Sa Wat Dee! Yin Dee Dtaawn Rap Suu Phuket! – The Thai words carrying the meaning of "Hello! Welcome to Phuket”.
In October 2000, the company sent us to Phuket, Thailand for a trip. First, greeted by pretty Thai ushers, then by our tourist guide, a transvestite who we only knew as Mei Mei. With one swift glance anyone could get mistaken her for some Miss World. Eventhough the surgery had successfully transformed her from a man to a perfect woman, the Adam’s apple that bulged out from her throat did not quite hide the fact that she was a ‘he’ before. On the moving bus, she started to pull out a microphone which started the whole bus smiling. Stifling a giggle, I braced for what I was about to experience - hearing a coarse voice coming out from that soft Thai silk dress. But to my amusement, it was nothing of what I had expected. Nothing at all. Instead, I only heard a flamingo-like voice telling us all what we could see and do in Phuket. We arrived Phuket at about 7.00pm. We were brought around the town soon after we had checked into the hotel.
Great accommodations with some of the finest resort hotels, beautiful beaches, (just right for leisure activities such as diving, game fishing, elephant riding and sailing) and the local islands make Phuket Island one of Asia's most popular holiday resorts. Phuket has so much to offer and has all the ingredients for a perfect holiday. This much is sooooo true!
Night-time in Phuket meant party time! I could see the wild side of the world famous Soi Bangla Road near Patong Beach have obviously kept the visitors entertained until dawn. Most bars had themes or private shows, this, the perfect stage to have a good time. Rumours had it that in Phuket you could see almost anything. Trust me, you would never ever be able to see naked chicks dancing around the town like they always said. But… there were private places where you could see them wearing nothing at all. Ask your tour guide! As for our tourist guide, Mei Mei, she brought us to a secluded pub where they stored naked Thai girls for some good shows. Hmmm… with enough cash in our pockets, we headed for a quiet attic of a pub where the naked ladies dance. After paying 100 baht to a burly man who stood guard at the doorway, we were led into a small hall by an old lady (ibu ayam). A small stage was set up at the center of the hall. We gathered ourselves around the stage as close as we could, hoping that we could get a clearer and closer view of the girls. The erotic show was not erotic after all, but nevertheless, we were quite impressed with their daring acts.
One of the most popular sports in Thailand, and now gaining world renown, is the martial art of Muay Thai. For tourists in the Patong Beach area, nightly displays of Thai Boxing are carried out in a specially built stadium on Soi Bangla. If you don’t mind the violence, a Thai boxing match is worth attending for. The pure spectacle, the wild musical accompaniment, the ceremonial beginning of each match and the frenzied betting around the stadium will definitely amaze you. For all of you who don’t know, let me share with you what I recollected from the event. As the boxers entered the ring, I saw them perform a special pre-fight dance known as the "ram muay". During the dance, they wore a headband given by their trainer believed to be a sacred talisman earned after many years of dedication to the art. The dance started with "wai khru" -- each boxer kneeling and bowing three times, a show of respect to his teacher. With the ceremonies completed, the fight began. Each fight consisted of five rounds of three minutes each. Accompanying the fight was music stimulated by action in the ring, rising and falling as the boxers battle it out. All surfaces of the body were considered fair targets, and any part of the body except the head may be used to strike an opponent (Wow… this is cool, man!). Common blows included high kicks to the neck, elbow thrusts to the face and head, knee hooks to the ribs, and low crescent kicks to the calf. And oh my, a contestant could even grasp an opponent’s head between his hands and pull it down to meet an upward knee thrust. Punching was considered the weakest of all blows and kicking merely a way to ‘soften up’ one’s opponent; most matches ended with a knee or elbow strike.
The next day, we were given a ride on a small boat to perhaps the most beautiful scenery in South East Asia. Phang-gna Bay, pristine and clean, was the location of the filming of the James Bond classic "The Man With The Golden Gun". It was definitely the place to sun-bathe and get tanned. During the past few years, it has become one of Phuket’s most famous attractions thanks to the plethora of sea kayaking enthusiasts. So pre-occupied was I in picking up dead corals scattered on the white sandy shore, I didn’t realize the rest had already boarded the boat. With a hand full of precious corals I marched towards the waiting boat while Mei Mei hysterically urging me to walk faster. The island was too captivating to let go… let alone, letting it go so swiftly. Upon reaching the Patong town again, we stopped at The World’s Largest Gem Store. It was spectacular! We also stopped to some shops that sold Thai silks and crafts.
The visit was simply memorable. I could not find any word to describe how wonderful Phuket was. The immense difference of cultures simply brightened the trip. The only thing that I missed which I shouldn’t have was the visit to their culture village, The Fantasea. Hmmm… I shouldn’t have missed this one.
