Newbie in Bangkok: Part 1

[Guest]

I have recently returned from my first ever visit to Bangkok. I have only one regret, and that is that I didn?t go there sooner. It?s always been a ?one day I?ll go? kind of destination for me, but I guess I always pulled up short of actually booking to go there for a whole number of reasons, none of which made any real sense looking back. Maybe it was a self-image thing. Almost definitely. Let?s be honest ? I was never going to go there for anything but the nightlife. I could dress it up with all kinds of bullshit but why lie about it here? You all know the score and this is probably the only place I can get it off my chest.

 

 

 

Well, by engineering a totally unnecessary stopover in BKK as part of a longer trip in Asia, (just as some kind of insurance policy you understand; if it ever came up in conversation then I could just claim that my presence in Bangkok was an inevitable result of being enroute to somewhere else and that I had really had no choice in the matter) I worked out how to get to BKK without it looking as though it was my sole reason for my holiday. ?Hey, what the hell, it was kind of interesting? I would say. I could order another beer and be one of the lads. Of course I don?t pay for sex. I don?t have to right? None of us do. That?s for sad and lonely people who can?t get it anywhere else right? Everyone knows about Thailand, it?s always in the newspapers. So, by such circuitous and devious methods I landed in Bangkok on a Thursday evening and left far too soon on the following Friday.

 

 

 

I would definitely say that things are never going to be the same again for me. I have to return. Not ?some day? but some day soon. In fact I have booked another break and I have the dates, I have told people exactly where I am going and screw them if they have a problem with that. No ducking and diving, no silly ?reasons? for being there because I had no choice. I have a choice and I have made it. I?m in love with the place. I?ve even managed to like myself a lot more. ..

 

 

 

So here is a newbie?s report. I hope that you?ll go easy on me (I?ve seen some flamings which made me think twice about posting this and I hope you?ll indulge my meanderings and understand how and why I made some fundamental mistakes through ignorance and stupidity).

 

 

 

Prior to leaving my home country I went through this website with a fine toothcomb to get as much information as possible. Anyone in the same position is advised to do the same. You won?t go far wrong if you do. My thanks to all who post here for all the advice to us ?lurkers? that is (mostly silently) massively appreciated.

 

 

 

One surprise is that I am not going to rave on about the sex. Well, not yet awhile. That is part of the whole wonderful package. I loved the whole vibe of the city, the people I met that weren?t connected remotely with any kind of nightlife industry (here I think of the Malaysian family who invited me to their home for a meal where I got another perspective on the city), the ex-pats who ?slowed me down? a little and kept me on the level, the girls who hammered me at ?Connect-4?, every street vendor that sold me food that I could not believe had been cooked on a charcoal burner and kept me going back for more whenever energy flagged. It was all simply wonderful and it would be wrong to isolate any one aspect ? Bangkok was more than the sum of its parts in any case.

 

 

 

Arrival Day - and a sense of foreboding, not anticipation. At the Foreigners Passport queue a tourist flew into a rage with a passing immigration officer:

 

 

 

?Why is that you have these signs saying ?Welcome to Thailand? and yet you have only these two lines for all these people?? He really was very irate. The immigration officer looked impassive ? no sign of smiles of embarrassment in the face of hostility here ? and he didn?t show any reaction when the tourist physically pulled him away in an attempt to guide him to a vacant booth. I really and truly could not understand what his problem was. These were not long lines ? it took 10 minutes for me pass through with my passport stamped ? and his actions seemed totally out of proportion. As I looked back, the irate man had been joined by the officer?s colleagues who just let him rant on and on. He was in no mood for listening and they certainly weren?t going to open a special booth for overexcited farang. For all I know he?s still sitting on the wrong side of immigration because I didn?t see him again.

 

 

 

Luggage collected I went to the Thai Military Bank desk and changed USD200 into baht (I?d read advice from someone on this board to change this amount every time rather than one huge lump sum) and booked a taxi from the adjacent desk.

 

 

 

?Dynasty Inn, Soi Nana please?

 

?600 baht okay?? said one of the clerks.

 

?Okay? (Is it okay? Why is he asking me if it?s okay? Is this a test?)

 

 

 

Now ? I picked on the Dynasty Inn (not to be confused with the Dynasty Hotel in BKK) by checking the Accommodation section on this board. I?d originally reckoned that the Royal Asia Lodge would be my best bet but a debate on the board decided me against it. It?s probably a really nice place but I swung for the Dynasty Inn and I?m glad I did. This is definitely the kind of place that suits me.

 

 

 

As soon as I walked in the foyer I felt quite intimidated although in truth nobody gave me a second glance. This is where I saw my first Thai girls with western men doing really shocking and sleazy things in public ? sitting at tables eating food, chatting and drinking. Such debauchery! Incidentally, this is where I realised what the phrase ?walk of shame? might really mean! It seemed a hell of a long way from the front door to the lift (elevator).

 

 

 

My room was really good. Remember, I had been floating around some pretty underdeveloped countries in the previous weeks, even sleeping in little more than hostels in my backpacker guise, and although quite small, the room was perfect. Cable TV, nicely stocked fridge, small clean bathroom, music system, loads of lighting options. Yeah?nice. In the brief time that I had been in Thailand I realised for the first time ever in my life why air-conditioning was invented in the first place. Thailand was hot. My room was cool. I was dirty, so I had a shower and changed into clothing that was more in keeping with a hotel stay rather than an environmental protest.

 

 

 

I went back down to the bar trying to look as nonchalant as possible but in reality probably looking like I had indigestion and a bad case of haemorrhoids. I had one beer while sitting at the bar (it was now midnight) and watched the comings and goings discreetly through the mirrored glass opposite. I relaxed. Life was looking very good. Very good indeed. Let?s get one thing out of the way: the girls that were coming and leaving were beautiful. As simple as that. No qualifications and no ?out-of-ten? marks. They were simply lovely. I just wasn?t ready to jump in at the deep end. I was forgetting all my so-called plans for how the evening would pan out and found myself gazing out into the street. Worse. The streets seemed full of beautiful women, some alone, some with farang, some in groups laughing and joking. A lone farang walked past the window and then stopped as his face broke into a smile of recognition as he had a short, but obviously friendly and animated, conversation with two girls who took their leave with lots of waving and smiling. So how do I get in this club? Aw ? it?ll wait? ?Another Carlsberg please?. And another Carlsberg arrived?

 

 

 

This could have gone on all night if it hadn?t been for the arrival of a guy who eased himself onto a stool at the other end of the bar. Having heard my accent he initiated a conversation explaining that he was having an early night (early??? It was 1.00 in the morning!) as he was recovering from an injury sustained in a car accident in Pattaya where he lived. (Pattaya I had heard of, but tended to skip most postings about the place as I wasn?t intending to go there ? therefore I really didn?t know where the hell it was in relation to Bangkok. Told you I was a newbie). My new companion assumed that I knew the score about everything so I thought it only fair to explain that I had just arrived, it was my first time ever and that I didn?t have a clue. As I suspected, this was a pretty good move as he was quite happy to fill in the gaps and I was quite happy to ask stupid questions without embarrassment.

 

 

 

Two guys at the bar soon became three. And shortly after that four. Introductions made, easy conversation followed and more Carlsberg was drunk. Tomorrow I would hit this whole scene. Yeah ? tomorrow would be good. I?m a little tired and not a little drunk so tomorrow seems a good time to start. Hang on! It is tomorrow! Ah ? sod it. ?Four Carlsbergs please??.and four Carlsbergs arrived.

 

 

 

It was 4 o?clock when the girl (she was about 30) joined us. Well, joined me specifically and immediately insinuated herself amongst us. So in my largesse I bought her a drink and that was that. I found myself having an impromptu ?massage? (having my arms pummelled etc). My new companions later told me that as far as they were aware she was a friend of mine from some pre-arranged meeting. At 5 o?clock the girl and I retired to my room.

 

 

 

In retrospect this was a mistake. I?ve made worse mistakes and none of them involved amazing sex but the girl would not settle down. Every couple of minutes she was jumping up and messing with the TV or the mini-bar or something else. In between bouts I was rather hoping that she would just lie down and sleep! I was wrecked and getting more wrecked. This was not so much fun. Eventually I persuaded her that I needed some time on my own after my long flight blah blah and asked her how much money I should give her (clumsily and awkwardly I know ? I refined this part of the deal in later encounters) and gave her 2000 baht. Yes, yes, I know, I know, I know?..

 

 

 

Talk about the inbuilt newbie detector ? this girl certainly had it. I finally got some sleep but I needed to wise up. And fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ThaiGirlLover]

Excellent start, I look forward to Part 2. Don't worry about the mistakes you made. The ones I made were far greater on my first visit.

[Guest]

>>>In retrospect this was a mistake. I?ve made worse mistakes and none of them involved amazing sex but the girl would not settle down. Every couple of minutes she was jumping up and messing with the TV or the mini-bar or something else. In between bouts I was rather hoping that she would just lie down and sleep! <<<

 

 

 

 

 

Yaa Baa!

[pattaya127]

You remind us all of our first time in LOS. thanks for that. There are no other place that gives you that feeling. Maybe it's the first time, but Thailand is not just a country, it's a place inside of you that you may ignore at your own risks,if you wish. But when you discover it, something deep inside you comes to the surface finally and it's like going back home, (ie. where one belongs) . Cherish that memory. Of course: When are you going back?

[solar]

Excellent post. I was lucky the first time, as I came with a friend who was fairly familiar with the scene. We had come en-route from UK to Nepal, our ultimate destination, which was quite a detour. Our excuse was that we couldn't get another flight. My problem now is that I'm running out of excuses. I've been to most of the festivals now and I don't play golf or diving. I suppose I could say I'm visiting my tailor ;-)

 

 

 

Anyone got any other 'reasons' for visiting LOS, yet again?

[pattaya127]

YEP! "it's my life and if you don't like it, TS!"

[Guest]

Great post carew, I dont think you have to worry about being flamed to much, seems like a nice bunch of gents around here. I'm anxious to hear all about the rest of your trip, dont wait to long to post, these reports are my life line back to BKK.

[Lusty]

Your one of us now and there,s no way back!

[spirit_of_town_hall]

Good report, looking forward to the next installment.

 

 

 

STH

[Guest]

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