages is too long. What I meant was that I think it's been enough and I see nothing to be gained by dragging it on ad infinitum. The thread, in my opinion, has become a contest of insults. I think part of the role a moderator ought to play is to point out when he thinks things are beginning to go further than necessary. That's what I think. There is nothing that says anybody has to agree with me or that anyone has to abide by anything I suggest and I do not wish for anyone to feel that they have to. However, I am not going to be a participant on this thread any longer. If people wish to continue the thread, they may go right ahead and do so. I do, however, recognize the fact that this thread has had more than double the number of hits than any other.

You know something? I haven't even met anyone who has beent to Hat Yai. I, for one, would be very grateful if you would post about your experience there once you return.

I don't agree with you on this one, TR. The article doesn't specifically say, but I got the impression that the girl was employed by other Thais. However, I can certainly agree that whether Thai or not, so far it is a set of allegations, yet to be proved. I do agree, though, that it is highly doubtful that this sort of thing is a common occurrence, but I must say that this is not the first time I have read about such abuse. Although it is hardly the same thing, it was within the past year that a large number of Thai laborers went to work in another Asian country. Was it Taiwan? I don't remember. But their living conditions and treatment was also only just a step above slavery and it became so intolerable for them that they finally rioted. I just don't understand the mentality that causes some people to treat other people as if they are cattle and their lives mean nothing. We also see articles quite often about human trafficking. Here we are in 2006 and yet this sort of thing still goes on.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Not in Chains, but Slavery all the Same Imagine if you can withstand these working conditions: Work hours: from 4am till midnight. Job description: cook three meals a day for a family of five, wash the bosses' cars, clean the house, do the laundry and do whatever household chores the bosses tell you to. All this for 2,000 baht a month. No days off. No, this is not how some Thai households are mistreating desperate migrant workers. This is what happened to a 13-year-old Isan girl from Buri Ram while she was working in Bangkok. And you have not heard the worst yet. The girl's bosses allowed her to cook rice only once a week. This would be divided into small portions and kept in the fridge. She could only have one portion per meal, eaten cold. Warming the food was not allowed. On a good day, the girl could have two meals a day. Only one if the boss was cross with her. What she had with her rice were the bosses' leftovers. If there were none, then it was cold rice with chilli dip. Her employers prohibited her from going out of the house as well as from contacting her parents. When the bosses were angry with her slow work, the underage girl was hit with an iron rod, a wooden chair or a belt on her body, back and head. Her body was black and blue. Her knees were swollen. Her back suffered infected wounds. There were also several wounds on her head. If you think she was sent to the doctor's, you are a hopeless optimist. The bosses instead repeatedly hit the same wounds, reopening them. When the wounds became seriously infected and the girl, in a feverish state, was unable to work, the bosses decided to send her home. That ended her one year of misery. To cap it off, she did not receive even a single baht of her salary throughout her hellish year. Is this slavery? Ask the police and they will shake their heads. Since the child was not chained, it cannot be classified as slavery, they say. It sounds ridiculous, but the deep mental association of slavery with chaining which the police have is why the anti-slavery law, which carries severe punishment, has never been enforced. The police always say that since there are no precedents in the use of the anti-slavery law, they don't know how to use it. The offenders would therefore be charged only with inflicting injuries on others, which carries a far milder punishment. And with some money changing hands, we can imagine how the charges could easily be reduced to help the offenders. Most poor families, too, cannot afford to go through the lengthy and costly court procedures to get justice. That is also why many employers feel free to treat their workers like slaves. The Buri Ram girl slave case in 2004 might change all this. Supported by the Child Rights Protection Foundation and the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, the girl's family is taking the employers who abused her to court under the anti-slavery law - the first case of its kind in Thai legal history. Should the girl win her case, other victims of child slavery and countless immigrant workers stand to benefit, says human rights lawyer Siriwan Vongkietpaisan. Many migrant workers are now routinely locked up and paid peanuts for their drudgery, or cheated, coerced and paid nothing at all. The authorities mostly look the other way, and we know why. The public generally doesn't care how the poor and the non-Thais are treated. Have we ever asked ourselves why? Such a soul-searching question is crucial. Rights groups are trying to use available laws to bring about justice. But it takes the same belief in human rights and dignity from legal practitioners within the judicial system - and public outrage against inhumanity - to make things happen. Are we ready for such a moral challenge? Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor, Bangkok Post.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Increased Airfares Approved The Transport Ministry's civil aviation committee has approved increases to domestic airfares averaging 12 percent, due to the increased cost of fuel. Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said Wednesday that operators of small aircraft with fewer than 19 seats, flying over distances less than 200km and with poor land transport connections may increase fares by Bt20 per km. Other types of aircraft may adjust their fares by no more than Bt17 per km. Airlines with services covering more than 200km are allowed to increase fares from the current Bt8 per km to Bt10 per km, while aircraft carrying agricultural products will be allowed to increase their charges by half the current rate. "So far, these are approved charges. The [actual] increases depend on the airlines," Pongsak said. The Nation

I'm not much of a breakfast eater, but when I do I like the Lek Hotel's breakfast buffet, the eggs benedict at Le Cafe Royale, and the Continental Bakery. Here's one with which you may not be so familiar: Linda's. Have you tried Linda's? RichLB first brought Linda's to my attention. It's on Tappraya Road (the road leading to the beach), directly across from the Jomtien Complex (opposite the entrance for the Hot Stone Grill). Linda speaks excellent English and her food is also excellent. Try her Scandanavian breakfast, made up of several incredible Scandanavian open-face sandwiches.

Folks, I'd like to step into my role as moderator for a moment and suggest that this has gone on long enough. I don't think any of the moderators here are going to intervene and forbid people from posting what they want, but I do feel that four pages of this is quite enough. I would like to suggest that if PapaDavid wants a last word on this, let him have it without further response from anyone, and then let's move on to more important subjects. I see nothing to be gained by continuing this. That is my suggestion, and it is only a suggestion. I will not do anything to suppress what people wish to say, but I am not going to make any further responses to this thread.

Ha ha! Rosie's Place. I love it. As for the person you mention in your post, why do I have a feeling that he is someone Will Rogers never met?

Just for the record, is everyone aware that Chris is not the owner? Niddy is the owner. If I am in town (I may not be) I intend to be there for the occasion. Maybe cheeseburgers will be on the buffet. I suggest that everyone who attends wear waders. You'll need them since the lavatory floor is "swimming in urine."

I don't understand what you guys are talking about. I didn't let LetMeTellU "get to" me. His post didn't bother me at all. He had written that he believes I know what other people have been saying are the "real reasons" I took down my web site. I was only trying to point out that I actually do not know what others have been saying and I don't even care what others have been saying. It makes no diference to me.

There is a restaurant in Pattaya called "Papa David's." The person calling himself PapaDavid on the posts here is not the owner of that restaurant and I would not want people to think that he is. Papa David's is a very good restaurant and I wouldn't want to see people discontinue patronizing it because this person decided to use that name for these ridiculous posts. The person posting under the "PapaDavid" handle is, in my opinion, merely just another Internet mental case, worth no attention at all and has nothing to do with the Papa David's restaurant. If he wants to continue his little war against Niddy's Nook and continue making baseless accusations against people, let him have his fun. I do not intend to get into another pissing contest with him although, speaking of pissing, I believe if he really did find the lavatory floor at Niddy's Nook "swimming in urine," then that's most likely because he was in there and missed.

I see. Actually I have no idea what others were saying as to my "real" reasons. I've already stated my reason. If people get their thrill by creating non-existent reasons, let them. I don't know what people were saying and quite frankly I couldn't care less. I never owed anyone any explanation at all as to why I took down my web site. So, let them babble. I agree that there are a group of people who try to make themselves look big through innuendo and baseless accusations against others. But don't you see? Those people are not worth worrying about in the first place.

I sincerely believe, given enough time, you may eventually post something that demonstrates you have finally learned that stupidity is not a virtue.

I was not aware that anyone has been posting that the reason I closed down my web site is anything other than precisely what I stated. I have seen no such postings. My reasons are clearly stated earlier in this thread. If the flamer brigade believes otherwise, that's their affair. Your 'spies' are correct. I must be one of those spies because I also stated earlier that Hedda and I have never personally met and we have no arguments or any other form of animosity between us at all. It's as simple as that. If flamers out there are disputing that, I certainly hope they are enjoying gossiping among themselves.

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ What Really Happened as Employee Alleges Assault at Pattayaland Restaurant A bizarre story now from the Pattaya Memorial Hospital. Khun Nutdanai aged 40 is a Barman working at the New Orleans Restaurant located in Soi Pattayaland 2, South Pattaya. On Monday evening, he left the restaurant briefly to collect his children from School and then sent them to his house in Soi Kow Noi. He then returned to the Restaurant to resume his duties

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: __________ Muay Thai Action at the Fairtex Tepprasit Stadium The Tepprasit Boxing Stadium was recently taken over by Fairtex, a company known around the world for health and fitness resorts, one of which is located in North Pattaya. Mr. Philip Wong is the man behind the Muay Thai Division of Fairtex and assumed control of the stadium in July. The stadium features upgraded facilities including better seating and amenities. The quality of fights at the stadium has also improved with Fairtex attracting more international fighters. On Monday night we were invited down to the Stadium to experience a night of Muay Thai Boxing. The quality of fighters was high and the stadium was packed with spectators. If you would like to visit the stadium and experience a night of Muay Thai action, there are bouts every Monday and Thursday starting at 8pm. You can expect up to 12 fights during the evening. For more information please visit the Fairtex Muay Thai Website which is http://www.muaythaifairtex.com

Gee, thanks. Here's how I do my refereeing. Any post that violates the posting rules goes bye-bye. That applies to any thread. One poster suggests that the moderators are not doing their job. I take that to mean that moderators are supposed to delete posts that disagree with whatever that particular poster has to say. I think the moderators are doing exactly their job by checking posts to make sure they are in compliance with Gaythailand's posting rules. The fact is that we have deleted a number of posts that were "outside the envelope." You wouldn't know that if you had not seen the posts before we deleted them. If someone truly does believe we should have deleted posts that still stand, please point out to us which posts they are and what posting rule(s) are violated.

At the risk of reopening the great cheeseburger controversy, today (September 5) a friend and I went to Niddy's Nook for lunch to try the cheeseburger for ourselves. This was the first time either of us have tried it. Although Chris knows who I am, he did not know in advance that we were coming. Niddy, himself, has no clue who I am. Contrary to what some people have posted, Chris was indeed there. We arrived at about 12:30 PM. I went to use that lavatory. You know the one . . . the one "swimming in urine." It was absolutely dry, spotless, and odor free. I also tracked the time between ordering the cheeseburger and having it served. 14 minutes. The cheeseburger was indeed thick and juicy. The french fries were piping hot, browned properly, and crisp. I can honestly say those were some of the best french fries I've had in Pattaya and my friend agreed. The cheeseburger was served piping hot and the cheese was still melted. Whether it is truly the tastiest cheeseburger in Pattaya is a question of individual preference. I can honestly say we both liked it and liked the way it was seasoned. I can also honestly say that neither of us could really taste the cheese. I do think the price of the cheeseburger is too high. I do not think it merits a price tag of 180 baht. I think a more reasonable price would be 120 baht. I think if 180 baht is the price, then more cheese ought to be used, at least one more slice. Also we were not asked whether we preferred the hamburger to be cooked rare, medium, or well done. I would like to have that option. Neither of us could figure out what all the fuss is about. The cheeseburger was good and the fries were also good. On the 1 to 10 scale, I would rate the cheeseburger a 7. So there you have it. Those are my observations and opinions of the cheeseburger and what I wrote is honest and I believe to be a fair assessment. We each do have one complaint . . . the ice in the drinks melts too fast. Maybe Chris needs to use colder ice.

Could you please be somewhat more descriptive about the food? Is it Thai or "farang?" What are some of the menu choices? Do you have any recommendations? When you say 'cheap,' how cheap is cheap?

Well, if that's the case, then scratch Obelisks. The last time I was there was also years ago. If they've closed I didn't know about it. There's one way to find out. That URL I listed above has their phone number. I suppose if someone is interested he could give the number a call and see. If Obelisks is gone, then I don't know of anyplace else that would be anything similar to Babylon.

I'm not sure I'm interpreting correctly what you are seeking. If you mean another set of rooms adjoining a gay sauna, I doubt you are going to find anything better than Babylon. There are certainly other gay saunas in Bangkok, but they cater to the Thai crowd. I have never been to any of them because every time I have heard stories about them it's always the same thing: It's Thais looking for other Thais and the few "farang" that patronize them are largely ignored. You might investigate the Obelisks. Several years ago they used to rent out rooms in the fashion of Babylon. I don't know whether they still rent out rooms. Anyway, you will find Obelisks and other gay sauna listings, along with other gay venues that are not saunas at the following URL: http://www.khsnet.net/pinkink/resources/venues.htm

One of the types of posts I enjoy writing is whenever I find a restaurant that I did not know about and probably most people who visit the message boards also didn't know about. My latest "find," thanks to 'Geezer,' was the Cherry restaurant, about which I posted in a thread below. Surely I'm not the only one around here who manages to find good restaurants. I'd like to know if others here have good restaurant "finds" that the rest of us may not know about. Tell us about your favorite discoveries, whether it's "farang" food, Thai food, or whatever and in what city we'll find the restaurant.

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ World's Oldest Passenger Ship docks at Sattahip As we previously reported here on Pattaya City News, the MV Doulos which is a 92 year old vessel is now docked at Sattahip which is located 20kms South of Pattaya. The Doulos was purchased in 1977 by a German Company known as

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Killed Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition. He was 44. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when he was stung, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site. He collapsed at Batt Reef, near Low Isle and the resort town of Port Douglas, Queensland state police said in a statement. Port Douglas is about 1,260 miles north of Brisbane, the state capital. A rescue helicopter rushed to the scene but Irwin had died, the statement said. Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef and said cause of death appeared to be a "stingray strike to the chest." Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter," which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel. He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction. Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at the Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his month-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other. Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations. Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken. Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections. Irwin told the Australian television program "A Current Affair" that "killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me." He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Eugene, Ore., and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Irwin for his work in promoting Australia through projects such as "G'Day LA," an Australian tourism and trade promotion week in Los Angeles in January. "The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," Downer's spokesman Tony Parkinson said. Stingrays have flat bodies and tails with serrated spines, which contain venom and can cause cuts and puncture wounds. The creatures are not aggressive and injury usually occurs when a swimmer or diver accidentally steps on one.

I think there is going to be a lot to like at Suvarnabhumi. How many of you have had to stand on line upon arrival at Don Muang for up to 20 minutes, waiting to have your passport stamped? Supposedly, at Suvarnabhumi it will only be a matter of seconds that you'll have to wait. That seems like an exaggeration to me, but even if it is, I think there will be a lot less waiting time to get stamped in. The air traffic control system is going to be better too. The departure tax increase, from 500 baht to 700 baht will be postponed until February, 2007. Here are some articles that may interest you: ____________________________________ BANGKOK, Sept 3 (TNA) The Immigration Bureau is ready for Suvarnabhumi International Airport