TotallyOz

My hotel always asks if I want to pay in Thai Baht or US Dollar. Which is the better deal? They always say Thai Baht.

PS I am sorry for the incorrect information. Martial law was not just declared, it has been in existence for a while. The Thai Military had a misspelling. They thought Partial Law and Martial Law were the same.

I am curious, does this only void the things that happen as a RESULT of the riots or just anything that you need in the country while here? I ask as I also have Blue Cross / Blue Shield. Thanks.

Now listen guys. The military declared martial law but has assure the people this is not a coup. LOL No coup will happen as the tanks and guns are only here to protect the duly elected officials and have another election where the people's vote will lead to another insurrection and another coup. Democracy at work guys.

But, don't worry, the Generals say this is not a coup. http://bangkokpost.com/news/local/410719/army-invokes-martial-law Will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

In 10 years this issue has really taken off. I'll say I honestly never expected this. I honestly didn't expect to see it in my lifetime.

In an unusually personal opinion, Oregon District Judge Michael McShane today held that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Same-sex couples in Oregon, who expected the ruling and had already lined up at county clerks’ office, immediately began marrying. The state refused to defend the law, and the Ninth Circuit today rejected a last-ditch effort by the National Organization for Marriage to intervene, so it seems there will be no appeal. That makes Oregon the 18th state to recognize same-sex marriages. Counting both federal and state court decisions, it’s the seventeenth consecutive judicial win for same-sex marriage advocates since the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor last summer. Most of the federal court wins are on hold while appeals are pending. Judge McShane held that Oregon’s state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. In line with almost every court to review the issue, he rejected the argument that the ban was a form of sex discrimination. Instead he concluded that it constituted discrimination based on sexual orientation. Judge McShane avoided the question of heightened scrutiny and held that the law failed even rational-basis review, as several courts have now decided. What really distinguishes the decision from many others is the unusually personal terms in which Judge McShane, who has a son and is in a same-sex relationship, concluded the opinion: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/05/19/gay-marriage-in-oregon-no-appeal/

The Embassy is sponsoring a week of discounts and offers from several restaurants in the area. I love the burgers at Firehouse near Hero! But, there are lots of other offerings. http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/arw2014.html

I guess a lot depends on what you want from it. If you are going to be a Muay Thai boxer, you are right, none of us would make it. If you use it to get into shape and enjoy the challenge, it can be done. I spent 2 months at a Muay Thai camp in Chiang Mai a few years back and loved it. True, I could not do everything the others could but I was able to keep up (although at the back of the pack).

LOL Good? It's GREAT!

I didn't come for the bars this time. If I did, I would not have chosen Bangkok as I don't really care for them. In Bangkok, I like the massage places. But, I came here to relax with my 2 guys. I picked a fabulous hotel and I sent the boys to do shopping yesterday and I counted up, I have been outside my hotel 5 times in 3 weeks. One to meet a friend in Soi Twilight. One for a movie and 3 for lunch. LOL My hotel has the best gym of any hotel I have EVER stayed in. It has 3 great restaurants. I has a beautiful pool. I have 2 amazing boys that live with me 24/7. I had one boy from Pattaya come up for a bit. Why on earth would I want to leave the premises? Plus, I am getting old. LOL Firecat always tells me I am getting boring in my old age.

Looks like Funny Boys in Pattaya. Been there way too many times! Best bar in Boyztown IMHO

Interesting. I was just watching Bill Maher and his guest was Robert Lustig who is a pediatric endocrinologist and he talks about the evils of sugar. He basically said that 6-9 teaspoons per day is the max a person should have. If you read labels, that amount is easy to get really quick. Growing up, my mother cooked cakes and deserts on Sunday. It was never a daily thing. Soft drinks were never in my home. We lived on a farm and ate lots of meats and veggies. Life has changed a great deal over the last 40 years but more and more people rely on eating out and fast food. I do admit to loving sugar and it is defiantly an addiction. I have cut it out completely from my daily routine as much as possible. The boys and I are even cooking all of our own meals each day so we can see what goes into them. My only things I sway from this are 2 Diet Cokes per day and 1 or 2 Starbucks Coffees. Yes, I like the caffeine, but I think I like the sugar more. I do have a nice coffee machine I use for a few cups per day but my 2 diet cokes really were something I looked forward to. BTW: you are referring to the old Jesus. The new one from the Bible belt will tell you wine is a sin. LOL But, don't worry, if you have a cute Thai boy with you, your sins are forgiven as you are doing good for the needy.

Are you the National Tourist Ad Agency Manager? You should be!

When in Bangkok, I have 2 long term boyfriends (10 years) that stay with me. They keep me pretty busy while I am here and I don't venture out too much. I wish I had a more exciting report.

I would say the reverse. I do not like wine and would never pollute a meal with it. But, I know many are different and have different tastes. I like the taste of Diet Coke but it is to each his own. That is why Heinz makes 57 varieties.

I think this might be a conspiracy. But, all of the diet cokes in Bangkok are disappearing. None have been available at the 7-11's or Family Marts for 2 weeks. Normally, they always have them. Today, the boys went to Siam Paragon and the grocery store on the bottom level. It too is sold out. Has the bottling company here stopped producing them?

?? Planning on continuing what? Not much going on? There is a solution to that. Contribute.

Welcome to the site ! Great tats!

A U.S. federal judge struck down Idaho's ban on gay marriage on Tuesday, saying it relegated same-sex couples to a second-class status in violation of constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale was the latest in a string of decisions by federal judges against state bans on same-sex matrimony that, if upheld by higher courts, would sharply broaden access to marriage for U.S. gay couples. Dale said her decision would go into effect on Friday at 9 a.m. local time, unless put on hold by a higher court. Marriage rights have been extended to gay couples in 17 states and the District of Columbia in a trend that has gained momentum since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that legally married same-sex couples nationwide are eligible for federal benefits. That decision, which struck down part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, has been cited by a number of federal judges, including Dale, in subsequent opinions overturning state bans on gay matrimony. The Idaho lawsuit was brought in November by two lesbian couples whose out-of-state marriages were invalid in Idaho and two couples who sought to be married in Idaho but were denied licenses. The lawsuit named Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter and Ada County Clerk Chris Rich as defendants. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/14/us-usa-idaho-gaymarriage-idUSBREA4D00Y20140514

I had a group of 3 friends who just spent one month at Tiger Muay Thai and have a fantastic time. They were not experienced in Muay Thai but they wanted to learn some basics but more than that, they wanted to get into shape. They all loved the program and the staff. They said the accommodations that were offered were pretty basic and they upgraded after one week to another place but other than that, the experience was great. http://www.tigermuaythai.com

I'd go back in time to meet my father. He died when I was 5 and I don't remember much. I'd love to see what he is really like as opposed to things based on other people's memories.

Speaking with The Phuket News this morning, Gen Phanu said, “We have been very lenient about this. I’ve had many comments about [our excessive leniency]." Several factors have come together to kill off the tourist visa run. The first, as already reported in The Phuket News is fallout from the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Two Iranian men boarded that flight using passports that had been stolen or went missing in Phuket a couple of years before. Hence a tightening-up on passports was inevitable. But another major concern is the number of foreigners working illegally, the General said. “Lots of nationalities come to Thailand on tourist visas but they come to work. I really want them to do the right thing, not try to dodge around the law and evade taxes." He said that Russians, South Koreans and Vietnamese in particular are in the spotlight. “Immigration is keeping an eye on them.” That said, other nationalities will not escape notice. - See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/immigration-boss-confirms-the-out-in-visa-run-is-dead-46240.php#sthash.kjn51VMP.dpuf http://www.thailandvisa.com/topic/4396-immigration-boss-confirms-the-out-in-visa-run-is-dead/

I want to the bar area last night. First, the streets have never been as easy to get there. No traffic at all. The night market was dead. I did arrive very early for drinks with a friend. But, the place was very very quiet. I was there a bit over 2.5 hours and I was surprised at how quiet it actually was. I talked to a few boys and they all said, "very very bad in Thailand right now." I guessed that as my hotel also said they had many cancellations in the past few weeks as the country seems on the brink. I have not hit up Hero yet, but I am hoping the boys there are doing better off than the ones on Soi Twilight.

I am at a nice hotel in Bangkok. It is a serviced apartment. It is not a cheap place but I do love it and have stayed here many times in the past. When I eat in the restaurants located in the hotel, they add VAT and a Service Charge. Once I see that, I have a hard time leaving a tip as I think it is included in the bill. I often eat lunch by the pool. The waiters are great and the food is great. But, we don't take wallets or anything with us when we are there and charge to our room. The bill also has VAT and a Service Charge of 10%. Given the above, is it rude not to tip? Is a tip expected? Should I just suck it up and tip anyway?