Cross-culture Marriages

[Mid]

FEATURE: Cross-culture marriages a mixed blessing in Land of Smiles

Posted : Wed, 11 Jul 2007 04:49:02 GMT

Author : DPA

snip

"More Isaan (north-eastern Thai) women each year marry Western men to improve the quality of life for their families. The marriages have brought them more financial independence and, even in some cases, a steady monthly income to their parents," said researcher Assistant Professor Buaphan Promphakping from Khon Kaen University.

Cross-cultural marriages are not limited to Thailand's impoverished North-east.

snip

earthtimes.org

Edited July 11, 2007 by Mid

[pgs]

FEATURE: Cross-culture marriages a mixed blessing in Land of Smiles

Posted : Wed, 11 Jul 2007 04:49:02 GMT

Author : DPA

snip

"More Isaan (north-eastern Thai) women each year marry Western men to improve the quality of life for their families. The marriages have brought them more financial independence and, even in some cases, a steady monthly income to their parents," said researcher Assistant Professor Buaphan Promphakping from Khon Kaen University.

Cross-cultural marriages are not limited to Thailand's impoverished North-east.

snip

earthtimes.org

scary part: someone needed a uni degree & a grant to work it out. pretty much any of us could have told them ~ free ~

[citizen33]

Isn't this a study from a couple of years ago? Or has there been a recent update? As I recall, Ajarn Dr Buapan of Khon Kaen University carried out a qualitative interview study and, at about the same time, there was a larger quantitative survey of 'Mia Farang' completed by Decha Vanichvarod at the National Economic & Social Development Board. The findings were broadly similar.

Edited July 11, 2007 by citizen33

[Loz]

So when will they publish conclusive findings that rain does in fact fall in a downwards direction to the ground from clouds. It will be about as informative...

[citizen33]

This (old?) newspaper article has highlighted something rather trite, but other findings were more interesting. There was quite a lot about the research on various websites a year or three ago.

[Mid]

round up some quotes and links to anything more recent guys , I for one would be interested to see whats out there .

[Martin]

I have Prof Buaphan's report, but it is in Thai, so I can't get into it in detail.

However, the bit quoted above does not do justice to the investigation.

Prof Buaphan interviewed, in depth, some Western Foreigner men and their Thai wives and some Easterner Foreigner men and their Thai wives to look for similarities and/or differences in how they met and in their subsequent lifestyles, and he looked into how their local village communities view such couples.

To summarise his research as is done above is equivalent to summarising Macbeth as:

"Kings have enemies who may kill them to get the crown for themselves". (True, but not new, and giving no information about the detail.)

Prof Buaphan's time and grant was not spent confirming what we already knew.

He has extended our insight in one bit of a big field.

There is a lot of academic research done that is a waste of time and money, but that doesn't apply to Prof Buaphan's work.

[Mid]

There is a lot of academic research done that is a waste of time and money, but that doesn't apply to Prof Buaphan's work.

that gives me some insight into the anguish ,

certainly wasn't my intention to belittle .

[Martin]

For 'Mid':

I intend, in a couple of months or so, to make my MA thesis available on the web when it is completed.

Its sections on Literature Search and Refences will give you some 'leads'.

But I have only looked at the forthcoming return of that small proportion of Thai wives who will have spent a long period in the West, married to a 'baby boomer', and are going to retire to their girlhood village.