"Letters from Issaan- how it began" Part 1

[phoenix]

?Newbie landed in LOS ? Trip report part 1

 

 

 

The following is an account of my first solitary trip to Thailand, in June 2000. Most of it was written during the trip and immediately after my return. It was edited recently for personal reasons, but essentially still tells the story as I experienced it.

 

 

 

I re post it here for those people who have been interested in my ?Letters from Issaan? over the past few months, to give the very beginning of the story, to contrast with the very end.

 

I am not going to justify my actions and decisions, not hers. I am merely telling you what happened, and maybe someone can get something useful out of my experiences.

 

However, for me, I learned that the only way to know is to have the experience myself.

 

 

 

Prior to that visit in June 2000, no ?sanuk? experience there. (Once, while in a BKK major hotel, I had a ?traditional Thai massage? in the gym. The masseuse started to include the parts that usually get excluded in ?trad. massage?. She asked if I wanted extra. I was too jetlagged, and declined.)

 

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Because of my personal situation in my home country, I may not be back here for a long long time, but I don?t regret having had this one experience.

 

The first two reports were written in an internet shop near the beach in South Thailand, the rest shortly after I got home. This is a tidied up version of the ones I posted on the Sanuk Board in July.

 

 

 

Arrived last night (Saturday July 8) about 11.00 in BKK, after about a 12 hr journey from my point of departure. My original plan was to book a flight early next morning to go to a small town on the beach in South Thailand. I had been there before with my family, and I was going to spend about ten days this time, sitting on the beach, reading, sleeping, and eating good food.

 

But when I arrived at my hotel at 12.30, and had showered, I concluded that, since I had slept like a log on board all day, I was wide awake, and feeling constrained being inside again. The weather outside was warm and balmy, and I felt like being outside again. I wasn?t sure what to do though, until I remembered that a friend of mine had talked to me about the amazing and strange experiences of BKK?s nightlife. In my own country, I had never visited a nightclub, or seen a strip show, actually, I thought it was rather a silly thing to do. But I was curious, and decided to go and find out in person what it was all about. I was sure that it would leave me cold, maybe just slightly amused. But I?d have a walk around, have a beer or two, and then go home to bed.

 

My travel guide gave me some options, and I hit Soi Cowboy at 1.00 am. By some chance, I ended up in Longun.

 

To my surprise, I was totally overwhelmed by the complete ?immersion? aspect of the spectacle. Initially, I sat down on the front row, and ordered a beer. I gazed at the dancers, music blaring, lights flashing. Then the row of dancing girls disappeared, and the show started. I sat there for about an hour mesmerized. I noticed that I wasn?t turned on, but still couldn?t tear my eyes away from the stage, all these amazing and lovely bodies, moving, twisting and turning. At some several stages I was hit upon by one of the girls, but I indicated I wasn?t interested. I had never paid for sex (except for once in a European town, which left me dissatisfied by a cold mechanical experience), and wasn?t planning to now either. I would just sit there for another hour or so, have another beer and go home. Next day, down to the beach, away from this madhouse.

 

 

 

But somehow, about an hour and a half sitting there, drinking Singha and admiring the beautiful bodies, a dancer whom I?d stared at rather intently while she was on stage, sidled up to me and put her arms around me. She asked the usual questions, and I became engaged in the sales spiel. She was cute, nice body, and seemed about 22. When I asked her age, she proved to be 26. In the end, almost in a trance, I barfined her just before closing (3.00 pm instead of the 2.00 pm I thought it was). I took her back to my hotel, had a long shower and bath, then bed. Great!

 

Pity she couldn't stay, "had to meet Pappa(?)" at 5. am . I hadn?t checked ST or LT with her, wanted to find out first whether it was worth LT. She was, but we didn?t.

 

In the morning, I got up at about 11.00 am, a bit bewildered by my unexpected experience from the night before. I decided it was time to get out of BKK, and went to a travel agency down the road. Unfortunately, the next plane to my destination down south was the following morning, so I had to stay another night in BKK. Never mind, I thought, I?ll have another more sober look at the night scene, but then go home to sleep early to catch my early morning flight.

 

After the travel agent, I went to an internet café to pick up my email and see if there was any info on the net on BKK?s nightlife. After about an hour, I stumbled on the (old) Nanaplaza Board. I started reading, and read for another two hours, trip reports, info about all and sundry. I found out that on Friday?s some people met at Woodstock. It wasn?t Friday, but I decided to go there anyway, to see if there was someone there I could hook up with for company, and advice on where to go.

 

That night I spent mostly at Woodstock, to drained for more active sanuk. I met a few people who were happy to tell me a lot about the scene here. I clearly remember one, a Dutchman called ?W?, who said upon hearing that it was my first visit :? This will change your life?

 

Prophetic words.

 

At about 11.00 pm I joined a few regulars there for a quick look at Carnival, which left me rather shellshocked, even more that Longun the night before.

 

Heavy duty in-your-face lesbian action, enjoyable, but a bit intense if you are front row. I ended up accidentally on the front row, and the spectacle was almost too much. Valiantly fought off the dancers descending from stage every 15 minutes or so, (hard work, this fighting off). In spite of heavy pressure to accept an invitation for company, I decided that I'd sleep alone that nite.

 

Then, one of the dancers sat (uninvited) down in my lap, grabbed my hand and before I realised what was happening, put it under her minuscule skirt, to demonstrate ?how wet? she was. I was startled, but determined not to get sucked in, (Oops, pun not intended) and testily asked her to go away.

 

Once, in the middle of some particularly intense lesbian act, all of a sudden all lights went of, the actors on stage jumped off and ran away, to be replaced by a stage full of bikini clad girls, dancing very demurely when the lights went back on. My companion from Woodstock said it was a police raid, not to worry, just an effort from the cops to get higher contribution from the bar.

 

Shortly after midnight I was overcome by sensory information overload + jetlag, and decided to go home.

 

However, on my way down the stairs from Carnival, I thought I'd just very briefly drop in for one last beer at VOODOO. ( as recommended by some of those I met at Woodstock earlier that evening). Much quieter, less in-your-face heavy duty, but pleasant to unwind from the crowd at Carnival.

 

But, maybe that was a mistake. I got my eyes caught by a cute dancer while I nursed my last beer for the night, enjoying the relative calm after the sensory onslaught at Carnival.

 

She caught my eyes, and gave me a big smile, almost as if she recognised someone she had known for a long time, but not expected to see here that night. (in retrospect, a very good professional act) It worked. I smiled back, and that was my undoing. When she finished her performance, she got off stage and headed my way. Before she got to me, a colleague of hers sidled up to me, with no doubt her own private agenda, but I told her ?sorry, I am with her?, pointing at the dancer approaching me, making the decision before I realised what I actually was doing.

 

 

 

My new gf, whom I shall call Nok (not her real name, in accordance with anonymity principles), is short, reasonably well built, not an absolute stunner, but a lovely warm smile and wonderful large brown eyes. We really didn?t talk very much while at Voodoo, I finished my beer, and asked her if she?d come along with me to my hotel. She went and paid BF and got changed. No talk about LT or ST, no talk about price.

 

 

 

Her English was fairly basic, but sufficient for simple conversation. Upon arriving, we had a bath with some frolicking around and retired to bed. (3.00am) I explained that my jetlag had hit again, and I was exhausted, may not be up to much. She just smiled, and proved me wrong! I can?t believe this, they simply don?t give up, even if I?m ready to call it a day.

 

Three hours later, she woke me up by stroking me, and repeated the previous performance.

 

 

 

In the morning, I awoke at about 11.30, and ordered breakfast. She initially said she didn?t want any, but when she saw what I ordered she enjoyed it. (Thai style, rice porridge, Tom Yum and something else). Previous day I ordered Farang breakfast, which was boring and plain.

 

Up to that point no mention had been made of any money (not in fact until the last day). We talked a bit about other things, she told me where she came from, (Nakom Phanom (?), that she had a child residing in Taiwan, but that her (older) Taiwanese husband died in an accident, his parents now looking after the child. She talked about working in a factory since 15, first in BKK, later in Taiwan, where she met her husband. She said she?d been ?working? for only 4 months. She wants to continue her current work until she has earned enough to buy her parents a car (utility), and then quit and do something else, maybe go back home.

 

 

 

In daytime, her eyes are still big and beautiful, she is relaxed and disarming. I make up my mind and ask her if she wants to come with me to XXXX for a week at the beach. She calmly says yes, and that was that, no further talk about anything to do with $$ or Bt. I tell her I?ll compensate her for her time, and she doesn?t seem to worry about that. She tells me that she has once in her life been on a beach for a few hours, on a trip to Pattaya. Never had a holiday in her life! She is twenty-seven, although she could be 22.

 

 

 

We go around booking flights, (for the next day) and buy a few essentials. A small backpack for her from a street stall. I needed swimming trunks, so while we are in a big shopping mall we go and find some. In the shop I asked if she had a bathing suit. (silly question, in retrospect, of someone who never goes on holidays and probably has no use for them). I offer to buy her one. She looks around, finds it hard to know what to get. Now I realise she never had one. What do I think? I suggest a fairly small black Bikini, in which she would look gorgeous. She recoils (too late I realise that that for her is associated with work costume). She asks the shop assistant for advice on style and size, and between them they select a simple modest bright blue one piece suit. She fits it on and shyly asks me to come into the dressing room to give my opinion. She looks like she is 16. I feel a little pang of alarm, ?big bad old men with schoolgirl?. However, I have seen her passport, and know she is 27.

 

 

 

We go back to her place, somewhere off soi 16, a mile or so from Sukhumvit, to get some clothes for the week. She has her own ?apartment?, a small room with single bed, fridge, a wardrobe and a cabinet with TV and stereo. Off it a small toilet and shower, and a small area open to the outside with a washing line. Very minimal daylight. The place is tidy, and looks ?personal?. Pictures of her, and one of her baby. On her bed, textbooks and writing pad with English language exercises. She leaves any clothes that look like nightlife, and packs just a few that look like leisure, still little tight tops, and a few pairs of supertight jeans that look like they?d fit an 8 year old. She proudly shows me her potplants, and waters them before leaving. During all this I sit on her bed, eat an endless supply of fruit from her fridge, and drink her only can of beer. She has her own phone, and a phonecall is made, no reference to what or whom. She changes into another outfit, and when I comment on my enjoyment of her looks she just smiles, and carefully wiggles into the tight jeans. I feel somehow privileged to be invited to her private space. I ponder on the realities of living here, comparing them to my own living situation, and shudder at the gap. I saw the look in her eye when she pointed at the picture of her child, pride combined with sadness, and I feel quite emotional about it. (I am a bit of a softy).

 

I then wonder what the hell I am doing here.

 

 

 

When we leave I suggest we get a cab back to the hotel (Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, exec suite), quite a contrast, I suspect my 2 or 3 nite stay costs the same as her years rent. She scoffs at the idea of a cab, too much money. I then suggest a tuktuk, but she walks to the corner of the street, and charters two motorbikes with riders. For 10 bath each we are driven back at high speed along the various little alleys, then down Soi 16 until Sukhumvit. That is the way she goes to work each day, walks to Nana from there. Exhilarating ride. We drop her stuff at the hotel, and then walk down to get a traditional massage, which I like to have at least every day or two when in Thailand. The two masseurs and Nok chat away, and it strikes me that in most interactions with local people she is very self confident, relaxed, and at the same time knows exactly what she wants. I slowly start developing a pattern of letting her take charge of negotiations and arrangements. Good massage, nice and firm. After that, I ask her where we should eat. She says ?up to you? I say ?No, you know the place, I just want good thai food, don?t care about the cost?. Instead of heading for the next expensive farang restaurant, we wonder down to (I think soi 7) an open foodmarket, and I ask her to order dinner. This is where she eats most days, and while I?m happy to look at the pictures of the food, I decide to let her choose all dishes. I like Thai food, don?t mind hot, and she obviously knows what she is doing. The food is great, washed down with Singha (for her water). The foodmarket is frequented by a number of single farang men with female Thai companions.

 

Then we walk along to Nana Plaza, go to Voodoo to pay her barfine for the week. I order a beer and watch the show while she talks to the papasan. On the way back to me she gets hailed by a few collegues, and goes over for a chat. A lot of peering at me, a few giggles and some incomprehensible comments. She comes back over to me, sits down, looking a bit fidgety. I ask her what she wants, and she says that ideally, if she is barfined, she?d rather not stay longtime in the place where she spends every nite all nite. Makes sense to me. I don?t want to go home yet, so we climb the stairs to Woodstock. Quiet Monday nite, just a handful of people, but groovy music.

 

We sit on the platform on the left, overlooking the pooltable. A couple of local cuties are playing, and I absolutely love this spectator sport. Their movements are actually quite arousing, all that stretching and leaning over, and the expressions when successful or failing in their shot. Great body-language. In a way this is almost more erotic that the hardcore shows in the GoGo?s. Nok looks with interest, but when I ask her is she plays, she looks at me primly, and says something to the extent that in her country (eg Issan) women don?t play this game. Almost as if it was an indecent proposal. Wonderful comment for a gogo dancer.

 

In retrospect, I realise that probably some of the women playing pool were simply also advertising their availability. It just never occurred to me at the time. Talk about a naïve newbie!

 

But the last two nights have taken their toll on me and I?m happy to go home early, especially considering a 6.30 start next day. We walk home, chatting, have a drink at Riva?s, the Sheraton Bar, and listen to the band a while. I agree with some other comments, Riva?s is a bit tame and boring after all I?ve seen the last couple of days. Then off to sleep. (or, off to bed I should say) Again, she manages to overcome my tiredness. She does that so well! And with what appears a remarkable enthusiasm.

 

 

 

Next morning, at the airport I buy a few books (if I am going to be shacked up with someone with limited English, I want to have something to read for my leisure time, you can?t shag all day.) As it turns out, I only finish one novel in the week that follows. I get her to choose a magazine (fashion), something like Elle in Thai . No Thai novels in the domestic terminal shop. Breakfast at the airport at 7, rice porridge with chicken and chillies. While walking around the airport, like previous day in the city, away from Sukhumvit, she holds my hand, or my arm around her, her initiative. I feel slightly conspicuous, am two heads taller than her, and nearly twice her age. What does this look like. But she is totally natural and relaxed about it.

 

 

 

We land at YYYY, and get a cab to XXXX. She chats with the cabdriver, commenting on the forestry (rubber), being a different landscape than Issan. I had a ?hotel? in mind, my driver advices against it, because they are building a new resort next doors, and it is very noisy. He recommends another one, XXXX Resort, (suppose he gets a better kickback from them), and we go to have a look. Choice between ?bungalows, or hotel block (3 stories). I ask her, she says ?what you want? . I think maybe bungalows is more private, so choose that. Bad choice, dark and with poor aircon. Next day we upgrade to third floor hotel room in same resort, with balcony overlooking pool and sea (1500 Baht). Nice size room, tile floor, light, good curtains, but two ?single? (large single that is) beds. No worry, big enough. We only ever use one.

 

What follows is a week of heaven. Sex happens, quite frequently, in fact more frequently than even in my busiest teenage years. It is good, and more often than not instigated by her, at all time of the day and nite. She is expert at arousing me, not overly interested in giving oral, but makes up for it by the other parts of the process. Enough said about that, it was great. But, it is not by far the most important aspect of the week. It is integral to what went on, but the closeness, the touching, the obvious caring, the twinkles in her eyes, the visual appreciation I have for her, all that is just as important or maybe more so than the raw sex.

 

It is just like I am 17 again, and I am very mindful of the warnings from this board, as well as from the only friend in my own country who knows, saying: ?Whatever you do, don?t fall in love?.

 

I am doing my best not to fall in love, but it is a hard task, don?t know if I?ll succeed

 

 

 

Will be continued

 

 

[phoenix]

Reading this, almost three years later, brings a smile to my face, and also a whistful feeling.

I was certainly naive, in spite of all the info this list may have provided me.

 

But I noticed recently that Cent, our resident master writer of tripreports and stories, has made a habit of reviving his stories after about a year, and the stats show an increase of readers. There is obviously a turnover on this list, and maybe newbies don't dig into the archives, but will read someting served up again.

 

I made many mistakes, and had a steep learning curve. I don't pretend to know it now, just hope that a rerun of my experiences may help some newer members understand some things, and maybe also offer some amusement to others. For old hands, just skip this, you've heard it all before.

 

The first three posts will show my enry into the scene as a newbie, and how I got entagled into a 'relation' with 'Nok', which was to last about three years.

 

The next set of posts will relate about the period from dec 2001 until March/april 2002, when I lived with Nok in LOS semipermanently.

 

The bit in between is a bit more difficult to retrieve, and I'll try that in a few days.

 

All in all, going back over history was a salutary experience for me.

 

I wish Nok the best in her new marriage and pregnancy, and hope that any readers will enjoy my ramblings.

 

 

[Encore]

I finally found back my reports on my first trip to LOS in 2000, and, re-reading them, I smile once more at my own naivity.

The first three were published under a yet other name on the "OLD" board.

Since there are now many new members, i decided to drag them up from obscurity, and see if anyone wants to read them.

If there is sufficient interest, I'll also drag up the sequels (about 10 or 12 of them) about what happened after this first trip.

 

I found the archives full of fascinating stories by both current as well as long lost members, great to pass the time on a rainy afternoon.