TotallyOz

The PG Weekly Report for this week is now visible at: www.pgreport.com Just select the report for July15th at the top oif the list, and click "GO" ! Here is a summary of the items included in this week's report: ---------------------------------------------------------- CURRENT COMPILATION FOR THE 7 DAYS ENDING JULY 15th 2008 Click link below to go to that item or scroll down for full report To view this report in another language CLICK HERE to go to babelfish.altavista.com enter the URL for this page, as it appears on your browser, and select the language. This page was last edited on: July 16, 2008 PATTAYA NEWS & FORTHCOMING EVENTS Oscars to host Presentation Evening Quiz Night at Oscars for Thais4Life: Report Le Café Royale events Rare Views: Liam's Gallery, Pattaya Bar La Cage News Bee of Forest Bar is 21 AGAIN!!! Ozz Bar and Terrace News The Birdcage for Sale Sunee News BANGKOK NEWS Silom Soi 4 news and events: Balcony Cabaret Night for Thais4Life Silom Soi 4 Fancy Dress Party Telephone News News and Events from @Richard's Pub Zubin Mehta & Israel Philharmonic Orchestra George Benson & Al Jarreau Live in Bangkok AND FINALLY . . . Love Thy Neighbor

The former Kaos is up for sale. A sign was posted tonight for anyone interested. With the Birdcage going under and now this, it seems like hard times for the bars here. I was in Pattayland Soi 3 last night and the bars that are closed really does take a toll on the way the place looks. I had coffee with a lovely gentleman tonight (perhaps the most in the know guy in all of Thailand) and he kept me up to date with all the new closings in town. It is nice to have someone with so much knowledge and insight to shed some light on why all this is happening. I guess for him as well as many of you who have been here for years, it is nothing new. For those of us newer to the scene here, it is always surprising to see how fast things happen and how fast things change. What is the life span of a go go bar in Pattaya? Is it different than one in Bangkok? What about Chiang Mai?

Happy Bar on Soi Yensabai in South Pattaya near Sunee Plaza is having a party in July 19, 2008. They have 2 shows scheduled. Eat Free and All drinks are 99 baht.

Liam's Gallery, Pattaya cordially invites you to the gallery's first photography exhibition of OHM PHANPHIROJ award-winning international artist entitled Rare Views curated by Brian Curtin in conjunction with Whitespace Gallery Bangkok. Exhibition runs from July 19th to August 31st 2008. Opening Reception: Saturday July 19th 2008, 6.30-10.00 pm. Photographs from Phanphiroj's Books Rare Views and Nighthawks will be exhibited and Khun Ohm will be on hand to sign books on July 19th. Liam's Gallery 352/107 Soi 4 Pratamnak Road Moo 12 Nong Prue Banglamung, Pattaya 20150 Tel. +66 038 306172 Email: contact.liamsgallery@gmail.com http://www.liamsgallery.com An Exhibition of photographs entitled New Identity by Ohm Phanphiroj will run at Whitespace Gallery from July 18th to August 17th 2008. Opening Reception: July 18th, 6.30 – 10.00 pm. Room No. 260, 2nd Floor, Lido Building, Lock #16, Siam Square Soi 3, Rama1 Road,Pathumwan, Bkk 10330. Tel. +66 02 252 2900 Fax. +66 02 252 2905 rareviews.pdf

The Sleep Clinic at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital is well worth a trip for those in need of a sleep study. Here are a few things I learned from this trip. The Sleep Study for sleep apnea cost 14,000 bath for a night at the hospital. That is a good price as the quotes I had from LA were 8,000 USD. This was a significant difference so I decided to do it in Thailand. I had to go to see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor in order to get an appointment for this study. It costs 700 baht for this even though I was told there would be no charge. I had tried on the phone to get in touch with them many times for information but no one ever seemed to know what I was talking about. If you want this study, call the hospital and then ask for the ENT center and ask for Sleep Apnea test. They do not know the word sleep study. They only take one patient per night on this and you can schedule in advance. I had mine scheduled a few days after I went to find out about the study. They told me to arrive at 4:30 which I did. I was weighed and they checked my blood pressure and temperature and took me to a room. The room was nice with a nice view and it was private. It had a mini fridge and microwave and coffee maker. There were toothbrushes and toothpaste inside the bathroom as well as soap and shampoo. The room was clean and nice. The tv has satellite and there were plenty of movies on over the night and next morning. I was served dinner after I placed my order for dinner and the next morning’s breakfast. The dinner was chicken cordon blue and it tasted good. The French fries were not good but the mean was good and tasty. At 7:30 a nurse came in to talk to me and gave me a run down and clothes to change into. At 9, the lady came in to start putting the electronics on my face, chest and legs to monitor everything. It took about an hour to do this. The boyfriend watched in laughter as the process turned me into the bride of Frankenstein. I had so many cords running out of me that I could not move very much. She said that I needed to pee before she hooked me up as it would be hard to do this all night. I did that and tried to make sure I had none left in me so I could sleep without having to pee in a container. They brought in a fruit platter for me for the night. As I was hooked up to thing, it was impossible to eat but it was a nice touch. I finished the study at 6:30 am. It was an easy night to sleep. The room was comfortable and the bed was fine. The cords did not bother me so much I could not sleep at all but they did keep me up and down most of the night. As a result, they say that most who cannot sleep as well cannot get the accurate results needed. I was able to get what they needed. I was told the doctor would be in at 8:00 am and she didn’t show. At 9:30 they took me to her office after I checked out of the hospital. She gave me the results as well as a copy of everything. She said that I had mild to moderate sleep apnea and needed a CPAP machine. She gave me a number in BKK to call to get a machine. I have not done this yet but will. She said the prices ranged from 30,000 – 80,000 baht. That seems high to me, anyone else know the prices? I thought the entire study was well done and professional and it did get me the testing I needed at a greatly reduced price. Bangkok Pattaya is a great hospital and this overnight visit was very well worth my time and effort. I am getting a CPAP soon and have been doing a bit of research. Here is a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPAP

The concept of having CCTV in go-go bars is more complex than a lot of guys are letting on. I don't think it's possible to take a perfect stand on the issue. It goes without saying that lots of us would rather not be filmed cavorting with guys in their underwear. And, face it, while most bars won't do anything with the tapes, they'll always be one or two greedy bar owners who will try to use them to make money. While I wouldn't be a good blackmail subject, I could think of some people who are prominent in either business or politics who would be put at risk by CCTV filming. Being totally openly gay and I’ve been told easily recognized as flamboyantly gay, I do not have the same worries that some that are closeted have. I know many men who are married and very happily married and have children and love their family and yet once or twice a year, they take a little gay holiday to Thailand or Brazil or West Hollywood or New York City or Montreal in order to live a different life than the one they have chosen. It is these few weeks that allow them to remain happy the rest of the year. To be blunt, CCTV taping in boy bars is a questionable violation of civil liberties. I'm very uncomfortable with it and wish that the law wasn't in place. I am not sure where Thailand stands on civil liberties for its people but I am sure their definition and mine are different. That said, civil liberties always have to be balanced against a reasonable need for public safety. The truth is that while most of us are just looking to have a gay old time, there are creeps out there. Anything that encourages dudes not to rough up or hurt the boys is a good thing. Anything that helps to keep the drugs out of the bars and away from the boys and the customers is a good thing and to have a camera there if a brutal attack takes place is a good thing as well. And, yes, I do think that it is inappropriate to jo a boy in a bar or have them jo a customer. There is a place for everything and the bar is not the place for it. I just hate to sit next to someone who gets their jollies out of fondling a boy for 45 min and then gives them a 20-bath tip. I am not sure which I am more distressed over to be honest but I prefer neither to take place. The biggest risk all of us run is that all bars will garner a reputation as places to go when you want to fondle young boys as those are the tapes that will make it to the VCD show near you. The tapes for bars like BoyzBoyzBoyz with big muscle guys and partially straight audiences will not be the ones that are aired. It will be the very few bars that have the underage staff. If that starts to happen, then Thai officials might suddenly change their tolerant attitudes towards all go go bars and clubs. I hope this does not happen and that a few bad apples do not spoil the bunch. As GayButton has pointed out here and on other forums, there has yet to be one instance on record where anyone has been blackmailed or had videos of themselves put on YouTube because of the cameras. Beyond that, when you are in the main room of a go go bar you are in a public space and don't have the same expectation of privacy as you would in your own hotel room. Of course, if they were taping sexual activities in back rooms or private rooms at the bar that would be a different story altogether. All of life is a compromise and I think the pros of the cameras slightly outweigh the civil liberties questions. Although, I would like to see some proof that the cameras inside the bars actually help reduce crime. After all, if you really want to keep your sexuality private you can always arrange trysts with guys over the Internet and have them come directly to your hotel room. In that way only the boy will know what you're doing and there won’t be any footage. Have any of you ever seen images from CCTV cameras? They are pretty awful in the best of circumstances; in a dark bar the odds of them generating blackmail-worthy photos are fairly low. But, the risk is still there. As for me, I am OK with the cameras in the bars if they are used for the protection against crime elements. I do wonder how long it will take for these cameras to be used in a way that negatively impacts the whole gay scene in Thailand.

http://wonkette.com/401018/anti-gay-alabam...aught-being-gay This may come as a shock, but a prominent anti-homosexual Republican attorney general has apparently been caught having homosexual sex intercourse with his homosexual gay male assistant. Bonus: The dude’s wife caught him, in their bed. This is the rumor that the AG’s office has officially denied, so now of course everybody is spilling the sordid details. AG in question is Troy King, who, of course, is only interested in outlawing homosexuality and sex toys. His gay lover is either a college “buddy,” or a very young youngster and “Homecoming King” from Troy University. What are the odds of a dude named Troy King getting caught in bed with a Homecoming King from Troy University? This seems like a wacky sitcom plot, on a gay porn channel. (Is this what that Will & Grace was about?)

Tonight, several of the bars were closed as there were reports of a possible police raid. Some bars did not have the staff to remain open. The ones that did, the results were really low numbers of dancers. I only stay till around 11 and the raid on the bars did not happen while I was there but they did come and pick up a truckload of street kids. The streets were quiet and I was asked for beer by at least 30 guys tonight. For those looking for over 18 and no off fee, tonight was the night as there were many lurking outside the bars looking for an off with no off fee. A friend of mine who is not gay said the same thing was happening on Walking Street many times and that there were many bars were the girls were taken and the bars fined. Not sure why those don't make the papers.

The boyfriend and I took a few of his friends to Gian's last week and we ate the pizza. I really enjoyed it. Last night, we decided to try Pan Pan's for their pizza and to compare the two. I preferred Gian's but the guys all preferred Pan Pan. That was one Falang vote for Gian's and 4 Thai boys vote for Pan Pan. At Pan Pan, I don't think I saw the waiters smile at us one time. Not friendly at all and did not take care of us the way they should have. Normally, I leave a nice tip but this time, I left only about 50 bath on an order that was over 1500 bath. The service was just not good at all.

One of my best Thai friends has a very sweet ladyboy. Her birthday was tonight and we let her pick the night's agenda. We started out going to the movie at Major cinema. This place is well done and fun. We all got the VIP love seats which as we took up the whole row of them, gave me one to myself. I was able to lay down and catch a little zzzz's when the boring parts of the movie forced my eyes shut. Afterwards we went to Out XY Disco. At least that is the name I saw on the stage. There may be another name. It is right behind the back entrance from Major like you would drive to 2nd Road and pass the old Star Boys. The disco is well decorated and has nice music that is not too loud. They have sexy boys dancing all night. They even have special shows later in the night. They have a shower booth in the middle of the floor for the dancers to get wet while they dance. I think there were a total of 10 sex dancers tonight plus the performers. I am not sure how much it cost to open a bottle of whiskey to be honest. I didn't pay too much attention to what was coming and going. We started out with our party of 12 and it build up from there. The prices seemed reasonable but I was not the only one paying for this party so I really didn't keep track of it all. No one went into the urinal with me to rub my shoulders and massage me while I peed. I am glad it was missing this. There was an attendant in the restroom but he was low key and relaxed. The dancers were sexy and hot and there were 2 groups of them. One was the twink group and the other was the larger more muscular guys. There was someone for everyone's taste. The waiters were friendly and attentive. The manager was there and willing to make sure all went according to the way it needed to be. The guys had a great time. Most ended up a little wasted before the night was over with for me and I didn't ask what they planned on doing after my ATM disappeared from the scene of action. But, I am sure they continued the party somewhere. If you want a nice disco, give this place a try. It was all gay when I was there and very enjoyable.

Bangkok was voted the world's best city for 2008 and the Galapagos were picked as the best islands in an online poll by Travel + Leisure magazine, winning over last year's winners Florence, Italy and Bali, Indonesia. US-based magazine readers also voted Singita Sabi Sand, at the Kruger National Park, South Africa, as the world's top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again. It was the first time that Bangkok and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador topped their respective categories, said Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure. Last year, Bangkok was ranked number 3 and the Galapagos number 8. The 2007 winners of best city and best island -- Florence and Bali -- fell to number 5 and number 2 respectively. Singapore Airlines was voted number one, followed by Emirates, Thai Airways and Cathay Pacific. Last year's number one hotel, the Oberoi Udaivilas in India, fell to number 4 this year. Singita Sabi Sands was voted the number two hotel in 2007. The results were complied from votes by magazine subscribers in an Internet poll which went live between January and March. Travel + Leisure will honour winners on July 24 in New York City. Top 10 cities : 1 Bangkok, Thailand 87.61 2 Buenos Aires, Argentina 87.24 3 Cape Town, South Africa 86.59 4 Sydney, Australia 86.49 5 Florence, Italy 86.24 6 Cuzco, Peru 86.15 7 Rome, Italy 85.12 8 New York, US 85.03 9 Istanbul, Turkey 84.61 10 San Francisco, US 84.42 Top 5 Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific 1 Sydney 86.49 2 Melbourne 80.35 3 Queenstown. New Zealand 79.95 4 Perth 77.78 5 Hobart 77.38 Top 10 Asia : 1 Bangkok, Thailand 87.61 2 Kyoto, Japan 84.27 3 Chiang Mai, Thailand 84.14 4 Hong Kong 83.69 5 Udaipur, India 83.51 6 Shanghai, China 81.83 7 Siem Reap, Cambodia 81.15 8 Beijing, China 81.05 9 Hanoi, Vietnam 80.87 10 Jaipur, India 80.78 Top 10 Europe : 1 Florence, Italy 86.24 2 Rome, Italy 85.12 3 Istanbul, Turkey 84.61 4 Paris, France 82.59 5 Krakow, Poland 82.14 6 Prague, Czech Republic 81.81 7 Venice, Italy 81.74 8 Barcelona, Spain 81.32 9 Vienna, Austria 80.99 10 Salzburg, Austria 80.63 Top 5 Mexico and Central and South America 1 Buenos Aires, Argentina 87.24 2 Cuzco Peru 86.15 3 San Miguel de Allende, Mexico 82.19 4 Rio de Janeiro 80.15 5 Antigua, Guatemala 79.92 Top 10 Africa and the Middle East 1 Cape Town 86.59 2 Jerusalem 84.39 3 Fez, Morocco 80.77 4 Marrakesh, Morocco 80.46 5 Cairo 80.23 6 Dubai 78.86 7 Tel Aviv 78.60 8 Amman 74.52 9 Tunis 71.93 10 Alexandria 70.72 Top 10 Islands : 1 Galapagos Islands 87.64 2 Bali 86.32 3 Maui 86.09 4 Kauai 85.87 5 Tasmania 85.00 6 Easter Island 84.78 7 Hawaii 84.66 8 Santorini 84.52 9 Great Barrier Reef Islands 84.42 10 Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia 83.82 Top 3 Asia : |1 Bali 86.32 2 Phuket Thailand 82.64 3 Penang Malaysia 81.67 Top 5 Europe : 1 Santorini, Greece 84.52 2 Dalmatian Islands, Croatia 83.50 3 Sicily, Italy 82.92 4 Ischia, Italy 82.41 5 Cyclades, Greece (Santorini rated separately) 82.40 Top 3 Mexico and Central and South America 1 Galapagos Islands 87.64 2 Easter Island, Chile 84.78 3 Ambergris Cay, Belize 78.08 Top 20 Hotel Spas: 1 Wickaninnish Inn Tofino, Vancouver Island, Canada 92.66 2 Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand 92.19 3 Lodge at Pebble Beach California, US 90.94 4 Four Seasons Resort Nevis, US 90.88 5 Maroma Resort & Spa Riviera Maya, Mexico 90.79 6 Esperanza Resort Los Cabos, Mexico 90.63 7 Auberge du Soleil Rutherford, California, US 90.37 8 Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, France 90.28 9 Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa Scottsdale, Arizona, US 90.14 10 Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 90.10 11 Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa Maui, US 89.66 12 The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand 89.58 13 Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Asheville, North Carolina, US 89.51 14 One & Only Ocean Club Paradise Island, Bahamas 89.47 15 Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, US 89.42 16 Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, US 88.75 17 The Peninsula Chicago, US 88.64 18 Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Beaver Creek, Colorado, US 88.62 19 Hotel del Coronado San Diego, US 88.16 20 American Club Kohler, Wisconsin, US 87.99 http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/10...al_30077784.php

So said Jesse Jackson when he thought is mic was off. Of course when it made the press, he apologized profusely. His son of of Barrack's soldiers and scolded his father. Interesting to see that many thing of Barrack as the election continues. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/09...ment/index.html

The PG Weekly Report is published every Tuesday evening, Thai time at http://www.pgreport.com This is the summary of the current report: PG WEEKLY REPORT FOR THE 7 DAYS ENDING JULY 8th 2008 This page was last edited on: July 08, 2008 PATTAYA NEWS & FORTHCOMING EVENTS Oscars to host Presentation Evening Quiz Night at Oscars for Thais4Life Le Café Royale events (El Duo fans must read) Bar La Cage News Bee of Forest Bar is 21 AGAIN!!! Ozz Bar and Terrace News Make a wish today . . . tasty food is on its way! Pattaya's well known gay priest turns 60 The Birdcage for Sale O'Brien's Restaurant for Sale BANGKOK NEWS Silom Soi 4 news and events Telephone News News and Events from @Richard's Pub AND FINALLY . . . The Vicar's Salary and more

As many on this site that have been around for years know, Brian Boxer's website was the place to go in Thailand whenever you were homesick for the country and its people. There were several times when I would miss the boyfriend and visit Brian's site just to bring back some fond memories of my time spend in the LOS. For anyone new to the web world in Thailand, Brian was a man what took photos of his experiences and he documented them on his website. I have yet to find a better photographic representation of the gay world in Thailand that I saw on his site. Brian died last year and it was a great loss to Pattaya and Thailand. Several years ago, Brian Boxer did not renew his domain name http://www.boxertravels.com/ This happens quite a bit and is not uncommon for people to change e-mails and not renew the names as they are usually forwarded only to the e-mail as a reminder to renew. Another company snapped it up and put an ad word page there. Brian then started his .net site. Many months later, I noticed the initial .com site Brian use to have was on auction. I entered the auction and purchased it and then forwarded it to Brian’s .net site. It stayed that way from the time I purchased it until this week. I have backed up the .net site and put it back on the .com domain as I do not know what will happen or when to the .net site. This will be there for many years to come in an unchanged and unaltered state. I will do nothing with the site and leave it as it was when Brian passed away. I hope I am not offending anyone as I was not a close friend of Brian's and only met him a few times. I just always admired his work and his site. Is it appropriate to have the site left exactly as it is or it is better to place a photo of Brian and a simple statement, In Loving Member and the date of his death? I do not know what will happen to the .net site but have seen a pop hit my computer when I tried to access it this week. I think his site is a living testament to all that is good about Pattaya and the gay men who live in this country and want those that try to access it to be able to find a way to do this easily.

THERE is no question that Angkor and its famed temples are among the world's archaeological treasures, providing a window into the Cambodian dynasty that flourished there from the ninth century to the 15th century. But tourists who flock to the site in north-west Cambodia say something is missing; few artefacts remain to help them imagine the customs and rituals of the ancient empire. Many antiquities were looted over the centuries or appropriated by museums in France, the country's former colonial ruler. Of those that remained, many were moved to Cambodia's National Museum, more than 300 kilometres from Angkor. Now, a Thai company says it is trying to tackle the problem, opening a museum that borrows artefacts, including nearly 1000 Buddhas, from the National Museum and elsewhere. But the Angkor National Museum, which opened in October last year, has drawn criticism from powerful detractors, including restoration specialists. Angkor was restored by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (UNESCO), and others after the wars of the 1970s. Some quibble with the museum's aesthetics — it includes a sprawling retail area — and with its sense of history. There are hundreds of Buddhas, for instance, that date back no further than the 20th century. Other critics object to the Thai involvement; Angkor was once under Thai control, and Cambodians remain suspicious that Thailand retains designs on their patrimony. One critic, Darryl Collins, an historian based in Siem Reap, said the displeasure of some Cambodians was understandable. An enterprise that is foreign-led and "primarily interested in turning a profit", he said, can hardly be called national, particularly as Cambodia already has a National Museum. Angkor National Museum was created by Vilailuck International Holdings, based in Bangkok. Under the terms of its contract with the Cambodian Government, the company agreed to transfer control of the museum to the Government after 30 years in exchange for the right to display treasures from the National Museum and from the Conservation d'Angkor, a national trove of some 6000 artifacts For full article: http://www.theage.com.au/world/cashing-in-...80706-32mr.html

There was a thread recently about a murder in Sunee. Turned out not to be a murder but something less severe. Over at SGF, the conversation drifted to violence in Pattaya. Today, I got another eye opener. On Sunday, the boyfriend was at school. I went to the beach to relax. I went alone. When I got there I noticed a strikingly handsome guy standing by the sea. He came back and we chatted. His english was not good but we tried. I told him to wait as the my friend was coming to give me a leg massage and he could interpret for us. When he got there, the told me he was 1/2 Thai and 1/2 Pakistani. He said he was 20 years old and had an ID. I asked to see the ID and he said it was in his apartment. I said that was OK that the bf would take him back to the apartment and get it later. He said this was OK. We stayed at the beach until I knew the BF was home. We went home and the boyfriend chatted with him. The BF said he was sure the guy was at least 18 and most likely 20 something but that his Thai was not perfect. They conversed and the BF agreed to go to his apartment to get the ID and bring him back. Once at the apartment, the boy said he didn't have one and would take a taxi to my place to talk to me. The BF said NO that he could not do that and gave him 500 baht and the day was over. I went to the beach today and saw the guy. He was with another falang and I did not want to break the unspoken rule of saying hi to someone when they have a falang with them. I sat down and minded my business. As soon as the falang went to the bathroom, the boy turned around and talked to two other boys that were waiting for him. Both look like him and were not full Thai if at all Thai. The boy and his date went to the hotel and the boy was gone. I was talking to a friend when one of the other guys who was sitting behind waiting for the boy got up to go to the restroom stood up. His shirt was slightly lifted and in his back was a gun. He adjusted the shirt to cover it and put his jacket on and went to the restroom. I was speechless. I didn't really know what to do and I did not want to get involved with this at all After another hour I left and told the BF what happened. He said it was a good thing that we didn't let the guy come back to the house with his "taxi" as we may have been in for a surprise. As I said on SGF: Pattaya is safe most of the time and for most people and I do think there is much more violence Thai against Thai and anything to do with Falang. BUT, as tourism goes down, prices of gas and food go up, Falangs want to pay same prices as they have for years, money gets tougher and tougher to make, there may be a turn toward crime for many who would not have taken that direction had they have had money to eat, sleep and live. Once again, lesson learned in Pattaya.

The boys were roughhousing today by the pool and one slipped and skinned his knee. I jumped out of the pool to see what happened and sure enough, the cut was deep. It was very deep and I insisted he go to the hospital. He whined and said he would be OK but I insisted and he went. The doctor had to put 3 stitches in the leg and gave him a tetanus shot. He also gave him medicine and pain pills. We need to take him back in one week. The cost for the stitches and the shot and the pharmacy was 2,900 baht and that was an emergency room visit. With that price, why anyone would want to even go to a doctor down a dark soi is beyond me. Bangkok Pattaya is amazing and clean and VERY professional. They just keep impressing me time and time again.

Life throws many twists and turns at every corner and when ever you choose a different path more obstacles come your way. Pattaya has always been a fun place for me and I love the bar scene here and often went to 5 or more in one night. But, the real reason that has brought me back to this fair city time and time again is the boyfriend. First it was boyfriend number 1 who taught me how to be a farang in a foreign land and to be taken for every penny possible. (I will not count the baht lost on him or the number of mobile phones) LOL I am now with a guy that I have been with for 4 years and I adore him. He really makes me very happy and content. I look back on each trip to Pattaya and it is the same thing each time. I stay at an expensive hotel because of the great high speed Internet and the service and I spend a great deal of money on the bars and the tips. I can’t even count how many tips I gave to boys just to sit and have a drink with no intention of an off. Now that the USD is low and times are hard for us poor Americans to travel and enjoy the good life we once did, I have decided to try Pattaya a different way. I have rented a home in the fair land by the sea. The boyfriend and I have settled in and started to play house. Buying flowers for the garden, stocking up the fridge, etc. We are eating out less, going out less, frequenting the bars less, spending less money and trying to make this little heaven by the sea some place that is good for both of us and a place we can both thrive and enjoy life. For me that means a balance between him and the bar scene. For him, I think it is a balance between me and his family’s needs. We joined a gym and started exercising together. He has been very good with this. We have been swapping times cooking and he is trying things he never heard of and so I am. As my regular nights use to be going out EVERY night, we are committed to going to gogo bars only one night a week together (this one I have already broken), one night for Karaoke, one night for movie and one for bowling. Yes, that is a lot of going out but just not the same stuff every night. We are trying to add variety and flavor to the day to day routine. He hates Sunee Plaza and refuses to go there with me. That is fine with me as I will usually have one of our other friends go with me. So, for those of you that see me walking around the plaza, it is most likely not with the boyfriend but with another companion. I am not sure how long any of the “other” friendships will last but I am hanging out again with one favorite guys. As LMTU said to me when I first dated the guy, “I remember him when he first came to Pattaya. This boy has one huge cock. Number 1 boy in Pattaya.” LOL The cock part is true. He still has the handsome long hair and divine smile. Mix that will a lot of personality and a good heart and perhaps he will hang out with us for a long time to come. How long this will this “Nobel Experiment last? I am not sure. Been here for almost a week and so far it has been great. Only time will tell. I gave him my word that I would not to hire many guys (we didn’t discuss the term many) and try to stay at home and be a good wife for him (I only broke this once so far). The house I have taken is nice but not huge. It is clean but not without needed TLC. The garden is sparse but getting better each day as we spend our days at the flower marts and orchid farms. Today we shopped for some fish for the outside fishpond. Yes, I have a fishpond. We have 12 lovely pets and I hope they are able to stay alive for a long time. They have plenty of room and we give them plenty of food, but hoping that the occasional party go’er does not get drunk and mistake them for someone to put on the BBQ. Anyway, I hope to have lots of reviews of restaurants and new places over the coming months. Perhaps not as many reports on the bar scene but we will see if I am able to keep to my one night a week out goal (that does not include beer bars with friends). My biggest struggle is going to be trying to balance my desire to keep working out with the multiple of distractions found in Pattaya and in Thailand in general. I was not able to get this in synch on my last trip and I am putting a much more concerted effort into it on this trip. September, I plan to return to the fitness camp I have been to in the place to train for my first marathon in October. So far my longest run has been 22 miles. A full marathon is 26 miles and I feel good about finishing my first one this fall. But, if my time in Pattaya was anything like the last time, too little exercise and too much fun, I may be in for a struggle this fall. But, that is what goals are made for. You set them and try to find a way to achieve them. My goals on this trip are noble in nature but defiantly a long shot.

We were headed to the movie at Major Cineplex and needed to eat. We took a short walk up 2nd Road and found Aloha. It is the place with the waterfall on the outside of it. Inside, it is decorated much like the Little Mermaid. It has a Hawaiian / Polynesian theme. There was live music that was very relaxing and enjoyable. The Thai lady did not hit all the English words right but she has a nice voice and it was peaceful to listen to. There were 5 of us in total. We started off with the Scorpion, which is a mixed drink for 4 with Bourbon and Rum and some Island juices. They served in a large tabletop pot with LONG straws for all of us to reach. We all had the set menu, which was 990 bath each. I had the Sea Bass and the boys had the Tenderloin. It was a 5-course meal. First, we all had a salad. The one with the sea bass was great and served in a pineapple. They had the Caesar Salad. We all had soup. I have onion, which was good, and they had lobster bisque. The lobster was very good. For the main course, the sea bass was excellent. Great flavors, prepared perfectly with some nice vegetables and the plate was beautifully presented. The tastes were very good for my plate and the tenderloin. Desert was fried banana and ice cream which was OK and we all had coffee. The meal was great and everyone enjoyed the food. For everything, the cost for five was under 6k bath. It was a very nice place with perhaps the best atentative staff I have had in Pattaya and the food was great and filling. It was a bit pricey for what we got but it was throughly enjoyable. Aloha Diner and Bar Open Daily 5PM – 1AM 081-8655184 485/17 Moo 10, 2nd Road Opposite Marriott Hotel

I have always felt that the gay clubs were targeted more than the straight clubs in Pattaya. I don't think this has to do with being gay as much as it does have to do with the amount of money being moved in and out. But, the amount of press of the gay raids far outweighs the number of straight ones. I know there is NO difference in the ages, drug habits, etc of these places. You can find it all at both gay and straight. Recently in NYC, there was an uproar over the gay pride weekend. See article below. I remember back to the days when the mayor really targeted the gay places almost to the point of extinction. We were resilient back then and there are enough in Pattaya to hang tough as well. Gay men are smart and educated and are not going anywhere (once they can afford the airfare to get here). I do think the way business has been done in the past is over and there is a new set of rules that will be enforced. Gay Pride Weekend Brings Club Raids by Steve Weinstein New York Editor-In-Chief Saturday Jun 28, 2008 On Friday, June 27, tens of thousands of men were pouring out onto the streets of Manhattan from all over the country expecting a citywide party. The last weekend in June is not only a celebration of Gay Pride, but also a lucrative weekend-long festival of gay dance events. But this year, something else happened. The City of New York, which has been cracking down hard on gay sex venues, moved in with a vengeance on nightclubs. Splash was reportedly overrun by police, although no one from the city or the club returned calls for comment. The club has, however, remained open. The other club was shut down. Pacha, the megaclub on the western edge of Hell’s Kitchen, was scheduled to hold two major dance parties for Gay Pride: Victor Calderone’s Pride Evolve on Saturday; and the Saint at Large’s Champions on Sunday night. Champions has been moved to Capitale, a large space on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown where Saint at Large has held parties in the past. Mike Peyton, of the Saint at Large, said that anyone with a ticket for Pacha party should simply show up at Capitale, which is the Bowery a few blocks above Canal Street, and the ticket will be honored. Moving the party has cost the Saint at Large probably much, if not most, of the proceeds, which were to go to Heritage of Pride, the organization that runs the march down Fifth Avenue. A notice at Pacha gave the following information for the club shutdown. There has been surveillance of the club since Aug. 11, 2007. Since that time, the warrent said, there have been drugs bought that included Ecstasy in various quantities for about $20 per pill; cocaine, up to as much as $750 worth; marijuana; and "alleged" ketamine (which could mean it was sold as Special K, but might have been a substitute). The warrant cited drug buys within the cub on dates from August 2007 into June 2008, but the big drug buys only started occurring around December of last year. The club remains closed as of this writing. According to some reports, Marquee, a straight club on the "club strip" in West Chelsea, was also shut down by authorities. But many people, both New Yorkers and out-of-towners, are wondering about the timing of these incidents on the biggest all-gay weekend of the year. http://www.edgenewyork.com/index.php?ch=ne...3=&id=76623

Thanks. Very interesting merger. What is it exactly that Fab Scout got? I don't know the ins and outs of that business too well and have never made a video. I assume this was contracts, etc.? I will agree with Brandon that David is a legend. He has been talked about, cussed about, praised, etc by different groups for years. I also love the way Brandon writes. Having met him last year, he is a sweet and very charming young man.

I left the LOS last week, got to LA and missed it so much I came back 2 days later. The flight crew was the same one as I had on the outbound flight. We were all actually in the same hotel in Los Angeles. I had one lady who had her first trip and asked her if she could give me a bottle of water early and she came back with a full large liter of water for me and asked me to hide it. I thanked her profusely. When I initially asked, she questioned if we normally got them and I told her I didn't remember and she said it was her first flight and she didn't know either. I guess instead of asking someone, she just brought me over a large bottle. When at the hotel, I saw her a few times as I was coming and going. Her English was great and I asked her for dinner the night I saw her and she met me for a nice meal. A wonderfully pleasant lady and very classy and full of charm. Married for 20 years and a Master's degree from University. Speaks Thai, English, French and German. A very nice conversation. She knew I was gay BTW on the first flight as we chatted about my boyfriend in Thailand. I am sure she would not have met me otherwise. Anyway, in the short time I was there, I did the business I needed to do but left off one thing on the agenda. I use a Brawn Electric shaving system. It uses the braun refills and they are at every major K-mart, Target, Walmart in USA. I forgot them until last night someone mentioned to me that I had aged 20 years with the grey beard. It is OK for me to be a bear, but to look 20 years older for me is not something I can take. So, anyone know where I can get these at? http://www.drugstore.com/qxp140480_334918_...enew_refill.htm Your help would be greatly appreciated! (by both me and the boyfriend)

There have been recent discussions regarding laptop seizures and searches when returning to the USA from Thailand. This is done quite often. I read the recent court report regarding a man flying to Canada from Switzerland and was detained in NYC for several days and then sent to Syria where he says he was tortured. The court ruled that he had no standing as he was NEVER officially in the USA. Thus, for those who complain that their laptops were searched and that they are law abiding citizens of the USA, can now say that this did not happen in the USA and thus no privacy issues exist. IMHO this is just a load of horse shit. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/world/am...amp;oref=slogin By ALAN FEUER Published: July 1, 2008 A federal appeals court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Syrian-born Canadian man who had accused the United States of violating the law and his civil rights after he was detained at Kennedy Airport and sent to Syria under what he claims was an act of “extraordinary rendition.” The man, Maher Arar, tried to win civil damages from United States officials in his suit, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that because he was never technically inside the United States, his claims could not be heard in the federal courts. While stating that “threats to the nation’s security do not allow us to jettison principles of ‘simple justice and fair dealing,’ ” the majority opinion ruled nonetheless that Mr. Arar, who had been seized as he tried to change planes at Kennedy Airport while flying back to Canada from Switzerland, had no federal standing in his case and that the government did not violate the Torture Victim Protection Act by sending him abroad. Mr. Arar, a telecommunications engineer, was detained at the airport in September 2002 when immigration officers found his name on a terrorist watch list. After being held for several days in New York, he was sent to Jordan by immigration officers and turned over to Syrian intelligence, which, he claims, tortured him. In an occasionally scathing dissent, one judge, Robert D. Sack, said Mr. Arar’s suit should have been able to proceed because the argument that he was never really in the United States was “a legal fiction.” “Arar was, in effect, abducted while attempting to transit at J.F.K. Airport,” Judge Sack wrote.

http://www.pattayaphotoguide.com/

If you need a way to send money to your bf when you are away, try epassporte.com. It is very easy to get a gift account and the Visa Credit Card will be in the name of the boyfriend. You can then add funds to his account whenever you want. He will be able to use the card where ever Visa is accepted. He can also use the card to get money from the ATM. I think the ATM fee is 2 USD. If you have money in your own epassporte account, it only cost .35 to send the money to him. It is all done online and very simple. You can gift the card to him. If you want the Visa Gift card in his name, it cost 35 USD to set up. You can start with as much funds as you desire and you can add to his card as much as needed. For me, it is much better than the PayPal card he had and lost a few months back. I gave this company a try and have been very very happy with them. My niece is very young and I recently sent her a Gift Visa. It is in her name and the money is hers to do with as she chooses. It is a nice birthday gift if you decide to go this way.