This a typical fire boat.  We see these on the Mekong river once a year in October for the Fire Boat Festival (Li Leo Fi).  I will be making a column later this year with a story about the festival.   This picture is large enough to use for a background on your computer screen if you like the photo.  I believe this boat is about 20 meters in height and 100 meter longs.   Some are nearly 50 meters tall.  Each of the lights are small lanterns burning normal lighter fluid type fuel.

Perhaps Our Stock is Down?

I wasn't planning to release an article this week but the readership sent me a message.    They sent me a message of the sort -- "Oh shit, look at this terrible Stickman article -- The Galt is going to tear into him with this topic".   Do you know how I detect this?   I will see an bump up in people visiting my web site on Sunday.  Here is a picture of what this looks like.   The tall peek in this chart is my readership on Thursday but see the second highest "hump" three days later?  That is Sunday when Stickman's article on "Their Stock is Up - And They Know It".   I had 293 readers come by on Sunday.   That is a little out of the ordinary as everyone knows I don't publish on Sunday.

Stickman really released an interesting social commentary this week.   The face of the article was all about why men are not going to be getting the most beautiful Thai women so easily anymore.   He wrote about the history of the Thai woman and their changes over time.  He suggests that the western male suitor will begin to have a more difficult time in meeting the previously known, passive submissive pretty Thai woman.

Thai Woman Should Not Develop?

What is Stickman actually saying here?  What is his true social comment?

Are we to feel bad about the changes in the Thai female's development?   Are we to consider the Thai female less valuable now that fat, lazy, ugly men with rotten teeth are going to have more trouble coming over here to Thailand and hooking up with and taking back with them a "stunner"?

Is Stickman saying the wife hunting crowd should look elsewhere for young willing (and perhaps desperate) females?

What kind of statement is this?  What are we telling the citizens of Thailand about ourselves as foreigners?

Stickman also goes further making a comment about the "Golden age of the Internet" being gone.  What's he talking about here?  

I have been reading his writing and following along, and I think I know what he is saying.   He is saying that getting a quick lay and a new sex friend off the Internet is becoming more challenging.  It's no longer like spearing fish in a barrel.   Should we lament that girls are not so easily dropping their drawers for casual encounters from the Internet?   This type of commenting sounds like we are all scoundrels and guys of low class.  It also infers that woman had previously been putting themselves at some risk.

The Easy Marriage Recipe?

Add in one young attractive Thai girl with low self-esteem and small education, mix liberally with green cash.  Fold the mixture over with a Visa and plane ticket to America or Europe and Viola!   Instant never ending happy marriage?

My personal thoughts:

First, if you're coming here to marry and find a life partner, then let's take a sober look at the reality.  Marriage is a crap shoot in any country.   You can come here and find someone who really wants to leave Thailand and travel to the US and will go with most any male who has a pulse and is breathing with enough money to afford the Visa fees and plane ticket.  But, when you get back to the US, do you really think the relationship is going to succeed?  In years past you may have been able to find a girl who will give up her own dreams to support her family for the longer term.  You might consider her giving up her personal needs as a success for the marriage.

However, I would submit to you that there are now as many failures are there are success stories.   I have met a number of girls here who had previously taken a foreign husband and now are back in the land of smiles after having a lousy time of it in farangland married to a foreigner.   These girls are back with no regrets.   None.  They seem to be pretty well balanced having left a life that was unhappy.

Are we suggesting that the Thai female is moving in the wrong direction just because she is asking for more from her partner?

Just to be fair, I think it's also important to note that Thai females are more frequently leaving Thai husbands as well.

From what I can tell, the Thai community is not looking down the female for leaving a marriage if the female claims the husband was not doing his part in the marriage.   If he was cheating - female will frequently leave the marriage and the community doesn't disparage her for it.    Divorce is semi-common.   There are still some unhappy women who will stay in the marriage for the children and the support of the husband.   I'm sure that situation still exists, but Thai females are frequently now looking out for themselves.   I think this is a good trend.   I personally believe a girl or guy for that matter should have a health self respect for themselves.   It believe that a girl needs to feel confident about themselves if they are to be successful in a partnership.

You may disagree with this....  You may feel that your success in marriage depends on the female having not other choice but to keep her mouth shut and go along for the ride whether she is truly happy with it or not.

Commercial for Thai Professional Introductions?

Did one of Stickman's sponsors pay for this entire topic -- or just write the article entirely?   Stick writes that Lawrence of TPI gave him at least some of this information.   So, is this week's article just a plug for TPI?

By the time girl gets to an introduction service, it would be more likely that she has had a number of failures to accomplish her goals locally.  So, its quite possible that many of the best girls which men may actually really want to meet are not involved with the introduction sites at all.    Now, I'm making a generalization here.    I base this on the fact that I'm in a smaller city and I don't look on-line for my girls and I haven't been connected with an introduction service.  I seem to have week-to-week as much interaction with females as I need to be happy.   I seem to have an opportunity brewing almost all the time.  I don't hook up with and sleep with all the girls who are looking at me, but certainly at times I am involved with them at some level.    Sometimes I have a steady girl, and sometimes I have girls come by and sleep over for occasional sex and sometimes I have girls who come by and sleep over and we don't sex at all.   Or I have girls that I take to dinner, or girls that I flirt with in the market.  There many variations of relationships that I have with local girl.

Let me give you an example:  Here is girl who works at a local restaurant.  She sits behind the counter everyday for about 12 hours and collects the money and organizes the orders.   I have known her for about 3 or 4 years.   She is the sweetest girl you will ever meet.   She has a very gentle personality.   She is generally very happy.   She has a terrific figure and the most sexy frame.   Physically, her weakness is her complexion.   She battles acne.   And she never wears any makeup.   Overall, this girl would make a great wife.    To me, she is just a friend.  I flirt with her a little bit.   In fact, this picture is the first time that I have actually touched her and think we was a bit startled by it.   I talk to her a little bit on occasion.  She is about 28 and she would like to be involved in a relationship but doesn't do so right now because she has to work between the hours of 6pm and 6:30am the next morning at this late night restaurant.  I feel sad for her because she doesn't get to enjoy much time off and it would be very hard for her to have a meaningful relationship because she sleeps between the hours of 7am and 6pm everyday.   That schedule would be difficult to match up to most guys around town.  This just how her life works for now.

But, this is a great girl.   She is really a terrific person.  This is exactly the type of person you can meet from day to day in any normal city in the country of Thailand.  They are all over.   If you are here, you will come across their paths.   I think learning about these girls in their normal environment is really the soundest approach to meeting Thailand females.   And there many who are just going about their daily routines thinking that they may not really bump into foreigners -- so when they do, they are quite excited to get to know you.   It's very easy.

Are you ready for the real story people?

The REAL Truth is .... OUR Stock is Solidly Down...

We as foreigners and guests in this country should turn a bit of attention to ourselves and increase our own value if we are unhappy with opportunities here for a partner and marriage.

Why not?   Are we all just lazy?  Are we all just the lower end of the farang population?   Are we just the whore-mongering, beer belching, balding, rotten teeth, cheap-ass (Kee Neeow), Thailand squatters who are here because we can't make a very good go of it back in our home countries?

I'll be the first to tell you that I'm balding and I'm cheap.   But, I'll be the first to tell you that it's much easier for me to run and build a company here than back in the US.   I'll be the first to tell you I really enjoy my "ample rich" (little Taksin humor) opportunities with the Thai females.

But I'll also say that I don't rely on my white skin just to appeal to females and fit into Thai society.  I work hard to improving myself when I can.   I'm out in the community making a positive contribution when possible.   I look for ways to live a better life and avoid smoking and heavy drinking.  I look for ways to make my life happier and healthier.

If you are here or you are approaching retirement (perhaps early retirement), Thailand can be a great place to take the time you need to invest in yourself and increase your "Stock" value.  

And I'll tell you - if your busy building up your value, you're going very easily match up to a very beautiful and probably well educated female here.   Or, you'll have the freedom to play the field (which is a perfectly acceptable thing to do if you are honest with the girls).

Even if you currently over-weight, and have physical ailments you can make efforts to improve yourself.  And why not?  What else do you have on your pressing schedule here in Thailand? (assuming you are here)

The harsh reality is that we, as foreigners as a whole are becoming an embarrassment to Thailand.   Thailand has been tightening the screws.   Why do you think they are doing this?  Thailand is normally the land of "Up to You" but it doesn't look that way right now.  Why do you think this is the case?

I'll tell you why, because there are way too many low life farangs here stinking up the place and causing trouble.  They are grossly unappreciative, impolite and over-bearing.   They are full of disrespectful attitude and they talk about Thais in a condescending way.   The Thais aren't stupid.  They know exactly what they are doing and they are making a statement.

They are saying to the foreigners -  shape up or ship out.   They are raising the bar on your requirements to stay in the kingdom. 

Not 100% of this has to do with farang attitude, some of this is based on economics.    Thailand is a country that is not entirely free.  They are protectionistic.  This is not secret.  They want the "top" farangs here - not the "bottom" farangs here.  So, if your stock is drooping financially, then Thailand is asking you to stop your perpetual residency.

If you want to stay - you'll need to find a way to boost your value to the community.  

Funny thing about this is --- if you boost up your value then you'll also appeal to the females more... funny how that works.

Red Flag Alert

Here is a posting on StickmanBangkok.com for donations to help out a girl in need.  I think we all saw the news account of the girl who was maimed by police.   I don't know what precipitated that incident.  What we are told on the news doesn't make any sense to me.   It didn't "wash" with what would be a full and complete story.  I believe something wasn't being told about why this maiming happened.   It's is a terrible event to be sure and there is no excuse for hurting people like this.   I'm certainly not trying to justify the men's action.

About the request for donations; in good conscience I have to warn you appeals for money like this one can be a grifter looking to steal from you.  If Stickman hasn't exercised any checking on this request for cash then he is not being responsible in posting this request for donations.   In the west, people are put in jail for falsely requesting donations and pocketing the money.  Here in Thailand thieves who are taking advantage of people with false claims are rarely put in jail.   The correct advise is don't give money to anyone you don't know.  

If Stickman is willing to put his neck out on the line and boldly claim that he has personally verified the parties who are receiving the money are legitimate, then I would say there is a better chance this is a reasonable avenue in which to help someone in need.   If he won't verify the claim, then he posting is close to totally irresponsible.

Sorry, but this is how things work here and not telling you directly about possible false claims is an irresponsible omission by Stickman.   I sometimes wonder if he is trying to relax your guard so that you'll feel more prone to sending money to people in Thailand.  The rule of the road is -- don't do it unless you personally know them - and even so, verify the money is going to the use you have intended.

On one last note - I have to tell you -- that Stickman could always be taking a cut of this action.  I would hope that he is not sinking to this level, but it wouldn't surprise me.   Be careful out there.

Miss Udon is Busted...

In Stickman's column this week, "Miss Udon" called Udon Thani a small province.   That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Any person from Issan would view Udon as one of the larger provinces.  Now, there may be some technical arguments about the actual land borders that may qualify the land space as large or small, but she was taking about the city in general.  And the truth is that Udon Thani is quite large.   No woman of Issan would get that wrong.  None.

In fact Udon Thani boasts the largest number of Thai/farang marriages per capita than in any other city inside the country.   I have been there myself.  I have see their shopping mall and the surrounding areas.  The place is big.

Korat is larger (I have not been there) -- the largest of all cities here in Issan.   Korat is consider the gateway to Issan.   Khon Khen and Udon Thani compete for second place between themselves.

I, The Great Galt, live in a small city of Nakhon Phanom.   We are smaller than neighboring Mukdahan and Sakhon Nakhon.   We have a small airport but we don't have a shopping mall.   Also noticeably missing are western places like McDonalds, and KFC.   Udon Thai has all of those places and more.

Incidentally, if you look on a map, you'll actually see that the physical land mass of Bangkok is fairly small, but it's metropolis is enormous.

Anyhow, these are just some interesting facts.

The Wrap Up...

I'm going to tell you flat out that there are always going to be girls -- very attractive girls -- who through a lack of education and experience have low self esteem problems.   Those girls will always be available for the lowly foreign man.  I know of several very attractive girls who fit this profile.  One of these girls that I know, I like personally, but she won't consider me because I'm too up-scale for her comfort level.  She feels very uneasy about my high standing, education, and perhaps my athletic prowess (for my age).   I can tell you for a fact she would likely be more comfortable with an older, over-weight, slothful, older man with basic cash to take care of the family.   And this girl is very very attractive with what I consider a near perfect body.    So, these girls are here and as long as the country is depressed and troubled for education, and the people are restricted from travel abroad, etc, I think these girls will be available.

However, if you're looking for good marriage, you might do better with a girl who has a little more education and self-esteem and is going somewhere with her life.

But people, let's take a clean hard look at reality.   If you want a better result for your own life, look squarely in the mirror and focus on improving that person.   Because putting the blame on the Thai girls for "going somewhere" with their life is a poor excuse for you having trouble swinging into Thailand and snagging a wife.   Hen Duwoi Mai?   (Do you see it the same way)

Thanks for stopping by,

John Galt