Fool A
in Paradise
In Thailand, the antics of some foreign men in their liaison with Thai girls brings tears of laughter to my eyes. Most interactions merely result in the farang losing a little money and a little pride. Other bouts result in the loss of a substantial amount of money but, in most cases, this is not terminal. Sometimes, however, the foreign male unwittingly becomes the pawn in a much more dangerous game. Andy is a soldier, a British soldier, and as such is trained to handle dangerous situations. The trouble is, how do you handle danger when it comes in such a beautiful package? He was stationed in Brunei which meant he had little trouble getting to Thailand each time he had time off. As a single male, he found the delights of Pattaya a welcome break from his stressful life in the army. He was yet to discover there is a price to pay for the easy life and although some men get away with it for a while, even years, eventually it will be time to pay the piper. One fateful night in Walking Street, Andy met Lek, a 21-year-old Go Go dancer from Udon Thani, putting an end to his carefree wandering days. Over the next twelve months, he managed eight trips to Thailand and stayed with Lek on each occasion. Andy admitted having a great time with Lek and never having cause to suspect something going on behind the scenes. For this reason, when the ‘M word’ came up in conversation, he could see no reason not to take the plunge into marriage. In fact, being a married man in the British army attracted some extra benefits. On a subsequent trip to her village, Mama mentioned a ‘bride fee’ of only 10,000 baht and Andy handed over the loot. The ceremony took place on his next trip to the village. Andy paid for the ceremony, the party, gifts – everything – and it was a joyous day for all concerned. Unfortunately, Andy was now stationed back in the UK and had to fly home a few days later. While in the UK, he went through the process of trying to obtain a visa for Lek to come and visit him.
38
Pattaya
Grapevine
where East meets West
y r o t S s ’ y And
On his first try, the visa application was rejected. He decided on a different tack and found an agent in Thailand who said he could get the visa for 25,000 baht. He sent the money and all the documentation required to Lek. Andy flew back to Pattaya and asked Lek how her visa application went. She said she did not apply because, when the time came, she had no money left. “What about the 25,000 baht I sent you?” She said she had been sick and the money was needed to pay hospital bills. Andy did not believe that for a second but there was nothing he could do about it. This was, however, the first time he sensed that all was not well in the relationship. He returned to the UK and came back to Pattaya in December. New Year’s Eve came but Lek said she could not spend it with him because she had to visit her Aunty. She did not return to the room until 5:00am. That was the last straw for Andy. He knew she was lying about where she had been and he was sick of being treated like an idiot. That evening in their room, he confronted her and an argument ensued. She began to cry which, at this late stage, had no effect on him. The following day they had planned to drive up to her village but Lek cried that she did not want to go. Andy argued that they would go because he had already paid for a rental car to be picked up early in the morning. Lek insisted they not go. Then she dropped the bombshell. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Lek’s confession left him stunned. She said that a plan was