Surprising To Me at Least

[firecat69]

http://world.time.com/2013/09/13/hangover-from-hell-hundreds-of-westerners-living-on-the-streets-of-thailand/

[TotallyOz]

The title: Hangover from Hell: Hundreds of Westerners Living on the Streets of Thailand

 

Left penniless by Thai girlfriends, or wrestling with drinking or substance abuse problems, many have nowhere else to go

 

 

It was surprising to me as well.

[Rogie]

Good article.

 

Whilst the plight of Burmese refugees and hill-tribe girls and boys (two examples mentioned in the article) is a recognised problem, as the article says although relatively few in absolute terms - 200 or so, compared with 30,000 Thais and unknown numbers of Lao, Burmese and Cambodians - foreigners sleeping rough serve as a jolt to the system for ordinary Thai people, unused to seeing foreigners who've hit rock bottom.

 

I recall reading the odd post on the gay Thailand forums where a guy's Thai boyfriend has turned out a bad apple, perhaps the falung had invested money in a business with his Thai bf set up to run it. Maybe it was a bar, that's one of the most common, but whatever it might have been, the enterprise is ruined by dishonesty, laziness, or maybe just simple misunderstanding. Of course, some falung are hardly paragons of virtue themselves, but I'd like to stick to cases where it's the Thai person who messes up. There have also been cases of falung being strung along by reckless boyfriends just riding the gravy train for all it's worth. Throw a large gambling debt into the melting pot and you have a highly combustible situation. 

 

Many foreigners end up marrying Thai women, and of course there are many more heterosexual relationships then gay ones. As the article says, once the falung's wife has it all sown up - house in her name, etc - that's the point at which the genuine loving wife parts company from her conniving deceitful compatriot. One common problem is when the falung, under his wife's urging or perhaps out of ignorance, builds a house in her village or in the local vicinity. That's really raising the stakes as if things turn sour he has his wife's relatives to contend with. I've read of instances where the wife has died and her foreign husband driven off the land by greedy relatives. 

 

There will always be a plenty of foreign men coming to Thailand and falling for one of its girls or young men, but how do you stop it turning sour on you, or not getting out before it's too late? Forget about the wet behind the ears crowd who land in LoS borne along on a wave of euphoria but without a clue about what makes the country tick. That leaves us with the savvy know-alls. Trouble is, you might be a know-it-all in your home country, you might have the T-shirt even, but that counts for nothing in Thailand. Some of you will remember Brains, the master scientist in the Thunderbirds puppet series, poor chap, he probably never had much luck under the sheets, so unlikely he'd throw away his heart on an empty whim. And that's the problem with many foreign men - slowly but surely, behind all those testosterone-fuelled nights of passion, the old brain box atrophies away. 

 

If gay marriage becomes legal in Thailand, I don't think us guys have too much to worry about. It's true the person you might decide to marry is Thai, with all that entails, but what it boils down to is . . . he's a man. He's a man, not a woman.

 

[vinapu]

Wise words at end of article from firecat's link - at least Westernes can be counted and have their embassies they can turn to but what about plight of Thai own homeless.

 

I'm not that surprised, reason is the same you see homeless on the streets of New York, Toronto, London or Paris. Only shock factor is that we are perceived as affluent in Thailand but if in trouble families and friends are too far away to help or even just to check . And if wasted by substance abuse or  farangs do not even get to idea that embassy may help.

 

In May of 2009 I saw disheveled farang camping few days in Silom soi 9, one where Niagara hotel is. In 2001 Australian was seen as begging on street in Phnom Penh of all places, brought him some food for reward of verbal abuse. So no, I'm not that surprised.

[williewillie]

Heard a true story just last night.

An elderly farangs bf died from an incurable

disease. When the farang returned to their

house, the locks were changed and the boy's

family had taken possession and denied the

farang entrance. He was homeless and still grieving

the death of his bf. The house was in the bfs name.

[vinapu]

This was Australian' s  from Phnom Penh I just mentioned above story minus death. Girlfriend  milked him dry out of money and threw him out with her family help. Or at least this is what I was told by him.  But he did not make good impression on me so not necessarily was her fault, God only knows

[TotallyOz]

Heard a true story just last night.

An elderly farangs bf died from an incurable

disease. When the farang returned to their

house, the locks were changed and the boy's

family had taken possession and denied the

farang entrance. He was homeless and still grieving

the death of his bf. The house was in the bfs name.

 

 

I am sorry to hear this but who on earth puts their home in someone's name without a lease? That is just insane.

 

I see this here all the time.  A farang falls in love with someone he is providing support financially and he feels they love him just as much and he puts house or condo in the name of the BF. 

 

I am sorry, but I just don't get it.  How intelligent people can do such stupid things is beyond me. If you want to give the BF a house, fine. That is great.  But, if you have the need for the home as well, then other details have to be worked out.

[williewillie]

I agree it is foolish but fools

fall in love and do stupid

things. I was wild about first

Thai bf and he never stopped telling

me that renting was bad and I should

buy. He did end up with gold and

motorbike plus more but no house.

Many farangs throw reason out the window

and believe their teenage bf loves

their ancient wrinkled carcass as much

as they love the teenager. It's an old story.

[TotallyOz]

Yes, I agree and just as stupid IMHO is a guy that doesn't take care of his boy after his death.  We have also heard that story over and over and I had one good friend who died and was worth millions with his porn empire and his lover had been with him for years.  But, he didn't have a will and thus everything went to his family and being Baptist, they didn't want anything to do with the business (after they squeezed as much money as they could out of it) and they let it fold.

 

I also know of others do were with their lover for years and did not take care of them. 

 

Both instances are crazy IMHO. 

 

Intelligent people do some stupid things when love or sex is concerned.  I have done some stupid things as well so I count myself as one of them. But, I would never just put my life security in anyone else's hands that I didn't know from the time I was born (family).   Your friend did that and while we can all feel bad for him, I have to say it is a shame that people do these things.  Often times, they know better.  They advise others not to do the same as them as their "boy" is special.