Will my Thai wife experience culture shock in the US?

[cameltrakker]

Fort Smith AR has a large Thai community as does the Corpus Christi TX area

[BrooklynNY]

If she was there in winter for the first time, she may and may not like it. As far I know that many Thais including me hang out on internet that is my only way to connect to Thai community in Thailand. If you were from a more exciting city, she would not feel miserable as much as the city where you are now. You tell her the facts about how your city is like, so that she would not picture herself that she would be coming to an exciting city where she wants to show off to her people back in Thailand.

Edited September 15, 2014 by BrooklynNY

[thaipopsy]

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Edited September 15, 2014 by thaipopsy

[thaipopsy]

I live in Kansas City for a few years with my first husband.....now my first ex.

I hated the cold weather, but I loved the men attention.....If your GF is really "hot"..she may love the attention too.....and to get her green card and learn some English. I am having now the best of both worlds....and a good business. Was a good "sacrifice"..

[steven100]

no ..... everything will be exactly the same as thailand.

[realenglish1]

Here is some advice for you since I have been married with a Thai for 15 years. Make sure she has access to Thai ingredients for Thai food or she will be very unhappy with what you say

Food can be a connection to her Thai roots Even if she has to order on line somewhere but make sure

[traviss]

zierf1;

The short answer is Yes, there is no way she will not experience culture shock. The question is how bad will it be. Hopefully , only minor irritations will occur.

The things you can do to minimize the “negatives” of culture shock; 1) plan a return “visit” for her, make plans for a one or two month vacation back to Thailand maybe a year or eighteen months after her arrival. 2) set her up with the internet connections so she can skype her family. 3) Find local girls her age and enlist their help in making her “feel-at-home”. 4) find the closest Asian food store so you can take her shopping for Asian food staples. 5) set up internet shopping sources for Thai products. 6) arrange transportation for her so she is not house-bound. 7) set up Thai TV at home.

Anyway you (and it is your responsibility), must make her feel comfortable, and happy in her new home. Loneliness and homesickness will set in, they are human nature and you must prevent them from damaging or destroying your plan(s). Unfortunately culture shock can be a deal-breaker.

Good Luck.

Very sound advice...Skype, Line or Hangouts is a definite necessity.

Careful when choosing the local girls to introduce her too and be prepared to answer questions such as "how do you know her, was she your girlfriend, etc;".

Many online Thai and Lao shopping outlets available, so research and set-up accounts prior to assure her that product is available and she can get it rather easily.

If possible get her an international driving permit prior to leaving Thailand. You will be able to add her to your auto insurance if she has a Thai license.

In the event that this applies, make sure you have set-up a way to transfer funds to her family bank as western union and other services are simply not good value.

Pay close attention to the last paragraph from the previous poster. I failed to understand this when bringing my girlfriend to the US and things were very difficult. I was not proactive and allowed her to decide what she wanted to do and when. I fell short in recognizing she was in a new country and didn't exactly know what she wanted to do and when to do it.

[traviss]

Fort Smith AR has a large Thai community as does the Corpus Christi TX area

Dallas, Denver and parts of Louisiana

[SantiSuk]

Not if she's an ex bar girl. If they can sleep with a wide array of fat old falang they are up for anything.

[seriously - I'm not a Thai or bar girl basher ]

[Don Aleman]

Her "not liking the US" will not be problem - the problem will be her being mesmerized by it and your problems will just begin, Marrying an Asian lady and KEEPING her in Asia is fine but ... taking her to the US is a massive mistake, your worst and, possibly, worst ever mistake. Do not :

Get or even tell her about credit cards

Teach her to drive

Let her visit with any other Thais who have resided in the US for a long period of time

Allow her to go to malls alone ! ! !

Give her access to banking/checking accounts or information about them

Then, review, with her, the benefits od returning to Asia, visit with a therapist, ( you ), increase your alcohol. prescribed drugs

intake and wish for a miracle !

[jacko45k]

Sounds like it will actually be 'lack of culture' shock!

[dotpoom]

You seem to have answered your own questions already....either it will drive her insane being the odd one out or it will drive you insane her being the odd one out.....she may love the attention that comes with that....who knows, why not ask here those questions?

[NoshowJones]

OP, what an exiting place you live in!

I give her 3 months, before she wants to come back.

So you better get a return ticket to Thailand.

Anyway, wish you and your wife Good Luck and Thailand will always be here.

To the OP, one big problem seems to be that a Thai girl in a western country meets other Thai girls and gets their head turned, you won't have that problem, otherwise all girls are different. How close is she to her family? Will she get a job easily in the US? That is very important, as she must be kept occupied in some way as you will probably be out working most days, or nights. Hope everything works out for you.

[NoshowJones]

zierf1;

The short answer is Yes, there is no way she will not experience culture shock. The question is how bad will it be. Hopefully , only minor irritations will occur.

The things you can do to minimize the “negatives” of culture shock; 1) plan a return “visit” for her, make plans for a one or two month vacation back to Thailand maybe a year or eighteen months after her arrival. 2) set her up with the internet connections so she can skype her family. 3) Find local girls her age and enlist their help in making her “feel-at-home”. 4) find the closest Asian food store so you can take her shopping for Asian food staples. 5) set up internet shopping sources for Thai products. 6) arrange transportation for her so she is not house-bound. 7) set up Thai TV at home.

Anyway you (and it is your responsibility), must make her feel comfortable, and happy in her new home. Loneliness and homesickness will set in, they are human nature and you must prevent them from damaging or destroying your plan(s). Unfortunately culture shock can be a deal-breaker.

Good Luck.

Be careful with no 3.

[wabothai]

For shure she will. Why did you ask her in the first place. Alittle selfish if you ask me. Are there any thai around?

[nikthekiwi]

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OP, what an exiting place you live in!

I give her 3 months, before she wants to come back.

So you better get a return ticket to Thailand.

Anyway, wish you and your wife Good Luck and Thailand will always be here.

Encourage him why don't ye? Don't ever give me any advice.

[12DrinkMore]

Shopping trips to Walmart will cure most forms of depression.

Jeeze, even the idea gives me depression.

[farang000999]

It really depends on the lady. What is her personality like? Is she is a go getter? I mean, anyone with an even modest worth ethic can come to the USA and start making money.

How about a Thai food truck and charging $8/plate for Fried Rice or Pad Thai? Would making 180,000 - 300,000 baht / month make the culture shock less burdensome?

[landslide]

I brought my then Thai HD to the US on a Fiancee Visa in 2010. She stayed the entire 3 months, but we both felt we were not ready to marry. 4 further visits to Thailand on my part, and we married 2 years later. It took 16 months to secure her marriage visa, and the help of my Congressman. Before she arrived, I made a list of local Thai restaurants, Asian food stores, and found the closest Buddhist Temple frequented by Thais. I upgraded my television to a Samsung smart tv, and bought a Samsung Galaxy Tablet for her. She is able to pull up her Thai movies and shows on the tablet, and then "throw" them on to the TV. I set her up with a Visa card and added her to my primary checking account. She is very frugal, and when she shops (rarely), she buys on sale. She has a hobby of doing cross stich portraits, and spends a lot of time making gifts for my family. We are about to return for our first visit back to Thailand after 1 year, my wife for 2 months, and I will join her for the last 4 weeks. She is excited to see her friends and grandmother, but is already planning what we will do for the holidays when we return. My wife does have a college degree, and speaks English pretty well. She loves snow, enjoys spending time with my family and friends. She does stay in touch with her friends and grandmother by phone or Skype. The point is, if your wife has interests and/or hobbies, encourage them. Get her out of the house. I hope you are not the jealous type. Let her, even encourage her to make friends. Get her involved with more people than just you. If your wife is attractive, sure guys are going to hit her up, but if the two of you have a strong marriage, then take it as a complement. If you have doubts, don't bring her, and certainly don't marry her.

[kleelof]

A few succeed, many fail.

The same can be said for the farang who come to live in Thailand.

Unfortunately, many who fail don't realize it and never return home.

(This is not aimed at you F4U).

[drand11]

Yes, and you should be wholly prepared to see her change and be much more Americanized within 1-2 years. Its just reality.

[flyingdoc]

Chickin may be cynical but unfortunately is right on many points!

It would be best to take her on an extended holiday at first, then gauge her reaction and base your future plans on that.

Thai family back home and Thai food will be the main things she will miss, and badly.

A friend of mine in the U.K. found that his Thai wife was not happy until he hit on the idea of going out to a Thai restaurant every weekend. He ate and she went and gossiped with her countrymen for a couple of hours, caught up on all the news from back home, and is now totally happy.

I realise you will not have many Thai restaurants, if any, in your part of the Mid West, but bear this possibility in mind!

[rotary]

My hands on experience with Thai women going to the USA...........

• First Trip before going to the USA they cannot wait
• On the return to Thailand after a month they say it was nice
• Second Trip to USA before going they are ready to go
• On return to Thailand after 1 month it was ok
• Third trip to USA is OK I will go but do I really have to?
• On return to Thailand after one month they always say it was boring and food no good
• Fourth trip to USA well it is like trying to make a dog stop chasing chickens when you try to get them to make that 4th trip.

Of course there are exceptions but finding a Thai girl who likes living in the USA is like finding a farang who really likes living in Nakorn Nowwhere 10 kms down a red dirt road.

They might say they do, but as soon as possible they run back to Thailand or out of Nakorn Nowhwere.

[mrfaroukh]

Too late, most Thai girls love to live in Thailand only. So plan from today that you have to go back to Thailand sooner or later. Just be careful not to destroy yourself financially because nothing would be clear for you in Thailand. Hope you have got a real good wife to stay with you all life time.

[thai20144]

I wouldn't bring my GF to Europe as she doesn't want to and also I know she wouldn't like it as she is quiet attached to 1/ King, 2/Buddha, 3/family, 4/Thai food, 5/Thai people and conversations with Thai people.

Does your area have any off the above?

[gyrosman]

Well, I may be in your situation in the future , I have gone through it before when I brought my Russian bride which I met when working in Saudi Arabia.

1. She was funny to watch the first time I brought her to a safeway. Unlike here in Thailand they have a Lotus store, so, not to much shock.

2. Does she speak any English? My current girlfriend speaks English very well. So, as other members as stated check into a college language course to help and meet other foreign people learning English.

3. Driving, well, I wait a while on that.

4.As for standing out as a young and Asia is something you must support as people in the US will come quick to her and she might shy away fro our in your face way.

5. Asia food shopping is a very good Idea

6. Missing family will be a big thing but you better plan on bringing relatives there and providing the cost. I had to bring her brother and his to the US and her mother.

or provide tickets 1-2 times a year.

7. Meeting other Asia women near by or in the town.

[laolover88]

I went to the mid west once. Culture shock was the least of my problems

In my wisdom I offer you my standard reply to inquiries of this nature

FORGET IT

[Rockhopper]

Read the book!

"Thailand Fever" by Chris Pirazzi and Vitida Vasant

It will tell you and her what to expect and what she will have to overcome.

[Strangebrew]

Well he is the run YES she will freak at lack of 7-11 every two stores that the fish not swimming no deep fried bugs to eat. @ days max Then you will freak when you get your overpriced Obamacare.

[thai20144]

I think Thai women feel very strongly about the way their mother lives or has raised/taught them and this is one reason they don't like to change their Thai ways.

I known one Thai girl who just returned from Western Australia were she was living with her now ex husband.

Her top reasons for leaving was its was too boring and she spent a lot of time in the home as she had no Thai friends, No Thai food and even when one Thai restaurant opened in town it was no good and not the same.

People treated her lesser than fellow Australians and she missed her family.

In the end she grew to hate the place and returned to her land of smiles where she fitted in.

Edited September 15, 2014 by thai20144