So I'm back from my month long stay with my boyfriend and his family in Bangkok. On the side of that though we travelled around some southern provinces (Surat Thani and surrounding) and then were sent to Koh Samui for a few days. Then we visited his older brother and I even met his grandmother (Fathers mother) before being sent off to Phuket. After that we returned to Bangkok for a week and a half to stay with his mother. And later we were sent off to Chiang Mai and stayed on Pai(sp?) before returning to BKK before I left.

I was so worried the whole time because his father would pay for me ALOT. And I knew not to object and thank him. But to me, sometimes it was too too much and I ended up upset and crying at one point because I was overwhelmed. My boyfriend got upset with me and told me to stop and just think of it as the same as when he stays with my parents, they care for him the same as me and he spent many christmas' with us. (I still felt a bit like a freeloader at points though, nor was expecting to do all the things we did!)

Also, I always stayed in the same room as my bf~! I was a little shocked to be allowed to do that because we aren't allowed to stay in the same room even at my home here in Canada!

Communicating with his mom was sometimes hard, shes a little intense and speaks less english lol (there was alot of games of sherades) and my bf gets along with her less than his father, so there were awkward moments. But she really is very nice and I hope she likes me. I never really knew exackly what was going on at times but I easily went along with the flow. haha

Upon leaving, my bf tried to get it so only he and I would go to the airport, because he knew that I would feel like crying and I was a little uncomfortable knowing it would be hard to give him a hug and a kiss goodbye with his mom and dad there... but his dad insisted on taking me. So when it was time to go to my gate I wasn't sure what to do. But I think my bf was a little more upset then I was because he gave me a big hug and a kiss right in front of his Dad, who looked very uncomfortable lol, then I thanked him again, wai'ed and said a choked up goodbye.

The problem with it all though was that by the time it was all over I was flat broke.. in fact I'm still flat broke. And besides the initial gifts I gave them, I didn't have a thankyou gift. I am going to send a thankyou card, and some printed pictures of my bf, my family etc and invite them to come visit Canada. And maybe a few postcards/letters because I'm going to study french next month in another province, something his mother thought was great. I would like to keep in touch with them. I also plan to send a christmas present to them and a small one to his aunt who has a gorgeous baby girl.

I hope that this will be enough, and I hope that they liked me. I know they must have really forgave me a few of my western differences during my stay and I am trying to learn a bit more Thai to hopefully better communicate.

If anybody has any tips or suggestions for me to show my thankfulness or how to best keep in touch please post them! I would love any experience you may have in this department. And all the tips I recieved before I left really helped alot. Thankyou!

Overall my first trip to Thailand was wonderful and I hope to return someday for sure!

Buy 2 beautiful photo books about Canada and send 1 to the father and 1 to the mother. It doesn't have to be in Thai as the pictures speak for themselves.

Write a 'thank you' card in English and ask your BF to translate (and write) it in Thai.

That's enough I would think.

LaoPo

Sounds like it went very well, good to hear. And you were right to let his dad pay, its what Thai people do, you just graciously say thank you very much.

You might consider a scrapbook/photo album of photos of his family with you on your trip-- include some photos from home and your family as well.

Hope all our advice made things a tad easier for you

Thanks so much sbk and Laopo.

The advice I got really did help me alot. I feel like I've learned so much and gained alot of experience and my bf and I are much closer now I would say.