Everyone In Thailand Has A Story

Hi, this story got to me and actually involves a guy called Mike from America who was about 70 years old and a Vietnam War veteran.

I was fed up with the bar scene in Bangkok.

I was sitting at a bar one morning at about 11 A.M. on Sukhumvit Soi 21, having a Singha beer, and I noticed this old guy across the road sitting alone having a beer too.

I went over and said hi to him and started chatting.

He was of lovely manner, spoke softly, and told me he was married to a Thai lady just around the corner and she ran a laundry shop.

I was excited to meet a new friend.

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Meeting A Vietnam War Hero In Thailand

He then went into the Vietnam War stories and was very interesting.

I then noticed he had a false leg and he was telling me the story.

I could only imagine that he lost his leg in the war.

I could not get a word in as he was on full flow with his war stories.

Eventually, I got a word in and asked, “So you lost your leg in the war?“

He replied, “Hell no, last year I was out for a walk on Sukhumvit Road and some motorbike crashed into me.“

Then I thought, oh my God, after surviving the war and getting on with life, this happened.

All I could do was laugh so much and he laughed too.

And of course, there was no compensation ever.

Visiting My New Old Farang Friend Every Morning

I continued to visit him most early mornings as he sat outside his wife’s shop on his favorite chair having a coffee.

I would sit and chat to him and he told me all about the girls, the fun, and how he now just likes to watch the world go by.

I visited him quite a few more times and then I had to go back to China.

Making Friends With Older Expats Is Great

I returned to Soi 21 about three months later and called in to see him.

I was sad to see the empty chair outside the shop and asked about him only to find he had passed away.

After this and all the bad stuff that had happened to me in the past, I prefer to go to Thailand and make friends with older expats and hear their stories.

So many stories out there.