We wake up Wednesday morning and the weather looks great. Just a comment on the weather; I had never been to Thailand this time of year (last week in August) and I knew it was the rainy season, but didn’t know exactly what to expect. I had been following the weather on weather.com for about a month and they said it was raining everyday and the 10-day forecast showed an 80% chance of thundershowers for the duration of my trip. So I figured golf was out. Well, it did rain for about two hours on Sunday and for about 4 hours on Monday, in the late afternoon/evening. But not a drop fell on Tuesday and today was looking spectacular, with a nice breeze and relatively low humidity.

We walked down to Maxwell’s and had another great breakfast. I checked emails and verified that the car was coming at noon. Nat went upstairs to the suite and I headed across the street to the combo dry cleaning/laundry/reflexology shop, which for the record is called “Sans Pareil” at 166 Soi 16, right across from the SLP. This time I opted for a foot massage and the masseuse was also the same girl who processed the laundry. We were only interrupted twice by customers picking up their dry cleaning and the massage was spectacular, lasting just under 2 hours and costing 200 baht. To me, there is no better way to start the day.

I walk across the street to get my camera and Nat is all ready to go. We walk down to reception at noon and the receptionist picks up the phone, says something in Thai and then says the car is pulling around, Mr. Wallstreet. The level of personalized service at the SLP is truly outstanding. One minute later the car pulls up and we get in. We head down Sukhumvit towards Soi 1 and then make a left, but other that that I can’t remember how to get there. Bungsam Lan is within the Bangkok City Limits and the driver sort of knew how to get there, except the road was blocked by construction and he had to find an alternate route, but we made it in just under 40 minutes. The driver asked us when he should come back and I told him 4 hours should do it, so he decided to just sleep in his car in the parking lot and wait for us.

Bungsam Lan is located in a former tin-mining complex and is now a 24-hour a day sport-fishing operation. The lake is stocked with 50 different species of fish and over 70 world records have been set at this lake. There are some fish that weigh 300 lbs! When you walk through the entrance there is a store to your left and the cashier is to your right. It is 500 baht per person for 12 hours of fishing. That also gets you a rod and reel. The bait is a little extra and it’s a bucket of stale bread strips, a package of fish seasonings and a box of coconut milk. There are two docks to fish off, each one several hundred yards in length. The first dock has benches and the second dock has private huts of varying size. For an additional 800 - 1,500 baht you can get your own private hut, depending on the size. The first time I went, everything was arranged through the internet at www.thaifishingguide.com but this time I figured I’d do everything myself and save a few bucks – 2 people booked through the above site would cost 10,000 baht, I paid about way less than half of that doing the logistical work myself. So I paid the entry fee for Nat and me, was given a ticket and told to buy my bait next door, then pick up the rod and reel at the tackle shop. I had to leave a deposit at the shop, I think it was 1,000 baht per rod and reel, and then we found a nice place on the dock to fish. The lake is amazing, the fish are literally jumping out of the water and I’m talking huge fish.

View of the private huts	View of the main dock

Entry to private huts	Taxi driver lounging in hut (from last trip)

Now the first time I was here I paid close attention to the how the guide was baiting the hook because it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. You have to get the bread, seasonings and milk just right, sort of the consistency of a nice meatball, and then place that around the baited hook so that when you cast and the bait hit the water, the bread would “explode” and attract the fish. Well, I’ve always said that I like to fish, I never said I was any good at it. I just couldn’t cast to save my life with that heavy “breadball” on the hook and the bait was falling off and I was looking real stupid. Down the dock you could see people struggling to land fish after fish and I was hitting myself in the back of my head with breadballs. After an hour, Nat started questioning why I couldn’t cast like everyone else and that this was getting boring and she went off to order food and play some video games. I kept struggling and finally this very intense-looking but soft-spoken Thai man named Mr. Tee comes over and asks if I need any help, saying he’s a fishing guide. I tell him I need all the help I can get, so first thing he has me get more coconut milk because the bait is too dry. I get that and a couple of beers for us and he starts putting things in order than casts out like 150 yards. He sets up the other rod/reel and launches another cannon-type cast. Not five minutes later I get my first bite and pull in a decent-sized carp. Now we’re in business.

Baiting a hook Thai-style

The right way to cast	Notice Mr. Tee does not slam the back of his head with bait

Nat returns and sees things have taken a turn for the better: she tells me she’s ordered food and the lady will deliver it shortly. Another bite and this time it’s a Mekong catfish. It takes 30 minutes to land this fish and it is big, about 20 lbs. As I go to throw him back, Nat screams that we must take the fish home to eat. I explain that it’s strictly catch-and-release, a concept she just cannot understand. “Why would anyone pay 500 baht and then not take fish home?” was her question. She just wasn’t buying the concept of doing it for sport. It really frustrated her.



At one point Mr. Tee shows me his photo album with fish he has pulled out of this lake. Some of them are genuine sea monsters, bigger than me. And this is fresh water.

Lunch is served

Now I’m soaked in sweat and my arms are rubbery so I sit down and have some lunch. Another bite and I tell Nat to bring this one in but she’s afraid the fish is going to pull her into the water as she just saw me struggle for thirty minutes and she’s literally 1/3 of my size. It turns out to be another carp, not as much a fighter as the Mekong Catfish. We then spent the next two hours reeling in fish after fish. Obviously the guide makes all the difference in the world.

The bait is almost gone and it’s 4:00 and I’m about ready to go. We cast out one more time and hook this huge Mekong Catfish that was about 5 feet in length and weighed over 30 lbs. What a great way to end the day!



I get Mr. Tee’s cell number (06-773-4387) and give him 1,000 baht. He probably would have been happy with 500 but he was the difference between me catching fish or slamming breadballs in the back of my head so I over tipped, as is my style in Thailand and back here in the States. I return the tackle to the shop and get the deposit back and Mr. Tee accompanies us to the parking lot. The driver is ready to go and we make it back to the SLP in just over 30 minutes. What a great day!

We take showers and although I’m physically tired, I’m up for a session and Nat does not disappoint. We take a little nap and then Nat heads out, but not before I tell her tonight we are absolutely having dinner at Ratchada. I go across the street to Sans Pareil and the owner calls her other store for Jai, who gives me an incredible two-hour massage.

It’s now about 8:30, so I get dressed and take a cab over to Nana and head over to Woodstock to see if I can find Billcink. Going up the escalator, I am accosted by a horde of spinners wanting to drag me into Mandarin or Silver Dragon. Little did I know I’d be taking them up on their offer a mere 24 hours from now.

I walk into Woodstock and sure enough Billcink is sitting in a booth. I order an iced tea and we talk for a little bit. He’s having a real good time with his steady, Joy. After an hour, I decide to check out a couple of other bars before heading over to Long Gun. I poke my head in the couple of bars next to Woodstock, but don’t see anything that makes me want to sit down and have a beer. I walk over to G-Spot and see a few doables, so I sit down and have a beer. About 10 minutes goes buy and I’m accosted by a girl who I’m clearly not interested in but she won’t take no for an answer. She wants a drink, to be bar-fined and a tip, in that order. It takes a lot for me to get pissed off when I’m on vacation, but she just won’t leave me alone. I settle up the bill and leave, it was that annoying. I stopped in one other bar, next to Angel Witch (can’t remember the name) had another beer and observed the talent – definitely some doable ones. Finished the beer and decided to head over to Long Gun, it was that time.

Walked into the bar and Nat was onstage. I was seated and had a beer, then Nat came over and said give me 5 minutes. I told her I was starving and let’s get going to Ratachada. She disappears behind the curtain. Well 15 minutes goes by, my beer is finished and Nat is nowhere to be found. I call the mamasan over and she has no idea where Nat is – but tells me she will find her. She calls a couple of girls over and they search everywhere including the two other bars they own – and report back to me that she’s disappeared. Well I’ve reached my limit – this is no longer fun. All I want is to go to a nice restaurant and not eat alone – this has never been a problem for me before in Bangkok. It’s now about 11:50pm, I say goodnight to the mamasan and head out the door. I go to the end of the strip where all the taxis congregate and try to figure out my options. I turn to the left where there are tables and chairs set up next to a food stall and I walk by a bar girl and a farang. Then it hits me! That’s no bar girl, that’s Nat! She jumps up from the table and says she was just about to look for me. I’m incredulous at this point and the only decision to be made is whether this is going to get ugly or not. I ask her what the fuck she thinks she’s doing, making me wait and causing me to miss dinner. She says “what’s the problem, can’t I talk to this guy – he paid my bar fine.” Again, I’m dumbfounded and tell her that I paid her bar fine for the week and you’re on my dime. It then hits me how ridiculous this is and I tell her in a very calm voice – you could have gotten so much more out of me, all you had to do was keep me happy for a week, but it looks like 3 days is all you can manage. I turn and walk towards the SLP while she’s yelling for me to stop, but my mind’s made up. It’s time to move on.

My initial reaction is to be vindictive and I’m ready to go back to the Long Gun and bar fine someone else, just to make her look bad, but I’ve had enough drama for one night.

I don’t even make it across Sukhumvit before my phone starts to ring. Of course, since I’ve gotten the phone, I can’t actually make or receive calls, it just rings. I shut the phone off and decide to just walk the 300 yards to the SLP. I pick up some street food on the way over and make my way upstairs. Part One of the trip is over – it’s time to plan Part Two.

Sorry about NAT. If that happened to me I would be really bummed, so I am imagine how you were feeling.

OH

ps: Maybe I will have to try fishing there someday.

Maybe you were lucky to dump Nat.

some bg are like underwear, after a few days its time to change the b4 they start to get stinky

You seem to be someone that has a routine every time you go to BKK..they key is to have plans but not stick so rigid to your routine of golf, fishing, get a steady girl, eat at Ratchada.....once you see yourself in the same routine...that's when you get in trouble. These girls are tomboys from the country and only think about right now and not the future. It has nothing to do with you and says everything about Isaan girls. That is not to say that Isaan girls are bad people, it's just that they are uneducated(normally) and unpredictable. You might get lucky and land a good one like Drewwho but your odds are low. My second point is that you should never rely on a bar girl that has shorter hair, died hair, tatoos, or smokes cigarettes. It is likely she has been working too long and is good for nothing more than a short time session, as she would rather be spending time with her dirtbag motorbike boyfriend.

I think it's just a matter of luck. After all, I'm not looking for a long-term girlfriend, I'm looking for someone who can keep me happy for 7 days, and let me have a few adventures on the side. Just for the record, Nat's hair is long, not dyed and she doesn't have a single tattoo nor does she smoke cigarettes. But that didn't stop her from being a two-timing, low-life whore. (What, me bitter?).

As far as the routine of golf, fishing and Ratchada, those are things that make me really happy and things that I don't have time to do in New York. I was thrilled to make it to the Thai Country Club on Thursday and Friday and the fishing on Wednesday was awesome.

Anyway, this was the low point of the trip and it got better from there.

knock the dirt off your cleats, take a couple of practice swings and jump back in. I:m like you my friend, if I find one I want to hang out with her. I`ve read so much about the two of you even I hate to see it end. GFE....good luck..but I don`t think you need it. I`m at Tokyo airport..closing in.

WS, I can honestly say that I have felt and experienced the same thoughts and emotions, a few times. Nat is outrageously foolish, and perhaps immature, for letting such a good thing get away. No sense of honor or responsibility is the biggest pisser. But hey, there are lots of other trophy GFE potentials out there in LOS and AC, Trust me. I've got a new steady from Pattaya (a 19 y.o. long legged Supergirl dancer) after my last trip; she's still emailing everyday even after 2 months. We'll see how that goes.
After my first few trips to LOS, I began to believe more that every guy should have a dependable "steady" or two, so you don't have to enter the "barfine lottery". The steady makes the LOS experience qualitatively more memorable for me. I make sure the "steady" knows that I flew 8K miles to butterfly as well.

As far as tipping, as someone who used to wait tables during college, I'm a firm believer that a good tip is warranted if the service deserves it, especially the places I frequent alot. But because I used to wait tables, I'm probably more demanding and observe a lot more than other patrons.

well that was a strong finish for sure, did u get back the phone?

Ironmanx: Are you kidding?

Thanks, Wallstreet for the tip on Bungsam Lan. I can confirm everything that you wrote about this place. I didn't see it mentioned at all in any of the guidebooks that I bought in the states, and a local guide in Bangkok had never heard of the place so I certainly would not have found it without reading your post. I cought three huge fish in one afternoon, even after several misadventiures with broken reels. The place is definitely a local hang-out. The service is cool and the prices are right.

Glad you enjoyed. I love going to places where I'm the only non-Thai and that's definately one of them

WS, great report as always. The fishing adventure was a nice touch.

in regards to Nat taking off with another, been there, done that with this one freelancer. It's not fun, but as blazers said, many of those gals are very short sighted. With 3000baht in her hand, well....

I'll explain more about my situation in my next trip report that I'll be writing soon.