Wats and Old White Men

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early and headed to Ayutthaya with two coworkers. Ayutthaya became the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, also known as Siam, in 1350. In 1767 the Burmese destroyed the city-- which at that point had around a million residents-- and ended the kingdom. Now, although Ayutthaya has been built into a small city, there are still many gorgeous ruins of the various wats that dotted the city in it's prime.


Ayutthaya was only a 1.5 hour minibus ride away from Bangkok (60 baht, less than $2). Once we arrived, we avoided the hoards of people offering guided tours and rented bikes for the day (30 baht, just less than $1). Armed with maps, we rode from wat to wat, taking many, many pictures. By the time we had seen the main sights in the city it was only 2pm. With many hours of daylight left, we decided to cross the main river and venture out a little further. We may have been a little adventurous, as we ended up biking over thirty minutes to a wat, just to find out that there was no way to cross the river that separated us from it. An hour and a half later, after several wrong turns most likely caused by dehydration, we ended up back at the bike rental place where we chugged enormous bottles of water. When/if people come visit me, I will certainly recommend Ayutthaya as a day trip-- the ruins were remarkable and there are so many of them that by the end of the day you will probably never want to see one again.


The next morning, one of my roommates and I decided to head for the beach for the remainder of our three day weekend. After assessing our options, we got on a bus for Pattaya (113 baht= $3.50). In our guidebooks, Pattaya was listed as a city with vibrant nightlife. While known for it's population of sex workers, it was said to be working hard to reform its image to become more family friendly. When we told a coworker we were going to Pattaya he wrinkled his nose and recommended that we stay in Jomtien, the town immediately south. We arrived in Pattaya and hopped on a songtheaw (a truck with seats for passengers in the back) to take us south. Our mouths dropped open as we drove through the town. EVERYWHERE we turned were older white men (and some Indian men). Most of these men had their arm around tiny Thai women in ridiculously short skirts. At first, this was all very amusing for us. We took pictures of signs that offered speedy marriages or help with visas to get Thai wives/girlfriends home.


We spent that first day lying on the beach in Jomtien. We rented an umbrella, got out our books, and settled in. The beach in Jomtien was mostly filled with families and groups of young Thais enjoying the day with their friends. One thing that struck me is that none of them wore swimsuits. A couple next to us had a romantic dinner and then promptly jumped in the ocean-- even though the woman was wearing a pretty, frilly shirt. Also, I saw no towels. How do they get dry? The two of us did spend a lot of time in the warm water, albeit in bathing suits. As we sat there, the two of us pondered our situation. What was there for us in this town other than the beach? As Thailand is really close to the equator, darkness falls early and quickly. After 6pm, we really couldn't linger on the beach. We had gotten a room (280 baht= $8.70 a piece) in a hostel owned by an Australian man and his Thai wife (go figure). After we showered and used the internet, he helped us devise a plan of action. We were to eat in Jomtien at an outdoor restaurant and then take a Sonthaew into Pattaya to check out the scene. We would find a movie to go to, so we actually had something to do.



Our dinner was frustrating-- we chose the busiest place possible, hoping for a good experience. It started off with the waitress telling us to sit at a table with three white men and their Thai girlfriends. We reseated ourselves. Next, even though she had confirmed our move, it took about ten minutes to get a menu and another ten to order. Then they brought me the wrong food twice and gave my vegetarian friend a dish with shrimp in it.


After dinner, we made our way to the movie theater to buy tickets. The movie-going experience in Thailand is a bit different from in the US. First, you chose your seats at the counter, looking at a screen to verify where you will sit. You can pay extra to sit in a "VIP" section with enormous armchairs if you so choose. Sometimes, at the ticket counter they give you free things... like samples of shampoo and conditioner. Since everyone has pre-selected their seats, there is no need to rush into the theater. Rather, it is better that you wait and show up late. There are at least 20 minutes of previews, if not 30. These previews are followed by the King's anthem, where everyone stands and watches pictures of the King and his family as music plays. Finally, the movie begins. We had an hour to kill before even the previews started, so we wandered around the town. It was here where our initial amusement with the Pattaya crowd began to wane. The women's skirts had gotten even shorter and the men more numerous and boorish. Everywhere we looked was a bar or massage parlor or sleazy hotel teaming with people. We ended up back in the movie early. Unfortunately, the earliest movie playing was "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." I do not recommend that you see this movie. The night did end on a high note though-- freshly made banana pancakes outside our hotel.


In the morning we took a dip in the sea, checked out of our hostel (where we had slept in a steamy room with one tiny fan oscillating between us), and decided to leave and never look back. Although the beach was pleasant, there are many pleasant beaches in Thailand. Next time, I'll look for something either more secluded or with a much younger and less sleezy atmosphere.