^^| Does that mean you'll start a wee bit later today?

Easy, my dear chap. When some uninvited company sit down next to me and before they can open their mouth I already ask them, in Thai, 'what's your name, where you from, how old are you'. Mostly that does the trick 

Of course, some are really tenacious, but when they ask 'buy me drink?' a curt 'NO' should be the end of it.

I've never seen you, don't know know you and probably should keep it that way   

It's also interesting to see the long term hookers in this city. I see the same faces working the same circuit as when I first visited here in 2009.

I saw one last night, a katoey who had a German boyfriend that funded the full sex change. After the big cut, he dumped the katoey. The katoey was devastated, thought he was the one.

And I don't need to tell you, the same woman going through the same motions night after night for years. Sitting with their new love-struck victim. Did I mention the other week, me sitting with a guy who was boasting about his beautiful wife.

I was staggered when I noticed who it was. He told me he'd been married a year. Last time I saw this girl she was working in a happy ending place that was shut down by the police in September.

Her speciality was the older guys. Big fan club of guys in their late seventies.

She nearly fainted when she saw her husband talking to me. She's a funny wee thing, and as soon as she got a chance she was over, "don't talk, don't talk." I had no intention.

Next thing the husband was telling me about how so many guys get duped by Thai women. The bar owner, a farang, who is aware if the whole situation stepped in and said - "I should have warned you, you're talking to the wrong guy. He literally wrote the book."

And I looked at wee button face, who had that rigor mortis grin of panic fixed to her face, and winked. She's got a real one.

So has he.

There's still hope for you, old Bleth. At least you had your priorities right 

An Aussie would have said - "You can stick that idea fair up your arse, love" !

Reminds me of the last time I was in Hanoi running amok with an Aussie mate.  There was a couple from Tasmania staying at our hotel who were quite "straight".
One morning they came down for breakfast and commented how nice it was that we dressed well for breakfast.
They were shattered when we told them we were on our way home, just got in and wanted to grab a feed before we crashed out for the day, to get ready for tonight.