Why Do The Western Media Use The Term "Thai Bride"?

[bkkjames]

The western media uses the term "Thai bride" because that is what she is: Thai, and married. It also uses Russian bride, Columbian bride, English bride, American bride, Australian bride, teenage bride, senior bride, blind bride, Olympic bride, baby-boomer bride, Ivy League bride, blushing bride--you get the picture. If you think using the phrase "Thai bride" connotates property, then that is assuming the term "bride" has that connotation.

The word "bride" comes from an old term meaning cook or to cook. And yes, it technically it means a newly-wed, but the term is used somewhat interchangeably with wife without regards to the length of the marriage.

"Bride" means a woman who is about to be married or has just been married. You assume "Thai bride" to be an adjective/noun compound, but when some rag like the Daily Mail use "Thai bride", there's a little bit of sneaky "autosuggestion" afoot here. It's not adjective/noun, it's simply a compound noun. They would never say "Thai wife" or just "bride" to describe a woman who has been married for 8 years. The Daily Mail would not innocently mention the nationality of a UK resident (why is that important?), nor incorrectly use "bride" instead of "wife" (when they always use "wife" to describe a woman married to a man in all their other stories). You'd use the word "bride" if the story was about a wedding, not if they've been married for years.

If these myths are circulated and spread about the public domain long enough, then people begin believing as if it were fact. I think they describe this phenomenon as autosuggestion from outside influences.

Exactly.

The problem OP is that on TV you are preaching to the conformed. I suggest you take it up with the media in the west.....

[TingTawng]

"Englishman" is not derogatory. "<deleted> Englishman" is. "Yankee" is not derogatory. "Bloody Yankee" is. "Bride" is not derogatory. "Mail-order bride" is.

Your problem is that you don't understand even what "bride" means. Clue: it doesn't mean a woman who was married for 8 years.

Edited November 4, 2011 by TingTawng

[klikster]

When someone asks me if I have a "Thai wife", I respond simply, "My wife is Thai."

Some respond, "It's the same thing."

Me, "No. My wife is not an adjective."

[bkkjames]

"Englishman" is not derogatory. "<deleted> Englishman" is. "Yankee" is not derogatory. "Bloody Yankee" is. "Bride" is not derogatory. "Mail-order bride" is.

Your problem is that you don't understand even what "bride" means. Clue: it doesn't mean a woman who was married for 8 years.

Alright OP, time to come clean...what happened?

Took your Thai wife of 8 years to the annual golf club dinner and somebody asked her to be his caddy?

[TingTawng]

The problem OP is that on TV you are preaching to the conformed. I suggest you take it up with the media in the west.....

Well, there's enough resistance in this thread to make for an interesting conversation - good to sharpen some arguments here so I can better point out the various hypocrisies of PC thinking in the west (in the visitor comments on these rag's websites).

Alright OP, time to come clean...what happened?

Took your Thai wife of 8 years to the annual golf club dinner and somebody asked her to be his caddy?

Just saw that phrase in the news yesterday and I'd honestly forgetten about it for a while (living in Thailand).

Edited November 4, 2011 by TingTawng

[klikster]

"Yankee" is not derogatory.

To you, maybe. To me the nationalistic term "Yankee", or "Yank", is. Do some research about the origin and early usage of the term.

[bkkjames]

The problem OP is that on TV you are preaching to the conformed. I suggest you take it up with the media in the west.....

Well, there's enough resistance in this thread to make for an interesting conversation - good to sharpen some arguments here so I can better point out the various hypocrisies of PC thinking in the west (in the visitor comments on these rag's websites).

Let me help....

"Dear Editor: I am writing to object to the words Thai Bride in reference to someone who has is/was a married Thai National of the Feminine Persuasion. My wife of 8 years has never been a Thai Bride, but just a bride prior to our marriage. Do you refer to people who have married a Scouse from Liverpool as a Bindipping Bride or one from West Ham as Relegated Bride? Thought Not.

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

In closing, I will say that I am forwarding a copy of your story to the Human Rights Commission on Brides and will be starting a topic on an expat website in Thailand to drum up support for my campaign called 'Don't mess with X's'. Furthermore, I have scheduled an appointment with my MP to have this issue brought before the House in a special session - think News of the World meets Pissed off Thai Wives of the World = War of the Worlds.

Sincerely and respectively yours.

Tingtawng from Newcastle."

[luckizuchinni]

"Englishman" is not derogatory. "<deleted> Englishman" is. "Yankee" is not derogatory. "Bloody Yankee" is. "Bride" is not derogatory. "Mail-order bride" is.

Your problem is that you don't understand even what "bride" means. Clue: it doesn't mean a woman who was married for 8 years.

Uh, thanks for telling me what I know and don't know.

I am fully versed on the English language and the word "bride" specifically. As I wrote before, the word technically does mean a woman about to be married or a newlywed woman. But usage is different. Women who have been married for any length of time are regularly referred to as "brides," and that has entered the lexicon. All I am saying is that calling a Thai married woman a bride is no different than calling an American woman or an old woman who has been married a long time a bride.

Words shift in meaning as they evolve in the lexicon. Otherwise, we would still be saying "bride" and meaning cook, as is the etymology of the word.

If most of you posters want to slag me and disagree, fine. Your opinion. I just don't take "Thai bride" as any more offensive than "English bride" or "Australian bide."

As I wrote in a recent post, I also see this moral outrage as "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

[TingTawng]

The problem OP is that on TV you are preaching to the conformed. I suggest you take it up with the media in the west.....

Well, there's enough resistance in this thread to make for an interesting conversation - good to sharpen some arguments here so I can better point out the various hypocrisies of PC thinking in the west (in the visitor comments on these rag's websites).

Let me help....

"Dear Editor: I am writing to object to the words Thai Bride in reference to someone who has is/was a married Thai National of the Feminine Persuasion. My wife of 8 years has never been a Thai Bride, but just a bride prior to our marriage. Do you refer to people who have married a Scouse from Liverpool as a Bindipping Bride or one from West Ham as Relegated Bride? Thought Not.

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

In closing, I will say that I am forwarding a copy of your story to the Human Rights Commission on Brides and will be starting a topic on an expat website in Thailand to drum up support for my campaign called 'Don't mess with X's'. Furthermore, I have scheduled an appointment with my MP to have this issue brought before the House in a special session - think News of the World meets Pissed off Thai Wives of the World = War of the Worlds.

Sincerely and respectively yours.

Tingtawng from Newcastle."

That worked for me right up to the point you said I was from Newcastle.

[lovelomsak]

When I first started coming to Thailand the term thai wife meant a concubine that would live with a foreigner when he was in Thailand on business or holidays. Many thai wives at that time worked the sex industry and would simply leave their job and live with their foreign lover till he returned home.Some of these relationships went on for years. They were women of convenience.

Back then when you said thai wife to someone they understood exactly what you meant. Now it has gone mainstream and means a woman of thai ancestry you have married.

[luckizuchinni]

"Yankee" is not derogatory.

To you, maybe. To me the nationalistic term "Yankee", or "Yank", is. Do some research about the origin and early usage of the term.

It sure isn't to me, nor to the millions of fans of the other New York baseball team.

[klikster]

"Yankee" is not derogatory.

To you, maybe. To me the nationalistic term "Yankee", or "Yank", is. Do some research about the origin and early usage of the term.

It sure isn't to me, nor to the millions of fans of the other New York baseball team.

Umm, didn't read my post very well, did you?

[TingTawng]

Women who have been married for any length of time are regularly referred to as "brides," and that has entered the lexicon

Regularly referred to as brides? Hmmm, not unless there's an adjective put in front of it like Russian or Thai.

"Fancy a pint?"

"Yeah, would be nice to get away from the bride for a few hours"

[luckizuchinni]

Women who have been married for any length of time are regularly referred to as "brides," and that has entered the lexicon

Regularly referred to as brides? Hmmm, not unless there's an adjective put in front of it like Russian or Thai.

"Fancy a pint?"

"Yeah, would be nice to get away from the bride for a few hours"

Yes, getting away from the "bride," "other half," "little lady," "ball and chain," "missus"--all would work in that case.

Now if your wife is fat, is "the little lady" not allowed? Or is "ball and chain" never used because men usually marry a human and not metal implements? Usage is usage, and if you have never used nor heard the term "bride" used to signify a long-married woman, so be it. I have.

And I am done delving into linguistics, etymology, and word usage. If you want to have the last word on it, please be my guest.

This thread is about the perception that western media is perpetuating some sort of idea that Thai women are property at worst, and not being PC at best. I think those of you who feel that is the case are overreacting. It is my belief (belief, not a factual certainty) that most people would not perceive a mention of a "Thai bride" to be any more derogatory than any other usage of the "bride" word. I do not see the usage as any slam on Thai women nor the non-Thai men who marry them.

[ludditeman]

I always thought "Thai bride" was used by the media as an euphemism for "prostitute"

(works for "Russian bride" as well)

[DP25]

There is a reason that all the papers except the Daily Mail, which has a hard on for denigrating anything to do with Thailand, used the word wife instead 'bride' to describe a woman who had been married for years in the star wars murder story. They know it just sounds weird and creepy to use bride in that circumstance which the feeling they want to convey

[SantiSuk]

No media misrepresentation could have sunk Thai women into as undeserved and denigrated a category as 'Little Britain', the UK alternative comedy.

Ting Tong turns up in the local village and turns out to be a bloke in drag; nonetheless 'she' is kept, because she has 'special skills' . Stunningly hilarious (someone give us a u-Tube clip please) but deeply racist.

[onionluke]

There is a reason that all the papers except the Daily Mail, which has a hard on for denigrating anything to do with Thailand, used the word wife instead 'bride' to describe a woman who had been married for years in the star wars murder story. They know it just sounds weird and creepy to use bride in that circumstance which the feeling they want to convey

This case may very well be remembered as - The Toy Thai Bride Murder .

[Thongkorn]

Personally I don't care, all I know is that I have one of the most caring people i have ever known in my Thai wife, Its there problem not mine, And i don't feel as if i have to explain to anyone where i met her,

[luckizuchinni]

Personally I don't care, all I know is that I have one of the most caring people i have ever known in my Thai wife, Its there problem not mine, And i don't feel as if i have to explain to anyone where i met her,

+1

[RichardL]

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

Again, this has backwards thinking.

It's not stereotyping Thai or Asian women. The context of Here's Dave and his "Thai bride" is actually exactly the same as Here's Dave and his "wife", meaning it's not a proper marriage as she only married him for economic reasons, and she'd never be with him otherwise. The comments tend to particularly pointed when the guy is old grey and fat, and his wife is an attractive woman 20 years younger.

It's not that the bride from Thailand isn't as good as an English bride, it's that the man isn't considered a proper husband. The stigma is on him, not her.

If people see the marriage is genuine then they drop the "Thai bride" bit.

[Samuian]

incredible thread!

by the way a bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed. The word comes from the Teutonic word for "cooking"!

So is the Chef from Thailand? Amazes me what people worry about!

[bkkjames]

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

Again, this has backwards thinking.

It's not stereotyping Thai or Asian women. The context of Here's Dave and his "Thai bride" is actually exactly the same as Here's Dave and his "wife", meaning it's not a proper marriage as she only married him for economic reasons, and she'd never be with him otherwise. The comments tend to particularly pointed when the guy is old grey and fat, and his wife is an attractive woman 20 years younger.

It's not that the bride from Thailand isn't as good as an English bride, it's that the man isn't considered a proper husband. The stigma is on him, not her.

If people see the marriage is genuine then they drop the "Thai bride" bit.

Disagree...in the West people do look down on Thai Wives, but they also look down on the husband. To those who look down : they can kiss my hairy behind.

[farang000999]

OP has a point. The media in the West does use this phrase very frequently yet never say "English Groom".

[manarak]

The reason the media use this term is because they (the media) are cheap hookers.

They will use any catchphrase to lure the reader.

It doesn't matter that the added elements are irrelevant or misleading, as long as they are technically correct.

[WebBangkok]

This brought me back memories from John Brogden who was the opposition leader to NSW in Australia.

Calling the premiers wife who was Malaysian a "mail order bride" lol

It was huge in the media and the guy tried to commit suicide over it.

Anyways, thought I would share the above useless info.

[RichardL]

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

Again, this has backwards thinking.

It's not stereotyping Thai or Asian women. The context of Here's Dave and his "Thai bride" is actually exactly the same as Here's Dave and his "wife", meaning it's not a proper marriage as she only married him for economic reasons, and she'd never be with him otherwise. The comments tend to particularly pointed when the guy is old grey and fat, and his wife is an attractive woman 20 years younger.

It's not that the bride from Thailand isn't as good as an English bride, it's that the man isn't considered a proper husband. The stigma is on him, not her.

If people see the marriage is genuine then they drop the "Thai bride" bit.

Disagree...in the West people do look down on Thai Wives, but they also look down on the husband. To those who look down : they can kiss my hairy behind.

They are pitied, but not looked down upon as such. They are viewed as being seen by the husband as a commodity that can be bought.

It's not assumed they are all ex-prostitutes either. It's more likely to be assumed they joined a marriage agency where they could be introduced to comparatively wealthy men from the west. The bargirl stereotype is more likely to be a girl who pretends to be in love with a guy via email, while fleecing him for money.

I think the "thai wife" thing is much less pronounced for younger guys. A 30 year old guy with a wife from Thailand (unless he's ugly) will be assumed to have found his wife in the normal way, through living there.

The 50+ guy who goes over to Thailand for two weeks and comes back engaged to a 29 year old, rather less so.

[MAJIC]

Well it could have been worse than;Thai Bride,

another Media way of Biasing, and falsely labelling is :Thai Mail Order Bride,

the disgraceful inuendo,is that they can be bought from a catalogue.

Disgusting,gutter press, Journalism!

[TingTawng]

Yes, getting away from the "bride," "other half," "little lady," "ball and chain," "missus"--all would work in that case.

NOBODY refers to their wife as their "bride". That's as absurd as a woman calling her husband her "groom" unless she's waiting at the altar.

All your other examples are OK, but bride? No. You can't be from a native English speaking country if you think men call their "other half" their "bride". Come on, mate - don't argue for the sake of it

Edited November 4, 2011 by TingTawng

[MAJIC]

Not sure if your suffering from a case of buyer remorse or what - but referring to women from Thailand who are married as 'Thai Brides' is insulting and perpetuates a long held but ignorant stereotype of Asian women, and in particular Thai women, as being something different than an ordinary English Bride.

Again, this has backwards thinking.

It's not stereotyping Thai or Asian women. The context of Here's Dave and his "Thai bride" is actually exactly the same as Here's Dave and his "wife", meaning it's not a proper marriage as she only married him for economic reasons, and she'd never be with him otherwise. The comments tend to particularly pointed when the guy is old grey and fat, and his wife is an attractive woman 20 years younger.

It's not that the bride from Thailand isn't as good as an English bride, it's that the man isn't considered a proper husband. The stigma is on him, not her.

If people see the marriage is genuine then they drop the "Thai bride" bit.

Disagree...in the West people do look down on Thai Wives, but they also look down on the husband. To those who look down : they can kiss my hairy behind.

They are pitied, but not looked down upon as such. They are viewed as being seen by the husband as a commodity that can be bought.

It's not assumed they are all ex-prostitutes either. It's more likely to be assumed they joined a marriage agency where they could be introduced to comparatively wealthy men from the west. The bargirl stereotype is more likely to be a girl who pretends to be in love with a guy via email, while fleecing him for money.

I think the "thai wife" thing is much less pronounced for younger guys. A 30 year old guy with a wife from Thailand (unless he's ugly) will be assumed to have found his wife in the normal way, through living there.

The 50+ guy who goes over to Thailand for two weeks and comes back engaged to a 29 year old, rather less so.

Just another Myth,and not a Snowballs chance in hell,of being reality!

I see Richard you are new to Thai Visa,would that be new to Thailand as well?

Edited November 4, 2011 by MAJIC