Navalator

Very sad fate,RIP.

It makes me angry btw,did that guy think that speeding on the motorbike while drunk is cool?

Of course he thinks that it is cool. He should be tried for murder when he is discharged from the hospital. His defective genes should be removed from the pool through execution or permanent life-time residence in the Bangkok Hilton.

Just what is going on with Phuket these days? Seems like every 3 or 4 days a tourist dies there.

I have just returned from Phuket and in my opinion it is a shit hole. The Tuk Tuk thugs, jet ski thugs, over priced restaurant thugs, double pricing souvenir shop thugs and taxi thugs have turned a paradise into a swamp.

What terrible public relations for a country that depends upon tourism. I am advising my friends not to visit nor waste their money in Phuket. Kho Phe Phe is not far behind in becoming a cess pool as well.

This story is not at all surprising considering how the cowboys operate their speed boats. Farang jet ski drivers are just as bad. There is a total lack of responsible behavior on the Pattaya and Jomtien beaches. The police are unconcerned so it is anarchy on the water. Locals know enough to stay away but tourists never learn. And of course the beach boys just laugh all the way to the bank.

Come on folks! He plead guilty and paid the fine to get the hel_l out of that shit hole. These tuck tuk drivers are just to thuggish to believe that he was a victim of this Canadian. I once had a motor bike run into my parked car and I ended up paying for his hospital treatment just to get my passport back from the police. That fish you smell is Thai justice and the totally ingrained bias against white farangs. It is all about tea money and nothing to do with fairness. All part of the excitement of being in Thailand.

The guy should have paid 150 baht and been on his way. Don't protest over a buck and a half. One thing I've learned in foreign countries is to pick your battles. Are the tuk tuk drivers in Phuket rude? Yes. Are they thugs? Yes. Is there another way to get around in Phuket if you don't have a car or motorbike? No. So negotiate the fare and pay what you agreed to. Case closed.

Oh come on! We all know that Phuket is a shit hole and the drivers are thugs. These scum are ready to devastate other Thais let alone farangs. To really close this case is to never go to Phuket. That place and Phi Phi need another big wave to wash away these vermin. They have turned a paradise into a scum pond.

Caning anyone?

I think that caning is too good for them but should be done in public. Strip them naked and go to town on them in the public square and then throw them into the slammer to be somebody's personal bitch. These scum are part of what makes Phuket such a shit hole. I have just returned from there and will never go back. The taxi thugs are no better than the purse snatchers. No wonder tourism is in a slump. Why would tourists sign up for this kind of treatment.

JT- you may not have noticed, but in many areas which have marriage law, even partnerships which are not technically marriages *become* so under the law (common-law partnerships, 'palimony' laws, etc.) so that even if gays chose not to be married they might wind up with no choice from a legal standpoint, much as many straight couples do now. I don't mind gays have the choice to become married- a bad choice, I feel- as long as they aren't forced into it by default.

And just wait until gay divorce rears its ugly head....

...............it already has, in California! A prominent conservative homophobic Republican state legislator who voted for the so called "gay" domestic partners act said that he did so so that gays would have to go through the same crap that straights have to go through when divorce time comes around. California's domestic partners legislation is a carbon copy of the straight" legislation with the word "marriage" being substituted by the phrase "domestic partners". Such things as community property laws and child support kicks in now when gays wish to divorce in the State. On the other hand, domestic partners can no longer be denied partner access by homophobic religious (read Catholic) hospitals during times of medical emergencies.

So essentially, gays have the same rights and responsibilities of straights in California. In addition, there are now scores of legal protections for the widowed partner which prevents rabid relatives of the deceased sweeping in and stealing domestic assets. The closer you get to equality, the more legal responsibilities, liabilities and protections you have. As North Carolina Senator Jessy Helms once said when exhorting the U.S. Senate o voted down a "gay rights" bill: "Give homosexuals civil rights and they will take our jobs!". Sage advice from a renown racists and homophobe.

The domestic partners legislation also dilutes the rantings of homophobic religious leaders, such as Jerry Falwell, who blamed the destruction of the New York World Trade Centers destruction on homosexuals.

I am astounded that no one has mentioned San Francisco.

There are gay clubs there catering to Asians who want to hook up with Occidentals. Googling gay venues in San Francisco will bring forth a whole list of interesting places. The physical scenery also is worth a visit with Muir Woods be of special interest. There are lots of gay Oc cidentals in San Franciso who appreciate culture and would be more than willing to cart you off to museums, parks, woodlands and the many Mariltime associate places around. Posting in Gay Romeo would help and Craig's List for San Francisco would be a good place to advert. I personally found Las Vegas to be rather homophobic and very heterosexual-centric.

My family and I have just returned from Phuket and Kho Phe Phe.

It was a vacation from hel_l.

The tuk tuks and taxis are driven by thugs and the two-tired pricing is insulting. These low lifes have turned a paradise into a hel_l hole. It is not just the world economic situation that has harmed tourism to Thailand, it is the thugs who have taken over, intimidating tourists, charging extorinate prices, using firearms to milk tourists of their money and other felonious activities, which all contribute to the visitor swearing never to return.

We shall never set foot on Phuket and Phe Phe again.

The inmates have taken over the asylum! They need to be rounded up and dumped onto Devil's Island.

The guy who attacked the French family should be taken into a public place and beaten senseless.

This story lacks credibility. Why were these morons ignoring the warning sign? Why were they drunk and swimming? How come the hero who dived in was not electrocuted? Why do these hel_l raisers have to come to Thailand to party by getting drunk? No alcohol served in Israel? There is more to this than is being reported. The electric cable did not kill this person. Rotten judgment and irresponsibility did!

What is this **name removed** bit? If we do not know the name how can we be on guard? Just consider all street offers scams?

Thus far, no allegations of such scams at duty-free shops at Phuket Airport have been reported.

RIGHT! Not until now!

The security guard fell asleep. How typical

This guy needs to be fired and the moron who hired him should shortly follow.

LOL the data will be used in line with the Data Protection Act . That really makes me laugh. British government agencies are renowned for breaching the act by their negligence.

...............or for law enforcement purposes! The U.S. does the same thing and passes the information directly on to the F.B.I.!

In case of doubt, Istambul is in Turkey,

Yes, and it's not "Constantinople" any more, either. So what?

hel_l, I remember when it was called Byzantium.

thank god I don't live in Phuket. R&R means sex an booze. But the "girls" and the bar owner pimps will have a heyday

I say tell the Navy to go somewhere else. American sailors are not known for their civilized behavior. To bad the pimps and whores are so broke that they need the Navy to survive. Also, why would the butch and masculine boys of the Navy need lady boys anyhow? Not getting enough aboard ship?

Kabala and adopting an African baby has been done.

Ha ha too true. Old hat mate time for something new. Anything to keep the public interested. People seem to like oddities like Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop in days gone by they pushed the limits. They were outrageous!

Cheers, Rick

Lady Gaga is the new gay icon? I am burning my gay membership card and going straight!

Hi

I am going to Thailand in several weeks time.

I want to go to a beautiful beach area, with white sands and clear water, 2-4 hours drive from Bangkok.

I am not interested in areas such as Pattaya/Hua Hin, nor any Islands. I would realy like something quiet, authentic, relaxed and cheap (1000bht p/n max). Preferably the type of place where Thai people go to relax, or little sleepy fishing village, etc...

I have researched Cha am a little but I am not so sure if this floats my boat either.

I was thinking something like Muang Rayong or south Chanthaburi. Has anyone got any experiences of visiting these places?

Could anyone give me some advice or on the above areas or others in accordance to my description.

Thanks in advance for comments.

M

Consider Phala Beach! Just east of Sattahip. Outstanding seafood restaurants, clean ocean, sparsely populated beaches, real Thai ambiance.

Entering the USA was asked so many silly questions ( which I refused to answer ) it really seems to be part and parcel of those sorts of institutions

I am a US citizen and was held for questioning upon entering USA last month (I have a Bob Smith-type of name and this happens on occasion)... if you had answered as above at Washington/Dulles to the guys I had to deal with, you would have been led away in handcuffs.

As a U.S. citizen, I am in and out of the Untied States, Britian, the European Union and South-East Asia on a rather regular basis and I can attest that the U.S. Immigration officers are the nastiest, over-bearing, rude, dour and fascistic people in the business, closely followed by the British. They seem obsessed with pedophilia and the importation of silver trinkets. I dread entering the United States, my home country, and much rather wish to go somewhere else but there. On the other hand, I always feel welcome entering the European Union and Asia at any gateway. I recently has a most pleasant experience entering China at Guangzhou and have routinely and consistently been treated with respect and welcoming to Thailand. Perhaps, when American becomes a third-world country, where it is rapidly heading, people will be more welcome to enter and spend their money.

I pass through BKK about a dozen times a year and have never experience anything even remotely akin to abuse. As an American, I have never failed to experience anything but competent and friendly processing. You want abuse? Just go through any American international immigration/customs check point. Of all the airports in the world that I frequent, the worst possible insulting immigration officer behavior and abuse is in America, followed closely by Britain.

Thai DL doesn't make you a Thai citizen... just cuz other places are too stupid to realize that (or just don't think 500 baht is worth listening to you ramble on and ruin their day) doesn't make it any different...

In the US many states have attractions which charge a higher rate for out-of-state or foreign residents... I don't know why so many farang think this is a Thai phenomenon or why they seem to think they should be above it. It seems a pretty normal practice to me.

I live in the United States and have never once seen, in 70 years, a dual pricing system for foreigners. Just imagine how irate a Thai would be to visit an American national park where they would pay 10 times the admission of a local. The cry of "racism" would be heard through the land. In fact, a dual pricing system in any American government facility, e.g., a national park, as compared to Thai government facilities, e.g., the Royal Enclosure, would be unconstitutional and therefor voided. The way to cope with this stinking policy is to boycott the establishment with the dual pricing system and inform manage why you are walking.

I had no idea such a thing occurred in the UK in such recent times. Appalling treatment of a fellow human being.

Being homosexual, ever since Victorian times and just before, was seen as an abberation, a defect of personality, many people have been the subject to this ostracism, which now thankfully has been put aside in the UK, unfortunately this mathematical genius, a very very talented man was forced to suffer a chemical castration due to his homosexuality which ultimately led him to take his own life.

The accolade from Gordon Brown has now acknowledged the vital work he did at Bletchley Park during the war.

INHO the Turing affair was one of the greatest injustices every performed by the British. This man personally was responsible for the saving of millions of British lives and property. His treatment by the government supports the thesis that monkeys would be better off running the British parliament and the military. Just imagine that a person's sexual orientation is of paramount importance to the British generals than winning a war. England is still a homphobic paradise.

I am an American Guy, I have lived in Thailand 5 years, Brittan 6 months, Spain a month and France a month, the British behavior while on holiday is outrageous. I fully understand the Spanish Government arresting them repeatedly, if not in bulk and deporting them, Drunk and fighting every night in the pubs, France too. There were bars in France where I couldn't get a drink until I showed my passport to prove I was not British. Thailand is a little further, we can hope only the somewhat more responsible Britts get that far from home, that they might not still be somewhat special, I have no doubt. Behave yourselves! English speakers around the world suffer the consequences of what U do on Holiday!

The conduct of British nationals here in eastern Thailand is an abomination. I am sure that behavior is the major cause of the problems Brits encounter here. For some reason, Britain sends her worst examples to tour in Thailand.

Now, about the Tea Money matter. When does that become subject to a "crack down"?

Two observations:

1. uniforms = conformity (very important in Thai society)

2. what about the boys in tight short shorts?

YES! Boys in short, body hugging shorts and bare chests. Give the Christians something to worry about!