A British Divorcee Finds Love in Pattaya
My name is A.B., and at the time I was 43, a very fit 43-year-old living in London. My story is about my third trip to Thailand, but I feel I need to give you some background. My brother and my friends had been coming to Thailand for many years, but I was married and never made the trip. In 2014, I went through a bitter divorce, and my brother convinced me to go with them to Pattaya. I knew what the deal was and what went on, so I worked hard and saved my money. We came to Pattaya in February 2016.
We visited all the usual spots, like Soi Six, LK Metro, and Walking Street. I was a proper butterfly, spending time with every girl who took my fancy, and I had a great time. When I returned to the UK, I rebooked to go back to Thailand in April for Songkran. This was my second trip, as I had now been bitten by the Pattaya bug. I am not going to say much about that trip because it was virtually the same as the last one: lots of mongering, drinking, and partying.
I liked posting things on Facebook, but my friends list consisted of family, work colleagues, and close friends. I really did not want them finding out about my mongering, so I decided to create another Facebook profile. This time I blocked all the people who needed to be blocked, except for the friends who came out with me to Thailand. I started sending friend requests to girls from Thailand, and before long my friends list had grown.
On one occasion, I came across a Facebook profile of a girl I instantly liked. I sent her a friend request, which she accepted. I went through her photos and posts like a stalker and saw that she was hooked up with a local guy from Bahrain. I could not believe it, but I am not one of those guys who will try to poach another man’s girl. It is just not me. However, all the while I wished I could be with this girl because I really liked her.
A Fateful Night in Pattaya During the Mourning Period
I had decided to go back to Thailand in October, and this would be my third trip of the year. My brother decided he would join me this time, and we were going for two weeks. We landed in Bangkok and took a taxi straight to Pattaya for two nights, then headed over to Koh Samui for two nights. We returned to Pattaya, paid the girls for their time, and said our goodbyes. Everyone was happy.
Back in Pattaya, I had no intention of staying with just one woman. The day after we came back, King Rama IX passed away, and everything went into lockdown. No bars or clubs were allowed to open. On the first night, we decided to go to the Major Cineplex cinema at The Avenue Mall. I phoned a freelancer and asked if she wanted to join me, which she did.
On our way back, we realized a bar was open, but it had no music and dimmed lights, so we stopped for a drink. The bar had only about six girls and the mamasan. I knew the girls probably had not made any money that night, so I decided I would ring the bell. Big mistake. From nowhere, another eight girls came running. All of a sudden, seven staff had turned into fourteen. I did not argue; I just paid the bill and left, and I never went back there again.
The following night, the bars and clubs were allowed to open, but they had to keep the music low and close by midnight. The next morning, I got a message from the girl I liked, the one who was living with a guy in Bahrain. She sent me a message of a girl dancing. I messaged her back, asking if she had seen me, and she said yes, at 808. She said she saw me dancing on the stage, and I instantly felt embarrassed. That evening, we went back to 808. I saw my Facebook girl in the crowd with her friend, waved her over, introduced myself, and asked if she wanted a drink. Her name was Nat.
Nat and I Build a Connection Across Distance
The next day, I was out bar hopping and ended up in Soi Six. Out of the blue, I got a message from Nat asking if I was coming to Club 808. I told her I was tired. She then said she had come to Club 808 to see me and was waiting for me. I rushed back to my hotel, had a quick shower, and headed over to meet Nat.
We sat eating and talking. I asked her about her Arab boyfriend, and she told me they had split up. Nat told me she was from Udon Thani and had a two-year-old daughter from a previous Thai partner who had died in a motorcycle accident before her daughter was born.
We went back to my room for more drinks. In the morning, I offered her some money to compensate her for her time, but she refused to take it from me. I ended up spending the rest of my holiday with Nat, which was amazing. She showed me around, and I got to see another side of Pattaya.
Once I was back in London, we talked all the time. I found myself falling in love with Nat, but I hated the fact that she was working in Pattaya. Six weeks had passed, and it was killing me thinking about her. I decided to take a second job as a delivery rider, delivering takeaway food across London.
I told Nat that from then on I was going to support her and that I would not take no for an answer. I also told her that if she felt the same way I did, she would go back to her village and look after her daughter. She reluctantly agreed. This is where the problem started. My friends found out, and all hell broke loose. They told me she was going to take me for everything I had and that I could not trust a Thai bar girl. My brother had the same negative attitude. At the end of the day, I was a grown man. For better or worse, it was my decision, and it was one I would have to live with.
Nat and I Become Engaged and Married in Thailand
Christmas came and went, and I decided to go to Thailand to visit Nat. I booked a trip for the beginning of March. I had not said anything to anyone, but I had bought an engagement ring and a wedding band with the intention of asking her to marry me.
Nat took a bus from Udon Thani and met me at the airport. We went to Pattaya, and I proposed to her. Happily, Nat accepted. I told her that I intended to marry her on this trip and to speak to her family to make the necessary arrangements.
I knew a dowry was due, so I asked Nat how much I was expected to give. She told me it was up to me and that her mother would be happy with any amount. I decided to give 150,000 Baht, about £3,500 or $4,000 USD at the time. Our wedding was small, with about 40 to 50 close family members and friends, and was held at her mother’s home. We had a great time, and everyone made me feel very welcome.
Not long after, I flew back to the UK and applied to bring Nat back on a spouse visa. Eventually, my brother and friends found out about the marriage, and they all calmed down. My wife’s visa was granted at the end of August 2017.
Nat started to work at my friend’s restaurant because she did not want to put pressure on me to send money back to her mother and daughter. After two years, she got a job at a Hilton hotel with a much better salary. She even managed to buy land back home for her family. We have been married for over four years now, and she still takes care of me so well. We are planning to return to Thailand full time when I retire at 55. I know many stories from other guys always end in disaster, but I truly believe you can find a nice, decent girl who truly wants to be involved in a relationship. I am very lucky. Everything has worked out perfectly, and both Nat and I are very happy.
Story 2
A Hotel Pool Fountain Creates a Hilarious Fiasco
I was with my friends in Pattaya, staying in a nice hotel. My friend and I were with two Thai girls swimming in the hotel pool and frolicking about. Just next to the pool was an open-air restaurant. At about 9 p.m., the restaurant was full of people having dinner, and everyone was dressed in nice clothes.
There was a feature by the swimming pool: a fountain that shot water about 20 feet in the air and into the pool. My friend went over and sat on it. It made the water go off in different directions. The water was redirected right into the restaurant and soaked most of the people eating.
My friend did not know what he had done until he heard all the screaming and shouting. We all got out of the pool quickly and made a quick getaway. Unfortunately for us, the management caught up with my friend and me later, and we were asked to vacate our rooms.
Story 3
A Drink Spiking Scare Nearly Ends in Disaster
I am a very experienced traveler. I have traveled around the world for work and used to stay six months to one year in one location. I always thought it would be very difficult for anyone to scam me because I knew most of the games already.
It was a Friday evening when I caught a flight to Bangkok and took a taxi to Pattaya. After arriving, I checked into my hotel and rushed over to the Lisa Coyote Bar near Siam. After some drinks and chatting with the girls, I went to Soi 7. I bought most of the ladies a drink because I knew most of the girls working in this bar.
After enjoying the company, I was feeling a little worse for wear because of the alcohol. I decided to head over to Walking Street. I went into a bar I regularly visited and ordered my normal drinks: a Heineken and a Sambuca. Now, this is when something happened that should have triggered an alarm. The waiter brought me another round of drinks and pointed to two girls sitting at another table. Of the two ladies, he said, “Cheers!”
The mood was getting better and better, and it was already after midnight. The two girls came over to my table and suggested that we all go to another bar. I said why not and followed them outside. They led me down a side street off Walking Street. At another bar, the girls asked if it would be okay if they ordered a bottle of white wine.
Suddenly, I started to feel very dizzy and was seeing double. I took my phone out of my pocket, put it to my ear, and said to the girl, “I need to make a call. Guard my wine and cover it.” I walked outside quickly, jumped on the first motorbike taxi I saw, and said, “Drive, drive, drive! Siam at Siam!” I remember arriving at the hotel dizzy and having trouble stumbling to the elevator.
The first thing I remember after getting back to my hotel was waking up next to my bed, vomiting on the floor. I had never felt like that before. It was like a train had hit me, and I was sick for several days afterward. I still feel stupid but laugh about it now. I am 100% sure I was drugged that day and escaped from something worse. Please, guys, do not let your guard down. It can happen to everybody.
Story 4
Pat Finds Kindness and Love in Pattaya
My name is Pat. The reason I am writing to you is that I believe I have a good true story. I get a bit annoyed when people put Thailand down and give the country and its people a bad name, which I know you do not do, Peter, as you have a balanced outlook on all things Thai.
I am now 69 years of age, but I started visiting Thailand over 30 years ago after the breakdown of my second marriage. I worked in Saudi Arabia on military jets with British Aerospace at the time. On my first trip, I spent three nights in Bangkok and then went to Pattaya. I checked into the Nipa Lodge, as it was then. Opposite, just a little further down, was an open-air bar called Janey Bar.
The bar had a live band and a good atmosphere. I was a big drinker back then, and I got to know the owner and the live band. Your money went a lot further then, and I often rang the bell in the bar just for the ladies so they could all get a drink and make a little commission. During my fourth trip, the boss of the bar invited me and the girl I had been seeing to visit her house.
When we arrived, we were all sitting in the heat of the day enjoying a drink when suddenly the boss told us we had to go inside and crawl on our hands and knees. I thought, “What the hell is going on here?” It turned out that the top Buddhist monk of Thailand was coming to the house. He went through the entire house, blessing it and the people, including me. He tapped me on the head with some wet sticks. I looked up at him, and he just smiled. I felt privileged to have been part of this.
I had a break from Thailand for about a year. On yet another visit, I was staying in Bangkok when a freelancer tried to pick me up in the lobby of the hotel. I did not usually go with freelancers because I had a bad experience years earlier, but on this occasion, as I was drunk, I said, “Yeah, come on then.” When I woke up, the girl was almost fully dressed. After she left, I looked over at my dressing table and saw that all my Thai baht had gone. She had also disappeared with my Saudi money, my gold chain, and my gold Buddha, which together were worth about 40,000 Baht back then.
A Monk Blesses a Visitor at a Thai Home
During my fourth trip, the boss of the bar invited me and the girl I had been seeing to visit her house. We were sitting in the heat of the day enjoying a drink when the boss suddenly told us we had to go inside and crawl on our hands and knees. I thought, “What the hell is going on here?”
It turned out that the top Buddhist monk of Thailand was coming to the house. He was called Luang Pu, which is the pronunciation. He went through the entire house, blessing it and the people, including me. He tapped me on the head with some wet sticks. I looked up at him, and he just smiled. I felt privileged to have been part of this.
A Bar Owner Replaces the Gold Lost by a Visitor
A day later, I was in Pattaya. I went over to the Janey Bar to say hello to the boss. She welcomed me back but noticed straight away that I did not have my chain and Buddha around my neck. I had to explain what had happened, and I could see that she was quite upset about it.
The next time I went back to the Janey Bar, I asked if the boss was around. When she eventually arrived, she immediately presented me with a new gold chain and a Buddha. At this point, I was close to tears. The boss had sold all the alcohol bottles on the top shelf of the bar, a hell of a lot of bottles, to raise the cash to buy me a new chain and Buddha. This is the main reason why I fell in love with Thailand.
I actually did meet another girl from the bar. After a couple of years, we got married and had a daughter who is now 24 years old. Nong and her daughter came to live with me in Saudi Arabia. We have now been married for 24 years, and Nong is 22 years younger than me.
Just a little side note: because you are always warning people about being scammed in Thailand, it also works the other way around. We were offered a bar to buy. The owner wanted to sell his bar to me, and I knew him very well. Nong later found out from others that the owner was going to do a runner once he had my money because the land the bar sat on was not his to sell. I came close to being ripped off not by a Thai, but by a Swiss guy, a farang.
Unfortunately, people generally only hear about the bad side of Thailand, but there are a lot more good stories that you do not hear about.
