What Was Thailand Like Years Ago

[fabianfred]

My first trip to Thailand was in 1989. I was serving three years with the Gurkhas in HongKong before retirement after 25 years. Some of them had been invited to join the Thai army in training for a month in Korat. When they returned to HK one of our Brits who went with them was regaling us with tales about Thailand and the Thai girls ...especially one he had become attracted to who worked in the largest massage parlour in Korat, of the six or more there.... (later the hotel which housed the massage parlour was to collapse.) I also saw a photo of a cute nude young girl taken by one of the Gurkha lads, who had opbviously had his wicked way with her in one of the brothels there, under the glass top of his desk... he worked in the photo section. Thus prompted I became interested in visiting and seeing such delights for myself. I read as many books as I could get in HongKong about Thailand and Thai culture (shock)...including all the classics.... 'Letters from Thailand' ... 'Mai pen rai means never mind' .... 'Thai Ways' ... several books by Pira Sudham about Issan life ... and of course the Lonely Planet guide. I became interested in seeing Issan rural life so when the guy with the massage girl asked me to take her some letters and gifts I decided to visit Korat for a few days. From HK the flights were only 2 1/2 hours by Cathay Pacific and I got a money belt to hold a number of US$ notes I took with me.

Arriving at Don Muang I took a taxi to the cheapest hotel mentioned in the LP guide..The Miami hotel on Sukhumvit 13. After booking in and having a shower I went down to the resturant/bar and had a drink. The barman (who I and a friend later named 'Johnny fixit') showed me a folder full of photos of girls and asked which i wanted. All a bit new to me this and I said that i didn't like to shop from a catalogue but preffered to see the item in the flesh (so to speak). He rustled up a tuk-tuk in half an hour and took me to house, or maybe it was just a garage, with sofas and tables and sat me down whilst a bunch of girls came in and sat on benches opposite. Well, I didn't know where to look feeling a bit shy about it all, and had the odd serupticious glance at them. In the end I picked one before everyone's patience was exhausted and paid 700 baht to someone. Back to the hotel and in the morning she was dressed ready to leave and was making noises about wanting money. I had not a word of Thai then and assumed that the 700 baht had covered everything so I gave her 20 baht for a taxi home and was suprised when she pulled a face and appeared dissatisfied. First night over, so the next day i spent visiting the Grand Palace and several temples by taking the no.25 bus from Sukhumvit to Ta Chang (the river landing closest to the Grand palace and Wat Po) which took several hours in the heavy traffic. I managed to avoid any attempts to lead me to visit jewellery factories but returned the next day on the same bus to take a long-tailed boat trip around the klongs on the 'other' side of the river...a great peaceful way to spend a few hours and good photo opportunities. I blundered when we returned to Ta Chang because I hadn't exchanged any Thai money, so ended up paying with a US$50 note which was 1,250 baht instead of the true price of 500....I rapidly fled the scene to cover my embarrasment at my cock-up.

I enjoyed the Golden Buddha at Wat Traimitr ...nothing shines like pure gold. I took a train to Korat on the third day and stayed at the 'Kings Hotel' which was on the bend of the friendship highway on the edge of town. Easy access to town was by tuk-tuk or samlor and I got to know the layout of the city and visited a few temples. Hardly anyone spoke English there but it was all a part of the fun, being in a strange land with strange people and customs and language. On later trips my friend came with me and we enjoyed discovering Thailand together. In the hotel resturant we had breakfast with coffee, but they only ever filled the cup half-way, and even after asking for more hot water they only added a little more so i took to pouring the glass of hot but weak tea in instead. That first night in korat i went to visit the massage parlour where my friend had his 'girl'. Led by an attendant to sit at a table with soft chairs I ordered a drink and asked him if I could meet the girl. I was a bit shy seeing the rows of numbered girls mjust sitting there and watching me behind their glass partition. She came after a while and sat down so i passed her the letter and gifts and I think he had been posting a few letters to her also....(they eventually married). She was as shy of me as I was of her and when she asked me if I liked any of the other girls I decided to leave. Later and on other trips i did try a few of the other massage parlours, but never went back to that one. My friend who started to come with me on later trips also brought some stuff for the girl from our mate, and he liked a girl there too and partook of her services several times. A funny incident arose from this because he asked her to go out with him one evening. When we returned to the hotel he tried to make the girl in reception understand that a girl was coming to visit him in his room (she never did turn up).... but there was an obvious misunderstanding and an hour later a knock on his door and he opened it to see the receptionist with a young girl.....she must have thought he asked her to bring him a girl. He was equally confused and grabbed a bunch of bananas off the table and gave to the girl and shooed them away. I often wondered what the behind the scenes was like... did the recptionist know of some local girls who were free-timers? what did they think of his actions? After my very first trip i was determined to visit Thailand again...and to learn some Thai too! so bought the Linguaphone course on my return to HK and started work upon that.

On later trips I would spent a day or two in BKK at the beginning and end of each trip and the rest upcountry. I later came to discover the cheap brothels where the Gurkha lads had obviously been whilst they were in Korat, on the Eastern side of the moat... Korat being a moated city much like Chiangmai. On my first trip i never went to Chiangmai, but did so on my second, and never missed it out again. I would do all my up country touring first and then spend some time in Pattaya before departing.

The first couple of times in Pattaya I stayed at a HK run hotel called the 'Love hotel' but later discovered the 'Midtown Inn' and always stayed there after that. Down what is now probably walking street (haven't been to pattaya since 1995) there were many go-go bars and I remember a 'Baby go-go' 1, 2 & 3 where there were many quite young looking girls. I remember no. 3 had all the girls naked all the time, and after a while the hostesses and waitresses who were dressed in a dress or toga like affair began to appear more attractive than the fully nude girls... funny how the mind works... a little revealed is more enticing that no secrets... no mystery i suppose.

I was in Chiangmai during the Black May (1992) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_May uprising. There were students posting stuff at Thapae gate. I went back to Pattaya and a girl i knew asked me to take her to BKK to visit her mum who was a street vendor very close to where the trouble had been, but all was OK and safe.

[spidermike007]

My first trip to Thailand was in 1976. Bangkok was very funky. The airport was DM, and it was surrounding by a swampy sort of marshland. No high rises at all in the city. I remember Clinton Plaza in Bangkok. A bar area, which has since been razed. Phuket was completely undeveloped. I remember there being only a few bungalow complexes on the west side of the island. All were about 60 baht per night. Meals were about 20-30 baht. Pretty much all you could eat. Nothing on the beaches. Just virgin beaches, with a few bungalows here and there. I walked kilometers, and there were only mom and pop bungalows every couple of km., and thatched hut restaurants. A lot of dirt roads. A lot of malaria. People were very friendly. Little English spoken. A whole different world, for sure. I have a friend who's cousin bought some beachfront land on Samui at that time, in the heart of Chaweng. He said he paid very, very little for it. People did not know what to do with beachfront land. It was given to the daughters, as it has little value. Too much salt to grow good coconuts. Needless to say, there are some rich daughters on Samui today. Same goes for Phuket. I was in Samui in 1986. There were whole stretches on the beach road that were undeveloped. The whole southern end was pretty sparse. No airport yet. Tourism was just getting underway. Pretty mellow place. The water was still quite nice, and many of the reefs were still alive.

Spidermike

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[krisb]

My first trip to Thailand was 1975 with my parents who went to business trip in Singapore, I was only 5 years old and do not remember much.

I came again with my family in early 80's again business trip to HK and Singapore. The first trip as an adult I think was in 1992. I was 22 and having graduated from college, came to Southeast Asia Thailand, Malaysia, then went on to Japan. Spend in Thailand for over 1 month.

I remembered I and another Danish friend stayed in Khao San Road for a few days. The Khao San Road did not have many pubs or discos but had lots of guest houses already and lots of hippie looking foriengers. And it was very messy and cars could go in and out swerving to miss all the pedestrians and traffic jam all the time. The Suzie pub was there back then, and we really had very easy time picking up Thai student girls. Actually almost every time we went there, always some student girls wanted to know us, and we ended up taking them back to our hotel many times, or they came to see us the next day.

Another big hot spot was the opening of RCA. We went there many times and it was packed every night of the week with young kids from age 14 up. Route 66 and Morgan and another huge pub called Babe Blink across Rama 9.

Back then we were 2 young good looking Scandinavians kids with complete Nordic looking appearance with very smooth delicate skin and feature and slender, Thais always told us we look very smooth or something, we really got lots of attention from nice Thai girl, mostly nice student girls and asked us to sit and dance with them. Back then, the RCA had lots of tables outside the stores where the Thais danced around their tables in the heat. Also inside the stores was packed as sardines every night.

The Thai guys were very shy back then and did not dare to talk to girls much. Over the years, the Thai guys especially the rich ones have become very bold in hunting girls and splurged on them. Back them in RCA or any disco, you rarely see any Thai guy trying to pick up ladies. So back then it was so easy picking. The girls too were not used to boys so they feel very happy if a nice young handsome guy approach them. It was such a good memory at RCA in early 90's. I do not exaggerate, we picked up so many nice Thai girls in a month and half from RCA, we were thinking of cancelling later part of our trip to Japan and stayed more in Thailand. (we glad we made it to Japan, even much better there than Thailand back then) Back then in early 1990, the Thai girls at the disco clubs were still so naive and full of curiosity to know foreigners and so willing to back with them.

Over the 10 years, Bangkok changed a lot, night scenes changed a lot, girls mentality in disco changed a lot, in Bangkok, it's hard to pick up these cute student girls without splurging some money now.

[Nignoy]

Less accidents, less traffic jams, less Russians, less drugs, less crime in general, and less expensive !

and very few yanks!!

Yanks by the boatload when they parked an aircraft carrier off Pattaya...

In 1963 pattaya did not exist as such, only a few Sappers and a stack of 10 man ration packs,

[Franky Bear]

Great topic

[jacky54]

well the music scene is pitiful compared to the 80's and 90's, times change and Thailand is losing a of of it's uniqueness

[Ace of Pop]

Try this link for an overview of the military operations in and around Thailand. There were no VC here, although Uncle Ho lived just outside Udonthani for awhile. There is a museum there. http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/292/465

You are correct there were no VC in Thailand ... but there were what was called Communist Terrorists - CT in North East Thailand and in the North... It is well documented ... there were several significant engagements - including one that wiped them out ... but one has to research the real history ... As a matter of fact -- I saw some of these CT ... at Ban Lup Lao ... in the Phu Pan ... they were armed - they left the village as we entered ... There are many historical records of village chiefs and school teachers - and administrators being kidnapped or killed by the communist insurgents ... One just has to look in the right place for the information ...

This Australian Plane was armed at one time,and was used against the insurgents You refer too.Its now at Phitsanulok Airport.It was de commissioned and used for Para Training.

[JDGRUEN]

Try this link for an overview of the military operations in and around Thailand. There were no VC here, although Uncle Ho lived just outside Udonthani for awhile. There is a museum there. http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/292/465

You are correct there were no VC in Thailand ... but there were what was called Communist Terrorists - CT in North East Thailand and in the North... It is well documented ... there were several significant engagements - including one that wiped them out ... but one has to research the real history ... As a matter of fact -- I saw some of these CT ... at Ban Lup Lao ... in the Phu Pan ... they were armed - they left the village as we entered ... There are many historical records of village chiefs and school teachers - and administrators being kidnapped or killed by the communist insurgents ... One just has to look in the right place for the information ...

This Australian Plane was armed at one time,and was used against the insurgents You refer too.Its now at Phitsanulok Airport.It was de commissioned and used for Para Training. 100_3946.JPG

I will have to go check but I believe that the mountains near Phitsanulok was the site of a significant engagement between Thai troops and the last holdouts of the CT in Thailand in the early 1970's. Some of the fortifications and gun emplacements are supposed to be still there... I saw a photo of them once.

[sgtsabai]

JDG, you are correct. That was the end of the so-called insurgency. But believe it, they didn't all die. I'm not sure on exact location (near there?)but I was told by one of my wife's friends that there is a cave where the wounded and survivors went to hide. It is a long hard hike and difficult to find, but family etc. make a trip to pay respect.

[South]

Does anybody have any old pic's from the 70's or 80's.

please post.

PKG

I have seen a picture of Patong from 40 years ago and there was nothing but palm trees from the beach back to the mountain. There was one building higher than the palm trees.

Patong approx 35 years ago .. the one buidling doubled from a restaurant to hotel.

[nisakiman]

Does anybody have any old pic's from the 70's or 80's.

please post.

PKG

I have seen a picture of Patong from 40 years ago and there was nothing but palm trees from the beach back to the mountain. There was one building higher than the palm trees.

Patong approx 35 years ago .. the one buidling doubled from a restaurant to hotel.

I went to Patong in 1970, and it was just like your photos. Virgin beach with a few fishing boats pulled up on it. I was staying in town (I believe the hotel is still there, albeit somewhat upmarket from those days), and made a few forays out to different beaches. It was idyllic. The only reason I went to Phuket was because I was travelling down through Thailand (hitch-hiking, bus, train, whatever), and the name of the island tickled my youthful sense of humour.

"Wow, I've just GOT to go to a place called 'Fukit' (close enough ), if only so I can tell people I've been there!"

Patong has changed a bit since those days...

Edit to add that I was the only farang there that I was aware of. (I'm sure there were others, but I didn't see any.)

[Denim]

Does anybody have any old pic's from the 70's or 80's.

please post.

PKG

Here or on xhamster ?

[gomangosteen]

I've been collating photos of 'old Chanthaburi' and store them on a tumblr site for public viewing: Chanthaburi Historic

One day intend to visit the Chan branch of National Archives, I'm interested in seeking out more photos from when this province was under French occupation (until 1906). Particularly like finding old photos of the area we now live, the photographer Robert Pendleton took many in two visits 1935 - 1937 and kept good records of the locations where possible.

Here's an easy one:

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

14 November 1935, taken across Chanthaburi River in Chantaboon.

Photographer Robert Pendleton

and near our home:

Tambon Khao Bua, amphur Tha Mai

Washing buffaloes hitched to a cane cart; 18 January 1937

[ChrisWen]

Does anybody have any old pic's from the 70's or 80's.

please post.

PKG

Here or on xhamster ?

hah) of course xhamster

[Andy2310]

Patpong 1989

[theodorus]

Patpong 1989

[Rhys]

In the 90s.. Khao Lak, was devoid of Dive shops, and the beach fronts had all the nice mom and pop guest houses.. White sandy beaches..Rai and Rai of rubber trees.

[Tomtomtom69]

Patpong 1989

Doesn't look all that different from now to be honest. Although is that the walking street soi, closed to traffic, do you know?

[Andy2310]

Patpong 1989

Doesn't look all that different from now to be honest. Although is that the walking street soi, closed to traffic, do you know?

That's soi 1 not the smaller soi 2. Yeah I think most of those bars in the picture are still here now in some form.

But that soi is ruined now by the night market there every night. Does anyone know when they started the market in the soi?

[yadongbreakfast]

as a 28 year old much respect to the elder farang who saw this country first

[01322521959]

In the coup of 91' I was telephoning my then girlfriend, who was working as a room maid at the Royal Hotel, she was stuck there, unable to leave the place, reporting to me of bullets smashing into the walls. I came out here on a holiday a month later and remember videos of the awful goings on in the hotel being shown outside the main entrance.

[sabaijai]

It was shot in a Catholic school decorated to look like a hospital, somewhere off Charoen Krung, probably not far from the GPO but not behind it. I was an extra there too but didn't end up on film.

I only know of Catholic school in the Rosary church premises (Wat Kalawa) and Assumption school on Charoen Krung Rd. around CPO. And neither of them look like the building/backyard from the army hospital scene. Neither school now has the lawn in the film where the coffins were stacked up. Any idea which school it was?

I was also around for the US embassy evacuation scene, which was shot at yet another Christian school off Phetburi. They spent a week filming what was essentially no more than 5 min on film.

Could this be St. Dominic school on south Petchaburi Rd. near Asoke intersection?

Any clue where they shot the russian roulett scene in the gambling den and the khlong to the gambling den Mike (De Niro) took the boat to get to?

I met DeNiro briefly that week. Michael Cimino, the director, asked me to come to Sai Yok for the Russian roulette scenes but I declined because I would've had to quit my job, thus losing my work permit.

How lucky of you to have met them. I wouldn't think twice about joining them on location even if my work permit was to expire.

According to IMDB, St Gabriel's College on Samsen Rd was used as a location. Looking at photos of the gate, I believe this was where the embassy evacuation scenes were shot. Saint Gabriel's facebook also mentions it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Gabriel%27s_College

[Tai777]

If you're really sick of the narcissism of the digital age there are still poor rural areas in Thailand where you can go to meet women who don't use smartphones and the internet. Better hurry and make your grabs, there's plenty to go around. Not all of Thailand is like BKK you know.