The early morning songtaew was peaceful. A lay ascetic sat opposite me, quiet, composed, radiating the sort of calm that makes everyone else behave for once. No drama. No noise. No need to pretend the world is listening (as in the earlier blog).

Fast-forward to the return journey, where tranquillity died a swift death.

In his place: a drunk American with the volume setting of a foghorn and the self-awareness of a parking bollard. He asked if we wanted him to sing, but didn’t pause long enough to hear the universal internal “no”.

His opening act was Rolling in the Deep.
His excuse? Five weeks ago an AI app had allegedly told him he had “a great voice for Adele”.

The AI should be prosecuted.

The bus was packed with Thais, Scandinavians, Germans, a French couple and one Brit, yet he assumed all would understand his rapid-fire drunk American monologue — delivered at full volume because, as we know, when people don’t understand you, the correct solution is to shout.

He powered on regardless, offering unsolicited compliments to a young Thai girl and proudly informing a German that he had “actually been to Germany”, as if announcing a major expedition to a developing nation.

Then he threatened an encore — I See Red, unintentionally appropriate.

At that point I pressed the red buzzer and abandoned ship. Walking home was easier than staying for verse two.

Sunrise with a gentle ascetic…
Sunset with unsolicited American karaoke.

A neat illustration of Thailand’s ability to present the entire human spectrum in under twelve hours.

“Alcohol is necessary for a man so that he can have a good opinion of himself, undisturbed by the facts“.

Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humourist and journalist. Chicago Tribune on 26 April 1914, under the title “Mr. Dooley on Alcohol”.