A Moment of Kindness on Soi 6
Story One The Polite Question How Asking Nicely Made a Lifelong Friend
A very good day to you. My name is James, age 36, Singaporean, half Chinese, half Filipino, and I graduated from one of the universities in Boston. I have been going to Thailand since I was 20 years old and would visit at least twice a year every year except during COVID and when I was 26 and graduating. The flight to Bangkok now is only a 2 hour flight from Singapore.
My story began when my buddies and I myself, Michael, and Olly graduated from university in June 2016. We had been planning and saving for this trip for a year prior to graduation. Since I was the most seasoned traveler to Thailand among my friends at that time, I was tasked with planning the whole trip. We were there for 21 days and traveled around Thailand including Koh Samui, Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai, to name a few.
After checking in and having a bit of a rest, our first stop was obviously Nana Plaza. We bar hopped around some girly bars with Olly and I both paying bar fines for different girls for two nights. Since the night was still young, we went to a club called Scratch Dog. In the club, we bought a bottle for about 3,000 Thai baht and started to party. Soon, Michael saw a group of girls a few tables from ours. Since he did not know how to start a conversation with Thai ladies, he asked me to.
I went over, introduced myself, and asked if they were keen to join us at our table, which they happily did. When I first went over, there were only five of them, but when the ladies came over, I noticed they were carrying an additional handbag, which I assume belonged to someone who had gone to the washroom. Not long after, the owner of the bag returned. Let’s call her Pim. Pim was the most beautiful among her friends.
Michael soon took interest and started talking, drinking, and dancing with her. I then took a step back and enjoyed the vibe of my friends having the time of their lives. But I soon realized something felt off about Pim. Everything about her just seemed too perfect. I began to suspect that Pim might be a ladyboy.
Thankfully, I had befriended the table next to me. And while we were drinking, I asked my new friends if Pim was a ladyboy, and he nodded without hesitation. I then asked Michael to step outside the club for a smoke, and I told him what I had confirmed. He was in disbelief at first, and with the alcohol in him, he was almost certain Pim was not what I suspected. But after a while, he thought about it and realized what I had explained. However, he did not know how to clarify it with Pim as he did not want to offend her.
Asking Pim the Question Politely
So, as usual, I had to be the one. We then went back into the club and in the most polite way I knew how, I asked Pim if she was indeed a ladyboy. To our surprise, she proudly said she was and thanked me for asking politely, explaining that many foreigners asked very rudely.
As it was the first time the three of us had befriended a ladyboy, we had some questions, which Pim gladly answered, explaining that everything had been done except the final surgery which she had scheduled for September that year. While Pim had taken a liking to Michael and after we learned that she and her friends were freelancers, Michael politely declined when Pim asked if he wanted to get frisky.
We left the club not long after as it was already about 4:00 a.m. and only day one of our adventure. However, we did exchange LINE contact details with Pim and have remained friends to this day. She has since undergone surgery and is now in a happy relationship. I still meet Pim for dinner whenever I go to Bangkok, and the three of us do the same when we meet up there each year.
So, a little advice for your viewers. If you meet a lady and have your suspicions, do ask politely. Even if ladyboys are not your thing, because if you click, you might just make a new friend.
This is a thing. A lot of guys come to Thailand and the ladyboys really look like women. You know, it is hard to tell with a lot of them. And guys aren’t sure. In actual fact, the ladyboys will not get offended if you simply ask, “Are you a real lady or a ladyboy?” When he was talking about the ladyboy Pim talking about some tourists being rude I’ve seen it myself. What guys will do when they’re not sure is they’ll just stick a hand down there and grope, which is very, very rude if you think about it.
Story Two From Georgia to General Santos A Leap of Faith and a New Life
Most people my age are looking for a comfortable recliner and a predictable routine. I was looking for a way to start over. On September 20th, I stepped out of the General Santos City Airport in the Philippines and was immediately hit by two things: the thick tropical humidity of Mindanao, and the realization that my life would never be the same. I stood there with nothing but two suitcases, a golf bag, and a heart full of hope for a woman I’d only ever seen through a glowing smartphone screen.
To some of my friends back in Georgia, selling my home and moving across the world on a social security budget sounded like a lapse in judgment or a late life crisis. To me, it was the only logical response to a whisper from God that had been growing louder for years.
The Catalyst: A Round of Golf
To understand how I ended up at that airport, you have to go back to a surprise visit from one of my best friends, Glenn. Glenn had gone to Bahrain for work years prior and to my utter surprise, he returned with a Filipino wife named Elgie. I had never met a woman quite like her. Elgie possessed a spirit of service and a genuine, unforeseen joy that I thought had disappeared from the modern world. She reminded me of the woman I had read about but rarely encountered.
A while later, Glenn and Elgie came to visit me in the Atlanta area. We were out on the golf course, but Glenn was not focused on his golf. He looked at me square in the eye and did not mince words. He told me I needed to stop fishing in the wrong ponds. “Jeep,” he said, “stop looking for an American wife. You need a Filipino woman who shares your values, your faith, and your heart.” Before I could even respond, he reached over, took my phone, and enrolled me in a Filipino dating site.
Finding Hazel
The journey from that golf course to the airport was far from a straight line. I encountered my fair share of wolves in sheep’s clothing. One woman asked me for money before we had even had a proper second conversation. Another disappeared the moment I asked her for documentation regarding a supposed family emergency. I was ready to delete the app and accept a life of solitude.
Then I saw Hazel. She was on a free plan. She eventually asked me if we could move our conversation to Facebook Messenger. I agreed, but I had one non negotiable condition: I needed to see her face. I was not interested in a pen pal. I needed to know who I was talking to.
The connection was immediate. Despite the 12 hour time difference, we began speaking for 3 to 4 hours every morning and evening. I would be drinking my morning coffee in Atlanta while she was ending her day in the Philippines. Within the first few days, the distance disappeared. I met her children, her parents, and her sister over video. We prayed together across the distance. Within a few weeks, I knew I had fallen in love with her.
The Leap
While my heart was already in the Philippines, my reality in America was holding me back. Living on social security felt like constantly trying to keep up. I realized that if I wanted a future with Hazel, I could not just visit. I had to fully commit. The only way to make that happen was to sell my home.
I called in every favor I had. My real estate agent worked alongside me for hours. My son and friend showed up daily to help. Then came the turning point. Within one week of listing, I received an offer above the asking price. I began selling everything tools, furniture, cars. My life slowly reduced down to what could fit into a single 10×10 storage unit.
With just my golf bag and two suitcases, I boarded a plane with a one way ticket and no backup plan.
A New Life
Walking through those doors at General Santos Airport, I did not feel like I was meeting someone new. I felt like I had arrived home. Hazel was there, surrounded by family and friends who welcomed me like I’d always belonged there.
One of the biggest surprises was the children. By the third night, Hazel’s daughter began staying with us. Within a short time, she looked at me and called me ‘Daddy’ something she had never had before. Her son, Phillip, showed a level of respect and quiet strength that deeply impressed me. In a matter of days, I went from living alone in a quiet house in Georgia to being part of a lively, loving family.
We were married on December 11th, 2024. We purchased a 1,000 square meter plot of land at the base of a local mountain. Today, my life is fuller than I ever expected. I have joined a church and even found myself singing in the choir something I never would have done before. Before leaving Georgia, I felt like my purpose had faded. Now I feel needed, valued, and part of something meaningful.
I hope this story encouraged someone sitting alone wondering if their best days are behind them. Sometimes taking a risk is not just a gamble. It is the path to a life you are meant to live.
You know, there are many guys who are sitting in the West alone, maybe divorced, their wives have left them. They’re just miserable. They don’t know what to do with themselves. And there is another life out here in Asia. This guy connected with a Filipina girl they’re very religious, obviously. The dating sites can be a very good place to meet Asian girls, whether it’s the Philippines, Thailand, or wherever. Even myself here, I came out here to Thailand after my divorce. I wasn’t planning a relationship, but I went on a dating site just to stick the fishing rod in the pond, as it were, just to see what would happen. And as it happened, I’m into my fourth year with a Thai girl. I live with her now here in Hua Hin, and I’m very, very happy. So, you know, you don’t need to give up on life just because you’re over 60. If you’re at home and you’re not very happy, try the dating sites. You never know. But be wary there are a lot of sharks in that pond, as the guy said.
Story Three The 3 000 Baht in the Sand A Moment of Kindness on Soi 6
At the end of 2024, I found myself taking another short break in the Kingdom of Smiles. For whatever reason, I seem to be able to find peace and solace with my thoughts exactly where it is noisier and more chaotic.
A typical morning starts with a western breakfast, two coffees, and something sweet. After that, I walk Pattaya Beach Road, sometimes through Walking Street, sometimes all the way towards Jomtien. 10 miles in the burning sun is not unusual. When the heat gets oppressive, I stop for a head and shoulders massage, foot massage, or a proper Thai massage politely declining the extra service. I prefer to save my energy for the evening.
Finding the Money
The morning after the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival 2024 (November 30th), during my morning walk, I stopped at a 7 Eleven on Pattaya Beach Road and bought an ice cream bar. I crossed the street and sat in the shade of a palm tree on the beach road sidewalk with my feet in the sand while I was eating. My eyes wandered across the water, the jet skis, the small boats drifting offshore.
Eventually, they settled on what looked like a leaf half buried in the sand, except the leaf had a zero printed on it. Curious, I leaned forward and pulled it free. It was a crumpled Thai banknote. As I unfolded it, I realized there were actually three of them. 3,000 baht notes crumpled together. Someone had probably dropped it the night before while watching the fireworks. It must have been stepped into the sand repeatedly until it disappeared from view.
I did not feel lucky exactly. Instead, I wondered if somebody was currently turning their pockets inside out, looking for the money they had lost. Either way, I folded the bills carefully and placed them in my wallet, separate from the rest of my money.
The Crying Girl on Soi 6
About mid Soi 6, I was dragged into one bar by one of the ladies working there, determined to get me to buy some drinks. Let’s call her Tiny Tea for the purpose of this story. I let it happen. She was actually very funny, and I thought, why not?
As we were talking, I saw one of the girls sitting by herself with tears in her eyes. I thought she was upset due to her lack of customers. So I asked Tiny Tea to invite her over. She came, and I bought her a lady drink, but as we started to talk, she could not stop crying. I asked what was wrong, and eventually I had to use Google Translate to understand.
Her young daughter back in the province was sick and she was very worried. She wanted to go and see her but had already sent all the money earlier that day for medication and had nothing left for travel. She said something to Tiny Tea and then asked me if I wanted short time with her. She was very attractive, but I asked how much she needed to go see her daughter. She said 3,000 baht.
That amount is not unusual on Soi 6, but my mind had already shifted away from that. The number stopped me. It was exactly what I had found in the sand that morning. I took out the 3,000 baht I had separated earlier and placed it in her hand. “Please go see your daughter now,” I said, using Google Translate. She pointed at me and then upward, wondering if I wanted anything in return. But I shook my head. No.
She spoke quickly with Tiny Tea, then dropped to her knees. I stood up quickly and helped her back up. In Thailand, that gesture is very meaningful, and I did not want attention. The money never really felt like mine anyway.
She left. I stayed for a bit and bought Tiny Tea another drink, but I was no longer in the mood for the evening and just wanted to go back to the hotel. Tiny Tea convinced me to take her with me for a reduced bar fine, saying her room’s air conditioning was not working well.
Peter’s Skeptical Take
I’ve got a couple of things to say here. Firstly, how he ended the story about behavior and everything I totally agree with that. Just because girls work in a bar doesn’t mean they’re not human. They have difficulties. A lot of them are not educated; they work in the bars to support families.
But I’ve got a skeptical side. The skeptical side of me is saying that if she had a sick daughter in Isaan and she really had to get up there and she didn’t have the money, from experience, there’s no way that she would have stayed in the bar. Why? Because the Thai girls are like a big family. When one of them has plenty and nobody else has anything, she shares with everybody else. And when that person has nothing and she approaches a girl that has plenty, again, they share. So in that scenario, most of those girls have got young children, babies. They can all relate to a sick child up in the village and not having money for medicine.
Had this girl had a sick child in the village and I’m not saying she didn’t I don’t think there’s any scenario where she wouldn’t have been able to visit the child in the village. By hook or by crook, one way or another, all the bar girls and the mamasan would have clubbed together and got that 3,000 baht together. Yes, she would have had to pay it back over time, but she would have gone up to the village.
So okay, the guy was a bit of a white knight. He did the right things. I could be criticized for criticizing. I understand that. But I’m just trying to look at the whole picture from all angles, you know, being devil’s advocate, as it were.
Story Four The Village of the Damned A Mystery in Malaysia
In 1990, I made what was probably the most exhausting and at the same time most interesting visa run of my life. I started in the far north of Thailand and rode my motorbike south in many stages all the way to Bangkok. From there, I continued further south, crossed the border, and eventually reached Penang in Malaysia.
By the time I arrived, I was worn out but happy to have made it. I rented a small room in a guest house run by Mrs. Hull, an elderly Chinese woman who treated the place with quiet dignity. I had brought some fishing gear with me, and one afternoon I walked down to a pier. There were a few local recreational fishermen there. One of them, a friendly guy, noticed my equipment and handed me a few worms for bait. He also told me where I could buy more in a small village a little to the south. So I rode there the next day.
The Strange Village
The village felt strange from the moment I arrived. It was very quiet unnaturally quiet. No children playing, no roosters crowing, no radios, no music drifting through the air. In most parts of Asia, that kind of silence is unusual.
I found an old woman who looked well into her 90s. There was a language barrier, so I mimed putting a worm on a fishing hook. She understood immediately, but she shook her head. “Sorry, sold out.” What else was there to say? I shrugged and said, “Okay.”
While I was already there, I walked slowly around the compound. There were perhaps eight houses scattered around, all of them looking old, some almost abandoned. The whole place had a slightly eerie feel. When I finally walked back towards my motorbike, the old woman came to me. In her hand, she held a small round cardboard can about the size of a chewing tobacco box. “One ringgit,” she said.
I thanked her, paid, and rode back to Penang. That night, the worms served me well, and I had a great time fishing on the pier.
Returning to the Silent Malaysian Village
Three days later, I felt like going again, so I rode back to what I had previously begun calling “the village of the damned.” I had mentioned the place to some people at the pier, and they said they felt uneasy about it and avoided it. The same old woman was there. I repeated my little pantomime with the fishing hook. She nodded politely. “Sorry, sold out.”
Half expecting what would happen and half curious, I wandered around the compound again for about 20 minutes, looking at the same silent houses. And just as before, when I walked back towards my bike, the old woman appeared behind me with another little cardboard box. One ringgit. I paid.
On the next visit, the same thing happened again. Always the same sequence: “Sold out,” me wandering around for about 20 minutes, then the old woman appearing with a box and selling it for one ringgit.
This ritual repeated itself several times while I was in that small beach town. Nothing about it ever changed. More than 30 years later, I still wonder what that strange little ritual was all about. Maybe some of your viewers have an idea and will write in the comments what they think it was.
The Fish Spine Incident
One night during one of my fishing trips to the pier, there was a sudden commotion among the fishermen. A young guy had caught a fish, but things had gone wrong. The fish’s dorsal spine had pierced the sole of his foot. Those spines have tiny backward facing barbs, so once they go in, they do not come out easily. The result was that the fish was hanging from his foot, flapping wildly. Man and fish were now very unpleasantly connected.
In those days, many locals tended to assume that foreigners knew everything. If you were white, you were automatically seen as an expert engineer or doctor, depending on the situation. That night on the pier, I was immediately promoted to surgeon by the crowd. I suggested we go to a hospital, but there was always an objection. Too late, no transport, too far, too urgent. So the job landed on me.
I had to stop the fish from thrashing around, so I used my Swiss Army knife. Someone produced a bottle of brandy. After killing the fish, I washed both the knife and the wounded foot with it. The spine had penetrated about 6mm into the young man’s foot. The barb was what kept it firmly lodged in his flesh.
“It is going to hurt,” I warned him. “Never mind,” he said. “I will bite my lip.” So I carefully opened the wound just enough to free the barb, then pulled the spine out in one quick movement. The young guy yelped understandably but handled it well.
Over the next two weeks, while I was still in town, the fisherman treated me like some kind of local hero. Whenever I came to the pier, they bought me sweet milk tea, rotis, and other snacks as a thank you.
That’s a nice story, isn’t it? I remember when I first came to Thailand years and years ago 1991 was when I first stepped foot on Thai soil. I came to work here in 1994, and it was completely different. I remember in Khon Kaen, walking through the town and people stopping and pointing at me because there just weren’t many foreigners here back then, or not up in Isaan. Of course, everything’s changed. There are foreigners coming out of the woodwork here in every village and coastal town all over Southeast Asia. But good memories, anyway.
Story Five Two Hotel Rooms Two Women A Physically Exhausting Week
First time to Pattaya, I did Thursday to Thursday. A week prior, I installed Thai Friendly to start lining up some leads. After a lot of filtering, I came across a pretty good one who seemed interested, except she lived in Chiang Mai where I was not planning on going. Anyway, she asked if she could come to Pattaya with me. Now, my first mistake was that I agreed. I know what you’re all saying why take sand to the beach? But she was hot, and this girl seemed like a nice one an accountant for the government.
We met in Bangkok at the airport and made our way down. Initial impressions were that she was not quite as good as her profile, but still acceptable.
I explained I like to exercise and walk about an hour a day, which is true. She said it was too hot for her and she did not want to get darker skin. So she told me to go and she would meet me back in the room. So off I went and headed for Soi 6.
The first girl that saw me and grabbed me was absolutely amazing completely off the charts for me. I explained I was just out exercising and said, “Okay, one quick drink, but I wanted to keep walking.” She was seriously incredible. As promised, I had one drink and said I had to go and carried on walking.
The rest of the street was nowhere near as good as that first girl. So I turned back, double checked every bar, and eventually made my way back to her. We kept drinking, and I was completely taken by her. We had some short time, and then I left because I had the accountant back in my hotel room.
Balancing Two Hotel Rooms in Pattaya
That night, me and the accountant did our thing, but she was nowhere near as good as the Soi 6 girl. I could not stop thinking about her. The energy and chemistry were on another level, and I was disappointed in myself for bringing the accountant over and being tied into that situation.
The next afternoon, I wanted the Soi 6 girl. So I went back, paid her bar fine for a long time, and got a hotel with her. For the rest of the week, I ended up running two hotel rooms across the road from each other with each girl unaware of the other. Obviously, the Soi 6 girl was costing me a big daily amount, while the accountant was not charging anything (although I paid for everything anyway).
Each day, I would pay the bar fine for the Soi 6 girl and spend time with her, telling the accountant I was going out to exercise. I even said I was meeting a male friend from school. I would then spend time with the accountant during the day while the Soi 6 girl slept. It was a physically exhausting week, but somehow I managed to pull it off.
Do you know what? That’s made me tired just reading that. How he could keep two girls on the go for a few days, I don’t know. But at my age now, it’s not something I’d like to do. Well done to him.
Story Six The Thermae Café A Short Stay and A Late Night Phone Call
This is a fairly short story from a friend of mine. He had watched so many videos and spoken to so many people who had been to Bangkok that he just had to go. He was really looking forward to the famous Thermae Café. So he flew in and decided to stay at the hotel right above it to make things easier. No need to pay for a separate hotel. Just make a connection, walk upstairs, and you’re there. He said the hotel was not the greatest, but it served its purpose.
After a long flight from the US, he took public transportation because for some strange reason, he enjoys it. The last leg was the worst. He said he had to walk about a mile with a suitcase through a gauntlet of African ladies and another woman out at night. He checked into the hotel. The staff were nice. Got to his room which was decent a little dated but clean and cozy enough.
He said he would stay in that first night as it was already midnight and it had been 24 hours since he had left home. But knowing what was downstairs, he could just not stay in. So he took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs.
Once inside, the first thing that caught his eye was the number of beautiful ladies. He started to walk around but was stopped by the bartender who said he needed to buy a drink. So he did not very expensive, but not very good either. Then he started to walk around again. He got near the end and felt someone tugging on his arm. He turned around and saw a pretty girl simply dressed, attractive, quite young compared to him (he was in his early 60s). She had chosen him, you could say.
They chatted for a while and then he headed upstairs. The lady said she worked as a massage girl and was doing this to support her son. She asked if he wanted a massage, and he said sure. She gave a very relaxing massage while chatting a little about her family and her struggles. The massage was so good that he almost fell asleep, and he was a bit worried about that because the massage was just a bonus. What he really wanted was the aerobics.
A Late-Night Call from the Thermae Café
When that started, he said it was very good not wild, but enjoyable. The lady did say a few things he found interesting. She claimed she had not had aerobics in 7 months, which he found hard to believe. She also put the raincoat on with her mouth. She tried to upsell and said she needed money, and he did give her a little bit extra. He knows locals do not like that because it can encourage more asking. But when you have only four nights and have flown halfway around the world, sometimes it feels worth it just to make someone smile.
She offered to stay the night, but he was too tired and did not see the point.
The strangest part of the story was that the next night at around 1:00 a.m., he got a phone call from the front desk saying that the lady was there and she wanted to come up and see him. He had already gone to bed and thought that seemed a bit strange, so he declined. He still wonders whether she had asked the hotel to call him. She had also asked for his WhatsApp number, which he did not give, and he still wonders if he should have, but it felt better to be cautious.
Obviously, there are girls from other countries who don’t have Thai IDs and they can’t enter the Thermae. So what happens is they hang about outside hoping to hook up with some guy. There’s girls from just over the border of Laos, maybe some African girls hanging around. They tend to hang around outside hoping to pick up a customer.
