TotallyOz

No, they did this in order to let everyone cool off. No one on streets. No one outside in groups of 5 or more. No TV. No Radio. Actually, there is both but only one photo with notice and patriotic music. Not sure how long this will last but I figure for a few days or a week. It was really eerie how quiet the streets were in Bangkok yesterday. I went to mall and back and there was zero traffic. We were in movie but the mall was dead. We ate in my favorite pizza place that is usually packed. We were only customers throughout the meal. On the way back, taxi stopped at only 2 lights. Usually a 40 min commute at rush hour took us 10 min. I gave him an extra 100 baht as I knew he has to finish his shift by 8PM and no more money to be made. It is interesting here but odd.

Military Coup Update: Thai Military is cutting off all media (Radio and TV) at 10PM each night. Even BBC, CNN and heaven forbid HBO. I guess the train of thought is that they are worried that HBO will be showing reruns of Game of Thrones and the people will be demanding Trial by Combat?

I would not support the yellow shirts as they believe the people do not deserve a vote. They do not want a democracy. They want to rule based on their god given right to rule and not by popular vote. I don't care what the reason is behind a victory, but in a democracy, when an election occurs you must let the winners rule. This is the opposite of what the yellow shirts wish to happen. Read some of the things these yellow shirts say about the red shirts: they are dogs, subhuman, ignorant.

Safety is not an issue. It is safe here. I would not let this deter a trip but I don't go out late at night. You can find boys on Grinder and Gay Romeo very easily. I don't think the curfew will be in effect for a month. I think just temporary. But, only time will tell.

Reading the story on how the General decided to take over from the Bangkok Post reporters was interesting. During the negotiations between the 2 parties the General asked the Prime Minister and all cabinet members to resign. There were armed guards the prohibited either party from leaving. When the government leaders refused, the General said, 'then, from now on, I will take control of the government." All parties were whisked away under armed guard and the general and his men took control. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/410724/army-declares-martial-law

Reading the story on how the General decided to take over from the Bangkok Post reporters was interesting. During the negotiations between the 2 parties the General asked the Prime Minister and all cabinet members to resign. There were armed guards the prohibited either party from leaving. When the government leaders refused, the General said, 'then, from now on, I will take control of the government." All parties were whisked away under armed guard and the general and his men took control. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/410724/army-declares-martial-law

The coup is in full force. The military has taken over all TV and radio stations in Thailand. The boys complained as they were not allowed to see TV tonight. There is a curfew in full force. I live in a very busy area and the streets are quite. They are never quiet this time of night. The military has suspended the constitution. (what the yellow shirts wanted all along) They have brought in buses for the protesters to take them north or south. Not sure if they will go or not. This is my 2nd full coup in Thailand and it is always interesting to see what goes on here.

http://www.voanews.com/content/crisis-talks-continue-in-thailand/1919959.html

I love the song. I have it in several of my playlists. This video was funny!

Shocking! Love it. But, shocking. You are right. Every day. I think we are near the end of these decisions. Penn would make 44 percent of Americans that live in states with legal gay marriage.

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.