I thought it might be worth starting a thread with anecdotes of some of our experiences in the Jomtien Complex.
To start the ball rolling, this is the story of Ten and how he came by his name.
About a year ago I started my holiday with an evening at Question Mark Bar, drinking with an old Cambodian friend, Pee. He decided to play mamasan and introduced me to a new boy called N. After a few drinks, and with Pee's enthusiastic encouragement, I paid the bar fine and left the Complex in the company of N.
N was a typical young Cambodian, handsome though perhaps not cute, and with a winning smile.
On arriving back in my room, I offered him a drink and we played high-low with a deck of cards to break the ice and get naked, as you do.
During this time, N was fielding messages on his mobile phone, which was becoming distracting.
In a short time we were both down to the bare essentials and, just as things were getting interesting, N's phone rang.
His friend had been in an accident and needed N to come with him to the hospital immediately. I was shocked at this development and readily agreed to curtail our encounter so that he could hurry to the aid of his friend.
He dressed quickly and, as he was about to leave, asked for the agreed tip of 1000 baht. I paid him without thinking much about it.
It was only after he left that I realised that I had been duped and that the phone call had been a set up by his friend to "rescue" N before things had gone too far.
Needless to say, I wasn't happy with the encounter.
The next night found me drinking again with Pee in Question Mark bar, with N in close attendance. Pee quizzed me about N's performance the previous night, having recommended him to me.
I interrupted him, saying that his name is not N but Ten, as he had only stayed for ten minutes. Pee thought this was hilarious and from that point on N was always referred to as Ten.
It turned out that Ten was in a relationship with a tall, handsome Cambodian boy called Thi (not his full name). Like many young couples, it was an intense affair and Thi could often be seen walking through the Complex with Ten following obediently behind like an attentive puppy. It was also a jealous affair, apparently, and Thi was not happy with the idea of Ten going all in with customers from the bar.
Therefore, they set up the phone call ruse, which was triggered by a message from Ten saying that things with the customer were coming to a head, so to speak.
Ironically, Ten adopted his new name, which I had intended as an insult, and now wears it as a badge of honour.
I am told by Pee that he has a completely different explanation as to why he is called Ten!
