A cartoon, created by the well-known ex-pat pictorial artist Mike J Baird, shows a recently returned English tourist (from Thailand) in London chatting to a lady of the night. He tells her that he wants to take care of her and her child, her family, buy her a house and so on. Who in their right mind would do this? But when it’s the foreigner and a young Thai bar girl, it seems OK? It is very easy to fall in lust, sorry, love with these young, beautiful creatures especially if your ex missus is over the hill. There is no way a 20 something nymph would entertain you back home for the night for a thousand baht, especially if you’re no oil painting and 50 plus! But in Pattaya the rules change and it’s all too easy to become the white knight on a mission to save the young wench and take care of her and her poverty stricken family. For some, it works out. For many it stops working when the money runs out, or when the new family house back in the village is finished and she moves in with her Thai husband and family. By then all is lost, including your life’s savings….so maybe looking for a long term relationship with a bar girl is not such a good idea, but if you like a bit of danger, good luck!

Where can you meet the right girl then, that isn’t interested in simply ripping you off or sending you on a one way fishing trip? Here are some of your options; Bars, A Go Go’s, Nightclubs, Online, Market, Shopping mall, Hotel and Restaurant. We have already looked at the first two! Nightclubs can be a good place to meet a lady, but be warned, many ladies found on Walking Street Nightclubs are free lancers, basically same rules apply with extra caution required as they have no boss you can go talk to if your wallet and iPad disappear one night…

Online dating can be a good choice for short or long term relationships. It’s best to do your homework first and use sites with a good reputation and feedback. Again, exercise caution too, it’s always a bit of a gamble!

So what about chatting up a nice lady at the market or shopping mall? This can work for sure, if you express an interest in shoes and handbags, you may well be on a winning streak, or she might think you are gay. It’ll get a smile at any rate. The only danger here is that you might be talking to a bar girl on her day off.

Hotels and restaurants, hair dressing salons, shoe shops etc are all places where you could meet a nice lady. Most of the girls who work a normal 9 to 5 have not worked in the bars previously. If you find a shy one this is normally a good sign, unless it’s part of the act! Try to find out if she comes from Pattaya or simply works here and why, but maybe not on the first date. It is recommended for a long term relationship to find a Thai lady who understands good, honest work and knows how to take care of herself and has a bit of self-respect. This is in drastic contrast to the tattooed drunk bar girl that is aiming to get as many sponsors as possible before her buy by date expires. These are the 2 ends of the spectrum of choice, which could alternatively be referred as the short time – long time scale!