Pattaya Songkran Adventure
This was my first time experiencing Songkran in Pattaya. Before I booked my ticket, I was talking to my friends who also like to travel about where they wanted to go for a trip Dubai or the new popular destination of Almaty in Kazakhstan. One of my friends, Sumit, had recently been to Almaty and had plenty of stories about the nightlife and the people. I suggested he come with me to Pattaya to experience the nightlife as well. After a month of back and forth discussion, he finally agreed, and we decided on Thailand this time around.
We both booked our tickets, which were cheap at the time around $150 for a round trip from Kerala in India to Bangkok. We planned to go from April the 10th to April the 25th, with a few days in Bangkok then heading down to Pattaya until the 25th.
One night at a friend’s wedding, we met another friend, Rakesh. Sumit mentioned our Thailand trip, and Rakesh expressed interest in joining us. We thought, why not? So on the 10th, the three of us set off on our adventure.
Bangkok Country Roads and the 21,000 Baht Bar Bill
We had a night flight with a connecting flight, arriving in Bangkok at around 2:30 a.m. Due to my previous trips, I knew we would need the Bolt app, and I had arranged everything including SIM cards. We got to our car and headed straight to our hotel The Ambassador on Sukhumvit Soi 11. Exhausted, we went straight to our rooms to rest.
The next day, we woke up, did some shopping at MBK and other places, and later went to Soi Cowboy in the evening. We found a bar called Country Roads. We decided to go in since it had live music, which we all enjoyed. We had some beers and met a few people, and soon my friends and their new acquaintances started dancing and singing.
After a couple of hours, one of the girls asked Rakesh if he would like to sing. To my surprise, he agreed. He went up, joined the band, and sang a song. He was quite good, even after a few drinks. The funny part was that after he sang, an Australian guy came over, gave him a beer, and joined us for a couple more. He and Rakesh went back to sing again. In this bar, you must put money into a jar to sing, so every time they sang, I would put 100 or 200 baht notes in the jar. After four songs, I finally had to stop them, and they gave me a look like kids who have had their candy taken off them. But their singing and dancing had created a lively and friendly atmosphere in the bar.
When the bar closed at around midnight, I went to pay the bill which came to 21,000 baht for just beers and drinks. I wasn’t sure if it was accurate, but with the way my friends were buying drinks, I figured it was probably right, as I also bought a lot of lady drinks for the girls.
Afterwards, outside, I saw Sumit, Rakesh, and the Aussie guy talking to a group of girls. We all felt hungry, so we went to a nearby restaurant, and after eating, the Australian guy headed back to his hotel while we returned to ours.
I also found out that the Ambassador Hotel charges a 100 baht joiner fee which surprised me since I’d never paid this fee at hotels in Pattaya before.
Meeting Honey After the Bar
The next night, we went back to the same bar because we really liked it. This time, there was a noticeable improvement in customer service. The waitress even told me they had reserved a table for us though I hadn’t booked one. She handed me some paper and a pen to write song requests which the band would play on our demand.
After a few drinks, our Australian friend joined us again. I saw a girl sitting far from our table and asked the waitress to buy her a drink. A brief time later, she joined us. Her name was Honey. She was incredibly beautiful and sweet. We chatted, shared stories, and got to know each other.
At one point, Sumit’s companion from the previous night brought over a bag of fried Thai insects and challenged me to eat 10 of them. I reluctantly took the challenge. I put one in my mouth and, while trying not to gag, managed to swallow it with beer. I did this with five more before stopping and downing the rest quickly to get it over with. I won the bet but at a cost. Meanwhile, Honey kept checking if I was okay, worried I might be sick.
That night after the bar closed, we were taken to an after hours party that went on till about 4:00 a.m. I asked Honey if she would like to come back with me, and she agreed. We settled on 3,000 baht for the night and returned to my room.
The following night, we went to Khao San Road, but we didn’t enjoy the atmosphere there, so we headed back to our favorite bar and luckily, I met Honey again. We repeated the same routine.
Leaving Bangkok for Songkran in Pattaya
In the morning, we said our goodbyes and prepared to leave for Pattaya. As we were checking out of the hotel, the receptionist commented that it looked like we’d had a good, enjoyable stay laughing and pointing to the love bites on my neck, which made my friends tease me.
We took a taxi to Pattaya, checking in at the CIM Bayshore Hotel which was a refreshing change from the Ambassador. While the Ambassador had an old vintage feel, CIM Bayshore felt vibrant and welcoming.
After checking in, we went out, and just 100 meters along, girls from a nearby massage center soaked me with ice cold water as it was part of the Songkran celebrations. The contrast between the afternoon heat and the icy water was intense. We decided to join in the festivities as we were all now wet. We bought water guns and protective cases for our phones. We went to some bars where they were celebrating Songkran and joined in.
Indian Nightclubs on Walking Street
In the evening, I took my friends to a go go bar on Walking Street Karma Club. I called the manager, View, and asked for a table. For those unfamiliar with Indian clubs, let me tell you in all of Pattaya, this is one of the busiest establishments and also one of the most expensive in terms of drink prices. A 5L Chang or Leo tower costs 2,200 baht, and the food is just ridiculously overpriced a fruit platter costs 700 baht, mixers are 200 to 350 baht per bottle, and even plain water is 250 baht.
Let me explain the VIP table booking system because I know many of you haven’t been to any Indian clubs on Walking Street. There are three VIP classes. First, there’s Upper VIP, which includes two beer towers and food the first bill should be above 6,000 baht. Then there’s Side VIP, where we sat it starts with two bottles of spirits like Jack Daniels or vodka or any combination, with the first bill being between 8,000 to 10,000 baht. Finally, there’s King VIP, where you have to buy one premium bottle with one regular bottle, starting at 15,000 baht.
Inside, it was so loud with lights everywhere. In India, curvy girls are popular, so that’s why you see more of that type in the club. Beauty is subjective for example, many people with lighter skin love tan skin, while those of us with brown or black skin often prefer lighter skin.
We got to our table, ordered our two bottles, and then I decided to look around for some company for myself. I was just walking and dancing a little when suddenly somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and it was a girl named Noi whom I’d known from a previous trip. She was with a friend of mine and had gone with us to Koh Samet and other places.
Because of the loud music, I asked her to come to our booth so we could sit and talk on the couches. She agreed, and I knew that once my friends saw her, they would want her attention too. When she came to the table, my friend Rakesh looked at her and said, “Wow, she looks good,” and started a conversation with her.
A Second Club, Mixx, and a Soaked Walk Home
Seeing this, I suggested to Sumit that we check out another nightclub and maybe find someone else to bring back. Sumit asked if that was allowed, and I laughed, saying it was. We stepped out and went to the club next to Karma Leela Club. Right at the entrance, a girl caught Sumit’s attention, and after a quick chat, they were actually already holding hands he almost forgot I was there. He came back in a minute or two and asked me to come along, telling me that her friend was coming to keep me company.
Back at our table at Karma, her friend arrived, but she wasn’t quite my type. Sumit could tell, and he gave me an evil smile. As they say, with friends like these, who needs enemies? Despite the situation, I decided to just go with it. After some conversation, I asked how much it would cost to spend time with her, and she said it was the same as her friend 5,000 baht. It was a bit much, but as a good wingman, I went along with it.
We spent the night dancing and having fun. By 4:00 a.m., the club started to close. The lights came on, and we were seriously drunk. We paid our bill and left. While heading back to our hotel, Noi suggested going to Mixx. After some walking, we found ourselves at Mixx, enjoying music, dancing, and drinking ice shots probably four or five. I got brain freeze and told everyone we should head out.
We all went outside, and by now it was 7:00 a.m. The sun was shining, and my eyes were hurting. I sat on the steps outside Mixx, and suddenly a cold bucket of water was dumped on me from behind. I was shocked. It turned out to be the girl I was with, laughing with my friends. They started a water fight with people playing Songkran at the nearby Arab Bar just off Walking Street and on Soi 16.
After about 20 minutes, I booked a Bolt taxi, but the driver refused to take us because we were soaked. Then Sumit pointed out that I was booking a cab for a 4 minute walk. I realized he was right, so we decided to walk back. It felt like a 4 kilometer walk. We got to our rooms and crashed.
The Songkran Wallet Disaster
In the morning or rather, afternoon there was banging on my door. It was Sumit telling me to wake up as it was almost 3:00 p.m. Still sleepy, we headed to 7 Eleven to buy some things just 100 steps away, but we were splashed with water by people at nearby massage shops and bars celebrating Songkran early. It was a fun experience.
Back in the room, I gave the girl money for her company, and she smiled, then headed out to her apartment. After a while, Sumit came back saying she would stay another day. I explained the 3 day rule to him, and he agreed to follow it.
Rakesh came over and asked how much he should pay his girl for an aerobic session. I told him to ask her directly, and he said she told him, “Up to you.” We all laughed. As we talked, she came into the room. I looked at her and asked, “You’re okay with 5,000 baht, right?” She laughed and agreed, saying she would stay a bit longer. I saw my friends now okay for the night well, I was left single. We decided it wasn’t worth going out since it was already late in the evening. There was so much water being thrown around, so we stayed in the hotel instead. I told my friends that tomorrow we would join in Songkran and wake up early.
But that night, my friends did the same thing they booked a VIP table at an Indian nightclub and partied until morning, returning to the room at around 7 or 8:00 a.m.
After 3 days of this routine, I said to both my friends, “Let’s join in Songkran today because it was the beginning of Wan Lai Pattaya a Songkran after the main Songkran on the 18th.” Those two days are the best Songkran days.
Songkran at Tree Town
While we were talking, I told my friends that I planned to go to Tree Town to join in Songkran since I celebrated there last year. But they said they wanted to stay in the hotel and would join me after a few hours.
Sumit gave me his ATM card and asked me to withdraw cash because we were low on funds. We each started with 70,000 baht and $600, but now only had roughly 5,000 to 8,000 baht each. So we thought it was better to get more cash to avoid any awkward situations.
I exchanged all the dollars I had into baht, put the cash into my small wallet, tucked it into my jeans, rented a motorbike, and headed over to Tree Town. It was pure madness. Water was everywhere, and I was getting soaked from all sides. Somehow, I made it to Tree Town and stopped at the Black Angel Bar a small place at the entrance of Tree Town. I went inside and ordered a beer. Although the girls had changed, the bartender recognized me. They were all very friendly.
After about 10 minutes, I was outside joining in Songkran with the girls. Soon, the blue water barrel we had been refilling our water pistols from was empty, so I asked what we should do next. They told me we could call a water truck to refill the plastic barrels for 200 baht. So I agreed.
Then I noticed a small pickup truck filled with ice and stopped, so I bought some. It was 100 baht for one block or 250 for three blocks. So I bought three blocks and waited for the water truck.
In the meantime, Sumit called me asking where I was, so I sent him my location, and they arrived 30 minutes later. I grabbed my bucket and threw ice water on them. It was hilarious to see their faces. I kept soaking them with water, and they ran to try and get away, which made the crowd turn and chase them with even more ice water. Eventually, they got me back too.
The Wallet Goes Missing
While we were playing, a truck loaded with water bottles arrived. It had a flat surface where one person could sit, and Noi hopped on, asking us to push him around Tree Town. One by one, we all took turns riding on that cart. Even though I was 31 years old, we all acted like children having the time of our lives. We messed around until 7:00 p.m., emptying seven or eight water tanks and using loads of ice slabs.
I completely forgot to take cash from the ATM. When I saw Sumit with his new girlfriend getting ready to leave, I opened my wallet and gave him my ATM card back along with mine, telling him to take out our cash. I settled the bar bill and gave him my wallet only keeping 3,000 baht for myself. I asked him to put the cash in my room safe because I thought it would get ruined in the water. Mistake number one.
He took it and left.
Feeling exhausted, Rakesh, Noi, and I sat down for a while and then went for a walk. Later, Sumit called and asked if I had dropped my wallet at the bar. I was shocked and asked him what he meant. He repeated, saying he was asking about my wallet, not his. We went back to the hotel, and Sumit explained that he had dropped it while coming back on a motorbike taxi. To make matters worse, he had left his ATM card with my wallet. So now we were both low on cash and without ATM cards.
We retraced the route to try and find it, but it was impossible with so many people around.
Emergency Cash and a Police Report
After thinking it over, we decided to get some food and discuss it. We stopped by a local restaurant, and we were talking about what to do when the owner approached us and suggested doing a UPI transfer to get the money. After hearing this, I was so relieved the stress lifted. The owner gave me his mobile number so I could transfer money to an Indian bank account, and he would give us the cash. For those who don’t know, UPI is a payment system in India similar to Apple Pay or Google Pay you just need a phone number or QR code to transfer money from one person to another. The only restriction is that I could only receive around 37,500 baht a day because UPI only works for this limited amount with a card. However, I could get 41,500 baht. It was a setback, but it is the price you pay for mistakes.
After receiving 37,500 baht each, we took his number in case we needed it again which I knew we would.
After getting the money, we laughed. Imagine what would have happened to us if this option wasn’t available. We also decided to file a report about the missing wallet with the police in case someone found it and tried to use it. I went to the police station, explained what had happened, and they documented it and gave me a copy. I had already blocked my ATM card using the bank app, and Sumit did the same with his card.
The night had already been hectic, so I decided to head back to the hotel to get some rest. Both of my friends went to a club and invited me, but I didn’t want to go.
A Lonely Walk Leads Back to Tree Town
I decided to walk from the police station to the hotel. It was at that moment that I felt a bit lonely in Pattaya. My friends were having fun with the girls they were with, while I was alone. I thought it might be okay to break the 3 day rule, but as I was walking down Beach Road, I found myself thinking about everything going on and occasionally getting splashed with water for no particular reason.
I sat on a motorbike taxi and asked the driver to take me back to Tree Town’s Black Angel my usual go to bar at that time. He dropped me off, and I went inside and ordered a drink. While drinking, I went outside and joined in the water games again. For a couple of days, there were no restrictions on water, so bar girls and customers alike joined in the festivity.
While playing, I noticed a girl from a bar I knew who was heading to a nearby 7 Eleven in front of Tree Town. I had a bucket of water, and as she walked by, she said, “Don’t splash me I’m working.” I said okay, but when you’re done working, come and join me. She smiled and said she would be done with her shift soon or that I could come to her bar nearby.
I decided to give it a quick go, settled my bill, and joined her at 7 Eleven. Inside, she was buying soap and talcum powder. She asked if I needed anything, but I said no, and we returned to her bar. She gave the items to the customers and came over to my table. She told me she had seen me playing with water. Her name was Nam.
Finding a New Friend During Songkran
When her shift ended, she said she was hungry and wanted to eat something. I asked her where she wanted to go. She took me to the food stalls in Tree Town. Meanwhile, I got a call from my friends asking where I was. I told them I was in Tree Town and suggested they join me. I told them it was better to enjoy Songkran outside rather than being stuck in a club, but they were not keen because they were fed up with all the water.
I asked Nam to come with me, and we booked a motorbike taxi as taking a car was impossible due to the crowds. We went to Karma, where I met my friends. That’s where her face powder came into play. She put powder on everyone’s faces, and because it had mint in it combined with the air conditioning everyone felt a cool sensation, which became a funny moment. Soon, everybody at the table was playing with powder and ice. Within 20 minutes, we paid our bill and left.
Now we were on Walking Street with all six of us playing with water. After a few hours, Rakesh wanted to go back to the hotel. We were near Burger King and Taco Bell on Beach Road, and his girl stopped a cab. They opened the cab door, but suddenly a motorbike crashed into the door, and the rider fell off. The girl got hit by the door and ended up on the road. We rushed to help, but the cab driver started shouting. The girl, being from Uzbekistan, didn’t speak much Thai, so Nam (another girl) with Sumit and I began arguing with the motorbike rider and the cab driver. The motorbike rider, who was Arabic, was also clueless. I asked if he was okay, but he couldn’t communicate well. In the end, we paid 3,000 baht to the cab driver, and the Arabic guy contributed 1,000 baht as well.
After this, we were done for the night and returned to the hotel.
Instagram App Scam Costs $220 in Phuket
I have a story about my visit to Phuket during the sandbox. I visited in August 2021 for 2 weeks and left in September. At the time, I was 35 years old and in fairly good shape. I was training a lot before I went to Thailand.
Before I went, I was trying to find a nice girl to talk to who wasn’t a bar girl, and I found a girl on Instagram. She was the sweetest, most beautiful Thai woman I’ve ever seen dark skin and long black hair, just what I like. Her name was Pun. Within her profile, there was a link for a chat app, so I thought, what the heck, I might as well give it a try and see what happens.
The first few messages were free, but after that, I had to pay a very small amount $1.13 for 100 credits and so we started talking. Pun seemed to be a genuine Thai girl. She had a regular job and also studied at Bangkok University before it closed down because of the pandemic.
We talked for a few weeks before I flew out to Phuket. She used to talk to me every day, always saying good night and good morning, and we were talking so much I had to keep buying credits which did not bother me because she seemed so genuine and nice.
I arrived in Phuket, and the first day got pretty drunk because I had to wait for the test results in the hotel. I could not leave until I received the results, and by the time I got them, it was already 7:00 p.m. It was raining very hard outside, so I thought I’ll just get some rest because tomorrow will be the day I can finally explore Phuket.
Pun Keeps Delaying the Meeting
So the next day, I rented a motorbike and sent Pun a message asking her if she wanted to meet up. She said, “I’m sorry, I have study classes online in the morning, then work in the afternoon.” I said, “That’s fine, I’ll explore Phuket.”
Several days had passed, and I had not yet met with Pun, but Pun kept chatting every day on the app. I didn’t want to keep asking her she wanted to meet me because she seemed really genuine, and I thought she was just very shy.
It was now day six of my trip, and I asked Pun again did she want to meet me? And she said no again. She told me that a colleague could not make it into work that day and she had to work all day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. I took a breather from the situation, felt pretty sad about not being able to meet Pun face to face, and told myself it’s probably not going to happen. I thought I would just stop texting her bearing in mind I had already spent $220 on credit to talk to her on this app.
That same day, the UK government put Thailand onto the red list, which meant I had to quarantine when I got back home after my trip. At this point, I felt pretty fed up, so went back to my hotel, took a shower, and tried to have some sleep.
After I woke up, I went to Patong that night and decided to get really drunk. The first bar I went into was not that busy, but there were three very pretty girls at the bar on their own. I ordered a drink and I started chatting with all three of them, and we had fun until closing time. They asked me, “Do you want to come to Patong Beach Road for a party?” So I said, why not? I gave the one girl I liked the most a lift to Patong Beach Road and parked my bike. We walked over to a group of random people, and everyone had a beer. The stores that sell food also sold beer, and we partied until about 1:00 a.m.
Far Offers a Different Kind of Night
The girl I had brought on the back of my bike I really liked her smile, she was so cute. But her English was not that good, which was fine because she seemed to understand me when I spoke slowly. This girl was called Far.
I was starting to feel a bit tired after all the drinking and said I wanted to go back to the hotel. Far whispered into my ear, “If you want me to stay with you all night, I can, if you like me.” I said, “Yes, that’s fine let’s go.”
I woke up the next morning to find Far was still asleep beside me with her arm over me. I managed to turn over without waking her I did not want to wake her as she looked so beautiful just lying there, even more beautiful than I remembered from the night before. I badly needed the toilet, so climbed out of bed slowly. But after returning from the bathroom, Far had woken up. I asked her, “Did she want to go and get breakfast?” She said yes.
After breakfast, I took Far back to the bar so she could collect her motorbike. I asked her if she wanted to meet up later in the day, to which she replied yes. “Here are my contact details on the LINE app.”
The next day, I was feeling a bit bored and asked Far if she wanted to explore Phuket island with me again. She said yes. “Can you come and pick me up, and you can wait for me while I get ready?” I got to her place, and she came down and let me into the apartment block. I waited on her bed while she took a shower. She headed out, and we spent the next few days together. I paid for everything, which did not bother me because I had saved up a lot of money for my trip to Thailand. I cannot believe how much fun we had together. I thought to myself, “I wish I never wasted the $220 talking to Pun, because I now realized she wanted the money for chatting.”
The Truth Behind Pun’s App
After not talking to Pun for a few days, I checked to see if she was still messaging me, and there were eight unread messages. My first message to her was, “Look, if you don’t want to meet me, that’s fine just stop trolling me for money on here.” I think she felt bad, so she said, “Come down to the restaurant that I work at when it’s not busy, and we can have a chat.”
So the next day, I arrived at her restaurant at 4:00 p.m. when it was the least busy time and got a table outside, facing away from the restaurant. Someone came up behind me and greeted me with a “Sawasdee ka.” I turned around, and it was Pun. I was stunned with just how beautiful she was in real life the dark brown skin, the black hair she was truly an angel. I said, “It’s me, Jake, from the app.” She said, “Oh, it’s nice to meet you finally.” We talked for about 5 minutes. Then she asked me, “Did I want to order food?” I said yes, gave her my order, and away she went.
About 15 minutes later, she returned with my food and told me, “I’ll leave you alone to eat your food let me know if you need anything else.” Not long after I had finished, she came for my empty plate. I asked her, “Did she want to meet up one day when she was not busy?” She said, “I’ll let you know what day I’m free.” I asked, “Can we start talking on the LINE app because I have spent $220 US chatting to you on the other app?” She said, “Sorry, I don’t really use LINE.” Which I thought was really suspicious, as everyone in Thailand uses LINE the Thais and foreigners alike. I said, “What about Instagram instead?” She said, “Sorry, it’s been deactivated. What’s yours? I’ll add you when it’s back.”
I then said to her, “Wow, I have never known anyone to lie so much as you do. How do you think I found the link for the other app? It’s right there on your profile.” She said, “I’m sorry.” I paid the bill and left. I deleted the account that I had been using to speak with her and said to myself, “What a fool I have been taken for.”
To end this story on a happier note, I spent the rest of my time in Phuket with the other girl, and we had an amazing time. I will never forget her. She stayed with me every night at my hotel and even came with me in the taxi on the day I was leaving to go to the airport. I paid for the taxi to take her back home. We are still talking every day online, and she has not asked me for any money since I returned home. I guess she was just hoping that I would hook up with her when I return.
The next time I hope to see her again when I visit Phuket in December. It’s funny how these Thai girls can be so addictive but I’m also glad that they are.
A Short Nightlife Story About a Familiar Face
I was 27 at the time, married, and working with one of the big six accounting firms in Malaysia. I am Malaysian Chinese, by the way. I was a newly promoted audit manager at the time and was attending my first ever Management Group Conference which was basically a getaway for all the managers and partners in the audit firm. This year’s MGC was in Phuket. I had not been there before but was looking forward to it.
Happily married at the time, I was not a monger or player at that age. Now it is a different situation haha.
After the normal flight and check in to my hotel, I met for dinner with everyone. Some colleagues and I decided to have a drink in the bar near the hotel. It was a loud place I don’t think it was a go go bar and we had male and female colleagues together. We all found a table to sit around and ordered some drinks.
After a while, I was suddenly hugged from behind by a Thai girl. I was like, “What?” My colleagues were all looking at me and wondering what was going on. I turned around and saw a Thai girl with tears in her eyes looking at me. She said something in Thai, and I had no clue what she said. I was lost for words and wondered what was happening. She kept looking at me and crying and kept talking to herself.
Then one of my colleagues stopped another waitress and asked her what the Thai girl was saying to me. The waitress went over and talked to the Thai girl. My colleagues were still giving me strange looks, and everyone was wondering what was going on between me and this Thai girl.
The Dead Boyfriend Explanation
After a few moments, the waitress came over to me and said in broken English, “Sir, you look like her boyfriend. Her boyfriend is dead accident. She said you look like her dead boyfriend who was killed on a motorcycle.” Hearing this, I was like, “My God, that’s not a good omen.” My colleagues all cracked up at hearing that, and everyone had a good laugh.
The Thai girl came back to our table a few times that night and just looked at me.
Just a short funny story and the first time I’ve ever been recognized as a dead person.
