A very common topic of conversation among local guys is the strange phenomenon of men who don’t live in Thailand full time but send money every month to an entertainment provider. We refer to these guys as “sponsors” or “providers” but generally the girls just call them “farangs.”  Well, there are some less flattering terms we use for these guys but heck, this is my first column and I am trying to be nice!

Last week I was chatting with a lovely young lass I have known for a year or so who works in a Bangkok Beer Bar. She was quite depressed as her best friend had just left the bar, and if there is one thing that keeps these girls going its having a close friend in the workplace to pass the time with. As it turns out, her friend has quit working at the bar because she has a sponsor from England who is sending her money every month. This girl is actually quite lovely and has a pretty nice Thai boyfriend as well. He is a decent sort and the 4 of us have gone bowling a number of times. The English sponsor comes to Thailand 2 or 3 times a year for a couple weeks at a clip, so she will be free 90% of the time. What I found most interesting was that most of the “sponsors” I have met actually think that by sending money to the girl every month they are literally putting her up on a shelf away from other men. However in this case, as in many cases, the exact opposite is true. She now doesn’t need to worry about money so she has quit the bar. Her Thai boyfriend also has quit his job as a construction worker as there is plenty of money for both of them. She now doesn’t have to work, gets to live full time with the love of her life, and spends a few weeks a year traveling to Phuket and Ko Samui with her sponsor. A perfect life by any gal’s standards. My friend in the bar tells me this a a very common scenario for these types of cases. When I commented to her that she has a perfect life with no worries, she said that she still has one real worry. She worries about what her boyfriend will be doing (and WHO he will be doing it with) during the time she spends with her sponsor.

So to all you sponsors and providers out there, you really are doing a great service! The gal doesn’t have to work, the Thai boyfriend gets to quit his job too, and the lovers get to spend their days and nights living a life of leisure. Please keep the money coming and don’t forget that I’m not above accepting donations myself. I guarantee I would use the money on the necessities of life!

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