Increasing 'Marriage Migration' To Sweden

[george]

Increasing 'Marriage Migration' to Sweden

An upsurge in marriages between older Swedish men and young, underprivileged foreign women raises serious questions about gender equality, according to a new report.

In a new ‘migration by marriage’ study, experts at the University of St Andrews found that over a fifteen year period there has been a 44% increase in young women moving to Sweden from mainly poorer nations in Asia to marry.

The study also found that the poorer the country of birth of the migrant woman, the bigger the age gap between her and her Swedish partner – a finding that experts say raises serious concerns over such women’s freedom of choice.

Dr Maarten van Ham and Swedish colleagues looked at instances of international marriages in Sweden between 1990 and 2004, following Swedish media reports on the phenomenon. They examined 40,000 marriage migrants (partners moving to Sweden to marry), half of which were women - and found that over this period there was a 44% increase in female marriage migrants from mainly Asia, Russia and South America. Interestingly, the study also found a marked increase in Swedish women recruiting their male partners from elsewhere in Europe, North Africa and the US.

Dr van Ham from the University of St Andrews explained, “We set out to explore the suggestion that Swedish men recruiting a partner from abroad are often older men marrying much younger women from Asia and Eastern Europe.

“We found that Swedish men marrying women from the rest of Europe, the US and Australia are often of similar age to their partner. However, Swedish men marrying women from Asia or Eastern-Europe are on average ten years older than their foreign partners.”

The researchers attribute the upsurge in figures to an increase in international travel and use of the internet, as well as the search for a better life abroad. They set out to examine the effects of ‘new’ ways of finding a partner in a more globally connected world.

Dr van Ham explained, “In these cases we describe men finding partners, but 'finding' in this case has a wider meaning as people often do not meet in the 'usual' way. We know that increased travel and international dating sites are important, as well as companies that arrange international marriages.”

The researchers suggest that those men who find a partner from abroad are looking for something they cannot find locally, and that older Swedes find it difficult to find younger women with traditional values at home.

Dr van Ham continued, “Older men looking for younger women might find it hard to meet someone locally. A woman from Thailand might be more willing. Also some men look for more traditional values in their partner, and traditional women are difficult to find in Sweden.”

“From the perspective of the marriage migrant it might be beneficial to marry abroad as it gives access to a new country and a better, or at least wealthier, lifestyle in the west.”

“Of course one should not forget that people could simply fall in love. International travel in work and leisure has increased the probability of meeting potential partners abroad in a more traditional manner,” he commented.

Source: http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=th&news_id=7595

[jayjay0]

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

[Renbe]

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

Kicking in a wide open door.... What's even more scary is that Dr Maarten van Ham is a typical Dutch name, and one wonders how he got to Sweden.... perhaps by marriage?!?!?

[sarahsbloke]

Kicking in a wide open door.... What's even more scary is that Dr Maarten van Ham is a typical Dutch name, and one wonders how he got to Sweden.... perhaps by marriage?!?!?

Doesn't 'Ham' mean '<deleted>' in Thai

[Farang0tang]

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

Kicking in a wide open door.... What's even more scary is that Dr Maarten van Ham is a typical Dutch name, and one wonders how he got to Sweden.... perhaps by marriage?!?!?

did he have his boots on?

[Scott]

I wonder how these figures compare to the number of Swedes (and others) who have married and settled in the second country.

[givenall]

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

More importantly why so many older divorce men look for other place to have a wife, and if they are younger is another plus.

I think is because the European and American women expectations is going above what the man can or will want o put up with

[Bengt]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

[champken]

It really is a no brainer this one, who in their right mind would want a second or third go at marriage with a western woman of around your own age and all that goes with it, perhaps as has been suggested the expectations of western women these days are way above what many men are prepared to put up with, particularly when you look at what your likely to be getting out of it, sorry but a 40,50+ western woman is just not as appealing as a trim 20 or 30 year old Asian woman

[sirchai]

Kicking in a wide open door.... What's even more scary is that Dr Maarten van Ham is a typical Dutch name, and one wonders how he got to Sweden.... perhaps by marriage?!?!?

Doesn't 'Ham' mean '<deleted>' in Thai

The researchers suggest that those men who find a partner from abroad are looking for something they cannot find locally, and that older Swedes find it difficult to find younger women with traditional values at home.

Guess they won't pick berries for them..................

I don't think that most of them marrying an old Swede will be happy. "Traditional values? " Thought most of them are hiding in the woods to be alone? :jap:

[craigt3365]

When I was back in the US this past spring, I was at a party and met 2 other guys who had asian wives. From the PI. I wonder what kind of impact this is having on older women in N. American and European countries?

Several times during our travels we have seen much older women with young men. Africa, Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. Guess ya can't blame them!

[lonewolf99]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

[sirchai]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

But you do not pick berries for them, or? :jap:

[cdnvic]

People not being able to DIY their own houses in Thailand is a myth. If you can show concrete proof of any incident where someone was busted for painting their own house, I'd really like to see it.

(Note: "I heard... My friend told me... etc" is not proof.)

[jayjay0]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

That's quite a life you live. I have only been here for five years so They haven't charged me for going to the beach yet for some reason the police don't even harass me much less constantly. Not being able to buy land in her new husbands country happens in a lot of countries. Sounds like you did the opposite of what most Farongs do you married into money. Not to many Farongs marry a women with enough money to buy land in another country.Ah yes leave the country every 90 days. Get a retirement visa you don't need to leave the country then. You need to show proof of 40,000 baht a month for a married man. Should be no problem with your wife's money.

Yes I hear there are waterfalls that you have to pay money at according to some of the stories a Farong has to pay more. Have you never gone to one. Is that why you forgot the double pricing? I my self have seen a few both free.

You are rite it is a shame you can't make wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints. I wasn't aware that silk screening was a tradit6ional Thai craft item. Thank you for the information.

I might suggest to you that these things being illegal to do you stop trying to do them in the police station and they might stop harassing you.

[surayu]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

I don't think we can blame the thai partners for the rules their country have, in fact i can't imagine any partner in good faith (and not a "mercenary" on a specific mission) to be happy to see their loved one having to go trough all this crap, it is more the result of power games made by people upscale for their own interests, almost totally indifferent to family rights or even basic human rights for that matter, the first reaction one can have can surely be this "eye for the eye" attitude, but let's think about it....whom is really going to get (further) damaged if even the western countries would apply these sort of (...)rules? methink only the already abused couple is going to suffer by going this way, getting lot of greedy nonsense from one side and the same from the other side too is surely too much to cope with, in my personal experience, most locals are totally unaware of the restrictions their country is imposing on us, the aliens without the ufo....

[AZBill]

Speaking as a divorced American man who was married for 25 years to a Western woman, the answer is self evident. After my divorce I dated both younger and older American girls. Contrary to all these assumptions about older men/younger women, it is my experience there are plenty of young American girls also interested in mature and well settled older guys. Certainly not as many as in Asia but believe me, they are out there and they are not that hard to meet. The problem is that the young ones all have an entitlement mentality and it's all about them. On the other hand, the older ones are usually damaged from past bad relationships and carry too much baggage and/or are so engulfed in their own career that they have no real time for a meaningful relationship. I did not intend to find an Asian woman as I was never that naturally attracted to Asian women, but it just happened as these things do. I met her on a business trip. My wife worked for my client and it was kizmit! Yes she is much younger than I but her family is certainly not disadvantaged by Thai standards. We have been together for several years now and are very very happy and we certainly love each other. For me, her traditional value system and unselfish and caring nature is what makes it work. I have never felt so loved or appreciated and she never takes me for granted. That she is young and beautiful is an added bonus. Glittering generalizations seem to abound on this and other sites about older men with younger girls, and there is certainly some truth rolled up in these generalizations, and there are many gold diggers out there just as there are in the West; but there are many many very happy couples out there. Maybe we just don't spend our time posting about it.

[HerbalEd]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

Sounds terrible when you say it like that. I assume you don't live in Thailand. Right?

[kuffki]

well the finding are just mind blowing -NOT.

Anyhow those men can just as well marry a young prostitute back home, but they would not even consider it because she is a prostitute. But by some miracle they have no problem marrying a Thai prostitute.

It might be cheaper is the only reason i can think of, but then again knowing some girls i know, it definitely will be cheaper to marry one back home then in Thailand.

[Phatcharanan]

Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

Oh dear! Bad day huh?

You're a Brit? Yeah......lets go the Western way, unlimited immigration, take in 'all-comers'....strain the welfare, housing and health systems of the Western countries.

Not being able to buy land here is not a bad thing. It protects the Thais. Can you imagine by how much the cost of land would rise if foreigners were able to buy? The Thais would be priced out of the market in a couple of years.

Wish the UK had the same rules.

[pisico]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

I second your thoughts. It is not an opinion but real life facts. No Thai person can feel insulted by the way the government treats Farangs in all the areas you mentioned. Policies that have trickled down to the citizens molding their minds so that they feel that all Farangs have to be subjected to a Cashectomy (total removal of cash) because they have the money and Thais do not. That is the rational; not that is fair, discriminatory or not. By the way, I went to Romania 3 times and even after the fall of their Communist regime, they still have the same attitude towards foreigners as Thais have. Dual price system or worse, free for Romanians and high prices for foreigners. That was true for entertainment, Museums, hotels, etc. Hotels even display openly their prices: the price of the room for a Romanian and price of the room if for a foreigner.

But, do that to a Thai or Romanian in the USA and you will see an army of lawyers (along with the government) descending on the business that would that.

Then again, Barack Hussein Obama says that we have a lot to learn from Europe. Did he hear anything about the recent riots going on for weeks in France because now they have to work 40 hours a week and until age 62?

[sarahsbloke]

Oh dear! Bad day huh?

You're a Brit? Yeah......lets go the Western way, unlimited immigration, take in 'all-comers'....strain the welfare, housing and health systems of the Western countries.

Not being able to buy land here is not a bad thing. It protects the Thais. Can you imagine by how much the cost of land would rise if foreigners were able to buy? The Thais would be priced out of the market in a couple of years.

Wish the UK had the same rules.

No welfare or health systems to strain in Thailand.

Land is already priced out of the local market by Bangkok investors and ladies backed by western men.

[craigt3365]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden) Unfortunately, true. But in my country, admission to parks is expensive for everyone!

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation Retirement visa...easy...

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!! Not everywhere, and if so, it is usually cheap. In other countries, it can be big bucks!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police. The only time I have been stopped is when I have been speeding. And how great is it to pay basically $6 for a speeding ticket. In my country, that would be over $100 and your car insurance would go up at least that much for the next year.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country. That's an issue, but I understand their concerns. And there are ways around this...many do it

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business. That's a problem for sure...luckily, many of us don't really want to work!

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach Consider yourself lucky. In my country, they wouldn't even let you on it. Period.

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again It's a military facility!

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints. You mean make AND sell, right?

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!! You need to show an example here. I've never heard of anyone having issues with this.

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader............... The welfare system here is a joke for sure. But that is the same in many developing countries. You don't like it, go to Europe or the US where everything you do is taxed!

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

For sure there are issues regarding living here. But not much different than many other countries...actually, much better than many other countries. Try living in China.

This is from the Telegraph in an article titled: Britain 'one of the worst countries for expats':

People seeking a new life here have been left disenchanted as they struggle to get on the property ladder and endure worse accommodation than in their native countries.

Others complained that their health had deteriorated since moving to Britain, the world’s largest study of expats found.

Almost half (49 per cent) of people said that the quality of food in the UK was worse than at home, while the British ratings for education and childcare, family life and the pursuit of hobbies were also significantly lower than international averages.

Despite Britain's strong record of assimilating waves of immigrants, we also ranked badly for integration, with just 34 per cent of expats saying they felt involved in local life.

According to the poll the only countries deemed less attractive to expats than Britain are India, Russia and Qatar.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6644342/Britain-one-of-the-worst-countries-for-expats.html

[moetownblues]

People not being able to DIY their own houses in Thailand is a myth. If you can show concrete proof of any incident where someone was busted for painting their own house, I'd really like to see it.

(Note: "I heard... My friend told me... etc" is not proof.)

Not allowed to DIY in own home? that's great news no more painting or doing repairs no more lawns to cut. No more chores great news but the wife is going to be a tad pissed tho when I tell her.

[moetownblues]

I wish that my country have the same rules for immigrants as Thailand have.

Thais however are more than welcome to settle in my home country.

Very very true...Do you think Thai / Vietnamese women would be happy to have to pay 5 times as much to walk around a park (tropical garden)

Leave the country every 90 days just to pay into an international visa scam operation

Actually pay good money to look at a waterfall.....!!!!!!!!!

Constantly be harrased and fined for basically breathing by the local police.

Never be able to buy land in her new husband's country.

Only own 49% of the Thai / Viet Restaurant business.

Pay to go on a beach. - Satahip Navy beach

Not be allowed on a beach at all - Satahip. Navy Beach again

Not be allowed to make "traditional" craft items....like wooden xylophones, bamboo flutes and plinky plonky guitars or Silk screen prints.

and even DIY in her own bleeding house................................!!!!!!!!!!

and lastly be totally destitute when the old guy croaks it and the State welfare system won't pay out honest tax payers money to a freeloader...............

I AM STANDING BY TO BE FLAMED.......I don't care...........all true...

No DIY Move the fridge closer to the sofa (Don't want the wife walking to far as she now has to take up the slack) grab the remote and put the feet up. You gotta love this rule. Are Thailand LOS and I am now smiling with them. No more chores. thank you Thailand :jap: :jap: :jap: :jap: :jap:

[moetownblues]

This is a mean fashion, but not only this. i see the economic side: since when the old and stupid farangs came to thai, the apartment are increasing up 2-300% in some years, the restaurants-shops, same. the young thai wait that this stupid farangs die for keep the heritage, but this'nt a problem. the problem are that the global price are increased, and many thai also have problem for to live. the solution is stop married people with many years of difference. stop stupid and ugly farangs in Asia.

I don't know who you are or what you are. I can only guess that you are a Thai woman who has been trying to land a stupid ugly farang (your words) for many years and have failed or you are a Thai man who has been overlooked by Thai women and feel scorned. Either way I don't care. Please explain mean FASHION for us all on here.

I am a farang man married to a Thai lady who I met in Melbourne, Australia 17 yrs ago. There is 5 yrs age difference between us and guess what she actually owns land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Aquired and paid for by her alone, yes an asian (Thai) owning land in Australia. You complain about stupid farangs who come to Thailand and say they are pushing up apartment prices up. The companies that build these apartments are either 100 % Thai owned or joint Thai/Fanrang ventures. Farangs only allowed a 48% share in that venture. These development companies then advertise these apartments overseas in the hope of selling to a farang. Then only 48% of the occupancy in a block can be owned by a farang so the company have to buy up more land to build more apartments. Then on the other hand how many of these apartments are actually sold? You can see in any town or city in Thailand 1/2 built apartment building that have been decaying for years simply because of the dream of Thai developers who offer and pay wierd prices for the land and never have a buyer be it Thai or Farang from the plans. This also pushes land values up.

Asians (I use this term broadly as you use the term farang broadly) are buying up large pieces of land in Australia. ( Yes land, an asian can own land in Aust unlike and Australian owning land in Thailand) This is pushing the dream of many Australians of owning a home out of the question. So many Australians will never achieve this dream maybe 70% of the next generation and many live in the streets because they cannot afford rents. House and land prices have gone through the roof because of some asians. The Gold Coast (Prime land in Aust) is vitually owned by the Japanese. The eastern suburbs of Melbourne owned by asians (including my wife).

As for thai/farang marriage that is up to the 2 people. These 2 people make thier own choices maybe for the right or wrong reasons but they have an agenda and up to them. Maybe the fat old ugly farang wants companionship in his last years and the young beautiful Thai lady seeks financial support. They both go into knowing the outcome. Let's not forget the billions of overseas dollars that have been poured into the Thai economy over the past decades and future decades because of Thai/Farang relationships.

[xminator]

Its because all the young blond swedish girls marry rich men from USA.

[MikeyIdea]

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

Yes, and what is scary is also that the article says nothing about that it is pretty common also among poor Thai women in Thailand marrying Thai men to choose the older one, for the same reasons as they choose the older western man

Guess the researchers don't even know that...

Edited November 2, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[aussiebebe]

What I noted of interest from the study was the observation that migrants who married Swedes had 'more traditional values'. I agree with this. Everyone had a different upbringing but the 1950s-style family with the male breadwinner and homemaking spouse is surely seen as 'normal' by these older Swedes, who could blame them for wishing to replicate this? Young Thai women aspire precisely to this model and seek to create this with their Thai husband in a way which Westerners would find irresponsible and outdated. Therefore this study is quite enlightened in examining not only the socio-economic circumstances but also the philosophical similarities that can promote the establishment of cross-cultural mine-fields, I mean marriages....

[craigt3365]

People not being able to DIY their own houses in Thailand is a myth. If you can show concrete proof of any incident where someone was busted for painting their own house, I'd really like to see it.

(Note: "I heard... My friend told me... etc" is not proof.)

Not allowed to DIY in own home? that's great news no more painting or doing repairs no more lawns to cut. No more chores great news but the wife is going to be a tad pissed tho when I tell her.

With labor so cheap here, I don't do any work around the house. In the US, I did everything I possibly could to save money. Here, it's just not worth it. In the US, my garage was full of tools...here, well...I don't even have a garage!

Kind of a no brainier. Why would a young Swedish lady marry a old man unless he had a lot of money.

A lady from a poor country would consider a older man with modest means to be well off and a chance to escape poverty. Also in some cases to help there family.

What is scary is it took a university to come to these conclusions.

Yes, and what is scary is also that the article says nothing about that it is pretty common also among poor Thai women in Thailand marrying Thai men to choose the older one, for the same reasons as they choose the older western man

Guess the researchers don't even know that...

Or how about young Thai gals being a mia noi to older Thai guys. Really common here. Some make out great, others, not so great...