Learning What A Barfine Is For The First Time

While I was exploring the islands in the South Pacific, I bumped into an American traveler.

He said he was amazed that I hadn’t visited Thailand before.

After a few months, I headed to Australia. Then, a bit later, I traveled to Malaysia. Eventually, I hopped on a ferry to southern Thailand.

While I was in Australia, I got in touch with a young lady from Isan. She mentioned she was working in Phuket and suggested we travel together.

It sounded promising, even though I was approaching 60 years old. This was back in 2010.

Travelling To Phuket From Southern To Meet A Thai Girl

After spending a few days in southern Thailand, I hopped on a long bus journey to Phuket to meet my girlfriend.

Once I arrived in Phuket, I found a hotel in central Phuket. I gave her a call and said, “I’m in Phuket, where are you?“

She replied, “I’m in Patong Beach. Take a bus and come over.“

“Alright” I replied, “I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m too tired right now.“

The next day, I headed over to Patong.

It didn’t take long for me to notice that Patong wasn’t like the rest of Thailand. It was filled with Western folks holding beer bottles, drinking as they walked around.

There were women, half-naked, lined up along the sidewalks, like they were being bought and sold as goods.

“This doesn’t feel like Thailand,” I thought as I continued walking and searching for my girlfriend’s workplace.

I Did Not Know The Girl Worked At A Bar

Eventually, I found the place, and to my surprise, it was a beer bar.

I had assumed she was working at a restaurant or a regular store, doing a typical job.

I walked into the empty bar, and she came over to meet me.

After we exchanged greetings, I asked her if we could go somewhere else.

She replied that she needed to have a conversation with her boss, who was from California and owned the bar.

She explained that I needed to pay her boss in order to take her out, which confused me.

I asked, “Why do I have to pay your boss? Does he own you?“

She then tried to clarify something I had never heard of before.

She explained that it was called a “bar fine” and it was something normal in Thailand.

I told her that I had thought she was independent and that I didn’t want to give my money to her boss. I said I’d prefer to give it directly to her.

Decided That This Is Not Going To Work For Me

Then I said my goodbyes and decided to head back to Phuket.

I decided to forget about the plans we had made and started to leave. As I was leaving, she called my name and offered to walk me to the bus stop.

She waited with me to make sure I got on the right bus.

That was a very kind gesture on her part.

Later on, I discovered that all the ladies working in the bars and massage parlors came from Isan.

I made the decision to explore the beautiful land of Isan, specifically Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.

During my travels there, I had the pleasure of meeting some truly wonderful women who were kind-hearted and hadn’t been influenced by the corruption of big cities.

Some of these women kindly invited me to their villages, and I accepted their invitations.

I stayed in their simple and humble homes, and they cooked delicious meals for me. They even gave me massages, and together, we enjoyed boat rides on the Mekong River.

I truly miss Isan. Pattaya wasn’t my cup of tea, and I never paid a bar fine during my time there.