Three Thailand Love Stories About Travel and Relationships

I thought I would share a funny experience I had in Vietnam. It was September 2001 and I was 31 and single from Israel. In our group of friends there was an ex girlfriend of one of my friends. She was looking for a trip to Southeast Asia, and we decided to go to Vietnam since both of us had already been to Thailand. Our route was from Saigon to north, and we planned to fly back from Saigon (in brackets, Ho Chi Minh City).

My female friend could make friends anywhere, and we met many new people along the way. Everywhere we went, none of the locals could understand how we were traveling together without being romantically involved or married. To all the tourists, it seemed just as unusual. My friend got married not long after our Vietnam trip.

The tourist area in Saigon has bars with bar girls and freelancers. At first, I only noticed them and nothing more. When we reached Nha Trang, I saw a beautiful local girl in a restaurant and tried to talk to her. She didn’t know a single word of English, so the waitress translated for us and said the girl wanted to invite me for a beer and then see my hotel. After the beer, we went to my hotel with all of her friends they just wanted to see where I was staying, and then they left.

Using hand gestures, we agreed to meet the next day. I don’t remember her name. She came with her sister and signaled that she wanted to eat. We went to eat, and I paid. Afterwards, we walked around with her sister following us like a shadow. At some point, the girl and I started kissing while her sister kept monitoring us constantly. She kept pointing at her finger as though she wanted a ring, and I replied with “hotel and aerobics” that didn’t lead to anything.

Later, I told the guys we were hanging out with all about it, and one of them suggested I play along and promise her marriage and so on. However, I just saw a poor, hopeless girl, and with the recommendation of my female friend, I decided to end it. We met once at the restaurant, and we didn’t see each other again as we continued our trip.

I noticed that Hanoi had many more beautiful ladies, but no bar girls or scenes like Saigon. When we returned to Saigon, I saw the bar girl again. One night, we went to a bar and I noticed some working girls outside. I told my friend I would step out for a few minutes. I approached the girls and started talking to the one I liked best. We agreed on a price, and she led me to a nearby cheap hotel. She asked if I was pleased with her. I thought, “Wow, an honest working girl.” We had our aerobics, and afterwards I told her I wanted to get back to the bar. She said she was mine for the whole night, but I was already happy with what I had had. Not sure how I thought of it, but I told her my wife was waiting at the bar, so we left.

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The Saigon Working Girl’s Embarrassing Moment

When I returned to the bar, my friend asked where I had gone. Some of our friends had left, and she was alone. I told her everything, and she laughed. She wanted to see the girl, so we went outside. My friend suggested we hold hands like a married couple. When I saw the working girl, she was embarrassed and covered her face out of shame. What an innocent working girl! We didn’t approach her, and I was genuinely surprised by her reaction. We laughed about this story for many years afterwards. Now when I think about it, I hope I didn’t ruin any of her dreams to marry foreign men.

Story Two Finding Love in Jomtien A Hopeful Story of Mam

Let me tell you about my own story and my first experience of Thailand this year. My name is Steve and I’m 54 and from London. 2023 and early ’24 were tough times for me. I’d recently lost my mother my last close family member and finally, after 18 months of stress, I had sold the house and needed a good break. Life had been tough. Thailand had long been on my radar years in fact for a break, but I thought I’d never get there until this year.

Long story short, in April this year, I arrived near Jomtien. Now please bear in mind I never came here for love, romance, or anything like that. It was purely a stress reliever. Finally, I arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and my senses were tingling with excitement and adventure again. What would I find, see, or experience traveling on my own again?

After arriving at the Jomtien bus station (143 baht for the coach), finding my hotel, and checking in, I headed out for my first look at Thai bars, food, and whatever came my way.

The first beer bar I stopped at changed my life forever. One of the three women came up and asked what I wanted to drink. I looked up from my phone and saw a beautiful lady about my age smiling at me like summer. Within moments, ice cold beer was running down my throat. She introduced herself as Mam, and after buying her a beer, she ate with me. I explained it was my first time in Thailand and that I needed cheering up. She just knew there was something bothering me. The way she looked at me it felt like she looked into my soul and understood me. I felt a tingle inside.

There was something different about Mam. Her look was different. Her whole persona was different. She didn’t jump all over me, give me a sob story, or press me for drinks. It was entirely up to me when I wanted to talk or buy her a drink. She never ripped me off or tried anything on me.

Falling in Love with Mam in Jomtien

After about 3 to 4 days, during a quiet moment, she explained she had two kids, both grown up and settled, doing good jobs. This, by the way, turned out to be completely true.

After about 2 weeks, while sipping Samsom and Coke for bravery, I asked Mam if she could take me out for a few hours before she started work at 1:00 p.m. to show me around a bit more. She had a car too. I wasn’t sure how she would react, but her face lit up with delight, and she said yes.

The next day, we headed off. Day after day, she would pick me up, taking me here, there, and everywhere teaching me a little more Thai, showing me what to eat (things not on the menu), and of course showing me some sights. But she was also growing closer to me holding my hand a little more tightly every time, becoming more affectionate, and giving me a kiss near my lips. Her company extended to dropping me off at my hotel most nights, although I never asked her to stay. I really didn’t want to fall in love with Mam.

But on the last night before I returned to the UK, she stayed, and it finally happened. It was heaven.

After I returned to the UK, we stayed in touch regularly every day, in fact. After a few depressing months back home, I decided it was time to head back to Thailand to see Mam. Yes, I was falling in love with her, and I felt she had the same feelings for me.

Mam’s Care and Loyalty

As you can imagine, we had a wonderful time together this time for nearly 2 months. I want to point this out: I had taken her out of the service job she liked not bar fining her or anything like that but I completely understood that she still needed cash for expenses. So I asked her, and she calmly and methodically explained her finances the cost of living for a month. I gave her enough to last until I come back again not staggering amounts as some might think, but enough to help her out.

After trip number three yes, trip number three this year we were in love, would you believe it? Finally, I have met her beautiful mom, sister, brother, and all of the family. I’m learning more and more, meeting the village boss, his wife, and family a huge privilege. Sitting, eating, and drinking with these lovely people, even cooking for them (which I enjoy immensely).

Yes, we’ve had our arguments concerning money I’ve never seen 500 baht spent so quickly, for example. Only 500 baht, I hear you say. Sometimes I have to put my foot down at the ATM machine. Let’s be honest who doesn’t like being spoiled? But I know she is genuinely a woman I can trust. She buys my clothes, food, and phone credit, washes me, cuts my nails, and pampers me in a way I’ve never experienced.

During my last stay, I ended up in the hospital with a broken leg, and Mam looked after every last hair on my body. She was an angel to me, soothing me back to good health. I’ll be returning to Thailand soon to a lady who will surely one day be my wife.

What I can say is this: yes, she worked in service beer and food where men obviously tried it on with her. She’s beautiful for her age, but I know she stays true to me. She is fiercely loyal, and no truer word was spoken than this: when a Thai woman gives her love, she gives her everything. She can be a bit jealous now and then, as women are around the world, but why not? I’m a handsome man (just joking not really). I deal with it well. In fact, I’m quite flattered by it all. When it happens, I give her a big kiss in front of everyone and tell her I love my wife to be.