Dear Hillary,
We haven’t been here very long, and my husband’s work gives us an allowance for a maid. That’s something I had dreamed of having all my life, and now here it was. Unfortunately, it has been nothing like the fairy tale I thought it would be. More of a nightmare. She came recommended by another expat family, who said they were going to do without a maid, and so we could have her. The first week was wonderful as she cleaned and dusted, washed and ironed. The second week she slowed down a lot and by the third week, the unwashed clothes were starting to mount up, so much so that I had to take it to a local laundry. Now after three months, she just sits around and watches TV while holding a whisk broom. All the clothes go to the laundry. My husband says I have to deal with it as he is at work all day. I’ve started going out all day as well, as I feel like choking the woman. What is one supposed to do under these circumstances? I can’t grin and bear it any longer.
Desperate
Dear Desperate,
You were caught right from the start, weren’t you, Petal. Why would any foreign family get rid of a good maid? The only time good maids pass between families is when one family is leaving and the other is coming in to replace the other. Your group could not wait to get this maid to move on. So what do you do? You have to be strong, and if she is not working as she is supposed to, then you will have to dispense with her (non-existent) services. Dismissal! Your husband, who will be looked upon as the head of the household, by the maid, has to be involved too. You have one other choice – you can explain to her what you expect her to do (as she did in the first week) and say that if she cannot do this, then you will be forced to sack her. Give her two weeks to smarten up, and if she doesn’t, then give her a month’s salary and say goodbye to the money and the maid! This one is probably the best and saves face all round, an important factor to remember in Thailand.
