Middle Thailand Increasingly Thinking Marrying A Farang Is "Low Class"

[VisaProblem]

Hello,

It has struck me after 15 years in Thailand that broadly the perceptions of marrying farangs is increasingly on the move and not in a favorable direction.

The bastions of middle-class central Thailand, i.e. the ones who have enough money in their own right, but are not internationally travelled such as the richer higher classes, or sufficiently impoverished to know they need a leg-up in life, increasingly seem to think that women marrying farangs is a low-class thing to do.

I have had numerous conversations with middle-class Thai's who think marrying someone who has no family support network here, no rights, no abilities to borrow money, no language skills, is culturally different and frequently unintergrateable is not sensible, and (Thais) who do it are poor and / or low-class.

As Thailand becomes richer and the west becomes poorer, the benefits of Thai-Farang marriages seem increasingly less to many Thais, but the problem-points stay the same. In balance, for many Thais it is not nearly such an attractive proposition as before, and it is perceived in many middle-class areas or the provinces that donut around Bangkok, that marrying foreigners is the realm of the Isaan poor.

I would be interested to hear from other long-term residents, particularly those who are not part of the farang areas or poor rural areas. It is also interesting to note that many higher class more sophisticated families do not share this view, and as so often in life the poorest and richest often have more in common than you may think, and it is the aspirational and not-entirely-socially-secure of themselves middle-classes that are the most conservative.

Thanks. VP

Edited October 29, 2013 by VisaProblem

[MJP]

All manner of people have all manner of views and all manner of prejudices. Some of my genuine friends are well off Thai middle class folks and this certainly isn't their attitude. That said they are very well travelled (as in been to more countries than I can think of) because of work and speak a few languages fluently.

I guess marriage to a farang has become synonymous with prostitution which is a career option of the lower classes.

[lomatopo]

I have had numerous conversations with middle-class Thai's who think marrying someone who has no family support network here, no rights, no abilities to borrow money, no language skills, is culturally different and frequently unintergrateable is not sensible]

Can you quantify "numerous"? Do you mean numerous conversations with one Thai person? Or numerous conversations with numerous Thai people? Or one conversation with numerous Thai people?

How did this topic arise?

I think it would be challenging to draw any sort of conclusions or even derive some generalizations, assuming that it what you are hoping to do?

Every prospective Thai-foreign partnership would be viewed positively, or negatively, based on many, many criteria, would be my generalization.

[AYJAYDEE]

let us know when the results of your survey are published

[ToddWeston]

It's posts like this that make my skin crawl - sounds like the middle class bunch you hang around with have learnt the crab mentality rather well.

[smooth expat]

*Newsflash* Not everyone in either category is "middle class". Always has been like that and always will.

[CharlieH]

Designed to enrage and insult ? Carry on, I am not even going to engage in such crap!

[snake24]

*watches as more tv posters of the farang variety come in here to bash those damn middle class thais for having such an opinion whilst they themselves have the opinion that they are higher classed than these damn low class thais.

[AYJAYDEE]

*watches as more tv posters of the farang variety come in here to bash those dam_n middle class thais for having such an opinion whilst they themselves have the opinion that they are higher classed than these dam_n low class thais.

middle class thais have that opinion? because the OP says so? lol

[Neeranam]

Why do you care what higher class Thais think? Is their opinion more important than lo-so Thais?

I couldn't care about what the local somtam woman thinks of my wife marrying a foreigner just as when I was at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club at the weekend, I couldn't care what the hi-sos thought. I think it depends on the type of foreigner you are of course.

I think you think and make assumptions too much.

Every country has snobs and racists. Up to you if you want to talk with them.

An\d FYI, there are some very rich people in Isarn. Have you ever been to Khon Kaen?

The 'class' you talk about sound to me like the Chinese Thais. Everything they are about is how to increase their bank account. They are jealous when a poor prostitute gets instantly more money than them for working in a dingy office 10 hours a day and not being able to put a coat of paint on their walls for 25 years.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Neeranam

[MJP]

Why do you care what higher class Thais think? Is their opinion more important than lo-so Thais?

I couldn't care about what the local somtam woman thinks of my wife marrying a foreigner just as when I was at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club at the weekend, I couldn't care what the hi-sos thought. I think it depends on the type of foreigner you are of course.

I think you think and make assumptions too much.

This is it. Who cares?

Load of old pony.

[DrTuner]

Middle class is just wannabe hi-so. They have to marry the pale Sino-Thais to get a level up in the pissing order.

[daoyai]

You're gonna need ta bump up your game lads !

[A1Str8]

More sophisticated families/people tend to have no problem at all with such relationships. It is as you said the not entirely socially secure of themselves middle class that pushes this nonsense. Besides it depends on the person not the class. If you are an intelligent person with wide perspective than you are going to understand that there is nothing wrong with marrying a foreigner. If you are dumb and have your head stuck in your ass then you are going to think that its low class..without realizing that its you who is way low.

[I knew this would happen]

The average income is still around 5.700$, if there would be such a large middle class that figure wouldn´t be so low. I wonder to who you were talking to? If they think like that, they are acutally Lo-So or very uneducated. As someone already mentioned, why to even waste time with such narrow minded envy racists people?

And what about our home countires? If you say that you marry an asian girl, they will consider you Lo-So too. There is this image of the drunk, bald, fat looser with some crap job that could never find any decent western girl. That´s a two way game of stupid ignorant people. I never cared!

Anyway, the more a Thai person travelled, the more OPEN they get to foreigners. That´s at least what i could observe. A friend of my wife is definately Hi-So. She studied and lived in the US for a long time. Her parents are in the jewlery business. She´s travelling the world constantly and has more pocket money than i´ll ever have. She ended up with a german guy who could almost be called poor in comparison to her. Same happend to another friend of her but she stayed in the US.

[DiamondKing]

WHO CARES

[VisaProblem]

"Can you quantify "numerous"? Do you mean numerous conversations with one Thai person? Or numerous conversations with numerous Thai people? Or one conversation with numerous Thai people?"

I mean I have noticed this view becoming increasingly prevalent in conversations with many Thais over the years.

It is not the top or the bottom of society that thinks this, but the slightly insecure aspirational middle class. And they are getting bigger in number as Thailand becomes more middle-class, and with their increased numbers, their slightly blinkered views are encountered more frequently as a result.

I am not endorsing such "crap" as one poster said, just validly commenting on that this view is becoming more common as a result of the burgeoning middle-class.

[AYJAYDEE]

"Can you quantify "numerous"? Do you mean numerous conversations with one Thai person? Or numerous conversations with numerous Thai people? Or one conversation with numerous Thai people?"

I mean I have noticed this view becoming increasingly prevalent in conversations with many Thais over the years.

It is not the top or the bottom of society that thinks this, but the slightly insecure aspirational middle class. And they are getting bigger in number as Thailand becomes more middle-class, and with their increased numbers, their slightly blinkered views are encountered more frequently as a result.

I am not endorsing such "crap" as one poster said, just validly commenting on that this view is becoming more common as a result of the burgeoning middle-class.

prove it

[Vo Nguyen Giap]

OP well written post.

[NBD]

Simply, as people become better educated and travelled the idea of marrying a foreigner as a ticket to easy riches with get less appealing, and the idea that Thailand is the be all and end all will also get less ingrained. Just as it's not really any big deal for a Brit to marry a Dutch person or an American, so it shouldn't really be any big deal for a Thai to marry a "farang

[DrTuner]

The average income is still around 5.700$, if there would be such a large middle class that figure wouldn´t be so low. I wonder to who you were talking to?

I've let myself believe that the "middle class" refers to a part of BKK and a group of people who've maxed out their credit to look the part. Average wage of the group about 1/4th of western countries, I'd suppose. Just showmanship, not a phenomenon limited to Thailand. I'd advice to stay as far as possible from such people, they are utterly boring.

[thailiketoo]

Paradorn Srichaphan (Thai: ภราดร ศรีชาพันธุ์; born 14 June 1979) is a retired professional tennis player from Thailand. He was the highest ranked men's singles player from Thailand and Asia in history, reaching a career high world no. 9. His nickname is "Ball". Paradorn is extremely popular in Asia, especially in Thailand. He was Thailand's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. The Nation newspaper named him "Thai of the Year." Paradorn was featured on the cover of Time and featured as one of the year's "Asian heroes". Below Paradorn and the Farang he married.

[DrTuner]

Paradorn ain't middle class. He's probably made a fortune with his potency pills

Besides, he dumped her already. I reckon the best before date arrived.

[LaraC]

You think Thai cant differenciate between obviously well-matched Thai/Farang relationships and ones based on.. security?
Mixed race and culture partnerships happens all over the world, and surely all can see when the pairing seems generally well-matched. Similar age, mindset, academic background etc.
If i, as a young farang woman, were to marry an overweight elderly man with maybe some health issues or charm issues..etc. You can be sure people would think "he must have money". Frankly, like it or not, it would appear odd.
But, ultimately its up to people to decide what makes them happy, and who are we to judge as long as they arent harming anyone.

Edited October 29, 2013 by LaraC

[thailiketoo]

You think Thai cant differenciate between obviously well-matched Thai/Farang relationships and ones based on.. security?

Mixed race and culture partnerships happens all over the world, and surely all can see when the pairing seems generally well-matched. Similar age, mindset, academic background etc.

If i, as a young farang woman, were to marry an overweight elderly man with maybe some health issues or charm issues..etc. You can be sure people would think "he must have money". Frankly, like it or not, it would appear odd.

But, ultimately its up to people to decide what makes them happy, and who are we to judge as long as they arent harming anyone.

Was your appointment as judge civil or religious?

[I knew this would happen]

Paradorn Srichaphan (Thai: ภราดร ศรีชาพันธุ์; born 14 June 1979) is a retired professional tennis player from Thailand. He was the highest ranked men's singles player from Thailand and Asia in history, reaching a career high world no. 9. His nickname is "Ball". Paradorn is extremely popular in Asia, especially in Thailand. He was Thailand's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. The Nation newspaper named him "Thai of the Year." Paradorn was featured on the cover of Time and featured as one of the year's "Asian heroes". Below Paradorn and the Farang he married.

Well, even a certain member of a certain family married an Alien ​

No low class involved too, now i´m happy again.

Edited October 29, 2013 by I knew this would happen

[LaraC]

You think Thai cant differenciate between obviously well-matched Thai/Farang relationships and ones based on.. security?

Mixed race and culture partnerships happens all over the world, and surely all can see when the pairing seems generally well-matched. Similar age, mindset, academic background etc.

If i, as a young farang woman, were to marry an overweight elderly man with maybe some health issues or charm issues..etc. You can be sure people would think "he must have money". Frankly, like it or not, it would appear odd.

But, ultimately its up to people to decide what makes them happy, and who are we to judge as long as they arent harming anyone.

Was your appointment as judge civil or religious?

Point out where exactly im aparently judging.

[thailiketoo]

You think Thai cant differenciate between obviously well-matched Thai/Farang relationships and ones based on.. security?

Mixed race and culture partnerships happens all over the world, and surely all can see when the pairing seems generally well-matched. Similar age, mindset, academic background etc.

If i, as a young farang woman, were to marry an overweight elderly man with maybe some health issues or charm issues..etc. You can be sure people would think "he must have money". Frankly, like it or not, it would appear odd.

But, ultimately its up to people to decide what makes them happy, and who are we to judge as long as they arent harming anyone.

Was your appointment as judge civil or religious?

Point out where exactly im aparently judging.

You wrote, "Frankly, like it or not, it would appear odd."

[arthurwait]

There's a lot of new money in the country which make up most of the supposed new middle class. New money the world over generally isn't very intelligent or classy, but like to think they are better than anyone else until they meet the people who really are the class they want to be who don't bother with them.

I suspect your middle class friends are actually lower class tax dodgers who drive fortuners on credit and are afraid to use their accelerator while refusing to move out the outside lane when they are holding everyone up.

[kurnell]

I've never really given a toss what anyone in Thailand thinks of what I do in Thailand and in fact it has never occurred to me to ask anyone what they think. Thais aren't exactly the most worldly people so I would imagine that thinking that a relationship with a farang is low class, or that there are ghosts floating around the Kingdom goes hand in hand.