I got a great deal on my tickets to BKK in november immediately after 9/11. I paid 750$ and got in on a double miles promotion from NWA. I was a total BKK greenhorn and only chose this destination because I was trying to bank some miles for my silver elite status on nwa. I booked a room at the Woodlands hotel, which is cheap, clean and safe. There was no trouble with visitors as I will elaborate more on. I arrived into Don Meong airport at 1020 pm and met my contact from the Woodlands who assisted my with a taxi for about 20$. I got hit for the toll and had a fast and uneventful ride into BKk by night. Well , man was I shocked to see how scary and dark this city looked at night. My economy hotel is located on Karon Shong (sp) road next to the post office. What I didn't realize when I was booking this hotel was that it (like many businesses) was located in what looked like an alley to my American eye. I frankly didn't know whethere I was being driven to my death or what. I have never been there before and am not ashamed to admit that I was a little bothered by the dark surroundings I was now plunged into. Well, the hotel staff was clean and decent and helpful. My room was simple and clean and I liked it. I was wide awake and after a quick shower, I of course wanted to go find some action. I went by tuk-tuk to Patpong only to find it closing as it was 1 or 2 oclock. Well, I was only haning around for about 10 seconds when I became very bothered about the fact that I looked like an obvious lost puppy and mark. I was thinking OH Shit- what have I done! It took about 30 seconds for a tout to spot me and I knew he was going to make a pretty good profit for taking me to a bar, but I figured I might as well get off the street and get my bearings and make a plan. The tout indicated to me that the bar (I think the butterfly) was immediately near so I figured lets go. You experienced mongers can proably see where this is leading.. Well, 15 yards turns to 1 block which turns to 2 and 3. And the next thing I know I am on some goddamn dark ass little street/alley whatever.. I am trying to keep my cool and formulate an exit strategy. I frankly am not sure if I am going to be jumped and mugged or what and I am slowly and discreetly unbuttoning the sleves on my business shirt and rolling them up little by little every few yards so that if I am jumped maybe I can at least attempt to throw down and not be a total washout in the fist city dept. I knew I would likely be absolutely no match for whatever could jump out at me in one of those alleys,, but I'll be damned if I am going to be taken down without at least attempting to fight back as hard as I could. Well one small twist and turn after another and I am brought to a little bar called the butterfly. Damn, was I glad to be in there. Remember this was my first 3 hours on the ground in BKK,,, and I have no info except from the net,, so this bar was a little bit seemy to my eye, but I was off the street. I order pepsi and take very small sips,, I take a dinky sip,, then check my watch,, 5 minutes goes by and I am still conscious,, so I take another dinky sip,, I continue this pattern until an hour passes and I have nursed this drink down to nothing and I am still alive.. I chat with the Bar owner "Bon" and he tries to charge me 2$ for a 1/4 cup of stale pretzels that I never touched, well I ended up paying 2-3$ for my pepsi and got "Bon" to have his tout take me back to a Taxi stand. The tout wanders me around a little bit and tries to get me into another dinky bar, but I spot a loose taxi and hop in it. This time I tried to head for clinton plaza and the Thermae.. Of course these places are closed, but they are the only names I can think of that will get me to "somewhere" that might be civilized or well lit. I arrive at clinton to find it closed of course, but there were a small amount of businesses in the area that are 24 hours and I remember eating some crab and butter in a little place. By now it is getting along to be about 430 am. I am of course wide awake and explore the street that clinton is on "block by block" . You know,, taking one block at a time,, keeping a safety spot in sight.. Well I finally end up having walked a pretty good ways up both sides of this street and goddamn don't you know it but the beauty of the sun and daylight finaly presents itself to me!! Boy was I happy! I am of course wide awake and am excited to watch the city come to life. I will never forget the first time I saw the Thai sun! I am not some whinning, simpering dishmop scared of anything new,, but I was pretty cautious about that first night in BKK because it was totally unknown to me,, I was woefully unprepared for the whole scene. But I am a big boy and eventually went on the next day to get into the groove of the girls and started to get in on the rythm of the city.. In America every city has its own spirit and rythm, and if you can get with it you will be safe and have a good time. I am sorry to not have any bawdy stories about thai girls in this report,, but I will be happy to relate these and other stories and impressions about my experiences in the LOS in following reports. Thank you for reading this report, and to all the guys in in mongerland keeping the faith for us (not on vacation)--
GODBLESS AND GODSPEED.
Belatico

Good story, Belaticos. Well, it sure could have been worse! This just goes to show how a bit of research can take you pretty far. Hmm ... I'm now tempted to post my first Bangkok experience.