Abandoned cinemas in Bangkok (1)

Abandoned cinemas in Bangkok (1)

The Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project http://seatheater.blogspot.com is an excellent website that covers old movie theaters in southeast Asia. See here as well: http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com/
http://www.thaiworldview.com/tv/cinema16.htm

My interest in these places is for art deco architecture, urban decay and porn theaters, the latter treated here extensively:
http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2015/09/special-cinema-5-state-cinema-in-samrong.html

Paris Theater โรงภาพยนต์ปารีส or โรงภาพยนตร์ปารีส
13.7562921,100.5173899 = 13°45'22.6"N 100°31'02.6"E

Lan Luang Road ถนนหลานหลวง corner to Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem คลองผดุงกรุงเกษม.

When I first drove or walked past in 2013 I immediately thought "this looks like an old cinema", a suspicion that was confirmed on a recent visit. Nearby 7/11 branch 2473 is named after it: โรงหนังปารีส. View from Lan Luang road (better view from bus):



Former entrance area ground floor is used for storage:





There is a bas relief along the wall, probably painted plaster (white spots where the paint has come off):



Upstairs:





View from the side outside, the theater has a connection to a circular building that is around it and has shops and living quarters, see satellite picture.



The area across Lan Luang looks similar in satellite picture, but has been renovated:



I went in and couldn't find a tilted ceiling (which means tilted floor in the room above, the audience seating), but there is a note from 2010 about development of the area of Paris Theater and Ambassador Theater โรงภาพยนตร์แอมบาสเดอร์ on the front of Paris Theater (no other information of Ambassador Theater on the internet):



There were no movie posters left in Paris Theater (only empty windows "now showing" and "coming up"), so I asked locals: the theater was closed in the year when แฟนฉัน was playing, which was 2003.

The Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project:
http://seatheater.blogspot.com/2009/08/paris-theater-bangkok-thailand.html 
and it's mentioned here โรงหนังปารีส
http://www.thaifilm.com/forumDetail.asp?topicID=2076
update 26nov2016:
http://www.daxward.com/Abandoned-paris-movie-theater-/ 

Oscar Theater โรงหนัง ออสก้า เพชรบุรี 39
13.7502599,100.5567991 = 13°45'00.9"N 100°33'24.5"E

Petchaburi between Soi 39 and 41, next to 7/11 branch 0367 เพชรบุรี 39. (Thai name from here http://www.thaicine.com/wboard/maintopic.php?GroupID=63&Begin=0&ID=5885.)

Detailed information see here: http://seatheater.blogspot.com/2012/03/oscar-theater-bangkok-thailand.html Currently has some lady sex massage shops inside and around.

View from across Petchaburi, no sign of cinema:



Was used as a church, decoration still in place:





Sala Chaloem Thani โรงภาพยนตร์เฉลิมธานี
aka Nang Loeng Cinema โรงหนังนางเลิ้ง
13.7588154,100.5117145 = 13°45'31.7"N 100°30'42.2"E

The oldest movie theater in South-East Asia (opened 1918, closed 1993).





http://seatheater.blogspot.com/2009/06/sala-chalerm-thani-bangkok-thailand.html
http://www.thaiworldview.com/tv/theater09.htm

Information about the neighborhood: http://migrationology.com/2014/05/nang-loeng-market-bangkok/
http://www.bangkok101.com/old-bangkoks-last-stand/

Language note: translation for cinema is โรงภาพยนตร์ rohng pâap-pá-yon with alternative spelling โรงภาพยนต์ but same pronunciation, or โรงหนัง rohng năng.

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

Locations and directions

Locations and directions

When I search the internet for places, I often find that locations and directions are incomplete or incorrect.

In this blog, I give location as coordinates, decimal and hexadecimal, linked to googlemaps. There are other worldwide map services (bing by Microsoft, openstreetmap, here by Nokia) or local map services (Nostra map in Thailand, Michelin in France), but googlemaps is the most widespread and detailed.

In general google maps is a great tool, I find most of the places I am looking for and it has even small alleys. Occasionally, a location or a name is wrong (I don’t just bitch about it, I send corrections). Often, names of streets load slowly which is annoying when I know the name of the street I’m in and want to see on a map where it is.

Usually I know where I am, I just need a map of the area and not so much GPS. In 2013 I got this information instantaneous and without GPS, probably from the mobile phone network cell I was in. This service seems to have been abolished, now I always have to wait for GPS which can take minutes. Whereas location from WiFi network still works.

I try to provide address in Thai and in English, and location relative to a landmark (bank with their color, 7/11 with name and branch number, other buildings).

Directions by public transport: in Bangkok MRT or BTS station with number of exit, bus line, canal boat or river boat with stop name or number and distance and geographic location of place relative to station or stop.

Outside Bangkok number of highway that goes past a place, with km marker on hwy if possible, and distance and geographic location from hwy and nearest town.

My geography teacher once said “There is no up, down, right, left on a map; it’s north, south, east, west!”.

I usually know the compass directions when I walk around.

Highway marker in Phrae: 

อ.ศรีสัชนาลัย 73 (73 km to Sri Satchanalai)

ลำปาง 84 (84 km to Lampang)

11 กม. 376 (highway 11, km 376)

อ.เด่นชัย 11 (11 km to Den Chai)

แพร่ 28 (28 km to Phrae)

I spotted mistakes in maps that are total nonsense: railway from Hua Lampong southwards across the river (the MRT extension goes west) or a MRT station Bon Gai between MRT Lumpini and MRT Klong Toey. There have never been such projects, these mistakes are called trap street and are a means to detect copyright violations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

The funniest address ever:

Linda Lykes The Cock Inn Erbum Tillet Herts

is a hoax: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/linda-lykes.shtml

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC except last picture

ChristianPFC almost gets robbed at Hua Lampong

ChristianPFC almost gets robbed at Hua Lampong

Sunday 15.11.2015

Boss Vipa16 (16 is not the boy’s age!) wants to meet, call him 16:30 that I will pick him up between 19 and 20. Today I can’t get directly to my room from sightseeing, so picking him up is just one more stop (I wouldn’t pick him up if there was a direct connection). Arrive 19:20, can’t reach him on the phone (call several times over one hour, then abandon; however 22 I can reach him: battery was empty and he wants to meet again as soon as possible).

Call another boy Wut Roi Et who lives nearby: no reply. Message Bom on Line: it’s raining in his part of Bangkok, he cannot come. Message Art: no reply. Walk around Hua Lampong, have dinner there.

WARNING: descriptions of physical violence and picture of my tongue with bite marks below.

Spot a cute boy with a group of people who hang out there often. Approach them and as nobody takes notice of me, ask them in Thai where they are going. Don’t understand destination, but train will leave 8pm. But it’s 8:40 already! Well then the train will leave 8:55. As I saw them before, I am quite sure they are waifs and strays.

The general mood is disinterested, bordering on hostile (one of the elders says “go home (in English)” to me; the advantage of speaking English and Thai is that whenever I don’t like what I hear, I can pretend not to understand).

Ask the cute boy his name, one of the elders replies “He has no name”. But then he points to a female in the group and says “400”. I tell them I like boys and point to the cute boy. 400 Baht as well. I tell him I want to take the boy to my room, can. Ask the boy where he comes from, again elder replies. Is the boy deaf? Ask him if he speaks Thai: yes. Of the 400, 200 to pay in advance to him (the elder), 200 after to the boy. Common sense tells me never to pay a money boy or a pimp in advance (and friends with a combined experience of 125 years of gay whoring in 18 countries confirm this), but I have no personal experience and all I can lose is 200 Baht, I thought at that moment (possible my life, as we will see later).

Give the elder 200 Baht, he tries to take a look into my wallet. Go with the boy towards taxi queue at Hua Lampong. An empty taxi is passing and I stop it, but the boy does not want to get a taxi here, too expensive (I haven’t taken a taxi in front of HL so I don’t know if they use the meter or not). Here I realize I will probably not get laid with the boy tonight. Pass the tuk-tuks (I thought he wanted to get one) and over the bridge. I spot others following us in a distance. Here I realize that this might not end well.

Now it’s all about staying somewhere with people and in light, and with a secure place nearby. Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel is just right, some Whites outside, light, chance of a passing taxi.

Stay in the light on the road and directly across hotel entrance. One elder is standing about 1 m from me, the others 10 m away in bushes and behind tree. The boy and the others try to lure me there. Another cute boy I haven’t seen before is among them. I hear one of them say “คนเยอะ” (many people), that removes all doubt. I didn’t pay attention to what they were talking before. Then guests in front of hotel are gone and road empty. I decide to take the next taxi to get out of this.

Suddenly a hit from below on my chin, my glasses fly away. I run for hotel entrance and shout for help. One is following me, make a weak hit sidewards on his arm with my umbrella to show that defense would be my second choice after running away. They disappear quickly. The hit on my chin was supposed to knock me out? Due to luck or poor aim on his part or by being taller than his usual Thai adversaries/victims, it didn’t. My readers can figure out various less favorable alternatives.

I go there with the noblest of intentions, and almost end up robbed!

Hotel staff is very caring. But calling the police is a bit too much. I check my face in the mirror, apart from blood on my tongue no problem. Bitemarks (?) on my tongue:



(A friend who saw full picture but didn't read text asked if I had sucked a dirty dick.)

Then quickly get back on the road to retrieve my glasses: intact! I stay for some minutes, then leave and get taxi home. Waiting for police could take ages, and while I have prepared a cover story without propositioning, there is nothing to gain from reporting the incident, only to lose. In one minute from almost victim of a robbery to not carrying passport or even copy with me?

I wonder why they didn’t rob me right where I gave the elder 200, with hindsight it would have been a better spot than opposite the hotel, but there were women around (the actual incident only men). But first they tried to get me into the bushes or behind the tree, and when that failed attacked me opposite the hotel.

If I had nothing better to do, I could hire someone to beat the embezzled 200 out of the elder.

That’s the third attempted robbery (the other two in Saranrom and in Lak Si near my room in 2013, in both cases one attacker, under influence of alcohol, details reported in forums) in three years. Plus one attempted phone snatch in Phnom Penh while I was holding it waiting for GPS. What worries me is how easy it was to gather 5 people who are willing to assist a robbery. Whereas in the two occasion where I met prison inmates working outside the prison, they were all jolly fellows and you would think they were all victims of a justice error and I would have loved to invite the one or other to my room.

Now I have to watch out for them every time I wander around Hua Lampong, it has become enemy territory! The problem is I'm not sure if I would recognize the one who performed the hit, but remember another one (tattoos, i.a. "KKK" on his neck) has been around for weeks.

Suddenly, 22:10, Wut Roi Et calls. He wants to come to see me with a friend. I agree and give them location and directions. He makes it by taxi to the corner Malaysia – Ibis – 7/11, but not into Soi Sribampen and to the second 7/11 at Yen Agat. He doesn’t want to go any further and tells me either I come and pick him up there or he will go back.

Thus I go and pick him up there 22:40. His friend looks ok, certainly not like an axe murderer, so I let both of them into my room (but hid laptop, wallet and camera before). He tells me the fare was 140 Baht (realistic price is 70 Baht). I’m still not sure if he falls for taxi or tuk-tuk mafia or wants to pocket the difference, which means he thinks I am so stupid I fall for this trick. I give him 300 Baht for return trip.

Some general chat, then he tells me (didn’t fully understand) police took his mocy, he needs 20 kTHB to get it back and has only 10 kTHB and wants to pawn a brand new Samsung mobile (it had “Samsung” written on it, otherwise I would not have known, I'm not interested in mobile phones) to me for 10 kTHB. No way. (Do these Thai boys think I’m stupid and don’t notice theft or tricks they play with me, trying to fob off a probably fake cheap mobile on me as collateral for 10 kTHB loan?)

After some awkward silence and pouting, he spots condoms on my table and suggests we have a threesome for 1000 THB. His friend is not my type, anyway a threesome leaves me exposed to theft (with my pants with wallet on floor and involved with boy). I tell him I’m only interested in him, finally it’s out (so far he just assumed right that I have a sexual interest in him).

He asks for 1000, then lowers to 800, but I am adamant at 500. After some talking, he tells me he will leave now. I say goodbye and indeed both boys leave 23:15. I consider 500 a fair offer and am surprised Wut turned it down, but will offer 800 or 1000 next time. Now I have spent a lot of time (estimated over 10 hours) and money (estimated 1000 Baht) on this boy already, it would be a waste to abandon. The only problem is the boy seems to be a mercenary, an attitude I don’t like.

And all this (escaped robbery, catch thief on Monday - see following post) would not have happened if I could have reached Boss Vipa16 on the phone!

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

ChristianPFC catches a thief in his room

ChristianPFC catches a thief in his room

Sunday 15.11.2015

Message Art in the afternoon: no reply.

Home at night, Art replies. He is free and in Ekamai now. He wants to come to see me, but it will be late, he doesn’t commit to a time, he will call me. That means: probably not.

Midnight surprise: Art calls, he will come to see me now. Don’t know why it takes several calls and messages and why it takes over one hours from Ekamai to Sathorn, but 1:05 I get a call he is in front of the 7/11. I go down, nobody to be seen. Call him: will arrive soon. And indeed, 1:10 he arrives by taxi.

Without a written record I can’t say if it’s a misunderstanding or a deception, but this has happened to me many times that I thought a Thai boy is already at the meeting point waiting for me, only to find he isn’t there yet. Will address in detail in a different post.

Go to bed, ponder to have sex now or tomorrow. But remember last time hasty departure in the morning, and now he has warm and dry skin. Have lackluster sex, then sleep.

Monday 16.11.2015

In the morning cold skin, glad we had sex yesterday! Eating, showering, reading, internet for some hours. I notice my camera (Sony RX100-II, price was 22 kTHB* in July 2013) is missing. I have suspected the boy of stealing money before**, today I prepared my wallet: 1x500, 9x100, 2x50 and 1x20 to make decision easy for him and limit my loss. Take my wallet to take out train ticket I bought yesterday. It was flat in the back, now it is folded in front, don’t even have to count money to know he was in my wallet (count when he is gone: 2x100 missing). He was rummaging in my wardrobe (without asking); when we first met he took one piece of underwear*** and a T-shirt to wear and take home (without asking, this could be interpreted as misunderstanding or cultural differences) and left his underwear and T-shirt.

*kTHB = 1000 THB, like in kg = 1000 g and km = 1000 m.

**28.08.2015 in my notes: did he steal 2000 from my wallet?

***Picture on his facebook shortly after our first encounter in June 2015. First I thought: this mirror needs cleaning. Then I realized: this is my bathroom! And then I saw he wears one of my underwear and didn't return it.

I'm not sure whether to let the stolen money pass or count it out to him when he will ask for taxi money, but for the camera, I have to take action. How to address this issue? The boy is in no hurry to leave, plays on computer while I read.

In course of hugging check underwear: a piece from my collection. Ask him if he took it from my wardrobe, he says it’s his own and he brought it. Check my vast collection (about 20 pieces in several bags): can’t find the one he is wearing. Not only a thief, a liar as well!

Ask him if he saw my camera (and point to where I put it) and if I can have a look in his backpack. He hasn’t seen it either and agrees. Then he rummages in his bag pack and can’t find anything. I grab his bag pack, but he won’t let me search the main compartment. However I find 3 of my underwear in a side compartment. He says he thought it’s a gift for him.

After some to and fro (both of us holding bag pack, open and close zipper, change location (bag pack on floor, on bed, Art takes it to the bathroom, I follow to make sure he doesn’t lock himself in), I take stuff out from top and Art puts it back, Art tells me he is missing something as well, did I take a card out of his back pocket when I hugged him?), get everything out of the backpack and lo and behold, my camera is at the bottom!

Have him take off the underwear and tell him to leave. He has the audacity to ask for money for taxi, I open the door and put his shoes on the floor outside, hand him his bag pack and shove him out of the door. I didn’t tell him that I noticed he took 200 Baht already, not divulge all my tricks.

A liar, a thief and what I generously interpreted as misunderstandings before were deceptions! In 5 months from boyfriend candidate http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2015/06/dating-thai-boys-31-boyfriend-candidate.html to phase out of my life (I will keep his mobile number, Line and facebook but won’t meet him again).

Pondering over this incident, I realize I can’t lock my room door from inside to prevent a boy from leaving. But I can unlock my bathroom door from outside with a screwdriver (test with a friend some time) should a boy lock himself in.

That puts a new light on one of our previous encounters. I told him I was going to leave soon and he started to put on cosmetics. It took half an hour, I was thinking “can we leave now?” but didn’t say anything. He might have delayed hoping I would leave him behind, so he has time to search my entire room or take my laptop. Money is no problem and usually I wouldn’t notice unless I count, but camera or laptop, I would notice the difference and it would inconvenience me.

Some statistics: Out of estimated 50 boys I had in my room, 2 are convicted thieves (by counting money before and after boy) and maybe one more (didn’t count money). Art is out, the other one (attention-deficit-hyperactivity-syndrome boy) I still see because he is so cute, admitted the theft and says he won’t do it again and at least doesn’t lie or deceive. Talked about this with a friend, similar ratio: estimated 10 thieves out of 200 boys.

On previous encounters, Art didn’t ask for money, I gave taxi fare plus a few hundred extra. From his point of view, he might just have taken what I owe him for sex.

This encounter was a full success on all aspects: I wanted to see if I could rekindle the effect from our first meeting of getting an erection just from hugging, it’s gone. I wanted to see if he is a thief, confirmed. And these two reinforce each other.

Will do this every time I have a boy in my room: leave my pants with limited (no 1000 notes) counted amount of money in my room while showering (instead of going into bathroom with pants) and leave my old camera on my table.

On the subject of theft, here a hilarious video sent to me by a Thai friend (friend says language is Chinese):

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC except video

Trip to Nakon Nayok with some Thai friends

Trip to Nakon Nayok with some Thai friends

Tuesday 10.11.2015

In Saranrom, meet a boy Top who speaks good German because he lived in Germany for 3 years as a child (with Thai parent and German step-parent) and went to school. Our seminal conversation was (from memory):

Top “Where do you come from?”

CPFC “Germany”

Top “Sprichst Du Deutsch?” (Do you speak German?)

CPFC “Ja. Und Du?” (Yes. And you?)

Top „Ich auch.“ (Me too.)

CPFC „Wo hast Du Deutsch gelernt?” (Where did you learn German?)

Top “In Köln auf der Hauptschule.” (In Cologne at school.)

Most of our subsequent communication in German, with Thai for clarification. There is room for improvement (grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension), but nonetheless I’m impressed!

I had few other contacts with Thai who speak some German, it was ghastly/tortuous (vocabulary limited to some words, poor pronunciation) and these encounters were awkward and embarrassing.

Side note: I met a boy in Pattaya (2012 or 2013) who is fluent in French and Thai and even has French and Thai passport, but rather works as gogo in Pattaya because he doesn't like weather in France.

Top is not my type, but good attitude so I consider his invitation to join him and some friends for two days and one night in Nakon Nayok province on Friday. There will be alcohol and music (not my interest), but temples and waterfall as well (sounds better). Top has a car and no job other than Saranrom. For car repair or rate payment (4620 THB per month), he had to sell or pawn his mobile phone, communication via his sister’s phone.

The reason for my visit was to check on a friend’s report who saw the boys being detained by police. They are back (so the detainment was only temporary), but now I can ask Top for background information. Police come and fine them often, he shows me a receipt for 100 Baht fine for ติดต่อ ชักชวน (soliciting).

Friday 11.11.2015

Meeting will be 3 am (!!!). Staying up is better than sleeping and waking up at that time. To my surprise (forgetting or not calling would not have surprised me), Tops call 02:42, meet at BTS Sala Daeng (before he offered me to pick me up at my place). He is there 03:07, I arrive 3:11.

Then an odyssey through nocturnal Bangkok begins to pick up stuff and other participants (total 8 boys and 5 girls in 4 cars), here some times and places. 3:30 pick up food at fish market Charoenkrung Soi 58. 4:15 McDonalds Ratchadamnoen. 4:45 Charan Sanitawong. 5:10-5:15 through Charan Sanitawong Soi 75 to Western Ring Road.

If these times and places don’t mean anything to you: by now we have driven around in Bangkok as long and as far as it would take to Nakon Nayok, and now we are on the wrong side of Bangkok! By now I am tired, feel cold (car aircon), it’s loud and I’m hungry!

6:00-20 breakfast near Rangsit floating market. 7:40 look at rooms in one resort in Nakon Nayok (Wang Takrai near Khun Dan dam). 8:10-45 look at rooms in another resort, stay there. I go to bed 8:45 to get some hour’s sleep while the other are busy outside with food.

Top wakes me up 10:45 for breakfast and to borrow 2500 Baht for the bungalow (which houses us 15), which I give him. Go to bed 10:55 and continue sleeping.

Wake up around 13:30. Top asks for another 300, which I give him. 14:00 Birthday party for one of the boys. Most of the cake ends in a cake battle, everyone gets cakes smeared into face (me too, but only a symbolic amount).

Then to the river, where the boys spend the afternoon. Two are my type, and among other customers are some cute boys, too. River shore is largely concrete plus stones for easy access.

I spend the afternoon in the shade overlooking the river (don’t want to get sunburn), reading. Chat up the cute kitchen helper (Khmer boy Pirung). Can’t read and write Thai, has never been to Bangkok. His room is 50 meter from our bungalow.

 

Afternoon/evening eating, drinking, sometimes boys go by car to get food/drink, sleeping.

Chat up cute boy Boss from our party. Has been in wet swimwear the entire evening. No reaction when I put hand on shoulder first, then knee, then upper thigh every time I talk to him.

Walk around the resort at night to enjoy smell of flowers of Alstonia Scholaris tree and chat up other people who work there, another cut boy around.

Then I spot Pirung taking the mocy into his room, I guess this is the sign work is over (21:00). Ask if I can come into his room for chat. He plays on his mobile on facebook (lots of pictures of girls) and friends me. Then hug him from behind and kiss his neck. Tell him to get up and take off his shirt (I was out during the day shirtless already) and hug him. Now his body language becomes evasive-defensive. After he tells me three times he wants to sleep now because has to get up early tomorrow, I say goodnight and leave. A minute later, I think I should have offered money.

Everyone inside bungalow sleeping. Aircon and duvets (which I much prefer over fan and no cover). Those who have girlfriend are wrapped around each other. Put my hand under Boss’ duvet and into his underwear to feel his dick: big and no hair on balls. When I stroke it, he changes position and makes some sound, so I leave him alone. (Spoiler: it won’t get any sexier in this post.) Unfortunately, there was no space next to him in bed, otherwise I would have slept there for more groping.

Go to bed and watch movie on my mobile. Around 23, boys still awake play tricks with sleeping boys (put ice on face or in hand). Sleep midnight. Keep my pants with wallet, mobile, camera on during night after theft in friendly territory in Sakon Nakon in July.

Saturday 14.11.2015

6:00 loud waking call (shouting, banging on metal), everyone gets up. Drive to Khun Dan dam (spot van line 967 from Bangkok to the dam). 

Then back to bungalow to pick up all our stuff. Continue to Nang Rong waterfall. To my surprise, no entry fee (the waterfall belongs to Khao Yai National Park). Later ask Top for explanation: when there was entry fee, nobody came, so they dropped it. The way to upper levels was blocked with a warning sign, I found the lower levels underwhelming.

When we arrived 8:20, we were the first. Later more people came, estimated 50 visitors. There is no ban on food (styrofoam and plastic bags) and glass bottles like in other national parks. I saw plenty of empty glass bottles scattered around, even near the rocks and water.

I stay on the shore and read for a while, don't want to get wet and sunburn. But when I realize they are going to stay much longer, I change into swimwear and join. Around midday, it starts to rain, everyone gets wet. When cleaning up our waste, we drop several empty glass bottles into the current and they are washed away. (Difficult to carry stuff and walk on uneven ground in a current.)

Give 500 for petrol to one boy so he can go home now to start work in the afternoon. One boy Game is missing. We wait about one hour, then communication by mobile is resumed: He is at Wat Prommanee already (how did he get there). Top tells me that the 2500 was thought as a loan, but something went wrong and he can't return it (sounds like the boy who was in charge of finances embezzled it). 

Visit Wat Khao Daeng (วัดเขาแดง, my suggestion) and Ganesh park, then return to Bangkok.

Dinner on boat in Klong Rangsit, they boys have no money left so I invite everyone (800 for 10 people, the bill was presented as number on pocket calculator where staff added up the individual dishes and drinks, highly unprofessional). A boy Boss Vipa16 calls, I will pick him up at Hua Lampong on my way home.

From Rangsit, bringing people in our car home will be the following way: Western ringroad to Southern bus terminal, then Sathorn for me, then Samrong, then Sirirat (where Top lives). (If you look at map you will see this makes little sense and will take hours in traffic jam.) My suggestion would have been Nakon Nayok, Eastern ringroad, Samrong, Sathorn, Sirirat, Southern bus terminal.

When we pass Future Rangsit 17:16 I think of getting out here to get bus 29 or 34 Hua Lampong, which will take as long as going by car via Western ring road and Southern bus terminal and has no vagaries (keep vagaries in mind, we will come back to this next paragraph). And no further money requests possible, and I can pick up a boy Boss Vipa16 at Hua Lampong.

Reach Western ring road 17:36. Shortly afterwards, Top tells me he is tired (little sleep at night, driving all day) and asks if I can take bus from Southern bus terminal. Yes, can (line 507, can take the others to Samrong as well!). I thought of suggesting that anyway.

Arrive at Southern bus terminal 18:06. Top asks for money for food, I give him 100. Wait at the bus stop in front of the bus terminal. Several buses pass, but no 507. Ask others: we are on the wrong side, have to cross road (Boromratchachonnani). On the other side, still no 507. Check the bus stop on google maps: 507 not listed! I vaguely remember I had a similar problem before, and 507 bus garage is behind Southern bus station, and 507 does not pass in front on either way (maybe Pong can clarify on this?).

Get bus onto bus 149 at 18:28. The other two get off at Pata Pinklao to change bus to go to City Walk (instead of changing bus on Rama 4 to go to Samrong), I get off on Rama 4 at 19:41.

Bus 149 doesn’t pass Hua Lampong, so I can’t pick up Boss Vipa16. Call him from my room: he doesn’t know how to get to me and is tired, postpone. Top Suk62 called me 16:26, I told him I will be back in 3 hours. Call him 21:00 from my room, can meet in 30 minutes (still no message from him when I go to bed around 23). Wut Roi Et wants 5000, I offered 500. We have been through this a few times (5000 or 4000 or an expensive mobile phone, wonder where the boy gets these ideas?).

Conclusion: the absolute chaos, no plan at all, but it works somehow. Boys were sleeping or eating at any possible time of the day. My hopes of an all-male trip with boners in the morning were not fulfilled. Traveling alone, I could have done the sightseeing faster, cheaper and more conveniently.

The boy Top is an amazing social experiment. Incredible how much punctuality, common sense, sense of orientation (he used google maps for navigation) and manners a 3-year stint in Germany  during his youth instilled in him. (On the other hand, I wonder how detrimental 3 years in Thailand have been to my punctuality, work commitment and character.) Future meetings will provide more insight.

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC