Old Patong:The Early 80’s

Texas Larry sat dejectedly at his table in Thai Garden.

He was sunburned, skinned knees, arms, a big knot on his forhead, he nursed a big glass of Thai Garden lemonade[mekhong/sprite/meenow]as he told his sad tale of woo.

Just the week before, he had bought Patong Pattys bicycle, to get him up and down the street from his hovel on Bar Road[soi bangla] to Thai Garden restaurant.

Unfortunately, the affects of too many Thai Garden lemonades has slow his lightning reflexes down a tad as he grogily steered the girls bike into the sewer/klong along the beach road near the turn to bar road at Ladas.

Evidently a few of the locals from the Mikler Bar had fished the soggy Texan out of the mess, but Larry looked bad this AM, actually it was afternoon, morning was a time where those that frequented Thai Gardens, usually.,..slept!

Big Dave saw what a mess Texas Larry was and got some of his girls to treat and bandage the big Texan up, Larry just kept on guzzling the Thai Garden Lemonades and soon was asleep at the table!

It was at this time that Big Dave decided that Texas Larry should not drink n drive, so he hoisted Larrys girls bicycle up high into the little tree that grew on the ride side of his cafe.

Larry awoke later that night, the sun had gone down and the place was hopping with locals, expats and the like for one of Big Daves special “Parties”.

Don’t get me wrong here, Big Daves parties were never like those on Soi Cowboy or Patpong, just simple affairs where he bring out course after course of both Thai and Phalong food and drink, along with some expert Thai dancing by the pretty Dao,all fixed up in her finest sarongs, with those fingers bent almost backwards the way of the classical Thai dancer.

Larry was in no mood for fun and games now, he wanted to get back to his hovel on Bar Road, but as he looked around for several minutes, he couldn’t find his bicycle!

Finally one of the locals pointed to the tree, where the girls bike was tossed, Larry boiled over into rage, but everyone just laughed at him and told him to sleep it off and quit drving in the klongs!

Texas Larry left in a huff, we didnt see him around Thai Garden for several weeks after that, he and Big Dave never got along all that well to begin with and this just seemed to drive a bigger wedge between them.

Texas Larry could be seen over totering on a barstool at Meeows Bar in front of the big trees across the street from the CopShop[police station]. We’d visit with him there a few times per week, it was a nice quiet venue, no loud disco music, Meeow and her son ran the bar and called it Amaya Bar…

too be continued,,,

ps: still looking for the pictures, but have recently suffered a severe eye injury and can drive to where they are for the time being, but should be ok soon,,,I hope