IMO all relationships are transactional, either here or in the West. However, there are key differences in attitudes. In the West, it's a culture of equality and entitlement, brought about by family law division of assets equally when a relationship breaks down. In Thailand, men are empowered by economic inequality. Defacto relationships are not recognized in Thai law. In the West, sex is a negotiation. In Thailand, it's part of "taking care". The divorce rate in Western women skyrockets after age 70, and it is mostly initiated by them. Too late, they realise the price of their freedom is loneliness, because men who have done the Asian pivot have much better options.
