In Thailand, we all hear stories from our gay Asian boyfriends (?) about the sick buffaloe, the broken motorbike, the fine that has to be paid at the police station, sick mothers, etc etc. There’s no end to the range of excuses that money is needed for. In everyday families, there’s always another uncle or aunt to turn to, but our “friends” often come from broken homes and see the rich outsider as an easy solution to their money problems.