Study examines growing trend of Thai women staying single

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SPECIAL REPORT
Study examines growing trend of Thai women staying single
Thiranat Sucharikul
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As more and more women are remaining single - and childless - Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research has decided to look deep into why, as well as into where all the men have gone.

The institute's discoveries have proved crucial for the country to prepare for emerging population trends.

Thailand is turning into a greying society, as its birth rate plunged to just 1.6 per woman in 2013 from six in 1970.

Men have indeed gone missing because of their higher mortality rate.

This has led to a gender imbalance in the marriage market. To be exact, there were 782,716 more females than males between the ages of 15 and 49 in 2010.

Sutthida Chuanwan, who works for the institute, said sexual preferences, lifestyle patterns and women's higher confidence in their social roles and status were also key factors.

Thai society is more accepting of varied sexual preferences, she said.

"There has been a change where men are partnering with men and women are partnering with women. This results in an unequal distribution between men and women."

Men who like men accounted for 3 to 17 per cent of the population in 2010.

In the frame is also procrastination in matrimony by both sexes.

The average age for men to get hitched has soared from 24.7 in 1970 to 28.7 in 2010 and for women from 22 to 24.9.

The study by Sutthida and Piyawat Katewongsa also reveals that women's growing confidence in their self-reliance and their independence, higher education and career advancement opportunities have influenced their decisions to stay single.

The lower marriage rate has led to lower birth rates, which could pose problems for future years, so efficient policies |must be planned and imple-mented.

Suporn Jaratsitm, a researcher at the institute, said Thailand could learn from Japan's example.

"Japan's demographics are similar to Thailand's, but it has faced these issues far longer than we have," she said.

New policies there require people to work until 65 instead of retiring at 55 and encourage them to adopt the "Angel Plan", or have more children.

Japan also offers welfare benefits such as paid pregnancy leave and day-care centres so that more working women agree to start or build a family.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Study-examines-growing-trend-of-Thai-women-staying-30237557.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-02

[kurnell]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

[MaiChai]

Ah, do you mean the stereotype Thai man? ^^^

[thesetat2013]

They must not have surveyed the north where unplanned pregnancies of unmarried women is most common

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[NeverSure]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Yes, and that's just the farangs.

[nottocus]

Can't blame them...marry a Thai man or a Farang. Not much choice there.

[zaphod reborn]

"Men who like men accounted for 3 to 17 percent of the population."

What kind of meaningless statistic is this? 3-17% is an awfully wide range. And "like"? Shouldn't they determine if they are gay? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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[Kasset Tak]

And the fact that I get from many Thais is that they can't afford to get married as the Thai culture asks for a dowry. When a Thai man earning B 10-15k a month and then is expected to pay for everything, buy/build a house and pay B 100k in dowry and buy gold for another B 200k then it takes them 10-20 years to save the money. So why do they stay single!?

And the fact that some of us foreigners pay a hell of a lot more in dowry does not make the situation any better for the rest of us men. When the Thais read about some foreigners paying millions in dowry they start expecting everyone to pay like that!!!

[jaltsc]

"... more and more women are remaining single..."

I bet that should cut down on the divorce rate

[jaltsc]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

How dare you insult an artichoke like that!!! If you go to the market you will see that artichokes are desirable and command a premium price. You should march yourself to the vegetable section of you nearest supermarket and apologize immediately.

[davehowden]

"The lower marriage rate has led to lower birth rates"

Really, not where I live it hasn't.

Every Thai "girlfriend" comes ready equipped with 2 or 3 kids.

[NeverSure]

"The lower marriage rate has led to lower birth rates"

Really, not where I live it hasn't.

Every Thai "girlfriend" comes ready equipped with 2 or 3 kids.

Well then, move out of Detroit.

[The Deerhunter]

Many Thai women prefer to remain single rather than get married when the percentage of Thai men who then take meer noi's is so high and many women of today just will not put up with being "one of his wives". They want their husband to commit only to them. Many Thai men do promise to be faithful then one or two of his friends get meer nois's and he starts too. I have personally met a number of Thai women from good homes & with good jobs who simply will not marry a Thai husband because of the meer noi problem. Speaking of meer nois, that is another thing that disturbs te balance of available women when one man has several wives. And then there is the sinsot problem. Many would get married but cannot afford it. Enlightened parents may go through with the custom but then give it to the daughter/bride to help her start her marriage.

[baboon]

This story comes as no real surprise. I am currently unavailable after all, so why would they bother?

[Lancelot]

Its not only Thailand and not just women. I see many young Western guys in Thailand now and most are single. Being single gives you mobility, freedom and frees you from working in a job you despise, just to "feed the family."

Thailand is becoming wealthier and women have more choices. The wealthier the society, the more expensive children become. The very poor view kids as an insurance policy, to care for them when they are old. The middle class have fewer children because, they are so expensive to raise and educate.

Many societies are less regimented today. more people are doing their own thing- including forgoing marriage

[Lancelot]

This story comes as no real surprise. I am currently unavailable after all, so why would they bother?

And your statement also comes as no surprise- considering your name

[bangkokheat]

well i guess then it has nothing to do with thai girls getting comfortably looked after by one or more farangs

[kinmaew]

I think its a growing trend around the world. Even in farangland looking at my options at my age (40's) there is no way in hell I would want to get involved with a woman around my age, baggage unlimited no thanks and I would be bored shi*less and dying for some younger female at tiger disco. Looking at two friends of mine who are married I do not envy them for one minute. A female friend of mine just hooked up with someone on a dating website, married, two kids from another marriage; when I met him I thought bl**** hell are people that desperate for companionship? I couldn't wait to leave and grab a lovely Greek Souvlaki (With Fetta and Olives) on the way home.

[baboon]

This story comes as no real surprise. I am currently unavailable after all, so why would they bother?

And your statement also comes as no surprise- considering your name

Be very careful. I was in the SAS, you know...?

[h90]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Well considering that women aren't somehow superior to men, there should be a fitting women for ever male loser.

[smutcakes]

Many Thai women prefer to remain single rather than get married when the percentage of Thai men who then take meer noi's is so high and many women of today just will not put up with being "one of his wives". They want their husband to commit only to them. Many Thai men do promise to be faithful then one or two of his friends get meer nois's and he starts too. I have personally met a number of Thai women from good homes & with good jobs who simply will not marry a Thai husband because of the meer noi problem. Speaking of meer nois, that is another thing that disturbs te balance of available women when one man has several wives. And then there is the sinsot problem. Many would get married but cannot afford it. Enlightened parents may go through with the custom but then give it to the daughter/bride to help her start her marriage.

I agree with you re meer nois, but i have found married women in Thailand are by no means saintly and are all to ready to have a bit on the side also. Its a two way street in so far as that goes.

Yes some Thai men are not great, but it is part of the culture, but the women are not exactly holier than thou either, and that is through all levels of society.

[kurnell]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

How dare you insult an artichoke like that!!! If you go to the market you will see that artichokes are desirable and command a premium price. You should march yourself to the vegetable section of you nearest supermarket and apologize immediately.

I never could understand why people eat artichokes. They don't seem to have anything inside. Empty as it were. Quite fitting I think

[kurnell]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Well considering that women aren't somehow superior to men, there should be a fitting women for ever male loser.

I think that women these days are wising up. They know they can find a casual bit of Friday night sausage, without the stinky loafer staying around for longer than a few hours.

[Oziex1]

"Men who like men accounted for 3 to 17 percent of the population."

What kind of meaningless statistic is this? 3-17% is an awfully wide range. And "like"? Shouldn't they determine if they are gay? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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Not that there's anything wrong with that. Seinfeld fan by any chance Zaphod?

[IBoldnewguy]

Would it not be more efficient to have less children if the economy/land can't support the population? Japan has population density 337.1/km.... Thailand has population density 132.1/km.... US has population density 34.2/km....

The tap water in BKK is already undrinkable.... do they think the Chao Phraya will become drinkable if they increase the population?

The rich and educated seem to worry that there will not be enough poor to serve their needs.... because the rich and/or educated do not, on the average, have large families.

[SOTIRIOS]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

....I daresay that might very well be their match, though......

...I have yet to meet a Thai woman who has been a victim.....

....maybe because they go 'all out' on the foreigners knowing they have no rights in this land...???

[IBoldnewguy]

I think its a growing trend around the world. Even in farangland looking at my options at my age (40's) there is no way in hell I would want to get involved with a woman around my age, baggage unlimited no thanks and I would be bored shi*less and dying for some younger female at tiger disco. Looking at two friends of mine who are married I do not envy them for one minute. A female friend of mine just hooked up with someone on a dating website, married, two kids from another marriage; when I met him I thought bl**** hell are people that desperate for companionship? I couldn't wait to leave and grab a lovely Greek Souvlaki (With Fetta and Olives) on the way home.

Agreed.... It's strange how a man who likes creme in his coffee will go out and buy a dairy farm just so he can believe he won't do without.

J. Paul Getty advised.... if it depreciates.... rent it.... if it appreciates.... buy it. He also promised his mistresses that they would be taken care of for life.... as it turned out he meant his life.... not theirs! (I think they sued and lost)

[forumuser10]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Wow, here we go again, the obligatory Thai male bashing from Thaivisas high class expat forum users.

I have seen many many similar threads from you Kurnell, where you seem to have a specific need to express your need for putting down Thai people, and Thai males in particular.

It is clear that you got your ego hurt during your childhood and now feel the need to stay here in Thailand so you can somehow repair it.

I recommend you see a psychiatrist.

.

[NongKhaiKid]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Well considering that women aren't somehow superior to men, there should be a fitting women for ever male loser.

I think that women these days are wising up. They know they can find a casual bit of Friday night sausage, without the stinky loafer staying around for longer than a few hours.

oh shit, you've met me then ?

[kurnell]

What's the alternative? Marrying a drunken, philandering, violent loser earning a pittance with the IQ of an artichoke.

Wow, here we go again, the obligatory Thai male bashing from Thaivisas high class expat forum users.

I have seen many many similar threads from you Kurnell, where you seem to have a specific need to express your need for putting down Thai people, and Thai males in particular.

It is clear that you got your ego hurt during your childhood and now feel the need to stay here in Thailand so you can somehow repair it.

I recommend you see a psychiatrist.

.

Can you recommend a good shrink? The last time I saw one he fell asleep while I was telling a particularly funny story about a chocolate bunny rabbit