Like me, Thai tearaway Kew now knows what it feels like to be asked for money constantly - but also like me, still gives it away when he should really say no.
Kew, with whom I spent New Year's Eve, has a sister who lives in Bangkok. Kew himself has moved to Pattaya, where he works as an ageing bar boy.
His sister, who is 14, lives with an aunt on his father's side, in a condo close to my place in Thon Buri. She is bright, and won an academic scholarship to study at a smart secondary school.
Her father also lives in Bangkok, but Kew's sister does not stay with him often. I am not sure what, if anything, he contributes financially.
'He asked my aunt to look after my sister, but I send them money myself every month,' says Kew. 'My father passed on the obligation of looking after my sister to my aunt, but she cannot do it alone.'
Kew says he sends them B5,500 a month - B4,000 to support his sister, B1,000 to support his aunt, and B500 to pay the utility bills.
'I have now paid off the mortgage on the condo, so we own it ourselves,' says Kew proudly. His mother, who is dead, left the place to Kew and his sister in her will.
Kew is proud of his sister's academic achievements. While he dropped out of school early, and in the absence of school leaving qualifications, struggles to find decent work, his sister has her eye on studying at university, and one day becoming a doctor.
However, like many teens, she is naughty, and misses no chance to put her hand out for money.
'Tonight she wanted to go out to celebrate New Year. I had only B300 left...I gave her most of it,' he said.
'Why do you indulge her so much?' I asked.
'I want her to have opportunities I missed,' he says.
Kew has not told his sister that he works in Pattaya. He told her that he works on a farm, and that he must perform hard, physical work to earn his pay.
'If she knows that I have to work hard for the money, hopefully she will spend it wisely,' he said.
Where money is concerned, Kew indulges his sister - just as I indulge Kew.
Whenever I see Kew, he has no money. Earlier that night, his sister put her hand out, and he gave her what she wanted. By the time I met him, close to Mum's shop in Thon Buri, he had barely enough cash to get home.
I do not give Kew cash handouts, but I do pay for our entertainment expenses when we are together.
Yesterday, the bill started at a small eatery close to my condo, where we met in late afternoon. Kew ordered two bottles of beer, and a seafood snack. Before the night ended, we had visited three more more places, and I had spent B600 for the privilege of his company.
He walked to see me from his apartment up the road, after calling to say he had arrived from Pattaya the morning before.
Kew always comes prepared with a story, and yesterday was no exception. 'I will go to CentralWorld Plaza to watch the countdown with friends,' he said.
I doubted that would happen, as Kew has few friends in Bangkok, and if he was going with friends from Pattaya then they would have caught the bus back to the capital together.
'Pattaya is dead. The tourists are staying away, waiting for a new government to form,' he said.
Later, Kew admitted that he would probably end up spending the night at home alone. I felt sorry for him, so suggested he see in the New Year with me instead.
now, see part 2
I think Kew and you can be a perfect couple! - BS
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