Tactless (part 1)

Outspoken farang M, the one who let out the secret about Isra's secret daughter, has now turned his back on Mum's shop and swears he will not come back.

Farang M lives just around the corner, and has been a regular at Mum's shop for years. He is an expert at keeping his own company over a drink, watching the world go by.

That happy situation might have continued had farang J, a visiting foreigner from the north of England, not arrived for one of his occasional visits, and upset our comfortable routines.

Two nights after farang J arrived in Bangkok, farang M took the opportunity to tell him that his girlfriend, Isra, had been keeping a secret from him the fact that she has two children, not one as she had claimed previously.

Isra is Mum's younger sister. She has a son and a daughter. Previously she had owned up only to having the son. She claimed the other child was her niece.

At the time, both her children were staying with her in Bangkok, having travelled with her from Esan for the school holidays. Soon after the boyfriend arrived, however, she sent them back, so she and farang J could spent time alone.

Isra says she never told farang J about the daughter because she didn't want to add to his financial burdens. He sends her money every month from overseas.

I had hinted to farang J previously that the teenage girl he saw hanging around Isra was not a mere niece - but farang M went further and told him the whole story. They went out for a drink a few nights after he arrived, when farang M decided he could no longer keep secrets from his friend.

Farang J was upset to hear the truth from foreign friends rather than his own girlfriend, and told her so, but unfortunately named us both in the course of his argument.

Once the truth became known, Mum and her sister were both keen to find out exactly who had said what.

First, Mum interrogated me. I told Mum I did not give away Isra's secret, which was true (I just dropped hints).

Then, a few nights later as farang M was sitting at the shop, Mum suggested that it was really him who had told farang J.

Farang M does not know Thai, and Mum has little English. However, his Thai girlfriend was there, so she put it to her instead.

'I think your boyfriend called farang J on the phone, or sent him text messages,' she said.

It was as blunt as that. Thais are not known for their love of confrontation - in fact, they will do almost anything to avoid it - but nor are they known for their tact.

now, see part 2