If You Met This Farang, And..

[ozzieovaseas]

To cut a long story short..i'd arranged to meet up with a guy i'd met on a visa run last week.

Had a few beers at Sukhumvhit and everything seemed ok, being of a similiar age and sharing a few of the same sentiments about life here and the various issues about Thai GFs. After two beers he suggested a moove to another bar as he needed to drop by an ATM.

This immediately puzzled me, as the first thing i always do is always check finances first..prefering not to go to ATMs in the city while drinking..anyway, up to him

So im waiting on the soi and he comes over and says the machine won't accept his card for some reason. I say its probably just a dud machine, maybe try another one in another soi.

He makes some brief eye contact and says something about his pay (from a thai source) being delayed for some reason and how his wife needed the 3k baht he had in his wallet before he left to come out and was left with only a few hundred baht.

I sort of stood there in silence for a bit, he paused,looked around and then rang someone and walked off a ways...coming back and saying actually he might opt for an early night..nice to meet you catch up again soon ect ect

It was an awkard situation to say the least, but after all ive read on here i was hesitant to get involved.

On the other hand the guy could have been on the level and the same thing might happen to me one day..although i dont think id allow myself to be in that situation

Anyway, So i ask myself now..what should i have done?

What would you have done?

Offer to buy a few beers? offer a loan?

[BookMan]

I'd buy him a drink then get on my way. Call it a farewell forever drink.

[Huayrat]

buy a girl a few beers say bye bye to him

[plopmeister]

I would have gone to one more bar and bought a couple of beers...but I am an easy touch...

[BookMan]

I do like how he waited until you both had drunk a few beers before pulling the 'I have no money' thing.

[brit1984]

Should have taken a photo of him and posted it here

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[Beechboy]

I think that I fell for one a week or so ago.

Dutch chap (stranger) sat next to me as I was having a late-night beer on Sukhumvit. He appeared to be stressed out and told me that he had just had his wallet stolen for the second time with cards and money gone.

His story was that he now had no cash to get back to his hotel to cancel his cards etc.

I gave him 500 and he shot off before I could blink an eye, with an "I'll pay you back" promise.

I only take a card out the go to the ATM and then straight back it goes to my apartment safe. I restrict the cash I go out with to a sensible amount and keep it in my side pocket. I have an empty dummy wallet in my back trouser pocket.

If this chaps story was true then he was doubly careless. If it wasn't, then he's the one with problems having to trog the streets conning people with a false sob story for a few baht.

[ozzieovaseas]

I do like how he waited until you both had drunk a few beers before pulling the 'I have no money' thing.

Yes, it seems like a good way to break the ice first, and get a punter to be in good mood to kick in for a few beers.

But i probably am the same as the previous posters. If he had stalled any longer i probably would have bought him a beer at the next place. He didnt seem like the bludging type really, and had a decent sense of humour

[ozzieovaseas]

I think that I fell for one a week or so ago.

Dutch chap (stranger) sat next to me as I was having a late-night beer on Sukhumvit. He appeared to be stressed out and told me that he had just had his wallet stolen for the second time with cards and money gone.

His story was that he now had no cash to get back to his hotel to cancel his cards etc.

I gave him 500 and he shot off before I could blink an eye, with an "I'll pay you back" promise.

I only take a card out the go to the ATM and then straight back it goes to my apartment safe. I restrict the cash I go out with to a sensible amount and keep it in my side pocket. I have an empty dummy wallet in my back trouser pocket.

If this chaps story was true then he was doubly careless. If it wasn't, then he's the one with problems having to trog the streets conning people with a false sob story for a few baht.

Love the wallet thing.

A mate used to do the same thing back home, but not for the pickpocketeers... his only intention was to ward off people wanting to borrow money all the time (big gamblers)..

He would leave $30 or so in the dummy wallet so he could show them that it was all he had

[astral]

I only carry a small amount of money on my person, enough for immediate needs.

[mjj]

As you had met him previously, I would probably have taken him for a couple more beers. Its not like it will break the bank and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt initially. I certainly would not lend him any money and if he asked I would suspect him more.

Cant blame you for what you did though.

[ozzieovaseas]

Yes, definately the logical choice, you dont tend to spend as much either.

Just how much is the question..to get you through the night and through any unexpected trouble (although ive never countered that yet)

I shudder to think, when i first came here, i used to wonder all around with 20 or 30k in my wallet

[Beechboy]

Tell me. If he was married to a Thai girl would he need to go on vIsa runs? Excuse my ignorance, but I know nothing about the visa rules for those married to Thai citizens, having no need to know..

[Semper]

buy a girl a few beers say bye bye to him

Yes, spend the money on lady drinks. Seriously, people actually do this.

[besth]

He left for an early night instead of asking for money, so he might have been genuine, but he could also have seen in the OP's face that he was not one to fall for that.

Very much sounds like a case of "if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck..."

Edited May 12, 2012 by besth

[hotandhumid]

As you had met him previously, I would probably have taken him for a couple more beers. Its not like it will break the bank and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt initially. I certainly would not lend him any money and if he asked I would suspect him more.

Cant blame you for what you did though.

Ditto, I would have said the same thing.....offered to buy him a couple of beers, particuarly if it meant you was goingt to be on your own after he left, but not give him any money.

Why didn't you offer to buy the bloke a beer anyway?

Edited May 12, 2012 by hotandhumid

[chiang mai]

I was in Patong on holiday about ten years ago when I fell in with a bunch of guys doing the rounds of the bars, somewhere in the proceedings between bars we got searated and I fell victim to a pickpocket who managed to get the few thousand baht in my pocket. When I arrived in the bar and met up with the group again I explained the story of the pickpocket and everyone said, quite spontaneously, don't worry, order what you want and put the bills in our bins. I didn't of course and instead went back to my hotel to get some more cash and then went to rejoin the group who had moved on by that time, never to be seen again. A nice bunch of guys.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Tell me. If he was married to a Thai girl would he need to go on vIsa runs? Excuse my ignorance, but I know nothing about the visa rules for those married to Thai citizens, having no need to know..

If he doesn't have the lump sum required to sit in a Thai bank account for two months prior to applying for that sort of extension maybe.

[Geekfreaklover]

I reckon if he was a true grifter he wouldn't have gone to the ATM after two beers. He would have have waited until the beers had really racked up and then pulled the ATM stunt. Or maybe just vanished towards the end of the night.

If it was me and I enjoyed the guys conversation I would have shouted another couple of beers at another bar on the pretext that next time the beers would be on him. But you have to go with your gut reaction in these situations.

[cooked]

I don't mind buying a beer or two for a guy that honestly says that he is broke (I might even get him something to eat) but being 'conned' into doing what I would have done anyway does annoy me. I once found myself in London 500 Km from home without a penny and begging. My fault, but I never forgot that.

[dave2]

re ... after all ive read on here i was hesitant to get involved.

On the other hand the guy could have been on the level

my experience of one !

a few months ago i was walking round chiang mai moat and a young fella on a rented

bike stoped and said hiya mate do you speak english

i said yes im english ... he then said hed been to spicy last night and had his wallet stolen

and could i lend him a thousand baht so he could phone his bank , embassy etc

and ill pay you back in a few days

now this fella was very cocky and struck me as a bit of a dell boy .. wide boy

so i said ive not got a thousand but i could give him 100 baht for a phone call

he didnt look too happy but i offered him the 100 which he took and rode off like

a lunatic looking for his next victim

for about the next five days i saw him with a different bar girl on the bike so he wasnt

doing short times but all day rentals for a man with no money ?

nahhh .. so i was glad i only gave him the 100

dave2

ps .. yes ... he could have got some money quickly by western union

but i dont think so !

[StreetCowboy]

He left for an early night instead of asking for money, so he might have been genuine, but he could also have seen in the OP's face that he was not one to fall for that.

Very much sounds like a case of "if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck..."

You are a very bad man, though perhaps you do not know it

[smokie36]

He left for an early night instead of asking for money, so he might have been genuine, but he could also have seen in the OP's face that he was not one to fall for that.

Very much sounds like a case of "if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck..."

You are a very bad man, though perhaps you do not know it

We could use some bleach i suppose, in order to clean up this post.

[SimonD]

Speaking of ducks, haven't seen metisdead about recently. He on holiday?

Miss that duck, glaring menacingly out from the surreal landscape.

MJo's avatar was a 'quacker' as well.

(ducks and runs...)

[ozzieovaseas]

Tell me. If he was married to a Thai girl would he need to go on vIsa runs? Excuse my ignorance, but I know nothing about the visa rules for those married to Thai citizens, having no need to know..

Yes, i have also asked myself this question, not only of this guy but of others who are doing visa runs when they say they are married.

One guy previously told me he refused to keep money in a thai banh account that was earning little or no interest.

I guess sometimes you'd have to assume that they havent got the money needed in a thai bank account to qualify for the renewal of visa

[ozzieovaseas]

As you had met him previously, I would probably have taken him for a couple more beers. Its not like it will break the bank and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt initially. I certainly would not lend him any money and if he asked I would suspect him more.

Cant blame you for what you did though.

Ditto, I would have said the same thing.....offered to buy him a couple of beers, particuarly if it meant you was goingt to be on your own after he left, but not give him any money.

Why didn't you offer to buy the bloke a beer anyway?

well it did happen quickly in the end. I guess i didnt know the guy and having read the various threads about farangs on here made me think twice

[smokie36]

Speaking of ducks, haven't seen metisdead about recently. He on holiday?

Miss that duck, glaring menacingly out from the surreal landscape.

MJo's avatar was a 'quacker' as well.

(ducks and runs...)

Reminds me of a time folks were tarred and feathered in Northern Ireland.

At least it made them easier to spot!

[ozzieovaseas]

I was in Patong on holiday about ten years ago when I fell in with a bunch of guys doing the rounds of the bars, somewhere in the proceedings between bars we got searated and I fell victim to a pickpocket who managed to get the few thousand baht in my pocket. When I arrived in the bar and met up with the group again I explained the story of the pickpocket and everyone said, quite spontaneously, don't worry, order what you want and put the bills in our bins. I didn't of course and instead went back to my hotel to get some more cash and then went to rejoin the group who had moved on by that time, never to be seen again. A nice bunch of guys.

i think i would do the same mate. Not wanting to be seen as a bullshitter or bludger

[StreetCowboy]

As you had met him previously, I would probably have taken him for a couple more beers. Its not like it will break the bank and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt initially. I certainly would not lend him any money and if he asked I would suspect him more.

Cant blame you for what you did though.

Ditto, I would have said the same thing.....offered to buy him a couple of beers, particuarly if it meant you was goingt to be on your own after he left, but not give him any money.

Why didn't you offer to buy the bloke a beer anyway?

well it did happen quickly in the end. I guess i didnt know the guy and having read the various threads about farangs on here made me think twice

Maybe people are too easily influenced by prejorative stereotypes that are put forward in the media.

A fella came up to me once with a sob story in the car park of the supermarket in some far away land, and while its wrong to encourage con-men, its more wrong to turn your back on the needy, and I'm not an auditor.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Speaking of ducks, haven't seen metisdead about recently. He on holiday?

Miss that duck, glaring menacingly out from the surreal landscape.

MJo's avatar was a 'quacker' as well.

(ducks and runs...)

Reminds me of a time folks were tarred and feathered in Northern Ireland.

At least it made them easier to spot!

Everyone, or just some specific individuals?

I'm surprised I've not seen pictures of that - it must have been creasingly funny, everyone running round covered in feathers. You'd stick to the seats on the omnibus...

What a business...

SC