farang9
November 4th, 2009, 22:07
From this weeks Chiang Mai Mail:-
Nopniwat Krailerg
Natee Teerarotchanapong, otherwise known as тАЬGay NateeтАЭ, Chiang MaiтАЩs well-known activist who has been fighting for the preservation of the cultural heritage in Chiang Mai and the northern region, handed in a complaint letter on October 20 to Chumporn Saengmanee, Chiang MaiтАЩs Deputy Governor, with regard to a new gay bar that has opened for business in the area of Jang Hua Rin, Chiang MaiтАЩs old city gate.
The letter stated that the new gay bar тАЬPower BoyтАЭ was inappropriately advertising using a large billboard with a pornographic image of a half-naked man, which was detracting from the Lanna cultural environment of Chiang Mai.
Natee, who is the secretary of the Chiang Mai Araya Group and the coordinator of the Chiang Mai Conservation Network, said that his organizations had requested that Chiang MaiтАЩs Governor arrange for the billboard to be removed within 24 hours. The representatives from the group and the network also wanted to discuss with the owner of the club to arrange a change of the clubтАЩs name to something more suited to the province.
Chumporn Saengmanee said that he had forwarded the case to the organization in charge, which is the Chiang Mai Municipality, to make a decision regarding the appropriateness of the advertising board and contacted the Chiang Mai Muang District Chief Officer for cooperation in examining the case.
He added that it was impossible to follow the request to immediately remove the board due to rules and regulations. Additionally, he said that тАЬgay barsтАЭ, which officially register as entertainment venues in a similar way as other types of entertainment businesses, have to operate according to both the law and morality.
In a subsequent interview with reporters, Natee said that the owner of the тАЬPower BoyтАЭ bar had already taken away the allegedly pornographic advertising board, however he said he would still petition for a change to the clubтАЩs name, and added that he had bought a half-priced megaphone with the intention of using it for protest purposes outside of said bar.
Nopniwat Krailerg
Natee Teerarotchanapong, otherwise known as тАЬGay NateeтАЭ, Chiang MaiтАЩs well-known activist who has been fighting for the preservation of the cultural heritage in Chiang Mai and the northern region, handed in a complaint letter on October 20 to Chumporn Saengmanee, Chiang MaiтАЩs Deputy Governor, with regard to a new gay bar that has opened for business in the area of Jang Hua Rin, Chiang MaiтАЩs old city gate.
The letter stated that the new gay bar тАЬPower BoyтАЭ was inappropriately advertising using a large billboard with a pornographic image of a half-naked man, which was detracting from the Lanna cultural environment of Chiang Mai.
Natee, who is the secretary of the Chiang Mai Araya Group and the coordinator of the Chiang Mai Conservation Network, said that his organizations had requested that Chiang MaiтАЩs Governor arrange for the billboard to be removed within 24 hours. The representatives from the group and the network also wanted to discuss with the owner of the club to arrange a change of the clubтАЩs name to something more suited to the province.
Chumporn Saengmanee said that he had forwarded the case to the organization in charge, which is the Chiang Mai Municipality, to make a decision regarding the appropriateness of the advertising board and contacted the Chiang Mai Muang District Chief Officer for cooperation in examining the case.
He added that it was impossible to follow the request to immediately remove the board due to rules and regulations. Additionally, he said that тАЬgay barsтАЭ, which officially register as entertainment venues in a similar way as other types of entertainment businesses, have to operate according to both the law and morality.
In a subsequent interview with reporters, Natee said that the owner of the тАЬPower BoyтАЭ bar had already taken away the allegedly pornographic advertising board, however he said he would still petition for a change to the clubтАЩs name, and added that he had bought a half-priced megaphone with the intention of using it for protest purposes outside of said bar.