Gaybutton

That's right and it was perfectly obvious to everyone, and that includes voldemar. Just disregard anything he posts. Only a troll who comes out of the woodwork every once in a while to post garbage.

In addition to the following articles, I found myself stuck in a major traffic jam on Sukhumvit today, between Pattaya Klang and Pattaya Tai. I managed to make a U-Turn, get out of it, and return home. I made that turn long before I was close enough to see what was causing it. It could have been a Red-Shirt thing. It could also have been caused by an accident or something else. Other than that, it again appeared to be a perfectly normal day in Pattaya. The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS: for photos, see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/03/12/rebel-rousing-red-shirts-tour-pattaya-en-route-to-bangkok-demo/ _____ Red Shirts Contingent Tour Pattaya En Route To Bangkok Pattaya, 12 March, 2010, [PDN]: Early this afternoon, Mrs. Jureeporn Sindhuprai, President of the People Love Democracy Association of Pattaya led a group of over 300 Red Shirts to first pray and give homage to the shrine of King Taksin, behind Rungland Village, South Pattaya and secondly to assemble in front of Pattaya City Hall, before moving off on a ‘rebel rousing’ tour of the city. The ‘rebel rousing’ took the form of broadcasting stirring rhetoric from a bus with the intent of recruiting local people to join their group going to Bangkok. Their speech attacked the Prime Minister and the President of the Privy Council. Over 50 Pattaya Police and police volunteers provided security at different points in Pattaya. Mrs. Jureeporn Sindhuprai announced that, so far, between 1,000 to 1,500 local people will be going to Bangkok tomorrow. Most will be going by car and motorbike, with at least 100 of them going via the Chonburi By-pass to join the main Eastern Seaboard group on the Bangna–Trad Road. The demonstrators took 80 temporary toilets with them. ____________________ And this, from PATTAYA ONE: for photos, see: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/15702/red-shirts-not-quite-on-the-rampage-yet/ _____ Red Shirts Not Quite on the Rampage, Yet 13th March 2010 Friday 12 March saw what many observers believe is the beginning of the end game as far as the so-called Red Shirt anti-government groups are concerned. The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, better known by the acronym UDD hoped to marshal up to a million demonstrators in Bangkok. At the same time, regional rallies and demonstrations were also organized. In this bulletin we concentrate on the Red Shirt activities in and around Pattaya. The day before the official rallies our journalists traveled to Soi Petragoon in North Pattaya and the headquarters of what is called the Pattaya City Democracy Protection Club. If anyone was expecting a group of people to be sitting around in easy chairs playing a few games of Scrabble and chequers you would be disappointed. The Club is just a glorified set of market stalls selling UDD t-shirts, scarves, baseball caps and other bits and pieces, including soap. On Friday morning a large group of red-shirted UDD supporters gathered in front of the King Thaksin the Great statue at the front of City Hall to pay homage, light incense sticks and pray for the overthrow of the government and good t-shirt sales. They were addressed by Khun Ronagit, one of Pattaya’s deputy mayors. There were no reports of violence from within Pattaya and the UDD supporters stated they will be assembling in Soi Petragoon on Saturday morning and taking a bus or three to the rallies in Bangkok.

You also do not practice spelling. What you do practice is crawling out from under a rock every so often to write put-down posts. It's perfectly obvious that you're hoping for responses from me to your kinds of comments. What I've written on this post is all you'll get.

It's about 1:10pm in Pattaya. A circuit around town was just about the same as yesterday. Nothing at all out of the ordinary. I would expect the most interesting observations to come from Bangkok today. If you are in Bangkok, please let us know what you see and experience.

Aside from your usual sarcasm, what point are you trying to make? Perhaps you forgot what you wrote yesterday, all about how everything is scheduled only for March 14 when it fact everything was scheduled for March 12-14. Maybe you are impressed by the goings on so far. To me it all is still not much of anything. The newspaper articles this morning back up what my thoughts were. Even the Red-Shirt leaders expressed disappointment over the numbers of participants. I don't care much whether I turn out to be right or wrong. If I'm wrong I'm sure we're all champing at the bit to see you come here to gloat. I made my prediction. Where's yours?

Pork

A good number of photos of the goings on are posted on the Gay Ting & Tong board: http://www.gaytingtong.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6675

I agree. Wi's and Cherry's are among my personal favorites. Wi's set menu is 475 baht, but it includes a glass of wine, and the wine is quite good (of course, that's my opinion, but I don't really know a damned thing about wine). The Wednesday night buffet at Cherry's does usually get quite crowded and noisy. It's quite popular. I recommend reservations, even during low season. The telephone number is 086 314 5819. The Friday night all-u-can-eat ribs night is gaining in popularity, but customer numbers are not nearly as high as on Wednesday's. My friends and I go quite often. Those ribs and that price can't be beat. Cherry's also does a lobster night on Mondays. It includes their salad bar, amuse bouche, and a starter that consists of two grilled rock lobsters and two grilled large prawns. The entree is Lobster Thermidor, and it is quite good and done properly. Dessert is your choice of fruit salad, banana split, or tiramisu. Coffee or tea is included. 450 baht. On any of those nights, if you prefer you can order from their regular menu.

Today is the second day of the three day Red-Shirt protest rally during which they hope to bring down the current Thai government. Yesterday was a much lighter turnout than was expected. Now we'll see what today brings: The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Red Rage Rising Jatuporn says clashes are unavoidable, Abhisit 'hopeful' for peaceful protests, UDD rural hordes head for the capital Published: 13/03/2010 The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) yesterday attracted fewer than expected numbers to what it called a "prelude" to its mass rally to bring down the government. Security forces said about 6,500 to 7,000 red shirts showed up at six locations across the capital yesterday. The red shirt supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered to perform ceremonies to bless their cause and curse their enemies. The crowds dispersed after a few hours and were told to meet tomorrow at Sanam Luang. UDD leaders including Jatuporn Prompan, Veera Musikhapong, Weng Tojirakarn and Jaran Dithapichai, led the red shirts to several sites around the city, including the 11th Infantry Regiment, where the government's peacekeeping operations command is based. The gatherings did not adversely affect traffic in the city. As the red shirt protesters in Bangkok dispersed, those in the provinces gathered en masse to start their long journey to the capital. About 14,000 people left Chiang Mai with another 10,000 on the way from Udon Thani in the Northeast. Groups of red shirts, numbering in the tens and hundreds, from provinces in the North and Northeast, all headed for Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district, a key mustering point for the UDD and a security choke point. Mr Jatuporn said yesterday's events in Bangkok were just a "prelude" to tomorrow's big event, and the numbers did not matter. "We have thought it through," he said. "We want to save energy for the big battle on Sunday. "Today's activity is not a rally. It is more of a preview. I hope the government enjoys its estimates [of the size of the rally] until it sees the real thing." The UDD set up its stage at Pan Fa Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue last night. Activities will begin this morning, said Mr Jatuporn. The red shirts' rally to force the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration to step down should not exceed seven days, he said. He warned the government not to incite violence as clashes between protesters and security forces would only escalate its downfall. "The government has deployed 50,000 police and troops, so confrontation is unavoidable," he said. "Those who have less patience will lose." Mr Abhisit yesterday said he hoped the rally would proceed peacefully. He said the fact that the government's chief negotiator and a core UDD leader have already established a communications channel was a positive sign. Mr Abhisit said the government has a lot more to do to ensure effective communications because red shirt demonstrators are in several groups and are supervised by different leaders. The prime minister said he has suggested that security forces and red shirt guards could work together to search rally participants for weapons. He also brushed aside UDD leader Natthawut Saikua's threat to mobilise the UDD to bring Bangkok to a standstill if the government refuses to step down. A house dissolution would not solve the political deadlock, said Mr Abhisit. "I have no idea how the situation will develop but I plan to do my best to keep things under control," he said. People's Alliance for Democracy coordinator Suriyasai Katasila said the rally would not draw 50,000 people. Numbers were low due to splits in the red shirt movement and the realisation that Thaksin was exploiting the UDD. ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ Thaksin's Last Chance By Tulsathit Taptim The Nation Published on March 13, 2010 More than ever now, Thaksin Shinawatra needs the rural poor to bail him out. Yesterday's quiet showing by his red-shirted supporters based in Bangkok and its surburbs was downplayed as a calm before a real storm, but whether that's true or not, their provincial counterparts have to produce nothing short of a hurricane in the next couple of days. He could take heart in the fact that red tides were streaming into Nakhon Sawan last night from upper North. The meeting point, rally organizers hope, would be flooded with more than 100,000 people before dawn, making the last stretch of the journey to Bangkok one of the historic political moments. Thaksin knows better than anyone that this particular red campaign can't end with a whimper. While there can be plenty of excuses for the low turnouts at rendez vous spots around Bangkok yesterday, he can't afford to be seen as being abandoned by the rural poor during arguably his darkest hours. No more court case coming up. Pheu Thai, his virtual political party, is facing no dissolution threats. If Thaksin can't turn the asset seizure ruling into a groundswell of sympathy now, the only chance for a "red upheaval" will be lost forever. According to police, only 6,500 protesters gathered yesterday at various spots around Bangkok, far below the initial target of 10,000 people at each gathering point. A lot of factors may contribute to the low turnout _ hot weather, limited financial supplies, the "no-violence" campaigns, the widespread fear of violence as well as the seemingly poor coordination among the organizers. Rivals of the red shirts claimed there were other reasons as well. They said news that Thaksin's family members and close relatives were leaving Thailand during this time left a bad taste in his followers' mouths. Some red sympathizers might have also felt reluctant to join a "pro-democracy" rally that took place only days after the Supreme Court seized his "ill-gotten" money. "If you are red members you can get somewhat confused," said Suriyasai Katasila, a yellow-shirted leader. This is not to say, however, that most red shirts would renounce a campaign to retrieve Thaksin's money. It's only that protest organisers' reluctance to associate the rally with Thaksin's confiscated wealth has left them with the less attractive, or even boring, cause of overthrowing an illegitimate Democrat government. That the "three buddies", as the three red shirt leaders are called, spent most of yesterday appearing on red cable TV discussing same old issues raised eye-brows. They offered no good explanation why they were not leading the crowds on the first day of the rally, only saying yesterday was just a "prelude" and the reds' real force would be seen at the weekend. It seemed everyone was pinning his hope on the rural poor to weave their political magic and save Thaksin. News reports from the province showed lively preparations in various northern and northeastern provinces, but along with that also came a setback, as a group of red supporters were caught on camera receiving payment from those who looked like organizers. Whether or not the apparent scandal was an exception or a rule didn't matter as far as Thaksin was concerned. He has to do whatever it takes to make sure the red rally creates a big impact at least in terms of numbers. This desperate situation has prompted fears that if the red shirts could not form a mass big enough, chances of "statement through violence" may increase. Considering the fast-growing "peace" movement in the city and the government's preparations, a repeat of last year's Songkran turbulence seems unlikely, at least for now. To bounce back from the court setback, Thaksin will need pure power of the poor to relaunch himself. The irony of it is not even the fact that he remains one of Thailand's richest men, but the red shirted leaders' description of this campaign as one to expose a yawning gap between Thailand's Haves and Have-nots.

Pattaya Park

Rit's beach is one of the more popular beach concessions in the gay beach area. As you face the beach from Tui's Place. it's the third concession to the right. It's clearly marked, however all the beach concessions in that area are part of the gay beach.

I hadn't heard anything about that until your post. Do you know why they would be doing that?

No shit, Sherlock . . . Meanwhile I'm sticking my neck on the chopping block because I believe I'm going to turn out to be right. Have you got guts enough to do the same thing? Well, no need to respond. The answer to that question is already obvious. Odd as this may sound, I hope you're right. I'd like nothing better than to see some major happenings on Saturday and Sunday. You know why? Selfish as this may seem, my sole interest in any of this nonsense is how it might affect the exchange rates. If today is any indication, it's all going to be a big nothing. We'll see what happens as it all progresses. My prediction is still all media hype and bullshit. If I'm wrong, then a bunch of you will get to have a field day chopping me apart.

Ok, then I bow to the more recent observations.

http://www.gaygetter.com/gs-eimages/6/6/3/1/img/img-6631-3034.jpg

I just returned from my circuit of Pattaya. I didn't take any photos for a very simple reason. There was nothing to take a photo of. I went down Soi Khao Tolo first. That rallying point at the junction of Soi Khao Tolo and Sukhumvit was completely vacant. Next I drove down Thapprasit Road. Nothing. Everything was perfectly normal. At Thappraya Road I turned and headed for town, went up Second Road all the way to the Dolphin Roundabout, came down Beach Road to Walking Street, turned and went all the way up Pattaya Tai to Sukhumvit, and then went home. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary going on. I just checked the TV news stations. Not much of anything there either. The station that was showing the the marchers earlier this morning is now showing a Muay Thai boxing match. A check of the online media says that the biggest rally in Bangkok consisted of about 3500 people. They have agreed to disperse by 5:00pm today and they intend to reorganize and try again on Sunday. That's it, folks. Now it's a little after 3:00pm in Thailand. I believe I was right about what I predicted. If nothing has happened by now, then I doubt it will. As I said . . . all media hype and nothing but bullshit. Meanwhile the Thai government is saying that they intend to level a series of new charges against Thaksin and they are going to ask again for extradition based on the Supreme Court decision. Unless Thaksin has something new up his sleeve, my feeling is that his dreams of a triumphant return to Thailand and taking power or putting a puppet government in place and then obtaining a pardon, are over. Why am I reminded of that 1970's movie, "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?"

It's 12:55pm. I just had another look at Thai television news stations. The only thing being shown was a group of marchers and cars, about 300 people if that many, going up a major road in Bangkok. I couldn't tell which one. There are four lanes. They're doing their marching in the right two lanes, but leaving the left two lanes clear so that traffic can get through. That's all I'm seeing on TV. I also just got a call from a Thai friend in Bangkok. Of course, I asked him about the rally. He laughed and said, "What rally?" He said if people want to participate in it, they have to go out and find where it is. He said the massive numbers of protesters simply have not materialized . . . at least not yet. So far there seems to be less going on than even I anticipated. If the television news and online media are reporting accurately, and if it doesn't escalate, then this may very well turn out to be a major setback for Thaksin and his supporters. Now I'm heading out the door to take a drive through Pattaya to see if I spot anything going on here. Patexpat seems to be on top of the doings around Third Road, so I'll have a look at other areas and leave reports about Third Road to him. I'll post what I see later. I'm taking my camera with me. If any of you are in Pattaya, Bangkok, or anywhere else in Thailand, please let us know what you see happening, even if you see nothing happening.

It's nearly 11:00am now. I just looked at the "breaking news" items online. Nothing is even mentioned about anything special going on. I also looked at the Thai news stations on TV. All they showed was a few isolated small groups of Red-Shirts walking, carrying signs, and smiling and waving at the TV cameras. I did see one post on an update web board that a convoy of Red-Shirts from Chiang Mai are heading to Bangkok, but they are only just now leaving. They can't even get as far as Bangkok until some time tonight. Other than that, so far I can't find anything in the media.

Ok, the big day is here. It's Friday, March 12. It's 5:30am in Thailand. Don't ask what I'm doing up at this hour . . . Now we'll see what will really happen. Will it be a major brouhaha or will it fail to amount to much? The gist of all the morning news articles is "please, no violence." That plea is coming from all sides. Check in on this thread every so often during the day. If I encounter or hear about anything major taking place, I'll post it here. If you are present in Thailand, please do the same if you can.

Not much of anything goes on at the gay beach at night. No one is there at night unless you're hoping for an encounter with criminals. It is poorly lit at night and can be dangerous. Not exactly a hot spot at night. Years ago it used to be a decent area for nighttime cruising. Lately, however the recommendation is to go elsewhere at night.

Oh well, no one's perfect . . .

Does this mean I am the inaugural listing on your "I Don't Get It" list?

On the Thaigmc site, scroll down a little bit and look on the left side. Try the links under "Gay Web Site." Some will c9onnect you with even more gay Thai hookup sites. Try this one: http://www.smartbkk.com At the top left, do the "Smarts Search." I selected Thailand as the location, clicked "with photo," and left the rest of the boxes that default to "Any" alone. When I hit the SEARCH button 185 pages of ads came up, a great many of which are written in English, similar to Gay Romeo, and they all have contact information.

That's simple. YOU would be responsible. That works for me . . .

A little web surfing today yielded a couple Thai gay personals site that I didn't know about before. It's mostly in Thai, but there is a very good "gallery" section with loads of sexy pics and a personals section marked "Picture Post." The ads are in Thai, but there are plenty of ads with Email addresses and telephone numbers. http://www.thaigmc.com This one includes photos, links to MSN Messenger, links to Hi5, links to Facebook, and Email addresses. http://www.msngaythai.com