Gaybutton

You've definitely caught my interest. Can you tell us more details, such as what kind of gay nightlife you did manage to find and where it is, along with where one would go to cruise in Luang Prabang?

I'm embarrassed to admit that 'baht forward' is a term with which I am not familiar. Can you explain it?

You'll find everything you want to know about Songkran 2010 in the following PATTAYA MAIL article: http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml#hd2

I think you will be pleased with the person with whom I put you in touch. I hope others will also make suggestions. As for getting there, if you're looking for a more inexpensive way to do it, it's a lot less expensive if you fly to Udon Thani. Buses go from the airport to the border crossing at Nong Khai. From there you can pay the fees to enter Laos, clear customs, and another bus will take you across the Friendship Bridge into Laos. On the other side there are tuk-tuks and buses that can take you into Vientiane. It is far less expensive to do it that way than flights from Bangkok to Vientiane and I think also a much more interesting way to do it. Don't forget to obtain a re-entry permit from Immigration before you go.

Not in Luang Prabang. There is the Thai embassy in Vientiane. In Laos, that's all there is.

Apparently, at least on the various gay Thailand boards, board owners, moderators, and people prominent in the gay community here are considered fair game for the "crucifiers." As far as I can tell everyone who has been a board owner or moderator, and is also identifiable, has been flamed at least once. Of course, those who do the flaming never seek out the person they are flaming, identify themselves, and discuss whatever their problem is personally. It's much easier to hide behind anonymity and blast away. The very fact that they hide behind anonymity is the reason they have no credibility. It brings to mind two quotes: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." - Harry Truman "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts." - Peter O'Toole, 'Lawrence of Arabia"

Pattaya City Hall in conjunction with U-Tapao airport directors and local businesses and institutes joined together in announcing the official opening of a tourism link between Pattaya City and Luang Prabang, Laos. Pattaya, the 8th of April 2010 [PDN]: In a meeting at Pattaya City Hall on Thursday, Pattaya City Deputy Mayor Ronnakit Ekasing, Rear Admiral Suraphon Aisanon (U-Tapao Airport Vice-Director) and associated businesses and institutes joined to announce the opening date for an air travel link between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Peoples Democratic Republic of Laos. The planned route is designed to benefit the tourism industries of both countries by opening up new avenues of travel. http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/04/08/pattaya-laos-air-travel-link-announced/

Whether that is true or not, it brings up an issue I believe is more important than the attributes of an individual bar, or any other venue for that matter. I believe toilet facilities should be kept clean and odor-free, especially the venues that cater to farang customers. Every other aspect of a venue can be perfect, but if a customer walks into a disgusting restroom, a great many will not return to that venue. How hard is it for owners to see to it that the restrooms are clean and pleasant? Perhaps some owners don't see it as a major issue, but a great many customers do see it that way and I don't see any excuse for customers to have to use unacceptable facilities when nature calls. Also, when restroom facilities are unsanitary and virtually ignored, it certainly makes me wonder about the sanitation of the rest of the venue, especially the containers from which I am drinking. It would be difficult to convince me that scrupulous attention is paid to the cleanliness and sanitary qualities of the drinking glasses when nobody seems to give a damn about the restroom facilities. It seems to me that it should be a simple problem to take care of. Unfortunately, this complaint has been around for years, but in many cases it has fallen on deaf ears. The filthy restroom issue made it to my "I Don't Get It" list a long time ago. And I still don't get it. Why won't some of these venues clean up their facilities? What's the hard part?

It doesn't matter to me that I don't know him personally. If I do know him without realizing, it still doesn't matter to me. Why should it? What matters to me is how good of a moderator he will be and judging from the posts I've seen from him, including the ones in which we disagree, I have every reason to believe he will be an excellent moderator and a major asset to this board. Stirring up controversy is not a factor for me. Again, why should it be? I've certainly stirred up plenty of controversy myself, haven't I? Whether I know who z909 actually is or not, or whether I would have any reason to be upset if I knew who he is, as you imply, I'm very glad he wants to be a moderator here. By the way, our third moderator, TLP - I don't know who he actually is either. If either of them want me to know, I'm sure they will tell me.

To my mind, as long as the boys are at least 18 years old, then there's no such thing as a "bad" bar. It's either a bar you happen to like or a bar you happen to dislike. Considering the variety of individual tastes, what some may see as a "bad" bar is to others a favorite bar. I think it makes more sense to describe what you see and experience, but let people judge for themselves about it being good or bad.

I appreciate that and I agree with your thoughts about Z909.

And, by the way, for the person who has been sending me PMs, finding his recent posts deleted, and finding himself placed on moderated mode, once again I'll tell you I have deleted nothing and I am not the one who placed you on moderated mode. You're complaining to the wrong person.

I haven't had time to read everything that came up, but from what I did read I still don't see anything that indicates any of the powers-that-be don't want foreigners to own bars. As for the rest of it, nothing new there. Those stories have been around for weeks. As seems to always happen, at first there really did seem to be a crackdown. Now most of that has fizzled out. It never seems to take long.

I agree with that. Before getting involved, as a farang, in any business in Thailand, and especially the go-go bar business, you better make sure you know what you're doing. And message boards, including this one, would be the last place I would look for reliable business information. There is also a lot more to running a bar than buying it and then just handing over the actual business operations to a Thai manager and mama-san. Some have tried that. They're the ones who are now searching for their shirts in the lost-and-found. The one exception I would make to message board information would be the posts about what people like and dislike about bars. Those posts are coming from people who are the customers and I would damned sure pay attention, very close attention, to what the customers are saying. Why so many bar owners, Thai and farang, simply ignore what the customers say goes beyond me. It has been made very clear on these boards what customers want and don't want. The bars that do pay attention are the ones getting our business. The bars that don't are the ones pretty much empty night after night. That's obvious to everybody else. Why isn't it obvious to the bar owners? Welcome once again to my "I Don't Get It" list.

If it were me, I would ask current farang owners what they think. The poster wrote, "The word is out." I have heard no such word and he did not say who it was that put the word out, on what basis that word was given, or who "they" is. If I was truly interested in investing in a bar, I would not rely solely on an unsupported statement posted by an anonymous message board poster. I would be talking to farang bar owners, Thai accountants, and Thai attorneys.

Do you mean Foodland, Tops or Carrefour? There is no Lotus on Pattaya Klang.

bump

It seems to me that most of your post is right here: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/findpost-t5241-p35403.html Be careful. Both of your posts include thinly veiled attacks. If you wish to be retain the privilege of posting on this board, please do so without the attacks. That group you're so familiar with goes to all kinds of restaurants, expensive and inexpensive, and everyone pays his own bill. I can see what you're trying to do and believe me you're on the wrong board to be doing it. You haven't been on this board for very long and you won't last here very long if this is the kind of thing you're up to. Feel free to post whatever you want about the issues and subjects, but leave attacks out of it. If this is your idea of a "very informative post," that, I guarantee, will not be tolerated. I believe you can be a valuable, informative poster here if you choose to be. But if you're going to choose to be a troll, I think you probably already know how we handle problem posters. The subject of this thread is Chez Vickie. It isn't about who pays how much or who is a Canadian in monk drag.

I hate to break the news, but I haven't deleted anything.

I'm sorry. I left my rectal thermometer at home this morning. It was hot. Not burning hot. As far as I was concerned it was just right. I'm not sure, though, how long it will take for the blisters to heal or whether Thailand will accept a 'Stella' lawsuit for the coffee.

This morning we tried the breakfast buffet. I think this is one you really ought to try. It was just excellent and what a deal! It's every bit as good as breakfast buffets I've been to in this city where you pay 800 baht on up. Here you pay 145 baht plus whatever you want to leave for a tip. Everything listed on the menu is there. They also have an omelet cook who will make your omelet (or eggs any style you want) and serve it to you piping hot. He also has sausages, steaks, etc. that he'll cook and serve to you. They also serve you the coffee or tea. I prefer that to getting it myself. I always manage to spill half of it. The breakfast includes all the fresh brewed coffee and tea you want. No extra charge for refills. The same is true for water and juices. Kim, herself, is right there to supervise and make sure you receive the service and food quality you came for. You get your choice of indoor and outdoor seating. Comfortable seats for the smokers are available, well away from where non-smokers will be subjected to anyone's smoke. At this price, at this quality, I think this breakfast buffet will very soon become the most popular breakfast in town.

There is a brand or two of recording DVD players, on which you can record DVDs from television. Send a PM to Shebavon. He has one.

Yes. You should have been able to set up your profile with the option of it being private or public. Private means only people you approve get to see it. As for the "friends," all of those should be requests that you can approve, deny, or just ignore. A lot of them, especially the younger ones, seem to be more interested in having a huge friends list than they are in actually finding people to meet. You should be able to go into your profile and change any of those options, including whether you receive friends requests via Email or a request list showing up only when you log on to Hi5.

I agree. Enough is enough and now it's starting to get personal. Thread closed.