39-year-old German becomes latest “flying farang”: Beware ladyboys offering you a drink

Yesterday I wrote here about the local phenomenon of “flying farang” – Western men, often married to much younger Thai women, who suddenly jump (or are pushed by their Thai wives, family and friends) to their deaths from tall buildings. Most readers probably thought I was exaggerating. But glancing through the local newspaper last night, I noticed there had been another “flying farang” death. A 39-year-old German had taken the fastest way down from the 56th floor – not the lift.

Of course, there wasn’t enough of him left to find out if he committed suicide or was helped on his way. He may have really come to Thailand to kill himself. But let’s test a few hypotheses. He was from Germany – still one of the world’s most successful economies – so he probably had a reasonable job and no financial problems. Even if he looked like the back end of a buffalo and smelt as bad, he could have unlimited sex with stunningly beautiful Thai girls (boys or ladyboys). So why would he kill himself? Naturally, the police verdict is suicide. I’ve no statistics, but reckon there must be at least one “flying farang” a week – maybe 50 or more a year. That’s quite a lot of people mysteriously topping themselves.

I’d like to do a more serious blog today about politics and economics and life and democracy and freedom etc. But I’m in an Internet cafe surrounded by a group of extremely noisy and excitable ladyboys (not my friends by the way) loudly swopping stories about what they did last night and how much money they earned – often by drugging farang men and stealing their money, watches, mobiles and so on. Yes this was another story in the local newspaper yesterday – several ladyboys have yet again been arrested for drugging and robbing farang men and an employee at a pharmacy was also locked up for supplying the ladyboys with illegal tranquilisers.

If you want to have sex with a ladyboy (not my idea of fun) then please go ahead – but don’t accept a beer or drink of water before doing your business otherwise you may not wake up till several hours later and most of your belongings will probably be long gone.