Costly Events At The Thermae

This story happened five years ago, this November. It was a two days before; I was going to marry my Thai bride. (I will call her Pim.) We went to NEP to have a couple of drinks and wanted to go back to our hotel early too get some rest before the start of a long car ride up to Northern Thailand. But we started to talk with this guy at the bar. (I will call him Dave) He was a nice guy we thought. He knew that we were going to get married in a couple of days. So he bought us shots and beers. Then he suggested that we go somewhere else. (This is when the bars could be open all night) There was a BG hanging with him while we were talking with him. (Lets call her Noi) He then gave her a line of BS. He Said, “He was going to go back to his hotel and call it a night.” So then we were walking out of NEP and got in a tuktuk and went to the Thermae.

So we got to the Thermae and went down the stairs and went in. It was packed. So we cut through the crowd of freelancers, and farangs. We found a place to stand and drink our drinks. It was getting late. It was about 2:00am. Then a couple of freelancers started to work on Dave. He was starting to get drunk. Then he was getting rude with the girls. Then my future wife Pim was feeling uncomfortable being around him.

Then guess who chased us down to the Thermae. Yes, you’re right it was Noi from NEP. The girl came up to Dave and said ”I thought you where going to your hotel”. He was now getting very drunk, and rude. He said, ”Leave me alone bitch”! Then I looked at Pim and said, ”we better get going.” Then Noi moved a way temporarily. Then he started to tell these freelancers that he was the man! Because, all the girls thought he was good looking and liked him. It was making me sick of listening to him!

Then Noi from NEP came back and started yelling at him calling him a bullshitter and butterfly! He then slapped her across her face. The shock I was in, made me want to hit and give him a nice shiner!! To helped his status. But Pim said, ”lets go now”! Then Noi then left; and he said, ”Good, dumb bitch is gone”. I then said, while biting my lip “we have to go”.

So while we were telling Dave that Pim and I better get going, Noi was outside talking with the motorcycle taxi guys. She paid them to have Dave to get his ass beaten! I found out about this later. So we started for the exit to leave. As we started climbing up the steps there was a group of 7-10 males standing around looking at us. I then felt that this wasn’t a good situation. Then when Pim and I started to walk by the group. One the guys approached me.

All of a sudden, he jump kicked me right in the face and knock me down. Then all the guys came in starting kicking me in the ribs and smashed a beer bottle over my head. Then all of a sudden blood was running down my face. Then my adrenaline started to pump. Then one of the guys hit me again, with another bottle. He was right in front of me. I grabbed him around his neck and we went flying over a plastic table. I kept punching him in the face and while this was going on I had a plastic chair came crushing down on my back!

Then all sudden a voice in Thai yelled something, and then they all stopped like someone said “Half Time”. Everyone stopped. The guy that jump kicked me took a towel towards me. But I was still in my defensive position. Then the boys in brown came walking towards us. (The Thai Police) Then he motioned that he wasn’t going to fight no more. So he put the towel over my head and poured water over my head to clean off my face from the blood. But the blood was flowing so fast! So he flagged down a taxi and Pim and I went to the local hospital. Pim was crying, and was so upset! I must have blacked out in the taxi.

All of sudden, I woke up to a rag over my face and bright lights on me, listening to many Thai people talking. Then on my left hand I felt someone holding it. It was Pim. They where stitching me up. Afterwards, the doctor spoke to me and said in English “you are lucky. If it weren’t for you being intoxicated, you would have had some major damage to your head.” But from the alcohol you where numb, so to speak. After paying for the service of 400 baht guess who was waiting patiently for me. It was the local police. The officer could not speak English, but he told Pim that he had to arrest me for the assault on a Thai male back on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Then the doctor came out and said to me that he will contact the The Royal Thai Police Department. Or ”Tourist Police” “

After telling Bangkok’s finest what had happened, the Tourist Police showed up. The Bangkok Police and the Tourist Police went outside and had a cigarette and talk about what happened. It was now 5:00am. I just wanted to go to sleep. Then the officers came back in. The Bangkok police officer was telling the Tourist Police what to tell me. So he was translating for him. He said, “that the male on Sukhumvit Soi 13 received a concussion”. After both talking to each other, the Tourist Police Officer said “here is my card. Come to my office later today. I agreed with him. I was so tired!

Then we got in a taxi. Pim said she wanted to go to somewhere else. I asked where do you want to go? I need to talk with someone, I said ”Whom”? Don’t worry about it she said. ”Then we arrived finally after a 35 minute taxi ride to a soi that seemed very poor. The taxi arrived in front of this apartment if you would call it that. I mean there were 20 rooms on one side of this building. The size of one room would be the size of my bathroom.
Then she was yelling “Pii Not” several times. Then a Thai man appeared from his room. He said ”a-rai.” He came out with a towel wrapped around him. He had no shirt on. He had tattoos on his arms and back. He then looked at me and asked Pim what had happened. She was explaining it to him and then he started dialing a number on his cell phone. Then after 15 minutes or so a Toyota pick-up with about 5-7 guys sitting in the back arrived. They stopped and looked at me. They then all got out. All I remember from Pim saying was Sukhumvit Soi Sip Saam. I asked what are you doing? I’m going to pay them to take care of those guys for you. I said ”WHAT”! I then told Pim not tip do this. She asked why. I said it’s probably a mistake. So she told them something. I didn’t understand. Then they took off down the soi.

It was now 7:45am or so. It had been the worst night of my life. We finally got back to our hotel. The girls at the front desk just stared at me. I thought it was rude. So we got up to our room and I took a shower and went right to sleep. I woke up at 1:30pm. I woke up Pim and said ”we have to go to the Police Department.” She agreed. I got ready and we went downstairs and the girls started to stare again when I handed them our key. Then we took a taxi to Soi Langsuan, Pratumwan. We arrived and went to the first floor. Then there were 6 police officers sitting at desks. I asked for the officer that came to the hospital. One officer said “he is in back, I’ll get him for you.” Then after 5 minutes he appeared.

We sat down and he asked if I had brought my passport with me. I said “No it’s at the hotel. He said “I will give you a ride to your hotel when we’re finished.” He then asked what happened. I told everything from the beginning. He asked ”why would they pick you out from the many farangs that go to the Thermae Caf?. I said, ”Good, question, I don’t know.” He told me that he got the true story from some eyewitnesses. They told me that this whole thing was a misunderstanding. I talked to a female and she said ”she had paid 500 baht to have someone beat up. She told the guys the farang is wearing a blue shirt. That was the color of my shirt. Guess what Dave was wearing? He was wearing a blue shirt also. The Bangkok Police officer you talked to at Samitives General Hospital wants you to compensate the family of the male you gave a concussion to. I said ”No way”! He then said ”I will try to talk with the Metropolitan police and get this straightened out between you and them. I told them that we’re going to Northern Thailand today to get married. Then Pim showed him an invitation she had a in her purse. He said ”well I think this was a bad experience for you. So go enjoy the rest of your holiday! He then said” Every year we have farang who end up dead in the Chao Phya River!” So considering what happened to you, you’re lucky!

I didn’t respond to his comments. I just thanked him…..

Conclusion:

Well Pim and I went to her hometown and had a great celebration of our marriage. We had a band and about 300 people showed up. Her father was very upset with the guys that did the damage. I still don’t know what happened with those guys in the truck. But Pim later told me that she paid them 2000 baht. So to this day I don’t know what happened. After we got back to Bangkok I went to the bar where Noi worked. The owner and Noi had seen me. The owner came up to me asked me to come and talk with him. He asked, ”What happened”? I said ”just ask Noi #22 and she will tell you! He offered to buy me a couple beers. But I sure learned my lesson on this. Since all this happened, I now go to the Thermae with buddies!!!!

Stickman says:

I hate to say this, but what the fxxx were you doing taking your wife to be to a known prostitute bar just two nights before your wedding. Highly bloody questionable… No-one deserves what happened to you, but it is a reminder that where there is prostitution, there is trouble…and Thailand is no exception!