Freelancer Night to Remember in Bangkok
Prior to my recent trip to Thailand I’ve been chatting with a few girls on Thai Friendly. Most of the young and pretty girls on Thai Friendly I met turned out to be freelancers. This particularly was not a problem for me because I’ve been looking for short term companionship instead of a long term relationship. Ever since my divorce I’ve decided to take it slow and enjoy the single life. But the problem I faced with freelancers on Thai Friendly is that most would not engage in a meaningful conversation perhaps because they’re only looking for customers or their English isn’t very good.
However it is important for me to have some sort of connection with girls before spending a night with them. So despite adding a few of these beautiful ladies online and exchanging a few words I wasn’t sure I’d meet any of these ladies when I’m in Thailand.
One day I came across a profile of a stunningly beautiful lady on Thai Friendly. She was gorgeous a 10 out of 10. Tall with a curvy physique and bleached blonde hair. She looked like a model in her photos wearing very classy and expensive dresses. But her profile said that she’s a freelancer. I texted her and she replied with good English saying that her name is Pim. But before I could ask her for her Line ID her profile vanished from Thai Friendly. I thought that was strange maybe it was a fake profile by a scammer.
Anyway after a few days I was getting bored of Thai Friendly and decided to check out Thai Cupid. I scrolled through the app the first time and I found Pim’s profile. I reminded her that we met briefly on Thai Friendly and I’d like to keep in touch with her online. She remembered me and shared her Line ID. We started chatting soon after and I found out that Pim is an educated girl with good English skills. She is a city girl born and raised in Bangkok.
Although she quoted her rates for short time and overnight companionship I was keen on taking her out for a few drinks first and enjoy some music and a dance at a bar or a nightclub. She was more than happy to do that and she seemed very keen on providing a proper girlfriend experience. We kept chatting sharing photos and videos as if we were in a relationship which I really enjoyed. Pim also said she had a day job working as an admin officer and does freelancing every once in a while.
After a few weeks I arrived in Bangkok and finally the day came when I was scheduled to meet Pim. She said she wanted to meet at a club in Sukhumvit 11 close to my hotel. I went to the club and waited for her to arrive.
First Travel Lessons
When I saw her walking up to the club my heart stopped. She was one of the most beautiful ladies I’ve ever seen in my life. She wore a sexy night dress high heels and was oozing class turning heads all around her. She was very shy when we met and said “You’re much more handsome in person.” All I could say was “You’re more beautiful in person too.
After we entered the club I realized that she was quite tall compared to other Thai girls. Pim also had some work done on her face so I thought could she be a ladyboy? After a few drinks and breaking the ice I gathered up the courage to ask her the question. Pim didn’t get offended and said “No I’m not a ladyboy honestly.” She took out her photo ID to show that she is female. I said “I’m sorry I asked the question because I thought she was much taller than average.” She took off her heels and showed her actual height a good four to five inches shorter. We had a laugh.
I didn’t reserve a table at this club because I thought we’d stay there for a few drinks only. So we were drinking and dancing on the floor to some nice EDM music. Suddenly a guy who was drinking at a table by himself right behind us approached me and said “You can have my table I’m leaving.” I smiled in disbelief and said “Are you serious?” He smiled back and said “My friend stood me up and I’m leaving.” I thanked him and Pim and I moved to his table which came with a nearly full bottle of vodka several mixers and a bucket of ice. I thought “This night couldn’t be any more perfect.
Needless to say we had a blast at the club enjoying each other’s company. The drinks and the company were good. Pim kept saying that she’s so happy that she came out with me that night. We left the club at 300 a.m. when it closed and headed towards my hotel. Soon after we ended up having an amazing aerobic session. After that we felt hungry and grabbed some food from the closest 7 Eleven.
While eating Pim shared her story with me. She said she had a Thai sugar daddy when she was 18 for a couple of years. The sugar daddy who was in his 50s back then paid her 10000 baht per week. She used that money to do various cosmetic surgeries implants etc. She also bought an apartment and takes care of her mom and dad who live in Bangkok. She’s now 30 and back to doing some freelancing since breaking up with her boyfriend a few months ago. She now wants to settle down and have a baby.
We slept for a few hours and had another round of aerobics in the morning after which I paid her for her companionship and she sadly left my apartment. I was keen on meeting her once before I left Thailand but unfortunately I couldn’t manage the time to do this on this trip. I’m still in touch with her and will definitely meet her when I’m back in Bangkok but that night will remain as one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Bangkok Lessons
So it’s one of those “ships that pass in the night” stories isn’t it? Not really a lot more to say on that. I suppose it happens with a lot of guys who come out here.
Story 2 Hippie Trail to Bangkok in 1975
Together with friends we went with minibuses on the hippie trail to Kathmandu. We were able to sell the cars for good prices and three of us continued on a trip to Bangkok. Southeast Asia is quite far from Europe and not really part of the trail. It was known from the news due to the war in Indochina that had just ended with the fall of Phnom Penh and later Saigon. With Nippon Airlines’ YETI service we arrived in Bangkok in October 1975 and had a kind of culture shock. Compared to Afghanistan India etc. Bangkok seemed very modern. There was a kind of highway passing through rice fields from Don Mueang Airport to the city. Most surprising was that the cars were driven by women a sight we had not seen since Eastern Europe.
Compared to the other cities Bangkok was clean and modern. A traveler whom we had met in Kathmandu provided us with some advice. He recommended the Malaysia Hotel and Koh Samui in the south. The Malaysia Hotel a former R&R hotel for GI soldiers struck us as a luxurious place with air conditioning a swimming pool and a coffee shop. Music was provided by a jukebox. I still remember that Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” was number 5. Funny how you remember some things. Opposite was a Blue Fox a combination of a restaurant and a bar. Popular songs played in the bar were of course due to the GI background “Sky Pilot” as well as “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.
In difference to many other travel places the Malaysia Hotel still exists today. Another still existing alternative was the Atlanta Hotel but without air conditioning at the time as far as I know. The other places have all disappeared.
Koh Samui was not a traveler’s place except for the one hotel but that was quite expensive. The Thai songthaew at the train station was cheap and popular without air conditioning.
The first two days we learned that there must be a lot of nightlife that we were certainly interested in. But in our naivety we had no idea where it was. No internet and Lonely Planet for information the main source was the All Asia Guide from Hong Kong but this did not mention the places of naughty disrepute. Soon we learned that the main places were Patpong and the Grace Hotel on Sukhumvit. The bars and massage places at Petchaburi Road which used to be go to places for the GIs were not recommended to us I don’t know why.
So we went to Patpong and were quite surprised by the bars the exotic skimpy dressed beautiful young dancers etc. Soon we developed a routine first go to a bar in Patpong and then with a tuk tuk to the coffee shop of the Grace Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 3. At Patpong still GIs were hanging around. There was the closest office of Air Vietnam announcing flights to Saigon and a travel agent announcing flights to Cambodia and Laos. A bit surreal really.
Overland Travel Lessons
At that time Patpong was not only a place for bars but also boutiques travel agents airlines and restaurants.
At the Grace Hotel we found a table with three seats available. Some women sat at this table already. I placed myself close to one I found attractive she was 2 or 3 years older than me I think 23 or so and she worked as a tour guide she said. My two friends had other girls. Communication remained a bit restricted but sufficient. Often it is better not to have a common language it reduces misunderstandings and allows for projections. Think of Oscar Wilde “I like to do the talking all by myself. It saves time and it prevents arguments.
As we were young and shy and not used to such a situation when the time came to go home we did not really know what to do. Should we say goodnight to the girls or ask the women to come with us? I did not regard leaving my girl as an option and took a taxi back with her leaving the others to decide for themselves. Soon they arrived with their girlfriends for the night. There was a brief commotion as we stayed in one room and my girl did not appreciate this. Anyway problems were solved and we had an interesting night.
A few days later we went to Koh Samui and my girlfriend joined us. At that time accommodation on the island was limited to one hotel in the harbor village. While staying there we met a group of students. They had rented a jeep and we went together to see the sights at the edge of Lamai Beach which also has a beautiful waterfall. We also went to Hua Hin we jumped from the cliffs into the water dressed in jeans. Later we went to the waterfall for a swim to get the salt water off our bodies. There were no roads around the island.
Our time at Samui was short because at the time we only got a 10 day permit to stay without a visa. Thus we tried to do a border run to Malaysia. However we were not allowed entry although we had cut our hair short. There was a big sign at the border to Malaysia stating “Malaysia welcomes bona fide tourists but no hippies with longer hair.” You were automatically classed as a hippie. So we had to get back to Bangkok to the illegal entry section of immigration. Fortunately we had a ticket with International and received an extension until our flight would leave. As a result we stayed in Bangkok for more than one week visiting the bars as well as other sites. Little by little we kind of felt at home in the city.
The whole experience was fascinating for us and following a skiing holiday we decided to have another visit to Thailand and Southeast Asia together with other friends. So in 1976 we had another visit. With regards to the nightlife nothing much had changed.
Bangkok Memories
At that time there were many folk song places in Chiang Mai. One friend had his guitar and was really good. He played “Wish You Were Here” in one of the places we got a free beer out of that.
Before leaving I learned a new term namely curfew. There had been a coup and the new military government had announced curfew hours. There was a sign in the hotel informing everyone about it. We had no idea what a curfew meant really. We went out and were stopped by the military. They informed us that we could get shot. Well we did not want that to happen and tried to get back as soon as possible. Bars were closed anyway.
I still found it especially Bangkok fascinating and wanted to understand what was going on in the city. The precondition for this was of course to learn Thai. After finishing my university studies I applied for a scholarship to learn Thai in Bangkok. I found it appropriate to arrive in Bangkok on the 1st of April 1979 just 24 years old.
After settling down and finding a school in my case a school for missionaries that had been recommended to me and in fact was very good I had to practice Thai. My contacts were limited to staff in the apartment house. I found the bars etc. a proper place for such practice as it allowed combining exercise with fun. I had bought a used 250cc motorcycle from a friend that provided me more mobility to get around the city.
At that time Soi Cowboy was just opening. The beer was a bit cheaper there as well as the women. Through a friend I was introduced to the Thermae Cafe then it was close to the Miami Hotel. It took me a few years until I learned that entering the place through the back where the toilets were was not the main entrance. The Thermae was a special place really weird and fascinating. Persons were around like a sailor and an old man showing how many push ups he could do. You could always expect something to happen.
With my friend we developed a strategy to contact the women. Commonly if you are interested in a woman you tend to be more shy. You want to appear cool but are not due to shyness. Therefore the one I was not interested in I spoke to first knowing the others would also come over. It worked out quite well.
Lessons from Long Journeys
When my language skills developed I was asked by some of the women to help them translate or write letters to their lovers. I was popular because I did not charge any money. Sometimes I got a beer from them. For me the very interesting experience was sufficient payment.
Letters were the main form of long distance communication. A telephone call was extremely expensive and other forms like email and text did not exist in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
A woman I knew quite well asked me to translate a letter from her English lover. When I read it even as a non native speaker I noticed a lot of mistakes. The whole style was rather simple. I guess that he did not have much of an education and certainly no high paid job. Anyway he had sent her money to buy a ticket for a visit. At that time flights were far more expensive than today of course. She had used the money and now asked me to write an appropriate letter to ask for more money. I made some recommendations of what to write but she knew much better what should be mentioned. No sick buffalo or grandmothers. Her point was to speak of expenses for rent and clothes etc. Clothes were needed because when she would go to England she should look beautiful for him.
Thus all this money was spent only for his enjoyment. Quite clever and convincing.
He sent more money to her. He transferred more money to her to buy yet another airline ticket. Of course all was spent again and another letter was required. This time her illness played a role. Obviously it worked as he sent a third ticket to her. When she asked me again to write to him I refused. I thought this is just not right. Although I didn’t know the guy I felt sorry for him.
There was one particular woman. She was in my eyes very attractive sexy and charming. She had ways to make any man lose his mind and she knew it very well. I observed this many times in the bar how she was flirting making the men feel very interested in her. Obviously I was watching her quite a lot too. I got to know her from translating and writing letters for her. In difference to many other women in the bar she kept her money together did not gamble and had clear plans about her future. She was aware that her beauty would fade someday and she was preparing for that day.
Travel Stories from Thailand
I never had taken her out partly because it was quite expensive partly I was afraid that I would become a victim. Once after translating a letter for her she told me she really was keen to go out on a date with me. I told her about my budget constraints and that I could not pay her prices. (Remember the later very popular song “I Love You More Than I Can Pay” or “I Love You So How Much You Pay?”) She put me into a difficult situation when she said that money was not what she was interested in she just wanted to go with me and have fun together. She told me that she liked me a lot because I was polite good looking and could speak Thai. She told me that I was very different to the other men she had met.
Whether this was true or not I will never know. I guess it was not money but emotion that she wanted. Maybe she wanted a boyfriend experience who knows? However I was afraid that when I would go with her it might be difficult for me not to fall in love with her and then be under her spell. So I did not go out with her. For a few days I dreamed how it might have been.
There were plenty of other situations where I did not watch my limited budget and just enjoyed myself. Some women I met more regularly like the girl from Hua Hin. I met her in a bar in Soi Cowboy. She had a kind of small knitted bikini that showed a lot more than it should. Another from a bar in Patpong she was a bit chubby but her body felt really nice. We went together to Cha am to visit a friend there.
However I paid 300 baht as a minimum later increased to 500 baht. I guess inflation affects everything. Fortunately the exchange rate improved. As a comparison the whole point of paying was so that I made sure that it would not lead to a regular relationship and responsibilities. The 300 baht also made sure that no further demands from the woman could be made on me.
At that time nobody used protection. The big STD that I won’t mention here was also not yet prevalent. Only once did I ever catch something which was cured with a quick shot at the hospital.
After less than a year of my stay the bar hopping and paid relationships with women had lost its appeal. I felt lonely.
More Lessons from a Long Journey
On a joint tour organized by a Thai friend I met a woman. Soon we started to go out for dinner. After a few weeks she asked me if she could go back to my place as she wanted to listen to some music. I could take her home later on my motorcycle. This “listening to music” took a bit longer and she asked to sleep on the couch. I would have preferred that we share the queen sized bed but I had to accept her decency. In the morning I went to take a shower. After the shower she came over to me. I was sitting on the edge of the bed. We hugged and one thing led to the other. It wasn’t long before we were both back in bed but this time in the one bed.
Sometime later she moved into my place. It was a fantastic experience meeting this girl and one of the highlights of my life. She was warm gentle and loving and we enjoyed each other’s company so much. I still miss her today. One time we had a very special experience we were on a lonely beach and made very passionate love. Remember there weren’t so many tourists around back then.
My basic Thai conversation improved no end because of the time I spent with this girl and constantly speaking Thai which was an added bonus. I successfully passed the Prathom 6 basic studies exam.
However all things must pass as well as most relations. I had to go back to Germany and I had to make up my mind concerning the future. For me it was not an option to live in Thailand even though I now spoke quite well. I still remember that other foreigners always had to pay much more money than me because they were on holiday and didn’t speak any Thai whatsoever. The girls basically took advantage of these guys knowing they wouldn’t know the difference. I’m not gloating on this fact I’m just stating how it was. You always get on better if you can speak the language.
I was known by a lot of the Thai ladies but a lot of them didn’t know my name so my nickname became “Hey You” in Thai. Quite funny really.
So back to the girl what happened? Well nothing really. I couldn’t see myself taking her on a 250cc motorcycle back to Germany. But great memories which I’ll always cherish.
Story 3 Importance of Travel Insurance
Isn’t that a great story? I kind of like I said at the beginning I like those really old stories you know where you can visualize all that stuff. I hope I get some more stories like that.
Emergency Contacts Matter
I am 63 years old and I have visited Thailand consistently for the last 15 years usually twice a year. I live and work in Melbourne Australia. Life in Australia is pretty boring for a single man. Nothing compares to the excitement of Thailand beautiful ladies great food great climate affordable accommodation to name just a few.
When I was in Pattaya in June I met a fellow Australian guy from Adelaide at the gym. His name was Dave. Dave and I became friends and he would quite often go for coffee or out to eat in the evening or to a music bar for a drink. Dave was in his early 70s and divorced in Australia. He was like a kid in a candy store with the beautiful Thai ladies.
When our holiday was over we returned to our homes in Australia. Dave was retired so he was very bored in Australia and disillusioned with Australian women. He would call me at least once a week for a chat and to talk about Thailand. Dave called me and said that he had booked his next trip and would be in Pattaya in early December. As December is the main holiday season in Australia I also planned to return in mid December.
Once again we met at the gym and continued our friendship coffee walks eating out massages occasionally and going to a music bar. I showed Dave more of Pattaya. He felt like a teenager again riding on the back of a motorbike dating beautiful Thai ladies almost every night from Thai Friendly and meeting ladies around Soi Buakhao. He was so enchanted with Pattaya that he decided he wanted to stay permanently and lease out his room in Adelaide.
I was lying on the bed in my room when my phone rang. It was Dave. “Hey Playboy” I answered “What are you doing?” To my surprise it was a lady who said “Hello.” I asked “Who is this?” The answer came “I’m a nurse from the Memorial Hospital. Do you know the owner of this phone?
Yes” I replied. “Is everything okay?
Final Travel Lessons
No” the answer came. “Everything is not okay. The owner of this phone is here in emergency in a coma. The ambulance picked him up at the beach early in the morning resuscitated him and brought him here. We do not know who he is. He has no identification.
Luckily a few days earlier Dave had given me the contact details for his son. I called his son immediately and told him what the hospital had said to me. I headed down to the hospital and found Dave on a trolley in the emergency on life support. The staff said that they had called the police for help with identification but they never came. Luckily his phone was with him and unlocked and the nurse had seen that he had called my number and called me but this was more than 6 hours later.
We have no copy of his passport no copy of insurance no contact details” she said. He remained on a trolley in emergency all that time.
We called his son from the hospital and he also talked with a doctor. His son organized to fly straight over to Thailand and asked that Dave be transferred to the best hospital which was Bangkok Hospital Pattaya almost immediately. The hospital contacted him and said to transfer 200000 baht before they would take him. He was transferred to CCU Bangkok Pattaya that night.
At 600 a.m. the next morning the doctor called to say that he had passed away.
Dave was on his morning walk along the beach when he collapsed with a heart attack. Someone called an ambulance but we don’t know how long it took to arrive. Apparently nobody did CPR before the ambulance came. Although the ambulance regained a pulse he was already brain dead when he arrived at the hospital.
Remembering a Life Changing Journey
Dave had no copy of his passport with him no copy of an insurance policy and no emergency contact. The only insurance he had was the free credit insurance. Everyone traveling in Thailand needs these documents with them at all times.
The total cost for 10 hours in the hospital was 250000 baht none of which I think the insurance company will pay as Dave was already taking heart medication.
His son and I had the horrible task of organizing a Buddhist funeral but that’s another story.
So as I said ending on a sad one there. It does happen you know. Guys like me come out here to retire I’m already 64 in April. I don’t have health insurance. I’ve made a whole video about it as to why I don’t have health insurance I’ve stuck a million baht in the bank which is about £25000 to £27000. I’ve got close contacts here that can access money to pay for anything for my hospital. And it is so important if you’re out here long term to keep some kind of contact details.
