Only with Thai Girls

I awoke around 10 AM on the morning of our last day in Phuket. My Thai girlfriend was still asleep and if this was going to be like all the previous mornings, it would be another 2 hours before light would enter her eyes. That would leave about 30 minutes before we would have to leave for the airport. Instead, I decided I would make good use of this down time and buy some gifts for friends and family back home. I dressed quickly and made my way to the main street where vendors were just opening their stalls. After an hour or so, I had a bag of small gifts and returned back to the hotel.

In the room, I saw my girlfriend sitting on the bed, knees up, looking like her mom had just died. I told her I had just gone out to do some shopping. No answer. What happened, I asked? No answer. Wow, this must be serious. I sat down next to her and waited. After a few minutes, she looked at me and asked what I bought her. I said nothing, as they only had cheap tourist gifts, things she hated. No answer for a few minutes. Then she stretched out on the bed and turned away from me. I reminded her that we should start getting ready to go. No answer.

I had been through this routine before.

“Sweetie, do you feel OK?”

“Is it something I did?”

“Did someone call?”

“Would you like something to eat?”

Now she rolled over and declared “I know you don’t love me.”

This was more serious than I thought. We started to haggle and after some time it finally came out that she was pissed I was spending money on someone other than her. Thinking of the hundreds of dollars I had spent on our days in Phuket, I slowly steamed. When I reminded her of this fact she exploded with all the pipes blown. She jumped from the bed and started throwing things all over the room, all the while screaming at me in Thai. I stood by motionless, watching a side of my girlfriend I had recently seen much too often. I picked up my stuff, put it into my suitcase, and announced I was on my way to the airport. Was she coming with me or not? No answer.

Out the door I went, paying the hotel bill on the way. I found a taxi and was soon waiting outside the ticket kiosks at the airport. I thought she would cool down and arrive in a later cab. I had been calling her since I left but her phone was off. I checked with the ticket agent and she said my girlfriend could board with her ID card. I called one last time; straight to voice mail. I boarded the plane and was soon in the air back to Bangkok.

Something was definitely wrong between us. We had been fighting lately but we always had glorious reunions. I would be moving back to the States in few months after living in Singapore for 2 years. I didn’t want to spend my remaining moments in Asia coddling a selfish brat from Isaan, no matter how beautiful. After I landed at Don Meuang I called her again but her phone was still off. Well, that was it. Fxxx her. I turned my phone off and headed into the hot night of Bangkok.

After checking in at a western hotel near Nana, I had a quick shower and a bowl of Thai noodles from a nearby street vendor. I soon found my ass on a stool in one of the better bars at NEP. It was 8 PM and the mamasan bought me a half-price beer because I was a “hansome man”. After almost a year, it felt wonderful to be back in the comfy confines of a Bangkok gogo bar. It was my plan to quickly find the cutest girl for a quick short time; my mobile phone being off in the interval. Afterwards, hopefully, I would be in a more gentile mood to deal with my crazy girlfriend. Soon a sweet little thing made her way in front of me on the stage and gave me one of those “I know you want a quick fxxx and I want some quick money” smiles. A short time later, my pocket lighter only by 2 drinks and a barfine, I was out the door with the new love of my life. She said she wanted to get a drink before we went to the hotel. As it was only 8:30 PM, I agreed. She said she knew this new place I would like so off we went in a taxi.

After a longish ride, we arrived at some soi I have never been to. We walked into a dimly lit club and immediately I noticed a lot of guys and very ugly ladyboys. Yui, my new love, grabbed my hand and led me to a seat high in gallery. In the middle was a stage with techno music blaring through an expensive sound system. After we sat down, a waitress approached and hugged Yui like she was a good friend. I asked Yui what kind of club this was but she pretended not to hear me. A minute later, the few remaining lights lowered except for a spotlight on stage. A young Thai man appeared, in tight underwear. After some dancing, he was joined by another dancing Thai man, the music slowly building in crescendo. After much fondling, they were soon doing that oldest of dances called “hide the sausage”. I noticed Yui was not beside me anymore. I made my way through the crowds of salivating, older, white customers, and found her sucking from a whiskey bottle while talking to the biggest flamer I had ever seen. I told her I wanted to go but she insisted on staying as she wanted more to drink. I counted to ten and made my way towards where I thought the front door was. As I got close to the door, I saw a huge Thai bouncer, eying my approach. Then I heard screaming behind me and suddenly, Yui emerged from the crowd and was now in front of me. She screamed I couldn’t leave yet. I noticed the bouncer moving slowly behind me. I said I wanted to go. She demanded the 1,500 baht I had promised her. I pointed out we had not done anything. I felt more bodies pushing closer around me so I pulled some bills from my wallet but dropped them on the floor. When everyone bent to grab it, I ran out the door and down the street. When I was sure no one was behind me, I realized I had been incredibly stupid and was lucky to feel the soft rain falling on my face.

By now, I realized I was in “gay” Patpong and that the large road in front of me was probably Silom. So I started to walk towards the “real” Patpong as I was still hopeful for some sort of happy ending for the evening. I thought about how ridiculous the police were obsessing on women showing their pussies on stage while men were fxxxing on stage a short distance away. After a few minutes of fast walking, I slowed down to catch my breath as the last of the adrenalin flowed through my body. I again reflected on my luck and my stupidity. I noticed a small figure in shadows of the crowded sidewalk. I turned and saw what looked like a teenager clutching her purse with longing eyes, like she was in some sort of distress. I was instantly intrigued and so I walked slowly towards her. When I got close she said, “You like be with me?” Now I could see she was not the teenager I first suspected. Her clothes, face, and body, were those of a young girl but there was something “old” about her. Yes, she was definitely a young woman. I smiled and said, “You want to be with me?” She smiled back and said “yes”.

We were soon in a taxi queue, close together but not speaking. I was thinking I might be on the 3rd catastrophe of my day. Oh well, why not. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to my room alone. In the taxi, we agreed to 1,000 baht for a short time and spoke nothing after that. The front desk matron barely looked up as we walked past to the elevator and then up to my room. We continued our silence as we performed the ritual pre-sex shower. She sat prettily on the bed, wrapped in a towel, with a warm, pleasing smile that invoked desire and comfort at the same time. Once engaged, though, she became a tiger released from her cage. Neither of us got much sleep that night. She told me she wanted to stay the night and I readily agreed. When we did sleep, it was noon before we opened our eyes.

When we awoke we were starving, so I let her order from room service. Surprisingly, unlike most Thai girls, she only ordered a couple meals – pancakes for her, eggs for me – which we shared. Now, in the soft light coming through the curtains, I could see she had a lovely face and a beautiful smile. She spoke softly but laughed often. She playfully asked questions to me, like a kid’s game. We spent a couple of hours engaged in friendly banter while eating and watching TV. For the first time in more than a week, I was relaxed and happy and not worried about what would happen next. Then she showered, dressed, and right before she walked out the door, I handed her 2,000 baht. She kissed me and scurried down the hall to the elevator.

Lying on the bed, still enjoying the relaxing glow, I realized I had forgotten to get her mobile number. I briefly considered running down the street after her, but I knew she was gone. How would we ever have another night like this? Instead, I stupidly turned on my phone and almost immediately, it rang. Of course, it was my girlfriend and the hundred, rapid-fire questions started. I was back on the treadmill.

The next day, reunion accomplished with the girlfriend and now on my flight back to Singapore, I thought about the last few days and the different girls I had been with; a greedy Isaan princess, a wacked-out bargirl, and a lovely streetwalker who had stolen my heart for a night. Now 10 years later, out of all the girls I have been with in Thailand, it is the streetwalker who occasionally visits me in my dreams. I guess that’s why guys still return to Thailand year after year, even when they have had bad experiences. You never know when you might meet that one truly special person and have a night to remember forever.