Thread: Doing a runner from a school

When I DJ'ing last septamber in a club in Bangkok I got approached , as often happens, by a farang guy asking me how I could get to work in Bangkok and be so lucky to be amongst an elite working in what he deemed as "the ideal" nightlife capital of the world.

He went on (and on a bit) about how he'd just finished a stint doing a reality TV show in the UK for wannabe actors, had just appeared in a background scene in "Footballers Wives" on UK TV and said he was going to try and 'make it' in Bangkok using his looks and experience.

He's english, about 25, average looking, brown hair, not ugly, medium build, around 5 feet 11 inches. but first, he said, he'd have to save some cash back in London from his job before he moved here in 6 months time, permanently.

I politely enquired as to what his profession was and he answered "cycle courier around London". He added that he could save in six months "enough to live on for a year". Fair enough, I thought, he's brave enough to try.

Anyway fast forward to last month and I get a call out of the blue from him.

"Mate I'm here, I've made it to Bangkok finally"...as if his plane had outdid its capacity or something.
"I'm lookin' for an apartment down Nana, know any decent places around 6 grand a month? I don't wanna be near all the tourist shit"

"oh"..I thought, clever boy.

"Do you seriously want to live in that area?" I reasoned, "All them hoes on your doorstep"

"But that's part of the adventure innit?" he answered..

"I just need a place to lay my head and wait for the phone to ring, I already gave my pictures to the top model agencies in Bangkok before I came, I emailed them all, I could be on Rambo 4 next month"

Anyway this guy proceeds to hassle me by phone at his every whim:

"Should I expect more than 600 a day as an extra?"

"Do Bollywood movies pay more than 500 a day as an extra?"

"How do I get to be in one of them soap operas?"

"How do I get to Pinklao?" (this one at 5am)

He may as well have asked Clint Eastwood himself. I had no idea and got sick of him hassling me at the drop of a hat.

Then a few weeks later after zero contact he phones me with dead silence in the background.

"Mate, some bloke I met in a bar in Nana just got me a teaching job that I start tomorrow, 28 grand a month"

"Oh good that's what you wanted wasn't it? regular wage and all that?"

"Yeah but I'm out past Don Muang, the middle of nowhere, theres nothing to do and all the Thai people laugh at me when I go and wanna buy stuff at the store cos I can't speak Thai"

"Where are you exactly?" I asked

"At the school, they gave me a room , free, in the middle of nowhere"

"Have you taught before?

"No, but some scouse guy at the school is gonna help me out for classes tomorrow and the school boss wants me to work cos she likes me, and I may be "in" there an all, know what I mean like"

"Jesus Christ" I muttered as I hung up.

Few hours later, another call.

"Pat I can't work here, it's too depressing, it's dark, there's nowhere to go and I can't get any food"

"Well maybe everyone's asleep, what time is it?"

"Twenty past seven"

"Oh well maybe find a taxi and get to a 7-11" I advise.

"Pat, I need to get out of here, I'm scared, and I've never been a teacher"

"Nor have most of the others" I try and reassure him.

"I'm running back to Nana, there's only one thing for it"

"But you're down to your last 8 grand you said"

"So what at least I can get pissed at Nana and stay in a decent hotel"

I made my excuses and hung up. That was the last I heard from him. Which was about a month ago.

Anyone know any similar cases of "streets paved with gold" syndrome?

^ aint they all. (and proof it at least once, jeez)