The Doll Shop on Go-Go Street - Part 5

Bill finally made his mind up, “OK, I’ll spring for a car and the hotels and we’ll share the driving, we’ll take Kim and Malee, Kim can bunk up with me and you can make any arrangements you like with Malee”.

Jack nodded his head, pleased with the results of his hinting and cajoling. “We’ll have a ball; a few drinks, see the sights and may be drop the girls at their homes and have a night on the town. There must be bars up there, plenty of farangs marry Isaan bargirls and go up there to live”.

“Udon Thani is a big town actually, it was a major airbase during the Vietnam war along with Ubon Ratchatami. A lot of the guys in the military married local women and retired up there, they’ve got their own clubs, golf courses, restaurants, you name it. They must have a few bars as well”.

Bill nodded his head, “I was up there last year, it’s not a big scene; the bar I went into did meals, a Pommy bloke and his Thai wife ran it. Funny he actually met her in London where she was running a pub. Learnt to cook  there and trained a chef here. Bloody good tucker, just like home in Australia. There’s no bargirls there but a lot of hot looking waitresses, they’d have to be freelancing... but even if they weren’t people were talking about a few bars across the road from the shopping mall. I was going to go and have a look but when I went back to the hotel there were a couple of hookers hanging around the foyer so I availed myself of their services”.

Jack laughed at the Australian’s terminology, he liked to play the home spun Aussie boy then slip in a phrase like “availed myself of their services”.

He thought to himself he may have to be careful with Bill, there could be more to him than his outwardly simple appearance.

They turned to the two girls, “Reckon you two could get a few days off work?” asked Bill, “take a bit of annual leave or something? We’ll have a run up to the north east, you pair can carry our bags and maybe take care of a few more basic needs”.

Kim and Malee looked at each other happily. “You pay barfine?” Kim said sternly.

Bill laughed, “Mercenary little bitch... your getting a free holiday, all you can eat and drink, and you want to be paid as well?”

“Must pay bar!” said Kim in a tone that allowed for no further discussion on this matter.

Still chuckling Bill waved at the Mama San, “I’ll pay for tonight as well, you can stay here and get yourselves to bed early, I want to be on the way before the traffic starts in the morning”...fat chance of that he thought but better go through the motions.

“OK, Jack and I are going to sort out a car so get your fannies into the sack, we don’t want you sleeping all the way to the Lao border!”

Fat chance of that not happening either he thought resignedly.

“Five o’clock sharp ok, we’ll be out the front and if your not there we’ll blow the horn and wake the whole street up”

Daeng and Nok came over to the girls as soon as the men left he bar, “why did he pay your barfine and not take you out?” the bigger girl inquired; the Mama san grinned at them, “they’re off home in the morning, a nice holiday with nothing to do but eat, drink and lay on their backs pretending it’s their Thai boyfriends on top of them”.

Malee actually blushed, “I’ve never had a proper boyfriend, I messed around with a boy at home for a while but he disappeared one day and never came back. Someone said he got another girl from the next village pregnant and didn’t want to get married”.

She screwed up her small nose, “My mother said all men are like that so I have to find one who doesn’t beat me too much when he’s drunk or lose all his wages gambling”.

Bob nonchalantly wandered across, “Are you ladies going to stand around talking all night, or is there a chance you might like to attract the attention of those lonely customers over there and make some money for the bar?”

Kim tossed her pretty head “we have barfine come already Bob” she retorted “now we go eat then must sleep so we can take care our customer tomollow”.

She took Malee’s hand and together they flounced off to get changed leaving the bar owner shaking his head in amusement.

The first light of the following morning saw the two couples heading northeast on Highway 2, that trade route specializing in Isaan farm girls; small, brown and terrified, heading to the bars and brothels of Bangkok and Pattaya, all determined to make the money their families so desperately needed to survive. Maybe to even prosper.

-o-

That same morning Ritchie went to the unmarked office in the PAT (Petroleum Authority of Thailand) building, introduced himself to the receptionist in halting Thai and asked to speak to Mr. Thanarat, the man who he had been told to see.

“Do you have appointment?” she asked in passable English.

“I think so, a friend said I should come at this time”.

“Please take a seat”.

“Thank You”.

Nervously he sat rubbing his hands together wondering whether he would be what they required, whether he was dressed smartly enough... was he starting to look like an alcoholic? Was this a Government organization?  How would they react when he admitted he had no work permit?

Finally a short, stocky Thai man of military bearing and wearing an expensive suit came out of the inner office and, to Ritchie’s relief, held out his hand and said “Ah, Mr. Black, I am Mr. Thanarat come inside, and take a seat please”.

Smiling he took a seat behind a desk and offered Ritchie a cigarette.

“We are looking for someone who can act independently, to write copy for our websites and correspond with overseas organizations. It’s important that people understand what we do and see it in the right perspective...”

He flicked thoughtfully through Ritchie’s thin resume, “You say you have done PR work but you don’t have any references for that?”

“I only worked for small companies in the States” he lied, “a local paper, a TV channel... mainly on a subcontract basis. There wasn’t a great deal of paperwork kept. I haven’t done it here as Thai language skills are important in that field and mine are still limited ”.

“I think we begin to understand each other” beamed the Thai, “but I must see what you can do, I like your IT qualifications and I took the liberty of ringing one of your clients and he spoke highly of your website work for his company”.

He steepled his fingers pensively. “We are involved in several important projects in Myanmar... Burma, or at least our clients are. We have to combat bad publicity from human rights and environmental groups as overseas investment is being threatened”.

He took several thick folders and a shoe box of computer disks in cases from his drawer, “I assume you can start immediately? Good, this is one of the projects underway, a gas pipeline; we have a large amount of media here showing it in a positive light... jobs, export income, hospitals and schools for the workers and their families”.

He beamed at Ritchie, “Speed and total secrecy are important; some press releases to start with, that will give us some idea of  your ability. If you are suitable you must go immediately to our embassy in Vientiane, I realise that you have no work permit and your business visa is due to expire. There will be no problem, the necessary paper work to apply for a work permit will be given to you before you leave”.

He opened another drawer in his desk and produced a thick envelope and pushed it across, “A small advance for this weeks work, I think you will find us most generous to people who provide the services we require in a professional manner”.

He lead an exultant Ritchie to the door, “ A week perhaps? Hopefully less... and forgive me for being personal Mr. Black, it may be advisable to control your excesses, you’ll work better and be less likely to talk out of turn to bargirls... you know how they gossip”.

He shook the astounded young American’s hand and left him gaping as he walked back into his office.