My Thoughts About Thailand

As I am now in Oz for a short time and have nothing better to do I did read all of Stick's submissions from the first to the last.

There seem to be a few trends and complaints by most readers.

1: Dual prizing system
I do agree that this takes place to a large degree in most tourist places. However a taxi driver will also try to overcharge Thai people if he can get away with it. I once went with a bus from Chiang Rai to Bkk
together with a group of Thai people, they told me to stay away so that they could barter with the drivers. After they called me over they said they arranged a 300 baht fare to the Sukhumvit area. I just laughed at them and told them that I will
arrange another taxi. I finished up with a fare of less then a hundred and twenty baht. The drivers must have known that the Thais come from a country area and charged tourist prices for them.

If I buy computer parts in CR I normally get them for much less than the local people. Actually the last few years or so my Thai friends come to me if they need some spares as I can get them much cheaper. This seems to me dual pricing in reverse by the
local dealers.

2: Taken by bar girls
Sure this happens all the time. But please do not forget that it is strictly business for the girls. Even if they have a long term relationship; or heaven forbid get married it is still business for the ladies, once
the money dries up the relationship usually fails as well. Sure the girls might even fall in love but the financial matters will override their feelings and the result might be an even bigger disaster. Now please do not believe I like to rubbish
bar girls, nothing could be further from the truth. But what do you expect? You know the lady for a few days or even weeks and then leave again. Of course she tries to take as much as possible from you. After all that’s why she runs a business
auctioning her body to the highest bidder. Real love can and does happen, but this is very rarely to be found in reality and many times ends in a disaster for both. I have known of a few cases when it worked out for a year or so. Then peer pressure
started to set in from the other Thai ladies in the area. They started gambling, went to the local casinos and hooked everything they could lay their hands on. The only way to avoid this would be to keep the Thai wife away from other Thai people.
This might not always be possible. I know literarily hundreds of Thai/farang couples and the long term success rate of their marriages seems to be less then 1 or 2 % overall. Remember most mixed marriages with bar girls are started under false
pretenses, love can be a factor this is true, but love does not last for ever and once its gone the business factor raises its ugly head. I have many friends which are bar girls. But friends only and they respect this. They know they can not make
business with me and become quite different and real persons which tell me about their problems etc. They even warn new girls off and tell them to leave me alone or only sit down to talk. Once when I was very depressed they took real good care
of me in my hotel without any financial considerations whatever. As I wanted to reimburse the three ladies of the night for their lost three days they actually got angry and told me that they are my friends and friends help each other in times
of need. If you treat them like people they usually will treat you very well even if you are not a customer.

Marriages with so called good girls
Well this is a complete different matter. First try to find a lady as a friend only, continue with her and let the friendship grow in its own way. If it turns into love after a reasonable long time
let it happen and you might be ok. Remember the most important thing of any relation, love will not last forever, however a real genuine friendship can and will last. So once love is gone you will still continue and have a successful relation
probably as long as you live.

Early bar closing times.
If anybody likes to have a drink throughout the night there is no problem at all. Just go to soi 13 in the Sukhumvit area. Just at the corner of the Miami hotel. After 10/11 at night tables are set up and any
drink you might want is available for a very cheap price. This normally continues until 5 or 6 in the morning. I you want female company this is also no problem as most of the unattached bar girls or waitresses tend to walk back and forth trying
to find a late customer. I really enjoy sitting there talking with other westerners and watching the world pass by. Some of the western people sitting there have quite interesting experiences. There used to be a waitress, an older lady, very big
for a Thai, slim and always dressed in black. She become a very good friend of mine and we talked for many hours right until the sun came up. She was not there the last time I visited. I wonder what happened to her.

Again may be I have too much time on my hand as my wife is working and I sit alone at home. But even if these reflections help a single guy I am happy.

Stickman's thoughts:

"I have nothing better to do so I read the submissions…." – you cheeky prick.