Chaing Rai is the capitalof Chaing Rai province, Thailand’s most northern territory. It was once notorious as the center of the Golden Trangle (conjoining Thailand, Laos, Burma) where illegal drug trading flourished. Today the trade (most of it) is gone replaced by tourists. It’s a modest commercial hub with temples, street markets and curbside kitchens
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma
Cambodia
China
East Timor
Georgia
Guam
Jomthien Beach in Pattaya
Jomthien Beach (or Jomtien Beach) is located about 2 kilometers south of Pattaya. This beach area has become popular for swimming, water sports and residential living because it has a long scenic coastline and there is less boating activity in the area than at Pattaya Beach. There are many good hotels, bungalows, guest houses and
No Gay Pride in Bangkok 2010
By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com December 7, 2010 Bangkok For the third year in a row there is no BKK Pride festival. Ask different people and get different answers: disinterest from local Thai activists; lack of police cooperation; no money; homophobia; frustration and withdrawal of foreign leadership. “There are just too many obstacles, resistance and petty
Gay Life in Laos 2010: Luang Prabang
Intro: In Laos there are no exclusively gay venues, organizations, activists, out periodicals, no push for equality, restaurants or hotels. Ironically, Laos is possibly one of the ‘safest’ places to be gay outside of certain western countries. Although there are no specific laws that criminalize homosexuality, the topic is virtually completely avoided in public, authorities
Gay Life in Laos 2010: Vientiane
Intro: In Laos there are no exclusively gay venues, no gay organizations, no activists, no out periodicals, no push for equality, no gay restaurants or hotels. Ironically, Laos is possibly one of the ‘safest’ places to be gay outside of pro-gay western countries. Although there are no specific laws that criminalize homosexuality, the topic is
Dalai Lama Donates to Center for Healthy Minds. “It’s about changing habits of the heart.”
New York Times By Dirk Johnson September 26, 2010 Madison, Wisconsin, USA They say money can’t buy happiness — but it can finance the research. When Richard Davidson (left in photo) , then a psychology doctoral student in the 1970s, told his advisers at Harvard that he planned to study the power of meditation, the
Being Gay, Muslim and Indonesian
Young Muslim gay Indonesians search for a balance between their natural sexual orientation and the proscriptions against homosexuality found in the Koran. For some it means renouncing Islam and for others it means being celibate. From: Jakarta Post September 23, 2009 Despite living under the same roof for years, Fachri (not his real
Let the Taliban Have Afghanistan
Westhampton, MA – September 5, 2009 Richard Ammon – GlobalGayz.com Let the Taliban have Afghanistan! They want a place to rule with primitive Sharia law so let them have that poor wretched patch so they can suppress people and move back in time—and in the process destroy the poppy crops and stop the warlords from
Homophobic Discrimination Against Straight Athlete
Westhampton, MA – September 4, 2009 Richard Ammon – GlobalGayz.com The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT) has discriminated against a straight boxer for posing suggestively for the cover of a gay magazine. This is a new take on homophobic discrimination: instead of acting prejudicially against a gay person, the ABAT has discriminated against a
Gay Cambodia 2010-12
Cambodia continues to evolve out of a dark and bloody past into a more organized and civilized society. By fits and starts an elected government is making efforts at control and organization but not all is peaceful and trustworthy. The former kind has died and the ruling government wobbles between dictatorship and democracy. Meanwhile the
Georgia Gays Face Battle for Acceptance
From: Georgia Today #467 By Martin Tsekov July 10, 2009 “My worst experience was not long ago, 2004, when a straight man made me give him a blow job and then threw me down the stairs, and beat me terribly. Then he told me that if he ever sees me in this part of the
Japan – Fukuoka, Mount Usu, Lake Toya, Nagasaki
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. On the north island of Hokkaido are volcanoes still active and steaming at Lake Toya. In the south of Fukuoka the scenes and people are unique and diverse, including the
Japan – Kyoto, Nagano, Hiroshima
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. The country has one of the most efficient railroad systems in the world and a tourist is wise to buy a rail pass and travel the length of
Japan – Tokyo & Kyoto
Japan comprises over 3,000 islands making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world’s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million
Taiwan – Taipei and Island Drive 1
A guest photographer living in Taiwan offers a random selection of images from his roving mind’s eye. They range from urban life in Taipei and Kaoshiung to rural mountains and sea surfing. The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is located in East Asia off the coast of mainland China. The island is 394
Gay Bhutan
A story about gay Bhutan is not much of a tale. There is no visible gay presence, no venues, no organizations. What little can be reported is only discerned from a few anecdotes reported by observers who have lived in this small mountain country–and who are hesitant to tell all they know. Included here are three commentary/interviews by three insiders who offer small windows of knowledge about Bhutan’s open secret tradition of sacred and secular bi-sexuality.
India – Bangalore
Bangalore, with 6 million people, is another of India’s high tech progressive ‘success’ stories with its blend of old poverty and new earned wealth. It is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. It’s a crowded place with an elegant capital building, traffic jams, famous cafes and trendy shops. It is also home to
India – Udaipur-Varanasi
A visit to the beautiful Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur and to Varanasi on the Ganges River with the ghats for burning corpses. Read the stories about gay India
Gay Singapore 1996: Renovating The Closet
Intro: Singapore is a traditionally conservative Asian country, known for its stringent laws. But it’s also one of the top economic and technological ‘tigers’ of the twenty-first century. The clash of these two forces, old and new, is slowly but surely bringing change for the better for lesbigays here. Also see: Gay Singapore Stories
Vietnam – Demilitarized Zone of the War
Before the American War (1965-75) the Ben Hai River divided ‘democratic’ South Viet Nam and communist North Viet Nam. The demilitarized zone spread about 5 km north and south of the river. During the war the DMZ was heavily militarized and became one of the most savaged places on earth. Located here was the huge
India – Chennai – Madras (1)
Chennai is a major city of over six million, India’s 4th largest metropolis. It has its share of propserous new-age companies and flashy structures. In this gallery are some historic venues such as the Fort St. George built by the British East India Company in 1653, now the administrative headquarters for the legislative assembly of
India – Buddhist Monastery
An hour west of Mysore is the impressive Namdroling Buddhist Monastery and School where 5000 monks and students from many areas of India and southeast Asia come to teach, pray and study ancient scripts and modern science. Read the stories about gay India
Gay Singapore 1997–Censored (Almost)
Intro: A short commentary on my second exposure to this squeaky-clean city-state where lesbigays are clearly present, well-dressed–and with few places to go. Gay life might be narrow and suppressed here, but the overall quality of life in Singapore makes it quite bearable. Also see: Gay Singapore Stories Gay Singapore News & Reports 2000
India – Chennai – Madras (2)
Chennai is a major city of over six million, India’s 4th largest metropolis. It has its share of prosperous new-age companies and flashy structures. Tucked into the myriad of crowded streets and dense alleys are occasional leafy cafes such as Amethyst Cafe/Boutique that offer fine food and quality merchandise for middle and upper class customers.
Gay Nepal: A Struggle Against History
At an International Lesbian and Gay Association conference, delegates gathered from more than one hundred countries to report on the condition of LGBT life. Among the leaders was Sunil Pant from Kathmandu, Nepal, head of Blue Diamond Society. I spoke to Sunil and listened to his confident voice describing the difficulties of fostering pro-gay understanding