Love Across Thai Dating Apps
I was living in Honolulu, Hawaii, and had pretty much run through the single scene.
It was unfulfilling at best – bars, nightclubs; the island is small, and the dating market was so thin on the ground.
A friend of mine was constantly talking about his trips to Thailand, and, of course, it sounded amazing.
I started watching YouTube videos about Thailand, focusing on a few party scenes.
I was told about the app “Thaifriendly,” and just for a giggle, having grown tired of the Western dating scene, I thought it might be worth a shot.
Is The Age Difference A Problem?
I matched with a few women and landed on one girl’s profile who looked cute, very cute, and definitely my type.
But, once into the profile, I noticed the age difference and clicked off within seconds.
I had a message from her asking why I didn’t message her.
My response: “You’re too young.” I messaged her. At the time, she was 23, and I was 40.
She insisted we continue to chat.
She was beautiful, humble, and spoke good English, so I figured, why not?
Feeling A Connection With A Thai Girl Online
We texted on and off for a few days on the LINE app.
She was a great conversationalist and never asked me for anything beyond my attention.
I had heard all the horror stories of ladyboys and working girls being on the apps and did not want to be caught out.
Could I have really gotten this lucky? Conversations went on for weeks, then months.
She was genuine, and a relationship was starting to form.
Maybe she wasn’t aware of how good-looking she was, but it was obvious her focus was only on me.
She Was Denied Entry To Visit Me In The USA
I suggested she come to see me in Honolulu.
Naively, I thought coming to America from Asia was easy, as much of Honolulu is like Tokyo, with tourists from Asia everywhere.
I quickly learned she needed a visa. We contacted a visa broker – big mistake.
Their website seemed legit with all glowing reviews.
I paid the fee for a tourist visa, and when the day came for her interview with Customs, I was met by a call with her in tears; she had been denied entry.
It was really bad news at the time, perhaps only warranted a change in plans.
Flying To Thailand To Meet Her Instead
Coincidentally, that week, the same friend who was always talking about Thailand said he was planning a trip to Bangkok to visit his girlfriend, whom he had met on Facebook.
A friend of a friend.
I immediately said I would go too.
I had never visited Asia, and going with a friend made the trip much less intimidating.
I booked the same flight, and a couple of weeks later, we hopped on a severely delayed Air China flight.
Our layover was in Shanghai.
The terminal was in the middle of construction on a beautiful new facility.
Some new parts were open, but much of the old terminal was still in use.
My phone was all but useless in China, so I was unable to get a message through to Knock about the 4-hour delay.
Eventually, we boarded a bus and were ferried out onto the tarmac to a very old Boeing 737.
Everything about this flight was against my better judgment, but I boarded this ancient tin cylinder and managed to arrive, despite a very active flight.
I have flown hundreds of times, but I was so tired I didn’t really notice the severe turbulence on the way.
She Waited All Night For Me To Arrive In Bangkok
We eventually arrived in Bangkok at about 4 a.m., and Knock was there to greet me.
I couldn’t believe it; she had waited all night.
She had even checked into the hotel.
This was the first time I’d seen her in person.
Five feet tall, maybe 90 pounds, olive skin, and long black hair – she was beautiful.
We jumped in a taxi; she handled all the haggling in Thai, and we went to the Siri Sathorn hotel in Sathorn.
Back then, it was a great boutique hotel. I can be very judgmental when it comes to hotels, but it was like having a fancy apartment in Bangkok.
It came with a full kitchen, dining area, living room, and bedroom.
Since then, the hotel has changed ownership and been left to decline post-COVID.
This was my first time visiting Thailand.
Travelling Around Thailand With My New Girlfriend
The jet lag was brutal.
We spent a few nights in Bangkok, eating overpriced food in the tourist areas.
I didn’t know any better; I even paid $60 for a bottle of Jack Daniels at a 7-Eleven.
I was unaware of the import tax and how much 2,000 baht was in US dollars – about three times the usual price.
After a few days in Bangkok, we headed down to Pattaya, as my buddy was also headed there with his companion.
Traveling through Thailand is so much easier with someone who knows the language and the ropes.
I booked the hotel and was quickly made aware not to judge a property based on the photographs on the hotel booking site, Agoda, or any other booking sites.
I had pre-booked it; it looked amazing.
When we arrived, we came to learn that the pool was under construction, along with much of the rest of the property.
This was both our first time seeing Pattaya and Walking Street.
Knock thought it was wild. I had never been in an environment like this, and it was strange to watch people from all walks of life.
Bar girls begged us to come into their bar and have a drink with them, ladyboys holding up signs outside of the venues encouraging us to come into the liveliness, and all the beautiful people everywhere.
Soi Cowboy Was Not My Cup of Tea
We spent a week in Pattaya.
During that time, my friend had to head back to Hawaii. I had another week before my departure.
Knock and I decided to go back to Bangkok and spend some time around the Sukhumvit area.
Several nights there, and I was ready to move again – far too crazy with the traffic and action.
Soi Cowboy was not my style; I was used to city life, but this was another level of wild.
I was also not in the market for pay-for-play but still wanted to experience the entertainment areas.
We ended up back in Sathorn at the previous hotel, this time with a much nicer room, a huge upgrade.
We spent the remainder of our time together at the night market and enjoying the local food.
Flying Back Home To Attend To Business
Eventually, the day came when I had to return to Honolulu.
I had business there and bills to attend to that I couldn’t be delayed any longer.
It was a heavy feeling in my heart.
My flight departed at 1:00 p.m. – as many hotels there were, there were plenty of taxi drivers waiting outside.
Knock negotiated the price, and off we went to the airport.
The driver knew I was going to the airport, and I was running late.
Of course, we get on the road, and after a couple of u-turns, I tell Knock to ask the driver what he’s doing.
He needed to get gas.
I was livid.
The driver knew I had a flight to catch, and he also knew that I was running late.
He still accepted the fare and asked me for the money to buy gas.
Not much choice at this point.
We arrived at the airport; I promised Knock I would get back to Hawaii, resolve my affairs, and come back to Thailand as quickly as I could.
What Could The Future Hold?
She was sweet about it, but I could tell she wanted to believe me.
Still, her better judgment was telling her that this was probably the last time we would see each other.
I’m sure all her friends and family warned her that I would come visit, get what I wanted, and bail out, never to be seen again, like many do.
Her worst fears were being realized.
I walked towards customs and looked back at least 10 times.
Our eyes never met; she looked back.
I watched her take the escalator down to the MRT station.
It broke my heart.
Reality setting in that I now had 20 hours of flight time in front of me to think about the future and how to move forward with this amazing girl.
This was part one out of a possible three.
If anyone deems it interesting, I would be happy to continue the tale, the next chapter in the return trip to Thailand.
