First Thailand Trip From Bangkok To Pattaya

I am from the US, and I went to Thailand back in 2018, just before the world went into lockdown. My trip was short, like most American trips the first time around, just about three weeks. This was intended to be a trip with friends, but I ended up being alone due to my friends cancelling at the last minute.

I started off after my 23 hour flight by jumping right into the action, but I really didn’t know what or where to go. In all of my research, I was still overwhelmed by the sounds, senses, the people, and everything going on. Being a farang (a term I later learned from videos meaning foreigner or white foreigner), I was fitting into all the stereotypes of not knowing what was right and what was wrong. But along the way, I worked very hard to embrace the beautiful culture and respect the Thai people.

I stayed on Khao San Road, not in the best hotel. Pictures online are quite deceiving. On arrival, I dumped my bag and went straight into the bars and partied all night. It was a glorious adventure. I met a girl and she came back for companionship, we did not sleep, and after one or two hours of her company, it was time for me to get on the flight to Koh Samui.

I struggled to get to the airport, and my new girlfriend was kind of interested in joining me, but I decided, why take sand to the beach? And off I went.

Koh Phangan And The Full Moon Party

The flight was good, but I was a foreigner who was very nervous of taking an internal flight with Thai Airways for the first time, not knowing safety standards, which I now know are fantastic. I arrived in Koh Samui about 700 a.m. and was completely worn out from my previous international flight and the previous evening’s night of partying in Bangkok.

My next step was to figure out how to get on the boat to Koh Phangan. It was a very confusing adventure, but I can’t express enough how kind the people were. I love the Thai culture.

Once I arrived at the island for, yes, you guessed it, the Full Moon Party, I was still too dehydrated to feel normal yet. I did do a quick walkabout to get familiar with the area. Phangan has a beautiful beach, almost a paradise on earth. I went back to my hotel room to take a quick nap, which actually took me well into the evening.

I decided I would not drink again until midnight because I saw how quickly it could become a problem. I am a very happy person after a few drinks and probably too friendly, so best to save that given the party would go on all night.

The Two Girls From The Boat

At about 800 p.m. that evening, I woke up fresh and went for some food. It is amazing how good the Thai food is and how low the cost was. I went for a walk after my meal to get my bearings. My hotel was very close to the beach. While walking about, I saw these two stunning girls from the boat. The less attractive one stopped me and said, “Hi, do you remember us? We were on the boat. My friend likes you”, meaning the better one of the two.

I smiled, and they said, “Would you like to come to our hotel room for drinks?” Well, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what I was going to reply. I was fully rested and the party hadn’t started yet. Of course, I wasn’t worried about all of the things you should be worried about, getting dragged, robbed, beaten up, though I’m a fit man under 40. This was my first night, so I was a bit overly concerned.

The girls made the drinks, and I made sure to wait for them to drink first. They did, and then I drank, and now I was feeling more comfortable. But let’s be clear they were not really bringing me back to drink. These girls were working, and their intention was to make money. I took what was on offer, and it was incredible.

It was now 1000 p.m., the perfect time to hit the beach. We left together and were planning to spend some time together after becoming so friendly. Since I was alone, I was happy to have some steady companionship. But as someone once told me, “You’re only alone in Thailand if you want to be alone.” I found this to be true for the rest of my trip.

Lost In The Full Moon Crowd

We went to the beach and tried to stay together, but the crowd was just too big. I was separated in a sea of people and lost my two new companions. I continued to enjoy myself with a few drinks on schedule at midnight and danced the night away. In a fit of total alcohol fueled energy, I found myself dancing with someone, and they found some place to try to make us discreet. It was now about 200 a.m.

I went on to party the night away, and as you can imagine, there were people passed out on the beach, families with children, UK, Aussie, Americans on their shoulders, enjoying the party. It was quite an all over the place event with good music and music I didn’t care for, but I had a great time.

As the night went into the day, I found myself at about 500 or 600 a.m. when the sun was rising, and my decision making ability had dwindled due to the buckets of alcohol. I may have had two, but that was plenty. You can try to pace yourself, but it is a battle of futility.

A Morning On Koh Phangan

I remember that I went back to my room. I woke up with a very bad hangover and focused my eyes on a very beautiful girl in my room. While I enjoyed the first hour of the day, the lady departed. I slept again and drank a lot of water between naps.

Later that day, I caught the boat for Koh Samui to get a night’s rest before I caught my flight back to Bangkok the next morning. Interestingly enough, the girl from the boat sent me a WhatsApp message and said she lives in Koh Samui. She came over to see me, and we spent some time together, but she didn’t want to stay overnight for whatever reason. Maybe I could have chosen a better hotel, poor planning on my part. And just two days into a three week trip, to my surprise, she worked in a bar. So my thoughts of pure love and adventure were in part true but mostly fantasy.

I think the girls understand that we are tourists, but the really nice guys who are not overly concerned with money will have a good time as long as they live true to the country’s nickname, the Land of Smiles.

Being A Person Of Color In Thailand

The next morning, I was again refreshed and on the flight back to Bangkok. I would definitely come back to the Full Moon Party.

My biggest concern when I got to Thailand was to see how people would treat me of the African race, even though I’m an American. To my pleasant surprise, the Thai people are extremely warm and welcoming, which stood in stark contrast to the treatment I suffer in America. I am now desperately seeking to get back to Thailand. Why wouldn’t I?

It is important for people of color to know that Thailand is welcoming. If you are a nice person with a warm smile, you need to have a little bit of money, but you don’t have to be rich. I definitely understand the girls and businesses have to feed and raise their children and families. Don’t be a cheap Charlie, but don’t be an idiot with your money. In Thailand, you’re a big shot only for as long as your money runs out.

I returned to Bangkok, and I felt that this was going to be one hell of a trip, if the first three days were any indication.

I went to several bars, and before long I was a regular known face on Khao San Road. After a day or two, I went out into the city and to other entertainment areas. I went to Patpong, which was not as good or as bad as I expected. I left after an hour, which is as long as you need to stay, but you need to go along and experience it.

I was so surprised that being an African American, the Thai people did not blink an eyelid. I could have been white, yellow, or even blue, everyone was just so friendly and accepting of me. This took me by surprise because even in America, people are not that friendly towards me. I don’t have a race complex, that’s just how I experience it. The Thai people, very warm and friendly. My feeling within me was exposed for the first time. I was truly 100% very, very happy.

The Soapy Massage Experience

I decided to visit one of the famous soapy massage parlors we Westerners only hear about. I went along to a large establishment not far from my hostel and was stuck in awe when I entered. They had about 50 girls all lined up, just like in the movie Rush Hour. I had never seen anything like it, it was literally overwhelming. I just couldn’t decide.

Finally, after a bit of indecision, I went with one of the higher class girls and one of the not so high class girls for a dual event. The massage was amazing, a great experience. I would really recommend a Thai soapy massage if you have never been to Thailand before, very relaxing, to say the least.

Both my soapy companions had a good attitude, and to be honest, that added to the enjoyment for me. I would rather spend time with a plain Jane who has a great attitude and who is a lot of fun than spend time with Miss Snooty Draws who does nothing but admire herself in mirrors.

I often hear that you should not say it’s your first time in Thailand, but I felt that I received a bit more service when I could play up to the fact that I was an African American man on my first trip to the Land of Smiles.

The Girl Who Took Me To Ayutthaya

That night, I went back to Khao San Road to hang out for a while. Later on that night, I met a mixed black white Australian girl who was out with her guy. I was happy, I just wanted to enjoy some company outside of my room. Her boyfriend (or whoever he was) left at midnight, and the girl stayed to talk with me until about one or two in the morning. We had both had a bit too much to drink, and she ended up coming back to my room. We had an exciting three hours together. In the moment, this seemed like a good idea, but once she left, I truly, truly regretted what had happened and felt immense guilt towards the boyfriend who had trusted me to accompany his girlfriend for a few more drinks, and I had taken advantage of that trust.

The next couple of nights were much of a blur. I spent most of the time again on Khao San Road. I met some Danish girls who were smoking hot, but I could not seem to make it happen. They thought they were average, but to me they were unbelievable.

It is true that Bangkok is very much like athletes describe football, which is to say, after about five days, the game slows down.

At that point, I decided to call up one of the girls from the soapy massage to see if she wanted to meet up. She did. She took me from Khao San Road to a discount tourist vendor, he was far cheaper than the one I had spoken to earlier. She told me to buy two tickets for both of us. At this point, I thought there was a hustle going on, but there wasn’t. I bought two tickets, and they told me to be ready the next morning at 600 a.m. for a trip to Ayutthaya.

Afterwards, she went back to work, leaving me on my own. She promised me that she would meet me at 600 a.m. the following morning.

Ayutthaya Trip Surprise

Let’s see. The morning came, and I stumbled to the pickup point, not expecting her or a ride to be there. To my surprise, they were waiting with a group. The Thai people are very noble people, so you should feel reasonably comfortable with them. Don’t be stupid, but more trust than here in the West.

This was a good tourist trip. I had to buy many things, about 80 US dollars, not too crazy. The girl with me negotiated prices and took pictures I would otherwise not have been able to take. I enjoyed the trip. Afterwards, she went to dinner with me and went on her way again, leaving me high and dry. Laugh out loud, but seriously, it was a very good cultural experience that I truly treasure to this day.

Soi Cowboy And Nana Plaza

Finally, I found the courage to go to Soi Cowboy. It was again sensory overload that hit me just when I thought I had this under control. I went from bar to bar and spent way too much money. I could not seem to get a bar fine in Soi Cowboy. In hindsight, I can see the bar tips coming into play, they don’t want you to leave, and they kind of don’t want you to take the girls. If you are spending money in the bar, they just want you to stay and buy drinks.

The next couple of nights, I went to Soi Cowboy and tried to at least find Nana Plaza. I didn’t get a good read on the location from anyone or the videos. But if I were to rank order these, I would go to Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, and then Khao San Road. Khao San Road is cool, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there more than one or two nights. If you meet a Thai girl, they usually don’t want to go to Khao San Road, and the ones you meet on Khao San Road take a bit more effort and time, too much for a vacation.

The Bartender Who Bought Me Drinks

On my last night before I went to Pattaya, I was in Soi Cowboy. I can’t remember the name of the bar, Penny Black or Country Road downstairs, but it’s on the right. Hard to explain. It was a bar that had a band on the inside, kind of a live music bar. I met this bartender, and I was just being nice. I felt that I had experienced all that Thailand had to offer, so I wasn’t hard pressed to do a whole lot more. This was about seven or ten days into the three week trip.

She was gorgeous and wanted to show me around the soi. By now, I had partied a good bit, seen the shows, and had a few soapy massages, so I was actually able to just focus on our time together and her pleasant company. I bought her drinks in the beginning, but I think she figured out my party trick, and then she flipped it and bought me drinks for the rest of the night. She wouldn’t let me spend any money.

Me and my Thai girl bartender had several drinks and danced the night away with my friends and some random others who came along with us, but I was just happy to be around people who wanted to be around me. I had not actually made a move on this Thai girl but was giving her all of the signs. In the end, we went back to my place, and then she and I had some street food. From there, well, you can guess the rest. She was amazing. I had planned to go back to find her, but there are probably wild ideas of seeing someone again after the current world situation.

Pattaya And The Haze Of Fantasy

This was my checkout day, so I got my things and found a cab to take me to Pattaya. I was worn out. I would be happy to pay the 60 US dollars and just ride and sleep and recover on the journey. The trip to Pattaya was surprisingly smooth and enjoyable. I recommend the 60 dollar taxi fare if it’s in your budget, quiet, and the driver dropped me at my hotel. I stayed at the Adelphi Lodge, which was very good and right across the road from the PP Massage Parlor.

I told the hotel staff I would be there for three days, thinking, “Why do I need to waste my time in Pattaya? I’m already killing it in Bangkok.” How little did I know.

The things I knew I wanted to do were in Soi 6, Walking Street, and Beach Road. I walked around and found the area to be okay, but in my mind I longed for Bangkok, probably too many memories of The Hangover movie. And after you’ve had a soapy massage in Bangkok, well, you just aren’t the same man.

As I walked around, the street food was amazing, and the catcalls to me were encouraging. A lot more ladyboys than I had anticipated, but I had a beer and a chat because I’m a chatty guy. I made it to Soi 6 in the daytime and received a lot of attention from the ladies. I was looking at a beautiful Thai girl in a bar as I passed. I wanted to take her to my hotel and spend one on one time with her, but she said, “Come back the next day.” As you can imagine, the next day in Pattaya is very unpredictable.

I went further up the soi and kept talking to the bar girls and having beers. I was starting to get into the swing of things and how Pattaya worked.

Walking Street And Club 808

I went into one bar on Soi 6 and asked a younger guy where should I go for a good time other than the girly bars. He said, “808.” I asked how do you get there, because I hadn’t discovered Grab taxis or bikes yet. Later that night, I got on a baht bus and arrived at Walking Street. Oh my god, I was blown away, even more than when I went to Soi Cowboy.

Trying to keep my bearings, I continued to walk up and down Walking Street until I got to 808. Then walked around a bit more to try and take it all in. I passed by Ibar and the Russian bars and some marina club. For me, when I got to 808, it was home. The music was amazing, the girls were everywhere, and you could join almost anyone for a drink. They were all good dancers, and you could just sit at the bar if you wanted to. Soon the place was packed, you could barely walk. The drinks were a bit more expensive here than I wanted to spend after finally getting accustomed to the prices on the soi, but what the heck, the quality in this place was worth it.

My friends told me that I overspent, but these were basically prices similar to the States. I can’t truly explain how much fun I had because at some point it became a blur.

Flex Club And Sunrise

I know that afterwards, at 808, I went to the club Flex with some girls. 808 closed or got slow at about 200 a.m., and Flex is a late night hot spot. I highly recommend it, it’s like a nightclub with pool tables and a lot of female company if desired, a lot of room to move around inside. I stayed there with three girls, dancing and drinking until the sun came up. Then me and another girl got on the back of a motorbike and off to watch the sun come up, fantastic.

I had this crazy thing about trying to eat or grab some breakfast before I went upstairs. While I was in Pattaya, I highly recommend this, as otherwise you may just drink and party all night.

I arrived back at my hotel, took a shower, and fell into the deepest, peaceful sleep I’ve ever experienced. In fact, I slept nearly through the next day. I remember waking and wondering, “What day is it? How long have I been out? Maybe I’ve slept away the remainder of my holiday and missed my flight back to the States.”

Lost In Pattaya Fantasy

Each day just went like this with very little change for the next 10 days. And yes, I went down to the clerk at the desk six times to say, “I need another night.” They were so accommodating. Different friends every evening and a blur of what was happening the night before.

On my second to last night in Thailand, I found myself still in Pattaya. I can see how you just get lost in this haze of everything that is fantasy and just not real anywhere else in the world. Had I died and gone to heaven?

I forgot to mention, I bumped into the Australian girl from Bangkok in Club 808. She had broken up with her boyfriend and begun dating a bar girl in Pattaya. Not surprisingly, the bar girl she was dating was one of the bar girls I took home during the week. Small world, but I’m glad she had fun. I only wish I could have had the pleasure to spend time with both of them together. The Australian girl and I had our awkward conversation because we had been chatting on WhatsApp, but ultimately decided we would be okay to hang out with each other and sneak off with each other while we were in Thailand. She was beautiful, but we didn’t quite find any time to get together.

Back To Bangkok For The Final Night

So I spent another 60 dollars to get back to Bangkok and stayed near Nana Plaza at the Salil Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 8. This was a very good hotel. By this time, I was completely shattered from my trip. I just wanted to spend time with someone nice to enjoy a good steak. I also wanted to take a look at Nana Plaza properly this time, as I hadn’t the last time I was in Bangkok.

After checking in with just one more night to go, I packed up my things for the next day to leave Bangkok at 1000 p.m. the following evening. The short time that I had spent in Thailand had demonstrated that I should be prepared for my day to evaporate at a moment’s notice.

I started out having a great meal across from my hotel alone, which was the peace and quiet I needed. Later, I began my walk towards Nana Plaza. After Pattaya, I was longing for good music similar to Club 808. I had heard a song along the way that I missed and was stuck in my head, coming from a bar. I said to myself, “What the heck, just one beer, right?”

The Girl From Sisaket

I walked into this bar. There were three girls in the bar, and not a lot was going on. I listened to my song and was then joined by some female company. She sat with me, and we both liked talking to each other. I would later find out that she is from Sisaket in Isan. She spoke with English, so I guess she’d been working in the bars for some considerable time. She was very timid to talk to me but very kind, but I could tell she was very interested in me.

I bought her a drink, and I later found out she really wanted to hang out with me. I asked her how it works in this bar. She explained the bar fine process, it was somewhere in the range of 10 or 15 US dollars, nothing really, to be able to take her out of the bar to spend time with her away from the bar. I told her if I go, I want to go to a nightclub, and I wanted her for company. I explained that she and I didn’t need to do anything more other than to keep me company, which brought a huge smile to her face.

As you can imagine, we went back to my hotel so I could drop off some things and get some extra cash. I told her she could leave anything she had on her that she didn’t want to take in my room.

We took a quick walk through Nana, and I am sad that I had not planned more time around Nana before visiting, it looked great. We drove by the temples as planned, and finally we went to a club within walking distance from the hotel. It was expensive, like twenty dollars per person for entry. The drinks were not much cheaper, in fact more expensive than Pattaya, and by a lot. I must have spent 100 US dollars or so in there. We were getting pretty smashed. I wasn’t feeling it, and I explained to my new companion that I wanted to leave.

VIP Table Surprise

On our way, I passed by another club which I heard much better music, and it gave me a better vibe. I like to be a VIP when I go into a club, and I wanted the girl to have a good time, so we walked in, had a few drinks. But before I had time to grab a table, someone came up to me and explained that they had a VIP table near the dance floor for me. It was a guy who just wanted to share the drinks. I offered to pay my share, but he just wanted company, I know the feeling. Me and my bar girl went to his VIP table to hang out and enjoy the bottle of vodka he provided. I guess he just wanted some normal company. I couldn’t make this up if I tried, but the Australian girl happened to be on the dance floor. I couldn’t believe it. I went over and danced with her and bought her a drink, then rejoined my new girlfriend.

The night went on with my small group dancing and drinking until the club closed, and we finished off the bottle of vodka.

My girlfriend wanted to come back to my hotel to rest, so we went back together and fell asleep, exhausted. We slept until about 1000 a.m. the next morning and then just hung out until 700 p.m.

The Goodbye

I left the hotel and got a cab to the airport. I gave the girl all of my leftover baht, which probably added up to around 200 US dollars. Big deal, no problem. She was extremely sad (or at least appeared to be) when I left. We both said our goodbyes and parted company, a little tearful.

I left Thailand with a heavy heart but good memories. Thailand makes you feel special. For those few weeks in Thailand, I was like a rock star, everyone wanted to be my friend. It was now time to fly back to reality and back to a world whereupon I was just an ordinary person, no more special than anyone else I might pass on the street.

Upon arriving back in the States, I was changed forever. This was in 2018, and I still get messages from my bar girl. I plan to go back, but this awful situation around the world has put the brakes on that.

The only other eventful thing to happen is that last year, a friend went to Bangkok, and I sent her to visit my bar girl. I sent her a hundred dollars as a gift.

Thailand Stays With Him

As a black man, Thailand was good to me. I would love to live there and retire, because the people are the most genuine, easy going people one could ever meet.

One night in Pattaya, it was raining. I needed to go to the 7 Eleven. A beautiful girl stopped me from going out into the rain and walked me to the store and back under her umbrella before going on her own way. In America, this would never happen. How I long for the company of those wonderful Thai people and the Land of Smiles.

Can I see myself retiring in Thailand one day? I will leave the answer to that question open.