Canadian Man Weds Roi Et Woman, Offers Dowry Worth Bt100 Million

[Globeman]

The 100 Million figure is probably for show .. He wants to help out her family but throwing away so much money is crazy..

For a lot of families, 100 million isn't help, it's ruination. Imagine how many distant relatives will come out of the woodwork. And for someone previously on a farmer's income, that will seem like an infinite amount - impossible to spend it all (they might be surprised). It will alienate them from their friends and neighbours, and yet they won't be able to move in hi-so circles either. Upward social mobility is discouraged here... Everyone would be better off if he gave them 3 million a year for life...

[tomacht8]

100 million baht thrown into a small farmer village.

This will give many problems for the girls family.
Grown hierarchies and structures can be destroyed as fast.
All relatives, neighbors and "friends" will come to borrow money.
Later, the insurance salesman and all kinds of fortune hunters will stop by.
Rule No. 1 when you win the lottery, do not tell anyone.
Hope they can handle there fortune.

[Richard Hall]

Hm, shouldn't it be 101 Million Baht for a wife from Roi Et?

No, I'm not going to discuss this with my own wife who is originally also from Roi Et. She may conclude I have been severley in debt with her and may even claim interest on this basis.

[glassdude007]

That must be some good waitress kitty cat for that price.....meooooow

[Docno]

Today, I'm embarrassed to be a Canadian. I just hope my girlfriend doesn't see this in the Thai media!

[winstonc]

if he gets bored with her im game,,,,,,,,,gimme gimme gimme

[Docno]

The irony is that it's likely that he paid for her education so she could get a PhD which 'upped her value in the market'. Basically shot himself in both feet. All the best to them anyway....

[marell]

Wow!

[chuang]

100 million baht; wow, that is crazy. Especially for a 37 year old farmers daughter. Oh well up to him

What is wrong with a 37 years old farmer's daughter....SEXIST...???

[Sydebolle]

How many buffalos, the going measurement in said part of the country?

The entire province must have celebrated public holidayS

[klauskunkel]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A dowry is the money, goods or estate that a woman brings to a marriage.

...just saying...

[freedom4life]

100 Million dowry? <deleted>? Doesn't cease to amaze me what these 'people' do with their money. Why doesn't the (K)anadian offer this money to people/families that really need the money, Thailand or elsewhere? In addition, it would help boost the economy, thus helping more people in the process. People that have money will spend it on things/food they need.What would one women or family do with a 100 million baht in Thailand? It's no wonder the world is in the state that it's in....too many wrong people in the right places and too many right people in the wrong places.

[Whidbeyboy]

100 million baht; wow, that is crazy. Especially for a 37 year old farmers daughter. Oh well up to him

Glad my wife think the dowry is old fashioned. Know it's tradition, but guys like this mess it up for everybody else. Like may years ago when you had the nerd pay way too much for nookie or the tourist flooding the market paying 200% what everything is worth in Thailand so you can never get a deal.

I don't to hear about generosity of the wealthy. Any wealthy person I know dosen't throw money around. At least the ones who worked for it.

[Emdog]

Remember this is just the "transfer fee". Still have salary to factor in. Ronaldo may have been cheaper. But seriously, like I say "You can always pay too much for something".

[dunque]

100 million baht; wow, that is crazy. Especially for a 37 year old farmers daughter. Oh well up to him

What is wrong with a 37 years old farmer's daughter....SEXIST...???

There are so many more 'isms being exercised on this thread - business as usual I am afraid.

[Tatsujin]

Remember this is just the "transfer fee". Still have salary to factor in. Ronaldo may have been cheaper. But seriously, like I say "You can always pay too much for something".

Yeah, and isn't performance being taken into account also once the transfer is completed?

[metisdead]

An off topic bickering session has been removed as well as some other nonsense posts.

[GuyL]

Yea, 100 million is a bit far out there (read extremely so...)

However you people who complain about sin sot or say you have never seen it although you lived there for countless of years, well, then I guess your world is quite small, or you simply only met extraordinary people.

For the average province people sin sot is standard. 100,000 for engagement and 300,000 for marriage is not uncommon for Thai couples as well. However, in many of the cases those 300,000 in one way or another goes back to the couple, in the form of investment for land, company, business or anything else that will bring them a great future together (as well as make a safer future for the parents).

Don't give me all that crap that only farangs pay sinsot and blablabla. I know Thai couples who struggle, together, to find money for their wedding. This is nothing uncommon, it's culture. Many Thais of the new generation don't necessary like or agree with this culture, but do it for their parents sake.

It's a question of saving your face/name for them,like it or not. That's how they grew up, and to change something that you have grown up with all your life isn't always that easy. And we all know Thais aren't generally as rebellious to their parents as many western nations kids seems to be.

There's also a huge gap between the generations, specially in the Bangkok word. A lot has happened the last 100 years.

If you want to live in Thailand then play the Thai game, just as you expect people to play the European/American/Aussie game when coming here.

That said, don't be stupid. There are still lots of dishonest people who will simply want to take advantage of you because of your fair skin which equals thick wallet. But those people aren't the majority.

Learn to see the difference between Scamming blood-sucking families and culture, then we wouldn't need all the disrespectful replies towards the whole Thai community...

I have attended several Thai weddings in rural Isan. The various sin sots amounted from 20000 up to 100000 baht in cash, plus 2 up to 5 baht (weight) in gold jewellery. The most expensive sin sot (so far) was paid for marrying the daughter of the local school's headmaster. For a farmer's daughter, I never (again, so far) have seen a Thai man paying more than 50000 baht in cash and 3 baht in gold jewellery,

[tajtom29]

Hey with all due respect to Thai culture
I must say this "dowry" is all rubbish and is older than Christ. This was a old application that was introduced for poor family's. but now the modern girl uses it to make money from Falang!'
FORGET this TAKE CARE bullxxxx. I take care normal. Not she sits at home on her arss on Internet waiting for money for family NO

[atyclb]

Wow and my wife wanted nothing just me, good luck to them both i am sure he know's what he is doing and sounds like just a fraction of his wealth.

And fair play to him funding her education and encouraging her to study, most Thai girls would just sit back and count the cash and probably mees up along the way, he has waited over 9 years and i am sure he knows he can trust her now.

Me hopes the graduation requirements for Thai universities she attended is more than "breathing and paying tuition", maybe even demanded pulse and blood pressure......

[atyclb]

100 million baht; wow, that is crazy. Especially for a 37 year old farmers daughter. Oh well up to him

What is wrong with a 37 years old farmer's daughter....SEXIST...???

Nothing at all but the 37 year old farmers daughter image many have is that of a standard, mundane, poorly educated female that might have worked or still works in a tourism area in a business where entertainment is available. For the majority (exceptions noted) of farangs in Thailand, this is the reality. I have a great friend that is a Issan farmers daughter registered nurse around the same age. Her siblings all did something with their lives and don't vegetate or parasitize farangs.

Its kind of noble what the Canadien guy did, although would have better to send her to an internationally high rated university so her degrees would have validity in and OUTSIDE of Thailand.

[atyclb]

Today, I'm embarrassed to be a Canadian. I just hope my girlfriend doesn't see this in the Thai media!

Just tell her the minimum pre-requistes are B.S., Masters, and PhD (McGill) degrees before you can consider dowry.

[TPI]

Apart from all of the trolls I'm sure everyone knows that giving a large "Sin Sot" results in the MIL giving some if not all back after the photo's are done?

Of course I could be wrong?

[MobileContent]

Yea, 100 million is a bit far out there (read extremely so...)

However you people who complain about sin sot or say you have never seen it although you lived there for countless of years, well, then I guess your world is quite small, or you simply only met extraordinary people.

For the average province people sin sot is standard. 100,000 for engagement and 300,000 for marriage is not uncommon for Thai couples as well. However, in many of the cases those 300,000 in one way or another goes back to the couple, in the form of investment for land, company, business or anything else that will bring them a great future together (as well as make a safer future for the parents).

Don't give me all that crap that only farangs pay sinsot and blablabla. I know Thai couples who struggle, together, to find money for their wedding. This is nothing uncommon, it's culture. Many Thais of the new generation don't necessary like or agree with this culture, but do it for their parents sake.

It's a question of saving your face/name for them,like it or not. That's how they grew up, and to change something that you have grown up with all your life isn't always that easy. And we all know Thais aren't generally as rebellious to their parents as many western nations kids seems to be.

There's also a huge gap between the generations, specially in the Bangkok word. A lot has happened the last 100 years.

If you want to live in Thailand then play the Thai game, just as you expect people to play the European/American/Aussie game when coming here.

That said, don't be stupid. There are still lots of dishonest people who will simply want to take advantage of you because of your fair skin which equals thick wallet. But those people aren't the majority.

Learn to see the difference between Scamming blood-sucking families and culture, then we wouldn't need all the disrespectful replies towards the whole Thai community...

I have attended several Thai weddings in rural Isan. The various sin sots amounted from 20000 up to 100000 baht in cash, plus 2 up to 5 baht (weight) in gold jewellery. The most expensive sin sot (so far) was paid for marrying the daughter of the local school's headmaster. For a farmer's daughter, I never (again, so far) have seen a Thai man paying more than 50000 baht in cash and 3 baht in gold jewellery,

I have seen up to 400,000 Baht Sinsot been paid between locals here in Sakon Nakhon plus a couple of Bahts in gold that went to the bride after the ceremony.

Paying 100 million Baht however is just plain stupid and for me he is a fool.

[GuyL]

Yea, 100 million is a bit far out there (read extremely so...)

However you people who complain about sin sot or say you have never seen it although you lived there for countless of years, well, then I guess your world is quite small, or you simply only met extraordinary people.

For the average province people sin sot is standard. 100,000 for engagement and 300,000 for marriage is not uncommon for Thai couples as well. However, in many of the cases those 300,000 in one way or another goes back to the couple, in the form of investment for land, company, business or anything else that will bring them a great future together (as well as make a safer future for the parents).

Don't give me all that crap that only farangs pay sinsot and blablabla. I know Thai couples who struggle, together, to find money for their wedding. This is nothing uncommon, it's culture. Many Thais of the new generation don't necessary like or agree with this culture, but do it for their parents sake.

It's a question of saving your face/name for them,like it or not. That's how they grew up, and to change something that you have grown up with all your life isn't always that easy. And we all know Thais aren't generally as rebellious to their parents as many western nations kids seems to be.

There's also a huge gap between the generations, specially in the Bangkok word. A lot has happened the last 100 years.

If you want to live in Thailand then play the Thai game, just as you expect people to play the European/American/Aussie game when coming here.

That said, don't be stupid. There are still lots of dishonest people who will simply want to take advantage of you because of your fair skin which equals thick wallet. But those people aren't the majority.

Learn to see the difference between Scamming blood-sucking families and culture, then we wouldn't need all the disrespectful replies towards the whole Thai community...

I have attended several Thai weddings in rural Isan. The various sin sots amounted from 20000 up to 100000 baht in cash, plus 2 up to 5 baht (weight) in gold jewellery. The most expensive sin sot (so far) was paid for marrying the daughter of the local school's headmaster. For a farmer's daughter, I never (again, so far) have seen a Thai man paying more than 50000 baht in cash and 3 baht in gold jewellery,

I have seen up to 400,000 Baht Sinsot been paid between locals here in Sakon Nakhon plus a couple of Bahts in gold that went to the bride after the ceremony.

Paying 100 million Baht however is just plain stupid and for me he is a fool.

For a farmer's daughter?

[MobileContent]

Good for her! And good of him to stress education to a loved one

So you support the greed of Thai people treating foreign men as a credit card which does not need to be repaid and do you also support men for being absolute fools in paying this kind of money even though this is not part of the Thai culture?

Sin Sot exists in Thai culture (as the Coconuts article sates), but it is based on a system of negotiation (Coconuts mysteriously neglects to include this for its' English speaking audience!) depending on not only who the husband is, but who the wife is, who her family is. The family are a farming family, of which most lease land and do not own it - only a small group of people own the agricultural land in Thailand. She was working as a waitress, which is not considered a high-up or desirable job. She is now educated, but one might speculate (without Coconuts providing sufficient information) where the funding for her university level education came from - it is doubtful a farmer could pay for someone to undertake their PHD. In this situation you could either consider (assuming the groom had paid for her education) that this cost would be included in the Sin Sot, and that her situation be considered prior to the two engaging - the daughter of a farmers family working as a waitress in a restaurant. There is also a "farang mark up" placed on many for sin sot payments, of which there exists no cultural reason for this to take place and is simply discriminatory based on not being a Thai man.

Hopefully others do read this post and take this into consideration when being asked to pay a sin sot for their loved one in the future..

I agree with many points that you responded to, however most farmers own the land and this already for generations. I only know 2 -3 families that don't own any farmland more because they either gambled it away or went to loansharks but almost all farmers i know own their farmland.

[MobileContent]

Yea, 100 million is a bit far out there (read extremely so...)

However you people who complain about sin sot or say you have never seen it although you lived there for countless of years, well, then I guess your world is quite small, or you simply only met extraordinary people.

For the average province people sin sot is standard. 100,000 for engagement and 300,000 for marriage is not uncommon for Thai couples as well. However, in many of the cases those 300,000 in one way or another goes back to the couple, in the form of investment for land, company, business or anything else that will bring them a great future together (as well as make a safer future for the parents).

Don't give me all that crap that only farangs pay sinsot and blablabla. I know Thai couples who struggle, together, to find money for their wedding. This is nothing uncommon, it's culture. Many Thais of the new generation don't necessary like or agree with this culture, but do it for their parents sake.

It's a question of saving your face/name for them,like it or not. That's how they grew up, and to change something that you have grown up with all your life isn't always that easy. And we all know Thais aren't generally as rebellious to their parents as many western nations kids seems to be.

There's also a huge gap between the generations, specially in the Bangkok word. A lot has happened the last 100 years.

If you want to live in Thailand then play the Thai game, just as you expect people to play the European/American/Aussie game when coming here.

That said, don't be stupid. There are still lots of dishonest people who will simply want to take advantage of you because of your fair skin which equals thick wallet. But those people aren't the majority.

Learn to see the difference between Scamming blood-sucking families and culture, then we wouldn't need all the disrespectful replies towards the whole Thai community...

I have attended several Thai weddings in rural Isan. The various sin sots amounted from 20000 up to 100000 baht in cash, plus 2 up to 5 baht (weight) in gold jewellery. The most expensive sin sot (so far) was paid for marrying the daughter of the local school's headmaster. For a farmer's daughter, I never (again, so far) have seen a Thai man paying more than 50000 baht in cash and 3 baht in gold jewellery,

I have seen up to 400,000 Baht Sinsot been paid between locals here in Sakon Nakhon plus a couple of Bahts in gold that went to the bride after the ceremony.

Paying 100 million Baht however is just plain stupid and for me he is a fool.

For a farmer's daughter?

Yes absulutely. It is often about bringing families together. The price can go up a lot if the bride has no brothers or sisters and the parents own 20-50 Rai's over in land.

Who is getting one day this land? It will be the daughter (bride).

I know of many farmers that might live poor but they own 10-20 rai and could sell it anytime for a lot of cash but they keep the land in the family for the next generation. My inlaws were just recently offered for their 30 rais 2.8 million Baht in cash but the land has been in their families for over 80 years already. Landowner-ship has a lot to do about the price of Sinsot.

PS: I would like to mention I paid Sinsot of a vew hundred thousand Baht of which the party was already over 100,000 Baht and we got half paid back what was left over. My wife also received half of the land in her name.

[TheGhostWithin]

The family are a farming family, of which most lease land and do not own it - only a small group of people own the agricultural land in Thailand.

Actually, I have lived in the Northeast for many years, and almost everybody in this area owns their own land - not much land, perhaps 5-20 rai - but it's theirs.

Thanks for the response - out of curiosity where do you live?

I should have been clearer, in the fact that the most arable land in Thailand is owned by the privileged. The less arable land as I understood it was leased (but you may be right in being owned) in small amounts by those less fortunate. The same people which own the large swathes of land also own the mills, so still take their cut off the smaller farmers. I know this is the case in Surin, I know a young lady whose family owns one of the mills there. She is fortunate enough to have a degree in accounting from the Thai University of Commerce, the fruits of being related to the poo yais.

Personally, I do feel sorry for these smaller farmers - they get cheated by the mills, and they get forced out of being able to purchase more arable land by these cartels, and then when things go wrong and they turned to the government the government normally always turns their backs on them.

It is worth noting, if you or anyone else ever gets to go to Roi Et, it is really one of the most beautiful places in Thailand, I love it there.

[GuyL]

For a farmer's daughter?

Yes absulutely. It is often about bringing families together. The price can go up a lot if the bride has no brothers or sisters and the parents own 20-50 Rai's over in land.

Who is getting one day this land? It will be the daughter (bride).

I know of many farmers that might live poor but they own 10-20 rai and could sell it anytime for a lot of cash but they keep the land in the family for the next generation. My inlaws were just recently offered for their 30 rais 2.8 million Baht in cash but the land has been in their families for over 80 years already. Landowner-ship has a lot to do about the price of Sinsot.

PS: I would like to mention I paid Sinsot of a vew hundred thousand Baht of which the party was already over 100,000 Baht and we got half paid back what was left over. My wife also received half of the land in her name.

Apparently, you know some (relatively) rich farmer families while I have mostly met (so far) much poorer people who don't own much or any land. I know that certain farmers are doing quite well, but as it is said in a French movie: "Il y a aussi des poissons volants, mais qui ne constituent pas la majorité du genre" (There are also flying fish but they do not constitute the majority of the genre). At least, that's what I am entitled to believe based on what I have seen in Isan so far...

[TheGhostWithin]

100 million baht; wow, that is crazy. Especially for a 37 year old farmers daughter. Oh well up to him

What is wrong with a 37 years old farmer's daughter....SEXIST...???

In Thai culture, the older the woman is, the less favor she would have in terms of a higher sin sot payment. I think this was what CharlieBoz was getting at (in a sarcastic farang way)