A night on Soi Bua Khao

a Pattaya story

So, there we were, the three of us: Liam from Ireland, Oliver from Germany, and me, Michael from America... and this was gonna be our big night. No girlfriends tonight, nope. Tonight we were off, just us three, to previously uncharted territory: the go-go's of Pattaya.

We were all showered and shaved and each had on his version of cool clothes to go out in. Ollie: Addidas warm up pants, golf shirt and white running shoes; Lio: plaid short sleeve shirt (open 1/3 way down), long camo shorts, leather shoes w/velcro closures & khaki socks; Michael: Levi's, black tee shirt, Adda sandals & Thailand baseball hat.

Looking (and feeling) studly, we were going into Pattaya (from Jomtien) by baht bus- not Ollie's car or on the other guys' 2 Honda Phantoms. Nothing could slow us down tonight... Ok, well, maybe the fact that we're all retired guys, here in Pattaya (Ollie is 68, Lio is 59 & I'm fast approaching 58) might, at some point, somehow, conceivably... get in the way. But, for now at least, we were young and free, and ready to go!

The wind was blowing in whips throughout the bus ride, but eventually we landed in Pattaya on Soi Bua Khao. Ollie paid the driver and as he returned to us, Lio was already on the move, head down, towards the go-go, across the road. The sky was now spraying rain. Down it came, increasing quickly, and I grabbed Ollie's arm to try to cross in the general direction that Lio had gone. But the wind & rain were really bombing down and we could barely see, and just then, with bright lights, a pick-up came barreling through the puddles... directly at us. I gave Ollie a shove in the back, as he was already moving forward, and he went stumbling and staggering to the other side. The pick up flew by between us. While I waited, more cars and motorbikes darted back & forth; lights were flashing and water was splashing everywhere.

I remember I could make out, in the midst of everything, the erratic form of Lio reaching out to pull Ollie up and out of the storm, into an open door. On the balls of my feet, I was trying to see if it was safe to cross the soi to them but it was raining and blowing so hard I could hardly see anything. Then, it looked like Lio again, leaning out of the doorway across the road, his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting something I couldn't possibly hear... and then everything went black.

What happened next...?

You decided you'll never drop LSD again ?

Zzzzzzz

You woke up, still at your table in the gay bar?

The electricity failed?

Something i experience here on the Darkside at least twice a week.

He was taken out by a Thai Visa Dull Thread Assasination Squad.

Moss Side Mick was sat at the bar and hit us up for a draught Chang.............

Must have been a long blackout ----- the rain stopped about 2 weeks ago

.......,and not ony did "everything go black" but the director's voice barked out:

'come on guys, I want a better performance from this remake of the 3 stooges'.....

The electricity failed?

Something i experience here on the Darkside at least twice a week.

Moss Side Mick was sat at the bar and hit us up for a draught Chang.............

Not seen him around for a while. A good example of someone who can live on his wits. A true Pattaya survivor still here after many have returned home skint. Got to admire the bloke.

Sheer fantasy. At least Glitterman's stories are believable!!

He was taken out by a Thai Visa Dull Thread Assasination Squad.