Often described as the “Pattaya Bible” Neil Hutchison’s “Money Number One” is the flagship of his collection of very humorous stories and insights into life and the interrelationships between the average male visitor and the bar ladies of Thailand.
The books in the series including “A Fool In Paradise” “The Fool is Back” and “A Fools Diary” are a collage of short stories about the sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic antics of what many of the male visitors to Thailand have experienced in their dealings with these lovely creatures, and are a MUST READ for all who wish to cast fate to the wind to enjoy the pleasures offered by these delectable ladies.
In reading the books I realized that while the books are truly a great introduction to life in “SIN CITY” they also teach something of the culture of this beautiful country and it’s equally beautiful people.
Thailand is steeped in Buddhism which becomes obvious to the first time visitor on arrival by the number of Monks seen daily almost everywhere in the streets and the amount of “Wats” (Monasteries) sprinkled through out the country.
Like all countries which have a dominant religion, many of the Thais are willing to “bend the rules” somewhat in order to be able to survive in a country which has no dole queues or free handouts from the government as many of the Western societies have.
They are also extremely family orientated. Most of the bar ladies are supporting at least one child and quite often a Thai husband.
It’s the Thai girl’s duty to support her parents financially and who, quite often will be raising the lady’s child or children in a village somewhere in the North or South of the country.
While the North West is dominated by Chiang Mai, the North East also boasts several big cities including Udon Thani and Kon Kaen which has one the largest universities in the country.
Chiang Mai is the cultural centre where much of the “arts and crafts” seen being sold in the many markets found in every major city are manufactured and is also the area in which much of the countries fruit and vegetables are grown
The North West is often called Issarn and the predominant language spoken is actually a version of Lao. It becomes confusing to the traveler who has taken the time to learn a few words of Thai, when his new found love meets a friend or family member and starts to speak a totally different language.
However ninety percent of the girls in Pattaya can speak sufficient English for the tourist to be able to enjoy a very pleasant interlude with them and indeed many tourists find themselves married to a Thai lady and raising a family.
In the “Money Number One”series Neil also offers the reader an insight into some of the customs practiced by these people who we of the west tend to find very strange indeed and are often in complete contrast to our Christian upbringing and can sometimes be seen as even repugnant to some.
Neil Hutchinson has written the books from his own experiences and those of others who have visited Pattaya, however the same principals apply to all the areas of Thailand which supports beer bars,go-go bars etc and even some that don’t.
The “Money Number One” series can now be purchased online in PDF format for instant download.
