1. First Memories of Thailand Trips
The speaker recalls learning that his father had gone to Thailand in the early 1980s and remembers the gifts he brought back. He also notes that his father never explained the real reason for the trips at the time.
the first time that I knew my dad went to Thailand was in the early 80s when he was married with Doria he went for a couple of weeks and I just remember it so well cuz when he cameback he gave me some pretty amazing what they call tie sticks so that was pretty pretty much of a big bonus for a young teenager my dad's first trips to Thailand I was you know a young teenager anduh he never told me why he was going I just knew he he worked all the time so he was just going on vacation never really got into why he why he was going there until until later uh
2. Later Explanations About the Visits
The father later talks more openly about Thailand during a conversation about women, cheap services, and travel. The speaker reacts with discomfort and mentions that his father also traveled elsewhere in Asia.
later in life when my dad told me told me about his trips to Thailand um we were on the subject of talking about women and and we're out having a couple of beers and shooting a game of poolI think he says you know you can get two women for the weekend for 50 bucks and the things they'll do to you are incredible you'll be a changed man I kind of left it at that and didn'twant to talk about it anymore and I I just I just know of a couple other times that that he was talking about going over there so he said you know something about dental work and surgery and whateverall kinds of stuff you could get over there really done really cheap I know he's been over to Asia uh three times first time to Thailand second time to uh the Philippines I think he talked about going back
to Thailand or the Philippines or both but he goes for a couple weeks at a time so when my father talked to me about you know the girls on the trips to Thailand it was disturbing and I didn't
3. Family Tension and Hidden Questions
The speaker reflects on whether his mother knew about the Thailand trips and connects them to his parents' arguments and eventual separation. He also places these events in the context of his younger sister being in the house.
want to discuss it any further with him of course dor would know that he went to Thailand for what she probably wouldn't know but you know judging by their fighting and their arguing and stuff I mean maybe shefound out but that's just speculation I really don't know could have a reason why they split up maybe maybe not who knows some of my dad's and doria's fights were pretty horrendous pretty loud a lot of yelling andscreaming I didn't really want to listen to it and I just pretty much blocked it out especially with uh Megan in the house you know I I didn't really want to be there I think the first time mydad went to Thailand uh Megan was a toddler um I think she was still in diapers and yeah so she was in the house she was in the picture then later in life you know when my dad and
4. Packages, Gifts, and Speculation
Later, the speaker notices packages sent to the Philippines and Thailand and asks his father about them. This leads him to wonder whether his father may have had other family members in those countries.
dor were already split up and living in separate places in Hollywood would I'd you know go over and visit my dad once in a while and I would notice you know either before or later after Christmas time there'dbe like a stack of packages and I'd look at the addresses and they were all going to the Philippines or Thailand and I always wondered what those were for so when I asked him about it he said youknow those are friends of mine you know and some families that I you know send stuff to back in Thailand when I did ask my dad about those gifts and stuff you know I wondered like you know ifI did have maybe maybe some brothers and sisters running around in Thailand I don't know just to the back of my head I thought about it
