THE WEEK THAT WAS Thailand of yesteryear; Rooster reminisces as an antidote to all that boring news

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

the only ATM was a mother-in-law, and she was just open for deposits; when fixed bank interest rates stood at 15% and sterling was worth 93 baht and rising. 

The only thing i carried were travellers cheques

22 hours ago, webfact said:

when a trek through the jungle was necessary to get to White Sands beach from the port on Koh Chang.

The bungalows at KC resort 50b a night, shared toilets and showers, the old lady in reception sold  bags of weed, when you checked in along with the key, you were issued an oil lamp, no electric, no lady bars, now KC resort is a huge concrete place. After traveling up and down Thailand all those years ago, and a few times after, I came back about 15 yrs ago and headed straight for KC been here ever since.

Khaosan Rd was the place to head to on arriving, no minibuses picked you up from your hotel, you had to make your own way to a bus station, the Lonely Planet Book was your bible and the free bus maps. bamboo Bungalows at Krabi were directly on the beach with sand as your floor, I used to bury my PP and money in it.

[Happy Howard]

19 hours ago, Dionigi said:

If it really meant prisoner of her majesty it would have to refer to aussies as non of the brits there are prisoners these days unless they have escaped

We were still called Pommies when we emigrated to Aus in 1968. I became an Aussie in 1983 but now call Thailand home with my young family since 2016 although I visited to play golf since 1999

[nauseus]

19 hours ago, Mark mark said:

POM - "Prisoner of Her Majesty", that is where the Nick Name POM came from ... a straight out fact of History. ...

Prisoner of Mother England and the best ever GBP rate here was 91 (for one day early 1998).

Edited February 6, 2022 by nauseus

[jerrymahoney]

I remember when visiting Pattaya mid-1980's between work trips to PRChina and India, that at the massage places on the outer road, when asking the girls from where they came, the answer was always: ChiangMai or ChiangRai.

 

Never heard the mention of any Isaan town until one said 'UdonThan' and I said: Where's that? 

[sawadee1947]

Seems, he knows now how to bother us...????

[HashBrownHarry]

Lived in Patong for 4 years when i first came in 98/99, up the hill on the way to Karon was one of the coolest clubs i remember, Safari i think it was called.

 

[Mark mark]

10 hours ago, nauseus said:

Prisoner of Mother England and the best ever GBP rate here was 91 (for one day early 1998).

Yes Prisoner of Mother England ! That makes sense ! As we used to use the familiar / ? Plural Pome ... which fits exactly. ... still being good Irreverent Australians we also used to like thinking of it as "Her Magesty" also ! ... Always wanting to be having a go at Authority ! And in particular any British, even perceived historical one as well. ...

[Mark mark]

So the next operation Rooster and fellows !!! ???? Is How and where would I get my next booster Jab ??? ...  Like to stay alive with !!!!! ...

 

The locsls go to a large locsl Watt !!! And well it seems to be any one who can turn up !!! Though scheduled ? ... so maybe I will just start off trying there ??? ... And offer to pay ? ... but I might also try in the Rajathanie Hospital in Ayuttshya. ? ... Which had a special "Moderna" room as I walked past to be tested there ??? 

 

like I woukd like to try to avoid traveling down to Bangkok and to it's crowds ! ? ... ???

[bangkok19]

Back in the early 80's....

 

I remember when making an International phone call from a 'private' phone booth along Sukhumvit Rd I'd have to pay 100 Baht and the lady in the office outside would terminate the call abruptly after 1 minute.

 

There was another Supermarket between Villa and Sukhumvit Soi 1...    The Kangaroo Supermarket. It was on Sukhumvit near the corner of Soi 19, right where Macca's is today. There was also a rear lane access. Just down the road past the ASIA Book Shop was a large TFB (Thai Farmer's Bank) and also the Kloster Beer Head Office.

 

The 10, 20, 100 & 500 Baht banknotes were the local currency denominations, there were no plastic (polymer) notes and no 1000's.  Brown Satang coins always filled your pockets.

 

VASU Money Exchange (Sukhumvit Rd) was a Travel Agent at the front, and a little black market 'hole in the wall' at the back.  You'd get your bundles of 500 Baht notes in a brown paper bag. 

 

At the OLD Thermae Coffee Shop, the deaf and dumb ladies would always congregate around the Juke Box in the centre of the room (for the good vibes, I guess).

 

Sukhumvit Soi 22 was a very quiet Soi.

 

Ratchadapisek wasn't there. That link road between Rama 4 and Sukhumvit didn't exist. It was originally only Soi 16 (off Sukhumvit Rd) and an access to the Thai Tobacco Monopoly.

 

You could drive through Patpong 1 Rd and park there. 

 

If you brought a (bar) lady back to a large 4 &1/2 Star hotel at night the reception would add a "JOINER FEE" to your Bill..  usually 400/500 Baht. If you tried to get her in during the day....  good luck. It wasn't allowed during the day as they didn't want the other guests seeing the girls.  Hotel Security knew all the tricks.

 

The local hotel in Chiang Khan was 20 Baht per night (with community bathrooms).

It had a huge restaurant balcony on stilts over the Mekong River.  At night, the owner would let you drive your car inside the building at lock it up in the reception area. There were not many other cars in town.

 

Kuhn Sah, the biggest exporter of Heroin in S.E.Asia at the time had his HQ in a small but busy Soi in Chiang Mai. The small compound had a sign at the front gate -  PATTANA MEAT FACTORY and it was guarded by soldiers.  For those older locals, it was just down the road from Stuart and Nok's OASIS BAR and the BLACK CAT BAR.

 

The Chiang Mai version of the Thermae Coffee Shop was THE PEACOCK CAFE.

It closed most mornings at sunrise and was situated under the MONTRI HOTEL.

(now the Coffee Club and Subway).  The local bar girls would kick-on there after hours. There were NO BARS in Loi Kroh except for a couple near Kotchasarn Rd corner. The beer bars were scattered around Moon Muang Rd and Kotchasarn Rd, Chiang Moi lane (The Karen Hut) and the rest in the Night Bazaar and the Soi behind it (Blue Sky Bar, Seven Stars, Heart Bar).

 

Aaaaah, the good ol' days.    

 

 

 

 

[kennw]

19 hours ago, Happy Howard said:

1999 I remember 35 Baht/A$, now down to 23 Baht

And I also remember the A$ at 17 to Baht

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, Mark mark said:

Yes Prisoner of Mother England ! That makes sense ! As we used to use the familiar / ? Plural Pome ... which fits exactly. ... still being good Irreverent Australians we also used to like thinking of it as "Her Magesty" also ! ... Always wanting to be having a go at Authority ! And in particular any British, even perceived historical one as well. ...

My understanding of the derivation of the term Pom or Pommie is different, it referred to the fact all Englishmen turned as red as a pomegranate when they first encountered the Australian sun. It never was applied to the Scots or Irish, presumably because their accents were different. They were Jock and Paddy.

[Mark mark]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

My understanding of the derivation of the term Pom or Pommie is different, it referred to the fact all Englishmen turned as red as a pomegranate when they first encountered the Australian sun. It never was applied to the Scots or Irish, presumably because their accents were different. They were Jock and Paddy.

Yes Pome Garnet !!! … another View, and probably one that we all probably held, as well as "Prisoner of Her Majesty", ... We all wanting to be irreverent to the Crown ! ? ... ... And in the original day ...Those 200 or so years ago, when we were a Penal Colony for Britain, it would have been probably "Prisoners Of Mother England". ... Which I am OK with as well NOW !!! In these just Really <Deleted> up Times !!! .... Some people actually IN Britain, might be feeling like this also !!! .... Like VOB ??? Vob ... "Victim Of Brexit" ??? Maybe ??? .... or even ? EFE ... eFee .... "Exile From Europe" ??? ... ??? ....

 

I met a very intelligent German Wind Engineer on a Train in between Bremen and Bremen Harven once, when I was researching some of my Ancestors roots from my Father’s side .... They had signed on to the "Herman" as Crew in Bremen Harven My Great Great grandfather being listed as “Yunger” = Cabin Boy …. as they had no money, and sailed to England, where they worked, and then paid the small back then, passage out to South Australia in about 1835 or something like that I think ???

 

 ... Any way the Good Wind engineer had worked as a Wind Engineer for a company ? In Sheffield England for several years, and said that he absolutely Loved it there !!! …. But he had to leave !!! Because of all of the Citizenship Uncertainty d/t Brexit !!! … And he was very VERY <deleted> off Really !!! … Like he had Loved England and wanted to stay there !!! ...

 

(And well he said that they could have totally powered Sheffield, with Renewable wind energy, but the vested interest in Focal fuel, had blocked them !!! … and also that Germany had not built another wind farm, for the last 6 Years because the local residents always complained about them and blocked them also !!! ??? ….. They must like using atomic generated Power from France right ??? ... )

 

But well that all is another Story I guess. ... Sorry.

[car720]

On 2/5/2022 at 10:11 PM, crouchpeter said:

Of course it's not spelt "pohm"! And the word is actually "pommie".

Wrong.  This is a modern misconception.  POHM was written on the backs of the shirts that the original prisoners wore. The ships only bought prisoners and screws in the beginning.

[nauseus]

10 hours ago, car720 said:

Wrong.  This is a modern misconception.  POHM was written on the backs of the shirts that the original prisoners wore. The ships only bought prisoners and screws in the beginning.

The word commonly used by Australians is pom (or pommie). The convict shirt-marking is historically true but like many words of today, the spelling and meaning has altered. Aussies today generally refer to us POMS as British (particularly English) and use the reference of Prisoner of Mother England to explain it. It's their word and that's the way all of them explained it to me years ago! 

[nauseus]

11 hours ago, Lacessit said:

My understanding of the derivation of the term Pom or Pommie is different, it referred to the fact all Englishmen turned as red as a pomegranate when they first encountered the Australian sun. It never was applied to the Scots or Irish, presumably because their accents were different. They were Jock and Paddy.

Their noses were already red!

[Mark mark]

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

The word commonly used by Australians is pom (or pommie). The convict shirt-marking is historically true but like many words of today, the spelling and meaning has altered. Aussies today generally refer to us POMS as British (particularly English) and use the reference of Prisoner of Mother England to explain it. It's their word and that's the way all of them explained it to me years ago! 

I think that a lot of us still like to call you Poms ... With all due respect. ... Maybe not at the Governors Garden Party ? ... But in the street and pubs and restraints any way. ... but with no malice ! NO malice !!! ..  ... As long as you do not have a go at us ? or try to tell us what to do. ...  

[lamyai3]

On 2/5/2022 at 12:38 PM, webfact said:

...or sang the English words of a western song as the mondegreen “ai hia, ai naa, ai sat, son teen” (ask a Thai if you’re unsure of the meanings, but be careful…)

I've now got Bananarama as an earworm... 

[bangkok19]

The resident band at the Cowboy COUNTRY ROAD had many band members moving on over the years, some guitarists retiring because of arthritis in the hands, some dying (poor OOT falling over in the bathroom hitting his head)....   however they remained consistent with one particular song during all those years and changes...

Billy Ray Cyrus's -  "....Don't break my heart, my aychy braychy heart."  ('CH' as in CHurch).   

[nauseus]

11 hours ago, Mark mark said:

I think that a lot of us still like to call you Poms ... With all due respect. ... Maybe not at the Governors Garden Party ? ... But in the street and pubs and restraints any way. ... but with no malice ! NO malice !!! ..  ... As long as you do not have a go at us ? or try to tell us what to do. ...  

I didn't mention malice. Most of the Aussies I met and worked with years ago remain great friends, even though many are back in Oz now.

[Mark mark]

29 minutes ago, nauseus said:

I didn't mention malice. Most of the Aussies I met and worked with years ago remain great friends, even though many are back in Oz now.

Yes, that was me that mentioned that ... Malice, ... Sorry. 

 

But yes it does exist in Australia you know !!! Like Anti Vacksers and Conspiracy Theory Lunatics' !!! ... The ??? Poor ? Lower Positioned ??? Shall we say ??? People are now burning each others Card and Houses in the more disadvantaged Areas of my Town .... Like Malice !!! That Now DOES exist in our Society now ? (I think) ... BUT with only some people ... But for What Reason ??? .... This Really is the Question ... Could it be that all the Top people are just corrupt greedy Money hungry Pricks of People who blatantly break the rules and just <Deleted> in every one else's faces !!! ??? .... Well Possibly I think ??? .... Though well I am probably getting a bit off topic here I think !!!  ....

 

(Yes MY society needs a Bit of a GOOD Work over I think !!! ... At BOTH ends of it !!! ... (The majority in the middle just being OK to very good people !!! ... BUT ALL now having to struggle with the just total Pricks and Lunatics' at Each extremity of it ... ??? ... ( Just Too Many Rats in the Box ????? ???)

 

... OWS (Once Was Steptoe) ... ( Navigation - Relegated to permanent Night shift ... Right ... Good at Steering, and missing things, always got the coverage, but well, ... Used to go off a bit right !!! )

 

Ps My Grandfather on my Mothers side was English, and well as the German side married English Women pretty exclusively, ...  and were Swedish and Finish, any way as they lived where the Swedish Army HQ was for 30 Years in the religious wars ... I am still generically, mostly English my self.

[nauseus]

4 hours ago, Mark mark said:

Yes, that was me that mentioned that ... Malice, ... Sorry. 

 

But yes it does exist in Australia you know !!! Like Anti Vacksers and Conspiracy Theory Lunatics' !!! ... The ??? Poor ? Lower Positioned ??? Shall we say ??? People are now burning each others Card and Houses in the more disadvantaged Areas of my Town .... Like Malice !!! That Now DOES exist in our Society now ? (I think) ... BUT with only some people ... But for What Reason ??? .... This Really is the Question ... Could it be that all the Top people are just corrupt greedy Money hungry Pricks of People who blatantly break the rules and just <Deleted> in every one else's faces !!! ??? .... Well Possibly I think ??? .... Though well I am probably getting a bit off topic here I think !!!  ....

 

(Yes MY society needs a Bit of a GOOD Work over I think !!! ... At BOTH ends of it !!! ... (The majority in the middle just being OK to very good people !!! ... BUT ALL now having to struggle with the just total Pricks and Lunatics' at Each extremity of it ... ??? ... ( Just Too Many Rats in the Box ????? ???)

 

... OWS (Once Was Steptoe) ... ( Navigation - Relegated to permanent Night shift ... Right ... Good at Steering, and missing things, always got the coverage, but well, ... Used to go off a bit right !!! )

 

Ps My Grandfather on my Mothers side was English, and well as the German side married English Women pretty exclusively, ...  and were Swedish and Finish, any way as they lived where the Swedish Army HQ was for 30 Years in the religious wars ... I am still generically, mostly English my self.

Sounds like 3D seismic? Living next door to Malice? Right? ????

[Dionigi]

On 2/6/2022 at 3:13 PM, nauseus said:

Prisoner of Mother England and the best ever GBP rate here was 91 (for one day early 1998).

According to the OED it is short for pomegranate. POME was never written on the prison uniforms.

[Mark mark]

3 hours ago, nauseus said:

Sounds like 3D seismic? Living next door to Malice? Right? ????

Har Har !!! Well Yes ! That just about covers it !!!

 

...20 years of my Life !!! ... The best and tbe worst ??? ... Well  No, not tbe worst !!! ... Juat a bit of thr good old ... Scheismic !!! "<deleted> Happens" right ???

 

...  (Though ...I probably could have done with out that amount of alcohol on my breaks though !!!   I gyess !!! ...And even less !!!   After I  when I retired.  ... Well was forced to retire !!! ... No one retires from.Svheismic right ? ... Well very few !!! ...  Just about every one is forced out !! ... One way or another !!! ... Eventually !! ??? ...

Edited February 8, 2022 by Mark mark
Add eell

[paul1804]

On 2/5/2022 at 11:03 PM, Stargeezr said:

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.  I remember a couple of trips to Phuket, where I stayed at a small motel

called Friendship Bungalows, which were ran by a couple of cute Thai sisters. I stayed at the Dynasty and Nana Hotels 

near the Nana Plaza. The ride to Don Muang airport was 200 baht from Nana Hotel, and it was fun to walk

the sidewalk markets along Sukhumvit.  There was a row of bars along a railroad track between Sukhumvit and

Ploen Chit roads. People had to wear a tie to be able to enter the Oriental Hotel on the Chao Phraya  river.

  Those were the good old days. Life seemed more exciting and interesting back then, and people were

more friendly and happy to see the tourists. Or maybe I was just green and never seen the true Thailand

back then.

In 1988 my overseas travel agent booked me in to the Montein Hotel in Bangkok, I new little of Thailand and even Bangkok, had never heard of Pat pong !!! Anyway I arrived around 9pm in the evening and after checking in, showering and changing I thought I would go out for a drink. I asked the hotel Concierge where was a nice bar with music and he pointed across the road and said there is Patpong, I asked what is Patpong to which he replied many bars & many girls!! What an eye opener back then!!!

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, Dionigi said:

According to the OED it is short for pomegranate. POME was never written on the prison uniforms.

Whatever..... I trust my information from the horses mouths.....so to speak.

[Mark mark]

1 hour ago, Mark mark said:

Har Har !!! Well Yes ! That just about covers it !!!

 

...20 years of my Life !!! ... The best and tbe worst ??? ... Well  No, not tbe worst !!! ... Juat a bit of thr good old ... Scheismic !!! "<deleted> Happens" right ???

 

...  (Though ...I probably could have done with out that amount of alcohol on my breaks though !!!   I gyess !!! ...And even less !!!   After I  when I retired.  ... Well was forced to retire !!! ... No one retires from.Svheismic right ? ... Well very few !!! ...  Just about every one is forced out !! ... One way or another !!! ... Eventually !! ??? ...

Yes ! ... "Living Next Door to" ...  "Scheusmic" really, ... was what it was all about ... time line wise any Way !!! ...

 

... Then getting stuck bsck in Australia where the Bottom Dwellers are now Burning each others Cars !!! ... And Housed if tbey area bit older !!! ...With the Odd stabing or Murder !!! ... And tbe reckon that I am Crazy !!!!! ????  (Well it is mostly Drugs associated ...  Crominality right ????)  ??? 

 

And Just ... "Too Many Rats in the Box" !!! ???? Right ??? 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Mark mark
Add on

[3NUMBAS]

On 2/5/2022 at 6:07 AM, hashmodha said:

Enjoyed reading this...... Thank you!..I remember the Baht@78!

it went over a 100 briefly 1 afternoon and then plunged the next day

[ivor bigun]

i remember our office on soi 1 Sukhumvit and spending so many nice nights in the Thermae ,and standing there having a pee right next to the kitchen .

 

 

[nauseus]

3 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

i remember our office on soi 1 Sukhumvit and spending so many nice nights in the Thermae ,and standing there having a pee right next to the kitchen .

 

 

Bliss!

[Mark mark]

10 hours ago, nauseus said:

Whatever..... I trust my information from the horses mouths.....so to speak.

I still would go for "Prisoner of Her Magedty" ???