Very noisy hotel. My room has a connecting door to the room next door. Very little sound contained. There seems to be several Thais living next door enjoying the wonderous Thai television till well into the night. There is a bright light in the street, or maybe I'm about to be abducted? I book my flight to Singapore. A lazy morning catching up on notes and looking into Central and South America. Mo has been trying to sort out flights to China. We walk up the road to the Sweet Heart bar. Only western food and I have a bacon and sausage sandwich. Nice treat(LT). There was an option for a Sunday Roast but based on the skimpy sandwich, I'll save that till I get home.
We head to the night bazaar, as already done the Saturday and Sunday market. We pass a little Thai restaurant called Mo Mo. I go for the Phad thai with chicken. Mo gets Kao soi kai - noodle curry with crispy pork crisp strips which is superb and a northern dish (LT). The night bazaar is quiet which is more pleasant to walk round as everyone has decended on the Sunday market. There are several sections to the bazaar. There is roadside part with co-joining shops, reminds me of Bangkok and Chiang Mai markets before. We head back to the ladyboy street with the Thai boxing. We are asked to pay 400 bhat each and had forgotten to call our contact Laa at the Icy George bar. We walk down the next side steet and as the bars have an exit and entrance on both sides, the bottom end is not fenced off yet and we walk in. We head to Laa's bar. She is over the moon to see us. A Scottish connection lifting her soul. Seats have been laid out round the ring but she has reserved us a leather sofa and we are treated as VIPs. The Thais are always happy when you go back, especially after saying you would. First round is for show, showing the sports origins, old costumes, basic kata formations. Next fight 2 young guys who clearly been told to fall if tired. The guy in the red shorts using this oppurtunity for a KO. As soon as the blue fighter is announced the winner the red fighter miraculously pops back up. The next fight has more experiance behind it. Legs and arms both being used. Then there is an odd fight where several fighters are blindfolded. Next fight is better. Me and mo gambling for twix chocolate. There are a mix of fights after this and I've enjoyed it overall.
We speak with a barmaid who has an 8 year old girl. She has a scar on her forehead. A hard woman and from what I gather men treat her badly. I'm seeing Thailand through the next generations eyes. No longer the land of smiles, the land of hope and wishful thinking.