A Young Soldiers First Time In Bangkok
Hi, I know you share fairly recent modern stories, but I would like to share my old story with you.
This story goes way back to when I was in my prime, a young guy with a big outlook on life that found himself in a war zone in VietTipm
I was only young, but still just finished my first year in the war zone, and as I had chose to stay longer, I was allowed to take more breaks.
Every time I got a break, I would go on a short vacation in a neighbouring country, mainly Singapore.
But after hearing a lot of wild stories from fellow soldiers about Thailand, I think it was time to me experience a bit of that.
Leaving The Vietnam War To Vacation In Thailand
On my next break, I headed to Danang by helicopter and jumped on a chartered flight heading for the land of smiles.
As I was a soldier, I had to have a briefing once I landed in Bangkok Airport.
In this briefing with our Non Commissioned US Officer, we were advised on the safety of the country, and the rules and laws that we should be following.
I learnt fairly quick that we must always show respect for the King or any Thai royalty for that matter, back then, we even needed to stand in theatres or public places once the Thai national anthem would play.
We also learnt about the bringing our Poms together and bowing head to show respect or greetings to older people or officials, just general rules of the country really.
Basically we was just being told to behave ourselves, keep safe and respect the laws of the land.
Back then, there was a huge surge in something called Black Syphilis, so we was warned to always wear protection and not to get silly when it comes to sleeping around.
Learning The Dangers Of Thailand Diseases
If you was unfortunate enough to catch that, you would be placed in quarantine in the Philippines until there was a cure found, so always wrapping it up was a must.
Payment for the entire duration of your stay should be settled in advance without any exceptions.
Information sheets will be handed out for you to pick your accommodation, and once you’ve collected your Rest and Recuperation (R&R) orders, you’ll be free to get on the bus. If at any time you’re unhappy or want a change the hotel or area, the Thai providers will accommodate your request.
Lastly, make sure not to run out of money. But if you do find yourself in that situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to the R&R team. They can provide a small advance to help you cover your meals.
I can still recall that briefing vividly, even after five decades.
While I’m quite certain the warning about black syphilis was likely overstated, I must admit I was only half-engaged.
My attention had been taken over by a vision of beautiful women in a traditional Thai attire near the exit.
Falling In Love With Every Thai Girl I Saw
I might have even fallen in love for a few seconds – as the young lady at the door performed the Thai bow as I left to catch the bus heading to the hotel of my choice, the Thai International.
As soon as I arrived, I settled the hotel bill, went upstairs to freshen up, changed into casual clothes, and headed downstairs to arrange for a taxi.
The hotel staff explained that I could book chauffeur-driven taxis for a reasonable fee. These drivers were independent contractors who not only provided transportation but also helped in finding entertainment options.
They were available around the clock, and when booking their services, we were expected to pay both for the taxi and the entertainment upfront.
If any changes were desired, the driver would take you back for alterations or a refund – the choice was yours.
I was eager to get into the taxi and without delay, we were on our way to a place called the Pretty Massage Parlor.
The moment I walked in, a middle-aged Thai lady guided me into a room.
She drew aside the velvet curtains, showing a two-way mirror, and pointed out numbers pinned on the clothes of around 30 to 40 young girls who were sitting behind the glass.
They were busy with hair styling, applying makeup, and sharing laughs.
I was just about 20 years old, and I could swear that every one of them was younger than me. Their beauty left me in a little daze.
Deciding Which Girl To Take With Me
The Thai lady suggested I take my time to make a choice and explained that the cost of the taxi and entertainment would be $20 a day, with guaranteed satisfaction.
After careful consideration, I picked number 97, who I later found out was named Pom.
I made my way upstairs for the much-anticipated massage – a very foamy and entertaining experience, however, it fell short of being a truly satisfying experience.
Number 97, my chosen girl, explained that certain activities were not allowed on the premises.
Yet, she reassured me that additional entertainment could be enjoyed in the privacy of the hotel rooms.
We returned downstairs, where I quickly settled the payment as outlined in the briefing. This covered the entertainer, the taxi, the driver, and my massage.
With a grin, my taxi driver – whose name I can’t remember now – took us back to the Thai International.
By this point, Pom, the girl I took from the massage parlour, had introduced herself and mentioned she was feeling hungry.
I realised that I hadn’t eaten either, and there was little time so We headed straight to my room.
Taking A Thai Girl Straight To My Hotel Room
Once inside, I handed her the hotel menu and told her she can order room service for both of us.
After ordering room service she went for a shower to freshen herself up.
Shortly after, she came out the shower, wrapped in a towel, it was a truly jaw dropping moment for me.
Just then, our dinner from room service arrived, and we dove into some delicious yet very spicy Thai food.
After the food, we turned our attention to each other and had some adult fun.
At some point, I received a call from my driver, checking if we had plans for the night.
Our answer was that we planned on staying in the room all night, and he was told to meet us after lunch the next day.
We ordered room service a couple more times before eventually making our way downstairs to meet with the taxi driver the following afternoon.
The following week felt like pure bliss.
Am I In A Relationship With This Thai Massage Girl?
Pom took me on lots of different adventures – we watched a Thai movie with English subtitles, attended a Thai boxing match, and explored a number of temples that Thailand has to offer, an emerald Buddha, and a huge reclining Buddha.
With each passing night, my interest and feelings for Pom got stronger.
One of the most satisfying things she did was to playfully speak at me in Thai, a phrase that translated to “sweetheart, are you ready yet?”
Well, perhaps it was more lust than love, but at my young age, I couldn’t notice the difference.
Though I had a few experiences back in high school and during my time in Vietnam and Singapore, I had never imagined it could be as great as Pom made it feel.
Upon my return to Danang, I wasted no time inquiring with my Marine supervisor about when I could go to Thailand again.
His response was casual – he didn’t mind at all. As often as the Army would foot the bill, I was welcome to make the trip.
Three months later, I found myself on another U.S. Rest and Recuperation (R&R) charter flight bound for Thailand.
Heading Back To Thailand For The Second Time
I went through the same familiar dusty terminal, heard the same routine safety briefing, yet my attention was on a different charming Thai woman performing the traditional bow at the exit.
It’s possible that the briefing had stuck with me because I had listened to it multiple times over the span of two years.
As before, I quickly exited the terminal to catch the bus back to the Thai international hotel.
Now, being a seasoned traveler, I arranged for the same taxi driver as before.
Once I got to my room, I changed into civilian clothes without bothering with a shower having prior knowledge of soapy massages, I decided to skip that part.
I was out the door, into the taxi, and racing back to the Pretty Massage Parlor at speed.
Upon arriving, I approached the same middle-aged Thai lady and asked about Pom.
She informed me that Pom had returned to her province to take care of her sick mother.
However, she assured me that another one of the young ladies would be more than willing to take Pom’s place.
Trying To Replace My First Thai Girl
The velvet curtain slid aside again once more, revealing a lot of beauties for me to choose from.
It was disappointing not being able to see Pom there but, I looked at the selection until I noticed number 82.
It wasn’t too long before 82 and I were soon making our way back to the Thai International Hotel.
This time, I decided to skip the somewhat underwhelming soapy massage. Nevertheless, I still needed to pay for it – just part of the procedure, I suppose, a sort of adjusted bar fine, you could say.
I soon discovered that the girl’s name was Jin.
Though not as good as Pom, she did have some good skills.
During this visit, Thai boxing was on the agenda once again, and I revisited the temple tour.
On my third morning there, a tapping was heard at the door of my hotel room.
Jin and I were in the middle of an intimate moment, and I tried to ignore the sound and continue.
Yet, the tapping got louder, which lead into continuous knocking.
With frustration building, I had to stop what we was doing, leapt out of bed, and flung the door open to confront the person who seemed to not take notice of being ignored.
To my complete shock, it was Pom standing there which Caught off guard, I was unsure of how to react, but Pom took control of the situation.
My First Girl Has Come Back To Find Me
She entered the room, picked up the phone, and ordered breakfast along with coffee and tea for the three of us.
In that moment, I felt as if I had been caught cheating on a girlfriend, even though the circumstances were far more complex than they appeared.
The girls, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease.
They chatted friendly in Thai, exchanged giggles, and occasionally gave me the side eye.
As I was somewhat half naked, I got changed and room service arrived, we all enjoyed breakfast together.
After the meal, a brief awkward silence hung in the air, making it clear that a decision was expected from me.
It then hit me like a lightning bolt: why choose between the two when both were such beauties and a lot of fun to be with? The notion that they could entertain me at the same time had never crossed my mind before, not even in my wildest fantasies.
Moreover, I had plenty of cash stored in the hotel safe.
I built up the courage to ask the girls if they’d be open to staying, and their immediate agreement was followed by bursts of laughter.
Pom informed me that I’d need to reimburse the massage parlor for her time and, of course, settle the payment for the massage itself.
Spending Time With 2 Thai Girls At The Same Time
Without even thinking about it, I nodded and said of course.
I slipped into street clothes, made my way to the hotel desk, withdrew the necessary cash, and handed it over to the waiting taxi driver – funds intended for the massage parlor.
Then, I placed a call to my room, handing the phone to the driver. He explained the situation to the girls, assuring them that he was en route to take care of my bill.
With the essential business sorted, I asked the driver to return around two o’clock in the afternoon.
We had plans to head out for drinks, grab a bite to eat, and possibly hit a club for some fun.
In a flash, I was back up in the room. The girls had taken showers and asked me to do the same.
After freshening up, things started becoming very pleasantly fun, making for a day full of enjoyable experiences, particularly for me.
At two o’clock, the driver rang the room, but I had dozed off.
Dating Two Thai Girls
Eventually waking up around three, we quickly got ready and set out together. Everyone was feeling hungry, so our first stop was to grab some Thai food. I was feeling so great that I even asked the driver to join us for dinner.
Later on, we ventured out for drinks, and the girls had a blast dancing, especially with each other.
While I wasn’t directly part of their fun, I really enjoyed watching them. It was far more exciting than sitting through a Thai movie with English subtitles or visiting more Buddha statues.
Although I was quite young Returning to Thailand had been driven by what I believed was love, or perhaps it could have been.
However, I began to see the situation more clearly. The woman who had developed feelings for was, in fact just working, and I was a customer, Something I am glad I came to understand at a young age rather than being older and blinded by love
It became painfully evident that she was entertaining another man when I was away, likely another young GI.
Her claim of looking after her sick mother, as told by the massage parlour, could have simply been a cover up story.
Realising It Is All Business For Them And No Feelings
I started to understand that it was a business arrangement for both Pom and I. My Westernized mindset had resisted this reality, but it was time to face the truth.
Nevertheless, I hold a deep gratitude toward those two Thai girls for the unique experience and lessons they showed me.
In their own way, they showed kindness and affection to a soldier in loneliness during wartime.
They was beautiful, not just on the outside but also on the inside.
Remarkably distinct from the bar girls that you meet in Pattaya today, these girls from the 1960s embraced their transactional life without the same level of manipulation or deceit.
While they might have resorted to minor white lies to make ends meet, their hearts were genuinely in the right place.
I had a Polaroid picture of the three of us, a cherished memory that I took when leaving the hotel to return to Vietnam.
Unfortunately, I lost it in a hotel room during a visit to Cambodia in 2007.
The girls had shared laughter over that picture. It had been a prized possession, something I’d managed to hold onto for nearly four decades.
Though the photograph was gone, the memory of a young GI alongside two carefree Thai girls remains deeply cherished.
Thanks
