A ruthless Farang
Cat, that's what I'll call her in this story, the lady I invited to come and visit me in Pattaya for a few days, takes care of her 13-year-old son and her 2-year-8-month-old daughter at home. My dear son doesn't listen to mom very well anymore and is often out with friends. The daughter now goes to the school that is fortunately close by.
I saw a video of the girl making her way there, walking merrily with a wheeled bag almost as tall as herself. Very touching. There is no longer any contact with the Scandinavian father and he is also failing financially.
Cat tries to earn some money with a shop (read: four poles and a corrugated iron) in second-hand clothing. And she sells food that she makes herself. Her spicy Spaghetti seems to be much appreciated. Slightly problematic is the fact that the whole family only has access to one cooking ring, so it is often a matter of compromise.
Of course, many of these activities do not put a stop to these activities and it is therefore a constant balancing act on the brink of a crisis. If your dear daughter is ill, you can only hope that she will get better on her own. The relative luxury life that Cat could afford as a bargirl in Pattaya is definitely gone and the balance of the bank accounts has been at zero for a long time.
Problems with the debit card
The last time she had been to Pattaya and used her debit card was late last year. Perhaps that also explains why I received the happy message on Wednesday afternoon that she was at Ubon Ratchathani Airport, immediately followed by the equally alarming sentence that she had problems with her debit card and that she could not withdraw the baht I had deposited in her account. No money to buy ticket. Whether I could deposit money for the second time, now with another bank, the necessary data was already there.
If you are naive enough to let yourself be led to the (slaughter) bench in this childishly simple way, everyone will rightly declare you crazy afterwards. On the other hand, I didn't want to believe that she of all people would cheat on me.
The fear of damaging the reputation of a Pattaya connoisseur I created myself and of being greeted with jeers by my friends when I returned home to the Netherlands, eventually won out so that I decided to take a tough stance.
I want to see you so badly
I messaged back:
'No, you solve the problem with your debit card first and then you can come later. Or buy a present for yourself and your family. It's up to you.'
But Cat couldn't be caught for one hole.
– 'How am I supposed to get home, I'm far from home now. I want to see you so badly.'
I remained unwilling:
'You can withdraw money at a bank branch with your bank card and ID card. Good luck.'
She still didn't give in:
("I only have a debit card with me, savings bank book is in a room with a friend in Pattaya."
I do not trust you anymore
I got a bit fed up with it:
'Just go to a bank branch and ask for a solution there. They are very helpful here in Thailand.'
Then I heard nothing for 20 minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if she did come to Pattaya anyway and I thought it would be wiser to let her know that I didn't have to. So I wrote:
'Please go home. I do not trust you anymore. I don't want to see you. I'm sorry. Best wishes.'
Another response immediately followed:
– 'I'm at the bank now, they're helping me now and I want to see you so badly.'
I stopped responding and, with some intervals, the following messages followed:
– 'I hope to see you soon.'
– 'I have a ticket now.'
– 'In Pattaya at 20.30:XNUMX PM.'
– 'Please, brother, I want to see you.'
– 'I'm not lying to you.'
("I really have problems with my debit card, the bank helped me."
Photo of daughter thrown into battle
Another photo of daughter was also thrown into the fray and then:
– 'I have no room to sleep in Pattaya.'
Time to let you hear from me again:
"Then you'd better stay away."
An emoticon with lots of tears appeared on my screen.
– 'I'm not lying to you, please!'
Then a phone call that I didn't answer and then, at 16.15:20.58 PM, it went silent. Very quiet. Only at XNUMX there was another sign of life.
– 'Now in Pattaya. Looking for room to sleep.'
Then everything turned out fine
See, I could appreciate this now. She had used most of my baht to make the journey here anyway, at the risk of continuing to reject me.
Then she desperately needed the few hundred baht left to hobble back home in 14 hours on a bus. So I opened the door a crack: 'You could come to the Wonderful 2 Bar. Maybe I'll offer you a drink.'
Less than 5 minutes later she arrived, packed and with her bags. We had a drink and went to the hotel room, because she had a few things to explain. I accepted her story, we made some basic arrangements about the two days she could stay with me, we decided, although it was still early, not to go back to the Wonderful 2 Bar this evening and everything worked out after all.
– Relocated in memory of Frans Amsterdam (Frans Goedhart ) † April 2018 –
Also helped 1 myself and had it work in wonderfull bar 2 and came to stay with me every day for free. Earned 550.000 house father renewed on a good year 1.800.000 bought a new house in her village. Sometimes more than 30 drinks a day and 1500 to 2000 per day in bar. Agree with foreigner who gave her 40.000 baht 1st day. Had to stay with it for 2 weeks but 2nd day he wanted to go to bkk and she didn't want to come. Ok see you when you come back. Immediately went back to work American 1st day paid her but came to stay every day. What are you going to do with the other one who paid 40.000 ??? aja can no longer go because american has now paid out. Suddenly arrived and that American already called after 5 minutes. I don't want to go, should come along to see a condo that he might want to buy. American falls in love with her and goes to see. A few days later bought that condo 3 million. Later is to his name ??? Don't know , Have to ask , and no . Then he has to pay costs for registration because of thai name every year. Tell him to put it in your name and then no costs and you sign that he can stay there all his life. And he did. So now extra condo for her in pattaya for later too. I never paid anything. And helped a good friend.. She was honest and didn't want anything from me. Sometimes asked to bring chicken legs from the market with chilli 60 baht and paid me back immediately.. So I help Thai with foreigners who want to sell money show .is OK. .
Yes, that was French all the way. I spontaneously smiled at the story.
Frans was not only a very intelligent man and a very gifted brilliant writer with linguistic skills, he was simply a very realistic personality who could put himself into perspective effortlessly.
And he did the same with everyone who crossed his social path.
A fantastically inspiring personality who guided me very understandingly but at the same time sufficiently critically with my first steps in the Pattaya tangle that then still posed a real threat to me in all my inexperience.
Thank you, oh so special man for guiding me in those days when you parked the danger of my then naivety so accurately but at the same time very tactfully.
In the nearly 10 years that followed, I was never lucky enough to meet your equal who was also just as genuinely concerned for me.
You will always be a special and cherished memory in my mind.
Thanks, French
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