Gaybutton

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

I certainly can't complain about the taxi fare. The last time I took a taxi to Pattaya from Don Muang to Pattaya, the fare was 1400 baht. I think 1050 baht is quite reasonable. Considering the price of fuel and road tolls, unless the driver can pick up a fare in Pattaya returning to the airport (and since so many flights arrive in the dead of night, chances are the driver will have to return to Bangkok without a fare), he isn't going to end up making very much.

TR? It's an honor to meet you, President Roosevelt. I'm certain quite a number of boys will be very happy as long as you carry your big stick. Ok, TR it shall be. Now we have GB, GP, GT, TR, and LMTU, among others . . . . OK.

Ok, I moved this topic to this forum. Happy now?

Then it wasn't Siamese . . .

I have never spotted a dry cleaner in Pattaya . . . until tonight. If there are others, I haven't spotted them and perhaps someone else can let us know where they are. The one I spotted is called Laundry Express. It's on Pattaya Tai (South Road) beyond Third Road in the direction of Sukhumvit Highway. If you are going in that direction, look for it on the right, close to Soi Korpai (about Soi 16).] So, if you happen to need a dry cleaner, there's at least one in Pattaya.

I didn't mention it because I didn't know it. I'm sorry to hear that. I liked every movie I ever saw with him in it. I didn't realize he was as old as that.

Well, catawampuscat, I think that answers your question . . . .

None at all. I thought people traveling and not seeing the news might be interested. Sue me.

Woman in JFK Limo During Shootings Dies By KELLEY SHANNON, Associated Press Writer Nellie Connally, the last remaining survivor who was riding in President Kennedy's limousine when he was assassinated, has died, a family friend said Saturday. She was 87. Connally, the widow of former Gov. John Connally, died in her sleep late Friday at Westminster Manor in Austin, said Julian Read, who served as the governor's press secretary in the 1960s. "Total surprise," he said. "She has been extremely active and vital the past few days and weeks. ... It's a shock to all of us." Connally had said the most enduring image she had of the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination in Dallas was of a mixture of blood and roses. "It's the image of yellow roses and red roses and blood all over the car ... all over us," she said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. "I'll never forget it. ... It was so quick and so short, so potent." As the limousine carrying the Connallys and the Kennedys wound its way through the friendly crowd in downtown Dallas, Nellie Connally turned to President Kennedy, who was in a seat behind her, and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Almost immediately, she heard the first of what she later concluded were three gunshots in quick succession. Connally slumped after the second shot, and, "I never looked back again. I was just trying to take care of him," she said. Anniversaries and inevitable media interviews followed the Connallys for decades to come. She was also an active fundraiser for many charities. In 1989, Richard Nixon, Barbara Walters and Donald Trump turned out for a gala to honor her and raise money for diabetes research. "I've never known a woman with Nellie's courage, compassion and character," Walters said. "For all her ups and downs, I've never heard a self-pitying word from her." The "downs" that Walters spoke of were financial difficulties. Private business ventures after 1980 were less successful than John Connally's career as a politician and dealmaking Houston lawyer. An oil company in which he invested got into trouble, and $200 million worth of real estate projects went sour. He filed for reorganization of his personal finances under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code and for liquidation, under Chapter 7, of the Barnes/Connally Partnership, the Austin-based real estate venture that he founded with former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes. The auction paid only a fraction of the $93 million in debts Connally listed with the bankruptcy court in Austin. Nellie Connally celebrated her 80th birthday with fellow breast cancer survivors at a ceremony in the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center at Anderson hospital in Houston. It had been 10 years since overcoming breast cancer. She served on the M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors since 1984, and a fund in her name raised millions for research and patient programs. Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Connally Ammann, and two sons, John B. Connally III and Mark Connally. Funeral services are pending.

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm wondering where customs officials get the right to ask detailed questions about sexual activity during your travels. I realize that the primary function of customs inspection is to prevent illegal or smuggled materials from entering the country and to collect taxes on dutiable goods, and I realize they have the right to inspect anything you are carrying, but since when has it become a function of customs to decide whether you are homosexual and were engaged in sexual activities? When they ask, "Why do you go to Thailand so often?" what would happen if your answer was, "I go because I enjoy the cheap, easy sex."? Have you broken any laws? Do they have the right to publicly or even privately embarrass you about it? Do you have any recourse if they do humiliate you in front of others? As I said, I'm not a lawyer, but I am not posting this in jest. I'd really like to know whether customs truly has the authority to pry into your sexual activities abroad. If they have "probable cause" to suspect that you were engaged in sexual activity with minors, that's one thing. But if not, then do they really have the right to put people through the third degree about their sexual activities? If they do, the next question is why? What purpose is being served? I don't get it.

I'd love to, TeePee, but I don't have an access level that makes it possible. Perhaps Stef or Gaythailand can do it.

First, I am often referred to as GB. GP is Gaypattayan, from Pattayagay.com. I sincerely appreciate your complimentary post, but I have no idea where your idea that Hedda and I have had some sort of falling out is coming from. Hedda and I have never had any kind of quarrel or falling out at all. We have the same friendly, mutually respectful relationship now as we did before. Hedda does post on this board. There are many posts here from Hedda. Hedda clearly explains, on his blog, why he is moving to Baht Stop. His decision to do that was because he was invited to do so and he wishes to have greater control and options than the blog software can offer. I am not the owner of this web site or message board. The owner here is Gaythailand. I am merely a moderator and I also post what I can contribute. I am not a factor at all in Hedda's decision. Hedda is just as free to post here as anyone else. I took my web site offline the same day it was blocked by Thai authorities. I have no interest in circumventing Thai authorities whether I agree with their blocking or not. It is my own decision not to reinstate the web site. I could reinstate my web site in ten minutes, if I so choose, but that is not my desire at present. I am happy right here. It has nothing whatever to do with Hedda. I post now on this board and Hedda posts here too, when he wishes to. I am also at liberty to post on Baht Stop, just like anyone else. Hedda and I never really 'worked together' in that sense. I merely provided him web space to post what he wanted to post as an addition to my message board. Hedda did not consult me as to what he wanted to post and I had no wish for him to do so. In effect, it was two sets of independent posting on the same message board. I don't see what difference it makes. You can read my posts on this message board. You can read Hedda's posts on Baht Stop. Nothing essential has changed at all.

We're getting conflicting stories about the taxis. In the article I posted in a thread below, also from the BANGKOK POST, it said: _____ "Duangjai Kitisin, a state enterprise employee, said the airport was a cause of national pride although the shuttle service was still a problem. Passengers had to take shuttle buses from the arrival hall to a separate terminal to catch a bus and taxi." _____ Let's hope the article you found is the one with the correct information. It certainly makes much more sense. It would seem that a brand new airport that would force incoming passengers to have to take shuttle buses to get a taxi would be beyond ridiculous. I've never been to an airport in my life at which it is necessary to take a shuttle bus to catch a taxi. Another thing I noticed in te article you posted that I think is worth pointing out is: _____ "Private car drivers can pick up passengers at level two, but they will not be able to park at kerbside." _____ That makes sense too. The one thing I have not yet seen is how private limo service will work. I'm talking about when arrangements have been made to have someone waiting for you upon arrival, holding a sign with your name on it. I haven't seen anything that addresses how they will get you from the point at which you are met to the limo. I suppose they will simply have you wait while the driver gets the limo and comes back to pick you up. Well, we'll all know the answers soon enough. The official final airport closing time at Don Muang will be 1:00 AM on September 28. The only glitch I can see is if an airline is still using Don Muang as its arrival airport that day and the flight is delayed beyond the closing time. I don't know if the flight will be diverted to Suvarnabhumi in that circumstance, but my guess is that it will. It wouldn't be a problem to have a delayed flight arrive at Don Muang, but it would present problems when that same plane now has to go from Don Munag to Suvarnabhumi to pick up outbound passengers. If you happen to be arriving that night on a flight that may be delayed that length of time, then if you have someone meeting you at the airport it would be a good idea to have the person contact the airline to find out if your flight is going to arrive on time or make arrangements other than having someone meet you. If that problem occurs, it will be only that one night since Don Muang will close to all commercial flights after that. Well, we've all seen delay after delay getting Suvanrabhumi open, but this time it looks like it will finally happen.

My pleasure and I'm sure "billyhouston's" too. To my mind the most important thing a message board can do is provide information when people need it. Please feel free to ask any time questions pop up. If we can help, we are happy to do so.