The airport opening on Bangkok created a surge of departures from Pattaya. Everyone was going and no one was coming since the flights had been cancelled and travelers were still being counseled by their embassies to avoid Thailand. The result was that for the first time in years Jamie Parker could drive his 400cc Yamaha SR down Beach Road at sunset without having to brake once. All the bars were empty. The restaurants had a few diners. None of the stores looked busy and some were closed for good.

Business was bad, but not for Jamie.

He hadn’t worked in years. At least not for a salary. He parked his motorcycle with the attendant in the alley closest to What’s Up. He noticed immediately that there was room to park his bike anywhere.

“Mai mii khon?” He tipped the older attendant 20 baht.

“Mai mii toog wan.” The 50 year-old explained that he hadn’t ever seen things this bad. Every day was worse too. “Go-go bars mai mii farang. Girls sell sex 500 baht. No business no money. Now Thailand has a problem — no customers.”

“You know many sex tourists go to Brazil now.” Jamie had read that Rio had beaten out Bangkok as the #1 destination for the loveless of the West.

“They have ladyboys?”

“Yeah.” Jamie had never been to Brazil, but the Brazilian shemale sites were in direct competition with Ladyboy sites. Personally he preferred Asians, but there was no accounting for taste. “I like it here better.”

“But no have people. No sanuk.” Thais love money even if only to spend it as fast as it fills their pockets. “Airport open. Maybe 15 days for everything normal.”

“Chok dii.” Jamie had heard enough bad luck stories. His cellphone rang in his pocket. It was Ort. She had been calling all day. She had no money too. Jamie had enough for a night of sin. Ort was always good for that and even more with high season so low. Good luck might be 95% showing up on time, but the other 5% had to be connected to being in the right place at the wrong time and nowhere was more right than Pattaya in late-2008.