Gaybutton

Your report is, unfortunately, quite accurate and many of the boys are having problems due to the lack of customers. I believe at least part of the reason is what is being brought out in the 'Missing the "Old Days"' thread, that some bars are very enjoyable and others are just dull and lifeless. Why would some bars be packed and others virtually empty? I would not attribute it to how attractive the boys may or may not be. That's because what constitutes 'attractive' is such an individual thing that there really is no way to say this bar or that bar has unattractive boys. While that may be true for some, those same 'unattractive' boys may be exactly what others are looking for. I truly believe it is the demeanor of the bar itself. Speaking for myself, I don't care how attractive the boys may be, but if the bar is not providing a good time, I leave. I would much rather take my business to a bar that might have boys less attractive to me, but I am enjoying it and having a good time. Very sorry, bar owners, but somehow I don't have a good time in a mausoleum where the music volume is breaking my eardrums. I also don't see how bars that permit their mama-sans to bullshit their customers can expect repeat customers or even first time customers when the word spreads. If it's anything I can't stand, it's when you consult the mama-san, tell her what you want, and she hooks you up with a boy who has no intention of doing any of whatever it was you were looking for. In your case, you were flat out lied to by both the boy and the mama-san. If you happened to be someone here on a short term holiday, one you may have been scrimping and saving for all year, and something like that happens, it can ruin the holiday. One thing is for sure, if you ask a mama-san for something specific, you can bet you'll never hear "not have." I still don't know why the bars insist on employing these mama-sans in the first place. Some are very good and really will hook you up with a boy willing to do whatever it is you are seeking. But they are rare. Actually, for me, willing to do doesn't cut it. To me, that implies reluctance, but he'll grin and bear it for the tip. Thanks, but no thanks. I would want a boy who at least enjoys whatever it is I am seeking and that's what a good mama-san will provide or tell you honestly that none of her boys would want to do that. You would think that during these slow times a bar owner with half a brain would do something to liven up their bar and attract customers - you know, like maybe getting their go-go boys to actually go-go dance? Offering customer incentives? That might be a good start. But doing virtually nothing else other than raising prices seems to be the only thing some of these bars ever try. They've tried that and what is the result? Even smaller customer numbers than before. Works great, doesn't it? Over the years we have made suggestions to the bar owners time and time again and on the "Old Days" thread we're doing it again. Maybe they'll finally listen. But I doubt it. I guess some just won't be happy until the "For Sale or Rent" sign appears on their door.

I use Gay Romeo quite often, but I've never seen that statement. I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean, but it certainly appears to be something negative. I'll look for it and see if I can get anything from the context.

I agree too. The only go-go bar I can think of where the boys are on the same level as the customers is Euro Boys. The key word is "fun." I like the way Pattayamale puts it - that it's more like watching a movie. Somehow, when the boys are on a stage there is a loss of interpersonal contact and relationship. Now that it has been mentioned, I do feel more as if I am watching a performance - that is when the boys actually perform. In most bars it's still boys chatting amongst themselves, staring at themselves in the mirrors, doing only the "one-knee shuffle," making little or no eye contact with the customers, and often looking bored out of their minds. Pattayamale also points out that some bars have the fun feel. Some. Why not all? We've discussed this on the board so many times over the years that I've lost track of how many times it must be by now. The bars are crying for business. And yet the only go-go bar I've seen that is making a genuine effort recently to do something about it is Krazy Dragon. Mark, at least, has sense enough to be trying to give his customers what they want. When we 'spoke' on this very board, Mark got the message and listened. Too many of the other go-go bars have made no changes at all, and they can't figure out why their customer numbers, and amounts spent by the few customers they do get, are continuing to be less and less. If the bars would start making the kinds of changes we keep posting about, I, for one, would be in the bars a hell of a lot more often than I go anymore. And I'll betcha I'm not alone in that. When I go to the bars, I'm hoping to have an enjoyable time. I'm not going to the bars to sit there looking at a meat parade of boys who seem to want to be just about anywhere other than where they are. Sometimes I feel as if "go-go" is the wrong term anymore. It is all too often more like "stop-stop." Once again, bar owners, do something to make your bar a fun place to be - a place customers want to go.

I don't double-book, but I've learned to at least have a list of alternate accommodations and telephone numbers with me when I'm going to stay in a hotel I'm not familiar with or have had problems with before. I always ask to see the room before I part with any money. Unless there is absolutely no other choice, I never advance pay, send a deposit, or anything else that might prevent me from going elsewhere if it turns out I don't like the hotel or the room. Most of the time, when they want a deposit to guarantee the room, I prefer taking my chances, especially if there are plenty of other hotels available. Based on your story, this hotel handed you a load of bullshit that they were totally unwilling to put right and they're not exactly the only hotel that does those kinds of things. In Thailand, a problem can be major holidays such as Christmas or New Year's. Many hotels put on "gala" buffets and they're going to charge you for it whether you want their buffet or not. I can understand why they make it obligatory. They don't want to spend a lot of money putting on a buffet and only a few people show up for it. I don't object to that policy. What I do object to is, as far as I have ever experienced, they never let you know about it in advance. You find out about it only when you're checking in.

And if you were never born, then there never would have been any problems . . .

My car is an automatic . . . All my life in the USA I drove left-hand drive. Now that I've lived in Thailand for several years, I've been driving right-hand drive. That means I've had plenty of experience with both. You know what, for me, is the bottom line? Right or left, it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference.

So what? You could have had "miles to go before you sleep . . . "

Well, as long as he called, did you meet him . . . ?

All I know is I have never seen anyone hanging around washrooms. Even if I did, I doubt I would be so inclined in a toilet. However, if he's interested in coming back to my room with me, that might be a different story. The washroom there offers a wee bit more privacy. Actually, that brings to mind another question. You know those telephone numbers you see written on public toilet stall doors? Anybody ever call any of them?

Yes, it must have been us. We arrived shortly before 7:00pm and were the only ones there for quite some time. And it was Friday evening. Next time, drop in and say hello or even join us. If nothing else, you could have gotten our autographs . . .

Regarding ID, when you opened that account, was that ID your passport? If so, was it a tourist visa or a non-immigrant visa?

Over the years I've seen a lot of posts about sexual encounters in public toilets in Thailand. I even see people post recommendations about which toilets are the best ones to go to. I have nothing against sex in toilets if that's what people want to do, but it definitely isn't for me . . . not my cup of pee. Meanwhile, anyone who knows me knows I've gotta go rather often. I've said many times, if I live in Thailand a few more years there won't be very many toilets left that I haven't "annointed." But to this day I have yet to ever see anyone hanging around toilets looking for sex or looking to do anything other than #1 and #2. Now I'm curious. Have you ever encountered anything in Thai public toilets? If yes, where? Got any good stories to go with those encounters?

I don't suppose he mentioned how passengers were supposed to get to and from the airport, even if any planes were coming and going, did he?

That's for sure. As I said, I'm not going to play private detective. But now I'm very curious as to what is going on and what happened, but I'm not curious enough to spend a lot of time trying to find out. I never met the guy that I know of, so for me it's curiosity, not personal loss. I might agree with you if I thought it was a sleeping dog, but this is all too recent to call it a sleeping dog. I'm sure sooner or later the story of what actually happened will come out.

What is it that they don't let you do? I've never had a work permit and I have never had a problem doing anything with their online banking. Yay! Another Dan Quayle fan. And some people think he can't get elected again . . .

Apparently not. Now I'm wondering what it is to Thais.

I am now convinced the story is true. This morning I got two more confirmations. The victim is Jon Pierre. We had breakfast at the Poseidon this morning, which is just a few doors down from La Dolce Vita. They staff at Poseidon knew about it. I did not know until this morning, but Jon Pierre had actually worked at the Poseidon not long ago. Nobody I've found seems to know anything more, but it still strikes me as mildly strange that nothing has appeared in the media and highly strange that La Dolce Vita was open and operating as if nothing at all had happened.

I understand that, but it wasn't quite that simple and I think given the circumstances as to how I ended up with that salad, I would have had a right to refuse paying for it. The waiter made it seem as if he owned up to his mistake when I said I didn't order it and really didn't want it. He made it seem as if he was saying there was some reason he was refusing to take it back, so he's just giving it to me. Obviously if I didn't eat an item I had never ordered in the first place, then I would have refused to pay if charged. But, yes, I did eat it and during dinner we were all guessing whether I was going to end up charged for it. Don't forget, I tried to give it back, but he wouldn't take it and said "mai pen rai". I think if I wanted to make an issue of it I would have had a case since he wouldn't take it back. He should have taken it back and thrown it out or eaten it himself or something. Some restaurants would have taken it back and served it to someone else, but since I did eat it I didn't make an issue of it. "I don't get no respect at all. Karl Malden stole my traveler's checks. I called up AT&T. They wouldn't take me back!" - Rodney Dangerfield

I hold accounts at several banks. I have three main reasons. My primary bank is Bangkok Bank. That is because Bangkok Bank has a branch in New York. It isn't a commercial branch at which you can just walk in, but they do have a routing number. My retirement income is sent to me each month by direct deposit. Since Bangkok Bank in New York does have a routing number, direct deposits are sent to that office, which in turn deposits the funds into my account and it shows up on the Thailand side the same day. I know of no other Thai banks in the USA. My second reason is I keep some money in banks that have the most common ATMs around town. That way I don't have to pay ATM fees every time I want to withdraw cash. My third reason is in case one bank ever fails or I lose an ATM card, an ATM eats the card, or whatever other kind of mishap occurs, I've still got money in other banks, readily available, while I am sorting out whatever problem occurred.

I had dinner at Chez Vickie this evening with Pattayamale and RichLB. I agree that there has been major improvement, both in the service and the food. In all honesty, for awhile Chez Vickie turned into a major disappointment for me. As much as I loved it when it was Vickie L'amour in Bangkok and as much as I loved it when it first opened in Pattaya, the last time I was there I swore never to go back. There were several of us that night. The last three times there were problems about mixed up orders, etc. On one occasion I had been served a salad I had not ordered. I called the waiter over to tell him I had not ordered it and didn't want it. He simply responded with "Mai pen rai" and didn't take it back. I took that to mean he could not take it back once it had been served, so as long as I have it, I might as well eat it, which I did. I was also charged for it . . . The last time I was there I placed my order. I never got any food! We had to beg just to be served some bread, and then had to beg again to get some butter. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I waited a full hour before the waiter came over to tell me they had run out of what I had ordered. A full hour! It wasn't as if other people had ordered the same thing and they had just then run out. It was perfectly obvious they had already run out at the time I placed the order. I didn't lose my cool at that point, although I was getting hungrier and hungrier watching everybody else eating. I told the waiter I'll have the nightly special instead. About twenty minutes later they brought the food . . . the wrong order! The waiter actually argued with me about it. I sent it back and decided to give it fifteen more minutes. When the fifteen minutes was up, so was I. I don't recall ever having walked out of a restaurant in my life, but that night I walked out. I wasn't about to go back until Pattayamale insisted that everything had changed and now the restaurant is excellent and operating as it should be. So, tonight I went. I'll admit having a chip on my shoulder when I walked in, but Pattayamale was right. The whole thing has changed. A whole new, well trained, efficient staff and excellent food, all served properly and in a timely manner. I was delighted and now Chez Vickie is back on my favorites list.

Now that's a discount! Some of you might be interested to know that the Bangkok location does not permit smoking on the premises at all. No smoking in the rooms and no smoking on the property anywhere. I don't know if all IBIS locations have the same policy, but I imagine if one does, then they all do.

This story is beginning to have me wondering too. Before posting, I confirmed with four different sources, not one of whom would have any reason in the world to conjure it up or bullshit me into writing a false information post. I checked the local media today and nothing is there, although that part doesn't surprise me very much. What is striking me as most odd is last night I was down there. It was open and operating as usual, with nobody acting as if anything was amiss at all - until I asked a waiter what he knew about it. It was one of those broadly smiling "welcome inside mister" guys who was quite friendly - that is until I asked what happened. With that the smile suddenly vanished and he just clammed right up and refused to say anything about it. Kotter got his version of the story from a security guard. I never spoke to the security guard, so that makes a fifth source. We just finished about a month of rumors about Googie's death until it was finally confirmed without dispute. Now here comes another one. I'm not going to start playing private detective, but obviously something strange is going on with this story. I'm demoting it to rumor instead of fact for the time being.

You want examples of Thai logic (or lack thereof)? Just go back and wade through my "I Don't Get It" posts. You just might find an example or two . . . I believe if I live here for 1000 years, I would still not even be close to being able to answer that one.

I've seen posts on the various boards complaining of some of the bars filled with ladies in the audience, but I've never encountered that. I see groups of two or three every so often, but that's all I've ever seen. Of course, I don't go to the bars very often, so I don't doubt what others have said. I'm only saying I've never encountered more than that and it's rare enough that I'm usually surprised when I do see ladies in the audience. Again - that's just my own experience.

I'll third that. To me, contemporary board software has too many bells and whistles, kind of like my TV and DVD remote controls - all kinds of buttons and I still have no idea what half of them do. I think the most easy-on-the-eyes colors to read on message boards are black or a very dark blue on a gray background. However, if it is possible to do, there is one bell and whistle I would like to see on this board - a spell checker.