Gaybutton

TOT is offering ADSL at the 1024/512 speed for 1000 baht per month. I signed up for it two days ago. I had been using their service at the 512/256 speed for the past several months. That costs 790 baht per month. Double the speed for 210 baht more per month, less than US $5, seemed worth trying and apparently this is a new offer. I'm very pleased with it. It truly is lightning fast now, as fast as anything I had back in the USA. For those of you living in Pattaya, if you want to try it, then go to the second floor at Carrefour. That's where you'll find the TOT office to sign up for the service. I signed up for it Wednesday afternoon and it was up and running by Friday morning.

Hate posts and flames are going to be posted and tolerated here? Are we really going to do this again?

I also have become far more forgetful, but with me it is usually something I meant to do and totally forgot about it. It's gotten to a point that if I don't write it down I'm more likely to forget than remember. Maybe it isn't something a psychiatrist or psychologist can deal with. Maybe you should try going to a good hospital, explain the problem, and have yourself evaluated. I'd probably do the same thing . . . if I could remember to do it. In keeping with the idea that every cloud has a silver lining, the positive aspect of it for you is that each boy you take "off" will be a whole new experience, even if it isn't the first time.

I get the impression that the gentleman is looking for a place where he can simply meet other gay people, especially cute ones, who are interested in hooking up rather than being paid for their services. That is almost non-existent in Pattaya. Even when you pick up someone at the beach, on the streets, in a shopping mall, or whatever, in Pattaya you are expected to "tip" the boy for his services, or at least offer money. Unfortunately, I really do not know of anywhere in Pattaya where paying for sex is not expected. Pattaya has nothing comparable to a place such as Bangkok's Babylon Sauna. As a matter of fact, if someone out there with big bucks invests in something similar to Babylon, it still probably wouldn't work because the boys would likely avoid it since they wouldn't be paid there. Bangkok is a different story. I agree with Gay Thailand, that it is possible, but unlikely, in Pattaya to end up with non-working boys. For most of these boys, being paid for their services is the reason they come to Pattaya in the first place. I also agree with Gay Thailand that Blue House is probably the best choice for a gay massage, followed by Narcissus. Narcissus is located in Pattayaland, Soi 1. Several of the massage boys that work the beach are very good and many are willing to make an arrangement to give you a "private" massage in your hotel room after beach hours. Since you specifically mentioned anal sex, I suggest making it clear to the boy what you want before taking him from a bar or anywhere else. Some are quite willing and some are not. If the boy knows what to expect in advance, and agrees to it, then you are not likely to end up disappointed. Another massage experience to try, and this is a legitimate massage, are the foot massage places. I clearly remember the first time I saw a foot massage place I couldn't figure out what the attraction would be when you can get a full body massage for the same price. But then I noticed these foot massage places are literally everywhere. so there must be something good about it. I tried it and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone who has never tried it Oddly enough, my own boyfriend recently mentioned that he had never tried it. I couldn't believe it, but that was true. We went to a foot massage place and now he is always saying let's go. I can't really recommend one foot massage place over another. They are all essentially the same. There are several web sites out there that handle personal ads. Many Thai boys do advertise themselves on such web sites and many are legitimate and not looking for money. You might consider giving that route a try.

There is a good vet near my home. I can take you there personally, but I couldn't describe how to tell you to get there yourself. Next time we see each other, remind me. I'll get you there.

Our view of justice is not the only thing that is different from what we see in Thailand. I love Thailand too, but I started sleeping a lot better the day I stopped trying to figure out the logic behind the way a great many things are done here and the logic behind the mode of thinking we so often see. I don't view it as throwing in the towel. I view it as the most practical thing to do. I'm not going to get my computer back even if he tells me what he did with it. It's been a year. The computer has most likely changed hands several times already. The computer was nearly three years old at the time it was stolen, so it's obsolete now and I probably wouldn't be able to even give it away. As far as punishment, any punishment resulting from charges I could press would hardly be comparable to the punishment he's going to get anyway. Certainly he must have been involved with others. Our information is he was caught with at least 1000 yaba tablets. You don't pick those up in boxes of Cracker Jack. According to my boyfriend, this guy is probably far more afraid of what those 'others' will do to him than he is of any sentence a court would hand down. He's got a hell of a lot more to worry about than any additional charges I could press. I could always simply keep on top of what charges will be pressed against him and what sentence he receives from the court. Somehow I doubt that he'll be released if he simply promises not to do it again and promises to behave himself from now on. Of course, if the sentence does turn out to be nothing more than a slap on the wrist, I won't have any problem finding out about that long before he is released. I could always press additional charges at that time. I take my satisfaction in the thought that he is now in jail, whether the reason he's in jail has anything to do with his crime against me or not, and he's likely to still be there long after the rest of us are history and forgotten. I see no need for a pound of flesh beyond that.

You never know how things work in Thailand. A friend suggested, this afternoon, that I do not even see this boy, let alone try to get him to reveal the whereabouts of the computer. He said that the boy had to have gotten those yaba tablets from somewhere, and most likely it was from the local mafia since he had that much in his possession. He warned me that all the boy has to do is give the word, and the mafia will come after me, so I would be safest to let it drop. Meanwhile, this evening, my Thai boyfriend said precisely the opposite is true. He said the boy had to have been selling these drugs for the mafia. He also said, if anything mafia will seek revenge on him because he managed to lose 1000 of their yaba tablets and they don't take kindly to that. He said the boy is probably scared out of his mind, with good reason. So, who is right? I don't even know if either of them are right. Actually, I think I'd rather listen to both of them. They are saying essentially the same thing. According to my friend, I'd be placing myself in danger if I do anything. According to my boyfriend, terrible things will happen to this guy anyway, so there's little point in me doing anything. I'll let my boyfriend be the one to make sure they've got the same kid who burglarized my home. If it is the same person, then according to my boyfriend there won't be much need for me to do anything, although I'll never get my computer back. At this point I didn't expect to get it back anyhow.

Well, they're not blocked this evening. It's 10:00 PM here and I just got in again without encountering any blocking, which is kind of strange since you seem to be encountering it. I wonder if different ISPs are enabling and disabling the blocking, although I would have thought if a web site is blocked, then it's blocked, period. Maybe it doesn't work that way. In any case, I've gotten through withno problem both times I tried today. We'll see if it's the same story tomorrow.

One problem I envision is that someone is going to scheduled for a flight out, when the new airport is supposed to open, and end up going to the wrong airport. Would it come as a major shock to read a story telling us that someone was told by the airline that the flight will leave from Suvarnabhumi, but ends up having to depart from Bangkok International instead, and the passenger(s) were not notified? Based on the way everything else seems to happen, I'll be amazed if we don't hear a few stories like that.

Some of you may remember a thread that was on my web site about the fact that my house was burglarized and my laptop computer was stolen. That was nearly a year ago. Try as we might, we were never able to catch him. We knew exactly who it was, but he disappeared from Pattaya. It was a bar boy who had befriended my boyfriend and managed to get the key to our house copied. That's how he entered. I was just lucky he didn't steal anything else. We just found out he has been caught. My boyfriend received a call from another friend of his, telling him that the same boy returned to Pattaya, hooked up with a "farang" and stole money, a mobile phone, and gold from him. We do not know the circumstances as to how he was caught, but my boyfriend was told that when he was caught, he ws in possession of over 1000 yaba tablets. My boyfriend says he's likely to be sentenced to 60 years for that crime alone, and in Thailand there is no sentence reduction, time off for good behavior, or anything else when it comes to drug crimes. We are told that if he is convicted, then no matter how long his sentence is, he'll serve every day of it. We're probably going to pay him a jailhouse visit. I'd like to do that to make sure it really is the same boy and also to see if we can get him to tell us what became of the computer. I seriously doubt that a year later I'll ever see that computer again, but there's nothing to lose by trying.

At the moment, at least, your web site is not blocked. Neither is the Sawatdee forum. I just tried both and got right in, with no problem at all. I have no idea whether the blocks have been lifted or if it's a temporary thing. When these blocks first began appearing, I remember my web site would sometimes be up and running normally and sometimes it would be blocked. Maybe you'll be lucky and the blocking is finally lifted for all these sites . . . blocks that were illegal in the first place. We'll see.

Sooner or later the new Suvarnabhumi Airport is bound to open. For quite some time we all were hearing about how it will open in June. June is one week from the date of this post. It's not even close. I suppose better late than never. Now they're saying the airport will open by October. Somehow, I wouldn't want to bet on that either. Nevertheless, that's what they're saying. Supposedly, the airport will be operational in time for the high season. Let's hope so. Here's the article: Suvarnabhumi Airport to Open Before October BANGKOK, May 25 (TNA) Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal on Wednesday confirmed that Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport would be opened for commercial services before the high season would begin in October. He said the Board on Suvarnabhumi Airport Development is unlikely to set a schedule for the opening of the airport for commercial services at its meeting on Thursday because there is a delay in certain construction works. However, officials concerned would accelerate the construction to ensure readiness for the opening of the airport services as soon as possible, he noted. He said the ministry would attempt to have the airport opened prior to October when a large number of tourists would arrive in Thailand because it is the high season. In that period, a number of flights will increase significantly, making it difficult to manage the new airport. It must take some time for the airport to accommodate the large number of passengers. Mr. Pongsak said the airport

I don't see where I wrote anything that consititutes an excuse for thieves, I do not agree at all with you when you say, "Saying 'don't wear gold chains' is like saying 'don't carry any money' or 'don't wear a watch.'" You have to carry money, but you don't have to carry the equivalent of hundreds of dollars. Most people wearing gold chains have spent several hundred dollars for them. You don't have to wear gold chains. You don't have to wear a watch either, that's true, but if you do wear a watch, it doesn't have to be an expensive one, although I don't read or hear about watch thefts very often, but I do read and hear about gold chain thefts all the time. If you think it's a good idea to take the risk and wear gold chains, then wear them. If you want to be cautious and prevent the temptation for thieves, then don't wear them. Very simple. You could also place the chain in your pocket until you reach your destination, put it on again when you get there, and pocket it again when you're returning to your room or going somewhere else. This thread is meant to be about tips for preventing becoming a victim of a thief. I fail to see how who is at fault even has relevance to that. Of course the thief is at fault. Unfortunately that doesn't help very much when you've lost something valuable to a thief. It might be his fault, but it's your belongings that are now gone.

Good contribution there, Jomtien. Not a suggestion or additional advice to help people. Only a snide remark. I see nothing has changed.

Somehow, this thread about preventing becoming a crime victim in Pattaya turned into a thread about how much it costs to put a boy through college? Now, maybe I'm just being narrow minded, but I would have thought that issue would have been just a little more appropriate on a separate thread. I hope nobody minds too much if I bring this thread back to crime prevention issues. One of the latest scams seems to involve "farang" scamming other "farang" at ATMs. There are several methods being used, but the general idea is that they convince you to use your ATM card in their presence. No matter what someone tells you, do not ever let someone observe you using your ATM card and make damned sure nobody can see you entering your PIN number. In last Friday's Pattaya Mail, one reader sent a letter-to-the-editor explaining how this very kind of scam cleaned his friend's bank account of over 500,000 baht. At today's exchange rates, that's well over US $13,500. Don't be caught off guard. Any time I use an ATM I give thought to the possibility of a scam. I cover the keyboard with one hand while entering the PIN with the other, even when nobody is around. I am constantly on the alert for anyone else nearby. I always try, if it is possible, to use an ATM when nobody else is even around. To date, I have not lost any money to scam artists and I plan to try to keep it that way. The police recommend that if there is any suspicious activity, call them. Try to have as accurate a description of whoever was suspect as you can, including height, weight, age, hair color, any distinguishing characteristics you can remember, what color the clothing is, etc. If the person makes off on a motor vehicle, try to get the license number. If you can't read the Thai writing, you can at least try to get the numbers. I want to reiterate what I said above about wearing gold and jewelry. Especially gold chains. Gold chains seem to be a very attractive target for criminals. These crimes are being committed in broad daylight, even with witnesses available. A typical method is for a motocycle, with driver and passenger, to sneak up from behind on the intended victim. The chain is grabbed, yanked off, and before the victim recovers from the surprise and shock, the criminals have made their escape. My recommendation - forget about the gold. Leave the gold, especially chains, in your room safe. Personally, I fail to see the pressing need for wearing those kinds of things in the first place, but that's just me. You definitely won't see me wearing gold chains. I don't own any and I never will. To my mind, the only thing those chains do is invite trouble. No thanks. I'll just have to struggle through life without wearing gold chains. I don't think a week goes by without reading about gold chain grabs. All I can say is that if the victims weren't wearing those chains in the first place, then they wouldn't have been victims. Another "I am begging to be a victim" type of crime is perpetrated on people and their mobile phones. I constantly see people placing their mobile phones on tables at outdoor cafes and restaurants. My response to that is, "You've got to be kidding me." That is literally begging for some criminal to sneak up, grab the phone, and run off with it and be out of sight before you can even get out of your chair. And it happens. It happens all the time. I see people being careless with their mobile phones in many other ways too. Unless you're expecting a call from Ed McMahon, asking where to bring the check, I fail to see the point of carrying the mobile phone in a careless and unsafe manner. As a matter of fact, even if you really are expecting that call, I still don't see why people can't figure out that they need to be more protective of their mobile phones and other valuables. Most of the theft and scam crimes I read about are so easily preventable. Just use some common sense, take a few precautions, and you will be able to read about someone else being the victim instead of having to cut out the article about what happened to you for your scrapbook.

Those of you who were readers of my web site are well aware that I have been warning for years not to come to Thailand and get involved sexually with boys under the age of 18. The following is just the latest, and typical of what happens, sooner or later, when you don't heed that advice. If you are attracted to under-age boys, ask yourself if you would want to be in this guy's shoes: _____ Thailand to Deport Accused US Pedophile BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) - Thailand's Immigration Police handed over to US Embassy staff Friday an American teacher who will be deported to face trial on charges of paedophilia in the United States. Steven Erik Prowler, a 57-year-old English language teacher at an unnamed Bangkok school, has been in jail since being arrested last year on paedophilia charge. Police raided his apartment and found more than 100 photos of naked Asian boys. The raid, which came after a lengthy investigation, also revealed the presence of two teenage boys, from whom Mr. Prowler had secured sexual services. The boys told police investigators that Mr.Prowler had paid them for their services and had videod and photographed the act for publication in a foreign magazine for homosexuals. Police found diaries detailing the accused's sexual activities with many Asian boys. He had been sentenced by a Thai court to serve one-year jail term for committing sexual abuse of minors. His name is also on a Thai Immigration Police blacklist of persons who are persona non grata. He will be tried in the United States for sexually abusing more than 100 underaged boys in North America. A US Embassy representative praised Thai police for their cooperation that led to the arrest of the accused paedophile. (TNA)-E001

Your friend is told one thing and we're told another. Either way, I can agree with you about one thing . . . "Phuket are Bangkok & Pattaya's yesterday's boys." That's for sure in Phuket, as far as I'm concerned. I saw a grand total of one boy who I thought was attractive. One bar in Paradise complex had plenty of boys. I think the youngest one in there was at least 32. Another bar had plenty of boys, but nearly all were lady-boys. I have nothing against lady-boys, but these boys were as femme as I have ever seen and that wasn't attractive to me at all. A third bar, a short distance from Paradise Complex, a much older bar, had a grand total of 4 boys working as dancers. As we were approaching the bar, the doorman gave them a high-sign. They were dancing when we entered. After no more than three minutes all of them sat down and that's the last time any of them got up of their butts. I hope your friend is right about the going rate. I only know what we were consistently told. It wouldn't matter to me if the rate was 50 baht or 50,000 baht. I wouldn't have "offed" any of the boys I saw even if they were free. That's just my opinion, of course.

One of the more popular articles that was on my former web site was "How to Get a Thai Driver's License." As of May 10, 2006 I have revised and updated the article. If you would like to have it, please feel free to send me an E-mail at gaybutton@gmail.com . I will be happy to send you a copy of that article, or any other articles, that appeared on my web site. Also, you may not be aware of this: As of March 16, the daily fine for over-staying your visa was raised to 500 baht per day. Prior to that it was 200 baht per day. Don't forget, if you are ever caught over-staying your visa before you voluntarily report to the Immigration Police office or are leaving the country at the airport, you are going to be in for a big problem. Also, now they make a note in your passport that you over-stayed, even if you voluntarily report it.

Unfortunately, Pattaya has changed over the years from a city in which all of us could feel perfectly safe to a city in which you could easily become a crime victim if you're not cautious. The following story appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS and illustrates what I'm talking about: _____ New Zealand man assaulted as gang of youths attempt to steal his motorbike. Mr. Goran Jurec aged 40 from New Zealand made his way to Pattaya Police Station on Monday Night and informed officers that he had just been assaulted by a gang of young Thai men on the Pratamnak Mountain. They attempted to steal his motorbike without success. Mr. Jurec wearing a blood stained Polo-shirt, made a report to officers who immediately began a search for a gang of four young men who were known to be armed with small pieces of wood. After a search, the gang were located and arrested under the overpass leading to the Bali Hai Port at the south end of Pattaya Third Road. Three men were arrested, one man who is thought to be the main instigator managed to escape. The men aged between 14 and 18 were taken back to Pattaya Police Station where they confessed to the assault but denied prior knowledge of the attack on the foreigner. Despite these claims, Police believe they are part of a gang who target foreigners who drive rented motorbikes. The bikes are stolen by force and resold in Pattaya and surrounding districts. The gang members are now behind bars on charges of assault and theft and will now face a judge who will decide their fate. _____ The article does not mention what time this incident took place, but I can guess. It was probably in the wee hours of the morning and the "farang" was probably alone. These sorts of crimes don't take place when there are plenty of witnesses around. The thing to do is to stay in well lit tourist areas at night and refrain from venturing off by yourself to other areas. If you have a reason to be in a more remote area, then at least try not to be alone. If you are a "farang," alone and in a more remote area, then you might as well wear a sign that says "victim." Street gangs that prey on easy targets have become a major problem in Pattaya and the police simply don't have the manpower to control it as much as we would like. Street gangs prey on tourists by night. Scam artists prey on tourists by day. You have to watch out for them too. Of course, the odds are that you'll come to Pattaya, have a fantastic time, and never be the victim of anything, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. I have a few suggestions: 1. At night, as I said above, stick to the well lit tourist areas where there are plenty of people around. 2. Most of the violent crime takes place after the bars have shut down for the night. When the streets are more or less deserted, then don't be out there. 3. At night, especially late at night, use the baht buses for transportation. 4. If you have expensive jewelry or gold bracelets and chains, leave it in your hotel safe. If you're out there wearing it, then you're looking for trouble. 5. Don't flash around large amounts of money. When you go out, take only the amount of money you actually need. If you anticipate taking a boy "off," then take the amount you plan to tip him and put it somewhere hidden in your room. That way, when the boy is in the room with you, you can immediately place your wallet in the room safe and won't have to take it out again to give him his tip. 6. Definitely put your wallet and other valuables, including passport and plane tickets, in the room safe if a boy is in the room with you. If your room has no safe, then be careful about "the shower." Many boys want to shower before "other activities" and want you to shower too. No problem about that, of course, but many "farang" have become victims when they emerge from the shower only to discover the boy has disappeared and so have any valuables that were accessible to him. I hope others will post additional advice, most of which is common sense whether in Pattaya or anywhere else. I think it was Mark Twain who said something like this: "The only thing common about common sense is that it's uncommon."

I agree completely with Paulg and, unfortunately, I know people who are like that too, but they don't necessarily reside in hovels. They just try to get away with paying these boys as little as possible and come up with every justification in the world for it. The standard is higher in Bangkok. Phuket too. I don't know why the standard is higher in Bangkok and Phuket, but there it is. My boyfriend and I just returned from having spent five days in Phuket. We were told, by many sources, some of which have no reason to lie about it, that the expected tip in Phuket is 1500 baht for short time, 2000 baht for long time. I'm sure, as in other cities, you could get away with paying less in Phuket if that's what you want to do, but that's what we were told the standard expected tip is.

I don't dispute that Thai owned sites may be blocked if Bkkguy says so, but I haven't seen any. None of the Thai owned sites that I look at have been blocked. Can you point out a few of the Thai owned sites that are blocked? In any case, whether Thai owned sites are also being blocked or not, that doesn't change the fact that, at least according to my Thai attorney, such blocking is illegal in the first place. I still want to know who is responsible for it and I would still like the answers to my other questions, mainly who decides these sites should be blocked and why.

I hope that at least something can be resolved with a positive outcome for the blocked sites. I know of no valid reason why my web site was blocked and I know of no valid reason why this web site is being blocked, especially when compared to the content on Thai owned web sites that are not blocked. If these sites are "bad for Thai people," then I would like to know what it is about these sites that constitutes the "bad" part. I would also like to know who decided that and upon what basis. Not only were we never notified, but I have not been able to find any kind of criteria, whether on the Internet or elsewhere, that lists what is acceptable and what is not. I've been wrong about a great many things in my life, but I think I'm right when I point out that the blocked web sites are all "farang" owned. If that is true, then why? Why would the Thai authorities, if indeed these sites really were blocked by Thai authorities, care about whether the site is "farang" owned or not? I can't make any sense out of it.

As it was before I took my own web site down, sometimes you could get on and sometimes you couldn't. On my web site that lasted about two weeks and then it was impossible to get on at all. Even proxy servers were being blocked. I hope Gaythailand can get unblocked or at least get some answers. I still would like to know why these sites are being blocked and who, specifically, is doing the blocking. Somebody had to be the one who decided to block these web sites. Perhaps fortunately for Gaythailand, but unfortunately for other sites that are being blocked, he may be able to resolve the problem for this web site, but Thailand doesn't have class action lawsuits, so even a positive outcome will apply only to this web site. I still would like to meet face-to-face with whoever it is that is responsible for blocking my web site. I would like to hear a face-to-face explanation as to why my web site was blocked, especially since such blocking is illegal in Thailand. I want to hear why my web site was "not good for Thai people" while many Thai web sites that deal in personal ads, even pornographic personal ads, and other forms of pornography go merrily along with no blocking. I can't prove it and it might just be coincidence, but has anyone noticed that every one of the blocked web sites are "farang" owned? As far as I know not any Thai owned web sites are blocked, despite the strong sexual and pornographic content. How much do you want to bet that if I reinstated my web site as a Thai owned web site, then there would be no blocking? To me, this whole thing is another form of the famous Thai logic. My web site provided news, information, and a message board. Many "farang" tourists came to Thailand, wallets filled with cash, precisely because of my web site. My web site was entirely in English and directed toward foreign tourists. I really would like to hear, directly from whoever it was that was responsible for blocking my web site, how that was "not good for Thai people." How many Thai people would have even been aware of my web site, let alone have been able to read it? I wonder if whoever is responsible for blocking these web sites ever actually sat down and read any of them. I would also like to hear why my site, along with all the other sites that have been blocked, were given no advance notification of any kind that they would be blocked and no opportunity to correct whatever the "evil" was that we were doing, to the satisfaction of Thai authorities. Why do I have a feeling I'll never hear the answers to those questions and never will meet the person responsible for this blocking?

Another one is what we call "Thai time." Punctuality is not exactly a priority in most cases. Those with a lot of experience in Thailand have almost certainly heard, "Just a minute, I come." That usually turns out to mean anywhere from half an hour to five or six hours, or more. Are you supposed to meet someone at 9:00 for dinner? Are you taking your boyfriend? Better tell the boyfriend that dinner is at 7:30. That way you shouldn't be more than half an hour late for your 9:00 dinner. One of the more frustrating things is when a service technician tells you he'll be there on Thursday. "What time on Thursday?" "Morning." "Can you be more specific?" "About 10:00 morning." I've seen that mean anywhere from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sometimes they don't show up at all. It never occurs to anyone to call and tell you they can't make it or call and tell you they will be hours later than they promised. One time my boyfriend and I were going to make a trip in our car. We were going to take some of his friends with us. I told them, very clearly, "Be here at 9:00 in the morning. We are going to leave at 9:00 and we won't wait. If you're here at 9:01, you missed the trip." One boy didn't show up and we left. At about 3:30 that afternoon we received a phone call from the boy. "I at your house. I come now. Why you not wait for me?" Have you ever "offed" a boy and decided to ask him to stay with you for a few days? Has he ever said he needs to go to his apartment for awhile, but he'll be back in an hour? Has he ever actually been back in an hour? Most of the time that means anywhere from two to six hours before he shows up again. If you are going to spend time in Thailand, you might as well accept the idea of Thai time and be prepared for it. No matter how hard you try or how clearly you state it, you're going to understand all about Thai time by the time you return to your home country.