Title: 
Is the Water Buffalo Really Sick?

Word Count:
535

Summary:
If you are a single man and are planning a trip to Thailand, you may hear this lament from the girls you meet.  Don’t fall for it.  It is one of many scams the girls try to pull on unsuspecting men.


Keywords:
money, thailand, girls, lies, innocent, story, sweet innocent, pattaya


Article Body:
You have scrimped and saved all year long.  You have put in overtime hours so that you will have extra money for your holiday.  Don’t flush it all down the toilet falling for some sad sob story from an 18 year old farm girl.

I have never understood how uneducated or little educated lasses from Northeastern Thailand can pull the wool over seemingly intelligent men from America, Europe, Australia and the rest of the 1st world countries.

The girls may also claim that their mother is sick, their brother is in jail, their grandfather died, or their sister needs money for school.  Lies, lies, lies.  Don’t fall for the scam.  They can be so convincing and sound so sweet and innocent that we feel we have to help them. After all, we have discretionary money and they are so, so poor.  They play on your heartstrings and know that it works.  It may not work on every one of their contacts but they will find someone stupid who will send them money.

Most likely they won’t pull this until after you have left and gone home to your country.  They will call you or send you an email and initially test the waters.  If they find you lonely and missing your girl in Thailand, they will strike and try to get all they can.  Usually they start out small and increase the amounts as they go on.  This is similar to what legitimate charities do.

They will profess their love, promise to meet you and take care of you when you return, as long as you help them out with their problem.

You can try to fool yourself and say that this one is different.  You can convince yourself that she is sincere and that this really is an emergency and you will ride your white horse and come to her rescue.  She will laugh all the way to the bank.

Keep in mind that not only will she be playing you; she will have other sponsors that she is taking for all she can get too.  Some of the girls will juggle 5 or 6 relationships, receive monthly stipends, and coordinate visits that don’t overlap.  And do all this without a blackberry.

They are very convincing and know what buttons on the farang (foreigner) to push.  They share information at the bars, massage parlors, and beauty shops.  They know how to copy and paste sad sob stories to email to you.  They have someone to translate for them and help them write those money soliciting emails.

Don’t surrender to these little girls.  They may seem sweet and innocent but they can be ruthless and conniving.  It is kind of like the car salesman.  He has the advantage since he sells cars every day and you only buy a car once every five years.  The girls have the advantage over wide-eyed, drunk, “handsome me” in Thailand.  

As cynical as this sounds, there are some good ladies in Thailand – you just have to hunt for them and look in places besides bars and massage parlors.

Be safe and smart.  Use your big head to think and don’t fall for the sick buffalo story.