Dear Hillary,
I have a nice relationship with my Thai girlfriend, even though I only get to see her for about two times four weeks every year. We set up a condo together (it’s in my name) and she seems happy enough there, though I am a little worried by the amount she tells me she spends every month. She has a good job and should be able to live on what she earns, but every month she needs about another 40-50,000 baht to keep going. The money she tells me is for maintenance of the condo, then her mother who looks after her two kids up jungle needs money, then the phone bills seem astronomical, and on and on and on. I enjoy my times over there, but I am starting to think that maybe I’m getting ripped off somewhere down the line. Do you think I am?
Rip
Dear Rip (toff),
Look in the mirror. I think you will see tattooed on your forehead the letters S-U-C-K-E-R. You most certainly are getting ripped off. My suggestion is to put me in the condo and I’ll only charge you for an extra 30,000 baht each month. There’s a story about geese and golden eggs here. I think you’ve already reached that point. Correct?
