To Wanita, the opportunity to live in Germany was not to be missed. Marrying the German she had met while she was vacationing in Thailand meant a reprieve from the hardships of supporting her family and a son from a previous marriage. It was the chance of a lifetime.

Wanita believed that she was lucky. Her husband was kind to her. He was generous with his money and showered her with gifts. He also supported her family in Thailand.

But it was not long before he ran out of money. With this came his demand that she did her share to augment the family income and his maltreatment when she refused to earn her living as a bar worker.

Because of her family's dependence on financial support together with the pressures of physical and mental maltreatment from her husband, Wanita gave in to his demands and began working in a bar. Her husband took most of her earnings leaving her very little money to send home.

He then filed for a divorce, terminating her right to stay in Germany. He took the money she earned prostituting herself and claimed all their belongings in his name. To complicate matters, they had both signed a marriage settlement stating that Wanita waived her right to support and conjugal property.

She had been misinformed and believed that this was the standard practice in Germany.

It was not until after the divorce that she realized this should not have been the case.