The Mae Baan

I know, heard that charge before that we’re all “bemaided” after a while in Thailand. You forget doing basic things, just to mention the laundry, dishes, garden … But why not supporting a woman or girl AND her family by letting her having control over your household. It not only boosts the local GDP. It also enhances your own productivity by giving you more space and freedom for the tasks that may matter more.

Thing is, after we came back from that faraway land our dear beloved Rita who had kept the whole house together for the past two years had a mood like having multiple menstruations at the same time combined with a deadly depression and the unstoppable urge to sleep, sleep, sleep. That mood was the more surprising as before she woke up at 5 am and swept singingly through an always busy day.

The devil must have bitten her. She who had become like a part of the family left. But that’s the first and foremost error many farang commits with his maid: trying to welcome her as a part of the family. If you’re too friendly she gets the impression you’re a cheap queer. There has to be a clear hierarchy in the relationship with your mae baan. But now maidless, the house is a kind of empty.

The search has started. You call friends and former maids if they’d know a girl. Villa Market’s dashboard sometimes has some usable phone numbers and even online you may find a good girl. Still, finding a maid in Bangkok is a science in itself. You meet the most curious characters – once a violin player applied who looked like an MTV starlet. It goes without saying that may wife declined her after a most short deliberation.

Once we had a Nepalese girl who sometimes invited her friends to work along with her in our house (for free) while finishing the day with a rich, self cooked meal for her and our clan with all kinds of chutneys and spices and curries. And yes, we had the stealing and the lying girl as well. After years of experience I may say that I prefer the Burmese hilltribe over the Thai maid.

Getting the work papers requires some running the gauntlet. Don’t call me racist, but my two cents worth … the Thai girl soon tends to be overly needy of sleep. Some would call it lazy. True, employing a Burmese girl may implicate you with people trafficking. Once you sit down with the girl you hear the most amazing stories whom she had to bribe and which police officer drove her for how much money from the border.

There are times police are overly eager to round up migrant laborers on the street. Never have your maid leave the house without a proper Thai work paper she can flash on. You could end up paying dearly.

To cut a potentially much longer story short: I’m in dire need of two helping hands. Know a girl? Thanks for your email.




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April 22, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Society, The Thai Mind 

Comments

4 Responses to “The Mae Baan”

  1. Tommy on April 22nd, 2009 6.05 pm

    Nice you put just any, or even worse your own maid with a real photo next to your article. I’m sure this female is very happy to represent your future or past maid online for you? When I read this article, I guess I understand you keep looking for a new slave.

  2. BangkokDan on April 22nd, 2009 6.33 pm

    Understand where you’re coming from Tommy. Me too I tried, but this is not the West.

    If not stated otherwise images used on this site are usually from freely available Google Image Search.

    Remember, once you post an image on the internet you agree that it’s freely available. Otherwise watermark it.

    BangkokDan

  3. Rage on April 30th, 2009 6.07 pm

    You are so right Dan you’re a fool if you’re too nice to some of them. Mind the Christian one pretending to love Jesus!

    Just had one of them, five days later 5,000 baht cash and three laptops gone missing.

    And a bag to carry away all the stuff.

    She’s lying straight into my face asking for five days salary. She’s the bitch of some other Burmese fuckers …

    Just be careful, anyway, time to buy new computers …

  4. BangkokDan on May 1st, 2009 12.09 am

    Didn’t say I wasn’t nice. I was very nice.

    BangkokDan

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