Moving back to the UK with a Thai wife

[pjuk]

One of the main things she will miss is her style of Thai food. TOP PRIORITY when you arrive in the UK get a rice cooker and a wok etc,

Suss out the nearest Thai food supplier (Chinese supermarkets stock a lot of Thai foods) or buy online.

Keep her fed and hopefully she will be happy. Find a cheap Thai phone access number,( you can call for 1p a minute) and let her call home when ever she wants.

Despite what others have said let her mix with other Thai people, she will hopefully soon tell the good from the bullsh~~~.

Get her a computer and show her utube (if she doesn't know already) there's a load of good Thai stuff up there.

My wife been here 16 years so I know a little

Good luck

[superdome]

I have read all the posts on this...I am not going to go into detail but the biggest problem you will have is { 2 in fact} will be the WEATHER + FOOD...most Issan girls do NOT like farang food..they will miss that 1st & formost,then there is the weather,they will hate that more than the food,trust me I know from experience.

As for keeping them AWAY from other Thai's..DONT let them mix....inside 2 weeks my "other half" changed after mixing with other girls,demanding everything under the sun...my solution...I put her on the 1st flight back to Bkk,maybe not a nice thing to do,but it was for me.

Have never heard or seen from her since [6yrs now]...maybe mine was a bad experience...all I say is to be for warned is for armed

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do....GOOD LUCK

[chiang mai]

I have read all the posts on this...I am not going to go into detail but the biggest problem you will have is { 2 in fact} will be the WEATHER + FOOD...most Issan girls do NOT like farang food..they will miss that 1st & formost,then there is the weather,they will hate that more than the food,trust me I know from experience.

As for keeping them AWAY from other Thai's..DONT let them mix....inside 2 weeks my "other half" changed after mixing with other girls,demanding everything under the sun...my solution...I put her on the 1st flight back to Bkk,maybe not a nice thing to do,but it was for me.

Have never heard or seen from her since [6yrs now]...maybe mine was a bad experience...all I say is to be for warned is for armed

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do....GOOD LUCK

Spot on, based on my experience and observations of far too many others,

[HardenedSoul]

The OP should know what his wife's like. Is she impressionable? Does she care what people think about the non-issues of life?

If she is and he's having to dish readies to her and the rest of the family now while living here, then he's going to have to accept that if she meets other Thais in the UK, there's a good chance that she could be influenced by her peers unless, of course, he does as the control freaks have suggested and restricts her access to other Thais

[KnooKie]

My wife uses viber on her phone or our tablet for easy free contact to her family back in Thailand. Skype is another option. Luckily my wife is also a Thai chef and we have a Thai supermaket nearby so she gets plenty of Thai food. She is quite chatty and has integrated well with people in our area (SW London) and now works in a local Thai restaurant which seem to be everywhere. She has some Thai friends but most are here studying or working in Thai restaurants which are everywhere in London. She hates the cold weather in winter but she is coping ok and wraps up like the Michelin man. We also bought a dog which is a great companion when alone and keeps you occupied. Good Luck.

[HardenedSoul]

I have read all the posts on this...I am not going to go into detail but the biggest problem you will have is { 2 in fact} will be the WEATHER + FOOD...most Issan girls do NOT like farang food..they will miss that 1st & formost,then there is the weather,they will hate that more than the food,trust me I know from experience.

As for keeping them AWAY from other Thai's..DONT let them mix....inside 2 weeks my "other half" changed after mixing with other girls,demanding everything under the sun...my solution...I put her on the 1st flight back to Bkk,maybe not a nice thing to do,but it was for me.

Have never heard or seen from her since [6yrs now]...maybe mine was a bad experience...all I say is to be for warned is for armed

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do....GOOD LUCK

Spot on, based on my experience and observations of far too many others,

<deleted>

You married women who didn't genuinely love you.

It really is as simple as that

[jackinbkk]

I took my wife to the UK 3 years ago, 2 years a resident now, The food is easy to get at Asian supermarkets and online if you need. I eat Thai food that she cooks 90% of the time. It's incredible. My friends eat such bland and boring British foods. She has also learned to cook 'farang' food though which she likes to make whenever I want it but I rarely do.

My wife doesn't seem to mind the weather. She can't be out is the cold too much because I think Thai genetics mean they don't cope well. Once cold her hands and feet shut off all blood, making them icy cold. Unlike a westerners hands that one, can take more cold and two if placed in gloves, pockets etc quickly become warm again. This is partly solved by very warm clothing and short stints outside. Unfortunately I like to fish. Warm cups of tea help a bit.

I completely agree with the friends thing. The many gold diggers who have come here will quickly question a girls thoughts, plans and mind state telling her all the best ways to secure herself lots of money. They also further the naivety I like to think I left behind in Thailand like superstitions, BS medicines and bitching. Find the right friends and it should be fine. Find the wrong ones and it could be hell on earth even ending a relationship.

My wife has never complained about the weather. After a lifetime in Thailand she's happy not to be boiling hot and to be able to walk around without aircon being required. She loves seeing snow but doesn't seem to mind the cold wet weather at all. She does amaze me because what I and many westerners class as chores she seems to happily get on with without a second thought. She loves to cook and likes ironing. It's good for her to have friends to go shopping with and eating with now and again. One other problem is expectation. I'm 31 and working. Her friends are married to retired Brits, some of which are wealthy or wont be around that much longer so not much thought is given to money. She sees her friends blowing money on garbage in vast amounts. I'm not poor but it's crazy to be going out and spending £300 on phones, bags, clothes every other week.

What I would focus on though is your daughter. There is no question that she will benefit more from a UK education than one in Thailand. You need to do what's right for your kids, even if that risks an unhappy future with your wife.

Good luck.

[dotpoom]

This thread does not apply to me personally at the moment....I just want to say that it has really been fantastic to read all the experiences and advice given...FOR ONCE....... everybody seems (I read most of the posts) to want to be of assistance and have a genuine desire to be of help. If it was like that all the time....."What a wonderful world it would be".

[Briandajew]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/680223-what-would-you-do-2/

Have a read through the above thread, some crap, but some valid points too.

Visting is not the same as living there, my main advice would be to be very very careful who she mixes with in your abscence, I am not suggesting you keep her a prisoner but be careful, many things she wont understand and may take literally.

Keep regular contact with her during you abscence and make sure she doesnt feel alone.

If there are other thai females around be even more wary, dont let her get involved in a group, one is good for friendship talk to etc, a group can be trouble with comparing and jealousy etc.

Find somewhere near or online etc you can get "her" food, she will miss it and the offerrings many uknstores and supermarkets have wont even come close, she will miss "proper" thai food if living there for any period of time.

Good luck, take it slow, take care each other.

Probably the same as you in Thailand then?

[Briandajew]

I took my wife to the UK 3 years ago, 2 years a resident now, The food is easy to get at Asian supermarkets and online if you need. I eat Thai food that she cooks 90% of the time. It's incredible. My friends eat such bland and boring British foods. She has also learned to cook 'farang' food though which she likes to make whenever I want it but I rarely do.

My wife doesn't seem to mind the weather. She can't be out is the cold too much because I think Thai genetics mean they don't cope well. Once cold her hands and feet shut off all blood, making them icy cold. Unlike a westerners hands that one, can take more cold and two if placed in gloves, pockets etc quickly become warm again. This is partly solved by very warm clothing and short stints outside. Unfortunately I like to fish. Warm cups of tea help a bit.

I completely agree with the friends thing. The many gold diggers who have come here will quickly question a girls thoughts, plans and mind state telling her all the best ways to secure herself lots of money. They also further the naivety I like to think I left behind in Thailand like superstitions, BS medicines and bitching. Find the right friends and it should be fine. Find the wrong ones and it could be hell on earth even ending a relationship.

My wife has never complained about the weather. After a lifetime in Thailand she's happy not to be boiling hot and to be able to walk around without aircon being required. She loves seeing snow but doesn't seem to mind the cold wet weather at all. She does amaze me because what I and many westerners class as chores she seems to happily get on with without a second thought. She loves to cook and likes ironing. It's good for her to have friends to go shopping with and eating with now and again. One other problem is expectation. I'm 31 and working. Her friends are married to retired Brits, some of which are wealthy or wont be around that much longer so not much thought is given to money. She sees her friends blowing money on garbage in vast amounts. I'm not poor but it's crazy to be going out and spending £300 on phones, bags, clothes every other week.

What I would focus on though is your daughter. There is no question that she will benefit more from a UK education than one in Thailand. You need to do what's right for your kids, even if that risks an unhappy future with your wife.

Good luck.

Yeah... good luck to the OP too! Most Thais are pretty tough and are able to adapt - they are probably much more adaptable than us Westerners - Some of those Thais living in the rural villages would be able to live on Mars....and after my experience here over the past 13 years, half of them seem to be living on another planet already!

[FiftyTwo]

Appreciate the sentiment/warning. I guess that applies to most marriages in some way. Not too concerned at this stage as I have never seen my wife being anything other than a very genuine, honest and decent person.

Nobody ever sees their wife in any other light, until the divorce papers are served.

(you forgot loving, loyal and faithful from your list)

[transam]

Appreciate the sentiment/warning. I guess that applies to most marriages in some way. Not too concerned at this stage as I have never seen my wife being anything other than a very genuine, honest and decent person.

Nobody ever sees their wife in any other light, until the divorce papers are served.

(you forgot loving, loyal and faithful from your list)

As I recall in the UK, I got mine on Christmas Eve . I read it and thought, what a load of lying rolox.

[FiftyTwo]

the divorce laws in the uk are a joke it cost me £50,000 for a four year marriage!!

good luck

That's actually not such a bad price to pay.

Could have been a lot worse.

[HardenedSoul]

Appreciate the sentiment/warning. I guess that applies to most marriages in some way. Not too concerned at this stage as I have never seen my wife being anything other than a very genuine, honest and decent person.

Nobody ever sees their wife in any other light, until the divorce papers are served.

(you forgot loving, loyal and faithful from your list)

Victor "FiftyTwo" Meldrew

[nongsangcity]

just my take on things........meet my wife in Thailand.....20 years age difference....built a nice house in issan lived together 3 years...I got short of money decided before I was too broke to go back to Manchester....got a job within 2 weeks...tried to get her over twice on a tourist visa, refused both times, got married and tried again for a long term visa and 3 rd time lucky....she came to the uk ...got her a job within 3 days at the place I worked via an agency.....she got laid off due to cut backs...she secured a job at a 5 star hotel with in a week and also 3 nights a week in a thai restaurant....she doesn't gambol or drink on a regular basis....plenty of thai girls in Manchester ....you want issan food you can buy it.....we stayed in the uk for 6 years she settled in well and made many good friends with thai girls...she didn't get involved with the casino and playing cards world, this is a massive problem with the thai women....and ive seen many many good English husbands/boyfriends left high and dry...by cruel/shellfish/un deserving thai femail trash.........finally we gathered enough money to come back to issan......all is rosy in the garden.............if you can keep her away from the thai trash and she can meet decent thai girls you will be ok....

[menorah]

Hi Jack,

firstly aside from having sufficient funds to support yourself and family you'll also need to satisfy the requirement of accommodation with at least a 6 month contract of tenancy...living with family isn't acceptable to UK immigration. The exception to that rule would be your family having a very large property with the necessary number of rooms and facilities.

You may also need to show a firm offer of employment and possibly a guarantee of duration of the work contract. This may necessitate you going ahead and your wife following later.

The issue of language skill may also affect how readily your wife is offered a visa. this was certainly an issue when my wife was interviewed for her visa at The British Embassy in Bangkok. In spite of better than average comprehension, conversation and vocabulary skill, she was rejected first time around.

It's also worth noting your wife may be subject to a full body search upon arrival at Heathrow or any of the main airports. This was something I'd heard about in the case of a spouse entering UK to live & eventually reside.

I forewarned my wife about the humiliation she may feel and indeed she was subject to such a body search. Luckily, some very nice Aussie travelers waited throughout her ordeal and were able to console her before she finally made the exit gate.

So, country life or town life. that may be more tricky than you imagine. Thais live inter-dependent social lives as opposed to independent lives, so a busy location may be more appropriate. On the other hand a smaller friendly place may also be easier for her to negotiate.

My wife and I lived in Ashford in Kent and I'll say straight away it didn't work. Initially we lived in a high density urban development that was newly built. Trees and borders were still sparse along the streets but there was plenty of rural land to one side.

Although it wasn't my ideal, my wife actually liked it and I found another Thai lady nearby who quickly became her 'best' friend.

We stayed at the first apartment for 4 weeks before moving to another location, still in Ashford but much nicer and with a good chance of socialising and venturing out on her own while I was out for 9 hours working.

This one she hated...probably because she already made a friend and resented being uprooted so soon.

Even though I introduced her to neighbours, the location, family & friends and took time to plan small sorties she could do while I was at work, she remained firmly rooted to the house.

Subsequently, after only 6 months it was apparent she would not make the slightest attempt to integrate, something which both amazed and frustrated me but that's how it went.

In contrast, I'd met other Thais in town who'd become fully integrated in only a short few weeks and months and were happier than when they'd lived in Thailand.

Slightly off subject but maybe helpful....I later worked in Ashford with a volunteer group helping to teach English language to Nepalese women, wives of ex Gurkha servicemen. A different scenario but they were all keenly motivated to learn the language, our customs and integrate as much as they could.

My own wife eventually agreed she wanted to return to Thailand and subsequently did. I continued to work in UK for some time before making a move there too.

In 2007 we had a son , who is now almost 7yrs old, but the relationship 'bombed' for many reasons, not least of all because my wife did 'enjoy' to make debts and lie through her teeth about the least little thing.

I moved back to UK for a time after splitting up but returned 18 months later and got a divorce.

I live only 5 km from my ex...not the best situation, however, it allows me to see my son and make some attempt at influencing his education and life experiences. For better or worse he's a Thai that looks almost 100% farang but I avoid steering his concept of culture and identity as I cannot presume to know how his life will unfold.

So, that's my experience...it wasn't all bad but neither was it what I imagined it might be. Others have been far luckier and it really is a 'lottery' which way it'll go for you. Good luck.

[sumrit]

Anyone actually got any advice or experiences to share about their Thai wife integrating into western culture or tips on preparing for this ahead of time?

Been there, done that ..............................twice.

I met and married my first Thai wife about twenty years ago and took her to the UK. There were a lot less Thai women in the UK then and although some that were there were nice people, even then some had the materialistic 'my house is bigger than your house' attitude. She went to college, worked full time and generally settled in very quickly without any major problems. She had gained British Citizenship by the time we'd separated, after being married for about ten years, and she stayed in the UK while I came to Thailand.

I met my second Thai wife after being in Thailand for just a few months so we've also been together about ten years so far. She has a fifteen year old daughter who's always lived with us, since she was five, and I've always treated her as my own.

After three three month holiday trips to the UK in the first four years we decided to move to the UK in 2009. After two years there though we all decided the UK was not such a good place to live, not for us anyway, and we came back to Thailand.

I would say, when your wife gets to the UK, although you have lived together in Thailand for five years, you need to be very patient with her because some things we don't even notice will be alien to her. Watch for things she might seem uncomfortable with and take the time to explain.

Regular contact with her family back in Thailand is very important so make sure you've got all the cheap rates phone numbers available. She won't think about the bill.

Having Thai food (in our case it was all the time) is also very important so find the nearest (chinese) shop that sells everything.

Getting Thai TV on the laptop/PC so she can get her daily fix of Thai soaps on ch3/ch7 will also make her feel more at home. In my case I bought a cheap second hand PC and connected it to the large screen TV so she could watch on that.

And, providing you/she can find 'decent' people, having regular contact with other Thai people in the UK is a big plus. For us almost every Sunday was a 'Thai day' where we met up with a few Thai friends (and their husbands) at one of our houses. The wives cooked Thai food and we basically had a Thai style day.

My family were also very good at helping them to integrate and learn a bit about UK culture.

There are always college courses to learn English (and that's something she'd probably have to do to get ILR) and they're also a good source for your wife to meet and find non Thai friends who are in the same boat as her language/culture wise. Part time work is another good way to learn English, although you'll probably find, unless she's very lucky or highly qualified, she'll only be offered low paid jobs.

Other posters have already warned about some of the Thai women to be wary of and I would agree with them. You'd be amazed at how much money some of them loose in their 'friendly' card games, and how drunk they get doing it. Strange how we all think we've married the right one. You'd think every Thai wife in the UK would be perfect wouldn't you. Maybe our judgement isn't always as good as we think it is.

We went to the UK when we did because we thought our daughter would benefit from a UK secondary education. Although her grades were above average in Thailand she was never going to be the schools star pupil but she was competent. She went to an Academy school which was supposed to be one of the best in the area and I was concerned as to how she'd fit in but the teachers began singing her praises almost straight away and within months she was put into the top class for her year 'because she was doing so well'.

But our daughter would come home and say ' Dad, I'm not learning anything. In Thailand we had over thirty pupils in the class and everybody behaved and studied. Here in England we've only got fifteen in the class but the teacher doesn't have time to teach because she spends all her time trying to keep the unruly pupils in line. In Thailand they'd get the cane for playing up, why can't they do that here'? The education in the UK is free but not all the schools are good. Remember your child will be assigned to a school in the catchment area where you live, you can't pick and choose the school you want like you can in Thailand. Maybe the place you choose to live should be dependent on the quality of the schools there.

My daughter had to sit an entrance exam at a school to assess her current level when we returned to Thailand. She was so far behind she had to drop back a year to catch up. Now, of course there are bad as well as good schools in Thailand but I think the perception that a UK education is always superior is not necessarily true any more, although I can only judge that on our personal experiences.

We spent/wasted a small fortune moving to, and staying in the UK but after two years we decided that rip off Britain and the 'I'm all right jack' attitude of the rip off merchants there went a long way to making our minds up that the UK was no longer a very good place to live and wasn't for us, so we put everything in a container and moved back to Thailand.

[arlissmichaels]

family, friends, food, sunshine, farm

those are things she will miss soo much, that you either will end up in a costly divorce or a depressed wife !

There you go people, absolutely no point in taking your wife back to your country it is just doomed for failure (Just read the quote from belg)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[john fogerty]

Whatever you do, when they first arrive, for God's sake, don't arrive back in the UK on a Sunday and go to work on the Monday. I made sure that I spent the first 2 weeks at home with my Thai wife rather than leave her isolated. She had never been to the UK before and I was very worried how she would cope with the weather, food, culture. When I did go to work she tried to teach herself English ( although she did draw the curtains just in case anybody rang the doorbell). We actually met a Thai lady in Sainsburys who I didn't realise lived in our road so at least she had someone to talk to, and it was this lady that introduced her to other Thai ladies. Strangely enough none of them now talk to the Sainsbury lady because she has a bad mouth and gossips. So yes, as suggested by other posts, do be careful of whom she befriends. Fortunately, my wife's friends are all decent Thai ladies and all our families and kids get on well together. Sure, some of them may be better off than us but it certainly doesn't bother my wife.

She soon grew in confidence and even started to go shopping on her own. When she fell pregnant that obviously integrated her with the local women in the same situation and many became her friends. We were fortunate to have a big Chinese Cash & Carry which also sold Thai food not too far from us, so that helped. The only thing my wife couldn't get used to was the cold weather and she would sometimes wear five or six jumpers, even indoors. That was all fourteen years ago and for the last 3 years we have been living in Thailand. Because I had a heart bypass operation I had to give up work and couldn't get enough benefits to support a family, so we moved to Thailand. My wife would have been quite happy living in the UK had we had the financial means to be able to.

By the way, we lived in a quiet road in a semi- rural area. Sometimes she found it a bit too quiet though.

Whatever you decide, hope it all works out for you and family.

[arlissmichaels]

I have read all the posts on this...I am not going to go into detail but the biggest problem you will have is { 2 in fact} will be the WEATHER + FOOD...most Issan girls do NOT like farang food..they will miss that 1st & formost,then there is the weather,they will hate that more than the food,trust me I know from experience.

As for keeping them AWAY from other Thai's..DONT let them mix....inside 2 weeks my "other half" changed after mixing with other girls,demanding everything under the sun...my solution...I put her on the 1st flight back to Bkk,maybe not a nice thing to do,but it was for me.

Have never heard or seen from her since [6yrs now]...maybe mine was a bad experience...all I say is to be for warned is for armed

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do....GOOD LUCK

Spot on, based on my experience and observations of far too many others,

<deleted>

You married women who didn't genuinely love you.

It really is as simple as that

Bit hard for her to show her love, she was on a plane back home

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[n210mp]

Its a lottery really but if you are lucky and you and especially your wife are of normal or average intelligence then you shouldn't have any real problems

I say intelligent because for your Mrs there is a need to sort out the wheat from the chaff especially with other Thai ladies that you will find fairly quickly in supermarkets, Asian food stores or the local Thai restaurants.

if she isn't well balanced she could find herself making the wrong type of friends and having the problems aforementioned, loneliness and that feeling of being in an Alien place make for accepting sometimes the wrong type of friend.

My Mrs came to the UK in 2007 on a spouse visa and didn't have any problems either with friendships or the weather, we had to go through the mill so to speak to find the right kind of friends but they are there if you have the patience to find them and as far as the weather is concerned remember that it is i hard to keep cool in Thailand but also easy to keep warm in the UK.

If your Mrs has a really close relationship with her family to the extent that she is on the phone to them for hours ETC then this could be a problem and it is not easy to establish Skype connection in the Issan villages not withstanding the ability to use a PC

If she can find a job in the UK,even a part time job, then this would be a great advantage, not just from the fact she would be earning money but that it would keep her occupied and interested and helps the learning curve, we have a few Thai lady friends married to Farangs who have jobs in the care of the elderly and they are valued by their employers very highly and also reasonably paid, the attitude generally of Thai ladies to the elderly makes them ideal as care assistants.

As far as the kids are concerned I am not sure that unless you are going to pay for them to go to a very good school the alternative is better than to let them stay where they are in Thailand

You must remember that a half cast Farang / Thai in Thailand is almost venerated, in the UK the reverse can and often happens. We also have friends in the UK who have had a pretty bad experience of this especially from bullying with regard to Racism.

You mention that you do not wish to read comparisons about the demise of the UK economy V Thailand economy but I feel that you must take these things into account to make an educated choice, look at the taxation in the UK, the cost of the utilities, the cost of returning to Thailand if only for holidays ETC ETC and finally the chance of finding real well paid work

My Farang/Thai friends in Pattaya who have children of mixed nationalities tell me that their kids are doing really well in their Thai schools ,well balanced and are usually near to the top of the class, more important they are in an environment that they are used to and know, so for me there would need to be some pretty high returns on leaving Thailand for the UK and if there was not good viable reasons or justification then I would be looking to improve my situation in the LOS

Sometimes less is more if you get my gist and the money for me (If you are living within your means) would not be a good reason to take so many risks with the familys welfare and happiness

[fabphil]

NO DNA test done...u gotta be joking, nothing is for granted in Thailand

[metisdead]

A post containing an overly derogatory generalization toward Thais has been removed as well as the replies:

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[mrtoad]

NO DNA test done...u gotta be joking, nothing is for granted in Thailand

You sound pretty bitter.

[dao16]

I think it depends on how you plan to live (type of house, region, level of comfort, access to Asian/SE Asian food, etc). It also depends on your wife. It sounds like she is pretty open minded, which is good. I completely agree with the guys saying that it is better to have things set up and not be in a state of flux when they get there. I can fly by the seat of my pants when I move to a new country or city, but it isn't fun when others are depending on you (especially if they are foreigners in your country as well!).

Internet and its wonders go a long way in helping them not miss home so much. You can look up services now and get everything set up so your wife can watch all her TV shows and listen to Thai music when she wants. Seriously, that will make a big dent in those hours you are out working.

On the other hand, I kind of disagree with some posters who are saying to avoid the Thai community. My wife really thrived abroad once she found a group of Thais to hang out with. Sure, some people were nice and some people were crappy, but it was fun for her--and she ended up meeting more locals and people from other countries through them. We even had holiday parties for them (but the westerners came later--different work schedules and, most likely, different preferences in food and music). Think about it this way--I hang out with foreigners here, and some of them are nutjobs, but that doesn't stop me from having falang food and a few beers with the guys who are alright, does it? Keep an eye on her and tell her if she gets involved with bad people, but you can't really restrict her from having a good old Thai time with her Thai friends. I know I wouldn't put up with it if my wife told me I couldn't go out with my foreign friends.......

Also, try to get her involved in work or volunteer work or whatever. Most Thai women love working in North America, Europe or parts of Asia when they realize how much money they can make. Sure, it will be peanuts compared to what you make, but it will be a lot for her--and she will have the pride of making her own money to send home instead of asking you. "Want to send mom and dad 500 pounds, honey? Sure! Let me show you how to do that from your account to theirs."

Well, good luck. It doesn't have to be bad. My wife (and the wives of a few friends I know) actually want to leave Thailand. They got a taste of living abroad and they would prefer to just come here on vacation. Anyway, not a UK specific story, but definitely shows that Thai women can be happy abroad, but you have to help them find their way at first.

[snowyy73]

the divorce laws in the uk are a joke it cost me £50,000 for a four year marriage!!

good luck

That's actually not such a bad price to pay.

Could have been a lot worse.

yes i know it could. if she had wanted to bring the the boys over i guess i would not be writing this from my house that i have worked so hard for over the past thirty years

[snowyy73]

just my take on things........meet my wife in Thailand.....20 years age difference....built a nice house in issan lived together 3 years...I got short of money decided before I was too broke to go back to Manchester....got a job within 2 weeks...tried to get her over twice on a tourist visa, refused both times, got married and tried again for a long term visa and 3 rd time lucky....she came to the uk ...got her a job within 3 days at the place I worked via an agency.....she got laid off due to cut backs...she secured a job at a 5 star hotel with in a week and also 3 nights a week in a thai restaurant....she doesn't gambol or drink on a regular basis....plenty of thai girls in Manchester ....you want issan food you can buy it.....we stayed in the uk for 6 years she settled in well and made many good friends with thai girls...she didn't get involved with the casino and playing cards world, this is a massive problem with the thai women....and ive seen many many good English husbands/boyfriends left high and dry...by cruel/shellfish/un deserving thai femail trash.........finally we gathered enough money to come back to issan......all is rosy in the garden.............if you can keep her away from the thai trash and she can meet decent thai girls you will be ok....

yep i agree with what you say and your right the high street casino's are a big problem.I have tried to work it out and i think they are not used to having spare cash in their pockets and need to get rid of it and lad-brokes is the perfect place to lose it all.instead of contrbuting to paying the bills!!

[fabphil]

Well i would never take a monkey out of a Jungle and hope it survives

Well you're a delightful character aren't you.. back under your bridge now, take your Misplaced capitals with you.

Just telling how it is...

[thaiexpat21]

I am married and live in Thailand with my Thai wife.

I would never even consider taking my wife to live in the UK.

We , of course , have enjoyed holidays in the UK and elsewhere.

It is important to remember , above all else, the importance of "family" to the majority of Thai women.

We do not live near or with my wife's family but it is of major importance to her that she is able to maintain regular and easy contact with the "family" .

Despite my wife's "degree" level Thai education she would find it difficult if not impossible to find satisfying employment in the "West" which reduces her to seeking minimum wage employment .

I would not wish to expose my wife to the realities of attempting to live in the UK even in a "rural" area.

[BB1955]

Be careful so that she does not begins to hang out with other Thais. They will start to compare how much each husband is making, and how much each husband is giving the family back in Isaan. For many, it is a competition. Who´s got the richest foreigner.

It doesnt matter what country you live in with your Thai wife they will talk to each other and find out whats what and whos who and who has money and who doesnt and who gets what ....

They have a netwrk better than CNN .....