Your first day ever in LOS....

[benalibina]

Mid december 1994, after a year of hard work and my dad passing away begin November, i decided to go on holiday to LOS at Christmas. Booked a flight with Lufthansa to go to Phuket. Arranged traveller cheques($), not enough i found out. I landed at Don Mueang and had to wait for 4 hours to get my connection to Phuket. I departed from Holland without checking the details of Phuket, complacency and due to work. I thought it was a similar type of island as we have in Holland. Small thus. I asked somebody during my stopover if he knew a hotel in Phuket. The Sheraton , somebody replied. Hmmmm..sounded expensive.

When i left after getting my luggage at Phuket Airport a german approached me and asked where i went to. Well...Phuket i answered stupidly. Yeah but where to he asked again. I kept quiet. He asked, looking confused, if i wanted to share a taxi with him and his thai gf to Patong Beach. As i knew jackshit, i replied ...okay. They took me to their hotel to view a bungalow. Toilet full of water and didnt flush so i let that 1 pass. Got a tuktuk and drove to various hotels for an hour but prices were too high IMO. So i ended up at the very 1st hotel i went to with tuktuk.

After i settled in the room, 11 pm already, i asked where are the bars to get some beers. The ladyreceptionist showed me the way. I walked for 15 min, hot hot, and saw the very 1st bar on the beach road. As i was a hansum man the ladies grabbed me to go inside but i kept on walking. 5 mins later i saw a busy street, soi bangla, and went in there. I thought...<deleted> is this ? Kept on walking back and forth through all the barsois. I didnt know what to think about it all. I was really getting thirsty so i decided to stop at a bar where i noticed a couple of very nice looking ladies. (Soi Eric)

I never left the bar again that night. The good thing for me was that there was 1 cheeky lady who spoke very very good english. Had a lot of 1st time fun with her and her younger friend in the bar by playing games and a lot of talking. The cheeky one asked me when everything was closing...what you go do ? Well....sleep i answered. She said...i can go with you ? Hmm....why not, i replied.

That was my very first day in LOS.

What about yours ?

[mrtoad]

August 1991 in Patong, as an 18 year old on first trip to Asia. Stayed at The Royal Paradise I think it was called. Started off in The Old Banana club outside bar , and finally in beer bars I think off Bangla. Thankfully a nice young lady helped me find my way back to my hotel at about 7am in the morning.

[Cypress Hill]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

[AYJAYDEE]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

so what happened after 4 months to destroy your resolve?

[Trevstar]

Bangkok 2010 - one night in bangkok on route to the CNX cricket sixes... Never saw anything like it before, seen plenty like it since.

[Cypress Hill]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

so what happened after 4 months to destroy your resolve?

Too many girls thought we were going steady and I couldn't be dealing with irate women bitching down the intercom at 4am when I wouldn't let them in

Soon realised that a grand drew a line under most things

Got cursed out by a few women who were insulted at being offered coin, though

[manarak]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

Wow you are so superior!

[Cypress Hill]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

Wow you are so superior!

Why? Because I didn't run screaming outta Swampy straight into the nearest brothel?

[MJP]

Banyan Tree, Bangkok for a few days floating market, rose gardens, then the overnight train to Chiang Mai and the Sheraton, elephant treking and wotnot.

[RickyJB]

october almost 3 years ago.. landed at suvarnabhumi at 6am after a flight sitting beside a drunken a&&hole from denmark and his wife... lost count of the amount of times he was warned with being arrested at bangkok after an incident after he went looking for more drink... anyway, tried my 1st singha at 6.30 am waiting for flight to Phuket... get to Kamala , relaxed beside the pool with some friends for a couple of hours before heading to a bar, after 20 mins , 1 girl caught my eye and it was barfine paid, back to hotel, crash bang wallop, hallo thailand , hows yer mamy then back to the bar...went for a quick massage, had a very happy time ;-) back to bar, took the same girl to another bar, while at the bar she unzipped the purple headed midget, shaked the snake , released the demon, carried on drinking then back to the hotel where i was seriously abused once again...woke up, re-abused , took her home , went for breakfast and offered a "massage" upstairs, who was i to turn down such a pretty girl? especially with great body, tight shorts and built in camel toe... :-) managed to persuade her for more than a massage... went to different bar, bar fined someone else, repeat same scenario over again for the next 2 weeks..lol.. definitely , thailand was an eye opener the first time... like a kiddy in a sweet shop

[Gringogazzer]

Nearly 10 years ago I jumped on a plane after splitting up with my fiancé in the UK.

I knew about the bars & women but nothing more than that. I thought so many Brits go it must be like the Costa Del Sol & everyone will understand me. I'll find my way round the place.

The first day I would of been more at home on Mars & couldn't of looked & felt more out of place if I was licking the windows on the 7/11.

Within 3 days ngoo ber ning had found me and the steep learning curve had begun. Home was forgotten.

Job done.

[Tim207]

Arrived 11PM and got a taxi to Nana hotel. It was highly recommended by people on the internet as being right in the middle of everything and away from the backpacker center. Nobody mentioned WHAT it was in the middle of, only that Sukhumvit was more upscale.

Came down soi 3 in the taxi and saw arabs everywhere. Got to Sukhumvit and my head started swinging around. I was amazed at all the sexy girls hanging around but was clueless as to why they were there. Checked into the hotel then went out for a walk down Sukhumvit.

In the space of an hour I was invited to have a drink with several young ladies, grabbed by a couple of katoeys (the under the stairwell obviously a guy kind), and smashed against a wall by a baby elephant.

Back at the hotel, I went to bed and was awakened by a soft knock on the door. I looked through the peep hole and saw a girl outside my door. I had no idea what she wanted but I wasn't opening the door at 2 AM in this crazy place to find out.

That was over a decade ago. I can't say that I really like lower sukhumvit but it is a good place to stay while getting over jet lag. There is always something to do when you can't sleep.

[chrisinth]

I had just flown out to Hong Kong (first time to SEA) for a two and a half year job, and on arrival there found that the ship I was meant to be joining had 'locked up' and everybody was on leave for the next 3 weeks. Typical MOD planning! Anyway, I was met at the airport by the two people that were left and was told they were flying to Thailand the next afternoon and would I fancy coming? Over the next 12 hours (I arrived at 20:00) being shown around HK I finally said yes.

Got my flight booked and off we went, arriving in Bkk and a taxi straight to Pattaya. At the time, I had been in the Royal Navy for 15 years, been to countless cities/countries/continents and thought I had seen everything there was to see. Not cocky about it, but hard to be surprised. How little I thought I knew!

I had just joined in a full-on 24/7 party for 3 weeks. And I can attest that I had never been to a place like it on any of my travels. Of course I knew what the girls were, but everything was done in such a party mood that it was easy to get lost in the moment. The girls didn't necessarily want to be there, but they were, and the majority of them were making the party. Happy smiles and probably more to the point, happy eyes.

This was in 1989 and I will admit that I was bitten from the very first trip to LOS. But I will also admit that it took me another 8 years to realize that Pattaya wasn't Thailand.................... But, nothing to regret.

[Thai at Heart]

Transit to oz, 1992.

Fascinated by coca cola written in Thai on the cans.

[JLCrab]

In 1988 I first traveled to Thailand and never met up with the people I was supposed to spend time with on Koh Samui so I went to Koh Samui by myself for 2 weeks. They ran a craft store in San Francisco and were on a buying trip. I later found out they were drug dealers and they were probably going to get me to unknowingly carry their contraband for them.

[robertthebruce]

Interesting Posts... Everything seems to revolve around Prostitutes ???

Oh well each to there own.....

[gomangosteen]

I won a trip, prize at a sporting event, had a choice of holidays in Tahiti or Phuket, was set on Tahiti but travel agent had customers just back from same package deal in Phuket and talked me into that one.

Was for 10 nights but as i was a man of leisure (at the time a self-funded fulltime sportsman - I don't say semi-professional as I never got a 50% return on investment), extended by another 14 days at own expense.

Happy with the package deal - stayed at hotel on Karon Beach about mid-way between Karon and Kata - and my first day (arrived about 1am) i woke to this view:

A welcome sight as I'd left minus 4C where I had been based for 5mths in NZ

5 of the 10 days were occupied by pre-arranged trips - snorkeling, sightseeing, elephant rides - all the tacky things people love to sneer at - but all ok for me as a single traveler. And the minivan travel gave me an idea of the island's layout and places to later visit on my own.

Day one - a late breakfast by the pool, consulted a map and headed off running, shake off the effects of a 20hr+ trip (from home to hotel). Went from Karon to Kata and up the hill to the Karon Viewpoint, jogging along with many photo stops, soaking up the heat. Back to hotel/pool. Uneventful, but I enjoyed it.

No bars, no prostitutes, sorry to disappoint!

A note: my luck continued - at a later date, competing in a surf lifesaving event, won a holiday, apartment at Serenity Resort, between Chalong/Rawai in Phuket; at the time the cost was 11,000 baht per night. Loved it.

[longstebe]

May 2000, arrived with one of my mates who had visited once before.

Taxi straight down to pattaya from Don meaung, arrived at our hotel near dolphin island a bit early for check inn. Decided to go for a beer over the road, within minutes I knew I'd be coming back. Twelve days of getting hammered and being surrounded by plenty of lovely looking birds.........paradise.

[mrtoad]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

Wow you are so superior!

Why? Because I didn't run screaming outta Swampy straight into the nearest brothel?

Some of us were here long before Swampy.

[tonytigerbkk]

Well I'm pleased to say that my first day - and indeed, my first 4 months - in Thailand didn't involve a prostitute.

Stayed at Baan Sukhumvit hotel on Sukhumvit soi 20 and had a couple of drinks and a few frames at that Queen's Park bar arcade on soi 22

Wow you are so superior!

Why? Because I didn't run screaming outta Swampy straight into the nearest brothel?

Some of us were here long before Swampy.

And the Queens Park arcade.

[villagefarang]

It was 1975, I was still a university student and working part-time for Air Siam, so free flights. On my first international vacation, I flew to Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the Philippines before returning home.

On the leg from Hong Kong to Bangkok I met a guy who lived in an apartment off Sukhumvit and he suggested I stay in their guest room instead of in a hotel. The first day was uneventful but it got more interesting as the week wore on.

Because of that chance encounter I never felt like a tourist in Thailand. Of the places I visited on that trip, Thailand stuck. A couple of weeks after returning I celebrated my 21st birthday. Four trips and two years later, after graduation, I moved here.

[Utley]

Flew out of Tan Son Nhut about mid-morning and arrived in Bangkok 3 hours later at Don Muang. The first thing I noticed was the wretched stench of rotting garbage and open sewers.

After a 30 minute briefing, we arrived to our assigned hotel, dropped the bags and caught a taxi to the closest beer bar. We selected one lovely honey each and proceeded to drink and <deleted> for the next five days.

After 5 days, they poured us back onto the plane and we woke up at Tan Son Nhut. We were back at base camp that evening.

[Spaniel]

First arrived 2 August 67 from the USA. Stayed first night at the Manhattan Hotel on Soi 9 then off to Korat the next morning. A rather uneventful first night in Bangkok.

[ATF]

It was 1975, I was still a university student and working part-time for Air Siam, so free flights. On my first international vacation, I flew to Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the Philippines before returning home.

On the leg from Hong Kong to Bangkok I met a guy who lived in an apartment off Sukhumvit and he suggested I stay in their guest room instead of in a hotel. The first day was uneventful but it got more interesting as the week wore on.

Because of that chance encounter I never felt like a tourist in Thailand. Of the places I visited on that trip, Thailand stuck. A couple of weeks after returning I celebrated my 21st birthday. Four trips and two years later, after graduation, I moved here.

This sounds really gay.

[villagefarang]

Only to a homophobe.

It gets worse. He was Pakistani and it was his relative’s place. He introduced me to family friends, massage parlors and the nightlife, as well as teaching me a few words. He was used to large group of friends but everyone was out of town so I guess he was lonely. Just a couple of young guys exploring Bangkok and having a good time. It has never been hard for me to meet people.

[longstebe]

First arrived 2 August 67 from the USA. Stayed first night at the Manhattan Hotel on Soi 9 then off to Korat the next morning. A rather uneventful first night in Bangkok.

1967........wow.

Bet you've seen some changes over the years with a few stories to tell.

[KhnomKhnom]

This is less interesting than the blank page.

[tonytigerbkk]

This is less interesting than the blank page.

Well just to bring back some excitement to your day .........

[keestha]

1975, I had arrived on a flight from Kolkata, at the time still known as Calcutta. It was way before the internet and even before guides like Lonely Planet, so all I knew about Bangkok, by word of mouth, was that Sukhumwit was the place to stay. With 3 other backpackers I boarded a taxi, telling him to go to Sukhumwit. First he took us to a hotel somewhere else, but fearing it would be way out of nowhere, we insisted on being taken to Sukhumwit. Once there, I ended up in a dormitory at the Atlanta Hotel, Sukhumwit Soi 2, it still exists. In the middle of the night I woke up because the Japanese guy in the bed next to me had taken a girl with him.

[eldragon]

October, 2009. She asked me if I was going to pay her. I told her I thought she was going to pay me.