And just like that, we’ve entered reality TV territory.
The durian wholesaler who went viral this week by taking to social media to offer cash and gold for the man worthy of his daughter has found so many takers in the past five days he says he’s going to make a decision in the only way that makes sense: a tournament.
That’s right, potential suitors will be gathering on April 1 for a 3-month tryout to see who is most worthy of his daughter’s hand. We’d like to think she gets some kind of say in the matter as well, but … tournament!
Related Reading: Thai durian wholesaler offers cash, gold in bid to find husband for daughter (PHOTOS)
“Interested son-in-laws, please stop calling me. I’m dying because my phone has been ringing off the hook for 24 hours a day. Let me rest and sleep,” 58-year-old fruit trader Anon Rodthong wrote on his Facebook page yesterday.
Instead, he tells interested men to meet him at the family durian shop at the Noen Sung Market in Chanthaburi’s Tha Mai district next month to enter a mandatory tournament that sounds suspiciously like a whole lot of free labor.
“Bring lots of clothes, you will be working for three months. If more than two suitors remain after that, you’ll work for three more months until only one man is left. That’s the partner I want for my daughter,” Anon writes.
The durian trader said the tryout aims to weed out the weak suitors and let the good ones prove what a hard-working and diligent man they are, according to Workpoint. Anon wants evidence that his future son-in-law will prosper in the “king of fruit” industry.
Again, just so there’s no confusion, the three months (or more) of hard work on Anon’s Durian warehouse will go completely unpaid.
Since he is also promising THB10 million (about US$310,000) in cash as well as 10 cars to his future son-in-law, Anon will not give anyone a single baht until they have proved their worth.
Anon says he is expecting up to 700 suitors to show up on April 1.
When asked why Anon decided to search for his son-in-law online, he said waiting for men to naturally asking her out is taking too much time, particularly given how “old” she is now.
“At 26, 27, she’s getting old. It takes so much time to wait for men to come court her. I also want to give an opportunity to good, hard-working men who don’t have a high education — like me. I only graduated from fourth Grade,” Anon told Channel 3 in a broadcast interview.
For those who might criticize his methods, Anon said he’s simply watching out for his daughter’s best interest.
“There’s a lot of competition in business these days. I’m looking towards the future.”
Interested suitors should be between the ages of 26 and 40 years old. Anon adds that he is not interested in any drug users or gamblers, though apparently unfaithfulness is not a deal breaker.
“Sometimes men have mistresses,” he conceded.
Funnily enough, Anon alleges that some women have even called in hopes of applying to be his mistress, which could work out given his whole mistresses take.
Meanwhile, his 26-year-old daughter Kanjasita “Pui” Rodthong who originally said she found the who ordeal amusing, is no longer laughing.
“I just thought it was funny at first, and then when it got viral, it was no longer funny,” she told Channel 3.
Though she said she appreciates her dad’s help, she’s made it clear that she will have final say in who she marries.
“At the end, it’ll be up to me. Dad just wants to help do a preliminary scanning, but I will ultimately choose my partner because the most important thing is whether we actually get along,” she said.
Though many international media have reported that Kanjasita has never had a boyfriend before, she revealed that this isn’t entirely true.
“I’ve only had one boyfriend in my entire life, when I was around 22-23. He was Chinese… we were together for about two years.”
“I’ve mostly been broken-hearted in my love life from secretly crushing on people,” she added.
When the pair was asked about one of social media’s favorite suitors so far, Premyosapon Khongsai from Trat province, whose pitch has already received more than 12,000 likes, Kanjasita expressed her interest.
“He’s pretty cute,” she said.
Maybe a little too cute for Anon’s taste as it turns out.
“Premyosapon doesn’t pass for me because he is too handsome. He might break my daughter’s heart,” he said.
Well, well, well, looks like the competition to steal this durian heiress’ heart is heating up for a juicy, public showdown.
Maybe it was time Thailand finally got its own rendition of The Bachelorette.
