Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated in the Mekong River valley. After a period of more than 50 years as a French protectorate, Laos gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the protesting between factions continued for several
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Chaing Rai City
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
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: Luang Prabang
This story is dedicated to the memory of Somphorn Boupha (photo left) whom I interviewed for this description of gay life in Laos. He passed away from cancer in 2019. He welcomed me and helped me gain a fuller appreciation of being gay in his country. In addition to my interview (see Kobchai Beer Garden
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
Bangladesh – Faces (2)
The face of Bangladesh is a great portrait of human beauty, of hardship, youth and aging, restraint and color, urban and rural, manual labor and spontaneous friendliness and curiosity. Most of these images are taken from other Bangladesh photo galleries.
Gay China: Shanghai 2000
Not all gay people live in the dark shadows of China, away from the new prosperity. A number of ‘nouveau comrades’ in Shanghai live well and socialize in warm friendship networks. They tote cell phones, speak fluent English and have above-average incomes; several are in loving relationships. They live active, productive and eventful lives–part of the emerging ‘guppie’ class.
India – Train Travel
India’s train system is one of the most extensive in the world, with thousands of train departures and arrivals every day. It operates about 9000 passenger trains and daily transports 17 million people across twenty-eight states and three union territories The levels of comfort range from the regal to the ragged. Check out this Youtube
Indonesia – Bali – Kuta Bombsite
In early October 2002 terrorists exploded a huge bomb outside two popular nightclubs in Bali killing nearly 300 young people, mostly vacationing Australians. These images were taken two weeks later on a day that (then) President Mrs. Makawati Sukarnoputri visited the site. She is shown wearing a peach-colored outfit and with a rainbow-colored umbrella held
Gay Malaysia: Modern Kuala Lumpur
Interviews with modern Malaysians introduces us to the shadows and reliefs of gay life in that culture. Not great but not bad, for now. Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay Malaysia News & Reports 1999 to present Gay Muslim Reports By Richard Ammon Updated April 2011 The Accidental Informant In the shadows of the
Philippines – Cebu, Leyte
The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands.The country is the world’s 12th most populous country with a population approaching 90 million people. Its national economy is the 46th largest in the world. There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos
Taiwan – Taipei and Island Drive 2
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
Vietnam – Hue-Emperor Tombs
From 1802 to 1945 Vietnam was ruled by a series of Nguyen dynasty emperors who lived extravagant lives while most of the population lived as paupers. When these leaders died, monumental tomb sites–some like miniature towns–were built south of Hue along the Perfume River. Guidebooks list seven major tomb sites that have become major tourist
China – Beijing, Yangtze, Shanghai
Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and the second largest city, after Shanghai. Beijing is recognised as the political, educational, and cultural center of the People’s Republic of China, while Shanghai and Hong Kong predominate in economic fields. The city hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. Shanghai is the largest city in