An early start required (Well it's early for a Thai girl) as we are off to Koh Samet (Samed) for a couple of nights. I remember to phone the dentists first to change my appointment from Saturday to Sunday, so that's all okay. We also have to check out of the hotel as they do not have any rooms available from Saturday night, so it's pointless keeping our room on for the next two nights when we won't be there.
The hotel agrees to store our cases in the Housekeepers storeroom until Saturday and if there is a room available then, we shall simply check in again.
The minibus arrives at the hotel and there are already a few people aboard. We drive around Pattaya picking up additional passengers and then set off for Ban Phe where we are to get a boat over to the island.
The girls ask if we are travelling by speedboat and we have to reply that we haven't got the faintest idea. After a cramped journey lasting around 90 minutes we are dropped of at this open fronted store that is the travel centre at Ban Phe. We are told that we need to pay extra for island tax and we can prepay taxi here. (We hand over 880 baht and Kevin and I have a quick chat and both feel that we have probably been conned.) It's one of those 'if we have, then by how much?' and 'Is it really worth the grief to find out?' moments, so we let it slide.
We have to walk down the road and along one of the dodgiest commercial piers that I have ever navigated to find this ferryboat that is to transport us to our destination. Let's just say that the transport is not 5 star, but as long as it gets us to our resort, we can put up with it.
The girls are both disappointed that we are not travelling by speedboat, so Kevin says "Don't worry, we will use the speedboat on the return journey" (A few more baht needlessly disappear as we have paid a return on this ferry and will not use the return leg. Between us it's only 280 baht, so what's that? - It all adds up)
The ferry departs and the girls are worried that they are going to be seasick, but the water is very smooth as we set off.
We settle down for the journey and have no idea how long it will take.
As we get away from Ban Phe, the water gets a little more choppy, but nothing too bad. The girls make comments about if they go in the water they cannot swim so "me die".
The scenery is rather different to a Beer Bar complex in Pattaya.
We sail past one resort that appears to be quite lively and think that we are clever farang and have made a good choice here.
At the next resort, the ferry comes in to moor
We are then shipped on to what can best be described as a raft with an engine to transfer us to shore. We have no idea where we are or what we are supposed to do now, but when we mention Ao Prao, we are shown the sign that says taxi. Off I go to find our taxi (that we have supposedly paid for) and about 150 yards up the road are vehicles that are similar to baht busses, however they have no roof at the back. I ask for Ao Prao and am told "200 baht". I show the receipt given to me in Ban Phe and the driver just shrugs and says once again "200 baht". "Okay, 200 baht. I will get my friends, they are on the beach" (As we thought we have been ripped off for another 200 baht. (It's only a small amount, so it's not worth making a fuss). The road for the first 100 yards or so of the journey is okay if a little primitive.
After checking in, we are shown to our rooms which are located on the hillside with good views over the sea. After the obligatory SSS, we decide that we had better eat and have a couple of beers, so we make our way to the restaurant where the girls say that the Thai food is okay; not great but very expensive and the same can be said for the farang food here. Also the service here is painfully slow and I personally wouldn't rate the place any higher than 3 star. It is most definitely not a 5 star establishment.
The girls then go off to go and get their hair washed and Kevin and myself sit around and watch the afternoon sun over the water. (How romantic)
Kevin starts to tell me some of his plans for his long term relationship with Joy and I am concerned because he appears to be really jumping in with some major commitment here and he has only known the girl for 4 days. He asks me about my plans with Nok and suggests that I pay her not to work until our return in January and to see how things are then. I say that I'll think about it, but am not sure as yet. Kevin decides to retire for a nap and to await the return of the girls, so I opt to take a short walk and see what's about. In short; not a lot.
I awake to find Nok in the room putting that damn whitening stuff on her face. She is sporting the latest Pattaya fashion statement (A Cherry Bar T-shirt) and certainly looks ripe enough to eat.
We then get ready for our first evening on the island and meet in the hotel bar for cocktails, but they are not really my thing and the music is very piano bar style. Schmoozy and designed for farang families who believe that they are living the jet set life in a five star hotel. In truth there are a lot of boring middle aged and elderly farang families sitting about having something to eat and a couple of drinks before going to bed at around 11 pm.
Not for us!!!! We are going to eat at one of the other resort restaurants and have a few beers and maybe a few vodkas and listen to some decent music. We wander down to the only other restaurant at about 9:30 and we are told that "Food is closed", so it's back to the hotel restaurant, where we have another overpriced and not particularly good meal with terrible service and a boring piano bar singer. We really know how to live it up. By 11:30, the place is virtually shut, so I decide that I may as well turn in. I take Nok’s hand and say "We go to loom now" (You see, I've got this Thai lingo word perfect now)
Nok smells absolutely gorgeous tonight and her freshly washed hair adds a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. I might not know what it is, but I do know what it does.
Afterwards, we talk about how much Nok earns in the FLB bar and how much she earns in tips and commissions. I am not sure that I understand all the numbers that she is saying, but it appears to be a small sum per month (I believe that she says that her total income is about 5500 baht per month including drinks commission) and of that she pays out around 2700 baht for her room, water and electric.
Her food bill is negligible as she eats when on duty at the FLB each night and she has two days a month off. If I've got this right, then she has suddenly become a very wealthy lady over the past two and a half weeks. She will still receive her salary as well as around 45000 in tips, shopping money, food money, taxi money, and laundry. In addition, she has not had to spend any money on fares, water or electric at her room.
As I say, if these numbers are right, then she has received 16 months disposable income wages in 2.5 weeks. Wow, I am overpaying aren't I? Well, I set the rate on Day 3 of my trip ( It was 'up to me') and to change it at this late date now would appear to be petty. A serious renegotiation will most definitely be necessary for January.
Damn these twin beds, I can't even get a nice cuddle now, but hey 'Cham mee kwam suk'.
I wonder when I will get around to going home?
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