Moved Back To Uk Recently.....Arrrgghhh!Stay where you are...trust me

I am in the UK now, for 2 months, after being in Thailand on and off for 8 years. I can't wait to get back to Thailand and stay away from the UK for probably another 4 years... After which it will hopefully have started to pick up again by my next visit. When I see guys I went to school with who are the same age as me (50+) and look 10 years older than me, lumbered with a moaning, fat and ugly wife, while I have a 24-year-old gorgeous slim Thai girlfriend, and to see the miserable expressions on everyone's faces in the UK (even at Christmas) staring at me (as if I was from a different planet), as I walk down the street laughing with my Thai girlfriend, not to mention the appalling cost of living here (35 pounds or over 1,500 Thai baht for Thai food which my girlfriend said was inedible), boarded up shops, yobs fighting and shouting in the street drunk every night, broken glass and smashed phone boxes on almost every corner, I just can't wait to get back to |Udon Thani. Thailand seems like the First World compared to the Third World of the UK.

The annual monkey buffet festival at Pra Prang Sam Yot temple in Thailand

A long-tailed macaque eats fruit and vegetables during the annual monkey buffet festival at the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi

The Monkey Buffet Festival is held annually in Thailand to promote tourism. In 2007, the festival included giving fruits and vegetables to the local monkey population of 2,000 in Lopburi province north of Bangkok.
The festival was described as one of the strangest festivals by London's The Guardian newspaper along with Spain's baby-jumping festival. A photograph from the Monkey Buffet Festival at Pra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi Province shows a monkey trying to get at fresh fruit and vegetable captured in blocks of ice.

A long-tailed macaque licks an ice block with fruits encased in it. The festival is held every year on the last Sunday of November to promote tourism in Lopburi

Bangkok losing its sex appeal

A bar girl waits for business in Bangkok's Patpong - a place that's lost its attraction for this reporter. Picture: Getty

The bright lights of Patpong in Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK'S Patpong red-light district is fast losing its appeal.

It used to be a tourist hot spot - a place where you could be shocked, and awed, as you wandered the parallel side streets in the area celebrated for its sex trade, found between Silom and Surawongse roads.

The strip joints and bars offering girlie shows flank the night market where you can buy a knock-off Gucci bag or a Polo shirt on your way home from watching one of the shows.

At one time this was all done with a sense of theatre. And a sense of fun. It was a "must see" part of the Bangkok culture for visitors to Thailand.

But it is definitely losing its lustre.

I was in Patpong on the weekend and yes I did end up at one of those girlie bars after being dragged there on a hen's night.

OK, dragged may be too strong a word - I admit I went along willingly in a group of five women and two guys.

What we saw though was not "fun", it was not even bad theatre.

The undercurrent in the bar felt nasty, with the girls angrily demanding money after every show.

It was like we had been sucked into a freak show and we were now part of the performance.

We were all uncomfortable and the women on stage looked bored out of their minds.

There were more women guests in the bar than men, something that surprised me. Most people had one quick drink, and left.

We were approached seconds after we set foot on the pavement and asked if we wanted to go to the girlie bar.

Our tour leader, a Bangkok veteran, negotiated the entry fee deal right there on the street before we entered the venue.

This, we later discovered, was essential if you didn't want to get ripped off.

For 300 baht (about $10) each we were allowed in, given front row seats and one beer each.

Three young South African backpackers paid 2700 baht each for the same thing.

They entered the bar without negotiating a price first. As soon as they sat down, they were swamped by six bikini-clad women who hassled them for money. The young South African girls handed over the money out of fear, they felt they had no choice.

It was an expensive lesson to learn for travellers on a budget.

The plan was to spend an hour at the show but left after 25 minutes. The bride decided that she would actually rather look for a bargain at the night market.

Sadly, the vendors here were also nasty. The idea of markets, I thought, was to bargain.

But the prices were double that of other Bangkok markets and there was no sense of them wanting to bargain.

It is certainly not a shopper's paradise. The vendors just laughed when you offered a price.

For a tourist mecca there was not a lot of people around and nothing much was being bought and sold.

There was also little happening in the bars down Silom road.

They had one or two white males holding court with Thai girls pretending to hang on every word.

Business was not booming.

Bangkok will always have Patpong.

Despite what anyone thinks of the morals of a place like this, it will continue to exist.

It is a part of the fabric of the city.

Its days of prospering however may be over.

I would never go back.

Today's Bangkok has so much more to offer tourists.

Patpong is now an oddity rather than a attraction.

Sang Thaew

Songthaew travel

Within Thailand there are several options to get around. Not all of these are available everywhere. Within the capital city of Bangkok you will find the taxi, the tuk tuk and the motorcycle taxi. It will not be till you reach the outer suburbs that you are likely to come across a Sang Thaew.
The Sang Thaew is simply a converted pick up truck. It is roofed open but open sided and an average sized Western European will have to bend slightly on entrance and exit. Usually there are two cushioned perimeter benches facing inwards. Occasionally there is a central bench as well. At the entrance area there is space for a brave two or three to stand. Songthaew literally means 'Two rows' ...song meaning 'two'. The Song Thaew is often called a 'Baht Bus' by Western visitors to Thailand.
All Sangthaew have strategically placed bell pushes to alert the driver when you want to alight. The bellpushes connect to a wide variety of noises based on the drivers sense of humour.
The Sang Thaew is a communal taxi operating a looped or back and return route. The fares charged are regulated by distance. Mostly the price will remain the same on a looped route regardless of whether you travel 10 yards or a 1000.
The Songthaew can be flagged down anywhere on its route and, using the bell push, stopped anywhere as well.
To use a Sang Thaew you simply flag the vehicle down, climb in and sit down. When you want to disembark press the bell and climb out. You then walk to the front of the vehicle and pay the driver or his/her assistant. On regular routes this is only 10 Baht. You would be expected to pay in small change and not offer something stupid like a hundred or a thousand Baht.
Initially you need to have some sort of idea of the route the Baht Bus is taking. If you are familiar with the terrain you can always hop off when you see you are going wrong. Pay the driver of course and the climb on another heading in your direction.

The Song Thaew is a cheap, safe and fun way of getting around and familiarising yourself with wherever you are.
Within Pattaya in Thailand there are no Tuk Tuk's and so the Sangthaew is the best and cheapest choice for getting about.
Although the Song Thaew stick to set routes they are hireable. If you are in a hurry and want to go to a particular location you can always negotiate a 'to the door' deal. This works best if the Song Thaew is empty or only has a couple of people on board. Within Pattaya most will be prepared to assist for about a hundred Baht. More often than not though if a meter taxi is at hand it will be cheaper than the Sangthaew for this sort of deal.
Travelling in a Sang Thaew is fun. A great way to explore your new environment and a fun way to meet people.

Sex Tourist

What is a sex tourist?

There are several definitions of a sex tourist:

• "Someone who travels to a country for the sole purpose of having sex".
• "Travel for the purpose of sexual intercourse with prostitutes."
• "Someone who travels to another country for the purpose of paying to have sex, especially with children.
• "a vacation to a destination that has no restrictions on sexual services or activities, as prostitution."

But they don't do they. They eat, they drink, they stay in hotels, they visit the various sightseeing spots, they rent cars, they buy gifts for the folks back home, they watch movies, they dance, they swim, they spend money...oh oh and yes they have sexual relations too.

What is a Tourist?

Tourists get a few dictionary definitions of their own:

• "Someone who travels for pleasure rather than for business."
• "one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture."
• "someone who visits a place for pleasure or interest, usually while they are on holiday."

Note the mention of 'pleasure' there. So what does a tourist actually do?
They eat, they drink, they stay in hotels, they visit the various sightseeing spots, they rent cars, they buy gifts for the folks back home, they watch movies, they dance, they swim, they spend money...oh oh and yes they have sexual relations too.....sometimes with their partners and sometimes with people they meet on their tour.

Pattaya Walking Street

I will be the first to admit it. Men like beautiful women. They also like women who are friendly, women who listen to them, women who seem to care. These women may be younger than them by 20, 30 or even 40 years. If the women are adult, over the age of consent, are consenting and no-one is being hurt then I see nothing wrong in any relationship developing further.

Take a look at this:
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas ...25 years different.
Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon ...12 years
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ...16 years
Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart ...22 years
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher ...16 years
Joan Collins and Percy Gibson ...32 years
Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster ...26 years
Margaret and Pierre Trudeau ...30 years
Rupert Murdoch and Wendy Deng ...37 years
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn ...34 years
Billy Joel and Katie Lee Joel ...32 years
Donald Trump and Melania Trump ...24 years
J. Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole-Smith ...63 years
Cary Grant and Barbara Harris ...47 years
Klaus Kinski and Deborah Caprioglio ...42 years
Des O'Connor and Jodie Brook Wilson ...39 years
Clint Eastwood and Dina Ruiz ...35 years
Iris Robinson and Kirk McCambley ...40 years
Allegra Mostyn-Owen and ??? ...22 years

I could go on listing and listing.
Age is largely a state of mind and you really are only as old as you feel. No-one thinks twice about age differences if the people involved are rich and famous so why pick on the less well off? Is it jealousy perhaps? Or perhaps they don't like the idea of someone having fun.
Perhaps the reasons go deeper than this. None of us liked to think of our own parents doing 'it'. Even today the Idea of Howard and Anna Nicole makes me wince. Maybe its just human. We should all lighten up.

Relationships may be long term

The very phrase 'sex tourist' to me conjures up a picture of a 'dirty old man' a 'pervert' but in reality it is nothing like that at all.
Okay they may be older tourists but what is wrong with being old? What is wrong with looking for love, romance, pleasure or fun?
Believe me when I say that in Pattaya or Phuket in Thailand or Balibago in Angeles City in the Philippines if you sit long enough you will see someone you know. It may be your doctor, your vicar, your bank manager, the man from the corner shop, your dad, your uncle, your brother, your grandad, husband or boyfriend. These people are the so called 'sex tourists'.
Not all these relationships are of short duration. You would be amazed at the number of men who over a glass of Thai Whiskey end up marrying Bar Girls or entering long term relationships with Kathoey.

Women do it to

Most people would be surprised to learn that the first women 'sex tourists' were recorded in the 1840's in straight laced Victorian England.

Movies play their part. 'Shirley Valentine' did actually play a part in promotion as did 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'.
And with women the description usually gets changed from 'Sex Tourist' to something along the lines of 'A Shirley Valentine', 'A Holiday Romance', or 'A Bit of a Fling'. I feel that is a little bit unfair.

Our Kids Do It Too

One would have to be a complete ostrich with head buried in the sand not to realise that our children do it too.
Their first holiday abroad alone or with their mates to Spain, Ibiza, Greece or wherever is not confined to lying on the beach, playing snooker and drinking beer.

The Hidden Agenda

There are the symposiums, the conferences, the annual general meetings, the golf holidays, the casino visits. So many of these take place far away from home. Exotic locations.
Why can people not just admit that underneath it all there is a hidden agenda. No, no-one likes to be called a sex tourist do they?

And Me?

I stumbled upon the world of the 'Pleasure Tourist' by accident.
I took advantage of a cheap ticket to Bangkok just to see what it was like and eventually a year or so later ended up in Pattaya by accident. The same happened in the Philippines...I thought I was landing in Manila and ended up in Clark.
I don't regret either. I am an avid people watcher, it is probably my second favourite activity. I have seen a lot, learned a lot and continue to learn. Lastly, I admit it....I am no Angel.

A Motorcycle Taxi in Pattaya

Motorcycle Taxis in Pattaya

Traveling around in Pattaya is both cheap and easy once you become familiar with the one way system. The obvious choice is to use a Sang Thaew. Changing once or twice you can reach practically anywhere in the city. At 10 Thai Baht a trip they are an extremely good deal.
There are times though when the traffic is at a standstill or when you want to get somewhere in a hurry. It is then that the Motorcycle Taxi comes into its own. The Motorcycle Taxi will get you anywhere in the City fast. At 30 Thai Bahy a trip it is more expensive than the the Sang Thaew but still cheap at the price.

Locating a Motorcycle Taxi in Pattaya

Locating a motorcycle taxi in Pattaya is easy, especially in the middle of the city. You will find groups of motorcycle drivers on the corner of practically every Soi (street). They will also be found near every shopping centre or hotel.
The motorcycle taxi drivers may be male or female. They are recognised by the waistcoats they wear. These may be Green, Red, Yellow or Blue in colour. Often there is a number in the middle of the back. Usually there will be Thai or English script as well. Sometimes there are sponsored advertising the area, hotel or shopping complex that they are based near.

So numerous are motorcycle taxi's it is often enough just to stand by the road, raise your arm and shout "Motorci!" ....not, not motorcycle. Nine times out of ten one will appear within twenty seconds.
Explain where you want to go and put on the passenger motorcycle helmet that you will be provided. Don't expect it to fit you. I do not have an especially large or unusually shaped head but I have never had one of these helmets fit me yet.
Once you reach your destination simply hand back the helmet and hand over your 30 Thai Baht. Don't haggle. Anywhere in the city the cost is the same. Expect to pay more going out as far as Naklua or Jomtein. Expect to pay more late at night as well. After midnight the price goes up to around 50 Baht a trip.

The Motorcycle Taxi Driver Code

When approaching a group of motorcycle taxi drivers give your destination. You don't choose your driver. They take turns religiously. You may see numbers hanging on posts which are moved around to indicate whose turn it is next.
If you see a motorcycle taxi driver dropping someone off don't bother to approach them for a lift. They will not take you. It is not there area, they have come in from another area in the city.

The Ride

You would be surprised how much luggage that a motorcycle taxi is capable as well as yourself and in general it can be a very safe journey too. To the driver this is their livlihood and whereas they drive fast they are in general very safe.
It can be a frightening ride though. Something which every visitor to Pattaya should experience.

Walking Street, Pattaya

Sign at north end of Walking Street              

Walking Street is part of the city of Pattaya, Thailand. It is a tourist attraction that draws foreigners and Thai nationals, primarily for the night life. It is a red-light district with many go-go bars and brothels. The street runs from the south end of Beach Road to the Bali Hai Pier. A large video sign was erected in March 2010 at the Beach Road entrance, replacing an earlier metal arch, and a small arch adorns the Bali Hai entrance.
Walking Street is closed to vehicles from 6:00 pm to 2 am, and car parking is provided at the Bali Hai end. The area includes seafood restaurants, live music venues, beer bars, discothèques, sports bars, go-go bars, and nightclubs, and is illuminated at night by many colored neon signs. The closing time of 2:00 am has been extended for many entertainment establishments.

Gallery

• 

  Night view
• 

  Prostitutes on Walking Street
• 

  A dancer in the display window of a go-go bar, Walking Street, Pattaya, New Year's Eve 2008

Soi Diamond Pattaya

Located between Walking Street and Pratamnak (Second) Road it is usually accessed via the Diamond Arcade on Walking street. If you are unsure just look for the picture . If you enter Walking Street from the Beach Road end it is on your left hand side around 200 metres down.
It is home to over 25 bars, gogo bars, hotels and restaurants and is one of the most popular night life zones in Pattaya. You can spend the whole evening on Soi Diamond or, as most people do, move on to the melting pot of Walking Street itself.
Soi Diamond itself has two component parts, the Diamond Plaza at the Walking Street end which has two walkways with a beer bar complex in the centre plus many of the gogo bars, and the alleyway at the Pratamnak Road end. Both areas have plenty of bars and gogo bars but the restaurants are mainly located in the alleyway itself.

Bargirl Stories

Some bargirls not all are not loyal to anyone – they flit like the wind. If wind is blowing cash out of one farang’s pocket and into her purse, then that’s where the loyalty for the night is going. It doesn’t matter which pocket it’s coming from – whatever pocket holds the promise for the bigger wad of cash – gets the kitty so to speak.
This guy’s story is so typical because he found a hot girl (mistake number 1 if you’re looking for loyalty), and decided to hang out with her for the night. In the hot bargirl’s mind the decision was more for the next hour or so – to see what you could offer. She’s gotta evaluate you and see if you have the big wad or a non-wad. If you have a big one – and she can see that you’re gullible. She’ll hang out with you for a week or more. Maybe “up to you” if you’re really throwing cash her way.
If a bargirl finds an easy mark she’s going to hang around with him (you?) for a long time as long as you’re spoon-feeding her more cash than she could make hanging around a bar. In fact, that should be a serious clue for every farang monger coming to Thailand.
IF a bargirl or god help you, bargirls, are hanging around you and seem to love to be around you and want you to take them everywhere you’re going – they are getting something out of the deal – that is better than making just 100-500 baht per night at the bar… They might be getting your love. When a farang falls for a bargirl and falls in love – the money that flows is like the Amazon and Nile rivers… after all – what is money when it comes to Love – right? For me – money is nothing anyway, whether for love or anything else – but for a guy that has never had love – to suddenly have this drop gorgeous girl hanging on his every move – and ignoring the studmuffs that are running around barfining 6 girls at a time – this guy feels it and is in love with the idea at first… and after she’s nice to him a few hours or few days – he is completely hooked. Like a fat, bald, smoking, Singha drinking fool.

Kathoey or Ladyboy

Nong Tum is perhaps the most internationally recognised Kathoey for her portrayal in the film Beautiful Boxer.

Kathoey or katoey (Thai: กะเทย;) is a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. Related phrases include sao (or phuying) praphet song (Thai: สาวประเภทสอง,"a second kind of woman"), or phet thi sam (Thai: เพศที่สาม, "third gender"). The word kathoey is thought to be of Khmer origin (the equivalent Khmer word is "kteuy"). It is most often rendered as ladyboy in English conversation with Thais and this latter expression has become popular across South East Asia except in the Philippines where the term bakla is often used. "Bakla," however, is (like "pinoy") a term applied to Filipino homosexuals and transsexuals in general. In the Philipines, unlike in many Western countries, almost all transsexuals consider themselves to be gay, and so they often call themselves by the English word "ladyboy" because it indicates a distinction which is not made by the Tagalog words.

General description

The term "kathoey" is not an exact equivalent of the modern Western trans woman, in that "kathoey" suggests that the person self-identifies as a type of male, unlike the term sao praphet song, which (like "trans woman") suggests a female gender identity, or phet thi sam, which suggests a third gender. The term phu-ying praphet thi sorng, which can be translated as "woman of the second kind", is also used to refer to kathoey. Australian scholar of sexual politics in Thailand Peter Jackson claims that the term "kathoey" was used in premodern times to refer to intersexuals, and that the usage changed in the middle of the twentieth century to cover cross-dressing males. The term can refer to males who exhibit varying degrees of femininity – many kathoeys dress as women and undergo feminising medical procedures such as hormone replacement therapy, breast implants, buttock augmentation, genital reassignment surgery, or Adam's apple reductions. Others may wear makeup and use feminine pronouns, but dress as men, and are closer to the Western category of effeminate gay man than transgender.
The term "kathoey" may be considered pejorative, especially in the form "kathoey-saloey". It has a meaning similar to the English language "fairy" or "queen".

Social context

Kathoey work in predominately female occupations, such as in shops, restaurants and beauty salons, but also in factories (a reflection of Thailand's high proportion of female industrial workers). Kathoey also work in entertainment and tourist centers, in cabaret – Alcazar and Tiffanys in Pattaya are among the best known – and as sex workers.

Pattaya: Kathoeys on the stage of a cabaret show.

Kathoeys are more visible and more accepted in Thai culture than transgender or transsexual people are in Western countries or the Indian subcontinent. Several popular Thai models, singers and movie stars are kathoeys, and Thai newspapers often print photos of the winners of female and kathoey beauty contests side by side. The phenomenon is not restricted to urban areas; there are kathoeys in most villages, and kathoey beauty contests are commonly held as part of local fairs.
Some believe that this higher acceptance is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Using the notion of Karma, some Thai believe that being a kathoey is the result of transgressions in past lives, concluding that kathoey deserve pity rather than blame.
A common stereotype is that older well-off kathoey provide financial support to young men with whom they are in a personal relationship.
Kathoey women currently face many social and legal impediments. Families (and especially fathers) are typically disappointed if a son becomes a kathoey, and kathoey women often have to face the prospect of coming out. However, kathoey generally have greater acceptance in Thailand than most other Asian countries. Legal recognition of kathoeys is non-existent in Thailand: even after genital reassignment surgery, they are not allowed to change their legal sex. Discrimination in employment remains rampant. Issues can also arise in regards to access to amenities and gender allocation; for example, a kathoey who had undergone sexual reassignment surgery would still have to stay in an all-male prison.

Recent developments

Kathoey working in a go-go bar in Bangkok's Nana Plaza entertainment area

In 1993 Thailand's teacher training colleges had implemented a semi-formal ban on allowing homosexual (which included kathoey) students enrolling in courses leading to qualification for positions in kindergartens and primary schools. In January 1997 the Rajabhat Institutes (the governing body of the colleges) announced it would formalize the ban, which would extend to all campuses at the start of the 1997 academic year. The ban was quietly rescinded later in the year following the replacement of the Minister of Education.
In 1996, a volleyball team composed mostly of gays and kathoeys, known as The Iron Ladies (Thai: สตรีเหล็ก, satree lek), later portrayed in two Thai movies, won the Thai national championship. The Thai government, concerned with the country's image, barred two of the kathoey from joining the national team and competing internationally.
Among the most famous kathoeys in Thailand is Nong Tum, a former champion Thai boxer who emerged into the public eye in 1998. She was already cross-dressing and taking hormones while still a popular boxer; she would enter the ring with long hair and makeup, occasionally kissing a defeated opponent. She announced her retirement from professional boxing in 1999 – undergoing genital reassignment surgery, while continuing to work as a coach, and taking up acting and modeling. She returned to boxing in 2006.
In 2004, the Chiang Mai Technology School allocated a separate restroom for kathoeys, with an intertwined male and female symbol on the door. The 15 kathoey students are required to wear male clothing at school but are allowed to sport feminine hairdos. The restroom features four stalls, but no urinals.
Also on 2004, Nong Poy won Miss Tiffany's 2004 and Miss International Queen 2004 and since then she has become an icon of transgendered beauty for both women and men in Thailand.
Following the Military Coup in Thailand in 2006 kathoeys are hoping for a new third sex to be added to passports and other official documents in a proposed new constitution. In 2007, legislative efforts have begun to allow kathoeys to change their legal sex if they have undergone genital reassignment surgery; this latter restriction was controversially discussed in the community.
Bell Nuntita a contestant of Thailand's Got Talent TV shows become a YouTube hit when she first performed singing as a girl, and the crowd become amazed when he switches to a man's voice.

Thailand Dreaming: SHORT TIME BARS

Thailand Dreaming: SHORT TIME BARS: "Apart from Agogo and Beer Bars, there is another group which are called 'Short Time Bars'. They are usually 'Inside' bars as opposed to o..."

Foreign men look for Asian women

For people that arrive in Pattaya for the first time it must seem a little strange to them when they see most men trying to meet up with Asian women. Everywhere you look there are bars, massage parlours and just beautiful women everywhere. Finding Asian women in Thailand is not hard at all in fact to meet up with Asian women is quite easy. The Asian women are just waiting for the white men to arrive so they can take care of them. They are beautiful, charming and breathtaking all at the same time and because of their subservient ways they are what finding Asian women is all about.
Many men travel to Thailand because finding Asian women is their goal. They want to meet up with Asian women so they can be treated with respect and give them the things they have always dreamed of. Meeting up with Asian women also gives the white man many other options than if they were other women. For one they are incredibly beautiful and they know how to maintain the house clean and take care of all the domestic duties. They are great when it comes to working in the kitchen and making sure the home is clean, these types of things give them pride. And they love to keep their men happy in the bedroom so that they will not go looking somewhere else.
All of these reasons add to why finding Asian women is good and explains why they are do devoted to their husbands and lovers that you do not have to worry about them going looking for something better as long as they are provided for. One reason men like finding Asian women is that the men have had problems with women in the past and they know that if they meet up with Asian women than they will be treated so much better.
There are many reasons to meet up with Asian women but two others are how beautiful and delicate they are, like a fine china doll. When finding Asian women it is incredible to see how they all look so young and look as if they are just adolescents or teenagers. Most of them are 10 to 15 years older than what you think and stay that way for years and years.
A friend of mine once said if the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Elephant Man had sons they would find a nice Thai lady to care for them as Thai ladies care more about the heart than the looks.

Nana Plaza in Bangkok

Located in Sukhumvit Soi 4, Nana Entertainment Plaza is Bangkok's sleaze central. Notorious for its racy themed go-go bars - from school-girl and leather dominatrix to ladyboy - it's literally a 'sex mall', with three storeys of eye-popping activity all focused around a square-shaped central atrium. Unlike at the better-known Soi Cowboy or Patpong, Nana is a 'more adult' scene. That means no families, no markets and few curious tourists strolling in for a look. It is still worth a look if you are looking for an exotic visual experience, and a photo to talk about when back home.

Walking down Soi 4 from Sukhumvit Road, you'll know you're approaching Nana when you spot the line of street vendor carts preparing an array of weird and wonderful bites. These include 'som tum' (spicy green papaya salad), 'kai tod' (charcoal-grilled chicken) and fried insects, among other odd delicacies - comfort food for the bargirls who mostly hail from Thailand's northeastern Isaan Province.
Young girls in halter tops and short mini-skirts can be found filling up bags of crispy invertebrates, which they chop up and eat with rice and a dash of 'nam prik', chili and shrimp jam

Nana Entertainment Plaza

Greeting you when you pass beneath the monstrous 'Nana Entertainment Plaza' entrance sign is a mass of glowing neon signs, yelling at you from all directions. Shouting even louder than the neon is the intriguing cast of upfront characters - ladyboys and girls - who will try and accost you... it's all light-hearted and unthreatening.
On the ground floor are mostly open-air beer bars to choose from. Girls will try to tempt you in for a drink or a game of Jenga but not much really happens here. The shows and the A Go Go Bars with naughty names like Lollipop and Red Lips are located on the first floor.  Girls here will step into your path and will try to drag you in for a look with a naughty laugh.

Nights in White Satin

Ascend up the escalator to the first floor and it's mostly go-go bars. These include Spankys, Fantasia and Rainbow 3. Rainbow 4 is one of the biggest, with hordes of Japanese-looking girls attracting a busy mix of Westerners and Japanese spectators.
G-Spot, Cassanova and Temptations are among the most popular, and it's no surprise - they're ladyboy bars and put on dazzling shows. Angel Witch, on the left, with its lesbian and dominatrix shows is also a big hit. A lot of thought and energy clearly goes into the costumes and performances here - girls in elegant but provocative strips of white satin were strutting gracefully to 'Nights in White Satin' on our visit.
For relative calm, head for Big Dogs bar on the left corner of the entrance. This is a humble watering-hole, with beers and a raised terrace view onto the street and alleyway.

How to get there: walking distance from Nana BTS Skytrain station

SHORT TIME BARS

Apart from Agogo and Beer Bars, there is another group which are called "Short Time Bars". They are usually "Inside" bars as opposed to open air bars. In the old days, they had the older and less desirable bargirls, but in recent times, the market has changed. Now you will find some of the best looking girls working there, as they can earn as much in the day as going Long Time. They are usually open in the afternoon and while many close by midnight other stay open until the mandatory closing time. Many an Expat uses these places "On the way home" or for an "Afternoon out with the boys". There are good and bad, as in other places, but the good can be better than the best of the rest. Soi Yodsak and the newer Soi Chaiyapoon have the most, but others are dotted around all over the place, from Naklua to Jomtien and as far afield as the famous Butterfly Bar out of town on Soi Siam Country Club.
Due to the current "Social Order" directive, these bars have been told not to offer on-site accomodation, while others have been told to register as hotels, should guests wish to stay on the premises. Luckily, Pattaya being Pattaya, many places ignore such stupid instructions.

The Difference Between A Pattaya Beer Bar & A Go-Go Bar

Weather you are a seasoned traveler, or are looking to visit Pattaya for the first time it is important to have a general idea on how things work. People all over are accustomed to Bars and Pubs, what some may not be used to are the fact that girls are employed in the Thai Bars to entertain customers. The staff in Go Go Bars have the same job, although it can be a little more detailed for them. What ever type of bar you like to drink at, you will always find that talking and dealing with these girls is a fun, good experience and not a sleazy one which many people expect.
It is probably best to explain the different types of bars in Pattaya, the first and most common been the “Pattaya Beer Bars” or “Pattaya Girlie Bars“, these are often very small complexes with few seats and girls standing around trying to call customers into the bar. Bar’s in Pattaya generally serve most common beers, and mixed spirits such as Bacardi Breezes or Smirnoff’s. Beer Bars in Pattaya will generally charge 70-190 baht per drink, depending on what you like. Beer Bars will almost always have a number of games that can be played by the customers with the staff, the most popular choice is probably Connect 4, Janga or the Nail Game. Bar Girls will often ask if you would like to gamble or bet on each game, with the winner getting a drink. Very few tourists come in and are able to beat these girls, this is because they play the game so often they have become very good. Bar Girls in the Girlie Bars will almost always be hoping you “Bar Fine” them and take them for the night, they will usually expect around 1000 to 2000 baht, although this can be bartered down to 1000 quite easily.
The Beer Bars / Girlie Bars that can be found in Pattaya are fun, they can be a great location to meet other like minded tourists, or you can always just sit alone searching for that next Thai Stunner to take home. As said previously, drinks in the Beer / Girlie Bars are well priced although the Lady Drinks will always cost a fair bit more, this is basically a tip for the bar girl. Beer bars are best for the follow

• Drinking
• Watching Sport
• Meeting Other Tourists
• Meeting Expats
• Meeting Thai Girls

A Pattaya Beer Bar / Girlie Bar

We should now talk about the GoGo bars, the part that most people have been waiting for; or just jumped to. Pattaya Go-Go’s are different to the Beer Bars of Pattaya, although they still house a number of girls that are hoping to be bar fined by a tourist they are also very different. Pattaya Go-Go Girls are generally far better looking with many men saying they have a much sexier look, they are usually better dancers and have spent some time in a Beer Bar so have great English. Probably the main different from a Beer Bar to a Go-Go would be the stage, all Go-Go’s are built with a stage for the girls to perform on. Performances by Thai Girls can be vary a great deal, some will be a number of girls on stage simply washing each other while others may involve a older lady doing some very strange things in certain places! Go-Go Bars are also obviously set up for a sexual reason, while many people can pass through a Beer Bar and not realise the opportunity they had.
Its no secret that Go-Go bars are the largest reason people come to Pattaya, with many coming just to see the bar and not to get a girl. Go-Go Bars will almost always charge more for drinks, Pattaya Go-Go Bar Girls as said before have better English, more experience with the farang men and will always ask for a bit more money then a Bar Girl – they have essentially been promoted. You will have a hard time walking into a Go-Go Bar with out been asked to buy a girl a drink, although they are not nearly as expensive as the Ping Pong Shows and other special shows that are about. In most cases, you will walk through double doors to find a rather dark room with a stage – stools will be around the stage and this is where you drink!
Have fun at the Pattaya Go Go Bars & Pattaya Beer Bars!

A Pattaya Go-Go

Pattaya Ambience

Pattaya Nightlife

Pattaya Nightlife Outline.

A guide to Pattaya nightlife is somewhat redundant in that if you go to Pattaya you can't miss it. The worn out cliché is "Sin City by The Sea" but that really does sum it up.


A sprawling mass of beer bars and Go-Go's this town is party central. A lot of people say that there is a different atmosphere in the scene here compared to Bangkok. This may be due to the fact that Pattaya has a lot more of the holiday feel about it, especially after they cleaned up the pollution problem that made swimming and watersports unpleasant a few years back.


There are hotels and restaurants to suit every budget and the prices are generally cheaper than in Bangkok.


As far as Go-Go bars go all roads lead to Walking Street in South Pattaya, as well as having good quality seafood at a reasonable price this area is where the cream of the GoGo action is to be found.


Highlights in this area are Happy-a-gogo, Carousel, The Dollhouse and for something a bit different check out Electric Blue, not only does this bar have 3 levels of Go-Go stage but a nice American style restaurant as well. Andy the guy behind Electric Blue was one of the original founders of The Dollhouse group so expect the same quality.


If chilling out at Beer bars is more your style then take your pick from literally thousands, they are everywhere and it's the usual mish mash of music competing against the bar next door, chilled out girls and on the right night a nice sea breeze to complete the ideal relaxation zone.


No matter what .your taste in Thai Nightlife it's all to be found here, get your kicks in the Pattaya Nightlife then relax Jet Skiing the next day. Pattaya is truly a unique place.

Thailand's tourism arrivals up 66 per cent in May

Tourism arrivals to Thailand jumped 66 per cent in May, compared with a year ago when Bangkok was in the grip of anti-government protests that left 92 dead, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said Wednesday.
Thailand's gain in tourists in May was the steepest in South-East Asia, which was the fastest-growing region of the Asia-Pacific that month.
South-East Asia recorded a 16-per-cent increase in arrivals in May boosted by a 66-per-cent rebound in arrivals to Thailand, a 37-per-cent rise in Vietnam, 33 per cent in Myanmar, 12 per cent in Cambodia and 11 per cent in Singapore, PATA said.
"A lot of that increase came from Thailand, because of the very poor performance it suffered last May," said John Koldowski, PATA's managing director of strategic intelligence.
In May, more than 1.3 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom, compared with 826,000 a year ago, he said.
In April-May 2010, Bangkok was the scene of daily anti-government protests that erupted into bloody street battles with security forces that left 92 dead, about 2,000 injured and parts of the capital in flames.

Five nabbed in Thai fake sex drugs swoop: police

BANGKOK, August 2, 2011 (AFP) - Bangkok authorities arrested five men in a crackdown on sex drugs sold illegally to tourists in streets around the city's red light districts, Thai police said Tuesday.

Raids on July 25 and 28 netted several fake or unlicensed drugs such as Viagra, which is normally prescribed for men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

"We have received complaints from the public that stalls explicitly sell fake drugs to tourists in the evenings," said Colonel Paitoon Khumsraprom of the consumer protection police.

In total five men, two Myanmar nationals and three Thais, were arrested in the two raids, carried out in the China Town and Nana areas of the city.

They were charged over offences including the illegal sale of drugs and selling fake and unlicensed drugs. If convicted they could face up to 20 years in prison.

Police released a list of items seized in the operation, which were estimated to be worth a total of 500,000 baht ($16,800).

These included various types of Viagra, "Waman penis enlarging tablet", Kamagra oral jelly -- in banana, apple and blackcurrant flavours -- and an item intriguingly listed as "Night fire heartily burnable lady's intense emotion".

"This has tarnished Thailand's tourism image," said an official from the Thai Food and Drug Administration, which also took part in the raids.

66 Years old

Thailand opens new parliament

lated Content

• Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn reads a statement during the opening ceremony …
  
• 
• Thai Prime Minister-elect Yingluck Shinawatra smiles as she poses for a group photo …

Thailand's new parliament officially opened on Monday, faced with the daunting challenge of bringing stability to the kingdom after five years of political turmoil.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the elaborate opening ceremony in the capital Bangkok in the late afternoon, allowing the 500-seat lower house to convene for business on Tuesday.
"It is your direct responsibility as MPs to lead the country within the democratic system, for the benefit of the country and people," the prince told lawmakers during a short inauguration speech.
Within days, MPs are expected to vote in the country's first female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra of the Puea Thai party, which on July 3 won a crushing electoral victory to take power from the pro-establishment Democrats.
Yingluck will take the helm almost five years after her brother, the deeply divisive Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted as premier in a military coup. He now lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.
Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun said 44-year-old Yingluck, who is widely seen as a proxy for her brother, had shown surprising charisma since her electoral success and could become "a very capable prime minister".
But he said the challenges facing the premier-in-waiting, a political novice, are formidable.
"I think the honeymoon period of Yingluck will be very short. She has so many obstacles in front of her," said Pavin, of Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Thailand's political landscape became increasingly polarised following the 2006 coup, with other Thaksin allies removed from power by the courts and paralysing rallies by both pro- and anti-Thaksin camps.
They culminated in mass demonstrations by his "Red Shirt" followers in Bangkok last April and May, which ended with a military assault and more than 90 people dead. Thaksin is wanted on terrorism charges linked to the unrest.
Yingluck is expected to face pressure from the Red Shirts, many of whom support Thaksin for his populist policies during his 2001-2006 rule. They are likely to demand justice over last year's violence and push for their leaders to be given key positions.
The new government will also need to appease those among the Bangkok-based elite who backed Thaksin's ouster and believe his style of leadership was authoritarian and corrupt.
Economic concerns have meanwhile been raised over the potential impact of Yingluck's vote-grabbing promises, such as a minimum wage hike and higher rice prices for farmers, which the Bank of Thailand has warned could stoke inflation.
The Commerce Ministry said Monday that inflation edged up marginally in July, but permanent secretary Yanyong Phuangrach warned against panic-buying out of concern over new policies, as "that will cause a surge in prices".
Last week, the Election Commission endorsed dozens of winning candidates from the national polls, bringing the total approved to 496 -- passing the 95 percent threshold needed by law for parliament to convene.
The vote body earlier dismissed allegations against Yingluck that banned politicians were involved in her campaign.
Yingluck has formed a dominating six-party coalition that will hold about three-fifths of the seats in the lower chamber, where MPs' first task will be to elect a house speaker, expected on Tuesday.
The Puea Thai said the party agreed on Monday to nominate a former deputy house speaker and veteran politician, Somsak Kiatsuranond, for the role.

Heavy rain, flooding triggered by tropical storm hit northern, northeastern provinces

PHRAE, July 31 – Heavy rain and flooding hit several northern and northeastern provinces while local authorities are prepared for more rain as tropical storm Nok-Ten enters Thailand Sunday.

n Phrae, flash flooding triggered by heavy rainfalls hit several areas in Rong Kwang district. A portion of Phrae-Nan road from the municipality office to the district office and the Rong Kwang police station is under about 50 centimetres of water.

In Den Chai and Mueng district, several villages were inundated. Chuan Sirinanthaporn, Phrae governor warned local residents in disaster-prone areas of flash flood and mudslide.

In the northeastern province of Nongkhai, heavy rain and flooding hit many areas including the municipality. Many main roads are currently under water. People evacuated their belongings to higher ground. Meanwhile, as a by-election is being held in Constituency 2 on Sunday after the Pheu Thai candidate was given a yellow card, officials worried that the heavy rains may result in low voter turnout.

Several provinces in the North have released water from reservoirs to prepare for more rainfall stemming from tropical storm Nok-Ten.

Chiang Rai irrigation officials drained water from Sruay reservoir and Chiang Rai dike to absorb rapidly increasing water and to prevent water from overflowing its banks to villagers and farmlands in low-lying areas along the Kok River and the Lao River. Rain in Chiang Rai stopped Sunday morning but overnight rain caused the water level in the Kok River, the Lao River, the Chan River, the Kham River and the Sai River to rise fast and become brownish-red and murky with silt. The local disaster prevention and mitigation office warned people at foothills, near waterways and in lowlands to beware of flash floods from July 31 to August 3.

In Lamphum, deputy governor Prachakjit Apiwat, said there is rainfall in 80 per cent of the province. Local residents in at-risk areas have been warned of possible flash floods. The local disaster prevention and mitigation office is offering emergency call service around the clock.

In Phichit, Saklek Kamjai, a local officer of the disaster prevention and mitigation department in Phichit said they are cooperating with the Royal Irrigation Department to reduce the released water from the Yom River to the Nan River as the Nan River is already at a high level. He also worked with the Chao Phraya dam in Chainat to drain water from the Chao Phraya River to prepare to absorb water from the northern provinces.

A centre to monitor the amount of rainfall, possible flash flood and mudslide from the tropical storm Nok-Ten has been established. The meteorological department has issued a warning for northeastern, northern and eastern provinces of heavy rain and possible flash floods associated with tropical storm Nok-Ten from Sunday until August 4.

The Associated Press reported tropical storm Nok-Ten slammed into north-central Vietnam, killing one person. A 68-year-old man was electrocuted by a falling power line on Saturday.
Nok-Ten has already left at least 50 people dead and 25 missing in the Philippines.

Briton Who Faked His Own Death Found Living In Thailand

'I've been living a lie for too long': The 53-year-old British father who faked his own death after wife's breast op in Moscow found sleeping rough on Thai airport bench

Weaving his way along a Bangkok street, Stephen Kellaway looks like just another aging hippie enjoying the relaxed Thai lifestyle. In fact, he is a middle-class British psychologist who officially died almost two years ago. The 53-year-old father of two faked his death during a family trip to Moscow, where his wife had breast enlargement surgery, to avoid jail for swindling £50,000 benefits.


Penniless: Kellaway sleeping in the lounge of Bangkok Airport. He travelled the world
on a false passport which he secured using the birth certificate of a dead child - a ruse
inspired by the Frederick Forsyth thriller The Day Of The Jackal

Since then he has been living in Asia, mainly on the proceeds of the £1 million property empire the couple built up in London. The Daily Mail tracked him down to Bangkok, where he was sleeping rough after his payments from the UK had been temporarily halted. There, he admitted: 'I've been lying about who I am for too long. It is a life of constant anxiety and uncertainty.'

The son of an engineer, Kellaway met his third wife, Nelli, in a pub during the mid-1990s when he was running a counselling service in West London. They have a daughter and son aged 11 and nine, who were sent to private school. Kellaway earned £100,000 a year from his practice. He and Nelli, now 42, bought six houses and flats in the South East. To help pay their multiple mortgages and school fees, they fraudulently claimed housing benefit on their property portfolio. Realising the police were closing in, they went on holiday with their children to Russia, where Nelli had her breast operation – and her husband faked his death by bribing a mortuary worker to place his passport on the body of a tramp.

Nelli returned to London with an urn which she said contained Kellaway's ashes. Facing court for the fraud, she convinced a jury that her 'abusive' husband had forced her into it and escaped with a suspended sentence. Meanwhile Kellaway was travelling the world on a false passport which he secured using the birth certificate of a dead child – a ruse inspired by the Frederick Forsyth thriller The Day Of The Jackal.

Actor in hot water over filming in prohibited area

The National Park Department is seeking police action against a wellknown actor and TV documentary host for allegedly filmed his programme in a protected national forest without permission and for violating officials' orders.

Kanjana Nittaya, chief of Phu Khieu wildlife sanctuary in Chaiyaphum's Konsarn district said that she had filed the complaint with police on July 20 against Jessdaporn Pholdee, host of Navigator programme, which is aired on Channel 3.

The actor and the crew had sought permission to film in the sanctuary and her office had permitted them to film in some parts of the sanctuary, which are open to the public and for filming."They were notified that filming was not allowed in other areas, as these are considered sensitive," Kanjana said.

She identified the prohibited area as "Phu Khing."

However, the actor and the crew entered and filmed in Phu Khing, which is in Kasetsomboon district of Chaiyaphum. This area is closed to the public and for activities under a 1992 wildlife reservation and protection Act.

"Khun Jessadaporn and the team could not say they did not know because they had already been informed of the prohibition," she said.

Her office thus decided to seek police action. "If the programme about Phu Khing is aired, all officials of the Phu Khieu wildlife sanctuary and the National Park director general would face serious disciplinary punishment," she said.

Many television programmes have been filmed inside the sanctuary in the past, with their presenters and crew informed of the prohibited areas. There have no violations like Khun Jessadaporn's case, she said.

Her office has already informed the actor's team that the programme filmed inside the prohibited sites cannot be aired. The team has promised to adjust the programme accordingly.

Meanwhile Pol Lt Col Sarayuth Daojang of Kasetsomboon said that he was gathering evidence and information concerning the case and this is expected to be complete by the end of this month.

Police will then summon Jessadaporn to acknowledge the allegations.

Princess Bejaratana passes at 85

Princess Bejaratana, the only child of King Rama VI, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 85 from a blood infection, the Royal Household Bureau reported.

The princess' life encompassed four kings, although only one day under one of them. She was born on November 24, 1925, to King Vajiravudh and Princess Suvadhana. After seeing his daughter for a day, the king died on November 25, but not before he finished the poem he had been working on for her lullaby. Her uncle, King Rama VII, bestowed on the princess her name on December 30.
The princess and her mother moved to Suan Hongsa Villa at Dusit Palace, where she received her education from a private tutor. They moved in with Queen Sri Savarindira (the Queen Dowager) during the Second World War, and the princess attended Rajani School until the age of 12. The princess and her mother moved to England, where she received further schooling as well as medication for her illness.
In England, she first stayed at Fairhill Villa in Surrey, then transferred to Brighton. It was well known that the princess and her mother always granted audiences to Thais in England as well as supported Thai activities abroad. During the 20 years of her stay, the princess studied English, French and piano as well as attending an all-girls' boarding school in Wales throughout the Second World War. During the war, she volunteered to help the British Red Cross prepare bandages as well as medicine for soldiers.
In November 1957, the mother and daughter moved back to Thailand. They bought land on Sukhumvit Soi 38 and built Ruenruedi Villa Palace, which is still the home of the princess. Once the princess had settled into her new life in Thailand, she proceeded to perform her royal duties as a representative of the Royal Family. During her active days, she was recognised as a great help to His Majesty the King in carrying out public welfare missions that required visits to remote areas.
Her special interests ranged from education, public health, Buddhism and the soldiers and police stationed at Thailand's borders to general public welfare.
In a statement marking her 61st birthday, the princess vowed to dedicate her whole life to performing royal duties that served the national interest in honour of His Majesty the King.
An article on the Public Relations Department website describes her as follows: "A devout Buddhist, the Princess [was] known to be very punctual and make best use of her time. She [followed] her constant routines every day and her watch [was] always persistently adjusted. The Princess [preferred] simplicity and [was] a true nationalist. Her clothes and handbags [were] only made in Thailand. Her use of language [was] always clear and accurate. English and French [were] spoken only with foreigners. The Princess [crocheted] in her free time. The crocheted cloths [were] given to Thai soldiers along the border".
Princess Bejaratana was known privately to be a very gifted person, especially with numbers. She had the knack of calculating the day of the week for any dates presented to her, promptly and without any hesitation, as well as remembering the birthdays of everyone who had been presented to her.
Because of her age and failing health, she cut back on many of her royal duties in her later years. However, once in a while she engaged in some work that was connected to her late father.
The Royal Household Bureau is arranging for the public to pay homage to her at the Sahathai Samakom Hall in the Grand Palace from 1pm to 5pm today.

A tale of three helicopter disasters

Over a period of just nine days, three of the Army's helicopters crashed in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi, plunging the nation into a state of shock at the tragic accidents that claimed 17 lives.

The first accident took place on July 16 and involved a UH-1H helicopter, known as a Huey. The crash happened in bad weather and poor visibility. All five officers on board perished. The rescue team found the charred wreckage at the crash site, about 10 metres below the mountaintop.

The crashed helicopter was refurbished following its decommission from the United States before being deployed in the Army's aviation service about 10 years ago.

Manufactured by Bell Helicopter, the Huey is a utility helicopter with twin engine, one two-blade main rotor and one two-blade tail rotor.

Its fuselage can accommodate up to 14 troops or six stretchers for medical evacuation. Its flight range is 512 kilometres and its airborne time is three hours. Cruise speed is 204 kilometres per hour.

In the second accident, a UH-60L, known as Black Hawk, went down on July 19, killing eight officers and one television cameraman on board. The utility helicopter crashed in bad weather and poor visibility while on a mission to recover the five bodies from the first accident.

The Black Hawk is ranked as one of the top ten helicopters in military service around the world. The Army began to deploy Black Hawks in 2002. The crash leaves six in deployment at the Army's Lop Buri Aviation Centre. Two new Black Hawks are on order and the Army plans to increase the deployment to 33 UH-60 helicopters.

Manufactured by Silorsky Aircraft Corporation, the Black Hawk has the capacity to transport 14 troops or six stretchers or lift 4,400 kilograms of cargo.

Its flight radius is 592 kilometres with a cruise speed of 278 kilometres per hour. It is a four bladed, twin engine, medium-lift utility helicopter.

In the third accident, a Bell 212 crashed on July 24 while on its way for maintenance checks after completing its mission to transport the nine bodies in the second crash. Of the four officers on board, one mechanic survived to recount the malfunction of the tail rotor.

The Bell 212, or Twin Huey, is a two-bladed, twin-engine, medium helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter.

Deployed in the Army since 1992, it has the capacity to transport 14 troops with a cruise speed of 186 kilometres per hour. Its flight range is 439 kilometres.

UH-1H, Huey, helicopter

Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter

Status: Refurbished and in commission for 10 years

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 12.5 metres

Height: 4.4m

Maximum takeoff weight: 4,308 kilograms

Performance

Maximum speed: 204 kilometres per hour

Cruise speed: 204km per hour

Range: 512km

UH-60L, Black Hawk, helicopter

Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Status: new and commissioned in 2002

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 19.76 metres

Height: 5.13m

Maximum takeoff weight: 10,660 kilograms

External cargo load: 4,400 kg

Performance

Maximum speed: 295km per hour

Cruise speed: 278km per hour

Range: 2,200km

Bell 212, Twin Huey, helicopter

Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter

Status: new and commissioned in 1992

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 17.43metres

Height: 3.83m

Maximum takeoff weight: 5.080kg

External cargo load: 2,268kg

Performance

Maximum speed: 223 km per hour

Cruise speed: 186 km per hour

Range: 439 km

Trade, tourism along Thai-Cambodian border active after World Court ruling

SI SA KET, July 24 – Cross border trade at Chong Sa-ngam border crossing with neighbouring Cambodia in Si Sa Ket on Sunday has reportedly been revived as many Cambodians queued up for the opening of the border crossing in the morning to exchange products with Thai traders.

Cambodians crossed the border to buy and sell large amounts of consumer products. Border trade activities was seen as active again amidst security provided by police officers of Phu Sing Police Station and local army rangers.

Apart from the trade, tourism along the Thai-Cambodian border was also boosted as many tourists have been visiting the area, asking for information about cross-border excursions to attractions such as Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Siem Riap, according to Hattachai Pengchaem, head of the trade and tourism operators association in Chong Sa-ngam.

Mr Hattachai said that the return of the active trade and tourism can be attributed to the July 18’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court rulings on the Thai-Cambodian border, adding that both Thai and Cambodian traders have expressed their confidence in the border situation.

The rulings applied to both Thailand and Cambodia, requiring that both countries withdraw troops from the disputed border area near Preah Vihear Temple.

Meanwhile, the overall Thai political situation in Thailand is becoming clearer, as a new coalition government led by Pheu Thai Party will be formed after the July 3 general election.

Thai hookers paid to smuggle S.African rhino horns: reports

JOHANNESBURG, July 22, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai man hired prostitutes to smuggle poached rhino horns disguised as legal hunting trophies from South Africa to supply the Asian black market, media said Friday.

Chumlong Lemtongthai, 43, who was arrested last week outside Johannesburg, was part of a syndicate alleged to have sold at least 40 rhino horns, the weekly Mail & Guardian and the daily Beeld reported.

The revelation came from a South African manager for Thai Airways, John Oliviers, who worked with Chumlong but then turned whistle-blower and informed the police, the papers said.

Olivier told police that Marnus Steyl, a South African wildlife trader, bought rhinos from auctions and private owners and took them to his farms where the animals were killed soon after their arrival, the paper said.

"Once the rhinos were established on Steyl's farm, he would call Lemtongthai and tell him how many animals were in place for a 'hunt'," read Olivier's statement, according to the Mail & Guardian.

South Africa allows a limited number of legal rhino hunts, but each person is allowed only one kill per year.

Friends, strippers and prostitutes were paid 5,000 rands ($740, 514 euros) to pose as hunters and export the horns, the papers said.

Each horn was taken to a taxidermist, who mounted it on a shield to look like a hunting trophy.

"The trophy is just a cover for getting the horn out of South Africa and into Asia. Once in Asia, it obviously would enter the black market as rhino horn for 'medicinal purposes'. The person allegedly 'hunting' the rhino would never see the animal or its horn again," Olivier's statement reportedly said.

Chumlong paid 65,000 rands a kilo for the horns and sold them for $55,000 (380,000 rands) a kilo, the papers said.

With the average horn weighing five kilos, he made more than $8.9 million in profit on the 40 rhinos shot to date, they said.

South African national parks officials say rhino poaching has risen from 13 cases in 2007 to a record 333 last year and 222 so far this year.

Panda pregnancy keeps keepers guessing

Chiang Mai Zoo veterinarians are maintaining a positive outlook despite their suspicion that panda Lin Hui might be undergoing a false pregnancy. They have asked for more time to conduct tests before officially deciding on the panda's condition.

Prasertsak Buntrakulpuntawi, head of Chiang Mai Zoo's panda research project, said yesterday that after checking Lin Hui's hormone levels four times, they found her progesterone decreasing to almost normal and had found no sign of a foetus. However, their findings remained inconclusive about the pregnancy because the panda was an exceptional animal.

He said this was a similar scenario to the first phase of Lin Hui's pregnancy with Lin Ping when they couldn't find the foetus until she became visibly pregnant and gave birth to the cub.

Asked about conducting artificial insemination - the same method that led to Lin Ping's birth - Prasertsak said they would wait for Lin Ping to mate naturally early next year before considering that option.

Thailand's Irresistible Attraction for Fugitives

BANGKOK — Give me your drug dealers, your money launderers, your felons on the lam yearning to breathe free. ...

Viktor Bout after his arrest in Thailand in 2010. 

Thailand has never advertised itself as a beacon for fugitives, but the world’s wretched refuse — to tweak the noble words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty — seem to show up here in droves.
Millions of tourists, most of them presumably without criminal records, travel to Thailand every year, drawn by the good food, lively night life and crystal waters. Fugitives come for the same reasons — plus the prospect, for some, of outliving a statute of limitations.
“Thailand has traditionally been one of the top source countries for extradition of criminals to the U.S.,” reads a March 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy obtained by WikiLeaks. The cable lists the wide variety of fugitives nabbed in Thailand over the years: child molesters, narcotics traffickers, money launderers and cybercriminals, among others.
The cable, which was sent from the embassy in Bangkok, counts 135 defendants extradited from Thailand to the United States in the past three decades and dozens more people “directly deported.”
But a scan of recent headlines in Thailand suggests that the U.S. fugitives are but a footnote on a long rap sheet of globe-trotting felons on the loose.
In the past two years, the news media here have reported the arrest in Thailand of Germans wanted for fraud and tax evasion; a man suspected of being a South Korean mafia boss; Czech bank robbers convicted of stealing several million euros (and who fled to Thailand after jumping bail while their case was under appeal); Pakistani passport forgers; a convicted Filipino murderer who was the most wanted man in the Philippines but worked in Bangkok as a jeweler; a French drug trafficker who thought he could elude the police by using his brother’s passport; the head of Japan’s second-largest organized crime syndicate; an Israeli fugitive convicted of double murder in Belgium and traveling on a forged Maldives passport; an Indian man wanted for sending a bevy of fraudulent spam; an Australian suspected of murdering a family of three; and a seemingly countless number of pedophiles.
Add to the list Viktor Bout, suspected of being an international arms dealer, who was extradited to the United States in November after a protracted legal battle in Thailand.
Many criminals seem to find refuge in Pattaya, the seedy seaside resort southeast of Bangkok known for its vast stretches of girly bars. A separate U.S. cable from 2005 said U.S. fugitives had “taken up residence in Pattaya over the years, along with people who should be getting treatment for mental illness, but are not.”
Thailand’s freewheeling society, its pliant law enforcement and a joie de vivre at budget prices are the powerful magnets for the dregs of many countries, says John Burdett, a British author of crime novels set in Thailand that delve into the country’s underworld.
“There are a number of minor reasons and one very major one why the jet-setting underground would find Thailand irresistible,” Mr. Burdett said in an e-mail. “The minor ones would include guns, girls, gambling, ganja and gorgeous beaches, especially for those recently released from confinement.”
But what makes Thailand especially attractive, Mr. Burdett said, “is the international reputation, whether deserved or not, of a compliant and bribable police force.”
Thailand’s leaders have long acknowledged that there are bad apples — some would say orchards of bad apples — among the police.
Lt. Gen. Wiboon Bangthamai, the head of the country’s immigration police, said in an interview that officials at remote border posts had been known to suffer inexplicable computer troubles when cash-rich people sought to cross Thai borders illegally.
“Officers at small border checkpoints would break the computers and let them in,” General Wiboon said.
The U.S. cables point to weak law enforcement, a country preoccupied with political problems and inconvenient geography.
“Thailand’s borders are long and extremely porous and the country is therefore vulnerable to international criminal elements of all kinds,” said the cable from 2009.

Thai Women and (Farang) Foreign Men – What's that all about?

Sex and money make the world go round. Add power and the combination of the three makes up the ideal recipe for success, be it in business or pleasure. Is that a cynical view? Maybe. but when a sanctimonious English female reporter asks the question: Why do Thai girls want to marry foreign men? I think that's a pretty daft question. The reasons are obvious, but let's look at the route to the pot of gold.

Many Thai girls, particularly those from the rural north east, can have a fairly rough time in both childhood and in their teens. Go into any bar in Bangkok and the bar girls will repeat the same story. They had a Thai boyfriend, who got her pregnant, he then did a runner, and she was left with baby and probably mother, father and a few lazy brothers to support.

Often the male contingent of that family and even the mother will tell the girl there is one solution: "Go to Bangkok, get a job in a bar, make money using your feminine charm and send us the money you make". Simply put, go and have sex with as many foreign men as possible and give us the money.

This is the reality of the situation and no matter how it is dressed up and had spin put on it, this is simple fact in Thailand, It has been for decades and I see no sign of it changing, no matter what the 'do gooders' and politically correct females of the west may think. They have not had the same pressures put on them as these girls have.

There are choices of course and I know a few girls who have moved on from the bar scene without grabbing a foreign husband. One went back to grow and pick potatoes, and as far as I know she still sells them at the roadside, and is doing OK. Some try the factories but find the money paid by the foreign manufacturers just isn't enough to support their family as well.

In the true tradition of worker exploitation, these manufacturers are treating their female staff with as much disrespect as any foreign sex tourist. Working on the farm is the other option, but again, it's not enough to sustain a whole family, so it's off to Bangkok and use the most valuable asset they have to lure a nice foreign guy.

There are no shortage of takers, but as in any job, some effort has to be made to be successful. It's no good just sitting at the bar every night and not learning how to communicate properly. Let's face it, some of the girls are not the sharpest knives in the box and they will always have trouble in achieving their goal

Some are just downright lazy and would struggle wherever they worked. And some are cunning to the degree of deliberately getting pregnant and using this as a lever to get the man. But this is not just Thailand, it happens the world over.

In contrast, some are bright, learn and pick up English (the most common language used) and are fun to be with. This is important as many men will not want to be sat there with a bored looking, dim, sad girl. That's not why they came to Bangkok. If the signs are good, and after a few nights of pleasure, the guy is still keen, then the girl from the North Country may well have cracked it. But the driving force behind all these relationships is money.

After a while the sex can wait, but the money has to keep coming in a steady flow. Eventually they may marry and both go to live in a new house built in the home Isaan village, where the Farang and his beautiful Thai wife live and maybe have children. The teenage girls in the village will see the new house and look with envy.

They may ask: "How come Lek have big new house like this?"

The answer : "She go Bangkok and find Farang man – I think I do same"

The circle is complete, and off we go again with some more of the beautiful girls of Isaan looking for their man. That's why many girls from Isaan look for a foreign man. Security and money.

Simple – Yes?

So having answered one question, our dim British TV reporters then come up with another daft question:

Why do western men come to live in Thailand?