Dear Hillary,
What should I do about the maid coming on to me? If we pass in the corridor, she gives me a big smile and touches my arm, and holds my hand just a little too long for it to be a coincidence. When I am lying down in the bedroom some afternoons she will come in and insist that she brings me a coffee or cold water and stays too long talking to me. She is married to our driver, so they came as a package, so I haven’t said anything to my husband as he could fly off the handle and sack them both on the spot, and I don’t want that. How do I gently get the message across that I am not interested in her, and get her to just go about her maid duties without coming on to me?
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
You have to be a little careful here, or you may precipitate a major incident, which would also reflect badly on your husband and his work, as well as the driver. You do not say what your command of the Thai language is like, but unless it is very good, you really need a native Thai speaker to help you. Get your Thai friend to gently tell her that you are a very busy woman and you don’t have time to chat while she is working. Thank her and say she does a wonderful job of keeping the house clean, and your husband also says what a good job she has done. After that just be a little cool in your relationship with her and the problem will go away. Best of luck, Petal.
