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I think what set em off was about 5 yrs ago I'd met this ladyboy online and we planned to meet. NOW...not knowing if it would work out well or not I did my usual (since 2007) thing of popping out and back in for another 30 as it was going well. Only this time I popped back in on the same day, obvious waiver reset. Now they did not hand me shit then. I was withing regs for the time. But this joker attempted to apply CURRENT regs to that old situation and make inferences. Even asked if I had a Thai wife. We have a consulate here, but it's honorary and that means (with a new, which of course means restricting rule change) I can no longer send in my passport and form and check and get my visa in my passport mailed back to me. Must do a 7 or 8 hour round trip haul to do the application in person. It IS then sent back to me but it's a pain in the butt (as usual for their new pronouncements). Then too, I usually leave Thailand for a month or two stay in Cambodia. I am wondering if this ridiculous scrutiny was as a result of fear of the new NO JOKE boss that had happened near the time I went. Plus this might have been a new guy. In fact I broke no laws and stayed within the ruling of the time each year. The general trend leads me to believe they are trying to curb the number of Chang singlet tribe that cause problems and chase girls (which I'm sure the elites do NOT like). You just KNOW they would like it if ONLY tourist types came, dropped a lotta dough and left soon there after. Luckily the ladyboy I've been seeing for the last 6 yrs is cooling off and with changes in Bkk (their war on the street sellers, food and other things, which I used to find every so handy and fun, I got some neat stuff before this). Don't really need to spend 30 hours in planes and airports only to get hassled upon landing, then hit higher prices everywhere as I make my way to Udon to listen to non stop roosters crowing and sit in a tiny village surrounded by rice and sugarcane fields where the big activities are going shopping for food n stuff and hitting the night markets. I suspect their scheme will fail to some extent as the more "quality" tourists they want will only draw MORE scammers to tourist areas. To me this is a nasty little attempt to punish the "buffalo" for not staying in their place (rural farm areas) and causing red shirt trouble. All these dynamics in play create a place where only those with no knowledge of Thailand can enjoy it. (Or guys with fat bank accounts and great retirement packages I suppose). But more and more I think these tourists will run into the messy side of visiting Thailand (scams, REMARKABLY bad service, prices near what they have at home, etc.) Mexico and Central America is 5 hours flight away. When you take ladyboys and regular drinking out of the picture, Thailand really drops way down the list.
- Today
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Smartphone Data Plans 2019-2020 High Season
stoolpusher replied to Pdoggg's topic in Travel, Lifestyle
I have a standard Dtac plan ( No internet ) and just top it up every month on line when I am home through Recharge .com . -
Some are really hot and some are about as sexy I would look in an evening gown lippy .
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I do three to four trips a year and spend two weeks at a time and have never been asked any questions . But as my house is hopefully sold here in Aus it will be a permanent move to Thailand by Feb next year. Then the fun starts with the 90 day reports and shit like that.
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I work a mining roster in Australia and often spend time in Thailand on my time off. This might be a stay of three weeks or so or just a few days here and there as I often fly on to other places via Bangkok but stopover for a few days in Thailand. I have always felt a bit paranoid about having so many Thai visa waiver stamps but I have two passports so I have alternated between them to lessen the impact. I have had no troubles so far and never been asked to show 20kB or a return ticket although I always have both to hand. However the new fingerprint scanners are a downer as this time they asked me if I have another passport so they have finally been able to catch me out on the two passport thing. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. I think I will probably be OK as my trips clearly match the pattern of someone who is just visiting and not working or gaming the visa waiver system. The one potential problem could be the 180 day rule as if I actually spent all my time off in Thailand I would spend over 180 days a year there. I was looking at that as an option - renting out my place in Oz and renting somewhere in Thai and in effect living there on my breaks. I guess that is not an option until I hit 50 now. TBH it is no great drama as I am happy to spend the time visiting other places too.
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It is an interesting topic. Personally I think there is a huge cultural gulf between what it means to be trans in Asia vs the West. To make it more complicated I think people are trans on a spectrum. It is controversial and I won't go into detail here but to put it crudely at one end you appear to have extremely effeminate males who are homosexual and want to live as women and at the other you have the masculine straight guys who are fetishists in wigs and dresses. In my view trans/ladyboys are basically effeminate gay men who find it easier to take on a female or third gender role instead of remaining as gay men because there is cultural acceptance of this role in Asian countries to one degree or another whereas there is not in the west. Western culture struggles with ambiguity so the men who in Asia would choose to be ladyboys end up mainly as either gay men or transwomen who actually insist that they are in fact women. In my opinion you are either male or female at birth with the exception of intersex people. The Thai view on this issue seems to be healthy and pragmatic - ladyboys, third gender, second kind of women. In my experience at least ladyboys don't insist they are actually genuine females as transwomen in the west do. What is even more destructive in the west are the straight male fetishists who make the absurd claim to be women and display aggressively misogynistic behaviour that many femininsts unsurprisingly object to. Why on earth would women want a straight male who claims to be female in their sports and places like toilets etc? This situation has become highly damaging to the homosexual transwomen who are now being lumped in with the delusional fetishists. Homosexual ladyboys are very unlikely to be a threat to women as they are totally uninterested in women. The idea that there is a a cohesive trans let alone LGBT community with a commonality of interests is false in my opinion. I will post a selection of YT videos that address the issue from different angles that you may or may not agree with or be interested in but illustrate how messy and complicated the issue is.
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Patpong Museum ~ Prostitution the CIA and David Bowie
pplover replied to Pdoggg's topic in Ladyboy Scene
The museum is worth a visit. I did a tour on the 2 November with the ex boss of The Strip as my guide. It is small but well thought out and the displays are done to a high standard. It was difficult to find as there was no signage out on the Soi but it is the same entrance as Black Pagoda then up the stairs. I would definitely recommend a visit. -
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Went to Central today and visited the AIS store and the True store. AIS has moved from the basement to Level 3. True is faces 2nd Road on the ground floor next to True Coffee. Seems there is a price war, and this month has the best data add on plans that I've ever seen. However it's only good for Sim cards that are 7 days old or newer. I reckon one of the carriers started the promotion and the others felt compelled to follow suit. Both carriers have an unlimited data plan throttled at the extremely high 10Mbs for just 200 baht a baht. It is automatically renews every month for a year as long as you have at least 200 baht or more on your phone. For AIS the sign up code is *777*932# but your Sim must be 7 days or newer. AIS Sims are 50 baht. You can so 20 baht top ups at the AIS store and some Family Marts. There are some Family Marts that will only do 50 baht minimums. So you can buy a Sim for 50 baht and buy twelve 20 baht top ups. So your Sim validity would be for 360 days. Then you dial *777*932# and you have unlimited internet at a speed that is pretty fast for a month. You then still have 40 baht credit. Just top up some baht if you want to keep it going for another month. I believe this promotion includes free calls to any network so you can just dial instead of using Line.
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Same as me Mr. P the dubbed movies a just wacky , regardless of the story or even if its in English and the words are out a bit. Thanks for the tip on the card thing .
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Either Thai with Englsih subs or English with Thai subs works for me. Actually Thai with English subs is slightly better for me as I like it when I hear a Thai word that I know associated with action on the screen. What I really hate is movies that dubbed. I want to hear the original actor's voice and want the lips to match the language.
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You can find a number of stories over on thaivisa.com about guys who got hassled at Swampy because they have *many* 30 day stamps and no visas. Although they usually don't hassle guys much that only spend a few months here each year. Blow US$40 on a tourist visa and save the hassle. It costs 1900 baht (~US$63) to get a 30 day stamp extended for another 30 days.
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Yep, once it is set to a particular colour simulation it can take photos and videos. There is a slo mo setting which can look very cinematic.
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- Yesterday
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I was a bit disappointed ( for Emmy ) when I was told about a party on the same night as ours , I am not really a party person but any time spent with Dao is a bonus so party time it is . Hope to see as many guys there as we can , even if its just a drop in and gone again . I will be organizing a baht bus from Zaza Massage to Katty Bar , leaving at 8.00 PM who ever wants to come along.
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We try and go at least once a trip and it does depend on whats playing . Its cool that Dao and I/me like the same movies and I don't mind it its in Thai with English subs.
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What you mean? There are ladymen in Pattaya? Look like girls?
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Value For Money Stores, Markets, Restaurants, Food Stalls
Pdoggg replied to Pdoggg's topic in Travel, Lifestyle
The M Generation Card is a loyalty card for Major Cineplex. Currently 60+ cardholders get to see movies from Mon-Fri for 60 baht. At one time it was just on Tuesdays. Or maybe Tuesday are discounted for everybody. You also get a free movie during your birthday week. The card costs 150 per year (I think). If you are under 60, the card costs 50 baht and you get a 20 baht discount every time you go. So a 150 baht seat would jsut cost 130 baht Lots of other confusing benefits that make the old La Bamba card seem straightforward! There is an automated ticket machine that most people, both Thailand farang don't know how to use so they have an employee to help you at the machine. The question is what happens when a senior uses his card to buy multiple tickets? I just bought a card for my teerak today figuring we'll use it enough to cover the 50 baht fee. Anyway, the movie employee was helping us with the machine and she indicated it would be 130 baht (free for the birthday boy and 130 for my teerak but the way she processed the cards turned out free for me and 60 baht for her. A mistake in my favor that she had no incentive to correct and would have been very time consuming for her to do so. Actually, I'm told that, at least in the States, theatres make very little from ticket sales and the bulk of their money comes from overpriced popcorn. So theatre employees might search bags for food yet not give a damn about moving from theatre to another in a multiplex. Not quite sure if one actually know how to book online with preloaded cash what would be the price of the second ticket? Figuring out stuff like this in your home country is difficult enough but almost impossible to nail down accurately if speaking Thinglish. -
pepino400 joined the community
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We went to see The Cave tonight and we both liked it. It about the Wild Boars being trapped in the cave. Perhaps a different director would do a better job but the subject matter interested us. I'm jsut grateful when I go see a movie that doesn't suck.
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I like the first one. Now many of us know exactly where the shot was taken and that it's an extremely safe area but if one had never been to Pattaya, you would get a haunting illusion of danger with the mannequin's torso. Reminds me of Hitchcock if he was a photographer instead of a director. Does your camera also take monochrome video?
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I’m happy enough with these shoots straight out of camera, no editing. Nice rich blacks and glowing whites.
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There is something nice about Monochrome shots especially in seedy areas at night such as Soi 6/1 with a ladyman standing on the street smoking a fag. Don't take it away Mama!
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Trying out the monochrome on the camera tonight. Just some scenes around the block, always feel awkward trying to get that candid shot.
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I certainly won't be taking any bets Not with the ladyboy establishments that do advertise their bars on LB fora.... i.e. the likes of Delirious, Sweethearts, New Bar, Katoey's 'R' Us, 69 Bar, Sensations, Hunny Bunny Bar and Baby Boom And those that don't like TJ's, La Bamba, Nightingale, Lita's, Duangjai, and Fantasy Lounge for example. So it's going to impossible for Parties not to 'clash' coming up to the New Year period. I am sure Teya will have a good party as she seems a popular girl, but people will go to the places where they choose too at the end of the day.
