Gaybutton

No, I don't think a "not loud" option belongs on this poll. I'm not asking about the bars at which the music volume is at a comfortable level. I'm talking about bars at which somebody would have to be awfully stubborn to insist the music is not loud. I think everyone reading this thread knows exactly what I mean. However, that's what "other" is for if you feel I left anything out. I'm not looking for a dispute about what constitutes 'loud.' Again, I think everybody knows what I mean. Basically, what I'm trying to find out is whether most people are going to tolerate excessively loud music or not. The way I see it, Thai law permits the music volume to be up to 90 decibels. Beyond that, now the law is being violated and the music is loud.

On the "Puffs and Pans for gay venues" thread one of the things being discussed is the music volume in Thailand's gay bars. I started this thread to see what the majority of opinions turns out to be. I think I covered most of it in the poll questions. If not, I put in an option for "other." Ok, let's see what everyone thinks.

What young people? The only young people I normally see in the bars are the boys who work there. Every so often I see you, gay farang here, but it's quite unusual. Whatever the reason for the loud music, I don't think that's it. I've had some bar owners tell me they do it because the boys like it. I'm sure they do, but the boys are not the customers.

There are times when that might be a positive thing . . .

Do you truly believe those are the reasons the music is dangerously and illegally loud and strobe lights are aimed directly into your eyes? To put it mildly, I don't share your opinion. I see absolutely no justification for the music being as loud as it is in some bars, even if customers really are saying they like it that way. Whether they like it that way or not, I sure don't and it is also illegal. I can understand the music being somewhat loud, but when it reaches a level at which the only way people, even when sitting right next to each other, can reasonably communicate is if they all happen to be proficient in the sign language of the deaf, I'd say that's a bit much. And in some of those bars, people working in them will eventually need that proficiency if nothing is done about the volume level. This is one instance when "voting with your feet" can make the point. I can't speak for others, but for me if I find myself in a bar at which the music is that loud, I'm getting the hell out of there.

And it is really good. You won't be disappointed.

Not that I've ever noticed in Thailand. In Thailand the coconut is the container. Why not buy some sort of container of your own, then buy a coconut or two, pour the coconut water into the container, and refrigerate it yourself?

For those of you who prefer to see Gay Romeo boys in the flesh before meeting them, just go to the beach. I was at the beach today. Half of Gay Romeo was there. And believe me, there was plenty of that flesh to see and every one of them hoping to meet a farang. For those of you who are thinking maybe right now a trip to Thailand isn't such a good idea, think again . . .

I realize this is an old thread, but I just renewed my retirement visa yesterday and the documents required were just as I listed above. I was not asked to show a credit card, debit card, or any other kind of card. I was not asked for any evidence of my address (number 12 on the list). But I had it with me anyhow. I'm not sure whether they ask some people and not others, but it was obvious that the Immigration officers recognized me from previous years. If they haven't gotten to know you, maybe they'll ask, so do carry it with you, just in case. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. They gave me a claim card and told me to come back today to pick up my passport, which I did. That's all there was to it. For those of you from the UK, Barry Kenyon was in the Immigration office and still is readily available if you have any questions or difficulties. I didn't think to ask, but since he retired from being a Thai consul I don't think he issues proof-of-income statements anymore. You can ask him, but I think you'll have to go to the UK embassy to get it and I believe they do require some sort of proof to substantiate the income you intend to claim. The USA embassy still issues proof-of-income statements solely on whatever you tell them, without having to show any kind of documentation. Remember, renewing or obtaining a Retirement Visa does not alter the date by which you must do your 90-day address report.

I thought they all have a designated smoking area. They call it "outside."

Yes, but at my weight I also often strike oil . . .

Coconut cream: the grated meat is squeezed in a cheesecloth. The resulting liquid is coconut cream. Coconut milk: water is added at the rate of 1 cup per cup of grated meat. The coconut cream will rise to the surface. The resulting liquid is coconut milk. Coconut water: the liquid inside a coconut is coconut water. In other words, when you go to the beach and order a coconut, the liquid you are drinking is coconut water.

I saw no reason to put my foot down and I don't think the other moderators saw a reason to intervene. I don't think very many people would dispute that when I see a reason to put my foot down, it goes down. I also think RichLB's "Puffs and Pans" thread has already done precisely what you ask. Besides, I can't win. Whenever I put my foot down, next thing I know I'm called a control freak. If I don't put my foot down, I get the kind of complaint you're making. How do I win? I've said many times over the years that no matter what we do or how we do it, somebody doesn't like what we do or how we do it. I started this particular topic to inform people about Amor and Wi's. People read it and anything anyone wanted to specifically say about it was said. Then we got off of posting about those specific restaurants and got into why some of us think other restaurants and venues will also close without changes being made. To me, it's all part of the same overall subject. I agree with fountainhall that this topic is progressing logically. Also, I haven't seen anyone else making the same complaint you're making. This topic has gotten over 400 hits, a great many more than the majority of topics lately, so it seems to me that somebody is interested. I have no objection if GT or any of the other moderators wish to put their foot down, but as for me, I think I'll leave my foot where it usually is . . . in my mouth.

Spectacular Pattaya

I was one of the people trying to eat with RichLB, et al, last night. I prefer not to name the restaurant, but it is one popular with the group I regularly eat with. There were eight of us. Reservations had been made hours earlier and the proprietor was told what several of us already knew we wanted to eat. None of us were served promptly. I sat there for over a full hour and all I had been served in that time were a couple pieces of bread. Then, after all that time, the waiter informed me that they were out of what I had ordered. I asked the waiter why I had sat there a full hour before anyone informed me my order was not available. Naturally, the only response I got was that typical Thai sheepish smile. I had ordered ala carte. This restaurant serves dinner specials which include salad, soup, the entree, and dessert. I told the waiter to bring me the special. After waiting another 15 minutes, the waiter brought me the entree. I asked what happened to the salad and the soup? Again the sheepish smile. I told the waiter to take back the entree and bring what I had ordered. I knew what would happen next. I'd wait yet again, as everyone else had waited about 40 minutes or so before they received their soup and salads. I was also certain that my entree would just sit there in the kitchen and get served to me about an hour later after my salad and soup would finally arrive. That didn't happen. Instead the waiter served my entree to one of the other guys with us. Of course, it wasn't what he ordered, but that's what he got. By this time now I was angry. I had now been there for over an hour and a quarter and still all I had been served was a couple pieces of bread. I said I would give it another 15 minutes and if I still had been served nothing, I'm leaving. That's what I ended up doing. I can't remember the last time I walked out of a restaurant. As a matter of fact, I can't remember ever walking out of a restaurant, but last night was definitely an exception. I'll give that restaurant another chance because I've never experienced that kind of problem there before and I really like the food there. But it will be some time before I go back. If it happens again, that will be one restaurant that lost my business.

People notice a lot of things about me. Some make a full study of everything I've ever written. If you really want to make an issue of it, fine with me. You're right and I'm wrong. Satisfied?

You've got to be kidding. That's your idea of something important? Like I said, my interest was getting my question answered. For what reason should I have cared who posted the answer? You'll find the ignore feature on your profile. Just click your name at the top right of the screen and follow the drop-down menu. Then you can ignore anyone you want.

June 1. ~ Onwards Gourmet Set Menu House Champagne *** Amuse Bouche *** White Wine Cackle Berry Chardonnay, Australia 2007 Goose Liver Terrine with potted Figs *** Cappucino of Cepes Mushroom Cream Soup *** Alaska King Crag Legs Ravioli in Ginger flavored Lobster Sauce *** Sherbet of mixed Berries *** Red Wine Kookaburra’s, Shiraz, Australia, 2007 Grilled Salmon Steak in Pernod Butter Sauce and Balsamico Asparagus -or- Roasted Beef Tenderloin with red Wine Reduction and Rosemary Potatoes *** Port Wine Zabayone with caramelized Peaches -or- Fine international Cheese Plate *** Coffee or Tea Calvados, Grappa, Remy Martin, Williams Food only 1,550 Baht (40.50 Є) Menu with Unlimited Beverages 3,350 Baht (87.00 Є) Restaurant Pattaya Casa Pascal

Maybe I'm overly harsh, but to me the issue is not the fact that they may have been in the country for a long time and are contributing positively. I think the issue is the fact they are there illegally. I understand the problem, but quite frankly I don't sympathize with it if they are there illegally. Even if they've been there for a number of years, to me that simply means they have gotten away with it for a number of years. If I had my way, illegals who already are in the USA as of a specified date, whether they arrived twenty years ago or fifteen minutes ago, would be given the opportunity to apply for citizenship and those that do would come under a general amnesty. Those who fail to do so and future illegals should not be allowed to stay if they are caught. I think one of the reasons I'm unsympathetic is because I was a Florida resident during the Mariel boat-lift. That was when, under Jimmy Carter, Castro emptied out his prisons and sent them along with all the people coming over from Cuba in boats. The problem was, no federal money covered it. Most of those people remained in Florida and it was the Florida taxpayers who ended up footing the bill. To this day I still resent having seen so many of them living in nicer homes than I could afford and getting all kinds of benefits unavailable to me as a taxpayer, and yet my tax money was financing it. Fair is fair. None of my ancestors received any kind of help when they came over, but they became citizens. I have no objection to permitting illegals already present in the USA to become citizens too. While I realize circumstances are different now, it just makes no sense to me to even have immigration laws if they are not going to be enforced and it makes even less sense to me to permit people who are there illegally to remain there.

Now you're talking. I see. Of course, a phrase probably much more appropriate when referring to me would be, "Happy as a pig in shit . . ."

And give up my 8K Atari? I've always wondered about6 the phrase, "happy as a clam." I don't know how happy clams actually are. Also, don't worry about Jomtien either, except for when the light is shining in just the right direction. It's awfully difficult to get him to turn off his head . . .

That happens, but not very often. Once you get a feel for the personals sites, it doesn't take long to learn what to look for. The red lights are headless photos. Photos that obviously are not the same body. I look for things like body hair in one photo, but not in another or not in the same places. If there are tattoos, are the tattoos the same in each photo and in the same places? A six-pack in some photos, but not in others. Photos that have different tan lines. A "treasure trail" in some photos, but not in others. It doesn't take long to learn to pick up on these kinds of things. A little less obvious are the things the boys say in their profiles. It takes awhile, but you eventually get to just kind of know when it's bullshit. For what it's worth, once in awhile I get a dud from the personals sites, but most have been great. I think I mentioned earlier that once I did have a boy show up who was not the same boy in the photos. But it turned out I liked him much better than the boy I saw in the photos and I still see him rather often. In the go-go bars you might be able to see the boys in the flesh, but by the time you've had your drink, paid for the boy's drink, and paid the off fee you've already gone through 600 or 700 baht and you haven't even walked out the door yet. And then he might turn out to be a dud. When that happens, assuming you give him his tip, you've kissed a good 1600 baht or more goodbye and haven't gotten much of anything to show for the money you've spent. Luckily, that kind of thing happening is also rather rare. The point I'm trying to make is I see no greater risk in using the gay personals sites than there is in going to the bars. Each has its risks and each has its pros and cons. Living here, I tend to do both, although I use the gay personals sites much more often than I go to the bars. But that's me and I live here. I can go to the bars any time I please. I guess I'm one of those people who when you live there, you don't go very often. But I also have friends who live here and are in the bars nearly every night. But holiday makers don't have the luxury of unlimited time and probably don't want to spend the limited time they do have available sitting there using the personals sites. I believe most holiday makers will prefer to go to the bars much more often than using the gay personals sites. After all, for most people here on a holiday, going to the bars is a major part of the reason for even being here at all, isn't it? Another advantage to the personals sites - if you're here on a holiday and you're unfortunate enough to be here when the bars are closed, all you need to do is head for the nearest Internet shop, get on Gay Romeo, and you'll probably have an attractive young man coming over to join you before you even leave the Internet shop.

I thought they revoked their citizenship. Be that as it may, I don't see national ID cards as equivalent to what the Nazis were trying to do, especially considering the number of countries, including Thailand, that issue national ID cards. I don't see anything going on in Thailand that even remotely resembles anything the Nazis did and I don't foresee the USA ever doing anything like that either. Illegal aliens in the USA has become a very serious problem and is costing legitimate citizens a fortune, money they need for themselves. I don't know of very many other countries that put up with illegal aliens. Why should the USA?

I don't see how WiFi in a Sunee Plaza beer bar is going to make things more attractive to customers. When was the last time you saw anyone walking through Sunee Plaza carrying a laptop computer? Who would even want to? Maybe one or two who have needs such as GT pointed out, but enough to justify the expense of providing WiFi? I don't think so. YaYa already said he'll have free Internet stations. I've met and seen all kinds of people around here, but I have yet to ever see anyone headed for a beer bar to sit there spending their evening using a laptop computer to access the Internet. If people really want to do that, I certainly have no objection, but somehow I don't foresee people headed to YaYa on the basis that he's got WiFi available. What are people going to do, go to YaYa with their laptops and start cruising Gay Romeo? If he's going to spend money on something, wouldn't he be better off spending it on something a lot of people would want? Now, if he starts giving away ear plugs for people who want to go into the go-go bars where the music is played loud enough to shatter triple reinforced concrete, then he might have something. But WiFi? What's the point? What's the attraction?