A Retiree’s Journey from Heartbreak to Hope

I’m from the United States, and I just retired from my job.

I was feeling a bit bored with my love life.

So, I began watching videos and reading blogs about Thailand.

Eventually, I decided to join a Thai dating website while I was still back home in the States.

On the website, there were lots of freelancers and ladyboys.

But, after a few weeks, I found an amazing lady who was just what I was looking for.

She was 35 years old, a Thai girl living in Karat.

We chatted on the Line app for about a year before I went to Thailand.

She was charming, and I was really taken with her looks and her playful personality.

She used to send me those cute cartoon hearts and stickers that Line offers.

As the date of my trip to Thailand drew closer, I still had some doubts about whether she was being honest with me.

So, I stayed cautious and kept my guard up.

I continued watching YouTube videos and reading about Thai girlfriend scams on the internet.

Pattaya For The First Time To See What All The Talk Is About

I made up my mind to go to Pattaya first to see what all the fuss was about.

I let her know that I had plans to meet some friends there before heading to Korat to see her.

For my first five days in Pattaya, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Soi Buakaho.

I spent my time walking the streets and taking in all the things Pattaya had to offer.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl in Korat, although some of her messages didn’t quite ring true, and I had my doubts.

Still, I decided to take a chance and hopped on a bus to Korat.

I got to the bus stop at Terminal 21, which is inside a mall in Korat.

I grabbed a tuk-tuk and went to the hotel I had booked.

I was still a bit suspicious whether she was the same girl I had been chatting with for over a year online.

Her name was View.

She showed up at my hotel, and she looked just as beautiful as her online pictures.

First Date With A Thai Girl

Our first date began with her taking me into the city center, where we paid our respects to a statue in the heart of Korat.

The date went smoothly, and we headed to one of her favorite restaurants called “Eight Bistro.”

A bit of background on View: she works at an insurance company, doesn’t have any children, and she’s 35 years old.

Right from the start, I was honest with her and told her that I have two grown-up children and didn’t want any more.

Initially, she said she was fine with not having children together.

But later on, she began dropping hints about wanting a baby because she had never had one.

Now, I’m staying at a couple of different hotels in Korat, and View would spend every night with me.

In the mornings, she’d head off to work while I ventured out to explore the city.

Around seven every evening, she would arrive, and we’d go wherever she wanted for dinner.

Our evenings were filled with visits to night markets, restaurants, and nightclubs in Korat.

Things Are Going Well… With The Help of A Translator

She seemed content with my company, and I was thrilled to have a beautiful girl with me.

Her English was basic, and I personally only knew a few Thai words, but we managed to have small conversations with the help of Google Translate.

She introduced me to her many girlfriends, who were all wonderful people.

I joined her and her friends on trips around Korat.

She had a car and rented a small room for 3,000 baht a month.

We kept ourselves busy with all sorts of activities.

View took me to Jim Thompson Farm, which is different from Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.

We also had a long weekend getaway to Pattaya, where we became teenagers again and enjoyed the night life.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, I had to make a visa run to Cambodia.

View was there for me and even took some time off work.

We drove to the Cambodia border for my visa run together.

During all this time, View never asked me for money or took me to any expensive places.

I was beginning to have positive feelings about her.

View even introduced me to her parents in the countryside, even though they didn’t speak English.

I felt a strong connection with her mother, despite the language barrier.

Seeing How My New Girls Family Lived, I Felt Lucky

I felt sympathetic towards View, seeing the modest way she was raised in a small, poor village and her tiny apartment.

By the way, View always kept her apartment in spotless condition.

I decided to get her a gold ring as a gift.

However, over time, I noticed View becoming moodier and distant.

Whenever I tried to have a serious conversation with her, it seemed like it never led to anything.

I thought it best to take a break and let her know that I didn’t think we were the right match for each other.

My feelings had changed for a few reasons, one of them being her moody reactions whenever I tried to discuss any long-term plans with her.

I reached out to View again to see if she was open to talking.

I mentioned that perhaps everything had moved too quickly in our relationship, and I wanted to give us another chance.

My Girlfriend Sold The Gold I Bought Her

When she came back after our brief breakup, I noticed that the ring was missing.

She told me she had lost the ring, and she started asking for a few thousand baht from me every now and then.

I learned that she had recently broken up with a Thai boyfriend just a couple of weeks before I entered the picture.

It occurred to me that her distant behavior might have been because her ex-boyfriend was still involved in some way.

I didn’t have solid proof, but sometimes your instincts just tell you something’s not right.

I decided to end things with her, even though it left me feeling heartbroken and alone in Korat.

I thought about leaving, but I decided to stay in Korat for another month because I found a fantastic three-month rental for 5,500 baht per month.

So, I stayed until the lease was over.

I got back on the dating site, determined as ever.

I really enjoyed the weather, the local vendors, and everything else Thailand had to offer.

I made up my mind that I would retire here someday, maybe not in Korat, but definitely somewhere in Thailand.

Back To Online Dating In The Land of Smiles

Going back to my story, I came across another girl on the dating site who caught my eye.

Her name was Gung.

We chatted and had calls over Facetime and messages for about a week.

It turned out that Gung was originally from Laos.

Her English was quite good, and she had a boyfriend from Denmark six years before we started talking.

We both wanted to meet in person, and she mentioned that if I covered her expenses, she’d be willing to meet me in Korat.

I suspected a possible scam, so I suggested that she find her own way to Korat. I promised to reimburse her once she arrived.

To my surprise, she agreed to this.

She took a long 10-hour bus journey to come and meet me.

I was genuinely surprised when she told me she had arrived at the bus terminal.

By that time, I had my small studio apartment all set up, and I had managed to find a used Honda Click scooter that I purchased.

At this point, I had only a couple of weeks left on my studio room lease.

I didn’t have any expectations of falling in love.

Gung and I got along well, but I still kept my guard up.

Gung was completely different and always honest with me.

We really liked each other, and after 10 days, I told her I was going to finish up things in Korat, and we’d see each other again soon.

Some might think I was foolish for what I did next, but my heart told me it was the right thing to do.

I messaged View and told her I was leaving Korat.

I chose to give her all my small appliances and signed over the motorbike to her.

I had no ill feelings towards her.

We could still be friends, but we realized we weren’t a good match as a couple.

Next Location: Bangkok

My next destination was Bangkok.

I had a friend I had met on an expat forum who had been living in Thailand for three years.

As soon as Gung arrived back home in Laos, we stayed in touch every day.

She would tell me how much she liked me and wanted to see me again.

I agreed to meet her again, and Gung took on another bus journey from Laos to Pattaya.

It was quite a long journey for her.

I had also planned another trip to Pattaya with my friend Steve.

Gung arrived at the bus station in Pattaya, and we had a wonderful time together, exploring attractions and enjoying each other’s company.

We discovered that we thought alike, and I started to catch feelings for her.

We made a plan to travel to Bangkok for a few days, and after that, we would return to our respective homes – Gung to Laos and myself to the United States.

This time, I bought her an airplane ticket.

In February 2020, I went back to the United States to sell my belongings and rent out my condo, preparing to return to Thailand to be with Gung.

We all know what happened after 2020, and everything became uncertain.

I haven’t got much to say about this part of the story.

Months turned into over a year without being allowed to fly and we gradually drifted away from each other.

I haven’t been back to Thailand since, but who knows about the future! All the best.