Bangkok, Thailand, March 9th-11th, 2025
Five years since I visited the Big Mango (Bangers).
In February 2020, the face nappy was just about to come into fashion. They were being worn proudly across SE Asia with scowls given to anyone who dared to ignore the advice and breath in healthy oxygen.
About as much use as a chocolate fireguard or a barbed wire fence to stop a mosquito entering a field, face nappies were a sign of submission to criminal authoritarian entities.
We all know what happened over the next two years and, at the time, I didn’t think that I’d be able to revisit Thailand so quickly without Bliar’s wet dream – the vaccine pass and digital ID. I guess plans by the NWO have stalled – for the moment.
Anyhow, it’s Ramadan across the Muslim world and the European racing season is yet to kick off in earnest.
So, a bit of down time, a chance to visit Chiang Mai for the first time and the opportunity to upgrade to Platinum after 21 years as a Gold member of the Qatar Airways privilege club.
Unfortunately, a lightning strike on the incoming flight from Doha to Manchester meant that my Q Suite at 38,000ft was replaced with a cold Camden Hells in the lobby bar at the Tribe Hotel. QR28 was cancelled. Technical issues with wing damage.
Cattle had 80 spare seats on the night flight later but business was full and, had I downgraded, getting a refund would have been a problem had I not taken the option offered to me – a flight the next night. So, One Night in Bangkok it definitely wasn’t.
After starring in the sequel to The Longest Day with the 28-hour delay and a night at the Tribe, it was Take 2 at a deserted 1903 lounge and a red eye into Doha and a short connection to Bangers…there was a mixed group of eight of us there for the second time – friends made through adversity. What a great theme for a movie..”The Forgotten Eight of QR28.
1 and 2. A married couple off to Bali but the husband got knocked back for lounge access. I had to help him out.
3. A scouser who went home for the night and returned the following evening. He was off to see his Thai bride.
4. An Indian guy who works in Doha and had to call a sickie because he’d flown to the UK to watch Liverpool v Saints without telling his boss. He was straight into the office in the morning.
5. A glam Yorkshire lady from Beverley who shared drinks with me in the hotel, knocked a drink flying off the table in the lounge and was off to meet her Ozzy-based daughter in Bali.
6. A glam Leeds lady who was off to Phuket to see family and friends and was drinking the prosecco dry.
7, A younger busty woman from Leeds who was besties with number 6 and was off to Bali for two weeks holiday.
8. Yours truly ..
Finally made it 28 hours late – a detox massage to relieve the aches and pains of all those hours in planes, taxis and shuttle buses and a traditional Thai green curry washed down with a cold Singha. Too tired to stay awake to watch the scousers get knocked out of the CL – plus Soi Cowboy was absolute carnage when I wandered through earlier…as was Sukhumvit Road.
