bus from Bangkok to Pattaya - my seat mate, oh my seat mate

Bus to Pattaya 

The bus to Pattaya and gateui (lady boy)

tayaan

Its 6:00 in the morning as I sat in Bangkok’s Northern (Mo Chit) bus station awaiting the 7:15 bus to Pattaya. I am not a morning kind of guy so six o’clock in the morning feels like the middle of the night and the coffee I’m sipping just doesn’t have enough punch to get me through the lingering cobwebs of a night of doing the bars of soi Cowboy.

Then for a moment my foggy mind clears enough to capture a vision of Thai loveliness walking through the half light of the bus terminal, dressed to the nines, short skirt showing shapely legs, with blond streaked, ink black hair cascaded down her back. From my seat in the terminal I only got a brief look before the vision passed from my sight and passed on to the stations coffee shop. Not much going on, so with just time to kill I toss my backpack over my shoulder, headed over to the coffee shop for a second cup of coffee and try to get a clearer look at what I had just watched walk past and was rewarded with a coffee and best yet a nod and a smile from my latest love.

As I tried to shush Mr. Ego’s shouting, they all want you Doug, Mr. Reality chims in, evening clothes this early in the morning, something is little strange here. Then on closer observation, yikes - did I see a faint shadow of a beard? As I craned to get a better look, my vision spoke a greeting to me in Thai spoken with a feminine, lilted male voice, embarrassed, I nodded, trying to hide my surprise and disappointment as I scurried out of the coffee shop and back to my seat. Where I then attempted to disappear into the book I held in front of me as my mind milled over the morning’s craziness and damn it’s still only a quarter after six. Anyway, I’m thinking that I’ll be on the bus soon, leaving all this behind.

Oh ya, here we go, board the bus, grab the first row seat across from the driver, allowing me an unobstructed view out the window and I’m so happy with my good luck I forgot about everything else. Making myself busy getting my cameras ready and took little notice as my seat mate slid in next to me. As I’m puttering away with my camera, out of the corner of my eye I notice the disapproving looks of some of the older Thai women boarding the bus. I then glance over at my seat mate who is now leaning on my shoulder, ca damn it’s the gateui (lady boy) from the bus station. From the look on her/his face I could tell she was enjoying the attention and my discomfort and as I moved closer to the window so did she, a smile for everyone boarding, as to say, this is my guy.

The two hour ride to Pattaya seemed to drag on for ever and once the bus pulled to a stop at Pattaya, I couldn’t get away fast enough, that is after I got around my seat mate. Just a thought to keep in mind while traveling in Thailand – it’s possible that your new, best Thai girl might also be your new, best bro.

The bus to Pattaya and the gateui (lady boy)

t

The bus to Pattaya and gateui (lady boy)

It's 6:00 AM I'm sitting in Bangkok’s Northern (Mo Chit) bus station awaiting the 7:15 bus to Pattaya. INot a morning kind of guy so six o’clockAM is like the middle of the night to me and the coffee I’m sipping just doesn’t have enough punch to get the lingering cobwebs of a night of doing the bars of soi Cowboy pushed away. 

Then for a moment my foggy mind clears enough to capture a vision of Thai loveliness walking through the half light of the bus terminal, dressed to the nines, short skirt showing shapely legs, with blond streaked, ink black hair cascaded down her back. From my seat in the terminal I only got a brief look before the vision passed out of sight and in to the stations coffee shop. Not much going on, so with just time to kill I toss my backpack over my shoulder

and headed over to the coffee shop for a second cup of coffee and to get a clearer look at what I had just watched walk by. I was rewarded with a coffee and best yet a nod and a smile from my latest love.

As I tried to shush Mr. Ego’s shouting, they all want you Doug, Mr. Reality chims in, evening clothes this early in the morning, something is little strange here. Then on closer observation, yikes - did I see a faint shadow of a beard? As I craned to get a better look, my vision spoke a greeting to me in Thai spoken with a feminine, lilted male voice, embarrassed, I nodded, trying to hide my surprise and disappointment as I scurried out of the coffee shop and back to my seat. Where I then attempted to disappear into the book I held in front of me as my mind milled over the morning’s craziness and damn it’s still only a quarter after six. Anyway, I’m thinking that I’ll be on the bus soon, leaving all this behind. 

Oh ya, here we go, board the bus, grab the first row seat across from the driver, allowing me an unobstructed view out the window and I’m so happy with my good luck I forgot about everything else. Making myself busy getting my cameras ready and took little notice as my seat mate slid in next to me. As I’m puttering away with my camera, out of the corner of my eye I notice the disapproving looks of some of the older Thai women boarding the bus. I then glance over at my seat mate who is now leaning on my shoulder, ca damn it’s the gateui (lady boy) from the bus station. From the look on her/his face I could tell she was enjoying the attention and my discomfort and as I moved closer to the window so did she, a smile for everyone boarding, as to say, this is my guy.

So one more proof "be carful of what you ask for as you might get it" even at Bangkok's Northern bus stationion  early in the morning.

 Original posted  Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Coup d'etat in Thailand and you

Thai military personnel stand guard at the Government House in Bangkok. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

"Amazing Thailand" the phrase coined by the  "Tourist Authority of Thailand" (TAT) has come to have a much deeper meaning than a slogan touting the beauty and culture of the country. As Thailand now is struggling under the yoke of military rule after experiencing it's twelve military coup d'etat since 1932, plus the seven attempted ones that were not successful. So while many emerging nations have outgrown coup d'etat, in Thailand it remains a deeply embedded part of Thai politics.

In recent times the bloodless coup d'etat in 2006 removing the extremely popular PM Thaksin Shinawatra while he was out of the country has had Thai leadership struggling to find it's way. Thaksin was swept into the office of PM in 2001 with the overwhelming support of  rural farmers. His popularity in rural areas in Thailand was in part due to his proposed micro loan program targeting rice farmers and offering affordable healthcare for those in need.  He also drew support from many in big business because as he was one of them, they liked his no nonsense CEO style of governance. While the moneyed Bangkok elite and the military were not impressed and wanted a PM that was more sympathetic to their needs. It seems to me that the Bangkok moneyed elite decided that one way or another Thaksin had to go.  Political wrangling was tried, his Thai Rack Thai (TRT) party was disbanded and outlawed, then it was charges of corruption in his telecommunications deal but he still didn't go away and so the military stepped in and removed him based  on accusations of corruption and misuse of power.  So Since the coup in 2006 Mr. Shinawatra has been in a self imposed exile while still maintaining much of his influence in Thai politics.

In the 2011 election Thaksin Shinawatra's sister Yingluck Shinawatra, a 46 year old businessperson with no direct political experience but with two degrees in politics, lead her newly founded Pheu Thai party to victory and became the new Prime Minister. Yingluck became the first Thai women to gain the office of Prime Minister. Taking over the reins of Thailand and for a while bringing stability back to the country.  In 2013 she and her party were successful in getting re elected. Though once again, like what happened to her brother, the accusations started - she was a just a puppet of her brother, then more serious charges about her abuse of power which ultimately resorted in her being forced her office the 20th of last month. Leading up to the May the 22nd coup by the military who took over leadership of the country, voiding the constitution and instituting military law.

The junta ruling Thailand is headed up by Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha who was due to retire in September of this year but guess runing Thailand is a better gig so he will probably be around for a while.

Meanwhile, what your  probably most interesting in is the effect all this has on you if you if you are planning a visit to Thailand.

The country is on lock down - well sorta - a curfew was set at 10:00 pm - 5:00 am but this has been eased to 12:00 - 4:00. Then recently Ko Sumi, Pattaya and Phuket had the curfew lifted.  Next week it will be lifted in Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Hat Yai, Cha-am,Hua Hin and Trang according to the TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand). No reports of anyone arriving in country after the curfew and having a problem getting to their hotel.

Falang (foreigners) are not the target so tourists will be treated kindly but for Thais this is a hard time..  

Thanks for for being here,    Doug