A Tale Of Thai Cities 2003

I've just returned from my first trip to Thailand. I had stumbled across Stickman's Naughty Nightlife guide whilst doing a Google search for tourist info. I'm glad I read it as in retrospect it was by far the best guide to Bangkok and helped to make the place seem familiar quite quickly. The R**** G**** is crap by comparison. Honestly Mr Stick, your guide is invaluable.

So, what is my story? Nothing special really, just a little adventure with a few lessons about life thrown in.

Bangkok

As an F1 fan I was keen to watch the Canadian race live and had decided to watch it at an ‘English' pub near Nana which turned out to be smoky with a grotty bog. After Lap 1 I decided this place was not for me and so moved down the road to an open sided bar with a large screen which I had seen on an earlier recce (I really didn't know there were bar girls there – they must have been hiding earlier and also for the first few laps). Into the race and after about 5 laps a girl suddenly appears at my table and gives me a rose (!) which I rejected but she wasn't going to take no for answer. She started throwing the petals onto the table in front of me, one by one!! This nuisance (named Pen) turned out to be very good company (probably better than Schumacher & Co.). Needless to say I missed most of the rest of the race due to Pens jovial & fun company. She wanted me to barfine her but it was late and I was unsure of my hotels guest policy so it didn't happen.
She was a stunner; I was tired & unsure.
As it happens, my hotel did allow 'guests' (lesson: always check in advance).
Anyway the next morning I was late getting up and missed breakfast, and that is how I got to making my way over to 'daytime' Cowboy and finding The Ship (British pub – great food). I decided to come back for a meal on the night. I was a little unprepared for the 'night time' Cowboy. I had only gone a few metres into the soi when I was practically dragged into a go-go bar (alright, I was curious)…..and that is when I met Nok. Almost straight away I had that little feeling in the bottom of the stomach that lets you know that this is exciting and that you physically desire someone. Nok's sister worked in the bar also and wanted me to barfine them both!! (in retrospect I wish I had). I barfined Nok only, but no regrets. We spent the night together just like a boyfriend/girlfriend which is quite amazing considering we had only just met. I went back the next night, I didn't need dragging into the bar this second time.

I had already arranged a short trip down to Pattaya and thought that Nok would be good company. I told her of the plans and she was happy to accompany me and so I paid a 3 day barfine with the understanding that I would make up any shortfall on our return should we overstay. I thought that she would be good company and could also act as a guide, especially with eating out & trying Thai food (something I really struggled with).

Pattaya

So, the next day we made the journey to the coast only to be met by a monsoon type downpour, which meant we were stuck in the hotel until late evening when we ventured out into town to get something to eat. I was completely unprepared for her change of spirit. She went from being an outgoing lively vixen to a withdrawn, timid little girl. It seems that in her own environment she is confident but take her out of that environment where she is challenged and then she struggles. It should have been me who was the stranger in this strange land, but as a traveller I coped (lesson: have confidence in yourself and your abilities to survive).

The next day Nok told me in her broken English that "Pattaya no good" and wanted to return to Bangkok. We kissed and cuddled and then she packed and left & I cried, honestly. How is it possible that a go-go girl can break my heart after two days? She had told me she'd been working at the bar for about four months: she certainly wasn't hardened like I thought a go-go girl would be. Actually she was so warm and tender in her affections that she put some of my British girlfriends to shame. Her skin was so soft and her body so perfectly shaped and she had such a lovely smile, she can only have been created for heartbreaking.
I returned to Bangkok three days later not having visited any of the bars, somehow the desire had left me. I exercised, swam, go-karted, went pistol shooting, explored, sunbathed, dined – everything except the obvious.

Bangkok

So I returned to Bangkok. And it actually felt like I had 'come home'. I didn't even notice the smell! The big question for me was whether to see Nok again. I felt like she had let me down and why the hell should I make the effort to go and see her, after all there were plenty of bar girls around. I debated with myself like The Prince of Denmark for two days…to go or not to go – that was the question. I actually returned to the first bar where I had watched the F1 race. Although I was approached by a very pretty and pleasant girl I realised I didn't just want any old girl but that I HAD to see Nok once more.

So on my last night in Bangkok I returned to the go-go bar. When Nok saw me she rushed over and hugged me and kissed me – it was unreal. We were both pleased to see each other. I barfined her straight away. We went for a meal and a stroll, then back to the hotel. This time it wasn’t boyfriend/girlfriend. Somehow it was different – no foreplay this time. I just had her from behind whilst she watched some Thai soap on the telly. The first time was all foreplay and boyfriend/girlfriend stuff. This time was just a quick bonk, wham bam thank you mam!!!

We slept in each others arms again. In the morning it was over and she went. I didn't cry this time. I still love her and always will. I just don't need to own her like a physical possession in the same way that I don't want to be owned by anyone else.

So, what are the lessons to be learned? I don’t really know for sure.

Perhaps it is just a matter of living for the moment – always.

Perhaps it is like I said about possession. From some of the stories I have read in Stickman's guide it seems that some farangs are just a little naïve.

Perhaps you need to make sure that your membership to The Self Preservation Society is up to date before travelling.

And as for bringing a Thai girl back to Europe, to the land of feminists and political correctness. Consider this. In the bar in Cowboy I had to laugh inwardly when I realized that I had paid two different prices for two identical Cokes, hers twice as dear as mine because it was a 'lady drink'. Can you imagine that in the UK! I think that the magic of the Thai girl is that she lives in Thailand. And that's it, thats all folks, as they say.

My first trip was ‘short-time’. My wish and hope is that one-day it will be ‘long-time’. Back to warm days and nights in a safe, polite and fun society. And if cupid (and Nok) were still around, then that would be a bonus.

The Road to Freedom is still in front of me and I still have the desire to travel it.

Stickman says:

I am just too busy at the moment to make my usual crap comments. I'll add comments in a few days.