peckerwood

yes, if you choose to live in that shit hole, you are living dangerously. If you come for a short vacation and stick to the girls from the go-go's, you probably don't have too much to worry about. But you can still be a victim of petty crime (which I was on two occasions while visiting there). Don't take freelancers off the street, as many of these girls work with the police to extort money from unsuspecting tourists (I know two guys personally that this has happened to. Anyway, I know quite a few guys that love this place. Just don't understand it. To my mind, Angeles City is the anus of the world.

I'm sure there are many BM's that are far more qualified to comment on this than I am, but Thai law forbids foreigners from directly owning land. But just like about anything else in Thailand, there are workarounds. If you form a company in which native Thai's nominally own at least 51 percent of the company (or corporation, whatever), then land can be purchased in the name of that corporation. I'm sure that there are many thai legal (or illegal) firms that arrange for this kind of thing all the time. Basically, they pick up a couple of hopeless drug addicts off the street and offer them a free bottle of booze or yaa baa if they will become your business partners. Theoretically, these people actually have controlling interest in your land and could depossess you at any time (if they actually teamed up, which is pretty unlikely). In the current environment, this actually works pretty well. But there is the rub. What if the political climate changes? You could find yourself screwed big time. Because this dodge has been used so much the Thai government now requires that these so-called Thai "partners" have a real financial stake in these fake companies. Back when I had a girlfriend that was presuring me to buy a house, I considered this option. But in my mind it was always just a little too risky for my risk averse mentality (but safer by far than putting the house and land in your girlfriend's name)

Yeah, I tend to agree that virtually all the bar girls/go-go girls in the know are trolling for sponsors. You can hardly blame them. That really is where the big bucks are. Unfortunately, that puts me at a considerable disadvantage. I am a long time expat (been in Thailand 9 years now). I also speak pretty good Thai, so as soon as I sit down with one of the ladies and start to chat with them in Thai, I will immediately become less desirable in their eyes. I've actually seen this in practice. Some of the girls will of course sit and chat with me as long as I continue to buy them drinks. But then I notice their eyes wandering to the door of the bar looking for the "two week millionaire". Actually, I wish them the best of luck. I personally am not willing to throw that kind of money at one of these girls. As the old Beatles song goes "money can't buy you love". However, money can definitely buy you great sex. My best short time girl for the last 6 months or so has two stupid sponsors, and truth be told, I couldn't care less.

I want to create a photo shop image of Ben Bernanke being geotined. The best would be his pathetic little head lying in the basket and his neck gushing blood. Can anyone help me with this?

I think you have hit the nail squarely on the head. You have had your brain turned to mush by 20 years of feminist propaganda. In my opinion, these girls don't feel the least bit demeaned by this little bit of fun. I've always been amazed by how Thai people in general (and Thai girls in particular) have absolutely no sense of shame when it comes to their sexuality (as opposed to western women, and particularly American women). This is something that should be celebrated. So stop projecting your own sense of shame onto these wonderful girls. Enjoy them for what they are!

Wisconsin's governor screwing the working class? No, the public sector unions are screwing everybody, including workers in the private sector. Get a grip. Unless you are a parasite public sector employee you too are getting screwed big time(that is, if you are a taxpayer in Wisconsin).

Oh, pa-leeze. Where is your evidence of that? I have no doubt that the Koch brothers give to causes they believe in. What is wrong with that? But what about the extreme left wing George Soros (almost singlehandedly responsible for the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990's that resulted in so much suffering to the poor in this part of the world that this dispicable bastard claims he cares so much about). This modern day robber baron funds so many leftist causes (MoveOn, Media Matters, etc) that it is hard to keep track of them all. Yet I don't hear any complaints from you hippocrits on the left about his billions being spent to undermine American democracy and to increase the suffering of the worlds poor people.

Thanks for the tip. I wasn't even aware Saphon even had an internet service. Must be internet over cable. Will check into it. I'm not worried about censorship because I will be using a VPN through a proxy in the US

Sorry, but Thapraya road will NEVER be completed. I lived in Jomtien 3 years ago, and it was always torn up and under construction. I noticed that maybe 2 or 3 times a month there would be construction crews out working on it, but the rest of the time the equipment stood idle. I'm sure it has a lot to do with government corruption. Anyway, I come back to Pattaya, and the state of Thapraya has HOT CHANGED in 3 fucking years!! That is one big reason that I would not consider living in Jomtien.

I apologize in advance for posting this topic here, but I have to make a decision right away about which internet provider to use. I am moving to a new condo, and it looks like I have 2 choices with regard to internet providers: TOT vs. BB3. I plan on using Netflix's movie on demand service, which is very bandwidth sensitive. I have tried the service in my current condo using the "free" wireless internet provided by the condo, and the quality of the streaming video from netflix was crap. So which of the two local ISP's provide the most reliable service, TOT or BB3?

Ultimately, government is the source of all corruption. It is when big business gets in bed with big government (the case with GE, among many others) that big business itself becomes corrupt. Many folks on the right confuse "pro business" with pro "free market". I consider myself a pro free market libertarian. But the US economy has long since ceased to be a free market. Especially pernicious is when big business teams up with big government to limit competition. Contrary to what many believe, big corporations love government regulations. That is because they can afford to comply, but the smaller companies that might successfully compete cannot. I truly find it entertaining that so many of you lefties love Obama. He is a big promoter of the Corporatist state (the collusion between big business and big government that the fascists in their day so successfully exploited). Many on the right accuse Obama of being a socialist. He is not. He is a fascist down to the very bone.

Thanks Gabor. I appreciate your posts very much, because you are someone who has first hand experience in living in the former "evil empire" . Yes, and you are absolutely right. It isn't simple at all. The collectivist state still has strong appeal to many, even (and especially) in the West. A guaranteed job, a guaranteed minimum standard of living (food, housing, health care, etc, etc). Yes, these minimums were pretty meager, but it was something one could depend on, so it is not surprising in the least that many Russians and also some in Eastern Europe pined for the return of the old communist state. But at the end of the day it is not about economics, but about the human spirit. To surrender ones autonomy to a state that promises to take care of you from birth to the day of your death is to assume the state of perpetual childhood. If we are to grow, we must ultimately be responsible for our own choices in life, and suffer the consequences accordingly. The "Progressive" movement in America and old style Communism both suffer from the same spiritual flaw-- abdicating out personal responsibility to an all knowing state run by so-called experts, that will relieve us of the responsibilities of adulthood. So if you are a child wanting to be taken care of, by all means vote for Obama(and if you are a Brit, whoever Admiral Ken may be inclined to support).

You are obviously anti-american. So be it. But if you remotely compare the crimes committed by Stalin to the problems that beset Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union, you are not only an ignoramus, but an apologist in the worst sense for the greatest evil of our times. Stalin, by almost any measure, was far worse than Hitler. As to your assertion that there was never a "formal" ban on Russians traveling abroad you are probably correct. That was never the formal policy of the Soviet Union (which you seem to swallow hook, line, and sinker). But let me put it to the members of this board if their experiences are similar to mine. I am an experienced traveler. Prior to 1989 and the fall of the Soviet Union, I never once met a tourist from Russia. If there was never a formal ban, there was most certainly a de-facto ban. So I will venture a guess. You are a big fan of "Red" Ken, the commie mayor of London.

Try Arcadia mansion on second road soi 14. Nice clean rooms, good AC, and only 600 baht a night (580 baht if you book for a week). Yes, and they have an elevator. Also quiet if you get a room at the front of the hotel.

God, you are such a complete jerk off. I have been living in Thailand for the last 9 years, and I haven't seen Fox news on TV even once. Next, I despise George W. Bush. His notion of compassionate conservatism is anathema to me. I'm all for compassion and charity at the personal level, but when the government expropriates some peoples wealth against their will to give to the poor, that is in my estimation as pure evil. One more thing. you didn't read my post very carefully. I told my landlord that I owed him the money for 3 weeks for which I didn't give him notice, and I would have gladly paid it. But he decided not to hold me to it. For this I was grateful, and when I return to Pattaya I will seek him out to rent another apartment. So I think he had a good business sense. I am a tea party supporter and I am proud of it. The tea party movement represents all that is good in the American mind. That you hold it in contempt speaks volumes about you!

I know that there are guys here that have a negative opinions of Russians. I believe that these opinions are, by and large, wrong. OK. Maybe my experiences have been limited. So I invite anybody with differing experiences to comment. My first observation is that the vast majority of Russians coming here come with their wives and families. As such, they are not in the least bit competition for the the tarts in the bars that we all enjoy. They come because Pattaya is a relatively cheap place to shop, enjoy a beach, and a welcome relief from the harsh Russian winters. A second consideration: I now rejoice that a people that were before forbidden to travel outside their country can now do so! But the most important I save for last. I had a Russian landlord in Pattaya, and never before have I been treated so well. I only gave him 10 days notice that i was leaving his condo. I told him that he had every right to expect that I should pay for the 20 days that the contract that I signed with him would require of me. But he ignored the 30 days notice rule and refunded my deposit cheerfully. When I think about it, it is not too surprising. He is a businessman that has been recently liberated from the greatest evil of our times: Communism. So I should not be too surprised. Anyway, I would submit that you guys should be glad of the Russians that come here

Try thaibungalows.com. Just a friendly tip: learn to use google. It truly is a wonderful tool.

On the last day of Songkran I saw far more Thai old ladies and teenagers in pickup trucks throwing water than I saw drunken farangs.

Please guys, give this girl a break. She provides a very special service witch most of us are not into. I have a guilty confession to make. I almost booked her to experience what she had to offer, but i chickened out and backed out at the final minute. But Hey, there are many types of sexual experience, and perhaps mistrist Jaa can introrduce you to a whole new world of sexual pleasure you never know existed. Anyway, this girl is very smart and very savy about the internet, and I don't think that has yet ruined her. If you think you might enjoy what she has to offer, then fine, contact her. If all you want is a quick blow job and fuck. forget about her.

I wonder if we might be missing something here. First one caveat. I rarely go to the beach. So the garbage there doesn't bother me in the least. I'm here for the pussy. BUT. a great many tourist, especially tourists with families, do come to Pattaya for a beach holiday. I have read many complaints on this board about how the Pattaya city fathers are trying to clean up the city's image to more as a clean, wholesome place for a family vacation. Well, the more tourists that return home and tell their friends how filthy the beaches are here, the fewer will come next year. And the fewer that come every year, then the slower the inevitable gentrification of Pattaya will be.

With regard to predatory Bangkok taxi's, this problem is easily solved. NEVER use a taxi that is parked at the side of the road or where the driver approaches you. These taxi's typically do not use their meters and the driver will "negotiate" a fare, which will always be more than it would be if he uses his meter. Always flag down a taxi that is in motion on the road. They will almost always automatically turn on their meter. I say "almost" always, because it did happen to me once a couple of years ago. I simply told the driver to stop and I got out and flagged down the next taxi to come along (maybe 30 seconds) who did use his meter without complaint. I realize this is probably common knowledge to all you old Bangkok hands, but perhaps not to newbies.

Well, yeah, if you have a huge suitcase, this would not be recommended, but if you travel light as I do, this is no problem. Anyway, we are only talking about a hundred meters or so. Big deal. Of course, 10 baht is no big deal anyway. But one time I was a little late getting to the parked baht buses and a full one had just left. Got on the other one that was sitting there that was almost empty. After waiting for some time, I asked the driver when we would be leaving, and he implied that we might have to wait for the next bus from Bangkok to get a full load. So I walked out to Pattaya North Road and almost immediately caught a baht bus for the 10 baht ride into town.

10 baht if you walk out to North Pattaya Road and flag down a baht bus from there. My experience is that this is also often quicker than waiting for the baht buses that are parked at the bus station, as they will wait until they have a full load. Sometimes, this can take a long time.

My understanding is that saliva kills the hiv virus. So yeah, the chances of getting it that way are remote. But it might be possible if you have bleeding gums or some other sore in your mouth. Oh, just another interesting point on HPV and cervical cancer. If you have genital warts, having unprotected sex does not pose any additional risk of cervical cancer to your partner. The reason: the strain of HPV that causes genital warts is different from the strain that can cause cervical cancer. If someone has a different understanding of this please comment.