Okay this was a funny report in the Bangkok Post. It’s about Thailand becoming “The Land Full of Foreign Son in Laws”, apparently the cross-cultural marriages at around 10% each year. It also said they won’t always live happily, well that’s something I didn’t know. Anywhere in the world when you get married this happens, doesn’t it?
One girl whose name has been changed for who knows what reason was deserted by her husband after years of constant arguments and conflict (I have read about this on many websites before) he up and left and took their daughter with him, so another words he was very smart and got out and luckily for the little child he took her as well for a better life abroad. Well maybe as this is what I think. She complains that he left without a goodbye or the consent of the mother to take their child. Mmm.
She talks about being unable to get a divorce as she doesn’t know his whereabouts but said the worst thing was “not having enough money to go to the UK and look for them” shouldn’t be hard to find in a small place like London..
The article goes onto say there are a rising number of Thai women entering into cross-cultural marriages and for some reason this has concerned women’s organizations about the unfairness of Thai family laws and the lack of legal knowledge among Thai women. The first I totally agree with as the Thai family laws are atrocious but for the second that’s no ones fault.
It comes out with a lovely statement of “The reputation as the Land of Smiles, Thailand is fast becoming the land full of foreign son-in-laws” Isn’t that a ripper?
They then said this is especially in the Northeastern region of the country where provinces such as Udon Thani and Roi Et top the list of domiciles for Thai ladies married to Western men, mostly from Germany, Britain and Scandinavian countries. Well “HELLO”, this is one of the largest areas/provinces of Thailand and a lot of people live in this area, somewhere around 20 million people I have read.
It is stated that The Northeast of Thailand is the poorest region. Well this is common knowledge as well and the average monthly wage is very low under 4,000 baht a month. I know people working 6 days a week 12 hour days getting under 4,000 baht.
A 2006 study by The National Culture Commission Office investigated the risks and consequences such marriages pose to cultural and traditional values in Thai rural areas.
I think there are many more things that should be worrying Thai people about consequences to cultural and traditional values in Thai rural areas, like the abuse of alcohol and young people not following the traditions of the elders and parents of the village just for a few. It’s always easy to blame the farang.
They also said more Isaan (Northeastern Thai) women each year marry Western men to improve the quality of life for their families. Wow these people are so smart to be able to work this out. I thought all the marriages of young beautiful Thai ladies to old overweight Farangs was for love. Can it really be about money?
Then these road scholars take another swipe at the Isaan area by saying Cross-cultural marriages are not limited to Thailand's impoverished Northeast. So it’s also impoverished. It must be hell living in Isaan you would have to think being so poor and impoverished.
If these idiots actually left their air conditioned offices and took a field trip into Isaan and saw for themselves how lovely the area is and more importantly how fantastic the people are they might actually become better people themselves. What a bunch of ignorant assholes.
There are women lined up like this from all parts of Thailand looking for a money train but for some reason Isaan girls are always targeted as they are looked upon as being uneducated and they don’t speak proper Thai.
"Out of the total 6,124 married couples registered at the Bangrak office (which translates to “the district of love” in 2006, about 50 per cent of them were Thai women and Western men. Oh my god this must be stopped. And it is rising by 10% each year.
Now the other statistic for divorces showed out of the 384 registered divorces some 10 per cent were cross-cultural.
A scholar from Thammasat University which is one of Thailand’s best said this wealth of information I didn’t already know "In cross-cultural marriages, a lot of Thai women are financially dependent on their foreign husbands. Compounded with limited interaction between the spouses because of the language barrier, Thai women choose silence and compliance when domestic disputes occur for fear of losing the marriage. I am so glad that I know this now and can understand things so much better now.
Now you probably won’t believe this but Thai women's rights activists are now planning to draft proposed legislation that would provide more legal protection for Thai women with foreign husbands.
You mean they are going to try and make it more unfair for foreigners in Thailand. What about the house ownership and business ownership laws? Thailand really don’t want farangs to ever look at having a fair playing field in Thailand. I know that I will never see that day myself as I will be well and truly returned to the earth the day or if it ever does happen.
Brunty.
5 comments:
Kidday Jason.
This is a topic close to my heart and I have written about it several times in one of Thailand's English newspaper forums.
Thai marriage laws for westerners are some of the most 'xenophobic' I've come across.
The fear of 'a western sphere of influence' especially in Esarn is shear propaganda as you know yourself the small percentage of westerners in Esarn has little or no influence on the culture and traditions that as far as I can see are firmly entrenched there.
In Australia thousands of Thai students come to study under the pretence of learning, yet most are just after PR status.
Once attained if they fullfill the criteria including an above 6/10 average for ELTS (profitable business here at present) are granted PR.
Thais with Australian permanent residency are free to work in any career, buy property free hold and commute between the two countries.
Thais also attain PR through marriage to Aussies after a screening process which although lengthy, is standard and fair,she is then free to work, start a business in her name and of course buy freehold property.
I spend half my week here in the Thai community. I speak and learn the language and culture. It's difficult at times because many of my Thai freinds here still maintain the strong cultural traits they have back home. Critical thinking and fairness not being high on the list..
Although the Visa laws pertaining to westerners in Thailand are backward, it has'nt stopped me from being intrigued in the culture.
See Ya
The cultural police hot on the trail of major crimes respoonsible for the drain of their culture.
Yeah I read that article. It failed to relate the circumstances leading up to the repatriation of her husband. It could have been she was going to take the house and kid as her own and leave him high and dry.
That article was truly one-sided, biased and prejudicial. The system seems to be set up to cause failure but despite that many relationships last and flourish.
I know many single moms who were left high and dry with a child or children, bills, etc never to be heard from again and never sending money for support. The children being raised by grandma and mom working a job or two to survive.
Did anybody warn Paradorn? He married a westerner. Ah but she is the "darling" of Thailand now so that is different.
Ah Thailand, the land of Contradictions, love it and hate it same time but its my home.
Hey Aussie Johm. It's something that I agree totally with. Thai people can go to many other countries and after getting PR can do anything a native could do.
It's hard to understand the Thai thinking to why they are so worried about farangs getting hold of land and houses and running businesses they way they should be run.
For all the freedom and opportunities offered to Thai people in Australia if half of that was offered to us expats here in Thailand we would be very happy.
It is an amazing country and the culture very rich and diverse. It is really nice in the north east.
Hey Darwin you are right about the one sided article and I take what was written and said with a grain of salt as you could imagine what wasn't written and the truth would never be told by her.
Thais love to blame the farang for many of these problems when it really is the other way around. If Thai ways weren't so strange, frustrating, bewildering and on and on things could be so much better between Thai/foreigner marriages and partnerships.
Brunty
Brunty, you forgot "honest" in that list. dishonesty is one of the biggest obstacles to progress in Thailand.
once, my wife and i were on the plane from Khonkaen to BKK. you should have seen all the women on that flight with 1/2 farang children, obviously heading down to meet daddy for his 2 week vacation. what a life.
btw, when reading the original article, did you notice all the ads for Filipina wives? lol yeah, the women are exploited so badly they are just lining up for it. what a crock.
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