chuckwoww Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 Thai beauty ties knot with ?broke? millionaire Published on Feb 24, 2004 , Guy Sharett, The Nation. When a millionaire has to borrow money from a complete stranger, marriage is definitely the next step. Well, that?s probably not true every time it happens, but it certainly proved so for former Chiang Mai beauty queen Nur Tanyalak, and a very rich man from Israel. Like Thailand?s most famous beauty queen, Pornthip ?Pui? Nakhirunkanok, who married millionaire American Herb Simon last year, Nur ended up doing the same, though she had no idea of her betrothed?s wealth when she did so. Love blossomed between Nur and Jawdat Ibrahim after they met by accident in Bangkok, where he was on a shopping spree for family and friends after having won an American lottery and pocketing US$22.7 million (Bt880 million). According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Ibrahim didn?t have enough in his wallet to cover his purchases, so he asked a complete stranger, Nur, if she could lend him a little until he could get to a bank. And that?s where it all began for the couple. Ibrahim, 38, is a famous figure in Israel. In 1992 he was working in the United States as a truck driver when he struck gold in a lottery. Today, he owns two restaurants and invested in property in his village, Abu Ghosh, near Jerusalem. He has also set up an educational foundation to help local youth and underprivileged villagers. According to the newspaper, Ibrahim was on the first day of a shopping spree in a Bangkok department store when he found he didn?t have enough local currency. ?Without hesitating I asked the pretty lady next to me whether I could borrow some money off her. She gave me some. I had the nerve to ask for a bit more. Later on I changed some money, paid her back and we started talking,? Ibrahim said. Nur, who like her husband, is Muslim as, told the newspaper her side of the story: ?I saw a foreigner buying lots of presents for his family. I was impressed by the fact he bought so many presents for his family and was sure he was married. Then he saw he didn?t have enough money so I gave him some. Later he said he wasn?t married and that he bought the presents for his nephews.? After a few weeks of a romance in Bangkok, Ibrahim left for Israel. ?I was sure he wouldn?t call,? said Nur, who studied business and then worked as a model in Bangkok. But in fact he called her every day. ?There was something about her I could not forget,? Ibrahim said. ?My friends were not very happy about the whole thing,? she said. ?They said Israel was a dangerous place, and when they heard he was an Arab it didn?t really help,? Nur said. When asked what made her go on, she replied: ?It?s hard to explain, I just felt we had known each other for 20 years.? Ibrahim said he felt the same thing. Ibrahim eventually returned to Thailand and the two were married. Then they moved to Israel where they married again, this time in a Muslim ceremony. Only then did Nur discover her husband was a millionaire. ?I wanted her to marry me for my heart, not because of my money,? he said. ?She took a huge chance when she came with me to a country she knew nothing about. That?s real love.? Nur said she suspected he was famous when she saw lots of people knew her husband, but only when she got to his home in Israel and saw a framed newspaper story about him, did she understand the situation. Today, they live with their one-year-old son Jasem in the predominantly Muslim village of Abu Ghosh. ?At first when I got here I thought I?d have to cover my head, but then I saw they were very open,? Nur said. ?We do look different and people in the village stare at us when we?re walking together, but they are getting used to the idea,? Ibrahim said. The couple say their son will learn Arabic, Hebrew and Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbaron Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Nice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Yes...there really are Thai girls out there, who want to marry for love, and not money. Good to see shown. Although >>>I was impressed by the fact he bought so many presents for his family<<< does not bode well for her complete innocence. :: HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgianBoy Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 The couple say their son will learn Arabic, Hebrew and Thai. Chuck, Nice story indeed..... But the kid better learn some English as well Cheers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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