To All The Whiners And Complainers About Thais

[IanForbes]

Just a short story to show that not all Thai women from the country are users and abusers of farang's generosity.

Five years ago a friend of mine helped out a Thai woman whose possessions were stolen from her apartment. She had nothing left and no money saved. It's pretty hard to save on 200 baht a day wages, and support a teen age daughter and invalid mother. My friend gave her 3000 baht to get started again and asked for nothing in return.

From ground zero she started a small laundry business. Five years later she has 3 million baht in the bank, some gold jewelry in investments, has an expanding business and hires 3 loyal staff on a year-round basis. Today, my friend and the Thai lady are happily married and he doesn't have to subsidize a thing. By contrast, I've been involved on the other side of the coin, but to denigrate all Thai women as lazy users and scammers is just plain wrong.

[robblok]

Nice story but there are always good and bad woman. I think there are plenty of good and bad ones. I like Thais plenty are quite nice ppl. Especially when they dont make a buck from you. The moment your in tourist country there are many bad ones.

[jdinasia]

The idea of stereotyping Thais (most or all) is simply ludicrous. Thailand is a country very similar to other countries. There are good and bad, givers and takers etc. My experiences here have been life enriching and far from pocket-emptying

[Loz]

lovely of course. but how many frogs are most willing to kiss before finding a royal loyal winner? loz suspects the odds make the practice lack viability for most. everyone knows there is money in sales but most are put off by the work. similar principle. if you've built a big amway business you probably have what it takes to find a compatible thai wife: thick skin. patience and unshakable faith!

[krading]

I like your photos better than your stories.

[Who, me ?]

Don't read them, then....and just watch at the pictures !

I like your photos better than your stories.

[DP25]

My friend gave her 3000 baht to get started again and asked for nothing in return.

From ground zero she started a small laundry business. Five years later she has 3 million baht in the bank, some gold jewelry in investments, has an expanding business and hires 3 loyal staff on a year-round basis.

3 million baht? What kind of "laundry" are they doing?

[transam]

My friend gave her 3000 baht to get started again and asked for nothing in return.

From ground zero she started a small laundry business. Five years later she has 3 million baht in the bank, some gold jewelry in investments, has an expanding business and hires 3 loyal staff on a year-round basis.

3 million baht? What kind of "laundry" are they doing?

I must admit, as soon as 3 mil was mentioned it didn't sound quite right UNLESS we have hotel contracts here.

[elliss]

3 million baht? What kind of "laundry" are they doing?

the dirty laundry from farangs ,

having a gikk on the side . :jap:

[krading]

Don't read them, then....and just watch at the pictures !

I like your photos better than your stories.

Can't tell if there are pics or not until I open the post.

Gotta take the good with the bad I'm afraid

or as Forrest Gump once said, "Life is like a sh!t sandwich, the more bread you've got the less sh!t you have to eat."

[IanForbes]

My friend gave her 3000 baht to get started again and asked for nothing in return.

From ground zero she started a small laundry business. Five years later she has 3 million baht in the bank, some gold jewelry in investments, has an expanding business and hires 3 loyal staff on a year-round basis.

3 million baht? What kind of "laundry" are they doing?

She started out with just the small stuff for locals and gradually grew to having hotel contracts that really make a profit. Because of her pleasant personality her business continually grows larger. They are now at a point where they might need more staff. She goes to bed about 9 PM and gets up at 5 AM, then starts work almost immediately loading the washing machines. The staff arrives about 6 AM and leaves about 7:30 PM. They all work 7 days a week with no time off except for special occasions. I've been coming to their shop almost as long as they've been in business and I've seen the changes. I watched their lovely daughter grow from a teenager to a young woman now out on her own, and employed by a large company. Don't tell me it can't be done because I've seen it happen with my own eyes. My friend and I sit in front of her shop and try to stay out of the way, or we go walking.

[transam]

My friend gave her 3000 baht to get started again and asked for nothing in return.

From ground zero she started a small laundry business. Five years later she has 3 million baht in the bank, some gold jewelry in investments, has an expanding business and hires 3 loyal staff on a year-round basis.

3 million baht? What kind of "laundry" are they doing?

She started out with just the small stuff for locals and gradually grew to having hotel contracts that really make a profit. Because of her pleasant personality her business continually grows larger. They are now at a point where they might need more staff. She goes to bed about 9 PM and gets up at 5 AM, then starts work almost immediately loading the washing machines. The staff arrives about 6 AM and leaves about 7:30 PM. They all work 7 days a week with no time off except for special occasions. I've been coming to their shop almost as long as they've been in business and I've seen the changes. I watched their lovely daughter grow from a teenager to a young woman now out on her own, and employed by a large company. Don't tell me it can't be done because I've seen it happen with my own eyes. My friend and I sit in front of her shop and try to stay out of the way, or we go walking.

Thought it must be something like that, take my hat off.

[neverdie]

it can't be done

Edited December 20, 2010 by neverdie

[Cartmanpark]

Hard work and personality can get you far in life, if you don't have these qualities, then knowing the right people might just do the trick. Laundry is something that is quite regular, so you have regular customers unlike other services where the regularity is much less frequent, 3,000,000 sounds like a stretch, but with contracts as well, then it is highly plausible.

[apetley]

Time to ask for the 3k back

[transam]

it can't be done

Told my mrs, she laughed. BUT, again l take my hat off. ( but locals do tell porkies ).

£60,000 in the bank is a lottery win eh.

Edited December 20, 2010 by transam

[Beetlejuice]

What? How?

The lady done all this from a 3000 baht handout given by a friend?

Who is this genius? Your friend must have found the greatest catch of all time, he was right to marry her.

Ian, are you sure you don`t mean the friend lent her 3 million baht or even 300000 baht? That would be more realistic.

[IanForbes]

Time to ask for the 3k back

That is what my friend told me tonight when we went out for supper together at 7: 30. He said it with a laugh because he knen he's never going to get it back. His wife and staff were still working when we left. He didn't realize how much his wife had saved until he checked the books the other day. And, she still gave him a hard time tonight for eating at a farang restaurant when we could have had noodles on the street for a quarter the cost.

And, I lied. It was closer to 7 years she's been doing the laundry... not the 5 years I mentioned.

[transam]

Time to ask for the 3k back

That is what my friend told me tonight when we went out for supper together at 7: 30. He said it with a laugh because he knen he's never going to get it back. His wife and staff were still working when we left. He didn't realize how much his wife had saved until he checked the books the other day. And, she still gave him a hard time tonight for eating at a farang restaurant when we could have had noodles on the street for a quarter the cost.

And, I lied. It was closer to 7 years she's been doing the laundry... not the 5 years I mentioned.

Sorry ol' chum, but in LOS, 3 mil in the bank, NOBDY WORRIES ABOUT COST OF DINS.

[DougLee]

7 years, 3 mil thats only 35k baht saved per month

Pretty standard if you have no rent to pay (farang pays) and no food to pay (farang again. At least for someone who actually works

Edited December 20, 2010 by DougLee

[IanForbes]

Sorry ol' chum, but in LOS, 3 mil in the bank, NOBDY WORRIES ABOUT COST OF DINS.

You don't know the lady in question. We've been off on holiday together for what was supposed to be a week, and after 3 days she's checking the shop and wants to go back. Her husband and I only shake our heads and pack for home. She ain't going to be happy spending money when she could be at home making it. I think she remembers only too clearly the poor days of struggling to stay alive rather than enjoying life. It's why I started the topic in the first place. I hear too much of the poor me, poor me stories. Most are true, but they don't do anything about it when given the chance. I know that from experience.

[GuestHouse]

Ask your friend to ask his remarkable wife/girlfriend if she would be willing to help someone out with Bht3000 who was in the same situation as herself when she was helped out and was not a member of her own family?

If she replies that she would, ask her what interest rate she'd make the 'loan' at.

[phetaroi]

lovely of course. but how many frogs are most willing to kiss before finding a royal loyal winner? loz suspects the odds make the practice lack viability for most. everyone knows there is money in sales but most are put off by the work. similar principle. if you've built a big amway business you probably have what it takes to find a compatible thai wife: thick skin. patience and unshakable faith!

I think you're spot on in your observation. There are, indeed, lots of wonderful people in Thailand, but, as you put it, an awfully lot of frogs. I've only really been played for a sucker twice in my whole life, and both times by Thais.

The first was a Thai lover I met my second or third trip over. Country boy (I'm gay)...wonderfully kind and generous with his time and help, so I thought, what the heck, bring him over to the States. Huge mistake. No longer a "country boy" once in America. No concept of a relationship once he got here. Just wanted to be a "kept boy", but I called an end to that once he became so obviously promiscuous. Eventually he lost his visa since he discontinued going to school. "Disappeared" in NYC for a while, but later hooked up with someone in Minnesota (of all places), but drifted in and out of relationships like that until I completely lost track.

Then, on another trip over met a fellow who was a country boy, but well educated -- BS and MS from Chulalongkorn University, published a number of scientific articles, somewhat high up in one of the Thai government ministries. He was seen by many people as the best kind of Thai person you could know. Over the years, during some of his health crises (aplastic anemia that required bone marrow transplants, chemo, etc.) I helped him out a little bit here and there...always when asked, but he never asked for too much. Knew him for 20 years before I finally moved to Thailand a couple of years ago. Note -- 20 years! Said all the right things. Had met a number of my American friends who had traveled to Thailand on vacation. Treated them with the utmost care and respect (and I mean that in the best sense...they were married couples, not gay singles). So I decided to retire in Thailand so we could spend our lives together. Forgot to meet me when I arrived at the airport. Forgot to tell me he had contracted hepatitis (luckily I saw it in his eyes). Forgot my birthday. Forgot Christmas (even in Bangkok, how can you miss it?). We had a very nice apartment down Sukhumvit...never brought a single friend over, although he did introduce me to the family upcountry). And then when the riots occurred on May 19 I decided to return to the States after adjusting rather well to Thai life over the previous 14 months. I sold my car, luckily for 95% of the original value, but the paperwork of the sale couldn't quite be completed by the time I flew out. I paid 3 months of his rent and gave him one-half the price of the car ($15,000 USD)...all he had to do was wire the other $15,000 when the deal was complete. You guessed it...that never happened.

So after being played for big time sucker twice by Thais, but never any other time in my 60 years, I have come to the conclusion that the mighty dollar is often the major factor in Thai/farang relationships. And how often have we heard that sentiment in this forum?

Note -- I said often, not always. Again, there are lots of good Thai people out there.

And I will always point out that...just like the old song says..."Everybody plays the fool, sometime. They use your heart like a tool. Listen, baby, they never tell you so in school...No exception to the rule. It may be factual, may be cruel, sometime...But everybody plays the fool." Yup..I was the fool, and I admit it.

Edited December 20, 2010 by phetaroi

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm not going to say that Thais are either heroes or villains; however, visitors who have mainly dealt with the English-speaking Thais who show up in tourist zones during relatively brief holidays or breaks (and assumed they were telling the truth without the ability to check through Thai language, 3rd party verification, etc.) are pretty much fish in a barrel- not to say they are always shot, but if they come in the crosshairs it's pretty easy. Even if they are 'genuine' it's hard to say what's going to happen with a long-distance relationship when the dynamics are changed so much- easy to promise a lot for many years if you never have to deliver.

So many of my former touristy foreign friends have learned the hard way when they arrived to 'stay' is that the vacation friends they made on the tourist scene during their many years of visits are often more a complicated kind of emotional time-share than anything else. Doesn't mean that feelings weren't involved, just not usually the kind of feelings that make for 'let's settle down and pick out curtains.'

First step for the tourist-turned-long-stay is to get rid of those people and get over the shock. Second step is to survive the process of weaning yourself off the tourist zones and getting out to meet real people who wouldn't want or know how to meet tourists. Then the real rewards can begin.

[Chunky1]

how did she turn 3,000 baht into 3m? maybe more details on that would be way more interesting.

[Goshawk]

how did she turn 3,000 baht into 3m?

she'd do well on The Apprentice..(a BBC TV show)

can almost hear

now... "You're hired !"

[dmax]

GOOD AND BAD EVEYWHERE BUT In my empirience mst thai girl s will take u to the cleaners if given half the chance

[bigthaigirl]

7 years, 3 mil thats only 35k baht saved per month

Pretty standard if you have no rent to pay (farang pays) and no food to pay (farang again. At least for someone who actually works

7years in business. one can assume it took 2 year to get going. 5 years and a $100,000 in the bank.how much was spent in supporting her mom and daughter? something doesnt add up here. unless business lady is calculating profit as gross sales.

how many machines does this business have ? what landlord would give this ladee property to do business on with 90$ upfront payment.

darn, a whole lot dont make sense here.only thing that make sense is your friend financed the whole darn thing.

Edited December 20, 2010 by bigthaigirl

[Mossfinn]

Thankfully there are no such rules against self denigration -

I see no self denigration here, just another pop at the western female, and an other individual who I daresay does not know she is being displayed in a poor light across the ether.

Nice OP by the way

[bigthaigirl]

hey thats funny. im sure a mod would take offence to the photo of the bigg euro babe!