Too many fireworks

Off to Bangkok for the new year and we stay in the Shangri-La which is right on the river and will be a good base to watch the firework displays on New Year’s Eve. We meet up with Tic and have dinner at Tony Roma’s on Sukhumvit where Tic and I used to consume large quantities of beer and ribs and discuss our equally chaotic love lives, back in the pre-she who must be obeyed days.

Then we head for the bar at the top of the Millennium Hilton where she who must be obeyed has her first (and probably last, given the look on her face) Martini. Great views of the river.

I have an invite to attend the Pattaya Ghost’s birthday party, but once we are ensconced in comfy chairs, sipping cocktails and watching the world go by on the river, thoughts of heading back into town fade. Sorry Ghost, hope you had a good one (evening, drink, woman).

For New Years Eve we go for dinner in the Italian restaurant in the hotel. Ludicrous prices and average food. The meal we have in a food court the following evening is seventy times cheaper and more tasty. Then we are required to pay 1,000 baht to stand out near the swimming pool to watch the fireworks, but that does include two drinks, and the display is fantastic. All the big hotels on the river put on a coordinated show which goes on for sixteen minutes.

At first I try and take some shots by balancing the camera on a rail.

But then I give up and just wave the camera around to create some interesting effects.

Sadly, while we were enjoying the show, others were dying in the most horrible circumstances as a nightclub caught fire in Bangkok. At the moment it is still unclear what caused the fire, but the prime candidates are fireworks set off on the stage in the club, or fireworks from an adjacent building setting fire to the roof. As is so often the case here, safety standards were not complied with and the blame game is in full swing as those involved move to exonerate themselves. As usual, there will be a lot of noise about things having to change. The noise will last for a couple of weeks and then things will revert to the usual levels of corruption and ineptitude until the next disaster. Tragic.

Comments 🔗

2009-01-05 | The Ghost says

One good – and relatively early - night, many drinks and zero women. I did sleep it off in a ladyboy shortime hotel, though, if that counts.

2009-01-05 | Spike says

It does if you provide photos.