What Have We Got For Entertainment? - Bangkok Bank 1-2 Chonburi: 2008

Bangkok Bank 1-2 Chonburi

TPL

October 11th, 2008

On the final day of the 2008 season, a couple of thousand Chonburians travelled to Bangkok Bank, every single one of them harbouring the faint hope that we would see our team be crowned champions for the second year running. All we needed was for us to beat the home side and our nearest rivals - and league leaders - PEA, to lose at Bang Phra. There was a cracking atmosphere in the stands that day and even though the bad news from the other match - an eventual 4-1 away win - was filtering through at regular intervals, the fans remained in good spirits.

At the end of the game - a 2-1 victory - there was a good natured pitch invasion and the players received a standing ovation as recognition of their efforts during the course of the year and how close they had come to retaining the title. We then had to face what would probably seem like a long journey home and wearily made our way back to the fleet of coaches that were waiting on the car park. Thankfully, the mood on our bus was more defiant than sombre and everybody - helped by a fair few bottles of beer and whiskey - remained upbeat for the duration of the drive. And it was the aforementioned alcohol that was to play its part in the event I’m about to relate.

 Apart from the couple of lads who usually attended the match, I’d also persuaded a few more of my mates from work to come along for one last jolly and to celebrate the title win (!!). It was this slightly inebriated group (I told you!) that hit on the idea of ending the day out by visiting Galaxy, the infamous Bang Saen nightspot. As the bus stopped at the traffic lights outside the club, we seized the opportunity, leaped from our seats and spilled out onto the dark streets.

However, we'd soon ensconced ourselves in the warm embrace of the downstairs bar. We ordered a few more drinks and settled in to enjoy the evening’s/late night’s/early morning’s entertainment. We sat through the dancing girls, the live band and the loud disco music, but little had prepared us for the show’s climax. Even those of us who’d lived in Thailand (LOS - Land of Surprises) couldn’t believe our eyes when a troupe of garishly clad ladyboys was joined on stage by a man dressed as Adolf Hitler. Yes. You read that right. The Fuhrer himself. As the hoofers hoofed, he goose stepped around making stiff arm gestures and mugging for the crowd, occasionally shouting something the punters found funny. Even by local standards, it was a bizarre spectacle - think 'Springtime For Hitler' on steroids - and certainly overshadowed the football.

We were still discussing this finale - which had initially left us speechless - when we were turfed out into the road in the wee small hours. Even the final leg of our journey home - sliding about in the back of a fish truck that we had flagged down in the absence of any public transport - wasn’t the big talking point at work on Monday morning. No. That honour went to ‘Adolf” and his mates.