Gaybutton

Everyone has his own experiences. I actually prefer the Saphan Kwai bars and the boys who work in them. They have always been readily acceptive of me and believe me, I'm nothing special in any way. I can speak Thai on a conversational level, so that might be a factor. Few of the Saphan Kwai bar boys I've ever met spoke much English. I believe a bar boy is a bar boy, whether in Saphan Kwai or anywhere else. He's there because he wants to be taken "off." That's how he makes his money. I doubt that many of them would concern themselves as to whether the person taking him "off" is Thai or "farang" as long as he's going to be paid for his services.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Airport Fees to go Up Published on August 29, 2006 Air passengers will be asked to pay heavier departure taxes from early next year, Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) said yesterday. The international departure tax would be increased by Bt200 to Bt700 and domestic passengers would incur a Bt100 fee, up from a current Bt50. The increase would be effective from February 1 . AOT operates Suvarnabhumi Airport. It had planned to introduce the new taxes upon the opening of the new airport on September 28. Meanwhile, new landing fees levied on aircraft using the airport would be imposed from April 1, 2007. That is a six-month delay from the original schedule. AOT said it was postponing the new fee to attract airlines to Suvarnabhumi. The new landing fee is a 15-per-cent increase on that charged at Don Muang airport. AOT explained earlier that fees at Suvarnabhumi Airport needed to be raised due to the greater amenities and facilities that would be provided. After 40 years in the making Suvarnabhumi has cost Bt150 billion. It is scheduled to start operations on September 28.

The best part is that Thai officials stated that he has committed no crimes in Thailand and if he is not convicted in the USA, then he can come back to Thailand if he so chooses. Just what Thailand would need.

Anyone reading this forum probably knows that the Sawatdee forum was offline for a few days. When it was placed back online, it was blocked from within Thailand. I just tried it again and, lo and behold, it is unblocked. If this works as blocking has worked before, then from within Thailand sometimes you'll find it blocked and saometimes you won't. If you try it and find it blocked, then try again the next day. Chances are it won't be blocked. Also, once you find it unblocked, chances are that you'll find it blocked again sooner or later. The blocking seems to be intermittent. I have no idea why, but that's the way it is.

I am very curious about what Pattaya was like in those days. I have never met anyone who has been coming to Thailand as long as that. What was the gay scene like back then, before go-go bars and that sort of thing? Was it easy to meet boys then? Where were the best spots to meet boys at the time? Did anything similar to "off" exist then? If not, do you recall about how and when "off" got started?

Both of those are new to me too. Live tropical fish? I wonder who he thought he was going to sell them to in the Dick's Cafe area. Maybe he is going around to the various businesses that have fish tanks. I do like the house plants idea, though. Just remember, if you happen to be a "farang" who considers buying items like that to take home, most countries require permits to bring in anything alive, plant or animal.

One of the more common questions and debates that arise is about whether "farang" relationships with Thais are seen by the Thais as love or a means of gaining money. The following article applies to "farang" and Thai marriages, but I have a feeling it can just as easily apply to gay relationships. It appears in THE NATION: __________ Foreign husbands pay off for Thais Published on August 27, 2006 Cross-cultural marriages between Thai women and foreign men are better received in Thai communities, a recent study has revealed, with northeastern villagers in particular praising their foreign sons-in-law for better supporting their new Thai family. With many northeastern villages organising "Bai Sri Soo Kwan" blessing ceremonies for foreign husbands during the Thai New Year festival, Asst Professor Buaphan Promphak-ping of Khon Kaen University called this a meaningful honour resulting from a cultural change in Thai communities. The National Culture Commis-sion Office sponsored a study on "cross-cultural marriages of Thai women in the northeastern region" to investigate cultural changes in Thai rural areas resulting from such marriages. Twelve Thai women - from one community with Western-Thai marriages and three communities with Eastern-Thai marriages (husbands from Hong Kong and Japan) - took part in the study. Most of the women married to Western men had been married before, to Thai men, and most had intentionally sought a new foreign husband, the study revealed. The wives of Asian men were either divorcees or previously single and most had met their husbands through serendipity. The women's ages when they married ranged from 19 to 47 and none had used the Internet as a means to meet their husband due to a lack of computer literacy. Following marriage, the women's financial status had improved, with foreign husbands bringing steady income to the family, the study said. The marriages also brought the women more respect from neighbours, enabling them to move up the social ladder in their community. The marriages were accepted within the communities and even encouraged by the women's relatives, as they were seen as a way to gain income. Foreign sons-in-law were better able to financially support the family than Thai husbands, the study said. Udon Thani villager Supira TraiPhu, 42, said she had been married to a German national, Peter Volk, for nearly 15 years and initially lived with him in Germany. Four years ago they moved back to Thailand as Supira was worried about her teenage son - fathered by her previous Thai husband - and because her German husband had retired from work. The family built a Bt2-million house, the biggest in the village, and had gained the respect of the neighbours, she said. "At first, the neighbours were critical of my bringing a foreign husband home, but then they realised we did not cause them any trouble and brought good things here, so everyone wanted to talk with my husband and invite him to join their merit-making activities and parties," she said. With her husband's pension of about Bt20,000 a month to support the family, she said they lived happily and comfortably enough. Describing her husband as a good and understanding man, Supira said all her relatives were happy and her Thai son loved and obeyed his stepfather as much as he did his mother. "If I were to have another chance to choose a husband, I would choose Peter again because he is wonderful and treats me nicely," Supira said. Khamdee Phromlee, 70, a Roi Et villager who had recently gained a British son-in-law, said she did not mind her daughter marrying a foreigner if she loved him and he loved and treated her well. Speaking no English at all, Khamdee said the downside of having a foreign son-in-law was the difficulty in communication, but her daughter's family now lived and ran a restaurant in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district and only visited her once in a while. She recalled that her daughter's marriage ceremony was a grand occasion admired by neighbours. Khamdee said she was not certain that if she had a Thai son-in-law, they would have had the chance to hold such a wedding ceremony in a five-star hotel. Khamdee said her daughter had lived a difficult life following a break-up with her Thai husband, who left her with their nine-year-old child to raise alone. "Supporting an ageing mother while raising her kid as a single mother was not easy," she said, adding that since her daughter married her British husband, her life had been comfortable, running their restaurant with many employees.

Those are all great photos and it really was a different world then, wasn't it? It's hard to imagine a Pattaya without a Boyztown, Sunee Plaza, Walking Street, lady-boys, Jomtien Beach concessions, traffic jams, and the rest, but there it is.

I give up. Again "either or"? If I thought your detractors were posting "unwarranted anonymous abuse," then I'd take steps to do something about it. I don't see any posts worthy of being associated with the words "unwarranted" and "abuse" other than yours. You're the one who started this whole thing, first with complaints because Niddy's Nook advertises here, which is well within what the owner of this board accepts, followed by some outrageous descriptions of Niddy's Nook (with which everyone who responded disagreed), followed by suggesting that people who don't post a photo are cowards, and now a Sunee Plaza (and it is correctly spelled Sunee) mafia and an implication that those who disagree with your assessment of Niddy's Nook are all wrong and must be personal friends of the owners. By the way, Niddy's Nook isn't even in Sunee Plaza. It's in Soi Day-Night, but never mind. You can believe me or not, but I've met Chris a grand total of three times. I've seen Niddy, but have never actually spoken with him. We are acquaintances, but hardly within each other's circle of friends. I'm sorry, my friend, but you are trying to create a negative impression of a perfectly good restaurant and steer business away from them through what is only innuendo and are backing up what you say with absolutely nothing. I am disputing you not because I feel any particular allegiance toward Niddy's Nook, but because I support gay and gay friendly venues within Thailand, and I always have. I would have had nothing to say if you had simply written that you tried the restaurant and did not like the food or service, but when you started writing statements such as, "toilet floors that are swimming in urine," that's where I draw the line if you can't back up what you say. You also said, "I can only assume that these people are receiving quid pro quo for their efforts." Well, I am supporting Niddy's Nook and I have neither been offered anything in return for my support nor do I expect or even want anything. You can continue absurd accusations if you wish, but this whole thing has become just ridiculous and you are going way out of line with it. If you wish to continue, then you'll have to do so without further replies from me. I have nothing more to say about it.

Thank you for posting this, JoeM. What a difference! I remember, about a year or so ago, someone posted a set of photos taken in Pattaya during the 1970's. I wish I could remember where I saw those. I do remember those photos showed an entirely different Pattaya. There were a couple of hotels near the old pier and nearly nothing else at all along the beach or what is now the city. Traffic was non-existent. It was a whole different world then, and the photos from the web site you posted are twenty years older than those old photos of Pattaya. Can you imagine what photos of Bangkok and Pattaya will look like when they are taken twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years from now? I shudder to think about it.

A classic ploy. When you can't defend an argument, just start a new one and focus everyone's attention away from the original issue. Sorry, PapaDavid, but it's not going to work. You keep using the same tactic. Everything is "either or." First, it's either show your photo or you don't have the courage of your convictions. Now it's either show your photo or you're a coward and hiding behind anonymity. I suppose there are no other interpretations except for those. I'll say it again. Showing a photo means nothing. It could be a photo of anyone and not necessarily the person himself. I don't doubt your word, but even your own profile photo might not actually be you. The only ones who know whether it is actually a photo of you are yourself and people who know you personally. We can believe it is your photo, but we don't know that it is. We have only your word for it. So, what good does it do? You can try to convince people to display their photos if you want. You can accuse Niddy's Nook of having inferior food, inferior service, unsanitary and lazy waiters, and a filthy lavatory too, but the fact remains that every poster who responded says the opposite is true. Not even one poster agreed with any of your accusations. You're fighting a losing battle.

Papa David's? I thought they were going to Niddy's Nook . . . As far as demanding photos as a prerequisite for posting, isn't that precisely what he's doing? He certainly seems to want photos if a post is going to be critical. So, unless someone knows there will never be a circumstance under which he would want to post something critical, then he would have to post a photo to meet PapaDavid's criteria.

Absolutely not. Showing a photo of one's self is not going to be the new prerequisite for posting, no matter what kind of post it is, no matter whether it is supportive or critical. Even if people do put a photo on a profile, who's to say that it is actually a photo of that person and not some random photo just picked up from the Internet somewhere? Sorry, PapaDavid, but I think trying to tell people not to criticize without also publishing a self-photo is an argument that holds about as much water as a seive. People are not going to do that and there is no reason why they should.

You're entitled to your opinion, but it seems to me the majority of posters who tried it liked the cheeseburger. If nothing else, the complaints about it probably do more to sell the cheeseburgers than convince people not to try it. Until all this nonsense got started I wasn't the slightest bit interested in the cheeseburger. Now I'm going to try one and see for myself what all the fuss is about. I'll bet a lot more people are going to do the same thing. I'll also bring a medical kit and do a urinalysis of all the urine on the lavatory floor. Perhaps I'll bring a few buckets too, to help bail it all out before it floods the restaurant. Besides, I understand that urea makes excellent fertilizer for pineapples. While I'm at it, I might as well bring a box of tissues to distribute to all the waiters who will be picking their noses just before serving my food. That's if they're all not too lazy to serve my order at all. Lack of moderation? You should see the messages we've wiped. Then tell me about lack of moderation. What did you have in mind for moderation? Deletion of messages that disagree with your opinion? Please tell me which messages appear on this message board that do not comply with the posting guidelines. There are many messages here. Maybe we moderators missed some of them.

I can't remember which film it was, but a line I loved was the reply when someone said something to the effect, "He must be insane." The reply was, "Look at the world and tell me the pleasures of sanity."

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _________ BoT: Get Used to a Stronger Baht PARISTA YUTHAMANOP Thai businesses need to prepare for a stronger baht that will reflect a growing shift in foreign investment away from dollar-denominated assets, according to the Bank of Thailand. M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula, the central bank governor, also said that the economy of Thailand would experience greater volatility in foreign capital flows until the end of 2007. Global investors, he said, were growing increasingly wary about the dollar because of the huge US trade and current account deficits. ''The United States current account deficit is now $2 billion per day, equivalent to nearly $800 billion annually. Its economy is being financed by as much as $7 trillion worth of external borrowing,'' he said. Investors' worries over the sustainability of the dollar triggered huge inflows to Asian markets earlier in the year. ''The magnitude of the volatility will be less later this year and in 2007. But it will occur more frequently during the period,'' M.R. Pridiyathorn said at a dinner hosted by Chulalongkorn University's Engineering Alumni Association on Thursday night. He said the central bank was ready to intervene in the currency market not to let the baht appreciate too much. ''The central bank will take care of the baht as best as possible, but businesses need to make up their minds that the baht will not stay weak as it used to do.'' M.R. Pridiyathorn said private investment would recover in the second half of the year and be the leading driver of economic growth in 2007. ''Capacity utilisation, which stood at 76% on average in the first half of the year, was higher than the pre-crisis level. Some industries had full capacity utilisation, several have 80-90%. That, coupled with the fact that inventories have been low, will underpin the turnaround in private investment in the future.'' Easing political uncertainties following the Oct 15 election would be another positive factor for private investment. M.R. Pridiyathorn said domestic consumption was expected to remain stable, though export growth could decline, due to a slowdown of the world economy. He said this year's political troubles had not resulted in a decrease in fiscal spending by as much as had been expected. Fiscal spending is expected to speed up in the fourth quarter due to the government's attempts to accelerate disbursement of tied-over budget funds. In any case, he said business should take leading role in the driving growth, as 70% of gross domestic product was generated by the private sector. ''Businesses should carry on, regardless of the political situation. Don't be afraid of the ghost,'' M.R. Pridiyathorn said. The central bank expects economic growth to stay above 4.5% this year, and has set a broad range of 4-5.3%, assuming that the oil prices average $71 per barrel for Dubai crude.

Neither have I. I'm not saying that these gangs don't exist. They do exist, but if you go by the way the media tends to portray things, you would think you can't set foot outside your hotel room without being accosted by hordes of lady-boy pickpockets, drug dealers trying to sell you 'ya ba,' and motocycle gangs, along with being unable to use an ATM anywhere without someone spying on you entering your PIN number, being unable to use your credit card at all because someone will make fraudulent use of it, encountering corrupt police officers out to shake you down, bar boys who will steal anything that isn't nailed down, etc. You would think that you can't keep anything in a hotel safe because it will be stolen anyway, that all suicides are actually murders, and that all you have to do is look toward the tops of tall buildings and you'll be sure to see someone jumping off. These problems do exist, but I doubt anyone is any more likely to encounter these things than they are in their own home towns. Probably less so.

Actually he is telling the truth about his profile. I think what you did, Namjai, is to click on his name as it appears next to his posts. What you have to do is scroll up to the main menu. At the top, one of the selections, third from the left, says "Profiles." You have to click on that and then type in his user name. Then his profile will appear, photo and all. It's a little confusing, but that's how the software is set up.

I looked at the Sunshine Residence web site. It seems nice enough, but the photos of the rooms make them look quite small. It is more expensive than the Pinnacle (if you book the Pinnacle through Jimmy), which is in the same general area. I also noticed the following on their web site: * the above rates are net in Thai Baht. No Breakfast. * Joiner Fee = 800 Bht/night I understand that the Pinnacle has a joiner fee, but does not enforce it. I have not met anyone who ever actually was asked to pay a joiner fee at The Pinnacle. I have no idea whether the Sunshine Residence enforces theirs, but if they do that seems like quite a high price to me. By the time you go to a bar, buy the drinks, pay the "off" fee for a boy, give him his tip and his cab fare back home, if you really have to pay an additional 800 baht joiner fee, the cost is going to start getting awfully high. The Pinnacle does include breakfast, but Sunshine Residence does not. I don't know if you have stayed at The Pinnacle, but if you have, and you decide to give Sunshine Residence a try, I would be very interested to know your opinion of how the two compare. I would also be very interested to know if Sunshine Residence enforces the published joiner fee.

I haven't stayed there, but their web site certainly looks very nice. I looked on my Bangkok map and it seems to be in a fairly good location, within easy walking distance to the Phrom Phong BTS station. I noticed on their web site they have a log in section for agents and agents apparently can book reservations "with special confidential rates" for their clients. I have a feeling you will get a better rate by booking through an agent. If you do decide to stay there, please let us know what you think of it and what kind of room rate you get.

What on earth does a profile picture have to do with it? If you want to publish your photo, that's your choice. I can't speak for 'Rose,' but my choice is not to create a profile. Now you say, "or are you too afraid and need to hide behind anonimity?" as if that is the only reason a person would choose not to publish a profile. Ok, have it your way.

Last night I went to Cherry again, this time with another close friend who is in Pattaya this month. After I told him how much I liked it he wanted to go. Off we went. We each started with an appetizer. He had the pan-seared scallops, which he loved, and I tried the frog legs Provencale. Both were appetizers terrific and so beautifully presented. Then we had a soup course. He had the mushroom cream soup and loved it. He said he loves fresh muchrooms and his soup was chock full of them. I tried the French onion soup and it was done perfectly, with the touch of Sherry in the soup and the cheese crouton on top. Then we each had a salad. I tried the same salad Geezer had the other night and fell in love with it. He had the mixed green salad. It was enormous . . . almost a meal in itself. For the main course I had the lamb chops. They were very good, cooked just right and served with a rosemary sauce on the side. He had the Osso Buco. He said he has had Osso Buco all over the world and this was the best he has ever had anywhere. Next time I go, I want to give it a try. Desert was the sour cherries with a scoop of ice cream. It was just like Cherries Jubilee. Marvelous. The total bill for the two of us came to 1100 baht. This is a marvelous little hole-in-the-wall restaurant and I was just as delighted with it the second time as I was the first time. Try it. I have a feeling you'll be back again and again. I know I certainly will.

I wouldn't mind having a look, but try as I might, I can't find a proxy server that also hasn't been blocked. The blockers are getting pretty good at what they do . . .

The following appears in THE NATION: __________ ANTIRETROVIRAL Tenofovir Drug to be Sold Cheaply Published on August 26, 2006 Experts Say Drug has been Tested on Thais with Satisfactory Result The antiretroviral drug Tenofovir used to treat HIV/AIDS patients will be available on the Thai market for around US$1 (Bt38) per tablet, 90 per cent cheaper than on the US or European markets. Prof Dr Prapan Panupark, director of the Thai Red Cross Society's AIDS Research Centre has told a press conference that the centre and related officials had been informed by a US-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, Gilead, that the drug Tenofovir had been registered with the Thai Food and Drug Adminis-tration on August 15. Tenofovir is an alternative for HIV/AIDS patients who have become resistant to GPO-Vir, made by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and those with the hepatitis B virus. The drug is in the same group as AZT, D4T and DDI drugs, but has less powerful side-effects of sunken cheeks and withered legs and arms and has been used in treating HIV/AIDS patients in many countries. In the US alone it has been used for over three years at a cost of around Bt15,000 per month per head, Prapan said. As Tenofovir is used in combination with two other antiviral medications, such as 3TC (Epivir) and Nevirapine, both of which can be manufactured in Thailand, treatment here would cost around Bt2,600 per month per person, he said. If used together with Efavirenz, the bill would come to around Bt5,000 per month per head. Prapan said with more and more patients developing GPO-Vir resistance, there is a need for a new drug. He insisted the press conference had not been called to help promote the pharmaceutical company and he did not know which company would be a distributor in Thailand. The move was simply to inform people about the pricing scheme to help prevent unrealistic overpricing. Physician Anchalee Avihing-sanon of the HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration said Tenofovir had been tested on 600 patients in Thailand and had yielded a satisfactory result with fewer side-affects. However the drug has been found to affect kidney function, although only 20 such cases have occurred world-wide, with only one case in Thailand. Anchalee said however that the Thai patient had experienced previous kidney problems. The Disease Control Depart-ment director-general Thawat Sunthrajarn said Tenofovir was sold at high prices in other countries and it was therefore positive it would be sold cheaply in Thailand, as it is an alternative for HIV/AIDS patients who have built up resistance to other medications. Duangkamol Sajirawatthanakul The Nation

The Niddy's Nook web site, by the way, is http://www.niddysnook.com