Thai Mafia Godfather Speaks

We would like to present our avid readers with the edited highlights of an interview contributed by an interested party, given by one of Thailand‘s most powerful Mafia Godfather‘s, who we‘ll call Khun Yai; that‘s not his real name, but to avoid negative repercussions, we‘re keeping his identity a secret. What you are about to read, however, is God or the Buddha‘s honest truth and will give you a unique insight into the world of one of this country‘s leading Mafiosos.

Khun Yai is apparently the Thai equivalent of the kingpin of the French Connection, with global-scale vision. His powers encompass Asia, including China, where he has extricated a considerable number of Thais out of sticky situations with the Chinese. Anything remotely connected with the underworld and dirty dealings, Khun Yai has a hand in.
Khun Yai is Thai with French and Chinese blood, hence regards himself as being in a particularly strong position to voice his opinion of the way Asia is going. He considers Asia doesn’t have the leadership qualities to lead the world in the event that the West abdicates its current global leadership.
To quote Khun Yai directly, he says:

“the political foundation is not there in Asia to be a global leader. Civilizations now compete on creativity, and that requires the right social-political foundation in democracy, freedom and equality. Do you see Asia having that foundation any time soon? Look at Thailand, it is turning the clock back is it not? Asia, is reeling back on all fronts. Even at this time of Western financial collapse. In a few years, the consolidation will make them much stronger.”

When asked his opinion of Thaksin, who it has been said the Thai Mafia were staunchly opposed to, Khun Yai contradicted that urban legend. From his standpoint, Khun Yai considers he could have enriched himself considerably by giving Thaksin support, especially on the gambling issue and particularly as regards casinos. Currently, vast amounts of money leave Thailand, with Thais going to such places as Cambodia and Macao to play the casinos. Khun Yai says if Thaksin had had his way as regards opening casinos in this country, this drain would have been staunched, aided considerably by Khun Yai himself, who would have had a “few casino or entertainment complexes going by now”.

Khun Yai is also disparaging about the authorities’ attempts to keep the Thais ignorant about comments made in the international arena about politics etc. He regards this attempt at media muzzling as detrimental to the country because it aids competitors and others with unfettered access, giving them an edge and helps to keep Thailand weak. When asked to elaborate on a statement he had made about foreigners owning Thailand, Khun Yai commented that Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya, and Koh Samui were part of the global village, with foreigners feeling they had a god-given right to visit, especially as many of the sex venues in these towns were actually run by foreigners; that particularly applied to Bangkok’s red light areas like Nana, Patpong, and Soi Cowboy. Recent attempts to deny foreigners access to Thailand by closing Bangkok airports Khun Yai said were

“practically infringing on the rights of these foreigners to be at the place that might call their own.”

When asked about traditional customs such as wai-ing and the “culture of respect”, Khun Yai said that in the good old days his father had waged a war against contending Mafiosi, until he became top dog and everyone wai-ed him first, to demonstrate his superiority. Today, however, it’s somewhat different as Khun Yai waies everyone, irrespective of their comparative position in the Mafia pecking order “because, he said ”

it is better for business and better for keeping peace.”

Asked about Thaksin’s drug war and extra judicial killings, Khun Yai said “About a quarter of my family’s income was gone within three months after the drug war started,” which incited the Mafia to raise cash to assassinate Thaksin, until they realised Thaksin was playing them off against each other. The bloodshed was so extensive that they didn’t really think it worthwhile to kill Thaksin, especially when, as he says “Macau money was coming in to scuttle the plan, and we had to fight on the side of Thaksin.” The mafia also reduced their drug trafficking, instead diverted their funds into other means of making money like entertainment complexes.
Hopefully, this extract will have given you some appreciation of the power of the Mafia; other features of the original interview were left out for reasons of security.

Tips for Foreigners visiting Pattaya from a concerned courtesan.

Pattaya – sometimes known as the Sex Centre Of The Universe - has an ambiguous reputation among foreigners, despite its lavish beaches, bars and broads. Often, they don’t fully grasp the complexities of the Thai lifestyle, so, as a Thai, I’m going to you some guidelines to ensure your stay in our fair country is trouble-free and enjoyable.

HOSPITALITY AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES
Pattaya is now one of the most popular seaside venues in Southeast Asia, with a multitude of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, cafes beaches, sports and entertainments – sufficient to cater to every taste under the sun. One of Pattaya’s greatest attractions, however, is the Go-Go bars, beer bars clubs, pubs, and discos where you can meet willing companions of all three genders: girls, boys and lady boys, so that you need never again go lonely, either for a short holiday, or in the longer term, usually at a cost, however.
Transportation is much cheaper than in Bangkok, the regular taxis – the blue Baht Buses or song taaw normally cost 10 Baht anywhere within the city boundaries; a new, local bus service operates an air-conditioned service for a flat fare of 20 Baht; motorcycle taxis normally cost from 20 Baht upwards; and longer distance buses will take you to Bangkok, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, from the North Pattaya Bus Station, or all points north from the Pattaya Klang Bus Station; additionally, buses to the local conurbations, such as Chonburi and Rayong operate on Sukhumvit Road. Otherwise, just walk to all your favourite venues.
If you want to travel on motorcycle taxis or privately in a Baht Bus, arrange the fare beforehand, and don’t argue or pick a fight in the event of dispute, the Thai will recruit 30 compatriots and you’ll always come off worse. If in doubt, take the Baht Bus driver’s name and or call the Tourist Police.
CHILL AND ENJOY You are guaranteed to have the time of your life in Fun City – Pattaya – as long as you go at the Thai pace, which can be summed up in three words/phrases: sanook (enjoy), sabai (relax) and mai pen rai (it doesn’t matter). Don’t try and force Western values on the Thais, otherwise you’ll be constantly frustrated.
BARS Bars are located in virtually every available space in Pattaya, though if you’re gay, go to Boyz Town or Sunni Plaza. The bars in Pattaya come in 4 varieties: beer bars, Go-Go bars, drinking bars and Karaoke bars. The Beer Bars, which normally open from 5pm to 2am, are usually the cheapest, especially during Happy Hours, and have willing hostesses, but you’re likely to be asked to buy a lady drink for the lady who comes up and engages you in conversation. If you wish to further enjoy the lady, to release her from the bar, you must pay a bar fine, normally in the range of 300-500 Baht, to the Mamasan, the lady in charge. Your chosen companion will either accompany you back to your room, or up to her room on the premises; the latter is cheapest as in certain bars the overall price includes both the bar fine and Horizontal Mattress Gymnastics (HMG). If you take a lady back to your room, negotiate the price beforehand, but pay afterwards, and make sure you DO pay, otherwise you’ll find either the police or local heavy brigade standing at your door!
The Go-Go Bars, which normally open anywhere from 6 to 8 pm and stay open till 2 am, are voyeur parlours and charge more than the beer bars for the drinks, the privilege of taking the lady, or boy off the premises and for the HMG. You can just drink and enjoy, but you will usually be approached by one or more ladies, especially if you ogle them too much on stage. Again, the same applies as regards buying lady drinks, but you can face them down and refuse to buy one, it’s not compulsory! The bar fines and the charge for HMG are normally higher in Go-Go bars, the former 500-1000 Baht, usually, and the lady’s fee 1000-3000 Baht. It is possible to indulge in HMG for free, but you have to look like Brad Pitt and/or be from 20-24, if you’re a young geriatric, forget it!
Drinking Bars. These are just normal bars where you can go for a drink, but without ladies, or at least ladies who can legitimately go off with you to your hotel/room.
The Karaoke Bars are usually Thai only, just as most beer bars and Go-Go bars are farang only, so don’t be surprised if the Thai regulars look at you aghast. Despite their name, they are once again venues for HMG, the singing and booze are incidental.
For the time of your life, you can go to the body massage parlours, which offer a luxurious, ultra-sensual time with a bath where the lady acts as a nude sponge! HMG extra. The price here is usually 1,500 Baht inclusive.
Beware of bill-loading, always check how many drinks you’ve had and check the maths
All Discos are open to ladies of any nationality, but for male seekers, discos predominantly cater to farang heterosexual males or mixed Thai and farang males. The former include Marine Disco and Lucifer’s on Walking street, whereas the latter are Hollywood, Slim and Excite. The ladies are freelance, either free-ranging or after hours bar girls and usually cost 500 Baht. These are rarely free! NB if you indulge in illegal substances, avoid the discos as they’re subject to impromptu police searches and blood testing!
Under normal circumstances, you won’t be ripped off by the ladies, not unless they’re high on speed, but be cautious and don’t put temptation their way. Be considerate and don’t forget you’re usually far richer than they’re ever likely to be, which is why farangs have gained a reputation for being walking ATMs – also most ladies won’t believe that you’re broke, even if you are.
A cautious note re.mixed gender individuals, otherwise known as lady boys or katoeys. These are normally males who are at one of a threefold transition stage: they merely dress as ladies, they’ve got breasts due to implants and/or hormone treatments, or they’ve had the cut and are effectively fully female. They can sometimes be impossible to tell apart from the real article, but here are some tips, they’re often:
• tall
• deep-voiced
• large-footed
• equipped with an Adam’s apple (though not all)
• physically much stronger than ladies
• much more exhibitionist
MONEY AND VALUABLES Here, the best policy applies globally, not just to Pattaya – don’t be stupid, or too intoxicated! If you want to loose all your valuables, leave them exposed, or walk around sporting weighty quantities of gold. The safest bet is to secure large amounts of money, watches or other valuables in the safe at your hotel, or leave them at home, the same goes for money. Carry two wallets, one with a minimum sum and the other secured deeper on your person. Avoid flashing your money, change 1000 Baht notes for smaller denominations before partying and don’t leave your cash loose. Only use ATMs when there are either many close neighbours, or no one’s close and secure it on your person immediately. Don’t give your credit card number to anyone, irrespective of how long or how well you know them. Watch suspicious character, rogue motorcycle riders and don’t sit too close on buses, or put your wallet in a front pocket.
FARANG BANDITS Though this happens more often in Bangkok than Pattaya, beware the sidling farang, or beach bum with amazing, get rich quick scams, these include time share bandits, gem-sellers, con-merchants and sellers of non-existent or way overpriced bars or condos. Don’t leave your brain at the airport and exercise a modicum of intelligence. That also applies to Thais who sidle up and try to get you to buy ganja, coke etc or to go and see live sex shows. It’s often an excuse to rob you. Remember, there’s virtually nothing free in this life.
HARD LUCK STORIES Many bar girls are past-mistresses of the hard luck stories and their tales are legion: sick water buffaloes, mentally infirm or medically needy family members, new babies, new condo rents, motorcycles needing repair, essential new mobile phones etc. etc. They are nearly all windups, but not all! Check’em out first. And pay the rent yourself rather than giving the lady the money. And also try not to fall in love at every bar you visit, or to marry a new dynamic lover at the drop of a hat. Exercise discretion, good people.
DRIVING Always, repeat always take out the most comprehensive insurance you can before venturing out onto the maelstrom that passes for Pattaya roads, especially hiring cars or motorbikes. If you don’t, you may have someone conveniently back into you, to get a new bumper etc, have to pay horrendous medical charges for causing death, injury or substantial damage to vehicles or motor cycles. Re. motorbikes don’t drive like a maniac, despite what others may do, don’t ride Harleys and always wear protective clothing especially a hard helmet. Try and secure a hired bike at night in case some individual, including the person you hired it from, decides to steal it.
Expect to have to pay instant fines if you’re stopped by the police and don’t argue, if you don’t want to be incarcerated indefinitely. Always practice safe driving techniques and anticipate that the driver next to you will perform the most ridiculous manoeuvre, including signalling without actually doing so. And always carry a legit international driving licence and a copy of your passport with current visa page.
MAD DOGS Finally, avoid dogs at night, they’re all schizophrenic – nice during the day and bite your legs off at night, even if you’re riding a motorcycle. Look out for snakes in unlikely places and finally don’t be a mad dog yourself, or an Englishman i.e. don’t go out in the mid-day sun without protection. Always walk in the shadow, and take frequent, but short sunbathes with a high sun factor.
Apart from that – chock dee – good luck, keep your wits about you and ENJOY, because to all intents and purposes you only live once.

Story by : Snookie

Private Dicks Spying on Bar Girls: Ladies Account

Let‘s consider the cases now of a bar girl who was hunted down by the private investigator for doing what comes naturally. I actually know people who were on both sides.

The first was an investigator who I’ll call Bert, who’d come to Thailand and had run out of money; largely having spent it in bars on booze and ladies. He was a cruiser of Bangkok venues like Nana Plaza, Thermae, Soi Cowboy, The Grace Hotel, Hard Rock Cafe, Novotel, Spazzo’s, Riva’s, The Soi 7 Beer Garden, and the beer and go-go bars in Patpong, so he was well versed in all the right places to find girls-on-the-game.
One day, bemoaning his lot, he was approached by a gay in a bar and asked if he’d like to spy on “errant girls” (his phrase) for their absent boyfriends who were sending money back to them from overseas. The idea was to find out if they’d kept their agreement not to return to the bars and if they went “off”. It was money for old rope, so obviously he agreed to become what he called a “ferret”, which is an animal that’s particularly good at hunting in secret places, so I’m told.
He apparently did 3 stages of checking-up. The first involved being equipped with a photo of the girl in question and then going around the bars she’d previously worked at and if she was found, actually visiting the girl’s bar in person to find out if she was bar-fineable. The investigator, let’s call him a Private Dick, goes back twice and takes photos with his phone to prove she’s working.
The second was for the Private Dick to actually pay the bar-fine and take the girl to a hotel. He told me they were supposed to make an excuse and leave before it came to sex, but quite often he did actually have sex. The Dick is also supposed to take photos inside the hotel, too.
The final stage was to discover whereabouts the girl lives and if she lived with anyone, not a friend which many do, but a Thai boyfriend, or even another farang. There are some around who are quite happy to live off the Thai girls and the money sent to them by the foreign lover, the same as Thai men. The Private Dick had a “whale of a time”, getting expenses, free drinks and sometimes getting sex for free by promising not to expose the girl to her foreign absentee boyfriend. He was doing what he’s always done, except this time he didn’t have to pay one baht. And he and the detective agency were ripping of their clients, charging on average about 15,000 baht a time. And they call Thai bar girls corrupt!
The next little story is about a very enterprising bar girl who had to “run the gauntlet” (a Private Dick’s phrase) of a private detective. Her name for this story is Daeng and she had a farang boyfriend from the US, Bill, who was sending her 25,000 baht a month to keep out of the bars, keep herself and send money home for her family. Daeng actually lived with a Thai man, Lek, who didn’t work himself, but lived off her earnings, any earnings. When her boyfriend Bill phoned her she’d make sure only she answered the phone and that Lek shut up when she was on the phone. However, Daeng had a heavy Yah Bah and Ice habit and effectively spent all her money, to the extent that she had to pawn her phone. Lek had already made her pawn all the gold that Bill had given her. Inevitably, when Bill couldn’t contact her, he started to get suspicious. She told him she’d lost her phone and would he mind sending her more money to buy a new one, which he did, but he then started to phone her at bar times from 7.30pm to 2am. Obviously, this was a slight problem, involving her having to go into a relatively quiet side room, put a blanket over her head and speak softly, making sure no one came in.
Daeng had heard of farang absentee boyfriends hiring private detectives to investigate the Thai girlfriends and she had a pretty shrewd idea of how they might operate. She happened to spy one, one night, thankfully he wasn’t looking for her, but he was very obvious. For a start he spoke very good Thai and was with a Thai lady that it was obvious wasn’t his girlfriend because they weren’t “lovey-dovey” at all. The Thai lady went round all the girls and kept showing the “victims” photo to all the girls, asking if they knew her. They all did because the girl in question was a favourite of them all, who wasn’t actually working at the bar that week because she’d gone to Koh Samui with another farang client. However, they were all loyal and didn’t give the game away.
Daeng began to take precautions in case Bill sent the ferrets out after her. She told all her sisters-in-charms not to speak to strangers about her and to tell her if anyone came in the bar asking after her. She even dyed her hair blonde, using a lot of make-up so she wouldn’t look like her photos that she knew Bill had of her because she’d given him several. Her life became a true ordeal where she had to interrogate all the guys that wanted to take her “off” to make sure they weren’t ferrets. If they were over-inquisitive, she just refused to go “off” with them. This meant her weekly average really declined and Lek started to get heavy, beating her up because she wasn’t bringing in enough money to support his drug habit. He’d already spent almost all the money Bill sent every month, leaving very little for Daeng to send home or live on. She tried to get rid of him, but he had all the characteristics of a leach, bloodsucking and was difficult to throw off; she didn’t attempt the tried and tested way, trying to burn him off with a cigarette-end though for fear of what he’d do to her.
One day, the inevitable happened and a guy came in the bar that actually looked like a ferret, so she knew right away he was a Private Dick. She tried hiding but the Mamasan told her to go out on the floor and despite the fact she’d tried to disguise herself, the ferret saw through her; there weren’t enough girls for her to hide effectively. She got a phone call from Bill two days after, accusing her, but after all the stress he’d put her through, she couldn’t maintain the pretence and told him the truth. Obviously, Bill dropped her, but then Daeng told me, there are plenty more fish in the sea, right?
Now you might be very righteous about bar girls who do this sort of thing, but you have to understand where they’re coming from. And Bert, the ferret, told me he’d also been hired to spy on farang men who were short timing around the favourite venues. They were total idiots when it came to trying to disguise their deceits. So, at the end of the day, let’s give them both, the bar girls and the straying farangs a bit of rope. They are only doing what comes naturally after all and if you’re foolish enough to lavish vast sums of money on bar-girls, what do you expect?
Written by Warina Punyawan

Not all Thai-Farang Marriages do end up like the Cinderella Fairytale.

A Word of Advice for Those Thais thinking of Marrying a Foreigner There has been several reports from Mr Niyom Watthamawuthi, Director in charge of the Thai Embassy overseas for the Health and Welfare of Thai citizens who are residents overseas.

According to the reports there has been an increase in Thai women marrying foreign citizens. These women hold the belief and hope that once they are married to a foreigner, their life will be happier and more fulfilled. Besides, they will benefit financially, but contrary to that belief, not all Thai vs Foreigner marriages end up like that Cinderella Story. The report also suggested that most Thai women who are married to a foreigner and have given up home in Thailand, emigrated to join their partners in their chosen home will soon find that they are being taken advantage of in area such as doing the household chore, working like a slave in their marital home in order to satisfy their husbands, or their elderly parents. The money that their partners had promised to give them had all been forgotten about. In some worse case scenarios, the husbands become fed up with their Thai wives and abandon them. This was due to their inability to communicate and also the differences in culture also pose another problem to their marriage life. Such incidence occurs frequently among Thais marrying to Swedish nationals, one of the most popular countries Thais are married to.

According to Mr Niyom, the reasons why many Thais chose to marry Swedish nationals was because there was a Swedish national who resided in Thailand, had set up an Introduction Agency business to allow Thais who wish to find their ideal partners. The conditions being that they must register their details on the company’s website and pay the fees of 3,000-3,500 Baht. These applicants must also pay another fees which is 3,000-3,500 Baht should they receive an email from an interested party. According to the report, there are approximately 2000 Thais who have uprooted and emigrated to set up their new lives in Sweden during the year 2003. About 80 per cent of these applicants were women who have met their potential partners who made their holiday in Thailand. According to the Director in charge of the Health and Welfare of Thais overseas, at the Thai Embassy in Stockholm, he had received many telephone calls from many Thai women ringing in to tell the Embassy similar problems about them being mistreated, sometimes like slaves, or in the worst cases they have been abandoned by their husbands for several weeks on end. Many women who could not stand the treatments of their husbands’ bad behavior even left home to seek a temporary shelter and assistance from The Women and Children’s Institute.

According to the Department of Health and Welfare for women and children out of the 22 of these places in Sweden, they have handled and given assistance to women who had been such similar conditions in the past two years.

What is worse is the fact that many women have actually been brought into the country by the same man.

The majority of Thai women who marry a foreign national come from the eastern part of Thailand as they have limited level of education and above all they do not possess the ability to be able to communicate in English. They rely largely on their husbands as the main bread winner. When they are abandoned by their husbands, they are faced with the need to defend for themselves. A word of warning to our readers then that not all Thai-Farang marriages do actually end up like that of a Cinderella FairyTale!

I’m going to fill my belly and have some money in my pocket again.

I've always been a great reader. You can completely loose yourself in books. I?ve got a broad range of interests, but I particularly like literature, politics and philosophy. I suppose I really developed my interest after my mother died of cancer when I was 10.

Being a well-known real estate developer, my father was always out, at meetings, visiting sites and travelling to see my uncle in Hong Kong. I had to occupy myself for much of the time and in those days, Thai TV wasn?t much to write home about, so I started reading in earnest.
I suppose you could say I was spoilt as a child. My father obviously felt sorry for me after my mother died, so he indulged me, buying me virtually everything I ever asked for.
As I was nearly 11 when my mother died, I didn?t have long to wait before transferring to my secondary school. I went to an international school because they had a strong languages department and my father wanted me not only to improve my Cantonese, which I already spoke, but also to learn Mandarin and English, of course. The teachers really appreciated me, partially because they felt sorry for me being motherless, but mainly because I was a really conscientious student. I always completed my assignments before the deadline and I was creative in my approach.
I romped through school, forming many friendships because I?m a likeable sort of person and was always ready to help if any of them ever had a problem. I had no trouble with the exams and passed my IGCEs with flying colours and embarked on my A level courses.
Half way through my second year, everything changed again. My father met a glamorous young lady called Rung from Chiang Mai like my mother, but her family was slightly higher up the social ladder. I had problems with her from the very start. I was always a bit of a Daddy?s girl even when my mother was alive and I suppose I resented the fact that my father?s new lady monopolised his time and thrust me into the background.
Things got even worse when they got married and whenever we were together you could cut the air with a knife. Rung was hyper-critical of me, but not to my face. She used to wait until I?d left the room before she complained to my father about me. I suppose I also resented no longer being the young lady of the house as I?d enjoyed that position for nearly 7 years. I wasn?t the only lady of course towards the end, because my father?s mother had come to live with us.
I was almost ready to take my A levels and had a tentative offer from the Bangkok university, so my father decided the best solution was to set me up in my own place in Nawanakorn. He was even more generous than usual, probably because he felt guilty. Apart from the lavish condo, he also bought me a BMW 323 and gave me a driver and a maid. There was one drawback, however, because I was still relatively young, nearly 18, Thai middle class custom dictated that I had to have a chaperone, so my father persuaded my grandmother to come and live with me.
I had passed my A levels with extremely good grades, so the university was pleased to offer me a place. We all moved into the condo in Nawanakorn just before I went to university and things settled down for a while.
The next development was that Rung had really wanted to start a family quickly to consolidate her position and nine months after she and my father got married, she had twin girls. That didn?t really put me out as I was considerably more mature by then. What really upset the applecart was that my father collapsed in the bathroom one day. He was rushed to hospital and, after tests, the doctor informed us that he?d had a stroke and his condition was serious. Later that day, he had another, which paralysed him and left him unable to communicate.

That was when the grim reality really began to dawn upon me. For the first time in my life, I was forced to catch public buses. A complete nightmare as I?d never even travelled on one before and had no idea even how to pay. The people on the bus were completely unsympathetic, assuming I was fresh from the most remote village in Esarn.
The next day, my world almost fell to pieces. It was 14th May 1997, the start of the East Asian Financial Crisis. Over the next few weeks, things went from bad to worse, until one day, my step-mother came round to my condo looking very grave. Apparently, my father?s assets had suffered a complete catastrophe. He was effectively bankrupt and all his developments were impounded. Rung, with tears in her eyes, told me that we would have to sell the car, the condo and virtually everything I owned.
The next week was my graduation, at least one thing had come right. Celebrating later that day with some of my friends, I looked into my purse to discover I only had 20 Baht. Going to the nearest ATM, I inserted my card and punched in my requirement of 5000 Baht. My card was rejected, I only had 2000 Baht in the account and that was the only money I had in the whole world!
We sold the condo the following week, but my step-mother took most of the money top pay my father?s medical bills. I was forced to borrow money from friends to pay the necessary 3 months? deposit on a very small condo in Ekkamai. The next few weeks were among the most unhappy of my life, until a ray of sunshine banished my gloom.
I received a phone call from my uncle in Hong Kong who had heard of my sad plight and as he had promised my father he would take care of me in the event of anything bad happening to me, he was eager for me to come to Hong Kong right away and he would give me a job in his company. He transferred enough money into my account to pay the airfare and buy some new clothes and off I went to start a new adventure.
Uncle met my plane at Hong Kong Airport and took me straight to a condo he?d rented for me. It was very nice, but no frills. As there was no maid service, for the first time in my life, I had to do my own laundry, clean my room, make my bed and basically live like ordinary people. My uncle said it would do me a power of good as I had been living in a dream world and needed to come down to earth. I started work with my uncle?s company full of optimism.
My luck had only marginally turned, however, and bad luck was still haunting me. I caught pneumonia which rapidly developed complications due to my depressed state, so much so that I had to return to Bangkok for treatment. Thankfully, my uncle paid all my expenses and medical bills. He gave me an allowance which allowed me to rent a small condo in Sukhumvit Soi 33 and even to hire a nurse to look after me while I recovered.
After a month, I had sufficiently recovered to contemplate going back to work in Hong Kong. The date was February16th 1998, I was about to phone a local travel agent to book my return flight and went over to turn down the TV where I had been watching CNN when a breaking news item caught my attention. China Airlines Flight 676 from Bali to Taiwan, carrying 182 passengers, had disappeared from the radar screens, presumed crashed. I don?t know why, but a chill dagger of fear ran down my spine. I couldn?t understand it. I didn?t know anyone who lived in either Bali or Taiwan. No inkling of the significance of the news registered, until later that evening my uncle?s secretary called me from Hong Kong and told me my uncle had been on the plane, returning from a business meeting in Bali. There were no survivors. My uncle was dead. The phone just dropped from my hand as I stood in stunned silence, the implications slowly sinking in.
That was the longest day of my life. I had lost everything: my favorite uncle, financial support, prospects for the future, effectively my whole life.
We attended the funeral, but it was one of the saddest occasions I have ever experienced. They didn?t even have a body to bury, just a photo. Uncle hadn?t included me in his will and I was left nothing. I had 20,000 Baht in the bank. I felt dreadful. Would nothing ever go right for me? Would this train of bad luck ever end?
I decided to go and visit my father in Chiang Mai. I felt the wings of the Angel of Death hovering and determined to get up there as soon as possible, before he died, too. When I got to my father?s house, I was astounded by the condition of the house and especially the state of my father. He looked pale and wan; his hair was lank and bedraggled. His clothes looked as though they hadn?t been changed for a week. Rung was really neglecting him. So much for true love, when the money went, so did Rung?s care and attentiveness.
My father?s nails were long, brittle and dirty. I decided the least I could do was cut them for him. When I started cutting and looked closer, I was appalled to see that at least half of my father?s nails were already dead. I turned to Rung and really laid into her, accusing her of being callous and uncaring. ?How could you leave my father in such a dreadful state? You?re just a gold digger, a heartless bitch,? I shouted at her. She for her part wasn?t about to take my criticism lying down and we started a full scale argument. Eventually, I just stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind me. Totally drained and despondent.
Still livid, I went back to Bangkok to my condo in Soi 33. When I got there I went straight into the bedroom and just collapsed on the bed and cried my eyes out. I was totally exhausted, no family, no money to talk of, and no-one to turn to. I had to stand on my own two feet. I had to get a job to support myself. I had a degree; it couldn?t be that difficult, could it? But it was. It was the aftermath of the financial crisis and no firms were hiring. I went from one interview to another, feeling worse after each one, until I was virtually suicidal. Then my luck turned, a friend told me about a PR job paying 12,000 Baht a month that was vacant at a hotel at PluenChit area. I telephoned and rushed over, feeling that this was my last chance.
As luck would have it, the interviewer was a farang in his late 40?s who didn?t seem at all interested in my qualifications; he just kept looking at me slyly from the corner of his eyes. He asked me to start the next morning and I went home feeling the happiest I?d felt for ages. My happiness didn?t last though. I worked for the first week all the time with the feeling that the boss?s eyes were boring into my back and mentally undressing me. He flirted outrageously. I had an awful time trying to stop him groping me at every opportunity. Then in the Friday after work, he asked me out to a nearby bar for a drink. My fist instinct was to decline gracefully, but in Thailand employees don?t refuse their bosses? requests, so what could I do but go?
I should have known better, but I was so naïve, never having drunk alcohol to any great extent before. My boss kept plying me with Marguerites, telling me they were slightly stronger than beer, when in fact they were loaded with tequila. By the end of the evening, I didn?t know whether I was coming or going. I couldn?t focus, slurred all my words, couldn?t think straight at all and could hardly stand up.

I woke up the next morning in his bed. I was shocked and blazingly angry. I had been taken total advantage of by an unscrupulous bastard. I had only had one steady boyfriend before when I was in the 2nd year at university. We?d had furtive sex a few times, always hurried and nervous about being discovered. I wasn?t a virgin, but I wasn?t a bad girl either. My boyfriend, however, didn?t stay the course; he beat a hasty retreat when he discovered my father was bankrupt. He said that he couldn?t cope with my depressions and all the problems I was having.
I?d always thought love was beautiful, probably from reading too many romantic classics, but now I don?t know what it is anymore. I was totally disillusioned at the time. But there was no love involved with my farang boss. He?d just raped me when I was incapable.
I quit the job that same day. The boss tried to find me to apologize. He wanted to be my regular boyfriend, he said. But I was having none of it, I could have taken him to the police for forced intoxication and rape, but I didn?t. I just wanted to forget he ever existed.
It was then that I started to drink and smoke. I?d never smoked before and I should have known better, but I just didn?t care. I just lazed around my condo for a week, watching TV half-heartedly, but not really taking anything in. I was in a real state. I woke up with 500 Baht in my pocket, the rent of 6000 Baht to pay and absolutely no means of paying it.
It was then that my friend Tammy, who worked in an escort agency, came to the rescue. She brought round a video called ?Madame Beverley Hills? about the life of high class hookers. I watched it twice and finally understood what was involved in Tammy?s job. It was an impressive movie, not in the least bit sleazy, quite a work of art, actually, even though it was essentially about prostitution.
Right, I said to myself, I?ll do it. I?d been shocked quite frankly when Tammy had told me what she did, but now my circumstances had radically changed, I was no longer a poor little rich girl toying with the perimeter of life. I decided to forgive myself for my naiveté and parochial attitude. I was beginning to appreciate Maslov?s theory. No food, no money, clothes, but no means of washing them. I couldn?t even afford washing powder. I?d had enough of poverty and destitution. No matter what I have to do, I?m going to fill my belly and have some money in my pocket again. And that was how my descent into the maelstrom began.

Story by: Snookie
Translated by: Warina

Point of View of a Bar Girl

We hear frequently about the farang’s experiences with Thai bar girls, but rarely hear about what things are like for the bar girls themselves, or hear the truth of their opinions of or life with farangs. I’d like to take this opportunity to enlighten all you farangs out there and show you that you aren’t too badly done by. The first story concerns a bar lady who was invited back to her farang client’s hotel room. As soon as she was ushered into the room, she saw 6 farangs sitting expectantly on the bed. Now she’d heard of such things with ladies who had been with Arabs, but never before with farangs. Her first reaction was to try and escape, but the farang client who had engaged her held onto her arm tightly. She was lucky to escape with minor bruising after effectively being gang raped by the 7 men. Hopefully, she’ll know better next time.

This incident also illustrates how trusting Thai ladies are. If it had been a Russian, or one of my minders in Dubai, checks would have been made at the start and finish of the proceedings and someone would have kept a watchful eye on the client, but here in Thailand such things are not commonplace. Which leads me onto the next story.
One sometimes hears of ladies being kidnapped by Thai taxi drivers in Bangkok and whisked off to foreign climes. The next incident concerns a lady who shared a taxi with a Russian. Sharing is not usual in Bangkok, but she was in a hurry and didn’t think twice about it. The Russian started speaking to the taxi driver in Russian and he apparently understood him. The next thing she knew was a cloth containing chloroform being put over her face and losing consciousness. The next thing she knew she was on a freighter on her way, it transpired, to Dubai. She was forced to work in a hotel as a sex-hostess for six months before she managed to escape with the help of one of her clients. Moral, don’t share a taxis with strange men.
Thai men have a bad reputation of sending out their wives and girlfriends to work in bars, but not usually farangs. The next story shows even the supposedly jai dee farangs are not always so. A farang had been living with a Thai lady for six months and all had gone well, initially. She had been treated well, gold and other presents bought for her, taken out to expensive restaurants and on day trips to various exciting tourist venues. Then one day, it all turned bad. The money ran out and the first thing was that her boyfriend asked her to sell all the gold he had bought her. Then he asked her to borrow money from her friends, who rapidly turned into enemies, as a result. Then her farang boyfriend forced her to go to a mafia money lender to borrow money at extortionate interest rates. She was lucky to escape with her life over that one, when they were unable to pay and her boyfriend went into hiding. He reappeared 3 weeks later and it was then that the inevitable happened. He forced her to go and work in the beer bars to support them.
If Thai guys have bad reputations, this particular farang was ten times worse. He was an absolute tyrant. He made her work all hours god sends and forced her to go on as many “offs” as possible. So much so that she was battered and bruised. Eventually, she wised up and found another lady for him to take her place. She was lucky to get off the hook.
The next story is equally bad. A farang was so jealous of his live-in Thai girlfriend after hearing stories of how Thai ladies have innumerable Thai boyfriends that he effectively kept her imprisoned in his room. When he was there he wouldn’t let her go out and when he himself went anywhere, he kept her chained up to the bed by a chain and padlock. Needless to say, she sought help one day, phoning one of her friends who brought the Tourist Police round to free the lady. A similar story concerns a Thai girl that her farang boyfriend knew smoked speed or “yah ba”. He, too, was hyper-jealous and to keep her contained threatened to phone the police and report her every time she wanted to go out. Thankfully, she managed to escape one day when he was out. He didn’t contact the police because she found out he was a wanted criminal in England and turned the tables on him.

The Harrowing Tale of a Farang Betrayed

The Harrowing Tale of a Farang Betrayed

The following is a true account of and allegedly dishonest Thai sex-workers attempt to completely fleece her farang husband.

Both names have been withheld, but contact details will be passed on to interested parties who choose to communicate with PDN. The foreigner, who we will call John Roo, met the lady, who we will call Ying, apparently in Burriram. To cut a long story short, John fell in love with Ying and proposed marriage to her. As a consequence, he bought her a car, a motor bike and paid for the education of her 4 children over a period of 2 years. John says that he worked 8 hours a day to support and help this family that he considered his own and by whom he is still called ‘Papa’.
During some period of this time, Ying, at the insistance of her mother, went to Malaysia and Singapore. John only discovered when she was deported that she had, in fact, gone to work in these two locations as a prostitute. He also discovered that all the time he was with her she’d had several Thai boyfriends, at least one of whom had been driving the car he bought for her, and she had continued to work as a prostitute, all the while lying to him that he was her one and only.
John is currently stuck at her family’s house in Burriram, looking after her children while she is away, plying her trade in either Pattaya or Bangkok. Before she left, Ying gave John a signed IOU for Bt150,000, just before she stole another Bt25,000 (the cost of his airfare back to Australia), in addition to a further Bt300,000 that she stole previously. His embassy has told him they won’t help him out of his predicament, his friends and family have disowned him due to her and he is tired, scared and growing increasingly more desperate.
John made further discoveries about Ying, namely that she’d had 4 separate fathers for her children. In addition, she’s already had 4 abortions and is once again pregnant, which John assumes will also be aborted. She currently has genital herpies, all the while having practised unsafe sex, without a condom, and John is concerned that she will contract further STDs.

So others don’t fall into the same trap, we’re prepared to give several clues to Ying’s identity, namely that she is now 30 years old, has 3 distinctive tattoos: one on her lower back, a dark one on her right arm and a large dragon on her back. John says that she is a smooth talker and an habitual liar, who lies to Thais and farang alike. Most disturbingly John says she told everyone she had a rich farang boyfriend and borrowed money from all and sundry, telling them he will pay them back on her behalf. John currently has some members of the mafia looking for him, while other mafia members have found him and are putting pressure on him to do their dirty work by “doing (unspecified) things to her family”.

John says his neighbours can testify as to what type of person she is and that the whole town knows she did wrong by him. Apparently, she even attacked him and threatened him with knives when he asked her for some money back before she sneaked away with her mother’s help. He says he feels like a prisoner in their home with everyone treating him with contempt and pretending to care and be his friend. John says “my family gave them money to help and support them. I have nothing and no one now. I have lost everything. I have given them everything, my heart, my soul …. everything.”

Finally, John in utter desperation asks “Do they want me to kill myself before they are all happy…before they go out and do this to someone else?”These are the grim details of John’s heartrending story. If anyone cares enough to help him out of his dire predicament before he does something really desperate, please contact us and we will pass on John’s contact details.

Remarks:
The pictures are for illustrative purposes only. We hope to publish actual photos as we recieve them.
Warina Punyawan
editor.pdn@gmail.com

THE GRIM REALITIES OF BAR-OWNERSHIP IN PATTAYA

Snooki’s advice to aspirant bar owners

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to own a beer-bar or Go-Go bar in Pattaya’s fair city? You have? Did you really talk to the people who run them and find out the true story?

            If you visit as a tourist and dream of being surrounded by idolising, willing ladies, dream on. The reality is somewhat different, especially in the low season, which seems to be most of the year these days. You’ll notice lots of bars up for sale on nearly all the notice boards in this Fun City. Ever wondered why? Ask yourself, if they’re such fun to run and so profitable, why are they always up for sale and why do you rarely see them advertised in real estate shops or publications. Could it be that they’re not so profitable and in reality, really difficult to run?
            Take the girls, for instance, do you think they’re as friendly as they appear when you’re a customer? If you do, you’re likely to be rudely awakened. Most of the girls seem to avoid work rather than welcome it. There’ll be squabbles, jealousy, groups of them leaving in droves. They’ll really stress you out; no doubt about it.
            And you’ll have to pay their salaries in the lean days, when your customers are few and the takings minimal. That’s if they haven’t already been pilfered by the unscrupulous members of the bar-girl fraternity. And don’t forget, for most bar-owners this is a 7 day a week enterprise, which is increasingly becoming a 6 day week as the girls wise up to their being exploited. Then, if you’re a concerned bar-owner, the girls have to be tested for sexually-transmitted diseases. And then you’ve got to get girls who will consistently be nice to the customers or will enthusiastically go out and “jap the farangs”.
            And then you may be afraid to take a welcome break for fear of all the girls leaving, or some unscrupulous, envious competitor reporting you to the immigration police for working. Don’t forget, you can’t lift a finger to help in the bar if you don’t have a work permit and few do! Then there’s ownership itself. Are you going to put the bar in your loved one’s name? If so, make sure she hasn’t got numerous Thai boyfriends, or a completely avaricious family with innumerable sick water buffalos, family members or younger siblings who seem to constantly need new mobile phones or motorcycles because they’re just lost or crashed them. You thought you were the one who wore the trousers, think again! It’s most definitely a risky game – Pattaya roulette, it’s called.
            Then there’s the lease. Make sure your bar isn’t too profitable; otherwise the lease is sure to rise as the landlord gets to hear of it. Or the competitors or the “boys in brown”, who will definitely be round for handouts. And so your profits vanish! There are those who do well, but very few. It’s often a question of prime locations, extremely able Mamasans, adept at keeping the girls, both in place and in line, (like me, until I gave it up and became freelance because it was too much hard work).
            And then there’s the noble art of knowing when to pull out or move on. And make sure you’re not tempted to sell cut price cigarettes from Cambodia or Viagra, for that matter. You need to have been here for a fair number of years to discover all the pitfalls, and you’ll hear many, many stories of failure – for the unwary, Thailand can indeed be the land of broken dreams, not just broken hearts. If you really want to own a bar, do some research. Check location, the competition, where to get stock, how much it will cost to redecorate, buy a new wide screen TV to keep up with your competitors, or a new pool table.
            Then there’s wages, how many employees to have. Think of the regulars, how to handle, freeloaders, or guys who play the girls or worse abuse them! Not an easy game bar-ownership, and don’t believe anyone who tells you it is.
Written by : Snookie

Journalist Charged with Lese Majeste Law

From the hell of his Bangkok prison cell, the writer Harry Nicolaides reveals the horror of his daily battle to survive.

We are woken at 6 and counted in the cell. Mine is 12 metres long and just over four metres wide, holding 50 or 60 prisoners, mostly Thais, mostly murderers and rapists. The cell has one toilet, which is a hole in the ground, and poor ventilation. I sleep in a face mask because tuberculosis and pneumonia are common. I’ve been in this jail for five months, since my arrest in September.
My book, Verisimilitude, was a rather clumsy first attempt at fiction – only 50 copies were printed and seven sold. I love Thailand and respect the royal family. It was never my intention to offend anyone.
For breakfast I have soy milk and a biscuit. The prisoners wash and shave around troughs covered in grime. The water is changed once a week. Then there’s assembly. We stand to attention as the Thai flag is raised. We’re asked to pray to a large gold Buddha. I use the time to collect my thoughts and think about my loved ones.
The guards make long speeches in Thai. I imagine they’re about prison etiquette.
I’m then taken upstairs with other foreigners to clean another cell block.

After that we’re at leisure for a while. I used to walk around, but I can’t help but encounter the weak and the feeble – such as men with TB, languishing on benches. It deadens me. So I try to spend my time replying to the many letters I receive. Letters keep me alive. We are allowed one 30-minute visit a day, but not on weekends or holidays. The hardest part is returning to my cell after a visit from family or friends. I break down when I think how they’re suffering. At 12 the lunch bell rings. The food is mostly fish bones in hot water, extremely spicy, with rice. I’ve tried it and felt unwell. I can’t afford to fall sick – the mental strain is enough – so my family send me some chicken and a salad every day. There are 20 or 25 cats that run into the mess hall before the prisoners. Some men put cigarettes in the cats’ mouths or do other unspeakable things to them. I am barefoot most of my day. It is partly a security measure so we can’t climb the electrified, barbed-wire fence, and partly custom. But the floors are covered with fish bones, saliva and cat vomit, so my feet are black. I am led to court in shackles and chains. It’s positively medieval. They’re degrading and they bruise and lacerate the ankles. They make you feel you’re guilty.

They say that it is easy to get to someone in a prison like this, so I am always on the alert. I have met some colourful characters, like Viktor Bout, the suspected Russian arms dealer. He’s an unassuming, softly spoken man. He gave me some garlic the other day – and a manuscript of his life story to edit. I haven’t looked at it yet. Lots of people give me manuscripts about their lives and cases. They seem to think I’m a BBC journalist, of all things. At 4pm we’re locked up until 6am. My patch is about a foot wide, the length of my body. I cannot move to the left or right without pressing on another person. I cannot stretch out my legs without kicking someone. On the king’s 81st birthday I saw fireworks in the distance. Some prisoners had tears in their eyes, praising a man they regard not just as their king but their father. I may not be Thai, but I am a son, and I know what it means to love a father. I am applying for a royal pardon. I pray the king learns of my plight so I might enjoy his grace. When I’ve finished my chicken, Thais beg for my scraps. The fluorescent lights stay on at night, so I sleep with a box over my head. I toss and turn on a thin mat on the hard floor. And this, too, shall pass, other foreigners tell me. It’s an old adage and true. But time passes very slowly here. as told to Andrew Marshall The Sydney Morning Herald 08 February 2009

Snookies Story Pt 2: Mamasanning

We lived happily together until Tom?s wife from England turned up one day at his condo. My Buddha! That was an experience. Talk about being a tigress! Tom?s wife went absolutely ballistic when she found me living with him. I had no option but to move out.

After Tom, I was at a loose end for some time. But one day I happened to meet a friend, John, who was a regular in Soi Cowboy, the beer and Go-Go bar locale off Soi Asok in Bangkok and he asked me to go with him to a beer-bar to give him my impressions of a new girl he fancied there. This I did, meeting John?s prospective new girlfriend, but I wasn?t impressed with her. I thought she was just a gold digger and told John so.
While we were in the beer bar, we got chatting to the boss, a farang called Jim. He asked me what I was doing at the moment, and when I told him I was between jobs, he asked if I would like to work as his cashier as the previous one had been sacked for ripping him off. I thought about it for a while and told him it would be OK as long as I didn?t have to go ?off? with any of the customers. He agreed to my terms and I started work the following day.
I?d only been working with him for a week when his Mamasan left after an argument. Jim asked me if I thought I?d be able to manage his ladies and when I replied yes, he asked me if I?d like to be his new Mamasan and I of course agreed to a month?s trial.
At first, the ladies were very apprehensive of me as I was older and of a higher class than they and from Chiang Mai, whereas they were all from Esarn. However, it wasn?t long before I was able to befriend them, because, basically, I?m a very friendly person and can get along with more or less anyone. It was low season and the girls weren?t in the best of spirits with so few customers.
My first crisis came when two of the girls fought over one particularly handsome young farang, British, as I remember. He was a bit of a sly dog, however, and played the two off against each other. His ultimate goal was to pay as little as possible and get one of the girls to live with him. It turned out that he had promised to take them both home to England and they used to continually taunt each other, making claims of being his favourite. Neither of them charged him any money; he had to pay the bar fine, obviously, but that was all. Eventually, he chose one of them, the most beautiful and we never saw either of them again.
My next crisis concerned a girl who was married to a Thai kick boxer that was incredibly jealous. One day, after making many threats, he came into the bar and assaulted one of the girl?s farang boyfriends, but he?d bitten off more than he could chew because this particular farang was a black belt karate expert. The farang beat the Thai guy to within an inch of his life. Needless to say, the Thai guy wasn?t humbled, but brought three of his friends to sort the farang out. The three managed to inflict some pain on the farang, but he too had friends and we had a really serious vendetta on our hands. The rivals used to stake out the bar, waiting for each other. I decided the best approach was to get the girl in question to persuade the farang to go to Pattaya with the promise of following him after a few days. Thankfully, I was successful otherwise I dread to think what would have happened, but certainly it would have spelled death for one or more of them. The girl did go to Pattaya for a couple of weekends, but then he found a new girlfriend and we never heard from him again, either.
The next problem concerned an American farang who was very reluctant to spend any money at all? Billy Ki Nok, we called him. He used to sit in the bar every night nursing one drink and never bought a lady drink. We tried every ploy in the book to persuade him to part with his money, but to no avail. That was, until he met Joy, a newcomer to the bar from Burriram. She completely won his heart and he changed into a completely different person. He?d obviously been waiting for the right person, He spared absolutely no expense, buying Joy expensive presents of gold and all the cuddly toys she could carry. The street seller of cuddly toys must have made a small fortune because Joy?s room was filled from floor to ceiling with bears, dogs, turtles and elephants; so much so that you couldn?t move for them ? just as well she liked cuddly toys! However, she sold them all and all her gold when Johnny-not-so-Ki-Nok returned to America. She made enough money that she was able to take a holiday in Burriram for three months.
My final bit of trouble at the particular bar we?re talking about ? sorry, no names ? involved a girl who fell madly in love with a farang customer. She had never really been in love before, and you know what they say, women only ever fall in love once in their lives. Well, this was definitely the one for her and for the month that her farang remained in Thailand, she was in heaven. When he returned to Germany, she was totally distraught. Moping about all day with a long face and refusing to entertain any other customer. One morning, we heard that she was in hospital having tried to commit suicide by slashing her wrists. Luckily, the paramedics had caught her in time and she recovered and returned to her home in Khon Kaen. I heard later that she?d recontacted her German boyfriend and was about to go and live with him in Germany.
About a week later, I asked my boss for a holiday as the previous 3 months had really taken it out of me. I never returned to his bar, but that?s another story.

Story by Snookie
Translated by Warina

SNOOKIE'S LIFE STORY Part 1

Many of you must be intrigued by now about my life and my family history, so my good friend, Khun May, the Editor of Pattaya Daily News, has asked me to give you the lowdown on my background. I?m normally quite a shy person and was reluctant to reveal my innermost secrets, but Pi May is very persuasive, so I relented and agreed.

My family is upper middle class, Thai Chinese, – ?Hi So? – as the Thais call it, from Chiang Mai. My father was a highly respected and successful property developer and a Baht millionaire, but he fell foul of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and lost all his businesses. Thankfully, I had just finished my degree in Mass Communications and Journalism at a university in Bangkok, which explains my good English. I originally studied at an international school, topped up by lessons at the British Council, probably the best English language school in the world, and between them, they laid a really good foundation for my linguistic skills. Even so, my English isn?t perfect, but I get a helping hand from the PDN Editor, Khun May, who helps to correct any misspellings or grammatical mistakes I might make.
After graduating, I started by working for my uncle in his construction business in Hong Kong at his request, but suffered a bad attack of pneumonia almost as soon as I started, which laid me on my back for a month. I couldn?t go back to work for my uncle on my recovery as he had been tragically killed in an air crash, and the company was subsequently sold following his death, so I returned to Bangkok. However, the capital was still in the throes of recovery from Black Thursday and work was extremely difficult to find. It was then that I met my friend, Tammy, again, who had been at university with me.
We re-met in a Bangkok nightclub. She, too, had had great difficulty finding work and was working temporarily as a hostess for a high class escort agency that catered to rich Chinese, Japanese and Arab businessmen. Normally, of course, she would never have dreamed of working in such a profession, but times were hard for now poor, little rich girls, like us. She earned an absolute fortune from her ?servicing? of the foreign businessmen, who were extremely generous, taking her away for lavish holidays to Koh Samui and Phuket, apart from treating her to the best hotels and restaurants in Bangkok and buying her incredibly expensive presents.
What she told me made me not a little envious, as I had been completely broke for 3 months, and life was extremely hard. One day, she asked me if I would like to join the agency she worked for. Initially, I was shocked, as you can well imagine, coming from an extremely traditional and conservative family as I did. I fought a battle with my conscience for two days and then reluctantly agreed to become a Hi-So hostess after watching a very revealing movie about the escort business. My family would never have understood, but then they didn?t need to know, did they?
Things were made far easier because the escort agency had just signed a contract with a businessman in Dubai to send a number of hostesses to work in his nightclub, and I was among them. I won?t try to fool you that I was a virgin when I started work as I?d had an intimate relationships at university, but we told the Arab clientele that I was pure and intact. That earned me premium rates for a while, and I soon began to rake in a small fortune. The work wasn?t strenuous as we were a very exclusive club. I only had two clients a week and they tended to do the same as the businessmen in Bangkok had done, namely take me to high class establishments as their new fiancée; the Arabs are also extremely conservative, despite what they might get up to when they are abroad! This halcyon existence lasted for 6 months and then I returned to Bangkok; reluctantly, as it happens, because I had really enjoyed myself in Dubai, especially the trips to the Caribbean and Andalusia in Southern Spain that some of the rich clients had taken me on.


Work as a hostess at the Bangkok agency wasn?t nearly so good, so after another 6 months, I temporarily retired. After all, I now had a small fortune in the bank because I?d been extremely frugal and had conserved my money. Plus the fact that my Arab ?boyfriends? had been extremely generous as then I was still young and beautiful ? drop dead gorgeous, my English boyfriend, Tom, used to call me.
I met Tom soon after I left the escort agency in a restaurant off Sukhumvit, Soi 17, Crepes & Co; very expensive! It was love at first sight and before I knew it, we were an item, living together in his exclusive condo in Ekkamai. Tom was a university lecturer in English and he really honed my English skills, apart from other things!
We lived happily together until Tom?s wife from England turned up one day at his condo. My Buddha! That was an experience. Talk about being a tigress! Tom?s wife went absolutely ballistic when she found me living with him. I had no option but to move out

Story from Snookie
Translated by: Warina


Snookies Story Pt 2: Mamasanning
The Grim Realities Of Bar-Ownership In Pattaya

I’m going to fill my belly and have some money in my pocket again.

My stroke recovery journey

 Recovery from stroke is a lifelong process. For many people, recovery begins with formal rehabilitation, which can restore independence by improving physical, mental and emotional functions. It is important for you and your family to know that no matter where you are in your recovery journey, there is always hope.


To enhance your quality of life after stroke,you have to learn as many details as possible about stroke and recovery. There are resources and information you and your caregiver can  make as much progress in recovery as possible.
by checking through iHOPE and Living After Stroke – two convenient and easy-to-use tools for survivors and caregivers!

» Visit iHOPE

» Learn more about Living After Stroke

          "When you think of the word ‘stroke’ you picture a caress, like stroking a cat. Well it’s nothing like that! Stroke is devastating!  Having a heart attack it didn’t bother people that much. Heart attacks aren’t crippling like strokes. It’s so embarrassing! When I was first in rehab they wanted me to draw lines on a paper. I didn’t want to work on things my grandkids could do! I didn’t want to be seen in public with a quad cane or a leg brace. The last thing you want is sympathy.

At first, when people would hold a door open for me I thought they just felt sorry for me. Now I know they are just being considerate."

"I used to feel that if someone had a stroke, that’s it… it's the end of the line. Now I know you have to keep fighting. I think once you have a stroke you have to get to the point where you accept the fact that this is the way it is…and rather than saying ‘I can’t do it,’ start looking for ways to do things."

"Now,  I wear simple shirts with the buttons that is easy for me to buttoned them up and my shirts always have big pockets. I keep the portable phone in one pocket (in case I need to call for help.) I also have my personal bag with me all the time, I have soft balls , tamarind seeds [ for practicing my picking up small items, a book , not just for reading but to practicing open through pages no. that you can think of. My reading glasses, my medicine, a small bag of cosmetics, Yes! We still think about looking nice and clean. Napkins in case you are eating and the food keeps dripping from your lips or some time leave a piece of food on your chin, My brother wipe my lips and my chin for me when we’re eating out, He says “ we can only dress you up” and I always wipe my chin when i see someone touch their chins, i thought they were implying that i had food stick on my chin.

"What I miss most is losing my handwriting."

When I had to open a new banking account, I could not sign my signature; it took me 20 minutes to write my name by my left hand. The bank people don’t except finger print if you want to have ATM.Card with your account as well. I still write a lot now but with my notebook, of course. I write to my friends by E-mail. I still help translation news from Thai into English for our website. I keep my own room clean and do laundry, all with the help of my relatives, sometimes my trying to help, makes the family nervous. They worry about me getting hurt or over-doing. My right arm still hangs as I pops thing in the oven. I always keep moving. I fall sometimes. In many ways, my care taker says it would be less worrisome if I would give in and use the wheelchair…but that’s not me.

I know I grieve over the loss of the person I was or at least some of the things I could do. But my family all celebrate the person I am and marvel over the many things I can do.

Now I can ride a bicycle!, YAHOO!