One of the things I really enjoy about living in Paradise is the lack of the political correctness that is so pervasive in the west.  It really is refreshing to be able to make an observation about others without having to become the victim of the PC brigade.  I can remember being on the sky train with an old flame when 4 or 5 people from a particular Middle Eastern country came aboard.  Nearly every person on the train, regardless of what nationality they happened to be, all in unison moved as far away as possible from the new group of passengers.  These people smelled so bad that my date actually vomited in her hand.  I can recall the German guy next to me saying “man do these people smell terrible.”  I nodded my head in agreement and also felt such freedom to be able to express opinions like that without any recrimination.  The point being that I have nothing against this group of people, I don’t have a problem with their race, religion or choice of lifestyle, they just smelled really bad.  I would hope that if I ever left the house smelling that way someone would have the grace and honesty to tell me. 

I was drinking in one of my favorite haunts the other night, and as usual the music was a bit too loud, and I had been indulging in the libations just a bit too much, when the stranger next to me barked out that I must be American as I was speaking very loudly.  I wasn’t really offended but merely curious, so I asked my English and Canadian mates at the bar if they had ever noticed that Americans talked louder than most other groups of people and every one of them agreed with that observation.  Well then, I guess we are a loud bunch!  I really don’t know why that is the case, I can only venture to guess that since it is so quiet everywhere in my country and so loud everywhere in Thailand that we just aren’t very good at adjusting our voice levels to the current situation. 

More and more lately I have noticed my friends and acquaintances choosing the worst kind of women imaginable to be their lovers.  I wrote an earlier column about how nobody here wants to be James Bond.  Guys can have a million beautiful girlfriends and live the life of an international playboy, but the vast majority choose to settle down with one woman, and it seems to me that in most cases the women they choose are the least attractive, least educated and in many cases the extreme bottom of the barrel in every way.  

I have tried in vain to figure out why this happens to be the case.  Are guys just lazy, therefore choosing the women who are the easiest to access, thus always getting the worst of the lot?  Do guys have such low self esteem that deep inside they think that this is all they can get or even deserve?  Are they so lacking in social skills and confidence that it’s just not possible for them to approach a lady who actually has something to offer?  Worse yet, do they actually enjoy the abuse?  I became so frustrated at one of my friend’s consistently poor choices in women that I had to sit down with him and teach him step by step how to meet nice gals here.  Subsequently he met a plethora of hot, lovely and personable women, but ended up choosing another pathetic loser to be his live-in girlfriend.  The last time I saw him he had a black eye from another fight with her, and was living in a hotel despite the fact that he owns a condo here!  I have come to the conclusion that giving advice to my friends only makes me feel better, therefore relieving me of the guilty feeling I would naturally have as I watch them jump off another cliff into the abyss below.  Regardless of how much knowledge people have, they are going to do whatever it is that they were going to do anyway.  The best sales trainer I ever had the privilege of studying with once told me “knowledge isn’t power. Action is power. Knowledge alone is worth nothing if you don’t use it.”  I now know that I can help my friends with their options, but not with their priorities. 

It is so wonderful to live inThailand, where women are proud to be women and absolutely adore men.  Here women go on a diet if they are 3 pounds overweight.  If someone happens to compliment them on their beauty, they light up like a Christmas tree and it absolutely makes their entire day.  Last week I was eating in a small Thai restaurant and admiring the 2 super hot waitresses while pretending to study the menu.  One of the gals brought my drink order and it was served in a really cute glass.  I said something like “wow that’s really cute.”  This little hottie looked down at me, gave me her best bedroom smile and asked “are you talking about the glass or me?”  Giving her my most sexy smile I quipped “the glass is cute. You on the other hand, are absolutely beautiful.”  Now in my home country ofAmericaI would certainly get a very nasty look for having given this compliment, and might even be asked to leave the premises by the manager.  However this isParadise.  She shrieked with glee, turned to the other waitress and they gave each other a high five!

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