I always find it interesting just how different Thai culture is from our Western culture. Most people can see the obvious differences such as language, food and customs.  However, after living in Thailand 6 years I find it remarkable how Thai people can look at even the most insignificant event from a totally different perspective.  For instance, I was watching a football match with 2 Thai friends and I commented on how much better one team was than the other team.  My friends both commented that the losing team was just UNLUCKY that day!

Another example involves a conversation I had with a bargirl the other day.  She was paralyzed with fear because a friend called and said that the gal’s sister had learned that she was working in a farang bar and was actually on her way to witness it for herself, in order to report back to their parents.  I asked if her parents would be angry upon learning that she was working in a bar and being barfined and taken home by customers.  Her reply was “they won’t care about that, but they will be really angry to learn that I drink alcohol.” 

Gentleman of the Week award goes to a fine man I met at a Nana go-go bar. I was quietly having a drink and watching the lovelies dance when I happened to notice a lady sitting at the table next to mine who looked awfully familiar. After a few moments I realized it was a gal I had met 4 years earlier when she worked as a dancer in that very bar.  I remember it was her 3^rd day of work and I had barfined her and we spent some quality time together.  In the morning she had told me that she didn’t like working in the bar and planned to quit and never go back. Well, I must say she was telling the truth because in the past 4 years I have never seen her again-until this week.  However, as she was with a gentleman I did not approach her.  I only glanced over and gave her a smile. 

Much to my surprise, they soon paid their bill and on the way out of the bar they stopped to talk. He and I had a very nice talk about many things including currency exchange rates (I am a bit of a finance nerd) as well as the overall state of the world.  Then he hands me a piece of paper with a phone number on it and says “You seem like a really good guy. I have been taking care of Lek 4 years now but I live in Europe and only make it to Bangkok 3 or 4 times a year. I know she needs companionship while I am gone, and I would rather she go out with you than the other guys I run into here, so here’s her number.”  Wow!! This guy really “get’s it.” Not only does he realize that since he doesn’t live here full time she can’t dedicate herself to only him, but on top of that he genuinely cares about her. After mocking all the “sponsors” who naively send money to their Thai bargirls from farangland, it was a breath of fresh air to meet this guy.  Cheers!! 

I was at my favorite internet café the other day and ran into one of my all time favorite Thai gals.  She is really full of life and has a great sense of humor.  She also speaks English really well, so needless to say has many admirers.  I asked her where she was living these days, and she told me this story.  “I have been living in a really nice apartment near Emporium Shopping Center that costs 40,000 ($1,233 USD) baht per month.  My English boyfriend pays for it as well as giving me another 60,000 ($1,850 USD) baht per month spending money.  Last month he left the apartment to go to the airport, as he had a business meeting in Japan.  Just an hour later he returned to the apartment unannounced (guess his meeting was cancelled) and found me sitting on the sofa with my Thai boyfriend.  He yelled and screamed and threw things and then ran out the apartment.  My Thai boyfriend is really cool and said and did nothing. I knew if I called him that he would just be angry and accuse me of cheating on him.  So instead, I turned off my phone and stayed with my friend Won for 3 days.  The 4^th day I turned my phone on and my English boyfriend called within 5 minutes.  He was crying and said he had been calling me every 5 minutes for 3 days and he wanted to kill himself because I loved another man. Well I know in Farang countries everything is always the man’s fault, no matter what.  So I told him that I was angry with him and wanted to end the relationship.  I told him that my Thai boyfriend was really a customer and that I had been forced to go with customers for money because the 60,000 baht per month he gave me just wasn’t enough to live on…” 

I told her that was a very creative answer, and I wanted to know how it all ended up? This was her response. “I got a 40,000 baht raise out of it.”  Any additional comment would be superfluous. 

I know I am really spoiled living here in Paradise.  Sometimes I almost feel guilty about what a charmed life I lead.  This week I had a very interesting conversation with the Thai guy who is the maintenance engineer in my building.  He told me he was from Korat, and that he and his wife had moved to Bangkok in order to work hard and save enough money to return home and build a small house. His goal is to save 200,000 baht, which is enough to build the home they want in their village. However, as things are so expensive in Bangkok, both he and his wife have been working 2 jobs day and night, but in 4 years have only managed to save a small percentage of what is needed.  I must say I felt more than a little guilty knowing that his lifetime savings goal is equivalent to what I have blown on booze and women in the past 6 months!  I believe it was Football legend George Best who said “I spent a million pounds on booze and women, but I spent the rest foolishly.”

Read Khun Lee’s other WoWasis columns for more advice on navigating the adult dating scene through the backstreets of Bangkok