Yo, Sawadee to any of my wealthy or influencial friends here in the Kingdom of Thailand. I met a very interesting woman over the weekend. She has had some really bad luck in life and has wound up, I believe because she is a survivor, working as a security guard at the International Building at Satit Kaset University. I walked by her and said, Sawadee, but she wied to me and said, "Good morning, how are you?" Now in Thailand the very idea of a security guard who makes 250 baht a day speaking English is somewhat obsurd, but it gets better. We stood and chatted and I realized her English was very good. I invited her up to meet my Chinese class which I teach on Saturdays and Sundays (poverty sucks). When she entered the room instead of speaking English to them she chatted with them in Chinese. But, she gets even better. She can also speak, conversational Japanese. I was so amazed. How does a person making so little pick up languages and it was then that she told me her sad tale.
She had been a succesful hotel worker on the island of Kabi in the South of Thailand. When the big wave hit two years ago, she had run for her life with a group of tourists from the hotel. She describes it as so terrifying because the faster she ran the more rappidlythe water surged. She saw people go down behind her, lost in the murk of the charging waves, but her legs kept pumping and when she reached the mountains she climbed to safety. She lost coworkers, her best friend, and so many of her customers.
After she came north to Bangkok, but she had no job set up. Her problem is that in Thailand the want ads say specifically what age you must be to apply for work. It's 25 to 35 for hotel work, gee young and pretty, not a big surprise for this nation obbsessed with beuaty.
So come on let's find this skilled worker something that will help her. She is 44, her name is Mrs. Pattranit Poboonplook, she speaks four languages well enough to help customers on the phone or in person, and she has an easy way about her and a hard work ethic.
I lost every penny I ever earned in my business attempt here in Thailand. I got lucky and found a decent job using my skills. Now I am off bread and water and on bread, water, and coffee. We need to help Pattranit to rebuild her life.
Contact me and I will help you contact her.
