Anything Goes in Thailand

Last Friday was a rainy day in Bangkok so we opted for something indoors so we wouldn't melt.  Along with our admission to the Grand Palace, we got admission to King Rama V's house.  Born in 1853, he took over the throne at age 15.  He was very well traveled and had numerous items in his house from other cultures. There was even a room (and by room.. I mean HUGE room) in his mansion that was dedicated to animals.  He disliked hunting, but all of these were gifts.  Everything from elephant trunks and feet to turtle shells and lizards were given to him.  It was a neat tour, but we couldn't take pictures inside so all you get is a picture of a section of his house (or mansion, rather).

A little Thai boy break dancing ... it was probably 3am at this point.  Shouldn't he be in bed?

Friday afternoon we hired a taxi to drive us to Pattaya, about 2.5 away.  The city used to be a relaxing fishing village but that changed in 1961 when American servicemen fighting in the Vietnam War went there to relax.  It is now a tourist destination and many foreigners retire there not only due to the exotic lifestyle but also the cost of living which is a fraction of that compared to other countries.  There are plenty of white, older men walking around with younger Thai ladies.  It's pretty entertaining to just people watch there.    

Pretty much anything goes in Pattaya - esp. on Walking Street as they call it.  We only stayed two night because really that's all you need to experience it.  This city is home to the "go-go" bars.  Women are dancing completely nude and do some shows randomly throughout the night.  Other times, they are just dancing in teeny-tiny outfits and have numbers on them.  Men (and I suppose women could too... I don't know) purchase an evening with them.   I won't go into detail....  if you want to know more, ask me at a later date.  It's not really blog friendly.  Other than those details.. they had some nice shopping malls, a beach and good restaurants so there is more to Pattaya than the go-go bars!

A ladyboy at the Tiffany Show

 Saturday night we went to see a Tiffany Show which is basically a musical kinda of thing where lady boys preform to different songs with props and stuff.  It was very entertaining!  From where we were sitting, we would have never known that they were actually men.  Up close, you could tell though.  This is a huge industry in Thailand!  I got a picture with the lady boy above... but I look like crap in it so you get just the lady boy.  He had a deep voice : )  

After a night at the bars we were on our way back to the hotel when it stated to downpour.  And by downpour, I mean it POURED!  We were soaked and stopped to get a picture by Ronald McDonald!  Don't forget that it was probably 5am, we were soaked and tired.  The moto for the night was ....   when in doubt, keep drinking.  If we had one more drink, we might not have gotten soaked.   

Walking Street in Pattaya

Sunday we were on our way back to Bangkok to fly to Krabi for the beach and relaxation!  I'll try to update more later... the best part of this vacation so far is Krabi!