You Can Take The Girl Out Of Thailand But You Can't Take The Thai Out of The Girl

[bust]

Interest observation yesterday

There's a bar across the road from where I work which I occasionally drop in for a beer with a few colleagues from work. In Australia we have what's called a VIP Room which is just an inviting name for gambling. In most cases your basic Poker Machine or sometimes known as slot machines. Now in a lot of these establishments they are mostly staffed by very tidy Thai girls in Sydney. Probably around 60-70%.

So yesterday I arrived late when the others had left so instead of sitting on my own I decided to go in to the VIP and throw a $50 in while I enjoyed my beverage. As it's just a way of winding down for me I bet 30c or 50c spins. Not there to secure my retirement. Surprisingly there are lot of social issues in Sydney with these establishments and the money people lose. Serious gambling problems causing catastrophic personal costs with people losing job, properties even families. So when you win a big jackpot the machine resets. I looked over where this other guy was an the jackpot read $20,000.04. I casually said to him "looks like someone just had a big win" he replied yeah just over $24K on max bet spins. I congratulated him then he came and sat beside me and we started chatting. He bought me a beer and all was quiet pleasant. There are 2 particularly tidy girls who starting hanging around while he was waiting for his payment. Generally they only give you maximum $5K cash plus a cheque. So this one particular girl who definitely would be front of stage at any bar knows I speak a bit of Thai as I I have called Nong Khrup to her when she was to busy fussing over a potential tip than serving drinks. What happened next was like something straight out of Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy. She just went out of her way to get him away from me to sweeten him up for a big tip. It just so much reminded me of how the girls work a potential punter for a bar fine.

Finished my drink, had a little chuckle and left.

[Coss]

Didn't they used to use "Bar" for "Thai" ?

I jest of course, of course they did...

And a vaguely similar,  though sadder,  experience I've been observing recently ::

He, a chap here, high functioning Alcoholic, own business, plenty of money, wife from, shall we not get too delicate, the night, in Pattaya.

She, a heart of gold, almost no education, an example of this, is her lack of numeracy, fine with "One, two, three, many..."

Brought her daughter out from LOS for a better life. Daughter only knows one future, every time we see her, she asks the same question, "...where do I meet the rich men?"

He died recently, even as the hepatic encephalopathy, took hold, he had the foresight, to arrange with a trusted friend and  lawyer, that his wife and step daughter would be looked after and take ownership of the house, assets, cash etc. They knew all of this, as they had, had it explained to them, as they signed the papers.

Unfortunately the very limited view of the world, that comes from being educated, in the circumstances the wife found herself in,  as a young woman, was then evident to the friends and acquaintances she knew here.

A blind panic lasting from the moment, at her husband's hospital bed, when she realised he was gonna die, to some several weeks later.

Coursing through all the friends and acquaintances she knew, completely obsessed with, "Where's the money?",  it really did take weeks for this panic to die down and for her to accept that she is getting the lot, as explained by everyone, she pursued for same.

A most sad eventuation, but an eye opener for me and MLG, that someone, has so little awareness.