Hi, I think I’ve recovered from my Thailand trip so I’ll post this update. I’m not even sure how to begin. I’ll start by saying that I had soooo much more fun in Thailand then I did in Italy. Really two main reasons; it’s cheap and all the girls in Thailand love me. (I’ll explain more latter)

 

The way I see it there are 4 places to go in Thailand.

Bangkok (wow what a fascinating city)

Pattaya (single guys playground)

Phuket (beautiful beaches and Islands) 

Chiang mai (up north, think more of a cultural field trip).

 

I went to Bangkok and Pattaya.  Phuket is next on my list.

I started my 2nd R&R leaving Balad (Home) to fly to Baghdad. This is the hardest part of the trip, a lot of searches and standing in lines with other ex-pats going on their R&R’s too. The Baghdad airport looks a lot nicer now. The A/C works and it’s all cleaned up.

 They even have a duty free shop staffed by regular Iraqis now, who risk their lives just to go to work everyday. (insurgents sometimes attack the roads leading to the airport) They sell liquor, perfume, Levis, watches and other stuff at the duty free shop. The Iraqi girls smile and say “howlow” when you step into the shop. From Baghdad I fly to Dubai, UAE.

 

Well, I’m still hung over from a night in Dubai. (to much sake at Benihanas, why did I pick up the tab??) Anyway, I make it to my gate and I’m soon on my way to Bangkok. (I sleep during the 5-6 hour flight). I land at Bangkok Airport and quickly find a cab to take me to Nana Plaza. My hotel is across the street. It’s nice enough and considering it was $130 for 4 nights it’s a deal for downtown. King size bed, a big room and great service. I meet Sampong. He’s the bellhop. He arranges everything for me and even calls my room everyday to see if there is anything I need. I’m not sure what all he’s selling but in Bangkok you can get anything you want…anything. I decided to shower and venture out. I strolled to one of the many bars, they are everywhere. I sat next to a nice girl who spoke English well, we’ll call her Phon. (I can’t pronounce her real name). We talked awhile at the bar and I downed several Heinekens. She had two and at $2.00 each a good deal. (All of a sudden I was buying.)  After a nice Thai dinner, she called her boss and got the next day off.  She took me to the Grand Palace, Temple of Dawn, Ministry of Defense (I wanted to see the collection of cannons) and The Bangkok National Museum. We ended the second day (ok she actually got two days off) with a private water taxi ride through the canals of Bangkok to this great sushi place. She saved me money on everything. She got the cabs and haggled for me. It was really sweet. She’s actually half Thai and Chinese, born in Bangkok, 35 years old with braces. She frowned when I started calling her “Antique” but it was all in fun. She gave me a nickname too but I won’t tell you what it is. That’s when I figured out she was smarter then me. I still don’t completely trust her. While on the canal trip, this lady paddled up and sold me some Chopsticks…100baht…$2.50. We were on our way to eat sushi so it was timely. Bangkok seems to know what you need before you even know what you want.

 

       

 

I arranged to see Phon again the next night and she suggested we meet her friends. I said that I’d take everybody to eat and then drinking and dancing. They new just the place. Q Bar Bangkok.

 

 

 

 

Here are some pics from Q-Bar Bangkok. All the girls were friendly.

 

 

 

It’s a rock’in place and was full of Europeans and pretty Thais. I felt at peace.  You purchase a bottle of liquor from the bar, 3000 Baht ($75), they put your name on it. Then you and your friends drink from that bottle with free set ups. Johnny Walker Black is what I ordered. They were out of Blue. Considering what a normal drink cost in a high end club in the states, this was another great deal. I also found that most Thai girls weren’t drinking that much. Hum?? more for me.  I go here two nights, Phon got my cover and a bottle of Jack the 2nd night. She didn’t have too but it was a nice of her to do so. We drank and danced, only being interrupted by her friend coming over crying. Apparently some guy was rude to her. I offered to kick his ass but the girls said he just left. So I had another drink. We dance and later Phon says “You cute dance” but I wasn’t sure why she was laughing??? I had another drink. I still don’t trust her.

 

Another thing about Thailand, it’s a poor country. A respectable salary would be $200 Dollars a month, maybe $300 with a degree.  I felt like I was rich and I guess I was in comparison. If I went out in Houston and my salary was 20 times higher, I’d feel rich for sure.  Most of the “working” girls at the bars and clubs I met are from northeast Thailand (85%) (I talked to everyone) Their parents make $75 or less a month working a farm from sunrise to sunset. These girls are from the Isaan region, speak a different dialect of Thai/Khmer and hustle rich Farangs (foreigners) for money. They seem to do what they do out of lack of opportunity. (Maybe an economic problem, not moral) Their brothers get past 6th grade but they don’t because their parents can’t afford books for them. They aren’t valued as much as the men. Maybe that’s why if you are nice to the ladies they respond so graciously?  All these girls send their money home to their parents and don’t tell them what they do for a living. I’m sure the parents know but their culture denies it. The girls believe it’s their responsibility to take care of the family and help the family make “face” (status). Most sell themselves to do so. It’s really sad from a western standpoint, exploitation by the parents. But these girls seem to chase farangs like a sport. They laugh, smile and genuinely seem happy.  So I’m not sure who is taking advantage of who……The men that see them or the bargirls themselves. There are lots of nice respectable Thai women too but not so much in the bars. But regardless, all of them seem really nice and would all like to marry a nice rich guy. What girl wouldn’t??  It’s no wonder a lot of Western men marry Thai women. Unfortunately, some of them find out they have married a whole family which they are expected to support. So pick your gals carefully I says. That’s true everywhere tho.

 

I was a little choked up upon leaving Phon but what could I do. I still don’t completely trust her but she did completely disarm me. I new she was pushing the right buttons and I couldn’t resist anymore. I was happy to spend on her and her friends. To me it wasn’t that much. She said I’d forget about her but I knew that meant she didn’t want me to. I’ll come back to see her. 

 

I left Bangkok for Pattaya the next day. So far so good. But how could Pattaya be any better then Bangkok???

 

 

   

 

After the two hour cab ride to Pattaya I arrived at the Rabbit Resort on Jontiem Beach. Deb, the American owner, assured me I’d like the place and she was right. At 75 bucks a night it was one of the more expensive places in Pattaya but what the heck, I’m on holiday.

 

  

 

  

 

My first night in Pattaya and I had no idea what to do. So after I got a 40 minute massage, manicure and pedicure on the beach for 400 Baht ($10), I decided to catch a cab (Baht Bus: you ride in the back) and head down to Walking Street.

I get out of the cab and pay the guy 100 baht $2.50 (I should have paid 20-40 baht). I start walking toward Walking Street, cab couldn’t get me there, I had to walk to walking street. figures. I pass through a dark alley, it’s about 21:00 hrs, hot and humid and no sooner do I round this corner then 5 girls at this bar start screaming like they just saw a rock star. I turned around to see who was there and, yep, nobody, they were screaming at me. Ok, I could get to like this place. I don’t know if they saw me as a walking ATM machine or, maybe just maybe, I’m kinda cute and the fact that I wasn’t with a girl set them off. I didn’t care because either way it was fun. It was one of the girls’ birthday, 30th I think.

 

I was talking to a lot of girls, they all smile but their English isn’t so good and my Thai is nonexistent. I got up from the table, went to the bar and ordered another Heineken. The waitress asked if I wanted another but I wanted to stretch my legs.  As I was up another girl comes by and sticks her hand out and says “hi”.  I said hi and shook her hand. For a moment I feared I’d just make a deal using some weird Thai custom. But she was just using my custom of the handshake. I asked her name. She said “friends call me Son” Then she added “I watch you from there, you nice to lady” Son is 26 and has a 6 year old son. Her real name is Sonthaya but people call her Son.  I couldn’t believe I’d just met another girl I wanted to put in my bag and take with me. Thai women, I’ve learned, are really pretty and like to pamper their men. It’s part of their culture and it’s hard not to get swept up by them. I invited her to go swimming the next day and she agreed. After that, I saw her most of my time in Pattaya.

 

This is room service after swimming. We had a great time at the pool. She rode on my back and would pull on my ears as if I was a horse to make me wander around the pool. She even lit my cigarettes. She said “They bad for you but I tell you want” Hell, If she figured that out she’s smarter then most girls I’ve met.  The next day I didn’t smoke. I could tell she didn’t like it but she would never say that. We went all over town together. I felt as if I had a girlfriend.

  

 

 

She kept my hat. She told me “I keep you buy another” I guess she wanted it because it had a Moose embroidered on the side. She had a small Moose embroidered on her shirt when I met her. She didn’t even know what a moose was. I’m sure she liked the coincidence though. I smiled as I got into the taxi to leave. It was all I could do to keep from crying. I was going back to Iraq. Thailand was so much nicer. I’m still not sure if I understand everything that happened in Thailand. It was so fast. I’ll be back.

 

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