Gaybutton

What happened to the first post? It's not there and from my end I can see that none of the moderators deleted anything.

Be that as it may, I and the other moderators will be the ones who make those decisions, thank you very much. I'm not about to have my life in Thailand jeopardized for the sake of posts on a message board. I'm also not going to have other people decide for me whether I'm taking a serious risk or just being paranoid. Maybe I'm going overboard by saying there can be no posts about the monarchy at all, but if I or the other moderators determine that a post contains language that potentially can place us in such jeopardy, rest assured that post will be gone and the person who wrote the post will be warned. If he persists, he'll be gone too. I'm sorry, but I simply will not permit anyone to place my life here in jeopardy. While I realize I'm going to hear all about how I'm being paranoid, I've seen too many instances of Lese Majeste arrests that stemmed from writing that seemed to be perfectly innocent. I'd much rather be labeled paranoid than to find myself in jail waiting to be sentenced. It just isn't worth it to take those kinds of risks. I have yet to see a post on any board anywhere that is so important that the people directly involved with that board should allow themselves to be placed in that position. So, if people really feel a pressing need to post on this board about the monarchy that's their choice, but don't be surprised if the post quickly disappears.

Very good find! That site is quite accurate. My monthly retirement benefit came in the the day before their latest posting and that site was accurate to within 300 baht of what I received. From now on, that's the site I'll be checking.

I want to remind everyone about our policy about even mentioning the monarchy on this board. While nothing has been posted that I would interpret as negative, please let's leave the monarchy out of posts here. I don't think you need me to tell you how strict Thailand can be when it comes to their ideas of Lese Majeste violations. I think we'll all survive just fine without posts about the monarchy. Let's just drop any further posts about the monarchy, ok?

Most homeowners, including me, installed those large blue holding tanks during that miserable drought we had a few years ago. Since then I've had no problems about water, but at the time I learned to be careful about who I'm buying water from if the city water runs out. It's been so hot over the past several days that the water stored in the tank absorbs much of that heat. Lately not only has it not been necessary for me to activate the on-demand water heater when showering, but the water coming from that tank has actually been hotter then I usually want from the water heater.

That's where the confusion is. Nobody who actually knows the story has posted anything on any of the other boards. That leaves everyone who has in interest in the Sawatdee board in the dark as to what is going on. People are speculating as to why the account was suspended, but nobody seems to know if the board is going to come back or not. It doesn't make sense to me that jinks would suspend the board while on holiday. As far as I know, he's never done that before. Why would he do that now, especially without a prior announcement? He most likely looks at the Internet no matter where he is and he could just as easily moderate from anywhere. I doubt that is the explanation. I don't think it would kill whoever does know to let the rest of the world at least know if the board is going to come back online. The board does have a large following and I think it is perfectly reasonable to let that following know something. While I realize I am not welcome on that board, that doesn't diminish its importance to a lot of people out there. I hope the board does come back and in the meantime I hope someone will inform everyone as to what to expect.

I hope that's the case. I found it very difficult to even imagine a doctor advocating a raid on a hospital. Of course, a raid on a hospital is bad enough no matter who was behind it and who participated. And now, re-reading that section of the article, the way it is worded is confusing as to whether it was the father who actually tried to stop the raid or the son. It could also be interpreted that the father tried to stop the raid and that the article merely mentions that he has a son who is also a doctor. Now the Red-Shirts are saying the hospital evacuation was nothing more than a front to make the Red-Shirts look bad. I wonder what they think a raid on a hospital was going to do even if it was greatly exaggerated by the press, make them look good? Has anyone heard if they are still blockading the hospital?

All of the gay Thailand boards have their fans and their critics. Whether you like the Sawatdee board or not, so far all I have seen is speculation as to why it says the account has been suspended. I don't have any idea why the board is suspended. You know why? Because Elephantspike hasn't told me and as far as I know he also hasn't told anyone else. For all I know, it is entirely possible that even he has not yet been told why the Sawatdee account has been suspended. It could be because the account has not been paid, as many seem to think, but it also could be for other reasons. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to be guessing what happened. It does make sense to me to wait for Elephantspike to tell us what happened if he chooses to do so or tell us if the board is going to return online. Don't forget, the Pattaya Passions board also suddenly disappeared not long ago. As far as I know, the owner has yet to disclose any reasons.

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Condemnation poured in. Simmering public anger at the disruption of daily life now has had an added cause. That a red-shirt leader is a doctor only served to magnify resentment of a public totally losing its patience. weng Tojirakarn, whose son is also a doctor and has been assigned a job at a provincial hospital, reportedly had tried to stop the invasion, but he might not have done enough, or probably the red leadership has become too fragmented to act on consensus anyway. That's from the 'Losing Patience' article. My read of it is the father, a doctor, was an organizer. It was the son, also a doctor, who apparently tried to stop it.

I agree. Another aspect of this is that Thailand has been gaining a reputation as a place to come for what has been termed 'medical tourism.' I can't help but feel this is going to cause great damage to that reputation if people feel that they risk having their hospital blockaded or even raided if an uncontrolled mob decides it's a great idea to do things like that. Another example of cutting of their own noses to spite their faces. Another nail in the coffin. The news reports indicate that even a great many staunch Red-Shirt supporters are outraged over this incident. No matter how sincere the Red-Shirt leadership apology might have been, the damage has already been done. It is even worse since after the apology the same hospital ended up blockaded again. A friend of mine once said, "You know something? It takes at least a dozen 'attaboys' to counteract one 'awww shit'." With this incident I think he vastly underestimates the number of 'attaboys' it will take. What are these people thinking? Even if soldiers really were hiding out in the hospital, which makes no sense to me in the first place, my logic tells me the same mob could have captured them when they tried to come out. So, why the raid? And what would this mob have done if soldiers really were hiding in the hospital, start shooting? Inside a hospital? I wonder if they at least considered what the global reaction to something like that would have been. Can you imagine what that raid must have been like for the patients and staff? And even worse, I didn't know until I read the article that the Red-Shirt leader who organized that raid is himself a doctor! How would you like to be one of his patients? This whole protest is getting way out of hand and it's starting to look like the Red-Shirt leadership is losing control of their own hordes. I wonder how many more outrageous incidents are yet to come.

Hospital in Panic after Red Raid UDD bows to criticism, police boost security Published: 1/05/2010 Police are boosting security at all city hospitals after the red shirts stormed Chulalongkorn Hospital on Thursday night. The red-shirted United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship was yesterday forced into a humiliating apology after its raid prompted severe criticism. Weng Tojirakarn, a red shirt leader and medical doctor, issued a ``deep apology'' for the raid, calling it ``inappropriate, too much, and unreasonable''. Assistant national police chief Worapong Chiewpreecha said the search at Chulalongkorn Hospital by the red shirts threatened patients, relatives, and medical personnel. The government's Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) ordered police to ensure that all hospitals are safe places. Hospital in panic after red raid ____________________ Chula Transfers Patients to Other Hospitals By Pongphon Sarnsamak The Nation Published on May 1, 2010 Medical workers at Chulalongkorn Hospital yesterday were chaotically rushing to move over 600 patients including elderly people and children from buildings where located near the anti-government rally site at Saladaeng Intersection to other buildings and hospitals where faraway from the demonstration as the hospital worried that the violent incident that would affect to patient. Patient's relatives were rushing to pick up their family member who admit at hospital while the hospital had deployed wheelchairs and ambulances to moved patient who stay at Phor Por Ror, Sor Kor and Jong Konnee Wattana building where located near Ratchadamri road and near the demonstration site to other buildings which near Henri Dunant road and other hospitals where faraway from rally site. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/05/01/national/Chula-transfers-patients-to-other-hospitals-30128369.html ____________________ Losing Patience By The Nation Published on May 1, 2010 It was supposed to be a day for the red shirts to fix the damage, but as it turned out, the consequences of Thursday's invasion of Chulalongkorn Hospital meant the political movement was staring at a wrecked reputation that is nearly irreparable. Photos of patients being wheeled out of the hospital - from helpless old people with oxygen masks to a baby in an incubator - spread epidemically on social media. The urgent yet awkward relocation of Chulalongkorn Hospital patients, helped by grim-faced relatives and nurses, subdued even the most understanding sympathisers of the red shirts and was described by some observers as a complete PR disaster for the movement. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/05/01/politics/Losing-patience-30128386.html

I ran that web site through Google Translate. The translations are not perfect, but they're definitely good enough to fully understand what is being said.

Yep, you guessed it. I clearly remember the powers-that-be stating emphatically that Pattaya has plenty of water to see us through this year. Is anyone surprised that the reality turns out to be a little different? _____ Water supply problems

I don't quite understand your attitude. You would end trips to Thailand because of what one cop does? You say you don't care what the law says, but bear in mind it would be you who is in violation of the law. I agree that if you are unfortunate enough to end up in trouble because of one cop, that cop is probably being over zealous or just plain mean, but it would be hard to argue the fact that he is also doing his job and cops that look the other way are really not doing theirs. Don't forget that the cops don't make the laws, but they are supposed to be out there enforcing them. Few do, but the law is still the law. In any case, the good news is that it is rare for that problem to occur. It almost never does.

Here is the schedule of Bank holidays, meaning banks will be closed, for the rest of 2010: _____ May May 3 (Monday) - National Labour Day (Substitute Day) May 5 (Wednesday) - Coronation Day May 28 (Friday) - Visakha Bucha Day July July 1 (Thursday) - Banks’ Mid Year Day (some banks may close but not a public holiday) July 26 (Monday) - Asahna Bucha Day August *August 12 (Thursday) - H.M. Queen’s Birthday *Update: Friday August 13 will be an additional day’s holiday October October 25 (Monday) - Chulalongkorn Day (Rama V Day) (Substitute Day) December December 6 (Monday) - H.M. King’s Birthday (Substitute Day) December 10 (Friday) - Constitution Day December 31 (Friday) - New Year’s Eve http://www.thaizer.com/festivals/thailand-public-and-bank-holidays-2010/

Yes, but think of which Thais! I spent this afternoon with a young gent from Udon Thani who plans to go to that concert. He said, "Every Issan boy want to go." That could very well make it worth doing, even if you don't care for that kind of music.

All banks and government offices will be closed on Monday, May 3 for May Day.

Not necessarily. When I used to run my own web site the same thing happened to me. I received no bill or warning of any kind, but woke up one morning to find my web site down. And along with advising me that it was my responsibility to remember the due dates, they refused to reestablish my web site until they received a money order, so the site was down for several days.

They're probably right. I and most farang I talk to also feel that things are likely to get worse, perhaps much worse, before things get better. But I also think the embassies all have to cover themselves to avoid later accusations that they did not properly warn people. I think they are exaggerating the actual danger, even in Bangkok, but I also think they don't have much choice about that. There is no denying that there are areas that are best avoided, but unless something is going on that hasn't been reported, those areas should be easy to avoid. Again, in Pattaya everything is still perfectly normal. If any of you are in Bangkok, please let us know your thoughts and observations.

I agree. It bit me! I am among those who absolutely refused to be convinced by what my friends were seeing with their own eyes. I never thought my friends were lying. I convinced myself that they were misinterpreting what they saw. I learned the hard way, as usual for me. But I did learn.

I don't expect anything. I wasn't there and I don't know the situation they faced. Unless you were there, neither do you. Here is the latest on the hospital situation: _____ Chulalongkorn Hospital Evacuates Patients Published: 30/04/2010 at 12:00 PM Chulalongkorn Hospital began evacuating patients on Friday morning for safety reasons after red-shirt protesters stormed the hospital on Thursday night looking for soldiers. About 200 supporters and guards of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) led by leader Payap Panket searched hospital buildings, claiming it was being used as a hideout by the security forces. The group later left and threatened to return for a new search at 10am Friday. UDD leaders this mornign reprimanded the protesters and said there would be no more raids Hospital director Adisorn Patradul said in the morning that patients were being transferred to Siriraj and other hospitals. The evacuation was voluntary, the decision being made by the patients and their relatives, he said. The patients have the right to remain at the hospital if they wish. Chulalongkorn Hospital evacuates patients

Many people sympathetic to the Red-Shirts are finding their sympathies quickly eroding due to more and more incidents of blatant lawlessness and extreme tactics. Some areas are still reporting that Red-Shirts are blocking highways and forcing cars to stop and be inspected. Not only is that absolutely illegal, but it has caused massive traffic backups in some areas. In their latest move, some 200 Red-Shirts stormed Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, supposedly due to suspicions that soldiers were hiding inside. They seized two innocent workers, but did release them later. Meanwhile the hospital has had to cease accepting any more inpatients and outpatients and even is canceling emergency room services. While the hospitals have asked the Red-Shirts to remain at least 100 meters away, the Red-Shirts are still disrupting hospital services and causing problems for recovering patients due to their loudspeakers. Many police officers are cooperating with the Red-Shirts and refusing to obey the Prime Minister's orders. Even during the hospital incident, it is being reported that police were within inches of one of the Red-Shirt leaders who is wanted and has an arrest warrant pending against him, but they did nothing. The following is from THE NATION: _____ Reds Storm Hospital By Pongphon Sarnsamak The Nation Published on April 30, 2010 In another brazen and controversial move, more than 200 red-shirt guards stormed into Chulalongkorn Hospital last night to check if there were soldiers inside the hospital buildings. The hour-long incident at the hospital, which is located right next to the red-shirt rally site, was monitored closely on Twitter and triggered a storm of criticism within the social media community. Hospital director Dr Adisorn Patradul initially refused to let the members of the anti-government Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) into the complex. However, a source said Adisorn gave in after DAAD co-leader Payap Panket, wanted by police for his role in the tumultuous red campaign, insisted that he be allowed to inspect the area. Although Adisorn only allowed Payap, five red-shirt guards and reporters to come in, scores of other red-shirt guards poured into the hospital buildings as soon as the door was opened. During their search, watched by bewildered nurses and doctors, the red-shirt guards seized two men and brought them to the DAAD stage at the Rajprasong intersection. The two were later released after they told the red shirts they were just workers. The red-shirt guards stopped their search at the hospital at around 8.30pm, but only after police stepped in to negotiate. During the talks, the wanted man Payap was just inches away from the senior officers taking part in the negotiations. The talks ended with an agreement for the red-shirt guards to be allowed to check the hospital again today. This prompted angry responses from Twitter users monitoring the incident, who described the police action as shameful. Reds storm hospital

Neither have I, with three exceptions. Sometimes when I get stopped by police roadblocks they ask to see it, but most of the time they only ask for my driving license. Also, in case of an accident, the insurance representative wants to see the passport. The second exception is I am always asked to present my passport when checking in to a hotel. I imagine everyone else is also asked to present it when checking in. I no longer ever use traveler's checks, but I believe you have to present your passport when cashing traveler's checks. The third exception is when I wish to withdraw funds from my bank account via a bank teller. They always ask for passport and always make a copy of it, which they ask me to sign. They ask for the bankbook as well. If any of you are under the same circumstances I'm in and your retirement benefit comes in via a receive-only account, you have to present your passport in order to retrieve the funds Don't forget that the law says you must have your passport on your person at all times. I am well aware that few people comply and carry photocopies instead, but if you encounter an overzealous police officer you could have a problem if you don't have it. I do carry my passport with me at all times. I have not ever had a problem about having it with me. Again, I've never been asked for it other than in the above situations, but I prefer to have mine with me.

I have no idea, but given the number of projects that people did invest in, and then ended up with major delays or even abandonment of the project, you wouldn't catch me signing such a contract I might consider a contract that gives me the right, if the project is not completed by the specified date, to opt for continuing to pay or having all the money I had thus far paid refunded immediately and in full. If I ever see such a clause in a condo contract, then we'll talk . . .