A City That Never Fails To Amaze

In Singapore, we men are exposed to Thai girls from an early, perhaps questionable, age. Most who do visit them, be it via the legal prostitution houses or “Thai Discos”, have stories of finding a girlfriend, with many more getting their hearts and wallets burnt.

But those stories are for another time, and who wishes to hear about another sad bloke getting fleeced due to some reason mentioned way too many times on this site?

This submission is about my experience and thoughts staying in Bangkok for a year. I’ve explored just the tip of the iceberg, but what a year it has been!

The year I’ve spent in Bangkok initiated like any Singaporean tourist would. I’ve been to Bangkok a number of times prior, but I’ve always coincidentally been attached, and thus, never did explore anything near as “fun” as I would have.

I went to the usual locations famous to us; the infamous massage parlor stretch at Huay Khwang and the club Scratch Dog. From there, I started to explore Soi Cowboy, and the sois from there leading to Nana. Perhaps it’s my nature, but I do enjoy walks like that, taking in the sights and sounds, and not specifically zeroing in on the fairer sex.

I met a pretty village girl in a bar whom quickly fell in love with me, before I saw the slow metamorphosis of a innocent girl desperate to stay in the city in to a girl everyone would love to hate. Her drive to cast aside anything and everything else, just for that extra 1,000 baht, made me slowly fade away from her.

I also met a girl who was living day by day, and would give up everything for me. She would cuddle me with my love, and before either of us knew it, suffocate me and had me slipping away from her faster than even I would have expected. I feel remorse leaving her the way I did, but I felt that I had to do it for both of us.

Then I met another, one whom I honestly haven’t gone past 1st base yet, but had captured my heart. I know she works as a call girl, but she tries her best to hide that. She wouldn’t say she loves me, but sticks close to me, holds my hand when the opportunity presents. Confusion clouds her mind, but she goes with the flow, and so will I.

And there’s this girl, who would constantly strive to beautify herself, even when she is perfect in my eyes. And this plagues so many girls out there. The blind, zealous strive to become prettier then their peers with no goal in sight, a vicious cycle of constant upgrading to their weakening bodies just for that extra Like, Share and Comment on Facebook, the wanton destruction of God’s work, replaced by man’s pale imitation of what they perceive to be perfect, this season.

While I refuse to sleep with a ladyboy, I do hang out with them for a drink or two, maybe more. Some take such extreme dedication to present themselves, prettier then even the prettiest girl you would ever see, but always with a sense of defeat in them, never being able to get past a final hurdle to be what they truly want to be. Others just revel in the fact that they get to dress and be what they want to be, a ladyboy.

In a city where sex is so cheap and accessible, relationship ideals change. “Do with other girl can but use condom na!” becomes a phase more common than it should be, even when in my heart, I know that I would never do otherwise, due to my old-fashioned, unreasonable and definitely boring believe in monogamy. This drives others to clamor for me (Though not as much as I word it to seem), but they always fail. What is the point if I gave my heart to them, wouldn’t it happen again to the next prettier or more aggressive girl?

But all of these experiences wouldn’t have happened in Singapore. This is a country which resembles my own at a glance, yet is so full of character, differing from district to district, where unique experiences can pass with a blink of the eye if you are not aware.

Where else are you going to experience a traffic jam at 4:00 in the morning as you head back to your apartment piss drunk, spewing puke out of the cab every 5 minutes?

– Kin