This is an account of my trip to Thailand, I got the idea from Ryan who did a blog when he went to St. Petersburg over Thanksgiving last year, now it is my turn, a small delay in the form of protests makes this blog much less epic, forcing the name from a sweet "Thanksgiving in Thailand" to "Mid-December in Thailand"
Fri
Dec
19
Just got back to the hotel about an hour and half ago. Nothing like 14 hour work days, but at least I was getting paid for it. I am flying home tomorrow night and I cannot wait. Not that Thailand hasn’t been great but Christmas is next week and I have got to get a fill of 24 hour “A Christmas Story” or the holiday isn’t complete. Thailand has been kind of lame the last couple of days since work has been taking up a lot of time and I am too damn tired to go out afterwards. A couple of things though…I saw a billboard when we were driving to work one day that was advertising for a company called Hemeraj, its tagline was “Detroit of the East” which begs the questions, are there no jobs and a high crime rate in Thailand too? Also, we saw a dead guy from a motorbike accident the other day. We were stuck in traffic and at the end of it they were tying up a plastic bag with what we assumed was just one body but there was blood all over the road. This was followed by a chemical leak at the plant, a very interesting way to start off the day. Other than that I can’t think of all that much that has been going on. Hope to see you all soon……..
Mon
Dec
15
Creepy Old Man Syndrome will hereforth be referred to as COMS and that is all Thailand is. A bunch of creepy old men being serviced by young Thai women. Not necessarily sexually serviced(although there is a lot of that) but paying attention to them and back rubs and ugh…it creeps me out. I sat there tonight playing pool with one of the bar girls as a guy got a massage and he looked like a million bucks. Falling asleep because apparently 4 beers does him in. (N&N you know all about this). Needless to say that is all Thailand is…Brits and Aussies and some Americans living the life because they can afford a Thai girl for <30 bucks a night. To each his own but….I don’t know. On the up side alcohol is cheap. Got 44 ounces of Heineken for 120Baht…which is about $3.40…try to do that in the states…I dare you. The whole reason I am here is work and it sucks 10-11 hour days in a hot dusty plant. But I won’t bore you with that aspect of the trip. I got to watch some NFL live this morning…at 6:30am as I was getting ready for work. Unfortunately it was Pats-Raiders…the satellite that is stationed in Europe couldn’t pick a better game than that? Anyway…I think that is all for now, I am going to finish my Heineken and sleep. Yep…drinking in my room by myself……kind of lame.
Sat
Dec
13
Welp, just got to Thailand a little while ago. First thoughts, Thailand has a very beautiful landscape for as poor as all their people are. Grassland and coconut trees everywhere. If anyone ever has a chance to take Thai airways…do it. The seats were super comfortable, 3 meals with wine. After the meals they came through the cabin with Courvoisier, I felt like I was in a bad rap video. In a “luxury jet” sipping on Courvoisier. Thailand itself has been pretty solid so far. The exchange rate is 35Baht to the dollar. For a comparison, a 1 litre coke was 30 baht. Went and got lunch with the guy I am traveling with at a dutch restaurant. I guess they are catering to the European population but I feel they should have Thai food. Then onto the interesting part…the bar. I was told everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Same idea here I guess. The bar had a light beer similar to a Miller or Bud or Coors for 50 baht. At the bar they have bar girls working, these bar girls are prostitutes. Of course they are prostitutes…this is Thailand. They were all mid 50’s with 4 teeth…why is it that all hookers have 4 teeth. I guess when you are doing the services, teeth just get in the way. They have “Thai massages” for like 1500 baht which I am pretty sure includes a happy ending (Joe…this may be a perfect place for you), you could play yourself off as a Saudi prince. I was asked three times where my hotel was and of course I didn’t answer. It is one thing getting an STD from the states but this could be like the monkey from outbreak (that is a chasing amy reference and not a knock at Thai people…well i guess it is offhandedly). Anyway, a little downtime with internet in my room which is kind of nice. Another update later. Miss everyone.
Wed
Dec
10
Funny thing about that line from Field of Dreams, he wasn’t talking about a baseball field in the middle of a corn field, he was talking about an airport in Thailand, and that is exactly what they did. They came, in droves, to protest against the corrupt prime minister; who knew anything political could be accomplished without a war. Anywho, it worked out for the best, now instead of spending Thanksgiving in Thailand, I can spend a much less important random week in December in Thailand. I fly out tomorrow at 3:55pm to LAX and then on to Bangkok (sweet 18 hour flight). I figure if I fly to Cozumel before hand, go on the scuba diving tour, get super drunk and go on the plane, I can pass a solid 16 hours just like that, it worked before, not the plane part but the getting super drunk and passing out part. I will be updating on my travels so be ready…
Wed
Nov
26
Off to a smashing good start as they say across the pond. Emily was about to drop me off for my flight to Frankfurt when I saw I had a voicemail, it was from someone with Lufthansa saying due to the “strike” in Bangkok, the flight would not operate. Everyone knows that the “strike” is corporate talk for the large scale rioting that is happening in Bangkok but I guess they can’t say that. I called the travel agent who rescheduled everything for me and then called me back and said Lufthansa informed her that the flight was NOT cancelled but being diverted. At this point is was 445pm and there is no way I was making a 605 flight. Needless to say my flight was supposed to take off at 605pm tonight and will not be taking off until 605 tomorrow night. Still no football, or family, or turkey but I guess that was going to happen anyway. Enough rambling for now, take two, T-minus 23 hours. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy the tryptophany goodness. For Andy’s sake…can the Lions please win one, something has to go right sooner or later for Detroit.
Tue
Nov
25
This is going to be my account of Thanksgiving in Thailand. No turkey, no football, no family, so we are gonna make the best of it.
Fri
Nov
14
“ We’re not outcasts…….we’re trendsetters.
Ryan & Jared, circa 2003
