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Coming to Pattaya? Welcome to the War Zone...
Not that you will notice as you arrive in Sodom-by-the-sea, life continues on as per normal. However to the locals we all must have BIG MONEY. And to get some of your money there are many here who will do whatever they have to.
We may argue that we aren't wealthy tourists but compared to the impoverished state of so many here, we would appear to be as rich as Croesus.
And we are virtually the sole source of income for the girls in the bars, income that they will fight for. Remember that when you have every girl in Pattaya wanting a piece of you. Their tactics range from being as charming as they can to straight out theft.
The girls still want to lay a claim on you once they have your attention, or worse, once you have agreed to buy them a drink. But now they can become quite unhinged if they think they are going to miss out some payment. This can vary from them demanding a tip to outright threats made against your life.
I hasten to add that they don't all behave so badly, & their attitude varies from customer to customer. But they are masters at detecting weakness & they know just who will buckle under psychological pressure. And some of them are now getting real nasty, it was only a matter of time before they cracked.
If you are the type who feels uncomfortable when asked straight out for a tip, if you lack the resolve to say no & can't wave away an annoying girl or refuse the multiple requests for a drink, then you want to rethink your strategy. Because your holiday will get messy & expensive.
If your mistakes only cost you money then you can learn from it & move on. However, it is the all-too frequent attacks on farangs by hungry Thais who are at their wits end that I am worried about.
Stop inadvertently leading the girls on, you think you are being nice, what you are really doing is allowing massive resentment to build.
Stop being a pushover for drinks, choose which girls you want to buy a drink for, stay in control of your bin, make your intentions clear, explain that you are a butterfly on holiday. The rage that comes from switching girls in a bar is all so unnecessary if it is handled right.
Don't react to threats, they are often delivered to gauge your fear level. Once they see they have scared you, they move in for the kill.
But don't be a completely miserable tight-ass. Spread the wealth to the level you can afford. A Jaidee (good hearted man) does more than buy a drink, he buys his own protection. Sitting by yourself refusing any request for a drink or company very quickly gets you a bad reputation. And if things go wrong, no Thai will speak up for you.
You think you are coming to Pattaya for a nice holiday. To us, you are, but to the girls we are the prize to be fought over & to them, it is war.
Not that you will notice as you arrive in Sodom-by-the-sea, life continues on as per normal. However to the locals we all must have BIG MONEY. And to get some of your money there are many here who will do whatever they have to.
We may argue that we aren't wealthy tourists but compared to the impoverished state of so many here, we would appear to be as rich as Croesus.
And we are virtually the sole source of income for the girls in the bars, income that they will fight for. Remember that when you have every girl in Pattaya wanting a piece of you. Their tactics range from being as charming as they can to straight out theft.
The girls still want to lay a claim on you once they have your attention, or worse, once you have agreed to buy them a drink. But now they can become quite unhinged if they think they are going to miss out some payment. This can vary from them demanding a tip to outright threats made against your life.
I hasten to add that they don't all behave so badly, & their attitude varies from customer to customer. But they are masters at detecting weakness & they know just who will buckle under psychological pressure. And some of them are now getting real nasty, it was only a matter of time before they cracked.
If you are the type who feels uncomfortable when asked straight out for a tip, if you lack the resolve to say no & can't wave away an annoying girl or refuse the multiple requests for a drink, then you want to rethink your strategy. Because your holiday will get messy & expensive.
If your mistakes only cost you money then you can learn from it & move on. However, it is the all-too frequent attacks on farangs by hungry Thais who are at their wits end that I am worried about.
Stop inadvertently leading the girls on, you think you are being nice, what you are really doing is allowing massive resentment to build.
Stop being a pushover for drinks, choose which girls you want to buy a drink for, stay in control of your bin, make your intentions clear, explain that you are a butterfly on holiday. The rage that comes from switching girls in a bar is all so unnecessary if it is handled right.
Don't react to threats, they are often delivered to gauge your fear level. Once they see they have scared you, they move in for the kill.
But don't be a completely miserable tight-ass. Spread the wealth to the level you can afford. A Jaidee (good hearted man) does more than buy a drink, he buys his own protection. Sitting by yourself refusing any request for a drink or company very quickly gets you a bad reputation. And if things go wrong, no Thai will speak up for you.
You think you are coming to Pattaya for a nice holiday. To us, you are, but to the girls we are the prize to be fought over & to them, it is war.
Great thread and wise words here...
BTW, any Thai person who says "why you lie?" has been taught that by a stoopid westerner.
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