Angels of Bangkok

Desperate in search of a way back to Southeast Asia I did find a job as PR-manager in a hotel at Koh Samui. So the plan was I would go to Bangkok, meet the boss and go to Koh Samui. But plans changed and I had to stay first a few weeks in Bangkok. This decision would dramatically change everything.

"Sukhumvit road, Boulevard of lost faces, forgotten promises and ruined lives. Where broken hearts make new dreams every day just to vanish in the night and to be forgotten in the morning. At sunrise, just before reality awakens they meet each other in the lobby of just another hotel and they will offer food to the monks so all their sins will be forgiven. You pass them by at McDonalds and they will give you the happiest a smile you have ever seen. Welcome to the City of the fallen Angels." 

Soi Cowboy, Bangkok

One night in Bangkok

After arriving with China Airlines at Don Muang airport Bangkok I took the shuttle bus A3 to Sukhumvit where I would find my new workplace. It took me and two very heavy bags a 10-min walk and a lot of sweat to reach the hotel from the bus stop. The hotel is a small 18 room's hotel tucked away in a kind of alley behind a big "duty free" shopping mall at Ploenchit road. 

So I started to work and the reservation department of this boutique hotel. My daily 6-day's a week routine became : get up at 7:30, have breakfast at 8:00 and start working at 8:30, stop working at 18:00. Then after diner what else can a "single" male doing in Bangkok if you work and live a 5-min. walk from Sukhumvit Soi 4? So after diner I mostly went to one of the beer gardens at Soi 4 or Soi 7 and later in the evening to one of the bars at Nana Entertainment Plaza, normally called Nana Plaza.

"It's nice to watch the game, I'm glad I control it" 

Where did I hear that before? Well as I'm working 6 day's a week for 10 hours a day I do have hardly time or money to play the game. But time and the game would find me.

“I would invite you but I'm afraid you would not like the rules” 

3 months later I have to admit that I'm not in control and I do not like the rules set up by the all the sweet smiling Angels of Bangkok. Worse I do not understand the rules or the Angels for that matter.

Another day in paradise

"Manipulating the truth is the Thai way of reality” 

Simuang, her story

"She is 22 years old, born in the Isan, sister of 2 younger brother and 5 older brothers. Her mother is now alone, but all her children are of 3 husbands. Her father died when she was 10 years old, she has been to school for 6 years only. She did work in the construction but when her brother had an accident she did go to the hospital and lost her job. She speaks a little bit of English (or actually Bengels). She now works in a bar in Nana Plaza."

She and many girls working in Nana Plaza are living in Nana Plaze. To reach this place you have to walk trough Nana Plaza, which looks totally different in daytime. It's a totally different world, bright light, old furniture, cats everywhere and girls eating Lao food. Arriving at her room it seems that "her room" consists of one big room with TV, air-condition, a big plastic couch and one other bigger room where about 30 girls are living and sleeping without air-condition. I'm invited only to the first room, where about 10 girls are sleeping on the ground and the couch. Simuang is also still sleeping but awakes when I arrive. All the other girls are not having the intention to wake-up, so I have a little chat with Simuang. When two other girls see that there is a falang in the room, they start looking and talking about it. As Simuang now wants to talk with her friends, she wants me to go to sleep. Well why not? Lying on the couch and watching the live of these girls is a very great experience for me.  Simuang leaves the room and another girl brings me a pillow to sleep on. Between Simuang and all this girls I have the privilege to watch the live of these girls. Simuang ordered some Lao food, and this is delivered in the room and put in the middle of the room on the floor. Nobody is taking notice of it, but after a few minutes someone starts yelling for Simuang. She walks in, does not look to the women who brought the food and after a few minutes she gets some money and gives it to the women. But nobody starts eating the food; Simuang leaves the room again. Then suddenly two other girls start eating the food and then Simuang returns and also starts eating. In front of me 3 little girls are eating, like they are on the rice fields of the Isan. Are these the same girls dancing yesterday night in a go-go bar? Suddenly one of the girls walks out and comes back with a glass of Fanta for me. The girls are chatting and looking to me, the crazy falang attraction, eating and drinking. I think Simuang is happy because I'm “her falang”. But then again, I can not look behind that smile.

"Is she heaven or is she hell?" 

In front of me the daily routine of the bargirl’s life is starting, a live which I had never expected to be here in this old and dirty building called Nana Plaza. This is their world.

In the meanwhile Simuang and 3 other girls are playing cards and Simuang is winning all the games. Some other girls are watching TV, while one girl is zapping all the channels. The other girls do not complain about the zapping, but they just watch the zapping and nothing changes. Is this their idea of having a nice afternoon? Watching TV, chatting, playing cards, eating and doing nothing. It's strange but even I start to like it. 

Next day in Paradise

"What is better a "painful truth" or a "sweet lie"?" 

After having lunch yesterday at McDonalds I also ordered some Lao food at the food stall in Nana Plaza and had it delivered at the room of Simuang, for only 30thb. In the evening Simuang tells me to be surprised about the food and to be more surprised that I did not came inside. She tells me that her friends have no problem with my visit and that I can always walk in for a lunch.

So the next day I order some food again and then go to room where Simuang and her friend are living. It's 13:30 and of course everybody is still a sleep. Lucky for me one of the girls noticed me and shouts something in Thai like "Simuang, wake-up that farang is here again!". She does not bother the fact that all the other girls are still sleeping. When the food is brought in everybody is laughing, so the food last day was also from me! I tell the girls to eat, but of course then I have to eat with them. As I do not want to be shy I eat the Tom Yam with them, which of course is a little bit to hot and spicy for me. This is much sanuk for the girls. It's time to say goodbye, as I have to go to work again. I had a fantastic lunch, I wished it would never end. 

Due to my lunches it seems I have become personal property of Simuang as no other girls will ask me for a drink or more. Wait a minute ... what is happening here?

The next day the ritual of having lunch with Simuang and her friends continues. I walk from my work to Soi Nana, buying some French fries at McDonalds, some fresh fruit and of course Tom Yam. When I enter the room of the girls everybody is still a sleep and it's quiet dark inside. I do not recognize any girl, I wake-up the nearest one and she pointed to one of the other girls which seems to be Simuang. She is in total coma and stumbles away to the other room. After 5 minutes she comes back and we start watching TV, despite the fact that all the other girls are still sleeping. Normally the girls will sleep for about 12 hours a day. These girls are like cats, sleeping all day and being beautiful! Also today my lunchtime is to short for me, chatting, eating, and watching chatting Isan girls! Beautiful!

"In Thailand one does not need a watch but a calendar" 

I had an appointment with Simuang and of course she was only 1 hour too late. Well at that moment I was not yet used to Thai time. Simuang is dressed like a very sexy bargirl. Only a T-shirt and a hot pants and high-heels shoes. I like it, but I tell her that I think it's nice for her work but not for a disco. Do I feel a shame to go out with her like that? She asks me if I do not like it? Yes, of course I like it but can I tell her that she looks like a hooker? Ok, she is a hooker but I decided not to tell that to her. As Thai are also not very precisely with locations the place where we went was actually in a totally different area as she had told me.

Later we return to her bar and for the right kind of entertainment the electricity did break down. I expected some panic, but not of that at all. The girls stop dancing, the guests continue drinking and some waiters are lighting candles. This ritual repeats itself for about 5 times. And as I know that this is now happening in about 30 bars around me and that there are no fire exits I can see the all place turning down. I think of two songs of The Trammps "Burning, and I mean burning in the soul and not burning down this place" and "Where were you when the light went out in New York city?". 

Checking-out of Bangkok

In the meanwhile I did go to Koh Samui and I did work in a  luxury 5 star hotel under Thai family management. A experience that is an all other story. But after 2 months my job at Koh Samui was over and it was time to go back to Bangkok again and back to the old continent.

For my last night in the city of Angels I did check-in at DI Mansion at Soi Nana and this is a strange hotel. There are only two farangs staying, me and an old man who is dressed like batman and who has totally lost the plot. All the other guests are Thai girls. It's funny to hear all their talking with their friends and customers. There are always two girls sitting in the lobby, and they always call me darling. One of these girls is a very beautiful girl from Surat Thani. Here name is Lila, which I did not know at that moment but would learn later. And the receptionist is putting up make-up on Lila. Later I suddenly know what the girls in this hotel are doing; they are escort-girls. The all day they are sitting here in the lobby being beautiful and sometimes they are suddenly gone for a few hours.

Simuang, you dared me to cross the line from customer to friend and I went for it. You showed me a world that I could not imagine. Now I know it is called "The Thai Girlfriend Experience", but can I just check-out and leave?

"I do not tell you a lie; you just want another truth"

Words by Wanna ....

"You do not love Thailand, you love Thai ladies. Thailand is not always easy and nice. You have everything, why don't you go back home? I have nothing. Who wants a 26 years old girl with a daughter? I have to take care of my mamma, papa and my 6 years old daughter. What can I do? They say to me "I love you, I want to take care of you". But they also have to love my daughter, mamma and papa. Then I never see them again".

But is that the truth? And is the truth actually important?

A last evening in Bangkok and of course I did spend my last hours at Nana Plaza and watch the evening starting. Then I go to my hotel to check out and take a taxi to the airport. I arrived a bit early at the airport so I walk a little bit around. When I walk trough the departure hall I see people who are happy to go back home. I made a lot of new "friends" but here I am alone. And I realize that I am not really happy to go home. Is home still home?

While waiting before boarding I see a Thai girl who will also board on the direct non-stop flight to Amsterdam. And when I walk inside the plane to my seat I pass her and I think "Yes, that same lovely smile!". In the airplane I can not help overhearing the conversation of tourists. They have already forgotten Thailand and are talking about the things to do back home.

In the airplane I feel very alone and watch my now beloved Thailand fading away in all the little lights of Bangkok. Is there an emergency break in this airplane? **

When I arrive at Amsterdam the sun is shinning and it's even warm. I leave the airplane together with the lovely smiling Thai girl and for the last time I see again the great Thai smile. She asks me "Do you know me?", I say "Maybe I saw you on Sukhumvit". She said, "Yes, maybe". We have a little chat and it seems that she has a connecting flight to other place in Europe and that she does not have a clue where she is and what to do. So I help her out and bring her to the right place.

Like there was nobody to say goodbye in Thailand, there is also nobody to say hello in Amsterdam. So I take the train and I am passing the typical Dutch countryside with windmills, lakes, cows and little villages. It is an open-air museum. I look to it but I only see Bangkok.

** = Now after 20 years this feelings still comes back when I am arriving or departing from Bangkok and I see those little lights and I think "that is where my new life did start".