Thailand vs The Philippines An Old Dogs Wisdom

It’s not so much a story as a compilation of what I’ve learned over the last 12 years of living and visiting in Thailand and the Philippines. Being an old dog I can say the more you know the more you know you don’t know.

Comparing the Two Countries

Since a large part of its economy is based on tourism the infrastructure of roads buildings and public facilities provide a comfortable and luxurious travel destination. The jungles mountains and beaches attract millions of tourists all of whom boost the country’s income. The Buddhist culture ensures a laid back ambiance that appeals to over stressed and excitable Westerners whose overseas incomes can turn them into short term millionaires. In my case as an Israeli where Tel Aviv was voted the most expensive city in the world in 2021 my money has doubled or even tripled in value in Thailand.

Also whenever I traveled by myself in the cities or in the Thai provinces I always felt safe. Despite the occasional feral dog in remote unlit villages at night (where I carried a big stick) I never felt any threat of being mugged or pickpocketed. As an Israeli who has served in the military I am ultra aware of security issues and personal safety. As such I only book hotels that have an in room safe big enough for my iPad.

The Philippines on the other hand is a much poorer country. Yes there are luxurious tourist destinations and great natural scenery but from my perspective Thailand is a much better option. My reasons are these

Firstly I am a budget traveler because I live on a modest pension. As such I stay in three star hotels or low cost Airbnbs. I enjoy meeting local people who many times have invited me to stay in their poor homes as their non paying guest. Naturally I have reciprocated by inviting them out to meals in restaurants for all of the family which otherwise they couldn’t afford.

Security in the Philippines

Regarding personal security in a highly impoverished country I can say this about the Philippines desperate people do desperate things. On my first day in Manila I was astonished to see head to toe armed and uniformed guards with shotguns standing outside even the smallest restaurants and shops. Later in a smaller southern city a large shopping mall had an army of security guards. They were decked out with full riot gear belt pouches with handcuffs and bullet clips knee pads batons and shotguns. Four outside guards were accompanied by two menacing muzzle Doberman dogs restrained by dog leashes made of chain.

Although Thailand has noticeable security personnel in malls and hotels there is nothing like what I saw in the Philippines. Even more so just consider the number of gold shops in Thailand. Most of them do not have security guards preferring to let CCTV cameras and automatic door locks do the job for them. That could never be done in the Philippines.

Another example of the differences between the two countries is regarding the ATMs. Yes both countries have predatory ladies who see the average white Western single guy as a walking ATM machine but here I’m talking about the real ATM machines. I had a Filipino girlfriend for five years. When withdrawing cash from a street ATM I had her standing back to back with me. Incidentally it also helped that in her younger years as a martial arts specialist she had been the personal bodyguard of the Deputy President of the Philippines.

The Language Advantage of the Philippines

However there is one major annoyance for me in Thailand. To put it bluntly most Thai ladies speak little English and this is reinforced by foreigners repeating their mistakes. Take for example the use of the verb ‘to have’ which is used in two ways ‘I have’ as ownership or used as describing a past event as in ‘Yes I have visited Chiang Mai in the past.’ A Thai lady might shout out ‘Have massage here’ to which many foreign guys may reply ‘Have oil or Thai massage?’

Apart from aerobics in both countries which is important for me good English language communication is also important. This is where the Philippines has the upper hand. Their second language is English. Shop signs are in English. Hotel regulations are posted in good English. guests are requested to deposit their guns at the reception desk. I have even been to Sunday morning prayers in a church where the priest blessed me in front of everyone in English as being an honored guest from The Holy Land it elevated my ego to the role of one of the Twelve Disciples.

The Dilemma and the Conclusion

So my dilemma was this do I prefer a safer country like Thailand or better language communication as in the Philippines? My answer is this. In the past I was looking for a permanent relationship so the Philippines was out. But since my relationship with my Filipina girlfriend three years ago I live day by day. Who knows when I’m going to die or as we say ‘when I’m going to pop my clogs.’ I am a gym junkie. I don’t drink alcohol I don’t smoke but I do love female company. At the age of 76 I am just looking for ladies who like being with older farangs and there’s nothing wrong with that. It is the Fountain of Youth for me. It’s a tonic much better than all the pills and medicines I take. I feel energized in Thailand.

I don’t need the judgmental remarks by Western women of my own age who have no experience of Thai culture. For their part I absolutely understand Thai women who link up with farangs. Most of these ladies were born in poor villages or towns where they lived a poor existence. Many have had husbands or boyfriends who ran out after giving them children. Remember for most there is no insurance or alimony in Thailand. Many work in hard physical labor in rice paddies or other farming on less than 30 US dollars a month.

The common denominator for all Thai women is that they put their parents and children first. They are willing to compromise their own existence so that they can feed educate and take care of their families. The Western boyfriend is always delegated to third or fourth place in the queue. Any visiting farang should know this. They must lower their expectations. No matter how much money they spend on their Thai girlfriends they are not number one. Yes no money no honey but you are not the bee master. Thai women are very shrewd on this. It’s a matter of business.

Some Thai ladies are genuinely looking for long term relationships. As an opening gambit they work either as freelancers masseuses go go dancers or bar girls the pay and the hours are better. Some link up with farangs through dating sites. I don’t blame them. If the situation was reversed with the West being a third world country would older and jealous Western women change their attitudes regarding Asian men visiting the red light districts of London or New York? Everything is relative. Maybe one day China will be the only rich superpower and the West will go down the tubes. Food for thought.

So I call the Thai lady farang relationship a mutual benefit society a win win situation. It can turn out well as long as a farang keeps his wits about him but it can go pear shaped if he is stupid drunk or if he loses his heart to a bar girl. Up close and personal physical contact can very easily turn into emotional contact. We’re all human we all have emotional needs too. The Land of Smiles can quickly turn into the Land of Emulsion on the flip of a coin. But remember in many cases it’s a matter of business from her standpoint.

Secondly I’m coming for more dental work. Last February I had three fillings at the Pattaya International Dental Center on Soi Buakhao. It was very cheap and highly professional. Add to that the wonderful smiling customer care great treatment and a reason to go back there next time. Without root canal I need four crowns which in Israel would cost me a minimum of 4500 US dollars as opposed to 1700 US dollars in Thailand.

Story Two Walking the Tightrope A Brutally Honest Arrangement

I have traveled to Thailand half a dozen times in the past five years with a view to someday relocating and living there for most of the year. I’m an Australian in my early 50s and I’m self funded without needing any salaried work. My most recent trip in 2022 took me on an outward bound trip beginning in Phuket then Bangkok and onwards to Europe then returning to Bangkok and Phuket over a four month period.

I have been corresponding with Thai ladies of various ages online and the most recent experience was the closest to a girlfriend like experience. Her name is Pym. I met her online and she was not the easiest to get in contact with at first. We eventually agreed on a time although it was only due to my persistence. I even made it easier for her by saying I can meet her at her place as I am very mobile on my own motorbike.

She told me to come at 430 PM but said her friend was coming to her room at 6 PM and so I had to leave by that time. At this point there was no mention of what I was looking for nor anything on what her expectations were.

I parked my motorbike a messenger when I was near the apartment block and she came down and we greeted each other with beaming smiles. Then I followed her to her room whilst enjoying the pleasing view of Pym climbing the stairs wearing tight denim shorts in front of me.

I found myself in Pym’s room sitting on her bare mattress. Some small talk ensued then I made a move and the aerobics followed. It was a pleasing experience and I told her I want to see her again and I liked her. She reciprocated with the like and agreed we would meet again the following week.

I reached out to meet her and she told me she would be free in two days’ time. I called back and we met again on many occasions. I initially brought her to my hotel and spent some time at restaurants near where I was staying. She was happy to hang out with me and have a laugh. Pym’s English is very basic and my Thai is even more basic but we are still able to communicate with each other.

Settling Into Her Village Life

The usual protocol of drinking aerobics then on her phone watching silly pranks and animal bloopers then sleep became a pattern that I was able to get used to very quickly. We would get out of bed each day around midday and she would want to go to her room. A really nice setup exists in her apartment block where a wonderful cook prepares breakfast lunch and dinner at a nominal cost to the residents including me.

I was quickly absorbed and very much liked by the others that live in the same block as Pym. One of the ladies who has an Australian male friend admitted her Australian friend would not be comfortable sitting and mingling with the Thai people as I do that is eating Thai food drinking and just doing what the Thai people do. I appreciated the feedback. I thought Pym appreciated and was impressed by this.

The Village and the House

She told me she would take me to her village in Northern Thailand and meet her family. On a couple of occasions she phoned her mother and introduced her to me. We spoke online and it was something that I did not expect to be introduced to her mother so soon. I had discussed a boyfriend situation. She told me once she remarried she will not pursue others and no longer meet others and that she would be with her husband only. She would also move back to her village to help with the upbringing of her children.

She did mention that she had land and her dream is to build a house on the land. She even went to the extent of finding the price and telling me how much it cost to build a three or four bedroom house in her village minus fittings and fixtures. I am aware why she had planted the idea in my head and I just nodded and told her ‘I see’ carefully not to make any promises.

I spent the rest of my stay eating with Pym and a bevy of newfound female friends. As already mentioned I have no issue eating Thai food and it is easy for me to blend in with the Thai habit of sometimes sticky rice and beer with ice cubes. It amuses me how often farangs make no attempt to appreciate or respect the wonderful Thai culture instead the focus is all on objectifying Thai women. Those farangs are surely missing out on the icing of the cake.

The Farang Who Didnt Get It

On one night I escorted Pym and three of her female friends to a bar. Another friend of Pym’s was already at the bar and was seated at the table with a farang. Pym wanted to play some Thai music so she selected a famous Thai tune and we danced for a while. In fact all the Thai ladies at the bar simultaneously leaped out of their chairs to dance to those familiar provincial tunes. Although it is not my culture I love the energy and the happiness and I participate with the ladies.

Once the Thai music was over the farang seated at the bar decided to select a tune. He chose the well known ‘Gangnam Style’ tune and to no surprise there was zero interest from anyone in the bar. His choice of song was perhaps an attempt to try and entice the ladies or to look good I’m not sure why he chose this particular song and what the thought process of this farang was. But South Korea is a very different place to Thailand. I know Thailand is technically Asia but in reality Korea and Thailand are simply worlds apart.

I think it is generally accepted that Thai women are forgiving of those foreigners who lack any appreciation of Thai culture and food simply because of the money that foreigners can offer. I have heard the expression ‘walking ATM’ which is how some Thai women view foreign men. So it matters little if they present well are handsome or not.

Hard Truths

Over the coming weeks I spent most nights with her and her friends partying drinking and dancing then retiring to my hotel with her at the end of the night for multiple aerobic sessions. I (naively) did think at some point there could be some romantic future with her. She had jokingly mentioned to her friends that we would marry next year and she would go to Australia with me one day and she spoke of waiting to have my baby she already had children of her own staying with her mum and her Thai husband had gone. She sends money to her mother to fund her children.

And it soon became clear to me that she is a freelancer and goes online to meet customers or goes out with her friends to meet other farangs. Also she was formerly a bar girl from some time before freelancing as she sent me photos of her back in the bars she used to work in. I don’t judge.

I also handed her gifts over time we spent including cash as I thought this appropriate and I didn’t want to be a cheap Charlie. I should also add she is 20 years my junior drop dead gorgeous. Based on scrutinizing her social media accounts as well as her online activity it is clear she has many male friends. She actively pursues many others which I am able to easily determine. I’m a cynic and under no illusions here.

The Friend from Overseas

With this background my eyes opened even wider after the first week. I discovered a friend of Pym’s from overseas had arrived and he wanted to meet Pym. Problem was that she was occupied with me. I gathered there was some decision making to be made on Pym’s part but she decided to honor the time we were spending together and postpone meeting him. On that same day her friend saw me and realized what had happened and blurted out to me ‘Aren’t you happy?’ to which I replied ‘Of course I’m a happy person.’ I knew what she was suggesting but I didn’t take the bait.

I had a quiet chuckle to myself as I had once read something very profound ‘When you have a Thai bar girl as a girlfriend you never lose her you just lose your place in the queue.’

The Goodbye

Meanwhile on my last day in Thailand she kindly bought me gifts and arranged to give me a send off dinner the night before with her friends then had herself and friends come to my hotel to say goodbye all very sweet of her. She agreed to wait for me but had reservations with me keeping in contact with her as previous farangs had promised to return but instead cut all communication with her once they returned to their home countries. She kept telling me not to tell her when I’m coming but rather when I am back in Thailand that is when I’m physically on the ground. I suspect this is because she is busy with meeting others and wants to be able to plan for concrete arrangements with me. Maybe a little too cynical but it’s hard not to be under these circumstances.

I have read there’s a 99% chance of a fail with choosing an ex bar girl or freelancer as a permanent girlfriend. I am beginning to realize firsthand why this is the case. A certain amount of hardening of the lady is going to happen. I am sure the attitude changes as well.

I am back in Australia now in contact with her but not every day and it is never very romantic just conversation. I have booked a flight and agreed to meet her when I come to Thailand in the next couple of months. I intend to maybe do some traveling with her in Thailand. I’m not naive and I promised myself I won’t leave my brains at the airport when I arrive in Bangkok. I accept the reality and don’t want to tell myself that she is different and will one day change and that she really likes me and only me.

I am currently noting that most of the time it is me who is reaching out to make contact with Pym whereas other Thai girlfriends I had are reaching out to me more often than not. Honestly it doesn’t bother me too much and it won’t put me off Pym provided I can get my head around the reality of the situation we both are in. It doesn’t really matter either way. So I will likely reach out to her on my return to Thailand in the not too distant future. I like Pym and her friends. I will most likely return to see Pym and these new friends. I’ll be sure to pack my bag with Australian goodies and distribute them around to all these lovely ladies making sure Pym receives a lot more presents than the others as she is my favorite.

I realize this isn’t a happy ending story but one in real time that has an uncertain but likely outcome. It is however a brutally honest one about an attractive lovely Thai girl that is caught up in a world of survival. On the other hand I also believe she possesses all the cunning and the tricks that enable her to survive in this environment. I have some connection with her and I don’t want to throw it all away simply because of what she currently does to play her trade. Instead I am purely enjoying the moments I have had with her.

I see nothing wrong with meeting others when in Thailand (and in Australia) in pursuing a romantic partnership. But in the meantime this arrangement suits me and I don’t expect her to change especially for me. It is only fair for me to see others as she does indeed she sees many others. What is good for the goose is good for the gander as I say.

Story Three A 20 Year Love Affair with Thailand From Australia to Bangkok

I will start this story in 2002. I was 22 years old and I had just finished university in the UK. I was keen to do a gap year and travel around Australia. Fortunately I have an exciting but slightly crazy uncle who lives (or lived) in an old log cabin near Denver in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. So on my way to Australia I visited him. The reason I mention this is the fact that many backpackers from the UK stop off in Southeast Asia on their way to Australia. However I chose not to do this as I love to visit my uncle and I honestly thought that this was a much better option for me at the time.

When I arrived in Australia I met up with some of my other friends from the UK and they told me about their time in Thailand. At this point I hadn’t really met any Thai people or even eaten Thai food so I didn’t have any aspirations to visit Thailand. I had heard and they did tell me about the bar girl scene and some of my friends I think had even stayed with a freelancer or two. This was all quite interesting but I still had little interest in visiting as I was quite a young man interested in chasing girls around the backpackers of Australia.

At the end of that year I headed back to the UK. I returned to Australia in 2006 for a second working holiday and again visited my uncle in Colorado. By this time I was 26 years old. When I arrived in Australia I settled in a town called Fremantle which is south of Perth. There was a really cool backpackers hostel called the Old Fire Station that in fact used to be a fire station that was now turned into a backpackers hostel. I initially stayed there bought a four wheel drive and spent a few months driving around Australia.

I then returned to Fremantle and I wanted to stay in the same backpackers hostel again. The problem was the backpackers hostel was fully booked so I had to stay at another backpackers hostel that I really didn’t like all that much. This backpackers hostel had a few weirdos a few lost souls a few Australians that were working that basically didn’t have anywhere to live and a few actual backpackers. It was a real odd bunch and it just wasn’t as much fun as the Old Fire Station. I continually went back week after week to see if there was room at the Old Fire Station but eventually I gave up.

In hindsight this was a good thing as I made many friends in the backpackers hostel that I was now in including a group of Thai girls who were also backpacking around Australia. I became very good friends with these girls and they trusted me enough to share a room with them in the backpackers hostel which meant that I paid very cheap rent.

Pang Explains Thailand

I will mention that one of the girls was named Pang. Pang told me all about Thailand and the beautiful girls there. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was very confident. I really liked the way she spoke very directly particularly about aerobics which was interesting. She had a really cool English boyfriend who used to hang around with us as well. She told me that as I was young I would not need to pay for the aerobics when I came to Thailand as there would be lots of girls that would want to be with me for free. When she said this I found it slightly shocking and quite complimentary. However I still did not have a huge desire to visit Thailand.

After a few months I decided to travel up to a town in the far northwest of Australia called Broome as my brother was living there and he had an apartment that he was renting that I could live in. When I got there I drove my four wheel drive up and took two of the Thai girls including Pang and another friend with me as they wanted to move up there as well as they were getting a bit bored with Fremantle. We all found jobs and eventually the Thai girls left and did their own thing and I found a full time job and ended up settling in Broome. I lived in Broome for several years.

After a few years I actually lost contact with these Thai girls which was a little bit sad as we were very close friends. Then suddenly out of the blue maybe after a couple of years Pang emailed me to tell me that she had contracted a disease and due to complications was now permanently and completely blind. I know what you’re thinking this sounds like a scam. However it was 100% true. Naturally I was devastated for her.

First Trip to Thailand

Some time passed and I decided to visit Thailand to visit Pang. I was also going to meet up with my parents there as they had never been to Thailand before. I also had an old school friend who lived on Ko Phangan who I was going to visit. When I arrived in Bangkok I had booked a hotel through a travel agent in Broome who had put me in a hotel called Bel Air Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 5.

When I arrived in Bangkok I expected I would not like it. This was because many of my backpacker friends had been critical of Thailand. I put this down to certain travelers only going to the tourist areas. I also put it down to my friends arriving from the UK the allure of the sun drenched beaches of Ko Phangan when arriving from the backdrop of the gray English towns and cities of our home. Many travelers from the UK don’t give Bangkok much of a chance. However I have always had a liking for busy cities particularly when they have a bit of grit and character about them.

I was immediately fascinated by Sukhumvit Road. The combination of the small stores tailor shops bars modern shopping centers and of course the occasional ladyboy all combining into this vibrant epicenter was a fascinating eye opener. The other thing to mention is if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed there are many quieter sois around Sukhumvit where you can find a charming little cafe or restaurant etc.

After arriving at the hotel I was slightly surprised when the receptionist told me that if I wanted to bring a ‘friend’ back to the hotel I would have to pay an extra 1000 Baht. I didn’t really understand what this meant. Did this mean if I went drinking with my male friends and one of my friends was to come back because he couldn’t find his hotel and he wanted to crash in my room I’d have to pay 1000 Baht? Or was it if I was to bring a girl back? It struck me as an odd thing to say. This was obviously me being very naive.

I met Pang which was strange after all these years especially now as I had to help her everywhere. I also met up with a couple of my other Thai friends from Australia one of whom had got an American boyfriend who I got along with really well. So there was a big gang of us.

Gullivers Bar

The first night we ended up going to Khao San Road. We ended up in a bar called Gulliver’s. I really liked this bar it had a good vibe and was a good size with a circular bar in the center. It had a small dance floor at the back but it had the type of vibe that you could just dance anywhere. It was also full of young people farang and Thai alike including a few young Thai girls who were sitting alone or in groups of two.

As the night ended my other friends had to leave as they were both working the next day and I was left in Gulliver’s with just Pang. Pang then told me that I should go and find some girls. I found this a bit strange as like many guys I’ve never been particularly good at talking to random girls in nightclubs or bars and I personally find it a bit daunting. But Pang had put me right on the spot. I think she was almost daring me. So I thought ‘I’ll give it a go.’

I thought what would honestly happen is I would walk around the bar and then just walk straight back to where I was sitting and say ‘Oh I couldn’t find anyone’ or make up some excuse to tell her. So I started my lap of the bar. As I was walking around a woman who looked maybe 10 or 15 years older than me caught my attention and beckoned me over to talk to her. For the sake of the story we’ll call her Knock.

To my surprise the first thing she said to me was ‘I’m too old for you. I have a friend who is a lot younger wait there and I’ll go and get her.’ I was very confused about what was perhaps going on. This all seemed a bit strange. I didn’t know this woman. Was she drunk? In any case within a few minutes out of the side door walks this incredibly beautiful younger Thai girl. She was honestly a 10 out of 10 and very slender. For the sake of this story we’ll call her Tuk.

I remember the first thing she did when she saw me jokingly stick her tongue out at me to get my attention and walk close towards me. She then proceeded to go straight to the bathroom from which she came out a few minutes later obviously having put on a full face of makeup not that she honestly needed to. I remember thinking ‘If I was to take this girl home it would honestly be the most beautiful girl I would ever have taken home in my life.’

The night was good. I stayed and had a few drinks with Knock and Tuk. I felt incredibly guilty as I’d left Pang sitting all alone on the other side of the bar whilst I was chatting to these girls. I went over to check on Pang and she told me to go back and enjoy myself. I think my old friend Pang was glad that the promise she made me when we had met a few years back in Fremantle about being able to pick up Thai girls had finally happened.

Pangs Hotel Phone Prank

We jumped around and I ended up getting a taxi with Pang and Tuk back to our hotel. Tuk stayed over at my hotel. We had a great session of aerobics. The following morning we walked out together and Tuk got a taxi home. After I got back to my hotel I was still feeling a bit worse for wear after all the beer and I got back into bed.

After about an hour the phone rang in my hotel room. It was a bit of a shock because I didn’t know anybody would ring me. I answered it only to hear a hysterical Thai girl on the other end frantically calling out my name and telling me ‘This is Tuk come downstairs! I need money now! Money now!’ I was suddenly very panicked. And then all of a sudden I heard this girl start to laugh and say ‘Only joking this is Pang.’ This was Pang pretending to be Tuk of course. Only Pang messing around which I found quite funny.

The Realization

The following night I met up with Knock and Tuk back at Gulliver’s. When I got there Knock was there but Tuk wasn’t. Knock then told me that Tuk was busy with another customer and she would be along later. It then dawned on me that these girls were in fact freelancers. It caused a slight panic in me as well as a bit of jealousy. I was thinking ‘Right now she could be doing aerobics with a completely different guy.’

My other concern was that I had not given Tuk any money and she hadn’t asked for any money from the night she had spent with me. What did this mean? Did this mean that she was going to send me a bill at the end of the week? Or did it mean that a bunch of heavy bouncer type blokes were going to come to my hotel at some point and demand money? However I needn’t have been worried as I realized what Pang had told me about not having to pay was true. But if you are young not bad looking in certain situations you will meet freelancers and will not have to pay. I’m not 100% sure why this is but I put this situation down to the fact that Tuk saw me as a potential boyfriend and didn’t want to classify me into the ‘customer’ type of bracket.

As I waited for Tuk another unexpected event took place. I couldn’t help but notice a gorgeous Thai girl on her own at the end of the bar and yes she was also a 10 out of 10. She was slightly curvier than Tuk and just so beautiful with this amazing free flowing black hair. Of course we locked eyes and she made a beeline for me flicking her hair standing right next to me and doing everything possible to get my attention. Naturally I just had to stand there and ignore her as I was waiting for Tuk. What a waste I was thinking. But I do remember thinking about how fantastic at the same time how ridiculous this situation was and how I was definitely coming back to this place in the future.

I also remembered how laborious it was trying to pick up girls in the UK and Australia compared to this. It was almost like I was one of those smoking hot girls in a nightclub in the UK and having guys pandering all over me except here the roles were reversed.

Tuk eventually turned up and the other girl disappeared down the other end of the bar. I was in Gulliver’s with Tuk for a couple of hours. I noticed a group of four or five young European male backpackers came in they had a certain ‘I just arrived in Thailand’ type look about them. The hot girl I mentioned earlier turned her attention to these guys flicking her hair dancing and doing everything to get their attention. However these guys were also completely ignoring her. I felt so sorry for this girl. Perhaps they didn’t have a lot of money I don’t know. What were the young guys thinking? Maybe they were thinking this was too good to be true and must be a scam or something.

I’m sure they were as confused as I was when I arrived and hadn’t figured out that in fact they had just arrived in a parallel universe.

Meeting a Freelancer

On a side note I visited Khao San Road about five years ago after this incident hoping to repeat the same success. My favorite bar Gulliver’s had now closed. I tried a few other bars but none of them seemed to have the same vibe as Gulliver’s so I went home depressed and empty handed. The other thing I noticed is I didn’t see single or small groups of girls hanging around the bars like I did before. I don’t know whether this is because all the freelancers no longer go to Khao San Road or that with the increase in the internet all these pretty girls find their dates online or maybe they all work in high end soapy massage parlors catering to wealthy Asians.

The Holiday Girlfriend

Tuk became my holiday girlfriend for the rest of the spare time I had while I was there. Another thing I found slightly strange was the fact that she kept telling me that she liked my blonde hair blue eyes and white skin. I initially thought this was strange it sounded like some sort of right wing ideology and slightly racist. However it quickly dawned on me that in fact not only was she exotic to me but I was also exotic to her. And it was the first time in my life that my natural features had given me such an unexpected advantage.

I met up with my friends and parents in Ko Phangan and then bounced back to Bangkok and spent a bit of time with Tuk before leaving. My overall holiday was fantastic and of course like many other people I fell in love with Thailand the food the friendliness of the locals and of course the girls. From this moment on Thailand became my number one holiday destination.

As I have friends already in Thailand every time I go I would meet them and they would introduce me to some of their friends who therefore became my friends. What this basically means is I’ve been to Thailand over 10 times and every time I go I always have a large group of people to meet up with. Very often it’s a case of as soon as I arrive back home I think about booking my next trip out there.

I very often think back to when I was in Australia and I was desperate to try and get into the Old Fire Station backpackers hostel. If this had happened I would never have met Pang and the other Thai girls. I’m sure I would have eventually ended up going to Thailand but if I hadn’t met up with Pang I would have never gone to Khao San Road that night and met Knock and Tuk or a whole bunch of other friends that have turned into lifelong friends.

Where Are They Now

I’m still in contact with all of these girls. Pang now lives in the north of Thailand and has a very nice boyfriend who lives in Europe. Tuk ended up marrying a Canadian man and moving to Canada and having a baby with him they split up about a year ago. I talked to her on the phone about six months ago and she told me she’s now a freelancer in Canada. I think the phrase ‘You can take the girl out of the bar but you can’t take the bar out of the girl’ is very much true in this case. Tuk continually asked me to pay for her aerobic sessions at some point in the future however that hasn’t transpired yet. It’s been over 10 years so it may be worth doing for old times’ sake.

Knock is still living in Bangkok however I do not think she still works as a freelancer and she’s now working in construction. I meet up with her every time I go back to Bangkok and I enjoy drinking beers in one of the Hillary bars.

Even though I have been to Thailand many times I have never really been into freelancers and I haven’t been to a single go go bar. This was mainly because I have either been in a relationship or just dated Thai girls when I came to Thailand or as I mentioned before I used to find it quite easy just picking up girls in bars.

On a side note I met some fantastic Thai girls through dating apps over the years. However it’s quite tiresome going out with these girls as these girls often work long hours in offices and are often tired when you meet them. It’s also quite hard to build up momentum spending time getting to know these girls if you’re only going to be in Thailand for a few weeks. I think if you are going to put the effort into dating these girls I would recommend coming for a minimum of one month or two.

I am recently single and I am now planning my trip back in April and I will for the first time experience the delights of go go bars and massage parlors as this is an itch I’ve been meaning to scratch for a while.