Westerners Follow Thai Brides To Live In Hard-Up Northeast

[landofthefree]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

[basjke]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

I should build another 4 bedroom house for the longterm girlfriend,then after a few years go work again in bangok because your relation and dosh are finished,and spend some time in Pattaya again with your friends.

[eurasianthai]

Well, if you're retired and hence getting a bit on the old side, health becomes an issue or could become one.

And hence health care, or availability of health care starts to be a priority.

And I'm not sure that, for the time being, Isaan is the place to be for that.

[rgs2001uk]

Totally agree, I love living in Udon. It has everything Bankok has, obviously on a smaller scale and without the hassle and stress, major traffic and polution issues, is cheaper, the people a lot friendlier, so much cleaner and you can actually walk down the streets without the risk of getting knocked over at every juncture. I rent a nice little 3 bed bungalow with it's own garden, (inc. mango tree and small pond), all for 3500BHT (inclusive of elec and water per month), my one room apartment in Phra Padaeng BKK cost twice that and was noisey all of the time. Quality of life here, imo, is so much better. One drawback...only 1 hours drive from the g/f's village so we are always on call, but they're great people so I don't mind so much.

" I rent a nice little 3 bed bungalow with it's own garden, (inc. mango tree and small pond), all for 3500BHT"

At least one poster with his head screwed on, take note, 3500 baht per month.

No need to splash out millions on an Issan mansion.

Many would say its a bonus being 1 hrs drive from the g/f's village, my repsect for you grows even more, how astute.

[Stjohnm]

Its getting v boring reading the same story every year

[way2muchcoffee]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

I'd choose Buriram full time and probably head to Pattaya or some other destination for a couple weeks every few months. More often if my budget allowed for it.

Edited March 25, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[Eazy-Going]

Why thanks a million rgs, your compliments are well recieved. I see many ex-pats in the area with their massive mansions and I also often wonder to myself if they are enjoying it here any more than me, I have cable TV, internet connection, transport etc, just the same as them but without the enormous outlay, and they always seem to be whinging, bitching and whining about life here in Thailand, whereas I just enjoy each day with no regrets of what I left behind in miserable old 'blighty'.

[elliss]

Its getting v boring reading the same story every year

then ,, why the fkc , are you reading this topic .

go back and look at the exchange rates ,

and have a real good moan ..

[Buang]

I am 46 and my wife 27 we have been married now for 9 years and have a wonderful 8 year old son, we built a home in my wifes village in Sri Samrong about 20klms from Sukhothai and since building the house have purchased 30 acres of land ajoining the house. The best part of the day is sitting back on the balcony in the afternoon overlooking the fields and watching the sun set with my beautiful wife whilst sharing a nice cold Chang and good conversation and thinking how lucky and privlaged I am to have been brought into this enviroment as there is nothing better than this.

[Starlifter]

Its getting v boring reading the same story every year

then ,, why the fkc , are you reading this topic .

go back and look at the exchange rates ,

and have a real good moan ..

Bingo!

Perhaps to some if it isn't another Pattaya story it just too boring.

I know if I want to read Issan stories I should stick to the Issan section.

Well next month I'll make my first trip to Pattaya so perhaps I'll change my mind and go "to the dark side"

Then it's back to Issan

[lensta]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

None of them. I have my little peice of paradise

[craigt3365]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

You don't have to live IN Pattaya to enjoy it here. Plenty of inexpensive places 20-30 minutes away and still near the beach, which is critical for me. And easy to pop down to Central to enjoy some shopping or a movie...along with plenty of great places to eat. Loads of great, inexpensive restaurants south of Jomtien right on the water. Many of my friends live out that way. Could not live in Issan. Just too rural for me. Even if in a "mansion". Maybe when I get older, but like said before, quality heath care is becoming more and more important as we age.

[Tejas]

One assumption many people are making is that living in Isan is not a positive choice for some farangs.

Actually, some prefer living in the country in a big Western style house with a large garden and animals, etc.

They don't like concrete coffins and traffic jams and high prices.

Some are actually happy living in Isan. They like the lifestyle and people (both farang and Thai) better than in places like Hua Hin, Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Me? I like the ocean and lots of Western amenities. But that is me. I get too bored living in the countryside.

I know for a fact that many farangs, if given the choice and having the money to live anywhere in Thailand, would make the decision to live in the hinterlands of Thailand.

People are simply diffferent.........it is not always the farang doing what the Thai girl wants..........in some cases it is the farang demanding that they live in the hinterlands.

IMHO

[craigt3365]

Right on! Some like chocolate, some vanilla, and me...I like strawberry! It's great we have so many choices here in Thailand. That is the one thing I really do enjoy. I do love the beach, but sure miss the mountains...and it's hard to argue with the beauty of the rice fields just after they have come up. An amazing color of green.

[bkkjames]

In case those of you missed earlier versions of the same news I present..

Bagging a farang

Most single Isaan women want a Western husband: poll

More than threefifths of women in the Northeast surveyed in an Isaan poll said they wanted to marry farang husbands, mainly because of their wealth, faithfulness and respect for women.

Of 484 women living in 19 northeastern provinces surฌveyed in March and April, 61 per cent said they deemed Western men rich, 53 per cent said they thought farang men were kind and respected women more than Thai men, while 16 per cent said they wanted to marry and live abroad.

Englishmen were the favourites, gaining 32 per cent of respondents' votes, while Americans and Germans trailed behind with 21 and eight per cent respectively.

The survey found that women who were already married to foreign husbands spent a large portion (20 per cent) of their monthly income on electricity and water bills as their homes tended to be large and full of domestic appliances - another factor that attracted single, northeastern women.

-- The Nation 2009-05-22

Udon Thani leads nation in foreign husbands

UDON THANI: A survey carried out in the Northeast has found that Udon Thani province has the most women married to foreigners.

The survey, carried out in 15 northeastern provinces by the National Economic and Social Development Board, found 14,063 women from the predominantly agricultural Northeast who were married to non-Thais.

Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Nong Khai topped other provinces with 15 per cent, 14 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively, of the women surveyed who were married to men from foreign countries.

Supoj Rodruang secretary of Udon Thani Provincial Office said that there were 845 women in Udon Thani married to foreigners and living in Thailand, and more than 1,000 women living overseas with their foreign husbands.

Supot said Nong Wua Saw District, where many women seek work overseas, reported the most foreign marriages.

“They return from abroad with foreign husbands and marry them in Thailand,’’ he said.

Sureeporn Intanet, 27, a resident of Maha Sarakham’s Kosumpisai district, said she employed a dating company to find a foreign husband.

In May Sureeporn went to Germany to live with a 42-year-old German computer programmer.

“He has taken good care of me. We fell in love and decided to get married in Thailand,’’ she said.

Sureeporn said she heard about the dating service from friends, some of whom returned from overseas with husbands of their own.

--The Nation 2003-11-24

The benefits of mixed marriages

Published on April 22, 2008

Thai women find security and comfort while farang men discover the joy that living with a large family can bring

The Nation

The Cambodian Government recently suspended marriages between local women and foreigners after hearing from the International Organisation for Migration about the plight of women who migrate to their spouses' countries. But in Thailand, a migration of foreign or "farang" husbands to live in their Thai wives' rural villages in the northeastern provinces (Isaan region) has revealed other sides of cross-cultural marriages.

Most foreign husbands today know well that they are not married only to a Thai wife but also to her large family, senior anthropologist Suriya Smutkupt said. Suriya had talked to farang sons-in-law in Isaan province.

"I would like to hear the views of farang husbands as many studies already reflect Thai wives' perspectives of marrying foreigners," he said.

From 2005 to 2007, Suriya travelled intensively from his hometown in Chiang Mai province in the north to talk to farang husbands in villages in the northeastern provinces of Khon Kaen, Nakhon Rachasima (also known as Khorat) and Udon Thani.

"They told me their wives' large families gave them warmth that they could never find in their own countries," Suriya said.

Also, foreign sons-in-law of Isaan find all the conveniences of their home countries here and can stay connected to their friends and relatives via the Internet, he said.

Suriya spoke to 34 men from Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Switzer-land, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States.

The farangs were seasoned travellers to Asian countries. Most had previous marriages with farang women, Suriya said.

Their Isaan wives are of rural, low-income and low-education families and many couples met in tourist destinations such as Pattaya, he said.

Some husbands said they did not want to marry virgins or young women. They said they understood that Thai women become sex workers because their families are poor.

A farang husband asked his Thai wife to forget the past and begin a new life with him. However, some confessed that their perspective on Thai wives and their ex-wives was different, Suriya said.

"It's interesting that these farang husbands encouraged their wives to speak English in order to be a bridge between other women in their communities and their husbands' friends and relatives," he said.

David is from England and now lives in Chiang Mai province, which is his Thai wife's home.

"I am a 'farang' who married a honest, respectable village woman from a poor family. She has survived the hardships of being rejected by a Thai man, left to bring up a young daughter alone, and being seen as someone to be avoided in case she wants to borrow money," he said.

"We help local women in similar circumstances have a chance at a better life by finding them a good farang man," he said.

Last year, David and his wife offered translation and English classes to help women in their community communicate with foreign men.

The family has also started a website to introduce them to westerners looking for the kind of family life that respectable Thai ladies are renowned for.

[mca]

Actually, some prefer living in the country in a big Western style house with a large garden and animals, etc.

Michael Jackson's dead mate.

[somtampet]

Why thanks a million rgs, your compliments are well recieved. I see many ex-pats in the area with their massive mansions and I also often wonder to myself if they are enjoying it here any more than me, I have cable TV, internet connection, transport etc, just the same as them but without the enormous outlay, and they always seem to be whinging, bitching and whining about life here in Thailand, whereas I just enjoy each day with no regrets of what I left behind in miserable old 'blighty'.

good point.

Realy makes me laugh when farang comes on here and says they love living up country,then proceed to say how big the house is lol.Dont think the issan people are impressed with farang living in the jungle with a big house.Most farangs could not live the lifestyle of the thais

[siampolee]

Doesn't matter who our what your partner may be or even where you live. Life is what you make of it, don't be influenced by others if your lifestyle suits you live that lifestyle.Married to a Surin lass and have been for 18 years, life is good

We ( includes our three boys ) live on the outskirts of Bangkok and like it , my colleagues think I'm in the middle of no-where. Seacon Square, Seri Centre, Foodland and now Villa are but 10 minutes away, we have a first class English butcher who supplies traditional English butchers shop products doorstep too. All the convenience of Bangkok, without the Bangkok rat race or pollution. No keeping up with the pseudo superior Farang lifestyle here.

I love our life style on our farm in Surin too, again but 35 kilometres from our Surin home we have a butchers shop the same as the one we have in Bangkok, Lotus Tesco is only 35 kilometres away 7-11 is but 10 kilometres away and the lifestyle is so laid back it's unreal. The village has a variety of mom and pop house shops, food is wholesome and cheap, however just like Thais who live abroad sometimes I like them I want that special; something to nibble on. All I may want is but 35 kilometres away.

Our home is a decent four bedroomed house in keeping with others owned by locals in the village, contrary to popular belief poverty is not widespread. Yes we too have the internet and electricity, land line telephones tooo as well as our mobiles !!

A satellite dish on the roof as cable hasn't reached us yet, mind you we don't have cable T.V. in Bangkok either, don't need need it, a decent pick up truck and a couple of motorcycles

Not a big culture shock but more a time warp for the better too.

I reckon 2 more years in Bangkok and then of to the delights of Surin full time.

Enjoy your life it's no fun run it's for real.

Edited March 26, 2010 by siampolee

[Sisaketmike]

"It doesn't matter whether you're fat, you're ugly, you've got spew hanging out of your mouth or whatever else, there's some lady here who will want to take care of you," Justin says with a grin.

My favorite line

I love that, now all retards will come to Justin.....

[elliss]

Is it this time of the year again already? To roll out the old Farang Husbands of Issan story. Usually the Nation does this in May but I guess AFP was having a slow week and wanted to break the news early this year.

Don't believe, search back on TV. Same story x 3 years - only different date and different names. Last year it was Tookata and Jeoff I believe. The year before that Aey and Samuel.

you know soo much about thiese previous topics ,

you even remember their names ..

[elliss]

"It doesn't matter whether you're fat, you're ugly, you've got spew hanging out of your mouth or whatever else, there's some lady here who will want to take care of you," Justin says with a grin.

My favorite line

I love that, now all retards will come to Justin.....

they allready do , he used to have a bar in udon ,

drunk more than he sold ..

[gregb]

Well, if you're retired and hence getting a bit on the old side, health becomes an issue or could become one.

And hence health care, or availability of health care starts to be a priority.

And I'm not sure that, for the time being, Isaan is the place to be for that.

You must be joking, Ubon is loaded with hozzy's, public and private dealing in anything. I have two elderly farang friends with diabetes and other stuff, that tell me their treatment is better than their homeland, and NO waiting for an appointment.

Myself had a boil that got out of hand, walked in a hozzy, was on the table, had it cut out all in an hour.

For those of us here who do not speak Klingon, can someone tell me what a "hozzy" is?

I thought I had heard all those strange, colorful European metaphors, but I have never heard that before. I assume this is a type of medical clinic? What dialect of English uses that term?

[landofthefree]

WESTERNERS , FOLLOW THAI BAR GIRLS TO ISSAN .

since most of the farangs , living in issan .

met their thai wives / girl friends working in the hospitality buisness ,

in pattaya , phucket , bangkok . it being their plan to net a farang in these places.

the road to issan , has been well trodden , for a long time ..

Good points however I have a question for TV posters on this topic. The question is that retirement is rapidly approaching for me and I have been pondering the following and would welcome your experiences and advice on the matter

if you had a choice of:

1/ living in Bangkok where you have lived and worked for 6 years

2/ living in Pattaya where you have always had a good but expensive time with loads of Farrang for company

3/ living in a tiny village in Buriram in a 3 bedroom house already built and owned by the long term girlfriend(from her marriage to a Farrang which has now finished)

which one would you go for? Advice welcomed

Thanks a lot for your advice Only one poster advised moving to Buriram, interesting. I wonder which option carries the most and least amount of life expectancy I suspect old patters is the worst on this front but I bet you'd go out with a smile on your face!

[neverdie]

"It doesn't matter whether you're fat, you're ugly, you've got spew hanging out of your mouth or whatever else, there's some lady here who will want to take care of you," Justin says with a grin.

My favorite line

I love that, now all retards will come to Justin.....

I wonder if thats the guy with the 3mm penis.....just in. (sorry i couldnt help myself)

[mca]

I wonder which option carries the most and least amount of life expectancy

I reckon BKK is your safest bet as a number of Pattaya expats have been known to go 20 storey condo bungee jumping without the benefit of a bungee and there's always a chance in Buriram of your "teerak" bludgeoning you to death for your hard earned with the aid of her Thai husband who you knew nothing about.

[way2muchcoffee]

Thanks a lot for your advice Only one poster advised moving to Buriram, interesting. I wonder which option carries the most and least amount of life expectancy I suspect old patters is the worst on this front but I bet you'd go out with a smile on your face!

Yeah. That poster was me. It really depends on what you want. I would choose Buriram because the land is really quite beautiful around there. I would also want to live in comfort, and it sounds like the house in Buriram would provide that. Beaches, bars, girls, foreign foods, etc are all available in Pattaya and elsewhere, but would be severely limited in Buriram. Personally, I want my retirement to be peaceful. I want a spread of land and a comfortable house. I want to wake up, step outside, and smell fresh air and see pregnant crops before harvest. I appreciate the rural Thais and their attitude.

Pattaya is sin city. I wouldn't want to live there full time. Well, maybe I would, but I don't think I'll be able to afford it when the time comes. It would be better, and healthier, to get my Pattaya fix in small doses.

BKK is polluted and has far too many people. It wouldn't be comfortable for me in retirement.

I expect to have simple needs in my retirement, comfort being chief among them. Buriram or near any rural city center would do me just fine.

[GungaDin]

Why thanks a million rgs, your compliments are well recieved. I see many ex-pats in the area with their massive mansions and I also often wonder to myself if they are enjoying it here any more than me, I have cable TV, internet connection, transport etc, just the same as them but without the enormous outlay, and they always seem to be whinging, bitching and whining about life here in Thailand, whereas I just enjoy each day with no regrets of what I left behind in miserable old 'blighty'.

G'day EG.

How long have you lived in Isaan?

[samuibeachcomber]

go to whereever you are happy.Isaan is a lot cheaper to live than other areas of thailand,people friendly and plenty of open spaces.Also an oppotunity to really learn thai language as i would imagine it could be pretty lonely if you dont speak thai.

[elliss]

Well, if you're retired and hence getting a bit on the old side, health becomes an issue or could become one.

And hence health care, or availability of health care starts to be a priority.

And I'm not sure that, for the time being, Isaan is the place to be for that.

You must be joking, Ubon is loaded with hozzy's, public and private dealing in anything. I have two elderly farang friends with diabetes and other stuff, that tell me their treatment is better than their homeland, and NO waiting for an appointment.

Myself had a boil that got out of hand, walked in a hozzy, was on the table, had it cut out all in an hour.

For those of us here who do not speak Klingon, can someone tell me what a "hozzy" is?

I thought I had heard all those strange, colorful European metaphors, but I have never heard that before. I assume this is a type of medical clinic? What dialect of English uses that term?

hozzy in newkee

hospital in newcasle

[cognos]

thanks to BKK James for printing that.. my wife is not from Issan, happens to be from Phuket, but i get tired of all the negative stuff about Issan women, printed by a MINORITY of farangs that run into trouble into their relationships, and that seems to be ALL we hear about..

..when most of us know FULL WELL that the majority of Issan women are respectable and make good wives.

..we also know that many or even MOST of the farang that marry them are respectable, but unfortunately their positive testimonials are often DROWNED OUT by the harsh and BITTER writings of the jaded, cynical, negative posters who have unfortunately the chosen wrong ones, or treated them the wrong way.

signed: the minority rules