@Neville *******

keep in mind that the fee is usually the least cost item; the (bad) exchange rate is usually a larger amount for a midsized transfer. For ANY of the app services.

The real cost is a function of both.

And we have no way of knowing the veracity of this.

All we have is an innocuous problem with a money order purchased from a drug store.

Is there a lot of sick buffaloes? Sure. But there’s also a LOT of Thai women of all ages without any ability to find work of any kind and they still do not resort to scams.

I have a number of friends in Thailand and they are as reliable as any European is.

And. At this point in Thailand, people really need money to survive. If you have been FaceTiming and texting for half a year or more, I say that sending $300 is a cheap ticket to perhaps meet your dream woman.

And a very cheap teaching moment should you be wrong.

There is just too harsh a judgment that ALL thai women are having multiple sponsor. Many do. No doubt. Many are incredible good at keep up illusions.

But many forty year old women are looking for a savior. There is little left in the entertainment zone for a well grown woman.

And they can just as easily fool themselves into being in love. We really don’t know any of these people and judging individuals from stereotypes is bigotry.

Don’t forget that there’s a lot of farangs lying up and down about their wealth, their marital status and their intentions to thai women. Are all farangs bad? No we are not.

But if both parties approach a relationship with the conviction or fear that the other party is scamming to get what they want, the chance of the relationship being a success is pretty low.

Sending a monetary proof of confidence can easily be something to build upon.

Finally, we are slowly but surely approaching the time when the OP can travel, without excessive costs, to Thailand and see if things will work out.

I understand the warnings to Justin, and they have a place. What i react strongly to is the level of vitriol levied to the OP and his GF. (She looks like a ladyboy) That people are so sure that this is a scam, when we really have no indication that the woman is deceitful in any way.

After half an hour, incredibly cruel posters appear, exhibiting a serious lack of empathy.

Not all. Several serious posts are voicing warnings without attacking.

But the trolls who rule this group are just being mean. Accepting the story, it is hard enough to build a relationship though FaceTime or Line and texts. And the haters are certainly not making it easier.

@Christophe *********

I guess I pegged you pretty well.

@Christophe *********

Showing your colors, troll.

@Devon *********

geez. The first half hour the respondents were respectful and full of intent to help. And now the haters are out in full force.

She looks like a ladyboy? And so what?

The age difference is big but that is the business of the couple. Such relationships certainly can work and if they don’t, there is ample time for another round or two when your 19.

Honestly, $300 is a small bet to make on a relationship that CAN last a long time.

I can’t imagine my reaction if I asked for help and then having the horses’ asses come at me.

I see a great deal of xenophobia here. Brushing all thai people based on your biases is sad.

@Christophe *********

what an asshat comment. What indication do you have that his friend is disgenuine?

Why would you say something like this to a man who is trying to fix a problem?

A good number of constructive comments and suggestions were offered.

And then came you….

@Justin *******

Justin, I apologize for the sad people waiting for a moment to tear someone down.

Like I said in an earlier post, if you’re not hurting yourself financially, believe in your relationship and don’t think every thai person is a scoundrel.

The scoundrels are these sad sacks trying to tear down a relationship before it has a chance to grow.

It’s hard enough to be separated out of no fault of our own. It’s hard enough for your Thai friend to live day by day without a shred of a social safety net that we take for granted.

Don’t let the poison that “all thai women run scams” seep into you. It isn’t true.

And frankly, making a small bet showing your friend that you trust her will pay dividends later on. Stay strong and believe in your friend and not the trolls that has come out from under their rocks.

Of course they have, as have every other service suggested here. As have every bank done.

The cheapest transfer service are making good money on the transfer, paid by the sender/recipient.

this has been an unusually helpful response to the dilemma of the poster. Let’s not drag this into peripheral issues

@David *******

I don’t understand that. WU’s app is pretty up to date and to be able to transfer funds in thirty seconds is far from a dinosaur act.

@Thierry ******

good suggestion. There has to be a procedure for lost or destroyed money order.

Also an option would be for the poster to ask his friend to mail the money order back and to do a transfer using one of the many suggested apps. When he received the MO it should be easy to convert it to currency again. Or to get a refund.