When Thai Women Meet

Sorry I haven’t written lately Stick, but I’ve been in love. NO, NO, NO, not the immature fleeting puppy love that strikes us as teenagers when first kissed by a girl or a newbie mongerer who falls for his first bar girl. I am far too cynical
for all that. I believe such an emotion has been dead in me for some time now; though I do envy those who are still capable of it. If a lady makes a guy’s heart skip a beat then surely it must be a fine thing.

Yesterday I read Farang Dave’s submission about his not being able to run a race with his Thai Mrs. and her subsequent display of loyalty to him by ignoring the opinions of her Thai female acquaintances and her refusing to run the
race in his absence. Deeds do speak louder than words and it set me to thinking about my Thai wife.

My wife and I have had our ups and downs. I cannot gloat about how perfect thing always are. But recently she made me realize it really has been a worthwhile endeavor.

My wife arrived here in Farangland a few months back after a long distance courtship. We now live in a rather rural area where very few Asians, let alone Thais, are to be found. She went through the predicted mental and emotional gyrations
brought on by culture shock. I was desperate to find a Thai somewhere for her to buddy up with.

One day we were in the grocery store when I spied an Asian woman. As she walk toward us I asked my wife if she thought she were Thai? My teeruk blurted out she did not know and was not going to ask. Well, me being me, I just had to and did.
As fate would have it we met the only Thai woman within 100 miles of our part of Farangland. A pleasant conversation followed and the girls exchanged information. I was most pleased with our good fortune.

That weekend the Thai lady invited us to go with her and her husband to the Loy Krathong festival at a Thai temple two hours drive away. We went to her house and met her husband. He was a very successful farang. She apparently was at least
upper middle class Thai and had owned her own business in LOS. They lived in a beautiful new house that was easily twice the size of my domicile. They had a nice life together and were very friendly. It was his third marriage and her second. The
farang husband seemed to be a very decent sort of fellow, very conservative and a serious Christian. I asked him if he read the Stickman website. He said “no, it’s too negative”. I couldn’t help but think how ignorance
is bliss. He was a likeable guy, but a bit too formal and proper to ever be a drinking buddy. We drove to the festival with both girls in the back. I’ve never heard so much Thai being spoken. The girls got along famously and my wife was
very happy to have a Thai friend.

Afterwards we went to dinner. I was keen to know how the farang husband managed things with his Thai lady prior to their wedding. During the entree I asked him if they had a prenuptial agreement. He seemed put off that I asked the question
and stated NO, they did not. I thought to myself how he must genuinely be a great optimist. I inquired about their sinzot and was told NO such thing had been paid. It seemed my curiosity was not appreciated and I rubbed him the wrong way. I did
not mean to offend anyone, but once again my rather direct personal style proved to be a liability.

After that occasion my wife and the other Thai lady got together a few times. I was happy my teeruk had a Thai friend. Suddenly one day my wife stopped associating with the other Thai lady and ducked her calls. She would not say why and acted
as though there was no issue between them, but I suspected otherwise. I was perplexed as I thought the two of them got along great and my wife loved having someone to chat Thai with.

Last weekend my wife and I were enjoying our evening cocktail and chatting. She finally confided in me that the other lady started comparing my job to that of her husband’s and criticizing me for not giving my wife as much money as
she received from her well healed farang. This woman even went so far as to suggest that my wife should stay married to me until her permanent residence status was secure and then start looking for a better prospect. WTF! Did her husband know
his wife had fangs? Was this not the same Thai lady who always greeted me with a very warm smile and respectful wai? I hope her husband’s finances do not go south for surely then he will have a whole new appreciation for the value
of a prenuptial agreement.

My wife stated she no longer wanted to see the other Thai woman. My teeruk said she understood me for the person I am, knew me to be a good man and loved me warts and all. As I sat there pondering her words I was moved. My wife’s late
father was a Buddhist monk and once again she displayed a spontaneous act of grace. It meant more to me than all the “I love you”s. My Issan girl placed her love and loyalty to me before someone of her own kind.

And there it was, just for a moment, my heart skipped a beat!