Gaybutton

As far as I know, the quickest way to get to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Pattaya is via Route 36-Route 7. If there is no substantial traffic, then it would take between one to one-and-a-half hours. Since many International flights arrive in the wee hours of the morning and departures often require that you be at the airport in the wee hours, then chances are good that you won't run into traffic problems if your flights are in those hours. However, that route is also a truck route and during daytime traffic it is quite common to encounter major slowdowns and backups. However, now there is a possibility that the airport will not open on September 28 after all. Read on: _______ BANGKOK, Aug 2 (TNA) A top executive of the Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) today lashed out at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) spokesman for his comment on the readiness of Suvarnabhumi Airport, saying the comment was bias and contained a hidden agenda. AOT President Chotisak Asapaviriya added that the comment was aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Suvarnabhumi. Albert Tjoeng, IATA spokesman in Singapore, earlier expressed skepticism that the 3.7-billion-dollar Suvarnabhumi Airport would be ready for the launch on September 28. Indicating that it was normal to conduct test flights before the official opening, the IATA spokesman said however that the trial did not test the airport's ability to handle heavy traffic. IATA currently represents 250 airlines. Mr.Tjoeng's negative comment, Mr. Chotisak said, may be related to the fierce competition in the aviation business now that many countries wanted to be the aviation hub. Mr. Chotisak said AOT, being responsible for the operations of Suvarnabhumi Airport, has to do its best to ensure the airport's smooth operations.

This is indeed a terrible story and it is not the first time we have heard about murdered and/or abused "farang" in Thailand. I think most of us have heard several stories about murdered gay "farang," the deed done by a boyfriend who is out for money or revenge. We've also heard stories about "farang" who have bought homes under a Thai person's name only to be kicked out of the home as soon as the mortgage has been paid off. Often enough, that happens after the same "farang" has also taken care of the family's financiial problems, put family members through school, bought them cars, etc. Only recently I heard a story about a gay "farang" who had a Thai boyfriend. The way I heard it, he bought a restaurant for the boyfriend and set him up in business. Not long after that the boy's former "farang" boyfriend showed up at the restaurant. The boy left the restaurant with that "farang" and the "farang" who had bought and paid for it, in the boy's name, was out . . . just like that. I don't mean to imply that this sort of thing is what to expect, or even that it happens very often, but it certainly brings home the idea that such a thing is possible. Before one gets too involved, especially with famly members, it would be a good idea to take precautions and make sure it is clearly understood that they have a lot more to lose than to gain if anything happens to the "farang."

Thew following appears in THE NATION: _______________________________ Unprecedented Floods Devastate Chiang Mai Roads, rail lines cut, leaving tourism in tatters and many businesses in despair for the second year in a row Chiang Mai is reeling under unprecedented flooding with businesses suffering huge losses, the tourism industry in tatters, schools being closed and train services being suspended. Since floods hit the northern capital early on Monday, hotels and tour companies have received massive cancellations from tourists concerned about their safety and disruptions to their tour programmes. Kunchit Changsuwan, chairman of the tourism business federation, said riverside hotels had been badly hurt while many shops were now closed for fear of a repeat of last year's devastating flooding. He said tourists could only get to Chiang Mai by plane and certain buses as some roads and the train service have been cut. Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat said the floodwaters should drop by tomorrow as a result of drainage efforts by the local authorities. He said flood water had not inundated financial districts in urban areas like Chang Khlan Road and the Nite Bazaar shopping complex. The affected areas are mostly residential located in outer districts. The governor said drainage efforts needed to be stepped up as weather authorities had reported Storm Phra Phirun was expected to reach Thailand by Friday. Last night, the State Railway Authority had cancelled all trains between Chiang Mai and Bangkok because flooding had damaged a portion of track in Lampang. A senior railway official said it would take about three days before services resume. Sangworn Santisuk, president of the Thai Hotels Association's northern region, said of the 10,000 hotel rooms in the city, about 400 are near the river. "Right now we are enjoying an occupancy rate of 50 per cent, but that could drop. We will have to closely monitor the situation," he said. On Monday, tourists were stranded at their hotels in Chiang Mai township because of the inundation. Rising floodwaters forced many schools in Chiang Mai to close yesterday and students in several dormitories were advised to return home. Nittaya Bodhirak, the dormitory guardian at Sacred Heart School, said: "We are concerned about the children's well-being if the flooding gets worse. So, we have contacted parents to pick up their children." She advised students to follow radio news reports to keep updated on when classes would resume. Sacred Heart, on Charoen-prathet Road, was flooded along with Chairot Witthaya and Regina Coeli schools, plus Montfort College. All suspended classes for at least a day. At the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, business operators filled sandbags as a barrier to block the floods. Last year, big floods ravaged the city's commercial and tourist zone, causing damage worth hundreds of millions of baht. Yesterday's floods came after the Ping River overflowed due to heavy downpours and run-off water from upstream. Despite last year's devastating floods and a government promise to prevent future inundations, Chiang Mai residents have been again left to fight floods with just sandbags and pumps. Even residents living a fair distance from the Ping River suffered, as many roads such as Huay Kaew, Khuang Singh intersection and several small lanes were under water due to poor drainage. The flooding also threatened many historical sites. Sahawat Naennha, who heads a local fine-arts office, voiced concern over the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam, which lies in a flat area that could easily flood. "We have pumps ready but if there is too much water, this measure will not be enough," he said. Sahawat was also concerned about the Phra That Chao Kulamak in the 1,300-year-old Rommanee-yaram Temple in Chiang Mai city. "There are cracks in it and we are worried that heavy rain could damage it," Sahawat said. He said his office was in the process of requesting funds to renovate and reinforce this religious site. Meanwhile, in Mae Rim district, more than 1,800 houses were flooded and officials were handing out relief items to victims. Officials at the Hydrology and Water Management Centre for the Upper Northern Region said the situation in Chiang Mai could return to normal if there were no more downpours. The northern weather bureau expects only scattered rain in Chiang Mai over the next two days. However, it warned that cloudbursts would spread over the upper North on Friday and Saturday. Residents living by the Ping and other rivers in Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Phetchabun were warned to watch out for possible overflows this weekend. In a related development, Mae Hong Son governor Direk Konkleeb urgently instructed all district chiefs in the province to prepare for possible flash floods and landslides. "We have evacuation plan ready," he said. In Lampang, the body of a flood victim was discovered yesterday. The woman, aged 50, disappeared when floods raged through her home early on Monday. In Uttaradit, more than 50 families in Tambon Nang Phraya were evacuated on Monday night after a landslide and floods damaged local farms.

In my opinion Pattaya is fading, but really hasn't lost its allure. I believe the primary reason Pattaya is fading is the distinct drop in numbers of gay "farang" customers. When I first started coming to Thailand the number of bars in Pattaya was increasing. It was common to see a new bar open and succeed. I remember bars in Pattaya such as Moonlight, Playboy, Boys Studio, Charlie Boys, and a few others. Soi Day-Night was up and coming with several go-go bars, such as Lek's and Fantasea, along with a few others. They're all gone now. Now there are no go-go bars at all on Soi Day-Night, although a few gay host bars and gay karaokes are still trying to make a go of it. Other bars have changed hands and changed names several times and are still changing names and changing hands to this very day. I also remember when I would go into a bar, no matter which one, there was always a crowd. Now most of the time the bars are empty or have only a few customers. The Pattayaland, Soi 3 bars usually still have a good crowd, though. Certainly Throb and Boyz Boyz Boyz usually have plenty of customers. Jomtien Complex seems to be an up and coming area, but still struggling along. There is certainly potential there. Punya, from Howard's Hotel, is about to try his hand at a Babylon-style sauna. I hope the wheel is turning for the better. Pattaya can become the gay paradise it once was. Unfortunately, factors such as the poor present exchange rates, higher airfares, higher "off" fees, SARS, Bird Flu, the insistence that venues close at 1:00 AM, the soaring crime rate, the more puritanical restrictions on what kinds of shows can be presented, restrictions on what the boys can and cannot wear, last year's severe drought, and other factors apparently are all acting to cause gay tourists to find other places to go. I think Pattaya is still the best place to go, but I don't think very many people who have been around for a long time would dispute the fact that today the gay scene just cannot compare to what it was ten years ago. Still, there are plenty of boys around and prices are still less expensive than most gay venues within Thailand and probably the rest of the world. In my view, Pattaya is still a gay paradise, but not the gay paradise it used to be. I hope it turns around and improves rather than become "Paradise Lost." I think it really all depends on whether Pattaya can re-attract the tourist numbers. As we are now seeing, gay venues end up going out of business sooner or later if the customers don't come.

Last night a close friend and I tried Monty's Enchanted Hut, located in the Jomtien Complex. As many of you know, there are three entrances to Jomtien Complex. To get to Monty's Enchanted Hut, take the first entrance as you are going toward the beach from town. If you know where the L'Olivier restaurant is, just keep going a bit further and you'll spot it. We were very pleased with it. Monty was there himself and we had a really nice chat with him. In a few days their show will be ready. Monty said the show will be "unlike anything you have seen in Pattaya." To prove the point, despite the fact that we were the only ones in there at that time except for one other customer, he had the boys stage one of the acts from the show for us. He is right. I have never seen anything similar in Pattaya. I don't want to spoil the surprise by revealing what we saw, but I'll bet most people will thoroughly enjoy it. We certainly did. We also loved the decor and the shirtless waiters. The service was excellent and the eye candy was beautiful. The food is bistro style. We ordered from the set menu. You get soup, salad, the main course, which was a choice of either salmon steaks or beef fillet, potatoes, and a vegetable medley. The potato choice on the menu was french fries. We preferred jacket potatoes (baked potatoes). Monty had no problem at all about giving us our potato preference. Dessert was a fresh fruit salad. Monty says everything is fresh. Nothing canned. That is true and it makes a big difference. Both of us enjoyed the food. My friend doesn't even like fish (he likes steak even less) but he enjoyed the salmon. I had the beef fillet and I enjoyed it very much. Everything was served piping hot and was deliciously flavorful. I told Monty that people will probably want to know if they can "off" the waiters. He said he does not permit "offs" at any of his establishments, but the waiters are free to do as they please after hours. He said that if anyone wants to make an arrangement with any of the waiters, he has no problem with that provided that such arrangements are during non-working hours. We enjoyed the food and especially enjoyed the eye candy along with it. I know of no other restaurants in all of Thailand at which the waiters are shirtless. The set menu is not always exactly the same as you'll see on their web site. Sometimes different choices are offered. If you like Thai food, which neither of us were in the mood for last night, others have told me that the six course Thai Banquet is outstanding. We certainly had no complaints about the price. The most expensive item on the menu is only 200 baht. For photos and the complete menu, have a look at their web site at: http://www.gardencentre.com.au/enchantedhut

Judging by the number of people who responded to this thread and also had this sort of inspection happen to them, then I'd say there is enough of it going on, for whatever reasons, to take precautions as to what they might find on your computer. It seems clear that at least one of the profiles they look for are single men. I doubt it is limited to single men traveling back and forth from Thailand, but that might be a flag they look for. The solution seems simple enough to me. Don't travel with a laptop that contains illegal or even questionable files on it. If you take digital photos that might be considered questionable, then E-mail them to yourself or upload them to a web site that stores photos, but do that from an Internet cafe, not from your laptop. Clear the flash or whatever storage media your camera uses. It seems pointless to try to get through customs with any such files on your computer. Obviously the odds of being caught or detained are too great a risk. Also, I have a feeling that even if your photos are perfectly legal, but are boy photos, then your name might be placed on some sort of "check thoroughly every time" list and you'll be hassled every time you go through customs even if you're not carrying a laptop. I don't know if that would really happen, but in this day and age I think the chances that it would are greater than the chances that it wouldn't.

It just keeps getting better and better. Well, they did say they are going to administer Tamiflu to suspected cases. They didn't say they will administer it to actual cases . . . just suspected ones. Here's the latest: _____ BANGKOK, July 31 (TNA) Thailand's Public Health Ministry said Monday that the country now has 131 suspected bird flu cases under surveillance, waiting for lab test results to determine whether they have contracted the bird flu virus. Department of Disease Control Director General Thawat Suntrajarn said that since the beginning of this year, there have been 1,960 suspected cases of bird flu, with 1,828 cases testing negative to the disease. The 131 cases are waiting for the lab test results. Of these, the highest number is 37 cases in the northern province of Phichit, followed by 35 and 16 cases in neighbouring Sukhothai and Phitsanulok Provinces and 12 cases in the central province of Suphanburi. After meeting public health officials, Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said he had ordered medical specialists and senior officials to be on alert around the clock to control bird flu, dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth syndrome. He also said that 765 persons in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom had been monitored for two weeks after having come into contact with diseased chickens. As many as 300,000 fowls were culled on Sunday in the province, where a bird-flu outbreak was detected with the H5N1 virus. The bird-flu virus killed a teenage boy in Phichit last week. Two mobile labs were sent to Phichit and Nakhon Phanom on Monday and 20 specialist teams visited "red zone" areas in the affected provinces to give 24-hour advice to local health officials. (TNA)E004, E002

The Thai baht is continuing to get stronger against the US dollar. Only a couple of months ago the predictions were that the exchange rate would reach 42 baht to the US dollar. It isn't working that way, at least not yet. This morning, the exchange rate opened at 37.69. BANGKOK, July 30 (TNA) The baht/dollar exchange rate could hit yet another new height this week as the Kasikorn Research Centre anticipates the baht to hover at the range of 37.65 to 38.15 per dollar. Factors affecting the exchange rate this week include the US economic performance in the second quarterand the monthly key economic indicators for the month of June, which are due to be announced by the Bank of Thailand on Monday, the research house said. During the past week, the baht rose steadily to strengthen against the dollar. The Criminal Court verdict that the three members of the Election Commission broke the law helped to clear the air, pushing the baht on the back of the US dollar since mid-week to hit a two-week high at 37.79 on Thursday. For the entire week, the baht averaged 37.82 per dollar compared to 37.95 the previous week. (TNA)-E007

Bangladesh. Not that Bangladesh ever pops up on my list of dream destinations in the first place, whether for gay activity or anything else, but the following article gives me yet another reason to stay away from a country in which acid attacks are so rampant there is actually an Acid Survivor's Foundation. Don't believe it? Have a look at the following URL: http://www.acidsurvivors.org The following article appears on the BBC News web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5133410.stm Bangladesh's Acid Attack Problem By Roland Buerk BBC News, Dhaka Lawyers in Bangladesh are calling for better implementation of legislation to stop acid attacks. In 2002 the death penalty was introduced for throwing acid after the number of victims rose to nearly 500 a year. There is also legislation to force businesses that use acid to store it safely. But 267 people were still attacked last year and campaigners say it is because the law is ignored. Tiny victim In an intensive care unit, filled with the sound of beeping heart monitors, sits the young victim of a crime so cruel it almost defies belief. Durjoy was just a month old when he was made to drink acid. A few weeks ago he had heart failure but was revived. Victim's mother He has had a series of operations, and now has to breathe through a hole in his throat. And as the baby boy cries the air wheezes in and out. No one has been brought to justice for the attack - his mother Etie Rani says the motive was a dispute over money. "As a mother I hope nothing like this will happen to anyone else," she said dressed in a green hospital gown against infection, and cradling her son in arms. "I pray to God, 'Please, make my child well and take care of all other children.' Always I feel pain inside me, nothing makes me happy. I feel terrible pain." Women targets Acid throwing remains a major problem in Bangladesh. There is even a special hospital and rehabilitation centre for victims in the capital, run by a charity called the Acid Survivors' Foundation. Although some of the patients are children and men, most are young women, like Asma Akhtar. She has scarring on the side of her face and is blind in her left eye. "When I was... 12 years old, a boy from my village wanted to marry me but as I wanted to study my family refused his proposal," she said. "And a year later he threw acid on me out of anger. On that fateful day I was sleeping on my bed and my father went to pray and the culprit took his chance and threw the acid on me." Attacks by spurned men are all too common. "Beauty is perceived as the asset of the girls and young women," said Monira Rahman, the director of the Acid Survivors' Foundation. "These men want to take away the beauty and therefore they will become useless for the rest of their lives. No one will marry them." Easily available In 2002 Bangladesh introduced very tough laws to try to stop acid throwing, including the death penalty in the most serious cases. And there are regulations on the sale, use, storage, import and export of acid. The number of people attacked has fallen from a high of nearly 500 in that year, but still, in 2005, according to the Acid Survivors' Foundation, 267 people had acid thrown on them. Campaigners say it is because the corrosive substance is still widely available. Old Dhaka is the heart of the capital - a warren of old crumbling buildings and winding streets, just wide enough for two cycle rickshaws to pass each other. Many people make their living from traditional trades. Some chip at small plates of marble making nameplates, others carve bangles from conch shells, worn by Hindu women to signify marriage, and still more work as goldsmiths in the area's many small workshops. They are crammed into rooms in dark buildings, with water dripping from floor to floor, fifteen or more working in an area three metres by four. Sitting cross-legged at small wooden workbenches they make jewellery by hand. Candles are used for heat; the flame is blown with a pipe in the goldsmith's mouth onto the metal to melt it into moulds. The acid comes in at the polishing stage. It is used to remove discolouration from the finished products. Law ineffective Many jewellery shops flout the law intended to stop acid falling into the wrong hands, as do tanneries and other industries using it. And campaigners say they are getting away with it. "The law is just like a dead law," said Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association. "Most of the time in our country our government, political leaders are crazy for making a new law and they think this is success." But she says it is much harder to get politicians to implement legislation. Salma Ali says the law should be reviewed to make it more effective. Almost every day at the Acid Survivors' Foundation brings a new victim of another brutal attack. The latest was a middle aged man whose shoulder, chest and leg were marked with a red raw splash. As a patient with a scarred face looked on sympathetically he sat on his bed, silently, tears trickling down his face.

I wonder what they expect you to say. It's kind of obvious how long you stayed when you have dated entry and exit stamps in your passport . . . you know, the same passport they have right in their hands and are looking at when they ask these questions. And there he is, inspecting all your luggage, and still insisting that you must have an I-pod or a laptop. Maybe he thinks you have them, but somehow made them invisible. Is Thailand exporting the concept of logic?

Here's the latest Bird Flu information: ___________ 112 Patients Admitted for Bird Flu Tests in North PHICHIT, July 29 (TNA) Thai public health authorities have admitted that over one hundred patients from 14 provinces suspected of having contracted avian influenza and are being monitored and tested for bird flu, but no new cases have been reported following a flurry of new reports during the past week. No new cases of avian influenza have been confirmed, a senior Public Health Ministry official said Saturday. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot said a total of 112 patients from 14 provinces, including two from Bangkok, had been admitted for further laboratory tests after earlier tests showed that most suffered from human influenza, but not avian influenza. Dr. Prat said health officers were also closely monitoring about three dozen medical personnel and three other persons who looked after a 17-year-old youth who died of confirmed avian influenza in the northern province of Phichit last Monday. Although no further cases of bird flu have been confirmed, public health authorities met Saturday in both Phichit and the neighbouring Phitsanulok Province to assess the situation and work out stricter bird flu control measures. So far no H5N1 virus has been found. Nonetheless, physicians, nurses and public health officials were told to be more alert for people suspected to have contracted the disease. Hospitals across Thailand had admitted more patients suspected of contracting avian influenza, Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat indicated Friday, most with cough and standard influenza symptoms. He said he would establish a special medical team to administer the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to suspected cases. (TNA)--E111, E002

I would be very interested to hear a response to this from an attorney, if any attorneys are reading this. Can they do something like that, especially the part about remote access to your computer, and do so without your knowledge or consent? I could understand that if they had sufficient reason to suspect terrorist activity, but even then I can't imagine them being able to do something like that without a court order. But to clandestinely place software on someone's computer so they can later monitor to see if you are looking at porn on the net? I hope they are not wasting our tax dollars and their manpower on something as ridiculous as that. Can you imagine having the police suddenly burst through your door, yelling "Gotcha!" while you're sitting in front of your computer looking at a porn site? I thought that kind of thing is what the USA is supposed to be fighting against. If this sort of thing is really going on, then welcome to Big Brother and neo-facism.

Trying to cover up something as serious as Bird Flu is not only reprehensible, it is also absurd. If the government is worried about Thailand's image, then it would make much more sense to me for officials to clearly state where the outbreaks exist, how widespread it is, and what they are doing about it. Sooner or later cover-ups have a way of coming out. When that happens, then how can anyone believe it when the government states that the problem is solved, even if it really has been solved?

So, they made you an offer you couldn't refuse. I hope it came from the Corleones and not from the Tattaglias. Well, whatever the offer is, best of luck with it.

Since you have used Ben's Tours before, maybe he can recommend someone in Bangkok. I'd see what he has to say before committing to anything.

BANGKOK, July 29 (TNA) The first commercial test flight from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, landed successfully at the new airport Saturday morning as scheduled. The THAI Boeing 747-400 aircraft, flight TG181, carrying Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, other cabinet members, senior government officials and some other 400 passengers, landed to make a place in history at 08:09 a.m. at Suvarnabhumi Airport. THAI offered a special airfare of Bt999 for the inaugural commercial flight from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Prime Minister Thaksin told journalists before boarding the flight that he was excited and delighted that finally the Bangkok's new international airport was successfully developed after more than four decades in planning. Upon his arrival at the new airport, the prime minister is scheduled to take some hours to visit and inspect the readiness of all its facilities before flying back to Don Muang Airport. THAI and five other commercial airlines, including Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Orient Thai, P.B. Air and Bangkok Airways, join the commercial flight tests for Suvarnabhumi Airport with special flights on Saturday. The first flight of the national airline is to be followed by 21 other domestic flights throughout the day. The Department of Aviation has already issued an Interim Aerodome Certificate for the Suvarnabhumi Airport giving operational permission to the new facility. Many airlines, including THAI, Bangkok Airways and Air Asia, have announced that they plan to open new international routes to serve the commercial opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28. With the scheduled opening of the country's new international airport only a few months away, complete testing of its facilities has begun since July 3 to ensure that the national showcase is fully ready for its launch. The tests include the airport's air-conditioning and lighting systems, passenger check-in counters, customes services and the operation of its CTX bomb scanners. The eight-storey airport complex, including an underground level, where there will be electric mass transit facilities and passenger terminals, has a total area of some 563,000 square metres and can cater to 45 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, the Department of Land Transport has affirmed the readiness of transport services for passengers to the new airport. The department said that transport services to the new Bangkok international airport include limousines, airport buses, and an airport express service. Airport buses, including inter-provincial bus services, will be run by the Transport Co., Ltd and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA). The airport express service, operated by the Thonburi Service Co., Ltd., will provide buses running through the capital's business areas and to downtown hotels in areas such as Silom and Wireless Roads. Prime Minister Thaksin said the transport service to the new airport is not aimed to reap benefit, but to promote the kingdom globally. Bus access and seating is also modified to facilitate passengers with disabilities, according to the Thai leader. (TNA)--E002

The next question, then, is how long does it take for such programs to find what has been deleted or completely wiped? Rainwalker says he was kept waiting forty minutes. Can such an in-depth search be conducted in that amount of time? According to what Rainwalker wrote, at least part of their search is conducted with some sort of a sophistocated keylogger program that requires special software just to eliminate later. Obviously, the only truly safe thing to do is to make sure the hard drive in the laptop does not, and never has had, illegal files on it. Suppose the customs search does turn up illegal photos, illegally downloaded music, pirated software, or something else illegal. What happens?

I've never heard of him, but one thing I noticed when I read through his web site . . . he doesn't have a car. He apparently will meet with you wherever you are, but you'll be traveling around Bangkok on public transportation.

I too have never had my laptop searched, but these searches seem to be a recent thing. Customs officials do check people who fit certain profiles. I don't have any idea how they arrive at these profiles, but it does seem logical for them to have suspicions about a single man with a lot of entry and exit stamps from Thailand in his passport. Maybe your laptop will be searched and maybe it won't. The trouble is there is no way to know until you try to pass through customs. The obvious solution . . . don't have anything questionable on your laptop. I don't know how the law works, but even with the encryption software I wonder if customs has the authority to insist that you decrypt the files for inspection or have your laptop seized. Does anyone know? To my mind, the whole thing seems ridiculous. To me, it's just like the Pattaya police spending so much time worrying about fining helmetless motorcyclists when there is so much true crime out there. I'd rather see customs officials spending their time searching for drugs and possible terrorist activity rather than spending any time at all worrying about whether someone has pornographic photos on a laptop.

You've certainly answered my question. I can't argue the fact that they are going overboard with the wording of their promotions. At least they admit it, right at the end of their statement where it is signed: Respectfully Submitted Niddy's Nook Promotions Apparently Allen has been doing quite a bit to help Niddy's Nook along, so a tribute to him coming from them seems appropriate to me. But I do agree that I would much rather see the emphasis placed on a tribute to Allen instead of the emphasis being placed on the venue in their promotional jargon. Whether they mean it that way or not, it does come across that way. I intend to be there, but for Allen's sake, not for the sake of the venue. I do agree, though, that Allen deserves to be honored from many more venues and organizations than just the one. I hope that eventually happens.

It's interesting you wrote about this. A friend of mine recently had the same sort of thing happen to him at the Detroit airport when he recently returned from Thailand. He was detained for over an hour and a half while Customs searched through his laptop. He did have photos of boys on his computer, but all were of age and all were at least partially clad and in non-pornographic poses. Customs gave him the third degree. At first the inspector refused to believe that the boys were at least 18 years old. They even said they want to go to his home and search his desk top computer. I don't know if they actually did that. I have not heard from him since he told me the story. The point is, be very careful about what is on your laptop computer when you are traveling. Obviously customs officials are checking. The whoile thing seems absurd to me because anyone can take the photos on a laptop and E-mail them to themselves or store them on the Internet somewhere, and then delete them from their computer. I dislike the idea of Customs prying into people's personal affairs whether it's legal or not. Most people are not foolish enough to place illegal photos on their laptops when traveling internationally and the time it takes for such searches can easily cause people to miss connecting flights. Just what you need after a long haul flight . . . a needless delay and hassle getting through customs that can cause you to miss a connecting flight, and then having to go through an ordeal just trying to get back home. Such an experience can ruin an entire holiday, and for what?

The "Under New Management" party this evening (July 28) was great fun for all. The buffet was set up right outside and was catered by the Whte Night Restaurant. Everything you can imagine was included, ranging from salads to main courses to desserts. Everyone was getting their food and sitting down inside the bar. It was a ton of fun having dinner and watching the go-go boys at the same time. It was a great crowd too. Allen (Pattayagay.com) was there. Of course Googie and Dave were there. Phil Graham, owner of "Spice" Magazine was there. WowPow came too, along with Richard Burk, owner of the Amor Restaurant, Jim Lumsden of the Ambiance and Boyz Boyz Boyz, and Chris and Niddy, owners of Niddy's Nook. Several of my close friends and many faces I recognized also put in an appearance. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Best of luck to the "new" Top Man. For those of you unfamiliar with Pattaya, Top Man is located right at the entrance of Sunee Plaza, just around the corner from the White Night restaurant. Next time you are in Pattaya, have a wonderful dinner buffet at White Night and enjoy an evening in Top Man.

It reminds me of the mayor in "Jaws," who was much more concerned about his town's image than he was about doing something substantial to protect people from the shark. Sometimes, when I'm on the road, I see trucks carrying live poultry. The chickens are stuffed in like sardines. I always wonder where these chickens came from and whether they were satisfatorally inspected prior to being shipped out. When the prior outbreaks were so much more widespread, there were several instances, as I recall, that shipments containing diseased birds were caught. When it becomes a question of money or safety, somehow money often prevails. That's the scariest thought of all, in my opinion. The latest is in the following article: ________ BANGKOK, July 28 (TNA) Thai authorities in provinces formerly infected with bird flu virus are on high alert for a possible re-emergence of the disease after the nation confirmed the first death from avian flu in one and a half years earlier this week. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said as a new outbreak of bid flu which killed a 17-year-old teenage boy--the first human bird flu death in the kingdom since February 2005--was reported in the northern Phichit Province earlier this week, he had ordered officials across the metropolis to monitor all signs of a re-emergence of the disease. The governor visited a chicken farm in the East of the capital, saying it was not widely known that Bangkok has 24 modern poultry farms with some 1.1 million birds altogether. However, he said surveillance measures against the threat of a possible re-emergence of bird flu imposed during the last outbreaks are still in place at these chicken farms. Mr. Apirak directed city officials to continue to educate poultry farmers, especially those small-scale producers who keep chickens at their homes, about the new outbreak and how to prevent themselves from contracting the disease. "Poultry farmers must inform officials at once if their chickens die mysteriously and they must not move the animals,'' the Bangkok governor said. He said city officials would coordinate closely with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to prevent a new outbreak in Bangkok. Meanwhile, in Kanchanaburi on the Myanmar border, West of Bangkok, livestock officials met Friday to discuss measures to prevent the disease from returning in areas infected by the virus during previous outbreaks. Viriya Kaewthong, provincial livestock chief, said checkpoints would be set up in areas at risk, especially in Phanomtuan District, to prevent the illegal movement of poultry. Local officials have been on high alert to monitor for a bird flu outbreak and indicated that they would spray chemical disinfectant to kill the virus. ''Some chickens have died in the province but our tests confirmed they were free of bird flu,'' Mr. Viriya said. Boonnam Chaiwisuth, head of the provincial health service, said he directed health officials and volunteers to visit villagers to educate them on bird flu virus and prevention as the current changeable weather from rainy season to winter could help the virus spread more quickly. ''Hospitals across the province would also monitor for patients with bird flu-like symptoms," he said. Similar measures have been imposed by livestock officials in the southern Phang-nga Province, according to local sources. Teams of officials were sent into several villages in Ta Kua Pa District, hard hit by the bird flu outbreaks two years ago, to conduct a thorough check for sick fowls and humans. They also sprayed the areas to prevent the virus from returning. During the past outbreaks, Phang-nga had culled hundreds of thousands of chickens to contain the virus. Bird flu virus has claimed 15 lives in Thailand so far. The country reported the first outbreak in early 2004 and since then has devastated the country's poultry business. It has also spread in many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe and killed more than 130 people around the globe (TNA)--E110, E002

A statue and a drink named after me? Well, as far as a statue is concerned, considering the amount of weight I should lose, it would have to be an awfully big piece of marble. Some say piss and vinegar would be an appropriate drink to name for me. Perhaps it would be appropriate to name a sandwich after me too . . . half tongue and half baloney.

A new outbreak of Bird Flu is occurring in Thailand. So far it is confined to the Phichit area, which is just to the south of a city with which many of you may be more familiar, Phitsanulok. Phichit is also located in the Kamphaeng Phet-Sukothai area, and that's the same area where the last outbreak occurred. So far there has been one death and several illnesses that, to date, have not resulted in death. From what I have read about Bird Flu, you don't get the disease from eating poultry or eggs. You get it by direct contact with infected bird droppings and/or direct contact with live or dead infected birds. So, unless you are going to be somewhere where you might come in to such contact, as far as I know you are safe. You might want to read the following article: _______ PHICHIT, July 27 (TNA) Eleven more suspected bird flu cases were reported in Thailand's lower northern province of Phichit on Thursday. Dr. Prajak Wattanakul, head of the Phichit provincial public health office, said that the 11 patients, mostly children aged between 4-14, are suspected of being infected with avian influenza virus and were admitted to five different hospitals in the province on Thursday. Some of them had contacted with dead poultry and others live in areas where a large number of fowls died of unknown causes. All the 11 patients were quarantined and samples of their blood and phlegm were sent for laboratory tests in the medical science centre in Nakhon Sawan, expected to be able to release the test results Friday, the doctor said. (TNA)-E009