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Exactly. It is total theater to make people believe they are somehow safer. These idiotic new rules making everyone sit strapped to their seats for the last hour with empty hands and laps is beyond stupid. If a terrorist really wants to blow up your plane why wouldn't he just do it 90 minutes before the end of the flight? Or immediately after take off? Where does it all end? I also have been reading on frequent flier forums that airlines are being required to shut off their IFE systems because of the real time moving map function. Real security with well-trained, properly paid security personnel would be a great idea. But all of these over the top measures that make flying even more inconvenient are just going to lead to more and more losses for the airlines as fewer people bother to put up with it all. And anyway, was the issue the screening he received at AMS or when he left Nigeria in the first place? Once you get past the first screening and are airside typically you can move to your departure gate without further screening.

those photos are gorgeous. I am in the midst of planning a long trip to Bhutan for next year. I am very excited about it. Here's a link to the reasons behind all of the phalluses painted everywhere. The Phallus : an arcane symbol

I prefer "introvert". :-)

I agree on the teaching thing. But 43 is very young to be "retired". You will definitely want to find some sort of hobby to keep yourself occupied and your mind engaged. Since you will necessarily been living in more than one place maybe you could have some sort of part time job when you are at "home" and just enjoy your time off when you are in Thailand. I am basically the same age as you. And while I would like to not be doing my current job, the money and benefits are too good. :-) Maybe when I hit 56 I will take that early retirement. I think after a short while I would be bored to death in Pattaya. So if it were me I would likely live in Bangkok instead where there is more culture and more things to do. I would imagine it is a good bit more expensive for what I would consider to be acceptable housing in the sort of location I would want to be in. But maybe not... And Pattaya is just a short drive away when/if you really need it.

Taxis are so inexpensive I am not sure how useful the train is really going to be. It may save some time at some times of day. Arriving late at night the taxi fare to the Silom area will be in the 400 range if you decide the take the toll way since that adds Bt70 and the airport pickup fee is Bt50. But it gets you door to door with minimal trouble. Unfortunately it is not "only in Thailand" that they use buses to get you to your plane. Stop off in Doha, Qatar and you will get to ride the bus from the plane to the terminal. And that is on "the world's 5 star airline" Qatar Airways or any other airline at that airport. I think the biggest problem is climbing the stairs in those situations. Vietnam Airlines uses lots of buses as well. I had to ride the bus to my plane at the Saigon airport as well as the small airports in Hue and Da Nang. It is ridiculous.

I had a very nice massage at Fan Club on Soi Convent right before I left Thailand the other day. My chosen masseur, Khun Bee, was excellent. He must have some actual training. He used a variety of techniques and included some stretching as well. Almost like a sports massage. He's not exactly my typical type, probably early 30s but with an awesome well-defined body, big strong arms, handsome. I usually go more for twinky boys. But this guy was just the ticket. The after-massage fun was fairly basic. I expect he is a top but he did ask me what i like to do. I tipped way too much but I was quite impressed with the massage and I was leaving the country so I had some cash in my pocket to dispose of. :-)

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Thais have incredible memories for faces. So perhaps it is not just your money that a boy remembers when he sees you again. I suppose if you have a particularly memorable face that could make a difference too.

I think I agree with that assessment. Cambodia is a one-party state. The opposition have been harassed and knocked virtually into submission. Hun Sen is all about consolidating his own power and wealth. Go through Phnom Penh and see all of the luxury houses he and his cronies have built and then go a few blocks and see the squalor so many people there have to live in. I'm not sure he is under the thumb of the Vietnamese at this point. I am a teeny bit surprised that the king went along with this appointment of Thaksin. I can't figure out what his angle is unless he is under Hun Sen's ultimate control. Maybe he would rather still be dancing ballet in Paris. It would be nice if the gay king would be benevolent. Certainly the people of Cambodia deserve some good leadership if anyone does.

I have used the Cambodia e-visa in the past and it was great. But I read recently that there was some big dispute over the service and that many people had been left high and dry. The company that built the platform got squeezed out and the agency that took it over was incompetent. At least that is what I seem to remember reading. So you may want to do some research before using that service now. I think most people going to Cambodia get a visa on arrival at Siem Reap or Phnom Penh airport.

Thanks for the in-depth review. I enjoyed the little bit of time I spent in CM a few years ago. Maybe it's time to go back.

According to reports on the other message boards Adams Apple is now reopened and apparently quite nice. I don't expect Chiang Mai would ever be allowed to become another Pattaya. Too many conservatives there I would imagine. And there's no beach.

Something tells me upgrading to a suite is not exactly possible. Internet connections!? You're kidding about all of this right?

Expecting a bar boy to teach you Thai in two months is unlikely. If you really want to learn Thai enroll in a language school or find a real teacher. I don't know that your compensation offer is enough exactly. Sounds like you are trying to avoid paying a bar's off fee and the usual long time rate. But times are tough and I suppose it's possible that some one would accept a "sure thing" albeit at a lower rate rather than the prospect of no off at all. I think your expectations for what you want may be too high. Do you really expect that after spending every night for two months plus some days here and there with some boy that you would be able to simply say "goodbye, nice knowing you" when it is all over? Remember that these guys are people after all. This arrangement you have planned does not seem realistic to me.

looks like there are some good deals out there, period. You can fly JFK-BKK for less than $1000 on Emirates including A380 flights to/from Dubai on the connection. Air China has fares of $870 on the same route. SFO-BKK for less than $700 on China Airlines

I am booked at Fraser resort for several nights in mid-November. I did a pre-paid rate that was about $2800++ for their top room, other categories were a good bit less. Looks like a nice place and pracitcally brand new. Gets pretty good reviews online.

yes, you can buy a DTAC card at convenience stores or their own DTAC stores, including one right in the airport.

If you Google around a bit on this topic you will find lots of info on Goa. There was a sort of red light district that catered to hetero sex tourists but I think I read it was largely torn down recently. But if you are looking for guys they are available too. You can find money boys on the beach or via taxi drivers and others catering to tourists. I guess as in most of the country there are lots of poor people who will do whatever they have to do to survive. Unfortunately that means selling their children in many cases.

I seem to recall reading that DTAC is just testing 3G at the moment in a few locations around BKK like Siam Square, Chula, and a couple of other "youth oriented" places. Isn't there some sort of auction later in the year for 3G space that all the companies will be taking part in? I think largely which one you pick depends on a number of factors. Including whether you live in Thailand or visit occasionally. Where you plan to visit depending on network coverage. Whether you also plan to travel in the region outside of Thailand... I have been doing a bit of research recently on this topic as I intend to have a phone while I am over there for a month over October/November. It looks like the best choice for me is one of the DTAC Happy prepaid plans. I have an unlocked quad band phone so I plan to just buy a SIM when I get there. Since I will be in Vietnam for part of my trip DTAC appears to be a good choice since you can use their service there and the usage is not TOO expensive.

yeah but then who wants to have sex with a guy who has been smoking cigs?

you guys are really bringing me down. Will Bangkok be under water by then due to global warming? I guess the prediction for that is a bit farther out. Will the world economy still be limping along eleven years from now with the global tourism and airline industries in the tank?

The banks will find a way to separate you from your money as much as they possibly can. I think my plan this year is to just buy a stack of baht here before I leave for Asia. American Express travel offices seem to have a good rate and just a 1% fee. I used to just always use my ATM card, but Bank of America is charging a US$5 fee plus 1% of the amount withdrawn which is a huge ripoff and their exchange rate isn't that great either...and now add on this Bt150 fee. So I always would get a pretty big amount of cash to avoid having to pay the fees too many times. I really ought to get a new bank.

here's a site devoted to homerotic Turkish traditional wrestling. Their giant wrestling festival looks like a great time to visit. Turkish Wrestling

I offed a boy once from WWB and once we got back to the hotel he was very shy and reluctant. We took a shower together but once we got to the bed he basically said he couldn't do anything and would leave. He didn't ask for any money and I didn't offer him any. It was odd. I tried not to take it too personally. :-)

my TV provider has this episode on their OnDemand viewing menu. It's pretty interesting and they produced it fast since it was just filmed over Songkran this year.

well, at least they were found guilty of illegally having the weapons. I was always dubious of the assassination charge.