Foreign Husbands Fuel Isan Economy

[Thai at Heart]

The Ban Jan village in Thung Khao Luang district of this northeastern province has long been called the ''Switzerland of Asia'', not because it has European scenery, but because the district is full of Swiss son-in-laws.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/01Apr2008_news29.php

The article in the Bangkok Post quoted the research report as finding that Thai-foreigner marriages in the North East have contributed 8.6 billion baht to the local economy and have helped create up to 750,000 jobs for local people.

Surely this must be a massive over-estimate.

THe article goes on to say that the research should help the government come up with a suitable regional development plan. Are there ever regional development plans other than free handouts and credit that will only mire poor people in debt?

At least research such as this is valuable in highlighting the economic contribution of the farang tribe. Encouraging retirement here is official policy, though you wouldn't think so as you queue for five hours at Suan Phlu, then to have your retirement visa turned down because the clerk has just made up a new rule for the day.

By no means an impossible figure for foreign spending in Isaan

[abdulrahman]

The Ban Jan village in Thung Khao Luang district of this northeastern province has long been called the ''Switzerland of Asia'', not because it has European scenery, but because the district is full of Swiss son-in-laws.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/01Apr2008_news29.php

The article in the Bangkok Post quoted the research report as finding that Thai-foreigner marriages in the North East have contributed 8.6 billion baht to the local economy and have helped create up to 750,000 jobs for local people.

Surely this must be a massive over-estimate.

THe article goes on to say that the research should help the government come up with a suitable regional development plan. Are there ever regional development plans other than free handouts and credit that will only mire poor people in debt?

At least research such as this is valuable in highlighting the economic contribution of the farang tribe. Encouraging retirement here is official policy, though you wouldn't think so as you queue for five hours at Suan Phlu, then to have your retirement visa turned down because the clerk has just made up a new rule for the day.

By no means an impossible figure for foreign spending in Isaan

Yearly?Perhaps exaggerated.On a wider timeframe,way too low IMHO.

[harleyclarkey]

You are sure right!! My lady for sure wasted none of her time and got straight to the point.. ..basically "take care of me!". She is genuinely a lovely lady but it is really off putting to find out so directly that you are the meal ticket. The "beaten track" I meant was to her house.....main road--local road--side road--dirt road--track--drive---finally the house!!

I believe I have learned a lot about the blood suckers over the years and hope I can still spot and avoid them. Buit who knows? There are good ones for sure but it is a pity there are not that many who are willing to meet farangs.

As to Issan territory...I really liked it. It just felt good and relaxed. So in the immortal words of that great white leader Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back". The hammock of yours sounds like it gets used a lot!! I have to improve my swinging skills as I usually end up in a heap.

There are a lot of girls willing to meet farangs. The unattached guys that drift in from time to time never stay on their own for long. I'm sure that most of the girls are genuine. I think most just need security and stability in their lives rather than being out and out gold diggers. Trust your feelings and don't rush too quickly into buying and building and you'll be fine.

I have to come clean and admit that I lied about the hammock My trees aren't strong enough yet but I reckon I'll be there soon. Rather than trying to share my questionable experience, I was trying to get to 100 posts before turning in. Now I've reached that and promotion to "senior member" I can relax and sink back into obscurity once more.

Just on the taking care side of things.How much money should i be sending to her each month.This is my first foray into the Thai G/F sceene.I do like this girl and want her to be comfortable but not like a bloody QUEEN.She lives in Srisuk about 2 hours east of Kohn Kaen with her 2 teenage kids and shells out 2000 baht a month for a bike.Pays no rent as house is from bastard who left 3 years ago and sends no money for the kids as usual.I been with her for 3 months and will be back again in August for 3 months.I cant wait.....

OK.....girl works in a shop/restaurant gets about 4-6,000 p.m./// house maid 6-7k///bank clerk 10k///good job in big company 12k-15k.///

I have heard of girls in Bkk getting 15k basic in the bigger hotels and my Ex GF who works in a 5 star Spa in Bkk (no massgage!!) gets 20,000 which is a really good salary and pbobably equal to middle manager in a bank.

So what to give? A bar girl will ask for 10k minimum and expect 20k. In your case I reckon 8-10k would be more than enough. By the way....I NEVER have sent money. I do not get into the bar girl thing and get involved with one. If they want to stay with me I want them to test it by they working and been independent. If they come through then fine... it shows I am not the ATM.

With that all too familiar Thai expression....."up to you!!"

Chook dee to you/////Good luck to you.

Most of your estimates for Bangkok particularly office workers are too low. Only send for exceptional proveable reasons.

I believe them to be correct. These are from people I personally know...and quizzed!!!

Girl working for Coca Cola in good jos (masters degree) eaning 16,000.......girl in Siam Bank gets 10,000.....girl in Emporium 12,000...girl in small restaurant gets 7,000...girl in rembrandt restaurant gets 15,000.

I have asked them to get a feel for what goes as a decent salary.

I would be glad to have your input as to figures.

[Thai at Heart]

You are sure right!! My lady for sure wasted none of her time and got straight to the point.. ..basically "take care of me!". She is genuinely a lovely lady but it is really off putting to find out so directly that you are the meal ticket. The "beaten track" I meant was to her house.....main road--local road--side road--dirt road--track--drive---finally the house!!

I believe I have learned a lot about the blood suckers over the years and hope I can still spot and avoid them. Buit who knows? There are good ones for sure but it is a pity there are not that many who are willing to meet farangs.

As to Issan territory...I really liked it. It just felt good and relaxed. So in the immortal words of that great white leader Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back". The hammock of yours sounds like it gets used a lot!! I have to improve my swinging skills as I usually end up in a heap.

There are a lot of girls willing to meet farangs. The unattached guys that drift in from time to time never stay on their own for long. I'm sure that most of the girls are genuine. I think most just need security and stability in their lives rather than being out and out gold diggers. Trust your feelings and don't rush too quickly into buying and building and you'll be fine.

I have to come clean and admit that I lied about the hammock My trees aren't strong enough yet but I reckon I'll be there soon. Rather than trying to share my questionable experience, I was trying to get to 100 posts before turning in. Now I've reached that and promotion to "senior member" I can relax and sink back into obscurity once more.

Just on the taking care side of things.How much money should i be sending to her each month.This is my first foray into the Thai G/F sceene.I do like this girl and want her to be comfortable but not like a bloody QUEEN.She lives in Srisuk about 2 hours east of Kohn Kaen with her 2 teenage kids and shells out 2000 baht a month for a bike.Pays no rent as house is from bastard who left 3 years ago and sends no money for the kids as usual.I been with her for 3 months and will be back again in August for 3 months.I cant wait.....

OK.....girl works in a shop/restaurant gets about 4-6,000 p.m./// house maid 6-7k///bank clerk 10k///good job in big company 12k-15k.///

I have heard of girls in Bkk getting 15k basic in the bigger hotels and my Ex GF who works in a 5 star Spa in Bkk (no massgage!!) gets 20,000 which is a really good salary and pbobably equal to middle manager in a bank.

So what to give? A bar girl will ask for 10k minimum and expect 20k. In your case I reckon 8-10k would be more than enough. By the way....I NEVER have sent money. I do not get into the bar girl thing and get involved with one. If they want to stay with me I want them to test it by they working and been independent. If they come through then fine... it shows I am not the ATM.

With that all too familiar Thai expression....."up to you!!"

Chook dee to you/////Good luck to you.

Most of your estimates for Bangkok particularly office workers are too low. Only send for exceptional proveable reasons.

I believe them to be correct. These are from people I personally know...and quizzed!!!

Girl working for Coca Cola in good jos (masters degree) eaning 16,000.......girl in Siam Bank gets 10,000.....girl in Emporium 12,000...girl in small restaurant gets 7,000...girl in rembrandt restaurant gets 15,000.

I have asked them to get a feel for what goes as a decent salary.

I would be glad to have your input as to figures.

Secratery in company, 18k+good benefits. Friends girlfriend working in Silom for Ozzie company 19k+good benefits. Waitresses can go high if organisation allows them to get tips. Senior waitress I know in good hotel 22k +nearly double in tips. Female friend middle manager (4 years at AIA) 40k+benefits. Fluent English speaking Overseas university graduated family friend - 80k at large MNC+excellent benefits. Thai Airways stewardess girlfriend of friend - 80k+ excellent benefits.

Biggest benefit of all of these is that they speak good English.

[harleyclarkey]

Secratery in company, 18k+good benefits. Friends girlfriend working in Silom for Ozzie company 19k+good benefits. Waitresses can go high if organisation allows them to get tips. Senior waitress I know in good hotel 22k +nearly double in tips. Female friend middle manager (4 years at AIA) 40k+benefits. Fluent English speaking Overseas university graduated family friend - 80k at large MNC+excellent benefits. Thai Airways stewardess girlfriend of friend - 80k+ excellent benefits.

Biggest benefit of all of these is that they speak good English.

Wow...good slaries for Thailand where most struggle to get by on 6-10k p.m. I reckon the mean salary is about 12-15k p.m. for a regular job.

The girl in Coca Cola has a good job and gets under 20k. She has responsibility and travel a lot for them.

I am surprised at the Thai salary as this is over 20k EURO per year and that is very very high. The average in 2003 for Thai cabin crew was 44k p.m....guess she is a senior. Has she any sisters??? LOL!

The "salary" girls are just the right kind of girls and ones I go for a lot. I must say going with them is a different experience all together. they offer to pay for, say, the cab or a drink. Nice change, eh????? What a pleasure to go out with a girl that can actually talk to you on equal terms.....no c**p and no pre trained vocabulary. But still in all..I do enjoy the "crack" with the bar girls once you know what the storey is!!!

[Fookhaht]

A later article to add to the discussion....

From the article, "Foreign Husbands Flock to Isaan" By Peter Janssen Oct 28, 2009, 5:04 GMT

....Although the Thai government has few statistics on the number of cross-culture marriages, there is plenty of evidence that they are on the rise, especially in Isaan.

Increasingly, academics and economists have studied the social phenomenon.

According to a study carried out by the government's National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), as of 2003 there were 19,594 women in north-east Thailand married to Westerners.

The migration of these mostly elderly, retired men to the region had generated 10.5 billion baht (308 million dollars) in spending and created 578,609 jobs, according to the NESDB's estimates.

Buapan Promphakping, an associate professor in humanities at Khon Kaen University, estimates the actual number of cross-culture couples in the 19 north-eastern provinces as closer to 100,000, or about 3 per cent of the region's households.

Read more here....

Edited January 7, 2011 by Fookhaht

[kropotkin]

Been to Thailand lots of times.. even have a modest (c.1,000m2....hahah..sure!) house in Phuket. So I took myself off to Khon Kaen/Udon/Nong Khai/Chumpae for a first time look. First impressions were the people were more genuine, friendly and willing to please. Nice change from some of the scroats in Phuket (pro bar girls, tuk tuk drivers, tailors, time share freaks, etc, etc.).

Big surprise was the real and open industry of nabbing a farang samee. Chumpae lives off it. There is not much else when you go into the country off the beaten track. The number of foreigners was really an eye opener for me....the same in Udon/Khon Kaen. The lady restaurant owner in Chumpae was very open and honest with me when I asked her about it. ALL the girls/ladies want one thing only and they go for it. The 4 businesses beside hers were farang money. Good luck to them and I wish them well.

The sight of many, clearly, Issan ex farming ladies climbing into and out of brand new 4 x4 's and pick up was surprising . No doubt they also had the new house ('s??), credit card and all the trappings of their lottery win.

The few times I saw couples together first hand, the husbands did not seem happy bunnies. The ladies were cranky spoke sharply and had their entourage of parasitic relatives with them. Some had faces to sink a ship. I felt sorry for these guys who seemed decent nice guys who had honourable intentions but were obviously out of their depth with these tough ladies and their back up squads. I love it when I hear the good and happy stories to revive my faith in the Thai predatory female. Though it made me winch and view my lady friend (very very pretty, tall, slim, no kids, no hubby and 42) with a new degree of warriness.

This lady (met through her sister here and in touch for months on the net) asked me after 3 hours did I love her. No I replied, much to her obvious shock . Will you marry me? Definitely NOT. Shock again ! What a hoot! Maybe just a tad premature in asking??!! Mybe she should have waited till the next day....LOL. . Such is the anxiety to get the guy that all caution is thrown to the wind and their cards laid out on the table far too early.

For sure there are many good and great partnerships and long may they thrive....it is the underdogs I feel sorry for.

I agree with what you write - especially the last sentence.....

Myself, i am happily married - and i feel that my family has given me much more then i have given them - ah, but this is Chanthaburi......

[Nevo]

I feel the main problem with these relationships is a class difference. Some of us do here what we would rarely do back home. That is have committed relationships with people from different social groups / classes. This difference has very little meaning to people at the start of a relationship because it is hidden by many things. Cultural differences, exciting new experiences, language barriers and Thai hospitality. It is later that some realise that they are in at the deep end with no lifebelt. I still feel very sorry for some of them because I know how easily it can happen.

A western guy, or woman for that matter, living in the west who has been well educated, has a decent sum in the bank and a good secure job or retirement income would hardly ever decide to marry an office cleaner, barmaid or bin man. A few exceptions I'm sure. Most relationships in the west are between people form equal social groups.I admit they don't often work after a while but not usually because of finances. Partners usually don't walk away penniless, heartbroken and wanting to chuck themselves out of a sixth floor window.

I also don't understand why so many people allow their Thai partners to control their money. Dictate what they want (house, car, gold) and then get it.

Thais are often inept at budgeting or planning for the future. Example:- A girl that lives near to me last week was telling me (probably asking but got nowhere) that she needed to borrow Bht 10,000 to pay for an operation for her mother who was rushed to hospital a few days earlier. 'You bought a new Blackberry the other day' - I said - 'How much did that cost?' 'Bht 14,000' - she replied. It still hasn't clicked with her what I was getting at. How can you ever win over that sort of mentality? I know now, as many of us do, experience says you just can't.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Nevo

[MJP]

I feel the main problem with these relationships is a class difference. Some of us do here what we would rarely do back home. That is have committed relationships with people from different social groups / classes. This difference has very little meaning to people at the start of a relationship because it is hidden by many things. Cultural differences, exciting new experiences, language barriers and Thai hospitality. It is later that some realise that they are in at the deep end with no lifebelt. I still feel very sorry for some of them because I know how easily it can happen.

A western guy, or woman for that matter, living in the west who has been well educated, has a decent sum in the bank and a good secure job or retirement income would hardly ever decide to marry an office cleaner, barmaid or bin man. A few exceptions I'm sure. Most relationships in the west are between people form equal social groups.I admit they don't often work after a while but not usually because of finances. Partners usually don't walk away penniless, heartbroken and wanting to chuck themselves out of a sixth floor window.

I also don't understand why so many people allow their Thai partners to control their money. Dictate what they want (house, car, gold) and then get it.

Thais are often inept at budgeting or planning for the future. Example:- A girl that lives near to me last week was telling me (probably asking but got nowhere) that she needed to borrow Bht 10,000 to pay for an operation for her mother who was rushed to hospital a few days earlier. 'You bought a new Blackberry the other day' - I said - 'How much did that cost?' 'Bht 14,000' - she replied. It still hasn't clicked with her what I was getting at. How can you ever win over that sort of mentality? I know now, as many of us do, experience says you just can't.

This is exactly how it is.

[barrybankruad]

I'm always confused by those posts here that seem to believe people with their hand out is the norm in Issan. My wife's family has never asked me for anything. However, comma, I have "helped" them with a number of things, same as if I were back in my home country. I built my parents a house and supported them the last 20 years of their lives. I raised and financed 3 kids, and unfortunately made two ex-wives fairly wealthy. Except for the latter I did these things because I wanted to. In addition, if my in-laws there obviously needed something that I could provide and they couldn't, I took care of it. At this point in my life my wife and her family are as much a part of my family as my own and it seems natural to me to treat them the same. Is this foolish, extreme or bizarre behavior on my part?

Quite right. I certainly spent much more money on my family, especially my parents, than I have spent on my wife's family. After all I had done for them my parents cheated me out of a small fortune, my brother stole money that had been entrusted etc. etc. My sob story I know, but I have never been cheated here in Thailand, I have contributed as much as I could for the comfort and welfare of myself and my wife and her family, and do not regret doing so at all. Wish I could say the same for my family.