Bingo Tayo
PROPPING up the bar, his face shiny with sweat, 52-year-old Ken Zeller is
visibly excited.
Same tayo ng iniisip. Aiko is to Ara, Angelica is to Ellen. Anonymous February 28, 2021 at 1:20 AM. Bingo Tayo Libangan, Santa Maria, Bulacan. 34 likes 34 talking about this.
Finally the person he’s waiting for arrives — a size six 25-year-old Thai
lady. But she is not alone.
Tottering in behind her are seven other beautiful young Thai girls — all of
them young enough to be his daughters — and they are all his dates for the
evening.
Ken has flown more than 9,000 miles from his home in Virginia, US, to Bangkok,
Thailand, to meet women half his age who could potentially be his “perfect
wife”.
And he’s joined by 11 fellow singletons — all divorced and over the age of 40,
who have forked out thousands of pounds to take part in a week-long “Romance
Tour”.
But there’s no romance here — just creepy middle-aged men exploiting young
Thai women desperate to escape a life of poverty.
The wealthy men, who reek of desperation, have travelled from the UK, US and
Europe to Asia, where they are hosted by ex-pat Leonard Stokes, 54, who
promises to find them their dream woman.
The love tour industry is booming.
Dream Connections, one of the world’s leading Romance Tour operators, has seen
growth of 50 per cent year on year for the last three years, and runs tours
in Colombia, Thailand and the Ukraine.
To deal with the demand it has expanded from offering two tours in 2011 to 14
tours for 2016.
And it’s fuelled by Brits. This year alone one firm, A Foreign Affair, has
taken 32 British men on the warped sexual pilgrimage to the Far East.
We joined one of their tours in Thailand’s capital, with 11 guys hoping to
find, or fund, The One.
The tour starts like most package holidays — with a meet-and-greet.
The tragic huddle of lovelorn men take their seats before Leonard enters. They
are handed “romance itineraries” outlining their week — featuring everything
from “socials”, to “couple’s cocktail parties”.
Leonard, who says he was unlucky in love himself before moving to Thailand and
meeting 34-year-old girlfriend Apple, begins his speech.
Grinning, he says: “We’re here to help you get married to the Thai lady of
your dreams.”
With this one sentence he grabs the attention of every man present.
He continues: “Tonight, when you walk into a room full of beautiful young Thai
women, you will feel like you’ve hit the jackpot.
“Remember, don’t fall for the first one you see, we have two nights set up
with over 150 eligible young Thai ladies coming to meet you, so pace
yourself.
“Getting ten phone numbers is a good night, any less and you have not met
enough.” Leonard’s clients are suddenly all a-flutter.
But before the fun begins, there are rules. He warns: “Don’t fall in love with
your translator. You will all have one to help you communicate with your
dates, but don’t fall for them — they work for me.”
Leonard’s pearl of cynical wisdom was yet to come: “Remember, it is easier to
teach a Thai lady to speak English, than it is to teach an English lady to
be a good wife.”
Therein lies the ethos of this industry. These women are objects. Pay the
money, take the trophy home.
None of the British tourists we spoke to were prepared to pose for a photo,
which speaks volumes.
After the meeting, we chat to one of those Brits — who we have called James —
who is 56, and an accountant from Birmingham.
He has been divorced for three years. He says: “There are wonderful people all
over the world, so why restrict yourself? For me, the lady has to be
physically beautiful then I will invest time getting to know them.”
It soon becomes clear this is the opinion of most men here.
Unable to secure dates with good-looking young women at home they come to
Thailand where they are offered a room full of them for £1,500.
The opening night of the tour is the first “social”. James is joined by
Americans Ken Kochevar, 45, 64-year-old Kevin McCusker, Ken Zeller,
42-year-old Tayo Sonaike and Jason Green, 49, plus 50-year-old New Zealander
Roger Dimock and Per Floodstron, 45, from Sweden.
Together, they look like the world’s creepiest past-it boyband.
In a dingy basement bar in the Landmark Hotel, Bangkok, the men take their
seats. The women arrive in groups, which I soon realise is because they
don’t want to entertain the men alone.
Most of the women, aged from 19 to 39, speak little or no English.
The translators help with the chat-ups and after an hour men are clumsily
touching the women’s legs and attempting to “grind” with them on the
dancefloor.
It is deeply uncomfortable to watch, but the sleazy show is only just
getting started.
At 9.30pm, just two hours after arriving, it’s time for each guy to pick one
woman to take to the after party.
Problem.
Two men have chosen the same woman. Roger and Jason are arguing over “who
gets” 25-year-old Montanoy.
But she reveals she can’t go with either of them as she is the designated
driver for some of the other women.
It’s obviously a lie.
Undeterred, Roger replies: “I guess I choose another one then?”
It’s that easy.
Kevin had better luck finding someone. He’s chosen 35-year-old Waan. The tubby
divorcé has two kids and has been single since 1997.
He’d taken several women to the dancefloor, trying to “woo” them with
cringeworthy moves.
It would be funny, if it wasn’t so pervy.
He moans: “Western women are too career-driven now. I’ve already met a woman
tonight I know would be a great partner.”
Bingo Taylor Mi
Cee, 32, has been picked by Ken Zeller. She tells me: “I know they are not
good-looking. But we are looking for men to take care of us.”
When I later see Cee wincing as Ken snogs her, I can’t help but feel sickened.
But tour chief Leonard is convinced this is good trip.
“Most of the men in this room earn over £100,000 a year,” he says.
“Most of the women earn £5,000 a year, so you can see the attraction.”
Five days later we caught up with the men at the tour’s closing party. Ken
arrives hand in hand with Cee — he says: “I’m going to marry her.”
Brit James has also had success with Nina, 27, while Roger has ignored Leonard
and found a girlfriend in his translator Annie, 33.
Two weeks after the tour ended, we met up with Leonard, who revealed there had
been a proposal.
Ken Zeller had popped the question — but not to Cee. “Things didn’t work out
with her,” says Ken. “Pupe is 32 and beautiful. I just can’t get a visa —
it’s a nightmare.”
How romantic.
Battle to get visa
IT probably wasn’t ever the relationship she had dreamed of, but 26-year-old
Tidtee Preedawan, a secretary from Bangkok, met a 35-year-old British man
when he was on a previous romance tour.
They are due to marry in 2016 but she is having problems getting a visa to
stay in the UK.
She says of her intended: “I didn’t like him the first time I met him, but he
took me on some dates and after lots of conversation I liked him a lot.
“But I cannot get a visa now, there are immigration problems.”
Printer Kevin Beresford, of Redditch, Worcs, is also having border woes.
Kevin, 63, had just gone through a divorce when he treated himself to a trip
to Thailand.
He says: “Women were fighting over who was going to pour my beer, it was
incredible. I met Rung, 36, a factory worker and spent two weeks dating her.
“We got married two months later in 2012.”
But Kevin has had trouble since, unable to get Rung a UK visa.
He says: “It’s not fair. If we don’t get one I’ll have to divorce her.
“It’s impossible to keep up a relationship that long distance.”
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