Take note, Elvis Presley fans! You can stop mourning the death of the Pelvis. The hip-swinging singer is alive and well and living in Pattaya, Thailand. Well, sort of. What I can tell you without fear of contradiction is that Elvis is packing in the crowds at a few nightspots in this extraordinary beach resort.
Take a drive through Pattaya, a coastal town about two hours from Bangkok, and you'll see huge posters advertising "ELVIS...LIVE" along with a life-size figure of a Presley lookalike. It is clear that the King of Rock is still a big hit in this part of the world. Two resorts that have made their name on the back of his 'blue suede shoes" are the Jomtien Boathouse and Residence Garden Resort, who have been hosting performances for ages.
Of course, it's not that the Thais have suddenly fallen in love with the Las Vegas lounge lizard, its the middle-aged foreigners who can't resist taking a trip down memory lane. Dressed in their overflowing tank tops, bermuda shorts and Hawaiian flowered shirts, they are more than happy to part with a few dollars (or Euros) to wiggle their hips to Jailhouse Rock like they used to "in the good old days".
While the Elvis phenomenon might be strange for some to understand, they are not losing any sleep over it in Pattaya. This is a town that caters to clients needs - whatever they are. Not for nothing is it considered as the world capital of sex. When it comes to gogo bars, massage shops and bars filled with available ladies, Pattaya is in a league of its own.
You can't turn a corner without being confronted by a sweet smile and the much-repeated invitation: "Hello, handsome man, you come have drink in my bar". Want a bar where everyone is dressed as schoolgirls? No problem. You want to join a nurses party? Step this way. How about a handsome man? A bar dedicated to Elvis? Just down the road on the left, madam. And you won't be lacking for company: "You come see Elvis, you buy me drink".
The performer who can be credited for having put Elvis on the map in Pattaya is Richie Newton, who gives a sterling performance, but can hardly be called a lookalike. He has moved on to Phuket, where he is charming patrons at the Holiday Inn in Patong Beach, but the spirit of the King lives on in Pattaya.
If Elvis was still alive he would be 72 today. After all those years of high living in Vegas, I have a feeling he wouldn't have minded spending his twilight years in this corner of south-east Asia. No-one here would care how much weight he had put on or when his last record hit the charts. As long as he has more than a few bucks to spare, he won't be lacking for admirers. The 'handsome man' would have the time of his life.
