thailien

Thanks, Mr Spanky, This evening I managed to get my Spanky's card, as you promised. I would like to compliment your cashier, whose ability to write in English is better than my efforts to write in Thai. She was helpful, and gave me the card without much hassle. However, the waitress with glasses was a little problem for me. From the moment when I sat down and ordered a Leo beer, for which I paid full price, I was always feeling unwelcome pressure from her. She wanted me to buy a drink for a fully-clothed hello girl who led me inside to my seat, and who I had a hard time shaking off, as I was not attracted to her, and wanted to check out the un-clothed dancers. The two most attractive un-clothed dancers had their bare breasts in the faces of two of the few other customers in the bar. They were definitely having fun. I was not, tho some unattractive dancers hit me with the Spanky sticks to get my attention. OK, never mind... This waitress shook my beer twice within ten minutes, as I was enjoying the dancers on stage. Once is OK, but twice is once too many. So I paid the check and proceeded to get the expat card from your excellent cashier, who wrote her explanation of the card's policy in good English. Thanks to her, I understand that on my next visit to Spanky's, only my drinks will be discounted, which is all that I could expect. I will return. Please give your cashier a raise. She is worth it.

MM, Conversing in Thai is maybe not the same as writing in Thai. Talking is easier than writing, and my odd way of dealing with hearing problems in loud music environments tends to discourage illiterate girls, lazy girls, and non-Thai girls. It's also a good way of dealing with girls that I want to go away and stop bothering me. Marc, Thanks again for your kind replies. I didn't lose face with the girl who stiffed me, as we farangs aren't nearly as worried about loss of face as the Thais are, as of course you know. My fear is that I caused her to lose face during my second visit to Spanky's, when I pointedly ignored her, despite her obvious attempts to get my attention. I was still a bit miffed by her stiffing me two weeks before, and (stupidly) wanted to get back at her. Again, my mistake, which I regret. I have tried to write in English with some bar girls, but this usually doesn't get far, and is not nearly as interesting to me as trying to communicate in written Thai, which I have real interest in learning. Practice sure helps. I normally do try to help them understand that I don't hear well, either by sign language, or by starting my writing efforts with ขอโทษ ผมไม่ได้ยิน which means "I'm sorry, I cannot hear". So I try to let them know why I am doing this very strange Thai writing thing. BTW, I did not do any of this with the lovely girl who stiffed me. I was so hot for her body that I tried to do it the old-fashioned way, by talking, touching and smiling. Oh well.... The other customer was much younger than me. Cultural differences can be difficult and sometimes dangerous. You are a warrior on the front lines in this conflict. I am just an old retired veteran, who can't be bothered with most of it any more. Still, I've always enjoyed spending time in gogo bars in several countries, and hope to continue doing so for some years yet. I will be back in Spanky's again for sure, tho probably in Nana, on my next trip to Bangkok, before Soi Diamond. I wish you every success, and appreciate your interest.

Marc, Jacko and Gabor, Thanks to all of you for your feedback on this thread. Marc, I really appreciate your sincere efforts to run a farang-friendly go-go bar in this face-conscious nation. I would not want to be doing what you are doing; I hope you somehow continue to succeed in your commendable efforts. Still, I will give Spanky's a miss for at least a couple months, hoping that the loss of face that I caused the lovely dancer (who had previously stiffed me) will fade from the elephantine memories of the Thai staff. For sure, I will not ask for a free drink, tho I thank you for your kind offer. Jacko, I tried to give an honest account of what happened, to the best of my recollection. I have refused to pay for LDs that I have been stiffed on in past years in Bangkok, and have emerged unscathed. But this was many years ago. I would probably not be so bold again, these days, after reading about bar staff assaults on recalcitrant customers. But in this case, I did pay for her LD, even tho it sat there, unfinished, staring at me, as she sat over there, staring at me from under the other customer's loving arm. Gabor, I enjoy your writing style, and I congratulate you for writing so prolifically in a language that is not your own. Please keep on posting. You are already a legend. I fear that you may be correct that the Thai staff did not appreciate my trying to impress them with my knowledge of their written language. I don't understand why, but I have found considerable negative reaction to my efforts to communicate by writing with bar girls in their own language. For me, it could be great practice in learning Thai, and I have enjoyed writing sessions with a few literate girls, with little or no speaking between us. My hearing problems, combined with the ever-present loud "music" makes hearing almost impossible for me in the bars. I'm happy to buy LDs for any girl who is willing to write with me, esp. if I can read her handwriting (usually a problem). There have been a few, tho sadly few and far between, who have been pleasant and helpful in my efforts to practice Thai writing. Many more seem puzzled, put off, or displeased by my unfamiliar efforts to communicate with them by writing in Thai. Do they really fear that I might "know too mutt"?

jacko, thanks for your feedback. A day later, now that I've had a chance to think about what (didn't) happen, I have an idea as to why. The waitress last evening jabbed her finger at my face, right away when I sat down, and then pointed it at her head a couple of times; I think she was trying to sign that she remembered my face, and not in a good way. About two months ago I bought a LD for a very attractive dancer in Spanky's, and was definitely ready to barfine her --- until, after being with me for a couple minutes, she went to sit with another customer. The drink I'd bought her was unfinished. In fairness to her, the other customer was probably a known contributor to her monthly income, and was about to do so again. She did seem to smile apologetically at me, from under his arm, as I paid for her quickie drink and left the bar, frustrated. About two weeks later, I came back into Spanky's and she was there dancing. She even hit me a couple of times to get my attention, but sadly I was not in the mood, and ignored her. My mistake, and I do regret this. This may have upset her, and was witnessed by all the staff there. Could this have been enough for me to become persona non grata in Spanky's?

"Posted 03 April 2013 - 04:07 AM As of yesterday Spankys now has a VIP card for x pats.. Anyone who lives in Pattaya who has some way to show us an ID anything gets this card ....." I had an "interesting" experience in Spanky's this evening, trying to get one of these VIP cards for expats. I'm an old guy who has lost most of my hearing. To try and protect what's left, I always wear earplugs when I go into any gogo bar. I've been an expat in Bangkok for many years, now living in Pattaya on an Education visa for nearly a year. I've been in Spanky's Bangkok several times, and in Spanky's Pattaya a couple times, mostly good experiences. So I was hoping to get a VIP card. This evening when I came in and sat down, earplugs in, I signed my request to see a drinks menu. This was produced, but was an odd plastic card, badly smudged, and partly unreadable. This is not good. Before ordering, I showed my rent receipt for my apartment in Pattaya, thinking this would be enough evidence that I am an expat living here. On the back of this receipt I wrote "Can I have a discount card?" and "มีบัตรลดราคาไหม" I hoped to show that by writing in Thai the rough equivalent of what I had written in English, that I was indeed an expat, who had enough interest in Thailand to learn some Thai. This did not get a favorable response from the waitress, who called over a Thai guy, a manager I guess. He looked at my rent receipt with my name on it, and demanded more identification. I showed him my ID card from Pattaya International Hospital. He dismissed this out of hand--not satisfactory. So I next showed him my California driver license, a photo ID. He took this outside the bar for a couple minutes, returning it to me as again not satisfactory. Then he wrote "คุณมีบัตรไทยการ์ด" which means "You have a Thai ID card". At this point I could sense this was going tits-up, and would not end well. I tried to mollify him by pointing at the part of the menu that was readable and tried ordering a Leo beer (120 baht). Then I wrote in response "ผมฝรั่ง !!" "I am a farang !!" This did not go over well, and the beer that I'd tried to order did not come. I was left alone for a while to think about what I had done wrong. I thought that maybe the guy wanted to see my passport. I do carry a laminated color copy of it; so I wrote "คุณอยากดู Passport ไหม ?" "Do you want to see my Passport?" I couldn't remember how to write Passport in Thai. This caused a short powwow of the Thai guy and the waitress. She came to me first, and motioned me to leave the bar, then she wrote "ไม่มีบัตร ทำไม่ได้" meaning "We don't have this card and cannot give it to you" or "Fuck off and get out of here now"; I'm not sure which interpretation is correct, but I think the latter may be closer to the truth. I can read Thais' body language, and I know by now when I have pissed them off. So I have to wonder why. Can anyone (Mr. Marc?) help me understand what I did wrong?

Happy BirthDay, LVP, I just discovered your Hunter S. Thompson-ish writings this evening, and am impressed. I never got to meet the King of Fear and Loathing, but would like to meet you. I am only two months older than you, and can assure that the problem of long nose hairs can be conquered, even at our semi-advanced age. All the other problems may be too much for us. But with the bar you have created, even old guys can feel young again. Thanks very much for your writing, your photos, and the anticipation I feel now. I will be in your bar before this month is out, and will try to imbibe at your glorious fountain of youth. More power to you sir!

IMHO, this is the best idea on this thread. It is far cheaper to buy two tickets on the Ekamai bus to or from Pattaya than it is to take a taxi--safer too. The posters who have met bargirls in the seat next to them on the trip are luckier than me. When I used to buy only one seat, I was usually stuck in the back of the bus, where the ticket seller at Ekamai loves to stick farangs, and seated next to a fat German or a Thai guy. Very uncomfortable, no place to put luggage, and not much reason for conversation. The aircon on one of the older buses is often pretty weak, especially if you are stuck in an aisle seat. The last couple of trips between Bkk. and Pattaya, I have been much happier buying two tickets, getting a guaranteed window seat, and a place to put my bags, safe and dry next to me. Total cost: 20 baht on BTS Skytrain from hotel to Ekamai station. 117x2= 234 baht for the two bus tickets, then 20 baht for the baht bus ride from Pattaya bus terminal to beachfront hotel. Total cost 274 baht. Total time about 3 hours. I've taken a taxi 3 times, and only one was a pleasant ride. One driver from Pattaya got lost in Bkk.; another from Bkk. drove llike shit and couldn't find the way to get on the elevated highway to Pattaya, tho I told him repeatedly, in Thai, that I wanted to go that way. He ended up passing cement trucks on the left side by driving on the shoulder of the jammed road. That was an awful trip, and took a very long time. When you buy your two tickets for the bus at Ekamai station, just be careful that they are for adjacent seats. Once, in the true Thai spirit of trying to screw farangs, the Ekamai ticket seller tried to sell me tickets for seats that were across the aisle from each other; ie. seats 32 and 33. I've been in Thailand long enough to know that they love to pull shit like that, so I demanded adjacent seats; ie. seats 1 and 2, or 3 and 4..... Be sure the lower numbered seat is an odd number, so you can sit next to your bags. One poster's comment about checking out the chicks waiting to get on the bus, in hopes of chatting one up during the trip, is lovely, except that all seats are assigned, so you may well end up sitting far away from her lovely body for the entire trip. Sorry about that....

Yes, the Pattaya women's tennis tournament is now much better than in years past whey it was held in April (hot season). Second week of Feb. is ideal, and Dusit Resort is an absolutely beautiful place to watch tennis. Sit in the grandstand (covered from the sun this year) and you can watch great tennis for a couple hundred baht. When sunset time comes, your view over the water is perfect. There is nowhere I'd rather be than there at that time. The tennis is great (I'm a longtime tennis fan), the water and sunset is lovely, the temperature is perfect, and after the tennis is finished for the day around 9 pm., the other joys of Pattaya await. Tennis and sex heavens await, and I'm really, really looking forward to it all. Pattaya just gets better and better!!