New Member

[Miruku]

Hi. I'm new to this forum and would like to inject a positive note to the topic of successful or otherwise farang/Thai relationships. My partner and I have been together for just over 10 years. He comes from a really terrific subsistance rice farming family with parents still living, in their late 80's (his Lao grandmother died last year at 103) and 10 siblings. With no money and while working on the farm, all of the children went to at least high school level and 4 went through university financed by their working older siblings. There is a substantial age difference between my partner and I but fortunately I happen to be the same age as his eldest brother so it doesn't present any serious problem. Originally I financed my partner through a trade school in Oz, he won awards and now he has his own successful business there. We have a house in Oz and 2 years ago built a house in LOS where we hope to retire. We don't frequent the gay scene either in Oz or the LOS and we have a good mix of gay and straight friends and we are close to both families. I don't think my partner's family members know our real situation but that is probably by their choice, and because we act so "normal" in our 50/50 relationship, we are fully acepted by my family who do know the score, even by a son and a notoriously red-necked brother-in-law. I commend the advice of an old Japanese boss, which is to act the same way all of the time without any substantial fluctuation, and that way, even an eccentric will be accepted in such a rigid society as Japan's. Thanks for "listening" and I look forward to participating in this interesting forum. Miruku.

[ProThaiExpat]

Welcome Miruku: The advice from your Japanese source is one I find to be the case. However, temper that with financial success as well. We have all heard the adage that the well to do's sexual proclivities are termed "excentric" while, the same proclivity enjoyed by a poor person is described as a "perversion" or the acts of a "dirty old man".

Likewise, Oz is indeed an accepting country where I am presently visiting with my "mate" of five years and we are well accepted by all we encounter and in our apartment block, my Thai is much liked, as he is universally friendly to all and meets them at the common laundry facilities.

As long as we limit our living to Thailand and Australia, I think we have little to concern ourselves with regarding "acceptance", not so in many countries with a strong religious right.

[Scott]

Welcome. Look forward to hearing from you.

My partner and I have been together for approximately 20 years--his family are poor subsistance farmers, but over the years have managed to improve their lot (sold some land, bought some land--prices went up, then sold etc.) .