My wife is the nervous sort. In the paper this week she read of green mamba snakes that were swimming around the floods in Bangkok
“I hate snakes. And look, there is no anti-venom available”. “Yes it’s more bad news for the people stuck in the floods, but I expect they have more fundamental things to worry about”. “I hate snakes, I hope they don’t come after me”. “They are a long way away in Bangkok; they are not likely to come to Pattaya”. (long pause) “Do you think they would know how to get on a bus?”
That’s my wife, convinced that the world is out to get her. Even my follow-up suggestion that “Snakes on a bus” would make a good movie did not placate her.
So you can imagine the trauma when Jeff started his dropping his “I’m going to kill you” messages on the site. First job was to take the site down because it contained photos of her and she no longer wanted photos of herself available to Jeff and his imagined arsenal of weaponry. Then we had to make a police report which was fun because the police seemed to remember Jeff with something that wasn’t exactly fondness. Then I had to leave the country. What? No way, and we compromised by saying that I had left the country without me actually having to freeze my nuts off in England.
Next step was to find out more about Jeff and his whereabouts, this is not so difficult if you know who to ask. Turns out that Jeff is in Bali, and this led to another problem in the form of my father-in-law. For some reason, he loves me even more than my mother-in-law loves me, and having large numbers of soldiers at his disposal, was all set to trigger an international incident by leading an armed invasion of Kuta beach. He was eventually persuaded to wait until Jeff comes to Thailand before having a little chat with him.
Threat examined and downgraded, permission was sought and granted from the management to bring back the site. But did I want to? It’s been four years and sometimes it’s a bit of an effort to come up with a post. And now she who must be obeyed is working, there will be no more of our little trips which were always good for a few entries. Maybe it was time to stop; especially as future offerings are likely to be peppered with abuse from Jeff and his own unique blend of vitriol and punctuation.
But then I received a number of supportive messages from people who have my e-mail address. John, Bob, Clive, Wally, Anton, Rex; but not Billy who was convinced it was a publicity stunt. Thanks guys (apart from Billy). And then Andrew Drummond wrote something. Not sure why, given usual subjects are a little more weighty than a minor blog; but again there followed messages of support mixed in with offerings from Jeff.
But what really clinched it was when my wife suggested I might want to go and photograph a ladyboy fashion show. In the past, the possibility of a ladyboy fashion show would scream “blog post” and I would be there before you could say “hint of testicle peeping outside swimsuit”. But this time I just said “what’s the point” and didn’t bother; and there is no point having shitloads of camera gear if you are not going to use it to photograph ladyboys.
Given that, I decided to continue; and here we are again. Photos of my wife have been removed, as has the post about Jeff. It was not the best of my writing and I see no point in continuing to promote his notoriety and give him something to moan about. In the post below I have also offered Jeff the chance to tell his story, but I rather suspect he will settle for the sweary abuse option.
No doubt you imagine I have accumulated a backlog of posts while the site has been down. Err no, I have been playing Forza 4; but I suppose something will come along to write about soon. It’s good to be back.
Comments 🔗
2011-11-05| Bob saysNice to see you didn’t give in to the cowards. Caution as a blogger is prudent (and a lesson I didn’t learn) but bowing to intimidation should be an automatic reaction. Besides, there’s too much to do! Just look at what the headlines have today:
A Thai wife was suffocated by her British husband after she smashed up his treasured Star Wars collection.
Rickie La Touche, 30, claimed Pornpilai Srisroy, 28, damaged his sci-fi memorabilia that he had collected since childhood. During a row, he suffocated his wife then ran off to his mother.
2011-11-05| Spike saysA good story, and one I showed to she who must be obeyed as a warning as to what will happen if she carries out her threat to “tidy up” my beermat collection.
2011-11-05| Snowy saysPleased to find you back and adding a little cynical cheer to my days !!! Still have a house in Leigh but missed out on the excitement of the local Star Wars society !! As they say “Leigh ….. a great place to come from”
2011-11-05| Spike saysThanks for you comment Rickie “Snowy” La Touche.
2011-11-05| genuinej saysGood to see you back. It’s very sad that that Lancastrian twat has murdered his wife and incredible that his “life " sentence has the condition that he should serve a minimum of 12 years. More ridiculous British justice.
2011-11-05| lee sayshave enjoyed reading some of your posts, first visit to your site.. Thank Drummond!
2011-11-05| Spike saysWelcome Lee. Stay around, it can only get better.
2011-11-05| Spanky saysThis is great news. I have been reading your site and your photography stuff has been a real inspiration. I have spent way too much money on photography gear just because you have made me lust after it. My one complaint is too many polo pictures and not enough track babe pictures. Please get your priorities in order.
If you ever want to unload that very heavy 300mm L lens that could damage your back I’ll be glad to trade you a keg of Guinness for it! I’ll throw in some chocolate as well.
Keep on posting and happy to see you back online!
2011-11-05| Lesser Hatred of Twats - Monger Travels | Monger Travels says[…] Days is back online! I like to think my rant had something to do with it but reality is a wee bit different but this is the internet and reality isn’t a requirement so because of me Pattaya Days is […]
2011-11-05| MeMock saysGeeze Louise, I am off line for a week and look what happens! I always miss the excitement. :( Glad to have you back anyway.
2011-11-06| Barry saysVery pleased to see that you didn’t let the bad guy win. Always enjoy the read, and the photos too (except polo horses). I second the call for more track babes, please. Happens that I’m in Bali myself at the moment, not far from Kuta. If I spot the swine (and we know what you look like, punk!) I might offer to buy him a drink and slip something into it. Do you really have a beer mat collection? You can buy them on Oxford Stret, you know. And beer towels. You could set up your own bar in a corner somewhere in your condo with genuine replicated pub stuff and invite chaps round for a beer or three.
2011-11-06| Spike saysThe Bira bike track days and associated babes were closed down due to excessive rental demands from the track owner. I will try and limit the polo photos in future. As for that 300mm, “prised from my cold dead hands”, but now we have Jeff so you never know.
2011-11-06| Spike saysI do have a bar, but I don’t have any beer mats; or beer. Or milk at the moment; these Bangkok refugees are buying up everything.
2011-11-06| JB saysSpike great to have you back as I had missed my daily Pattaya fix. I am sure Jeff must have many people to kill as many people wrote about him and offered their ideas on the man. Some forums I read made your little story was very tame. I had some fun reading some of them a few days ago and some of the comment were classics. Anyway, great you are back mate and looking forward to more polo shots.
2011-11-07| Billy the Brush saysIndeed welcome back, nil carborundum illegitimus …..
2011-11-07| Spacefruit saysSo pleased to see you back. Obviously in the track babes vs polo pony debate I can assure those who havent tried both that the polo pony is considerably better value, although they have similar conversation skills. I genuinely hope Mr Jeff can contibute to this column - As you say, lets hear his side.
2011-11-07| Spike saysI hate it when you speak German.
2011-11-07| Spike saysAt last, a vote for the polo shots! Thanks.
2011-11-07| Spike saysGlad to see you didn’t venture into a discussion as to which was a better ride.
2011-11-08| galumay saysVery happy to see your blog back up and running, Spike. I have loved your blog since first stumbling across a reference to it in the X100 forum. ( I am a fellow snapper with an X100) As an Aussie that has made quite a few trips over the years to Thailand and most of the rest of SE Asia, I love your views thru the beady eye of an expat! Cheers, Rick
2011-11-14| genuinej saysAny sign of those green mambas yet, or do you think they all may be at sea by now?
2011-11-15| Spike saysRumored to be near Pattaya and popping up into a toilet bowl any time soon at a hotel you might be staying at.
2011-11-15| Spike saysThanks Rick; but for “beady” read “bloodshot”.