My Unforgettable Lesson in Trust in 1999 Bangkok
Hey, I’m Rick, and I wanted to tell you all about something that happened to me back in 1999 when I was 28, over in Bangkok.
Back then, I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of how I wound up in Thailand.
I’ll keep it brief.
I ended up teaching in Bangkok.
My monthly pay was pretty low, just 12,000 baht.
But I managed to find a room for 1,500 baht a month on Sukhumvit Soi 100.
I ate cheap street food most of the time.
Apart from the occasional 7-Eleven beer, I didn’t really drink.
Living The Cheap Life In Bangkok
Going to bars was definitely out of my budget.
And just so you know, I wasn’t into smoking either.
During that time, I didn’t mind that I was barely making ends meet with my tight budget.
I was just thrilled to be in Thailand.
I made some wonderful friends who often included me in their trips.
I’ve got some incredible memories from those days that I’ll cherish forever.
Teaching English In Bangkok To Stay In Thailand
Now, let’s get back to my story.
Around six months into my teaching gig in Bangkok, I bumped into a girl named New at the nearby 7-Eleven.
I later learned that she was 24 years old.
I don’t want to brag, but back then, I did catch the eye of quite a few girls.
I guess being young and in decent shape for my age had something to do with it.
I must admit, I was pretty naive at that time, always looking for the good in people.
So, New and I decided to step away from the 7-Eleven, find a spot near some food carts, grab a soft drink, and start getting to know each other.
New shared with me that she came from a tiny village in Isan and had come to Bangkok to earn money for her family.
She mentioned she did part-time work in the afternoons but was hoping for a better job.
She didn’t go into detail about her work, and I never probed further about it.
Connecting With A Bangkok Girl
During that period, the two of us just seemed to connect really well, and we got along great.
I told her I was a teacher and didn’t earn much, so I was leading a pretty simple life in Bangkok.
New told me that she didn’t mind at all; she just wanted to be with me because we got along so well.
Over the next few weeks, we started meeting up more frequently. Our dates were simple but enjoyable.
We visited temples, explored markets, occasionally caught a movie, or simply hung out at a local food court, making our meals last longer just to spend more time together.
New would often come back to my room, and at that time, I didn’t quite grasp Thai culture.
I just assumed that if a guy and a girl liked each other, they would naturally end up alone in a room together, similar to what happens in the West.
New explained that she shared a room with a girlfriend not too far from mine, which is why we often crossed paths at the 7-Eleven.
Moving In Together
She mentioned that their room was quite cramped, and she didn’t like her roommate’s smoking.
Eventually, the topic of New moving in with me came up in our conversations.
We had a strong connection, and from a financial standpoint, it seemed like a good idea for both of us.
Whenever New visited, she insisted on helping out with tasks like washing my clothes and cleaning my room.
She came across as a genuinely kind and honest person.
We had lengthy discussions about the idea, and New explained that if her family lived in Bangkok, she couldn’t even think about being alone in my room, let alone moving in with me.
Both New and I were on a tight budget, so we decided that she would give her friend notice, pack her things, and move in with me.
I was thrilled about this, having this wonderful Asian girl living with me. What more could a guy ask for, right?
Settling In Together
Once New had settled in, things became quite routine.
I’d head off to teach in the mornings, and most days, New would stay home and take care of the room.
I usually finished teaching in the mid-afternoon, and we would often go out to eat at the local food carts, which were incredibly affordable.
New would occasionally be gone for several days, sometimes even up to a week.
When I asked her about these trips, she explained that she needed to take the bus back to Isan to visit her mother, who wasn’t in the best of health.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it.
New would also go out to work some afternoons, and what struck me as odd was that her work schedule wasn’t consistent.
Some weeks, she would work on Monday and Tuesday, while the next week, it might be four days out of five.
My Thai Girlfriend Keeps Disappearing At Night
She would also disappear in the afternoons on weekends from time to time. Although I found this a bit strange, I didn’t press her for more details.
Despite this, we were still getting along really well, and I didn’t dwell on it.
New would even occasionally cover expenses like a bag of groceries or movie tickets, which I appreciated because it eased the strain on my budget.
Around this time, an older friend I had met in Bangkok a few months earlier gave me a call to catch up.
He invited me out for a beer.
This guy had been a good friend who had shown me around and introduced me to several other people in the city.
I told my friend about my girlfriend and asked if it would be okay to bring her along.
He had no issue with it, and we agreed to meet up around 8pm at an English-themed pub on Sukhumvit, not too far from Soi 22 but on the opposite side of the road.
Unfortunately, I can’t recall the name of the pub now.
Introducing My Girlfriend To Friends
New seemed hesitant to join me and kept insisting that I should go and enjoy my time with my friend while she stayed home and watched TV.
After a bit of persuasion, she reluctantly agreed to come out with me.
When we got to the English pub, my friend was already inside. Before I could introduce New, my friend smiled at her and said, “What are you doing here?”
I was really surprised by my friend’s reaction, and I almost stumbled over my words.
I told him, “No, this is my girlfriend New. We’ve been together for several months, and she lives with me.“
My friend seemed a bit taken aback and said he must have made a mistake.
We all sat down and ordered some drinks.
I’m not sure what it was, but you know that feeling when your gut tells you something isn’t right? Well, you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife.
New remained extremely quiet, and my friend appeared uncomfortable.
After about 45 minutes, New excused herself and got up to go to the restroom.
That’s when my friend said, “Look, we need to talk.” I asked, “What’s going on? Tell me now.“
He responded, “No, call me tomorrow when you’re alone.” I found this really odd but agreed to call him the next day.
The next day, I called my friend, and he said, “Look, this is going to upset you, but I have to tell you, or I couldn’t live with myself.“
I was anticipating what he was going to say and urged him to tell me right away.
He went on to say that he had been involved with New several times and had paid her for her services each time.
Finding Out My Girlfriend is A Freelancer
He continued by saying that not only had he been involved with New, but several of his friends had also used the services she offered for a fee.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and insisted,
“No, you must be mistaken. She’s with me every night. She’s my girlfriend, and she never goes out on her own.”
That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. My friend clarified, “No, she’s been coming to my apartment in the afternoons.”
I’d text her, she’d come over, spend a few hours with me, and I’d give her a thousand baht, and then she leaves.”
To say that I was devastated doesn’t even begin to describe it.
I won’t go into the details of what transpired between me and New, but needless to say, we haven’t spoken to each other since that day.
Turns Out I Was Not The Only Girl My Girlfriend Was Seeing
Later on, I discovered that New was visiting many different guys in the afternoon.
She had quite a following, with regular customers who would call her.
I also learned that she wasn’t really going to visit her mother in Isan but would be taken to places like Phuket or Chiang Mai by one of her customers.
This explained why she would disappear for up to a week at times.
To wrap it up, I must admit that I was torn apart by this experience, and to this day, I don’t think I’m the same guy I was when I was with New.
Despite the terrible ending to this story and the months of torment that followed, I still don’t regret the time I spent with her.
I had the best time of my life, and she was wonderful. It’s just a pity that I was sharing her with others.
Today, I hold no ill feelings towards New, but I have definitely grown up mentally after this experience.
