Thai Tales – by Mike Bell
Initially this collection of short stories examined the many sided relationships between young Thai ladies and older Western men. Many of the relationships are doomed from the start: ‘Remember Your First’ and ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’.
I looked too at the conditions in which many farangs live whilst in Thailand. For many it is in a walled and gated community where relationships can become strained in this confinement; ‘The Committee’ or ‘On Guard’.
Living in Pattaya for over five years many of the stories are set against this backdrop; ‘The Auction’ and ‘Room 101’. Some of the stories reflect the influx of visitors of many nationalities; the Russian ‘Vladimir and the jet-ski problem; the Indian tourists Rajiv and Rahul and the young backpackers who take incriminating photos in a Go-Go bar; the ‘Chocolate man’ who rescues a damsel in distress.
I started to take more of an interest in the local population. How does it feel for a Thai child to be abandoned by her father? ‘Looking For Papa’ explores this. How great a stigma does a Thai family experience when the daughter contracts AIDs? There is the often violent solution to business problems between Thais; ‘The Competitive Edge’. There is the brotherly love shown by a Thai boy when his retarded twin is threatened.
If you love living in Thailand and are fascinated, like me, by the native population or if you like your stories to have satisfying endings flavoured with revenge, this collection is for you.
Thai Tales
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