Getting Engaged In The Back Seat Of A Bangkok Taxi
Greetings Stick,
I have enjoyed reading your website and postings. I am an American who visited Bangkok in January 2010 seeking a Thai bride. I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with other American guys considering a similar move. I utilized the services of
the matchmaking agency “Thai Professional Introductions”. After some rather colorful twists and turns I finally succeeded in meeting a very nice, pretty, young Thai gal who I hope to marry once she gets her visa to come to
the USA. Please feel free to share this with your readers. I do NOT claim to be an expert on Thai women.
About Me:
I’m a 48 year old white male. I have been divorced for 2½ years after what I thought was a great marriage. She said she had to find herself! I hope she does. After dating for 2 years I’ve had a few relationships and more than my share
of ups and downs. I do not want to knock American women. I’ll just say I am not very compatible with them nor they with me. I’m an average guy. I am not Brad Pitt, but I don’t look bad for my age.
The idea to go to Thailand:
It was August 2009, I was sitting in the living room after just breaking up with an attractive younger lady I really did love. She enjoyed constantly arguing about the most meaningless nonsense. The things people fight about! Don’t they realize
we are all going to die and none of this will matter? I just could not take it any more so I ended it.
My 17-year-old daughter, who lives with me, walked into the room. I guess she knew I was feeling down. She said to me “Dad you ought to go to one of those Asian countries and find a wife”. She kissed me on the forehead and walked out of
the room. I so adore this sweet kid. I still do not know if she was kidding, BUT I was intrigued by the idea. Why not? It really can’t cost me much more than the crazy relationships I’ve been through.
I spent the next few weeks researching on the internet. I’ve always had a thing for Asian women. No Asians live in my area. I found Stickman’s website and the “Thai Professional Introductions” website. I read everything I could
find and decided I seriously wanted to go for it.
Getting the consent of others:
The first BIG step in the process after deciding I wanted to go to Thailand to find a wife was obtaining the approval of those closest to me (i.e.-my daughter). I wanted the opinions of my closest friends as a sounding board. I needed people who I respected
to tell me I was not out of my mind. This was a huge mental and emotional issue for me.
So I told my daughter I wanted to take a trip to Thailand alone for “vacation” (not saying a word about finding a bride). She said, “Cool dad, that sounds like a lot of fun. You always liked Asian women anyways!” The kid saw
straight through my ruse and let her old man off the hook easy. She knew the real reason I wanted to go and very tactfully gave me her blessing.
I called my two closest buddies and asked them. They were very supportive and thought it was great idea telling me to go for it. I called my old girlfriend from college who I’ve known for 30 years. She told me I was out of my mind, that it was
a bad idea, that I would regret the whole thing, BUT she wished me well.
Gentlemen, you will find that all your buddies will think it’s a cool idea and they will envy you for doing it. They will ask you a ton of questions and want to know everything that happened when you get back. If you meet a girl, don’t be
surprised if they ask if she has a sister. Women will universally hate the idea, tell you it's perverted and disgusting and heap scorn upon you. I guess American women hate the idea that
there is a relatively easy, affordable way for middle aged guys to find a much younger and attractive women who might actually appreciate all the things done for them. Women will say you are
desperate and guys say you are bold and decisive for going out and getting what you really want. I believe BOTH prerogatives are basically correct. Desperation and decisiveness are often two
sides of the same coin. It's okay to be a little desperate, you are a human being like everyone else. Accept and forgive yourself for being human. You’re not out to hurt anyone. Just
be careful and try to use GOOD judgment when perusing your goal. It’s your life and only you can live it.
Finding a match making agency:
I read a lot about fly by night match making agencies and I had a big fear of getting ripped off or meeting the wrong kind of lady in Thailand. After much research I found the website for
Thai Professional Introductions (TPI). TPI is owned by a British national living in Bangkok, Lawrence
Lynch. He is married to a Thai lady named Thapanee and they have been in the business for 12 years.
What I needed most from an introduction agency was the basic screening of the women. I did not want to get involved with a bar girl or a gold digger. In the short time I planned to be in Bangkok there was no way for me to learn these things about a girl
on my own and that is why I needed an agency.
I made the call and spoke with Lawrence Lynch. Do not call him “Larry”! He is a very talkative fellow full of useful information. I appreciated his enthusiasm, but it was a little hard to get a word in edge wise. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lynch
seemed to enjoy match making and I found it a reassuring thing as a client. I wired them $1500 up front and paid another $1900 when I arrived in Bangkok (i.e.- $3400 total). The
service is good for one a year term.
Criteria for the women I desired:
In the weeks before going to Thailand I racked my brain deciding what it was I really wanted in a potential mate. I did not want to be stupid and greedy by trying to get the very youngest, prettiest girl I could find. NO! I wanted a good wife for hopefully
a life long marriage. I do not want to go through a divorce again. It would be pointless to bring home the wrong girl who would likely dump me later. Of course I wanted
a thin, attractive, younger Asian gal who would at some level be that trophy wife we all SO richly deserve. I will admit to my vanity. BUT, I honestly did want a life
partner. Someone who does not like to argue, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t gamble, not a drunk, will be affectionate without thinking she is doing you a favor,
someone not looking to have a child, someone who will afford me a least a little bit of deference as the man of the house and someone who would appreciate what I do for
her without always expecting more.
I wanted a lady who was modest, perhaps conservative, the old fashioned girl next door type. You know what I mean. I did not want to meet anyone who liked to argue or thought they were hot stuff. I could get that at home. It is important to know in your
mind what you are looking for before you go, like how many kids she should have, her kids' ages, will you be open to having kids with her, her age etc…
With that in mind, I decided I wanted to meet ladies between 30 and 40 who already had one child. I cannot have any more children and a childless lady would certainly want a kid in the future and that would be a problem. I reviewed the ladies on the TPI
website and sent Mrs. Lynch a list of the ladies I found interesting. It turned out that about 30% of the ladies were not interested in meeting me after learning
I could not have kids.
Flying to Bangkok:
The flight from the east coast of the USA to Bangkok took a brutal 21 hours straight and $1300. The airline staff were great, but it's tough sitting still that long if you can’t sleep on a plane. Long term parking for my car at the airport
for 14 days was $160.
I arrived in Bangkok at 11:00 PM on a Monday night not having slept in about 27 hours. I was met (as promised by TPI) by a taxi driver holding a card with my name on it. He took me to the Fortuna Hotel in Bangkok and charged me 1200 baht ($36). I thought
TPI was going to pay for the taxi? Later, when Mrs. Lynch learned the cabby charged me, she promptly repaid me the money stating she would not use
the thieving driver again.
Fortuna Hotel:
TPI made arrangements for me to stay at the Fortuna Hotel in Bangkok. The hotel is located on a narrow alley of a road that is crowded with many small businesses. The hotel was okay (I’d say 2 1/2 stars) for $60 per night. The staff were wonderful,
the food was good and the location great. There were all the services you need just steps from the hotel’s front door like a laundry,
internet café, currency exchange, a sports bar! BUT for me the rooms were sad and the beds were too hard. I just could not get a good
night’s sleep. After a few days I moved to the Swissotel Hotel on Wireless Road in Bangkok for $130 per night. This hotel is awesome
and I liked the beds. You can get a much better rate by booking reservation through sites like travelocity, BUT if you check out early you
will still be charged for the unused nights on the reservation.
The Fortuna Hotel and TPI seem to have a close business relationship. If you engage in dicey behavior while there don’t be surprised if word of your nocturnal activities gets back to TPI. You can reasonably expect TPI to advise any lady they have
introduced you to of your questionable behavior. It is really only fair for TPI to look out for the safety and interests of BOTH the guy
and the girl. I took solace in this knowing if TPI learned something shady about a women I was involved with they would promptly give me
a heads up.
Meeting women in a bar:
One of the first nights there I had no plans and walked into the sports bar across the alley. It was a very nice place called Gulliver’s. Something amazing happened. When I walked in all the young attractive Thai gals really gave me the look. They
smiled at me and made subtle jesters showing interest. This would NEVER happen back home! If I walked into a bar in the states
such women would greet me with overt indifference.
Before I got on the plane to Thailand I made a vow to myself that I would NOT seek or get involved with any women I met in a bar or outside the TPI introduction. My research revealed 10% of the women who worked in the red light district bars in Bangkok
were HIV positive. I was amazed to learn that other women who go to nice bars or hang out in shopping malls seeking to meet
foreigners often are unofficial prostitutes and are estimated to have a staggering 30% HIV infection rate. <I would seriously question these figures – Stick> I did not come to Thailand to be a sex tourist. Why travel half way around the world for that?
We have plenty of pros back home.
I was sitting at the bar drinking a beer and minding my own business when an attractive Thai girl of 26 sat beside me and struck up a conversation. She was very charming and spoke good English. She told me she worked giving massages and offered to go
to my hotel room and give me one. I politely declined the offer. Finding an attractive younger lady in Bangkok seemed to
be as difficult as finding sand on the beach. The problem is you have no way of knowing if you’re getting into quick
sand.
Another attractive young lady sat down beside me and just drank water. She was alone and never said a word to me. I believe she wanted me to start a conversation. She sat there silently for a few hours while I drank my beer. I kept to myself, paid my
tab and left wondering who she was. Was she a nice modest girl (not a covert sex worker or gold digger) hoping to meet
a nice foreigner? I don’t know. Everything I’ve read about Thai women said that a good traditional Thai
girl will NEVER approach you and you will only meet a nice Thai girl if someone she knows introduces you.
Jet lag:
For the first 3 or 4 days I was severely jet lagged and dehydrated from the flight and not sleeping. You need to drink lots of water. I wanted to sleep at 2:00 in the afternoon and I was wide awake at 2:00 in the morning. I was suffering from insomnia
even though I was exhausted. These things affected me mentally and emotionally. To break the cycle I guzzled
six beers one night and passed out in an alcohol induced coma. It worked and the next day I felt a good bit
better.
Don’t buy an electronic dictionary:
Most of the Thai women I met spoke very little English. I made the mistake of purchasing an electronic hand held translation dictionary for $200. The damn thing was very difficult and slow to use. Save your money and get a pocket sized English –
Thai dictionary for $10.
The first day of introductions at TPI:
On Tuesday morning a very nice lady named Nang from TPI met me at the hotel at 9:00. Nang took me to the TPI office and showed me how the public transportation rail service worked.
On arrival at TPI I found a bunch of attractive ladies waiting in the front room. I paid Mrs. Lynch the outstanding $1900 in one hundred dollar bills. Mrs. Lynch is engaging and fully bilingual. I told Mrs. Lynch there were three very important things
a perspective lady should know about me. First, I could not have any more children; second,
I absolutely would not tolerate arguing or drama and; third, intimacy (YES I do mean sex)
would be a very important part of the marriage and would need to occur multiple times per
week.
So we sat down and the interviews began. Mrs. Lynch took the lead and spoke to the ladies in Thai explaining all they needed to know about me. If they were not scared off Mrs. Lynch would then turn to me and ask if I felt an attraction or interest. I
met about 10 ladies who met the criteria I gave Mrs. Lynch prior to arrival. Of the
10, about 4 of them balked at the notion of having sex more then once a week, one lady
was 41 and claimed to still be a virgin, one was a very attractive 28 year old virgin
who thought she was hot stuff and expected a $27,000 dowry. The rest were otherwise
very nice, compatible ladies.
I was however very disappointed that none to the top 6 ladies I picked from the TPI website were available to meet me. It seems that once a lady is matched with a guy she is no longer introduced to people, but her photo stays on the TPI website until
she finally gets the visa and the guy takes her home. Do not despair, there were
new ladies coming to the service regularly who were not listed on the website.
I met two ladies of interest that day. Lady #1 was a cute 28 year old who worked as a story clerk and had a 10 year old living up country with her mom. Lady #2 was a 30 year old who and had a son of 12 living with her. She worked at a hotel doing catering.
Neither spoke English.
Lady #1 and #2:
I had a date with Lady #1 for a day. We saw the Grand Palace and temples. It was nice. I think she half liked me, but when I asked her if she could take time off work for a few days so we could really get to know each other she stated she could not. Based
on this I figured she was not interested, so I moved on to lady #2.
Lady #2 seemed very interested and we went out a couple of times. She was thin, curvy with a nice figure. She was very affectionate in that she would hold my hand and snuggle up next to me when we were out and about, but no sex. We were just getting to
know each other. She asked me questions about my house and how
many cars I owned, but none about my daughter… Hummmmmmm!
Second day of introductions:
I told Mrs. Lynch I was very interested in lady #2 and I was not really looking to meet any more people. Mrs. Lynch cautioned me against settling for the first person I met and stated I should come to TPI and meet more ladies just to be sure. I found
myself thinking of Mrs. Lynch as a sister determined to
keep me for screwing up. I would later be very grateful
to her for insisting on the second set of introductions.
The next morning I dutifully arrived at the TPI office as instructed and again found about 10 young attractive ladies in the waiting room. This time Mrs. Lynch threw me a curve ball. She went out side the criteria and introduced me to much younger women.
I expressed my concerns and asked how a 20 year old
could find someone like myself of interest? Mrs. Lynch
told me I was an attractive man and looked good for
48. She assured me Thai women under the age of 30 would
be interested.
I was introduced to several 20 year old ladies. They were very cute and very young. They seemed to be interested in getting to know me. The temptation to pursue them was great, but I did not want to be stupid and greedy. These girls were basically my
daughter’s age. My daughter would lose respect
for me if I got involved with someone soooooooo
very young. Plus these girls did not have any kids
and would surely want one in the future. I grudgingly
passed.
Lady #3:
On that second day of introductions I met a nice 23 year old. She seemed to be the quiet, modest, wholesome girl next door type. She had an 18 month old son living up country with her mom. Apparently, the boy’s father abandoned her before the child
was born and never contributed a dime.
She worked as an accountant and earned
about $400 per month. The other girls I
met earned under $300 a month. She was
very young BUT she had a college degree
and spoke basic English. Impressive! I
set my reservations a side and asked her
out.
We went to dinner that night. She was very pretty and I was very interested. She was extremely quiet and had nearly nothing to say. She did not make much eye contact. I did not know what to think. Maybe she was just very shy or I gave her the creeps?
At the end of the evening I gave her
cab fare to go home. She said she did
enjoy meeting me and hoped to see me
again.
I met another American client of TPI:
While at the Fortuna Hotel I met a fellow American named Mark who was an attorney from Massachusetts. He was 55 and never married. He was very personable and great to have a beer with. He told me an entertaining story about how the American woman he had
dated expected him to buy her
a beach house. No wonder he
was in Thailand.
He stated he was very pleased with his experience. TPI introduced him to a very attractive 36 year old and they hit it off immediately. Mark states she never put the touch on him for money and she often paid their cab fares. Mark met his gal on his first
day of introductions and
he was content to stop
there, but Mrs. Lynch also
insisted he meet more ladies
before making a final decision.
He did, but settled on
the 36 year old and he’s
now working on getting
her a visa.
Choosing between lady #2 or #3:
I called Mrs. Lynch and we discuss the two ladies. I came to relay on Mrs. Lynch for the female prerogative as to what I should do. I really liked lady #3 believing her personality, language ability and education would be more compatible with what I sought,
BUT she was so
quiet I didn’t
know if she was
interested.
I decided to pursue lady #2 for the next stage in the courting process and asked Mrs. Lynch to see if #2 could go to the beach with me for a few days and so we could get to know each other.
How I got engaged in the back seat of a Bangkok taxi :
Lady #2 and I went to the hospital and got blood tests for HIV and Syphilis. The results came back in an hour and all was well. I also paid for her TB and Hepatitis tests. Her tests cost me about $200.
Later lady #2 and I met for some drinks and agreed to go to Pattaya beach the next day. She said she needed 2000 baht ($60) to pay her friends at work to cover for her on the days off. I agreed. Pattaya was nice, but not a great beach town. It's
2 hours
from
Bangkok
and
therefore
convenient.
We drove down from Bangkok to Pattaya in the back of her brother's cab. On the way down she writes me a note using the translation dictionary saying "we no sleep together until marry". Needless to say I was a bit concerned about what she
was
saying.
Did
she
mean
I
can't
get
laid
until
after
I
return
on
the
second
trip
and
pay
the
dowry?
If
that
was
what
she
meant
I
was
going
to
turn
the
cab
around
right
then,
go
back
to
Bangkok
and
get
another
lady.
She
knew
very
well
in
advance
that
I
expected
to
get
horizontal
while
at
the
beach.
Mrs.
Lynch
explained
the
job
requirements
to
her
3
times
prior
to
the
trip
and
the
need
to
get
physical
was
covered
in
the
initial
interview.
I called Mrs. Lynch immediately and lady #2 spoke to her on the cell. Apparently #2 said she was concerned that I would screw her brains out for a few days and dump her when we returned to Bangkok. So she wanted to be engaged prior to sex. I said okay,
what
does
she
need
to
be
"engaged"?
I
am
told
if
you
buy
a
ring
or
some
expensive
jewelry
it
makes
things
all
right.
That
way
when
she
returns
to
Bangkok
and
the
family
and
friends
ask
her
if
she
slept
with
a
white
guy
she
can
show
them
the
jewelry
and
say
we're
engaged,
So,
I
proposed
to
her
in
the
back
seat
of
the
taxi
via
Mrs.
Lynch
on
the
phone
and
#2
said
yes.
Cool,
my
intentions
toward
her
were
sincere.
We pulled over in Pattaya at a jewelry store. The clerk presented a number of bracelets of varying expense. Lady #2 promptly picked the most expensive bracelet and ring. I thought at the time it was a bad omen. Cost about $800 🙁 But now we're good
for
intimacy,
right????
You
should
always
try
on
a
pair
of
shoes
before
you
buy
them.
We arrived in Pattaya, I paid her brother the cabby and gave him a tip. Lady #2 told me to give him an additional 1000 baht ($30) tip. I did NOT. <This request for a 1,000 baht tip is a REALLY bad sign –
Stick>
We
checked
into
the
Dusit
Hotel
in
Pattaya,
which
is
an
awesome
hotel
right
on
the
beach.
We
went
to
the
room
and
she
repelled
my
advances
saying
she
was
tired
and
needed
a
nap.
I'm
disappointed,
but
she
did
work
the
night
before.
So
I
went
alone
for
a
walk
and
a
swim
leaving
her
to
sleep
for
a
few
hours.
When
I
return
to
the
room
she
wakes
up
and
is
noticeably
distant
toward
me.
What
the
hell
is
going
on
here?????????
I'm
getting
pissed
off
now
so
I
pointedly
asked
her
if
she
wanted
go
back
to
Bangkok?
On
hearing
this
she
gets
the
message
and
starts
acting
affectionate.
We
consummated
the
act
as
per
the
contract.
She
was
very
passive
and
pretty
much
just
laid
there
like
a
corpse.
At
the
time
I
figured
she
was
a
conservative
girl
who
probably
hadn't
been
with
a
guy
in
years.
She
was
very
attractive
and
it
could
only
get
better,
right?
Afterwards
we
went
for
a
walk
on
the
beach,
stopped
at
a
sports
bar
and
I
drank
a
few
while
she
watched
without
complaint.
I
taught
her
some
English
and
the
rest
of
the
night
was
fine,
but
NO
more
affection.
How I became un-engaged the next day
The next morning at about 6:00 I woke up in the mood and we were intimate or at least I tried to be. Again she just laid there and clearly had no interest in the activities. I was not sure what to think other than she might be frigid and sex was NOT what
she
wanted
in
a
relationship.
Perhaps
she
was
just
really
nervous
and
would
warm
up
in
time?
Did
I
intimidate
her?
Being
frigid
was
a
deal
killer.
I
made
it
VERY
clear
when
we
first
met
that
sex
would
be
a
BIG
requirement
for
the
relationship.
She
could
not
say
she
did
not
understand.
I asked her if she wanted to go to breakfast. She said no and advised she would just stay in the room and watch TV. I then went to breakfast ALONE! All she wanted to do was sleep and watch TV. At 10:00 AM I asked her if she wanted to do something that
day.
She
replied
she
might
want
to
go
for
a
walk
with
me
at
6:00
PM
that
night!
Here
we
were
at
a
4
star
hotel
on
the
beach
and
supposed
to
get
to
know
each
other
and
do
things.
What
the
hell
was
I
suppose
to
do
“ALONE”
for
the
next
8
hours?????
Lady
#2
not
only
appeared
to
be
frigid,
but
lazy
as
well.
What
was
she
going
to
do
if
I
brought
her
to
the
states????
Park
her
arse
on
the
couch,
watch
TV
and
eat
bonbons
all
day????
I
was
starting
to
see
a
frigid,
lazy,
gold
digging
and
over
weight
woman
in
my
future.
Was
I
evil
in
a
prior
life
and
now
the
universe
was
taking
revenge
on
me?
I tried to be intimate again and she repelled me! So much for all the affection I got when in Bangkok. I was really pissed off now and wondering what I had got myself into with this girl. I went for an hour walk ALONE thinking of my options with the limited
time
I
had
left
in
Thailand.
When
I
came
back
to
the
room
I
could
hear
her
change
the
TV
channels
just
before
I
opened
the
door.
When
I
entered
the
room
she
pretended
to
be
asleep
on
the
couch
and
totally
ignored
my
presence!
That
was
all
I
needed
to
make
up
my
mind.
I
called
Mrs.
Lynch
and
told
her
the
deal
was
off
and
the
girl
could
keep
the
fucking
jewelry.
I
just
wanted
out.
Mrs. Lynch explained the
deal
to
#2.
Interestingly
#2
did
not
even
make
an
effort
to
repair
the
damage
and
try
again.
I
checked
out
of
the
hotel
having
to
pay
for
3
nights
reservation
even
though
I
was
only
there
one.
We
got
a
taxi
back
to
Bangkok
together.
During
the
ride
we
did
not
speak.
I
sat
in
the
front
and
she
in
the
back.
In
all
#2
cost
me
about
$1400
and
wasted
about
4
days
of
my
trip!
When
we
were
in
Bangkok
she
was
very
affectionate
and
all
over
me
short
of
anything
intimate.
Once
we
left
Bangkok
to
go
to
the
beach
it
all
changed.
She
became
distant
and
stayed
that
way
even
after
getting
$800
in
jewelry.
She
did
not
want
me;
she
only
wanted
what
I
could
do
for
her.
Prior to driving back to Bangkok I asked Mrs. Lynch if lady #3 would be interested in seeing me again. I was not feeling optimistic. I was running out of time in Thailand and I did not think TPI would be able to arrange anything else.
During the drive back to Bangkok #2’s phone rings and she hands me the phone. It was Mrs. Lynch, who informed me that lady #3 would like to see me again that night! It seemed poetic that #2’s phone would be used to hook me up with lady #3.
Mrs.
Lynch
told
#3
the
entire
sordid
misadventure
I
had
with
#2
including
the
sex
part,
but
#3
was
still
interested
in
seeing
and
getting
to
know
me.
I
could
not
believe
it.
Maybe
#3
really
did
like
me?
Mrs. Lynch subtly mentioned that if I did the same thing with lady #3 I would be dropped as a client. Fair enough, I only had a few days left in Thailand anyway. It seemed I was being viewed as a shameless womanizer. Nice guys do finish last.
Lady #3:
On returning to Bangkok I checked into the Swissotel and was assigned room #469 (I am not making this up). On seeing the room number I thought perhaps Buddha was looking out for me and my luck might change.
Lady #3 met me that night at the hotel for dinner and drinks at the tikki bar by the pool. She was much more talkative this time (I think Mrs. Lynch said something to her about being too quiet with me). Over drinks she related that she really was interested
in
me
and
was
just
very
shy
at
first.
We
talked.
She
asked
me
meaningful
questions
about
my
daughter,
my
life
and
not
how
many
cars
I
had.
The
next
day
we
got
medical
tests
and
all
was
well.
In the following days we hit it off great! On one occasion we walked by a Buddhist shrine and she paused to say a prayer. She lit some incense sticks, which I, having been raised Catholic, equated to lighting candles in the church. I respectfully waited
and
then
asked
her
what
she
asked
Buddha
for?
She
said
she
asked
Buddha
for
me
to
be
a
good
man
and
that
things
work
out
between
us.
WOW!
What
a
wonderful
compliment!
I
can’t
say
any
broad
in
the
states
ever
sought
divine
intervention
regarding
me,
although
I’ve
been
cursed
a
time
or
two.
It’s
my
understanding
you
can
technically
be
a
Buddhist
monk
and
Catholic
priest
at
the
same
time,
because
the
two
ideologies
do
not
conflict.
Very
cool!
We got know each other completely over the next few days (even prior to my having to buy expensive jewelry) and it all went very well. When I did take her to get engagement jewelry the clerk presented her with a range of necklaces of varying cost. She
turned
to
me
and
actually
had
the
courtesy
to
ask
which
she
could
have.
I
told
her
to
pick
anything
she
liked.
She
then
picked
one
in
the
mid
range.
I
thought
that
was
a
good
omen.
She
never
asked
me
for
money
or
brought
the
subject
up
save
the
dowry.
She
paid
for
our
taxi
rides
a
few
times
before
I
could
get
out
my
money.
That
never
happened
with
#2.
We are now engaged. She told me she did not want to do the Buddhist blessing ceremony since she felt that would be a needless expense on me. She asked if I would mind paying a 100,000 baht ($3,000) dowry to her mom who takes care of her son? I said no
problem.
It’s
my
understanding
that
a
fair
dowry
is
between
$2,500
and
$3,000
so
she
was
not
being
over
the
top.
She
asked
if
she
could
bring
her
son
to
the
states
after
a
few
years.
I
said
sure.
I
like
kids,
do
not
have
a
son
and
I
enjoy
being
a
parent.
I’m nuts about this girl and I am working on getting her a visa to come to the states where, if all goes well, I intend to marry her during her 3 month visa time.
Cost of the trip:
In total I believe the entire trip cost me about $9400. That included everything from the TPI fee, air fare, airport parking, hotels, taxis, medical tests, pocket money etc… Do keep in mind that I wasted about $1400 on lady #2 and $200 on the electronic
dictionary.
Had
I
stayed
at
the
Fortuna
I
would
have
saved
more
money.
My reflections:
I do feel that my trip to Thailand has paid off. At one point I thought I was not going to be successful. I was mentally prepared for that outcome prior to the trip telling myself if it did not work out I at least got a trip to Southeast Asia out of it.
Okay,
so
I
was
rationalizing
to
minimize
the
disappointment
of
potential
failure.
I am pleased with the services TPI provided. They genuinely did make more than an honest effort to find me a good girl. I believe they do the match making, because they enjoy it. No one can guarantee success since luck surely plays a big part in the outcome.
I fully realize the whole thing may yet unravel on me and my view of the final outcome could end up being negative. The trip was an adventure. I must accept it as just that. All adventures have a strong element of risk and uncertainty in them, otherwise
they
would
not
be
an
adventure
would
they?
Well there it is. I hope this has been instructive. I’ve tried to be honest. Gentlemen, PLEASE learn from my errors. A girl will give you small clues revealing their true motivations. LOOK FOR THEM! I wish all of you the best and hope you will
do
the
same
for
me.
Stickman's thoughts:
Great story and I wish you and your wife to be all the best!
