Gaybutton

In my case it never was . . .

I take what I see in the mirror into consideration before I cast too much judgment on the looks of the boys. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe any of these boys would be interested in me, money or not. What can I say? A 10 is still in the eye of the beholder, but I do concede that I too see a lot less of them lately. Still, I can't help but think about something that was said in "Fiddler on the Roof," when the matchmaker was going to set up an ugly man with a half-blind girl. The matchmaker said, "The way she sees and the way he looks, it's a perfect match."

Hedda, I'm not sure what you mean by "quality." I can certainly agree with what you say about quantity. There are fewer bars today than there were ten years ago. Also, there are many more restrictions on bars today than there were ten years ago. There are also a lot less "farang" customers. That probably accounts for the lesser number of boys. But when you say "quality," I'm assuming you are talking about physical attractiveness. If I am correct about that, isn't that in the eye of the beholder? I am well aware that the majority of gay men go for the hunky, muscle boy types. I know I am in the minority, but that type is just about the least attractive to me. As a matter of fact, for me, that type is a major turn-off. For me, the boy-next-door type is far more attractive and there are plenty of those types around. What I have observed is that a great many more boys in Pattaya are the lady-boy type; many more than there were ten years ago. For whatever reason, that seems to be a big thing among the boys these days. I don't have a clue as to why, but that's what I'm seeing. It ranges from the slightly feminine type to the flaming, over-feminine, types that have had breast implants or are taking female hormones. Is it that sort of thing you mean by "quality?"

Do you think Thailand is about to be hit with an economic tsunami? I have been predicting a baht crash for the better part of a year-and-a-half now. Despite the fact that precisely the opposite seems to be occurring, I have a feeling this will be short-lived and something dramatic is likely to happen. We'll see. For the record, the exchange rate closed today at 37.63 baht to the US dollar.

I don't think Pattaya has lost its allure at all. I have learned that when living here permanently you become used to what you once saw as awesome and fascinating, to the point you begin to take things, including the boys, for granted. I think it all depends on your point of view and how long you are able to stay here. There is a big difference between being here for only a couple of weeks per year and living here permanently. I remember, when I was only able to be here for short periods of time. When I would see a boy I liked if he was with another "farang" I was disappointed. Now, I couldn't care less. I know that the "farang" will soon go home and the boy will be available. If not, so what? There are plenty more where he came from. Back then, I would feel as though I missed something if I wasn't in the bars every night. Now I can hardly remember the last time I even bothered going to the bars. For me, the bars have become 'same old, same old.' I have plenty of other things I'd rather do and, believe me, when you do the same thing night after night, knowing you can go any time, it becomes dull. For me, the only difference between one bar and the next is which heads are on top of which bodies. Over time, owing to the sheer availability of boys, I tend to be far more selective than I was in the past. Boys I once would have done about anything to get are now ho-hum to me. I hardly even give them a second glance anymore. I suppose that's because I know I don't have to. It also helps living with my boyfriend. To me, he is more attractive than any other boys I have seen anyhow, and he is far better at what I like than any other boy I have ever met. So, what's the point of variety when you are perfectly satisfied with what you already have? While it's true that he can be plenty of trouble, just like any of these boys can be, I still would much rather be with him than without him. I much prefer to just stay at home, doing something like watching a movie together. Going to a bar, watching boys just standing there doing nothing more than halfheartedly moving a knee back and forth, ordering drinks that are not any good and I don't really want in the first place, listening to the usual "What you name?" "Where you come from?" "how long you stay in Pattaya?" along with the mama-san pointing toward the boys as if my eyes don't work well enough to see for myself, with the music blaring so loudly that my ears are pounding long after leaving the bar is all no longer my idea of a good time. The bars are simply not my idea of a big thrill anymore, although I do enjoy going out to the bars once in a while. Maybe once or twice per month. But every day? Forget it. I've heard more than one "farang" say, "The only reason to live here is for the sex." I disagree with that. I think that's quite a narrow minded point of view. Before moving here, I really did think I was going to want to be in the bars or otherwise among the boys all the time. But now, finding boys no longer requires the bars. There are plenty on the beaches, and plenty just about everywhere else I go. I have had boys come on to me virtually everywhere, ranging from waiters in restaurants to boys at gas stations. I know I could have any one of them any time I want. That very fact is part of what still makes Pattaya a gay paradise. I can literally pick and choose which boys I want. Try that back in the USA. When I first started coming to Thailand, of course my main interest was the boys. Now, over time, my reasons for wanting to remain here are different. I still like the availability of boys, but I also like the affordability. I couldn't possibly have afforded to retire where I came from, but here it's not a problem. While I used to go to the beach primarily because I enjoyed looking at all the boys, now I go because I enjoy being with my friends even more than looking at the boys. Of course, if a boy who is very much my type wanders by, he definitely gets my full attention. I also like being here because I like the Thai people. I like the lifestyle. I like the challenges of dealing with day-to-day life without being fluent in the language. I enjoy trying to figure out "Thai logic" and just about all the other seemingly incomprehensible modes of thinking. I like the food and the enormous variety of fabulous restaurants at such affordable prices. I am much happier here than I ever was back in Florida. There is one more reason, one that supercedes all the rest. I like being here because for the first time in my life I am able to be who I am and what I am without fear of living with the gay intolerance that still persists in the USA. All of my life, in the USA, I had to live in the closet. Now that I can live out of the closet here in Thailand, I certainly have no desire to return to the USA and step right back into the closet again.

I agree with Hedda, that it is a mistake to publish too much about your private affairs, none of which is anyone's business but your own. I do, however, think that it is helpful to others to know the gist of what happened so that they, especially if they are newbies, can see the kinds of things that can and do happen here and perhaps avoid falling into a similar trap. One thing that has kind of stuck with me since reading it in your first post is that you received E-mail from people who want to take these boys "off" themselves. I find that truly remarkable. You just let everyone know that these boys turned out to be liars, cheaters, and drug users, who also didn't show even the remotest gratitude even when you gave them so much at the end after their deplorable behavior. So, these idiots want to "off" these very same boys? Are they kidding? That just boggles my mind. I'm beginning to believe that the clich

I don't know what it is about Center Condo, but an awful lot of "farang" take a dive from there. I have a feeling if you sit outside on the balcony often enough, sooner or later someone will come flying by. Here's the latest "Flying Farang," as appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _________ Belgium National Jumps to his Death from Center Condo. This case comes from the Center Condo Complex located just off the South Pattaya Road next to the Chaimongkon Temple. Police Major Pongsak from Pattaya Police Station was sent to the location at 10.30pm on Tuesday Night after security staff at the complex reported the apparent suicide of a Belgium National. At the scene Police inspected the body of Mr. Frans Vilenick aged 39. It was clear that Mr. Vilenick had fallen from a high floor because of the state of the body. The incident happened at the rear of the complex and Police determined that the man lived in a 6th Floor condo for 10 years. His girlfriend, Khun Saowalak aged 39 mentioned that he was due to return to Belgium in the early hours of Wednesday Morning and a taxi had been booked to collect him from the complex at 10pm. 30 Minutes before the suicide he had been drinking with friends at a bar located in the complex and had mentioned that he must return to Belgium where he previously worked as a Fishermen because he had run out of money and could not continue to support himself here in Thailand. Police believe that moments after leaving the Bar he made his way to the 16th floor of the Complex and jumped to his death. Inside his trouser pocket was a suicide note which read:

Hedda, as in most cases, says it best. I agree with him. I also agree with all the posts that have thus far appeared here in response to your story. As you know, Gay Thailand, I am one of the people aware of the full story. There are aspects of it, in my opinion, that would be best kept private. Unfortunately, it isn't just boys such as these who cannot be trusted. There are just too many people who read and post on these boards who salivate, waiting for any opportunity to take an aspect of someone else's unfortunate experiences, and then post absolute nonsense as if it were fact. I think anyone who has been around these boards very long knows that I too have been a victim of that sort of posting more than once. I hope you won't let that happen to you. You have suffered enough. I do think, however, it is a positive thing for you to have purged your soul and told your story. I think it will open the eyes of many "farang" and be of enormous help to others who otherwise would have fallen into the same trap. I have a feeling the vast majority of "farang" who have spent much time in Thailand and became involved in relationships ended up in bitter disappointment at least once. I hear too many "farang" say something to the effect of, "Maybe a lot of the boys are like that, but not this boy." Famous last words. You were with five boys. The odds were stacked against you from the beginning. I do not wish to imply that all Thai boys fit into this sort of stereotype. Many do and many don't. Many are perfectly trustworty, honest and sincere and would no more involve themselves with drugs than you or I would. I can cite many examples of that. For those of you who knew 'David-in-Pattaya,' for one example; his boyfriend stuck with him and was absolutely devoted to him throughout his illness and took wonderful "beyond the call of duty" care of him until the day he died. The boy asked for and expected nothing in return. It was what he wished to do. There are many boys who are like that. The trick is finding them. To my mind, the way one has to handle it, especially at first, is to check up on every damned thing they are told by these boys. Over time, one can move toward one of the few things Ronald Reagan said with which I agree . . . "Trust, but verify." For me, I would have to be with a boy for at least two years before I could feel completely secure. I have learned that the best thing to do is simply get rid of the boy at the first sign of trouble. If that is something emotionally impossible for some to do, including me, then at least keep a strict eye on everything that is going on and don't be afraid to end the relationship if you become fed up enough with it. It truly is mind boggling to try to understand why so many of these boys end up killing the goose that is laying their golden egg for them. Many lie about things they never needed to lie about in the first place. All most "farang" ask, in return for their kindness, is the same as Gay Thailand asked of his boys. And yet they took the risk and threw it all away. It doesn't matter whether it makes sense to us or not. Enough boys behave in that manner that one has to be prepared for that possibility. The worst mistake "farang" make is looking at a money boy through rose-colored glasses. We've all heard our share of horror stories and happy ending stories. The truly sad thing is we seem to hear more horror stories than anything else.

Today, July 4, I did not check the opening exchange rate. As of 1:45 PM, Thailand time, the exchange rate is 37.76. If I remember correctly, that's about the weakest the dollar has been against the baht in years.

He has? Where?

I hope you'll change your mind and stick with us. Just because one person decided to post in such a negative manner and then actually try to justify it, is no reason for you to discontinue posting and asking questions. I guarantee you that one person's questions is what others want to know as well. Even the 'experts' who become bored with questions were once new to Thailand and new to the boards themselves, and didn't know anything more about it than you do. Sometimes they forget that. It isn't people with questions who should stop posting. It's the people who post flames who should stop posting, or at least change their negative, 'how dare you' attitude toward others. Unfortunately, your statement that you won't be back proves my point about how flame posts drive people away and make them afraid to ask questions. Again, I hope you do decide to stick with the board. If someone doesn't like your questions, tough luck.

For the past several weeks, the baht seemed to be weakening slightly and inching its way toward about 38.5 to the US dollar. Since Friday the baht has reversed the trend and is now getting stronger. This morning the exchange rate opened at 37.92 to the dollar and closed at 37.90. For many years the baht held steady at about 45 to the dollar, meaning you would receive 45000 baht if you exchanged US $1000. Now, if you exchange US $1000 you'll receive 37900 baht, a difference of 7100 baht. That is approximately a US $175 difference per US $1000 exchanged. I am not an economist, so I don't have any idea as to the cause of the current baht strengthening, but somehow I can't help but feel that lack of confidence in the US dollar has something to do with lack of confidence in the current occupant of the White House.

All of that is your opinion, one I do not share. You said, "garbage like this that does not deserve a response." If that is the case, then why did you respond? I'm sorry, but you are coming across as trying to be the person who gets to decide what is garbage and what is not. To me, any good faith questions deserve a response, even if it is your idea of a ridiculous question. Who appointed you judge and jury over what questions are and are not deserving of a response? You are assuming that he does not know the basic cost of living here. I don't make that assumption just because he asked for some grocery store prices. In my opinion, that's part of planning ahead. He did not say he has never been to a Thai grocery store. That is purely your own assumption. You also said, "hopefully it will get rid of those asking useless quiestions or questions easily answered via a qiuick google or archive search!" I do not share that hope. I think one of the functions of message boards ought to be answering just such questions. Maybe a google search didn't occur to him. If it occurred to you, then why couldn't you have simply posted a response that said something to the effect of ,"A Google search will provide you with the information you need," and left it at that, rather than to jump all over him and make him feel like an idiot? Can't you see that others may balk at posting totally legitimate questions, even questions you have decided are appropriate, for fear that they too will be attacked for it? I'm sorry, bkkguy. Most of the time I completely agree with your postings, but this is one time I think you're dead wrong.

It's another on the list of things I can't figure out about Thailand and the way things are done. My own street is a perfect example. About a year ago I woke up to the sound of heavy pounding and my whole house was vibrating and shaking. I thought we were having an earthquake. What was actually happening is that a piece of heavy machinery was breaking up each side of the street. There, of course, was no prior notification of this. They did this because they were going to install drainage ditches, similar to what you see along the 'yellow brick road.' The ditches were indeed installed. During the period of about three weeks when a four-foot wide trench, equally as deep, stood as a moat between the houses and the street, there was no provision whatsoever for getting out the door and into the street and vice-versa. All the residents had to create their own makeshift ramps or try to jump across. If a handicapped person lived on my street, he would have been trapped inside his home until the drainage ditch was in and street repairs were made. Maybe I should rephrase "street repairs." Almost nothing was done. The few repairs that were made were as shoddy as it gets. If you could see my street you would think an earthquake really had happened. It's been well over a year and the street condition steadily deteriorates. Nothing has been done. The Thai residents seem to take it all in stride. Nobody seems upset and these people will simply continue driving over the rubble until it becomes completely impassable. To this day, I still have no idea who authorized the installation of these drainage ditches. I don't know whether it was the city or what. I also don't know why it was done in the first place. My street is on an incline. We never had a flooding or drainage problem here at all, even in the most torrential rains. I would have thought that if installation of these ditches was important, so would be keeping the street in decent repair. Apparently not. Meanwhile, all the homes here are on septic tanks. We were told, five years ago, that the city was going to connect these homes to the sewer system. When the trenches for these ditches were being dug, that's what I thought was going on. To date, there is still no sign of these homes being connected to the sewer system. A lot of money was spent for these drainage ditches, needlessly in my opinion. Not one baht is spent on what these homes and streets really need. It's the same at Dongtan and the same where these terrible floods occurred. The rains never were all that torrential, certainly not enough so that large numbers of people's homes should have been severely damaged. It seems to me that the engineers who "planned" these modern marvels must have gotten their engineering degrees from Ed's College and Car Wash. Perhaps from the back of a matchbook cover. Nothing ever seems to be fully thought through. A close friend sums it up best, I think. "Thailand seems to be reactive about everything. There never seems to be anything proactive. On the rare occasions when proactive thinking does come into play, it doesn't work." It's not just engineering problems. It's just part of the usual poor planning. The 1:00 AM entertainment venue closing hours comes to mind. That was supposed to curb teenage crime and gang activity. Meanwhile, there is is more teenage crime and gang activity than ever before. It reminds me of Reagan's logic when he tried to justify a tax increase after promising a decrease. Remember? "We have provided a decrease by reducing the amount of the increase." Well, at least lack of logic isn't confined to just Thailand . . .

The following article makes it sound much worse than it has actually been, at least in Pattaya and the beach area. We have been getting rain, but it has been nothing at all like the torrential rains the article is talking about. The rains in Pattaya and the beach area have been more of an inconvenience than anything else, and I have not seen any flooding at all. I feel terribly sorry for people who have had their homes destroyed in other districts, but quite frankly I prefer the rain we've been experiencing in Pattaya lately to the terrible drought we were experiencing at this same time last year. _____ CHONBURI, July 2 (TNA) Torrential rains caused flash floods as high as two metres in some areas in this eastern seaside resort province on Sunday, inundating hundreds of houses and causing some damage. Rains are forecast to continue for two more days. Many villages in Chonburi's coastal Banglamung district were submerged Saturday night after heavy downpours brought flash floods in the areas. Some villagers said they were unprepared as floods hit the areas quickly and they never experienced such a large scale flood before. Reflecting the localised nature of the weather, some areas of the coast received no rainfall at all. Rescue workers rushed to help the flood victims with boats but relief efforts were hampered as a main road was cut due to two-metre high waters and some parts of the road were impassable. Water run-off in the eastern seaboard is complicated by several bands of superhighways and expressways, coupled with industrial zones and other development which has atered previous run-off channels. Nonetheless, the floods caused heavy damage to hundreds of homes and buildings, roads and other infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department issued its updated weather forcast, warning residents in the Eastern region, particularly in Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces to brace for possible flash floods and water run-off on Sunday and Monday. Due to the influence of the Southwesterly monsoon which still covers the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, there will be heavy rains for two more days. Fishermen are warned to stay ashore or risk the danger of waves as high as three metres which are expected in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Some other parts of the country are likely to face heavy rains--as much as 60-70 per cent of the kingdom. (TNA)-E001

I've never understood the need some people have to try to embarrass and chop apart others if they ask a question or post something some might consider to be "half baked." I suppose those who do post such flame messages are perfect all the time. I think such messages are unnecessary, uncalled for, and inappropriate whether they comply with the posting guidelines or not. All it accomplishes is to make others afraid to ask questions. He didn't ask anyone to go shopping for him, make notes for him, or anything else. He simply asked if anyone knows the prices of these items. Isn't that terrible? He also didn't say he hasn't been to a grocery store in the fifteen years he's been coming to Thailand. The only relevant prices would be today's prices anyway, unless one believes prices today are the same as they were fifteen years ago or even last year. I don't know all the prices and I don't intend to go to the grocery store and hunt down prices, but I do know some of the prices he requested: dozen eggs: ranges from approximately 30 to 40 baht cooking oil: depends on what kind of oil you prefer. The prices usually range betwen 32 to 70 baht bottle water: depends on the brand. I buy directly from a local bottling company for about 12 baht per six-pack kilo rice loaf bread: sliced white bread is about 20 baht. Other breads range from about 20 baht for a French bread to 80 baht for specialty breads. Soy Sauce hot sauce bar soap laundry detergent kilo pork: depends on what kind of cut you want. Most of what I see ranges from 30 to 50 baht per kilo I do not know, offhand, the prices of the items I left blank. Maybe if someone does know, he can simply post the answers instead of trying to make the guy feel like a damned fool.

I have intermittent problems. Sometimes everything goes through just fine and sometimes it doesn't. Before moving to Thailand I mailed some packages to myself from the USA. These were items I wanted, but didn't have room to carry in my luggage. I did not include anything that would have been a major loss if it didn't get here. I mailed the package two months before moving here and it arrived one month after I moved here. On the other hand, a friend sent a package for me nearly two years ago. It never arrived. Most of my mail from Thailand to the USA goes through, but that is also intermittent. Normally it takes one or two weeks for mail to arrive in the USA from Thailand. I sent a registered letter to the USA more than two weeks ago. It has not yet arrived. In other words, my advice is to go ahead and use Thai mail if the item being sent is not of significant importance. When it is something vital, I'll use FedEx.

If there is such a word, my guess is that it is used about as often as we use "withal," "thither," and "gadzooks" in our normal daily conversation. I am told that the reason for the lighting is to curb crime and sexual activities along the beach during the night. I can understand trying to do something about crime along the beach, but I suppose it didn't occur to anyone to increase police presence along the beach at night. Curbing sexual activity? Of course! After all, why allow people to cruise the beach at night, looking for free sex, when they can go to bars and pay for it? After all, we have to support the local economy, don't we? So much for the romantic, moonlit stroll along the beach. Let's not forget the people who live in condos along the beach and stay in hotels along the beach. Why permit them to have that star-filled sky and moonlit beach view at night when those who don't live there can't have it? Fair is fair. Well, we won't have to worry about people missing out on the view at night. Nobody will be living in the condos anyway. The units will all be confiscated and vacant as soon as the government starts confiscating them from people who bought via corporations. I don't understand your complaint, Hedda. Are you actually saying a pristine beach ought to be left pristine when it can be overstuffed with beach chairs, be sandbagged, have a drainage ditch that overflows instead of draining, have a walkway that is falling apart less than a year after being built, have a set of loudspeakers installed to blare out messages in Thai when the majority of people visiting the beaches don't speak Thai, have giant screen TV's that don't work and never had anybody watch even when they did work and are just left there to rust their way into oblivion, have a background of condos with a number of floors that stretch well into the double digits, have raw sewage dumped directly into the waters, and now will have lights that give a whole new meaning to the word 'ugly'? What's wrong with you?

It seems like the pedophiles are coming out of the woodwork lately. This time it's another American. The story appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS: _____ Tourist Police Arrest American Man Accused of Sex with Minors Pattaya

I know it's an exercise in futility, but I'm trying to make at least some sense out of this part of the article. Can someone out there explain what possible difference the value of foreign currencies makes to the price of a baht bus ride? The last time I checked, you still pay for the ride with Thai baht. I believe ten baht is still ten baht, isn't it? If there was any logic to that statement at all, then considering the American dollar is the weakest it's been in years against the Thai baht, then anyone who can show an American passport ought to be getting a cheaper fare. Am I missing something here? Also, his statement about 'most' tourist cities doing the same thing . . . I'd like to know which tourist cities he's referring to. I've been to an awful lot of tourist cities in my time and the fares for transportation were the same for everybody, no matter where the tourists came from. The only exception to that I ever hear about is when an unsuspecting Japanese tourist goes to New York, gets into a taxi driven by a cabbie wearing a diaper on his head, and the cabbie tries to charge him $500 for the ride. Other than that, the idea that this is typical of most tourist 'cities 'is news to me. Even if this actually is typical of most tourist cities, that doesn't make it a right thing to do. It's a wrong thing to do and just because other cities might be doing it, that doesn't make it something Pattaya ought to be doing, especially as a matter of stated policy. He is arguing to permit discrimination based upon values of currency. His argument that other cities do the same thing, an argument for which I see no evidence, to my mind is as absurd as the child argument, "He did it too . . ." Sorry Mr. Chamlong, but your logic is about the most ridiculous example of Thai logic I've encountered in quite some time. I see absolutely nothing in your logic that is going to convince anybody that baht bus fares for foreigners ought to be greater than fares the locals pay for precisely the same ride.

The following appears in the June 23 issue of the PATTAYA MAIL. I don't know how much help this article will be to those who are in jeopardy because of the regulation enforcement, but at least you'll know you're not alone in your concerns. Unfortunately, there still is no hint as to how all of this will eventually play out. _____ Property Law Enforcement Changes Discussed at PBTA Meeting as Property Developers Start Losing Billions Discussions and clarifications sought with MOI Ariyawat Nuamsawat One of the hot topics discussed at the monthly Pattaya Business and Tourism Association meeting was the recent enforcement of land ownership laws. The changes in company ownership rules, specifically with foreign shareholders has led to housing project developers allegedly losing billions. On June 14, the Green Park Resort hosted the monthly PBTA meeting chaired by Thanes Supornsaharungsri, PBTA president. During the meeting, vice president and head of the property developers club, Sanga Kijsamrej raised the negative effects of changes to the enforcement of laws regulating company held property.

The following appears in the June 23 edition of the PATTAYA MAIL: _____ 19 Underage Boys Found Offering Sexual Services in Sunee Plaza Bar Boonlua Chatree Police raiding a boy go-go bar shortly after midnight on June 13 found a number of underage boys along with rooms on the upper level of the premises where they offered sexual services to foreign visitors. Pol Lt Col Wuttichart Luonsukhan, superintendent of Pattaya tourist police led the team of officers investigating Diamond Go-Go at Soi Sunee Plaza. The door was open when police arrived and they walked in to a conventional go-go setup with flashing lights and blaring music. However, there were boys aged between 11-17 years and wearing only underpants dancing around poles, while many foreign tourists sat around watching. Police ordered that the music be stopped and the lights turned on before ordering the boys into a corner and telling them to get dressed before checking their ID cards. There were a total of 19 boys aged between 11 and 17. Further investigations of the four-story building revealed that the upper levels had been divided off into small rooms. Police opened the doors to the rooms on the second floor. In one they found an American national identified as Ronald Sims, 44, who was lying naked while a 17-year-old boy (name withheld) was providing sexual services. Police told them to stop and get dressed before arresting Sims and taking the boy downstairs for questioning. Jaray Latum, 27, admitted that he managed the premises and hired the boys for 1,500 baht a month. If foreigners requested sexual services they had to pay a 200 baht services fee and the boys agreed their own fees with the foreigners. The license owner, Wittaya Kuanamon, 28, was not on the premises. Police confiscated the operating license and arrested Jaray on charges of acting as a pimp for young boys under 18. He was taken to Pattaya tourist police headquarters for further questioning. Sims was charged with committing lewd acts with a minor. The 19 boys

I'll let it speak for itself. The following article appears in today's PATTAYA MAIL: _____ Baht Bus Chief Says Fares Set in Accordance with Land Transport Department Guidelines Says foreign tourist fares are higher because of currency differences Vimolrat Singnikorn Songtaew operators maintain a fare pricing structure in accordance with the Department of Land Transport and are not able to arbitrarily raise fares because of rising fuel costs or any other reason, says the head of the association representing the operators. Currently there are 700 songtaews (baht buses) in Pattaya. The Pattaya Transport Cooperative held its annual ordinary meeting recently, with Mayor Niran Watthanasartsathorn presenting the official opening speech and Chamnan Chantarachart of the Chonburi Transport Cooperative and Chamlong Sukprom, president of the Pattaya Transport Cooperative on hand to welcome members to the Grand Sole Hotel. The Pattaya Transport Cooperative is a songtaew service that transports passengers on fixed routes throughout Pattaya. It was founded 29 years ago in 1977, and at present there are 700 member vehicles. Asked about the likelihood of oil prices affecting passenger fares, Chamlong said that fares are fixed by the Department of Land Transport. If any passenger takes a songtaew and the trip is not worth it for the driver because of the lack of passengers to make up transport costs, the passenger will be transferred to a vehicle carrying more passengers and which is traveling the intended route at no additional charge. Chamlong also said that foreign tourist fares are higher than normal fares because the value of the Thai baht and foreign currencies are different and that most tourist cities have the same pricing strategies. However, the fare differences are not that varied, the lowest maximum difference being 10 baht for short distances and the highest 20 baht over long distances. Local and foreign passengers who believe they are being overcharged can submit complaints to the cooperative by calling 0 38423 554, and full action will be taken to preserve the good image of Pattaya tourism. During the meeting, plaques were presented to Visut Mitavin and Vichien Buaplee who returned a bag containing valuables to a passenger.

I don't understand. If it has no doors, how do people go in and out?

Money boy or not, as far as I'm concerned he still turned out to be someone who is not worth another thought. We'll never know why he behaved that way. The rest of us fail to understand his motives and actions too. What difference does that make? Whether we understand it or not, he still chose those actions, actions that obviously caused you a lot of grief. There is no way he didn't realize that. It is even more unjustifiable in light of what you are saying about his education and experience. Some of the brightest people can still turn out to be jerks. Whatever you are looking for, you're not going to find it in this guy.