I awake with a bit of a hangover at 10:00 and after breakfast, I start a load of washing. The events from the previous day are clear up until I left Cherry Bar. I know that I went to Noi’s Bar after that and by the fact that I have three bottles of Chang in the fridge, I obviously stopped off at the corner store and thankfully hadn’t consumed them.
I remember very clearly that I had already paid ‘tip’ to the lovely Ja of the Winchester Gun Club for ‘services to be rendered’ but I did have a problem in that I couldn’t remember the exact location of the Bar. (I had been given a business card yesterday, but don’t know what happened to it).
I have enough dirty washing to make up a machine load. So I get this going straightaway and then make myself some breakfast. (The bacon sarnies are going down well as a quick and easy meal)
I log on to the Internet and using Google the full history of the Bar is discovered. It was originally The Winchester Gun Club then became The Blind Beggar (hence the pictures in the bar of the London gangsters and their accomplices). It then underwent another change of management and reverted to its original name. More importantly, I determined that it was located on Soi Wat Boon and confirmed that its opening time was 12:00.
After hanging out the washing, it was time to get shaved and generally ‘tarted up’. By 12:15, I was out the door and was pleased to find that the scooter taxi rider knew the Soi that I was talking about. A long trek down Sukhumvit past Tesco and then the Wat is on the right hand side and you just keep going until you see the orange building with the massive sign.
As I enter the bar, there’s a little squeal and Ja steps forward through the crowd of girls at the door and takes my hand to lead me into the bar.
She’s as cute as I remember her which is a great relief (Beer goggles can be deceiving) and we settle down for a drink cuddle and chat. The first thing I’m told is “Your friend from yesterday. He come today. Is upstairs now.” I see him as he leaves 20 minutes or so later, but I don’t think he sees me.
I’m feeling very comfortable sitting with Ja and her English is excellent as she went to English lessons paid for by a Dutchman who had told her that he would return to stay with her (but didn’t).
Ten minutes later, I’m settling checkbin and paying the room charge (250 baht) and we make our way upstairs to a well appointed clean and tidy room with en suite and air con where I admit to making yet another ‘transgression’.
On the way out, I’m asked to give ‘small tip’ to the maid for keeping the room clean and tidy and 20 baht is deemed sufficient for this.
As we head down the stairs I’m asked what I’m going to do for the rest of the day and I say that I’ll stay for a few drinks and continue to chat with Ja.
We settle down and over the next two hours, I find out a lot of information about this lady. She’s 28 years old, has two kids, weighs 45kg and is 153cm tall. She works in her tattoo shop which she runs with her elder and younger brothers between 08:00 & 11:00, then 8 – 9 hours at the Winchester where she has two days off a month (but cannot be Friday, Saturday or Sunday) and is paid 5000 baht a month. If she fails to get 20 ST’s in a month, she’s ‘cut’ 1000 baht. If she fails to get 60 LD’s a month she is ‘cut’ 1000 baht. If she fails to turn up to work, she’s ‘cut’ 1000 for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday or 500 for other days. Staff ‘uniform’ has to be worn on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays otherwise there is a ‘cut’. In the evening, she works an hour at the tattoo shop between 22:00 & 23:00 where she cleans and locks up. She gets home and into bed by midnight and has to get up at least once a night to feed her two year old baby. I’m told that the father of the baby is no longer around and it’s not a problem as she doesn’t like him anymore.
It’s now 15:00 and I’m in a great mood, however Ja tells me that she needs to go and eat (The girls get 20 minutes lunch break a day), so she heads off whilst I just have another beer.
When she returns after less than 15 minutes, I’m pleased to see her and it just had to be done. So it’s time to pay checkbin again including another room charge and this gets a hoot of laughs from a number of the other girls and a few high fives. I really don’t care though and this time the session is quite different to the earlier one.
When we return to the bar this time, I decide that it really is time to return home, so Ja escorts me outside and waits with me until a scooter taxi arrives.
I’ve had a couple of ‘over budget’ days, but have had a very enjoyable time and consider the expenditure ‘well spent’.
Expenditure :
Scooter Taxis - 200 baht
Winchester – 2100 baht
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