Saturday 4th November
The Dentist and a domestic
By the time I get up, Kevin has gone. He had his dentist appointment at 11 am this morning, so I just head down for some breakfast and take his laptop so that I can do some work on my TR. (It is quite a task to keep this diary going, but having got this far, it'd be ridiculous to stop now).
Kevin turns up after his appointment and is well chuffed. He only needs one filling and then he can go ahead and have the laser whitening done. He has already made an appointment to have the work done tomorrow (Will UK dentists take note. Checkup on Saturday and carry out the procedure on a Sunday is normal over here and doesn't cost any extra!!!).
I am still very apprehensive about my trip to the dentist this afternoon, but am detemined to go ahead with it now. (The crazy things you will do when you're in love!)
A little later, I start my journey to the dental clinic which seems to be miles away at the Bangkok Pattaya hospital. I take a walk into town and go into a travel agent to enquire about changing my return flight from Monday to a week later. I am told that Gulf Air office is closed on Saturday and nothing could be done. This is not good, so I find an Internet cafe and find the telephone number for Gulf Air in the UK. When I try and call it, I find that I do not have enough credit on my phone, so I try swapping to my UK SIM and this gives me a message that I am not authorised to call from this source. This is a real pain in the arse, so it's a walk to Mikes where I buy an additional 100 baht of credit and the girl at the stall applies it for me.
I then get a private taxi baht bus from 2nd Road to take me to the hospital. I am quoted 200 baht and I laugh and say "150 baht?". "Okay" I have this sussed now (Yeah right! If I really knew what I was doing I could have probably got there using two baht busses at 10 baht each)
I get to the clinic very early and decide to phone Gulf Air in London to sort out my flight change. The reservations people are not helpful at all.
"You cannot change this flight sir"
"But I specifically asked when I booked whether it was flexible on the return journey and was told that it was possible for a charge of £50"
"I am sorry sir, you cannot change this flight"
"What do I need to do to stay another week"
"You must buy another ticket"
"So I cancel the existing tiicket and you will charge me a cancellation fee and then I buy a new 1 way ticket"
"That is correct sir"
"Okay let's do it then. I'll write to Customer Service when I return and try to get it all sorted out"
"That is fine. Your return for November 6 is now cancelled"
"Okay and the purchase of a one way ticket for next week?"
"Oh we cannot do that if you are in Thailand sir, you need to go to a Gulf Air representative."
Aaaaagggghhhh
"So, I have no return ticket and need to buy a ticket from somewhere local?"
"That is correct sir"
"Okay. This is ridiculous, but I will do that. Please make a note on the cancellation that I am not happy about the service I have received from your company and I will be writing to get an explanation"
"Okay sir, thankyou for your call. Goodbye"
- Click -
Okay, so I'm now in Thailand with no return date to work to. This is a bloody dangerous situation to be in.
I am still early for the clinic, but it is 'no ploblem' and after filling out the registration documents, I am taken through for a clean, a checkup and a consultation. The cleaning is painless , so I am a little relieved and then it's next door for X-rays and back for a discussion as to what needs to be done and an estimate of how much it's going to cost.
The news isn't good, but I knew that this would be the case. I need a total of 13 fillings, 2 extractions and then 6 bridges. The X-rays show that all the roots are good and healthy, so there shouldn't be a problem with the bridgework, however this would need to wait to be done.
I explain about my fear of the dentist and I am told
"No ploblem meester, I will be gentle with the drill. We just do 1 hour and if it is too much we will stop. If you are nervous, then take medicine before your appointment"
"What medicine?"
"Valium meester"
"So, can I buy from a pharmacy in town"
"I think may be difficult. You can get from pharmacy here, but you have to pay"
"No ploblem"
I agree to starting the work and the plan is to do the six teeth at the front first.
"We work on your smile first meester"
"Tomorrow meester at 4pm?"
"Okay"
I am given an appointment card and a bill which I take out to reception. They print out my appointment card for Sunday and I am then taken to the cashier to pay the bill. 1655 baht for a clean, X-rays and 10 x 2mg diazepam. (The drugs bill was 55 baht (£0.80 UK)).
After paying the bill, I am taken to the pharmacy for my meds. This place is just unreal. The whole process has taken about 45 minutes and it is all so relaxed. With diazepam tomorrow, I'm going to be VERY relaxed I suspect.
For reference, the dentist I am seeing is Dr. Anuwat Watchawong, and I recommend him highly for his gentle touch and his extreme patience.
So, it's time to get back to the hotel and prepare for this evenings revellery. I get a taxi (a real car this time) from the front of the hospital and am taken back to the RG. Up to the room and there's just about time for the SSS before hitting the town yet again.
I can't remember the whereabouts of Nok during the day today. As I had been so apprehensive about the dentist, I didn't get my notes written up very well and that evening I forgot to take the camera with me, so no pics tonight I'm afraid, but we didn't meet anyone new, so it's not a big issue.
I know that we did the usual start to the night, but we were running a bit later than usual. (Kilkenny's and then FLB for about 8:30). When we got to FLB, Nok and Beer were already there and they were chatting with Wan who had been with Kevin just before his hospital visit (see Days 5 to 7).
Kevin was in a 'funny' mood tonight and had decided that everyone was going to get drunk. I told him that I didn't really want to get smashed as I was hoping for a repeat of my sober performance from the previous night. "Okay, but have a few drinks and take one of these about midnight, you'll still be fine" He hands me a 100mg Viagra (not an Indian or Chinese clone) and tells me to enjoy the night. He is on a mission, He plans to grab Beer and Wan for a threesome tonight and he wants them both pissed so they are horny. Anyone in close proximity to Kevin when he's in this mood is also going to suffer, so I just try to ensure that I can keep the beer intake down to a manageable level.
By about 2 am, we realise that Wan really is quite new and she has obviously not built up her alcohol tolerance and she is off to the loo, where it is all very messy we were told. She ends up collapsed on the sofa by the door to the staff room and passes out. The other girls are all fussing around her and I go to check that she is okay. I offer to pay for a taxi to get her home, but am told that it is not my fault and I need not worry. Her 'seeter' (Alice) will take her home and she will be okay.
It's now about 2:30, so it's time to call an end to the night and a substantial joint checkbin is settled (I think we managed to get it over 10000 baht tonight) which only included 1 nights BF of 500 baht for Beer. That makes me and Kevin equal on splitting the costs of each others BF bills now.
We get back to the hotel and then Nok announces that she needs to go out with Beer to pay Beer's rent They will only be an hour and will hurry back. "You shower, I see you soon". This is really fucking weird and I am not impressed, but I don't have any say in the matter as they just go! I take a long shower and then settle on the bed and start to read my book. By 04:30, I am really fucked off and turn off the light to go to sleep.
At 05:00 I am awoken by Nok returning to the room, so I watch her undress and am well in the mood for a repeat of the previous night, but I am simply told. "I tired now. I sleep" Also she says "I think Beer go home tomorrow, no more with Kevin". What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I am angry, confused and sad. Nok is asleep within a couple of minutes of her head hitting the opillow and I am left looking at her as the sun starts to rise and cannot get back to sleep. By 07:00, I've had enough and so I get up and go and make myself a coffee (Family Mart still 'no hab' teabags.)
After a coffee, I shower, dress and go downstairs for breakfast. I really don't know what to do or say about last night, but I realise that I am being taken very much for granted and I am not getting the attention that I am seeking. Nok has spent most of the past few days with her family and friends or is there something more to it than that? I need to toughen up and be more aware of what is happening rather than being led around blinkered or even blind to reality.
Having a girlfriend that takes your money and gives nothing in return is the 'same same' as the woman I divorced. Even I could probably get a girlfriend in the UK, if all that is required of the relationship is to eat, sleep and go out with her mates in exchange for money.
What to do? Should I let her go now or try and turn the situation around?
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