A letter from Thailand (2)

Dear Dad and Mom,

It's been a while but here's another letter from Arthur, your loving son. I have it in Thailand still very much to my liking. Even though I am now alone and without you holiday am. It was quite exciting, 51 years and then alone for the first time to distant Thailand. But everything is fine.

As I have already written in my first letter, that nice taxi man took me to a tailor because the Grand Palace in Bangkok is closed. They are renovating these, said the taxi driver. His cousin is a very good tailor, Dad and Mom. I bought two packs. They even gave me a 25% discount if I bought two right away. I never wear a suit at home, but it can still come in handy. Maybe for later when I get married.

Because I was such a good customer, the tailor called his neighbor, who sells gems. He doesn't have a shop but a plastic bag where he keeps all those precious gems. That is possible in Thailand, he told me because the people here are all honest. That man was very nice too. He asked for 50.000 baht, but because he also worked for the Thai tourist office, he was allowed to give tourists a substantial discount. I only had to pay half. They do this to promote tourism to Thailand. He showed me an ID card from the Thai tourist office. That all sounded very reliable. And that man looked very neat and spoke good English. I also bought those gems. Everyone looked very happy when I paid.

The taxi driver then took me to Pathong or something. There was a nice night market there, he said, I could also have a drink there and watch a show. He didn't want to say what kind of show, but it must be one of those shows with traditional Thai dance in those costumes. The market was very nice. You could buy all kinds of watches there, even very expensive brands. I couldn't understand it. With us in Harderwijk, those watches sometimes cost a few thousand euros. At that night market I could buy the same watches for three thousand baht. That sounds like a lot of Mom and Dad, but it isn't. I just bought four of them. I even asked that Thai gentleman from the market if they were real. He started laughing really hard and nodding yes. Then he said something I didn't understand, but it sounded like "Fhalang TingTong". No idea what they mean, but it must be a compliment.

Then I went to a Thai cultural show. But that was very different from what I thought. I didn't see any Thai costumes. The Thai dancers had almost no clothes on. It's so hot there too. There were all shiny poles on the stage and they could do tricks with them, those girls are very flexible. The Thai dancers dance very differently than I expected. It wasn't Thai music either, but 'Lady GaGa', which I thought was strange. When I asked the waitress if there was another show coming, she mentioned something about ping pong balls. Then I got it. In Asia they can all play table tennis very well, of course they want to give a demonstration, especially for tourists. But that was also different from what I thought. There was only one lady and she could play ping pong well, but she did so with her hands free and without a table tennis table. I have never seen anything like this at Studio Sport. Everything is different in Thailand than in Harderwijk, Mamma. I think you can play ping pong the Thai way too. Not daddy, he will have to buy a table tennis bat first.

When I wanted to leave I first got into trouble in Thailand. I only drank 1 bottle of Coke and I had to pay 3.000 baht. I thought that was way too much. But more and more dangerous Thai men gathered around me. I just paid because I didn't want any problems. But I was pretty angry and that's why I didn't tip. She will learn that.

I then went to a bar where they played games. Four in a row. A girl asked if I wanted to play that with her. Because we play a lot of 'Goose Boards' and 'Don't get annoyed' at home, I thought I could do that too. That girl asked if I wanted to give a round if I lost. I liked that, but I regret it afterwards. I had to give 11 rounds and not win 1 time. Then she wanted to play pool with me. Well, that was good. I thought I could win for once. In Harderwijk I often play billiards in café 'het Zwarte Schaap' together with Teun. I lost again eight times, I don't understand it. I always had to give rounds, also to her friends. And they have a lot of girlfriends in Thailand. It cost me a lot of money, but hey I'm on vacation.

They are such lovely people too. At one point a very beautiful woman came to sit with me at the bar. Although most Thai women are short, she was as tall as me. She also had large hands and feet. She was very nice and always put her hand on my knee. She also had a deep voice. We talked for a while and then she asked if she could come to my hotels if. I do not know why. So I asked her why? I didn't get an answer to that. She suddenly wanted to smoke. “Smoke, I want to give you a smoke”, she kept saying. But I don't smoke. So I said to her: “I don't smoke”. Then she looked disappointed.

A little later she asked again if she could come to my hotel room. But what can you see there? Maybe she wanted to watch TV there? I asked her, "what do you want?". Then she said: "boom-boom". Again so confusing Mamma, I had no idea what she meant. I think making music or something. Must be something with drums: boom-boom? I think it's a Thai tradition, a kind of welcoming ceremony to make music with tourists. Cute right?

Now I stop writing Mom and Dad, because I'm going to the beach tomorrow. The taxi driver takes me to Pattaya. He has a cousin there who rents jet skis. That looks so nice! And according to the taxi driver they have a nice beach there and also nice bars with a strange name: 'A-Go-Go'. I am very curious.

Much love from your son,

Arthur