Part 1.Khon Kaen.
Apologies in advance for lack of photos and lengthy text, camera was broke so didnt take any.
The wild week began in Phitsanulok. I know, not Isaan but bear with me. At the time, the beginning of December last year, I lived and worked in Cambodia and was on a well deserved holiday to Thailand. I arrived in Phitsanulok on the train from Chiang Mai in the afternoon with the intention of visiting Sukhothai, as I'd never been there. Walked out of the train station, checked into the cheap hotel directly opposite, had the three S's and started walking to the riverside to get some food.
After I had walked a minute or so, I saw a familiar figure walking towards me....my Aussie mate Bryan from Phnom Penh, with his Khmer girlfriend in tow. So obviously we then went for a beer or ten. Asked what his plans were he said he was planning on going to Khon Kaen, then Surin and then back to Cambodia via Chong Jom before Christmas. Funnily enough, my plans were the same, except I was going to Pattaya after Surin to meet some friends coming over from England.
Anyway, we decided to travel together.
Got thrown out of the riverside bar at the stroke of midnight due to the cops arriving to make sure they all closed then, arranged to meet the next day to visit Sukhothai, which I wont bore you by describing, and a couple of days later we arrived in Khon Kaen.
Khon Kaen is one of my favourite places in Isaan, I dont know why I just really like it there. Maybe cos its quite lively for a city in the middle of Isaan and has good cheap local-style nightlife. Whatever, first night we arrived we had a few quiet beers in Sevens corner bar and retired fairly early. The next night my Aussie mate flaked out early again (under the thumb!) and left me talking to the new Thai owner of the bar, really nice bloke, and a couple of English expats who live in KK. So far so tame.
I'd had a fair few beers by now and got to asking the English blokes about the nightlife options, clubs etc. They told me about the Tawan Daeng in KK and as I'd been to the one in Surin before and had a good time I decided to go there. They said they wanted to go too so one of them went and got his 4x4, his girlfiend, her friend and next thing we were at Tawan Daeng.
The place was jumping, with a good band on stage playing rowdy Isaan cowboy music and pissed up Isaan girls dancing on tables. The floor was literally vibrating! A bottle of Johnny Black was bought along with a load of beers and we all proceeded to get extremely pissed. Took a wander round the place and was invited to drink whiskey by at least three tables of pissed Thais and attracted the attention of a group of nice looking young Thai girls, dont think they see many young Farang in there that often!
One attractive young lady came to my table and was trying to persuade me to allow her to accompany me to my hotel that night. Unfortunately, despite her charms, I was far too intoxicated to even consider it and had to decline her kind offer! So, a good night was had by all and we check binned and left. Only problem was when we got back to the town I had completely forgot where my hotel was so I decided to jump out the car and have a wander round to look for it.
After walking around for about 10 minutes I realised I didnt have a clue where I was, saw a 7/11 and decided to buy a beer to walk about with. Outside were a group of moto taxi drivers drinking Lao kao with water and playing Checkers with bottle tops. As I didnt have anything better to do and was already extremely drunk, I bought a bottle of Lao Kao and sat down with them. I was there for a fair bit having a banter in a mix of pidgin Thai and pidgin English and thought I had better try and find my hotel again.
I attempted to stand up and my legs turned to jelly beneath me, causing me to fall over. Face first. Without even putting my hands out to break the fall. THATS how drunk I was. The taxi boys picked me up off the floor and were saying I should go to the hospital, or back to my hotel and that they'd take me. As I didnt know where the hotel was I said no and that i didnt need a hospital and off I stumbled into the Khon Kaen night.
Eventually, I found my hotel and went into a deep drunk sleep, fully clothed with my shoes still on, until the afternoon next day. I awoke with a monstrous hangover and blinding headache, with my face stuck to the pillow with blood. I went and looked in the mirror and in amongst the dried blood I had cuts and grazes on my forehead, eyebrow, cheek, nose, jaw and on each shoulder due to not putting my hands out. They were still full of dirt and cleaning them out in that state was agony!
Bryan came to my room and started pissing himself at the state of me and his girl went and got me some food. To say that day was a write off is an understatement! Aside from a sneaky trip to soi Haa-Roy (!) the next day I pretty much stayed in the hotel until we got the bus to Surin the day after that.
Part 2 in Surin to come later, including more cops, blood, drinking and a bit of fighting thrown in too, if I havent already bored you to death yet!