Spontaneously to Pattaya
Once in my young wild years, I was still in the Navy, the weekend at home in Almelo was mainly intended for going out with a few friends and drinking (a lot of) beer. Well, walking, it was the café 't Botervat or that other pub, the Ossenkop, there wasn't much more suitable.
With a constant glass of beer in hand, we chatter about anything and everything (“schroem'n dreh'n” in Twente) and it sometimes happened that we spontaneously decided to go to Amsterdam. Quite a ride, because the A1 wasn't there yet, but who cares, nice steps especially around the Walletjes and early in the morning with a big hangover back to Almelo.
Drink a pint
I was thinking about that today when I read the story of two Englishmen in their thirties who spontaneously traveled to Pattaya from their village of Thunthorpe near Middlesbrough. It went like this: Philip, a man with his own business, and Jamie, who works in the offshore industry, grab a few pints at their local pub and head to Philip's house after hours. On the way at a gas station, some beer is bought to get rid of it together. That went well, it was fun.
Idea
At about eleven o'clock the next morning, they wake up in their chairs with a serious hangover. Jamie then asks Philip if he has his passport at hand because he comes up with an idea to go directly to Pattaya in Thailand. Philip thinks Jamie is joking but Jamie reminds Philip that some of their friends are already there for a holiday. It would be nice to surprise them and then go out together in Pattaya. Well, Philip thinks, why not?
Traveling
So a taxi was ordered to take the couple to Manchester Airport. Quickly put some T-shirts and boxers in a plastic bag, stopped by Jamie's house to pick up his passport and off they went. On the way, Philip got a little short of breath because they had never been to Thailand before, had no tickets and did not even know if a plane would go that way in the short term. Jamie reassured Philip that it would all work out, as he had pulled this kind of prank before.
Pattaya
And it went well too. That same evening, they took a 7-hour flight to Abu Dhabi and then another 7-hour flight to Bangkok. About 24 hours after the crazy idea came up, Philip and Jamie were with their friends at the pool of a hotel in Pattaya. See photo with Philip on the far left and Jamie next to him. There will no doubt be beer flowing again for just a few days, as both Jamie and Philip were only able to leave for a few days and so have to return soon.
Finally
I thought it was a wonderful story. Grab a beer and then spontaneously fly over 10000 kilometers to drink some more beer with friends. No preparation, no searching for a cheap ticket, no reservation in advance, just go! Quite different from the 176 kilometers that we traveled to get to Amsterdam at the time. Of course you have to have the money for it, that is!
Source: Mirror Online website
I did that once with an offshore crew.
There, during the trip, the idea for a crew holiday spontaneously arose. But where to. A colleague who often visited Thailand joked Pattaya. That apparently worked because that immediately became the goal.
All bachelors (the married didn't dare...... 😉) booked a ticket on board. Straight from the helicopter to the airport and via Amsterdam to Bangkok. Taxi to Pattaya, rented a number of apartments there. Shopped some clothes and ready for battle.
If you do that with an offshore crew, you get a kind of scene from The hangover 2. Years later we still laugh about the events during that vacation and I still keep in touch with many of the people who were there 🙂
Dear Gringo.
Times in Amsterdam are no longer the same as they used to be.
But having fun in Pattaya is a bit like it.
Cor van Kampen.
I regularly visit Thailand and also Pattaya, but only a few days there? A colleague is going for a week in June. That's too short for me; a stay shorter than two weeks is not worth the trip to me, while I, like those Englishmen, also have the opportunity to make such a spontaneous trip.
See, these are actions that I love. Do not think, do. This way you experience the most beautiful adventures and it keeps you young and playful. Making excuses and excuses not to do something, that's what I graduated from. (I know them all)
But sometimes it is necessary to break through the pattern one is in.
When I think; I have to stop, because the light is going to turn red, is that rational? And I also have to stop, because I don't want to have an accident, to hurt myself. Or want to incur a fine of 70 euros. The fact that you think that is rational.
But when I see that no traffic is coming and I'm standing in front of such a red traffic light. Am I still overcome with a feeling of displeasure by the fact that something is not right.
So my need to jump out of the band is latent. As long as I don't harm or hurt anyone through it, it determines my choice.
How old I am? I'm running towards 70, but hope to never get any wiser.
Quote…”Of course you have to have the money for it, that is!”
The whole story told in a nutshell! haha! Something very nice to look back on later. Also did stunts with buddies, but -unfortunately- not to Thailand or something like that.