Too Short, Too Fat, Too Old

[bmw]

Standing at 165cm and weighing 90 kilogrammes, Lamiad Homjit, who works at Pinehurst golf course in Pathum Thani, has been a caddy since she was 15 years old. But now her employer is demanding that caddies who are tia, auan, kae (short, fat, old) shape up or ship out.

Mrs Lamiad and about 200 other caddies are currently pursuing their discrimination complaint at the Labour Ministry.

Mrs Lamiad said it was impossible for her to shed 22 kilogrammes in three months as required by the golf course, especially since the stress she experiences on the course serving her golfing "masters" is the reason she became overweight in the first place.

"I am baked in the sun and whipped by the wind. Sometimes golfers get mad at me for no reason and there's nothing I can do but tell myself to be patient," she said.

Mrs Lamiad says she turned to food for comfort.

"I ate and ate and ate to make myself feel better. Before I knew it I became what I am today," she said.

What Mrs Lamiad is today, in the eyes of the management at Pinehurst golf course in Pathum Thani, is an eyesore on the golf course and a potential drag on business.

Management told caddies who are over 45 years, shorter than 151 centimetres or overweight to get in better shape or be relegated to part-time weekend work.

A full-time caddy makes about 10,000 baht a month, including tips, which must be at least 200 baht per round.

A golf course normally employs around 400-700 caddies but not all courses hire them as permanent employees, a status which guarantees them benefits under labour regulations.

Mrs Lamiad said she had never thought that her weight would be an issue as long as she provided professional service on the course and did everything possible to make the golfers comfortable.

"We serve only cold beers, get them a chair when they are exhausted and an umbrella when they feel hot. We even help them with their games. We take care of all their personal belongings. We have manners and we are honest," Mrs Lamiad said. "Pretty is as pretty does."

Mrs Lamiad said some Japanese "masters" called her "jumbo" but she never felt offended. It was inner beauty, not outward appearance, that counted, she said.

Mrs Lamiad also felt Pinehurst management had a short memory, forgetting the time when tia, auan, and kae caddies helped protect the golf course from a massive flood that ravaged Bangkok and surrounding areas in 1995.

If the case fails at the Labour Ministry, she said there would be little she could do but accept the part-time work at the golf course on Saturdays and Sundays.

Factories did not hire a 30-year-old with zero skills. "I can't go anywhere else," she said.

Mrs Lamiad has three small children. The youngest is now only a month old.

She said if all golf courses in the province and nearby Ayutthaya really stopped using short, old, fat caddies then half the people in her community in Pathum Thani's Nong Sua district would suddenly find themselves without jobs.

Ong-art Pongkijworasilp, a golfer, said he did not care about the looks or physical appearances of caddies but judged caddies based on their honesty, service and behaviour.

"We just want a caddy who can keep pace with us on the course. We don't care if she is not pretty, thin or sexy," he said.

Another golfer said he preferred old caddies who knew old hands and knew the course well.

"Beautiful, young, sexy caddies are not necessary. They might make us lose our focus," he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Oct2004_news03.php

[JimGant]

"Beautiful, young, sexy caddies are not necessary. They might make us lose our focus," he said

BS! The intriguing thing about golf in Thailand is not just having a caddie, but having a cute, flirtasious one. Besides, it's a nice change-of-pace to lose your focus on the links in this way.

I'm sorry for 'Jumbo.' But after spending hours trapped in an aluminum cacoon to get here, being served by 'Jumbo's' eating mates-in-kind, I'm ecstatic to get a golf round in with something that looks female hauling my gear.

(Obviously I don't fly SIA to get here. Also, the wife's a retired stewardess -- and obviously she's not reading this post )

[thatguy]

please don't spank me,

i caddied several years in my youth,

and i ain't pretty

but,

i do tell my golfing friends that:

thailand has world class golf courses,

the most beautiful caddies,

and the golfcarts are chang.

xtg

[sua yai]

All I'll say is that if I'm having a bad day on the course, it makes everything a bit brighter to have a pretty caddie to joke with.