Gambling in Thailand is somewhat restricted,compared with the UK,in the UK there is much more choices of gambling! There is Casino's,Horses and Dog racing,scratch cards,Lottery cards,Fruit Machines, Roulette Machines,but by far the most popular is Thai card games at home by a group of Thais,from my observations, the home groups,(while the husbands are at work),are at least every get together : 75% Gamblers to 25 % observers! come to eat at the Card Party.

My question is: Are you concerned,or even know? your wife/gf has aquired bad habits since she has been in the UK,it is also considered bad form in the UK for a female to hang out in betting shops.

I can declare my wife's gambling ,definately has!escalated!into an addiction.BEWARE!

An addict is an addict. Geography plays no part.

To much (unsupervised) spare time, send her out to work when you are at work.

The problem of card playing and compulsive gambling among Thai wives started to get a lot of publicity in the 1970s.

I had several friends in the USAF who had brought their Thai wives back to big airbases in the US. Gambling addiction among those girls was a common occurrence.

No doubt many of them had been former bargirls and had always gambled, but I would guess that some others were disoriented and bored.

Whatever the reasons, it led to a lot of trouble and caused the breakup of almost all of their marriages.

It would be good advice to tell you to try to get your wife into social groups whose activities are more wholesome.

An addict is an addict. Geography plays no part.

I agree with you that "An addict is an addict."

...but circumstances can and do play a part - for better or for worse.

Look at her circle of friends, especially Thai.

In Australia, they get the gamble bug from their friends; and it will ruin a relationship.

Look at her circle of friends, especially Thai.

In Australia, they get the gamble bug from their friends; and it will ruin a relationship.

To be fair, they only play cards in Oz when they're not at the pokies.

I had a Thai girlfriend in the UK she did not gamble ,my now wife has never gambled , a Thai girl who once worked for me spent every penny in the casino back in the UK ,i believe it is all mainly down to upbringing . i once lost 10 pounds gambling ,i was a broken man ,never again

You can find at least a dozen, and closer to a hundred casinos in every single province here. They just don't have flashing neon lights. We seize at least two properties per year where cash outflow is due to gambling losses (even though on the surface they all claim they are using their loans 'for investments').

Gambling by a family member is an addiction and a disease .... it will get worse if not treated.

Houses have been lost, families destroyed & in worse cases the inflicted turn to crime & drugs.

Stop the addiction before it gets out of control. I believe it stems from boredom, similar to kids getting into to trouble for breaking into cars or stealing a wallet .... it is because the person is bored that they turn to an alternative source for their ' high '

This can be said with gambling, it's the thrill of getting that win.

Having said that, I do know of young people who can play cards once a week and gamble a small amount and win or lose they are not what you call addicted. These type of people are responsible and can control their habit. They will not spend every cent they have to try to win .... they will spend some money but they seem to know where their priorities are ... home, food etc... and I guess spare cash or extra cash for gambling.

If it's out of control it needs to be halted !! or it may get worse ....

I am accustomed to gambling ... I used to gamble thousands of dollars on poker machines and horse racing.

Haven't bet on a horse race in 15 years .... Still played some poker machines 4 years ago and lost hundreds of dollars ... but I'm still glad I stopped the addiction.

Boredom is the key, go along meet some friends eat chat and wager a few baht here and there, and i know some of em have brought a few husbands to tears with the gambling addiction, i sincerley hope things get better for you OP.

-Majic-

I know what you writing about.

My GF is addicted to HIGH LOW, game of dice widely played here in TH and Isaan. She could play 24/7 if she must not eat and sleep and would find an open spot to play.

The local police is in that activities and only sometimes a raid from outside police forces or now the Army can stop the village activities for some hours.

Also when she has some winning times also, over all, she surely lost a lot since she started playing 5-6 years ago.

Even more bad, that a local womanizer Policeman, (5-6 month her second BF, next to me) brought her addiction to a real high, 5 years ago and helped her to loose my money.

When I found out the circumstances, I went to the province capital town and police head office to try to file a complaint.

But was turned down, I should go to file a complaint, there where the policeman was working at my local Amphoe police station.

Ting Tong, these people are the police who share the bribes. All in one boat.

where I live in the UK, there are a few Thai women all married all good,, they all have good jobs work hard, their attitude is, why work hard then give your money away only fools gamble, Their comments not mine.

My wife drops all those crappy habits when we go abroad.....they get worse when she comes here. Not sure why your dynamic would be different, but it is possible.

You can put a lot of blame on the Thai non-education system. People who have never learnt how to use their brains to the full are prone to simple amusements like gambling. Of course, there are educated gamblers too in every society, but gambling is much more prevalent amongst those with a poor education.

I had a Thai girlfriend in the UK she did not gamble ,my now wife has never gambled , a Thai girl who once worked for me spent every penny in the casino back in the UK ,i believe it is all mainly down to upbringing . i once lost 10 pounds gambling ,i was a broken man ,never again

I went to the Stardust (now just dust) in Las Vegas and spent 25 cents on a machine. Lost it, so stopped as I was on a losing streak. At least I can say I've gambled in Vegas.

Boredom is the key, go along meet some friends eat chat and wager a few baht here and there, and i know some of em have brought a few husbands to tears with the gambling addiction, i sincerley hope things get better for you OP.

Not just tears.

One girl I knew in Europe bankrupt one foreign husband, got divorced married and bankrupt the next one, s and severely damaged another "boy friend's" finances with her addiction.

Another in Hua Hin gambled away the house and pick-up, which was all the guy's savings.

And yet another nice girl in Hua Hin arranged for the murder of her European husband so she could sell the business and pay the gambling debts.

Just the tip of the iceberg.

If they smoke, get drunk, gamble, have tramp-stamps, worked in a bar or karaoke, leave alone..........

The harder side to understand is that the men become addicted to the Thai woman, and pay up even though it is financially a total disaster.

Once you have done that, you have lost the battle and the war. She WILL repeat and build up more debts.

Get her addicted to sex

I had a Thai girlfriend in the UK she did not gamble ,my now wife has never gambled , a Thai girl who once worked for me spent every penny in the casino back in the UK ,i believe it is all mainly down to upbringing . i once lost 10 pounds gambling ,i was a broken man ,never again

I went to the Stardust (now just dust) in Las Vegas and spent 25 cents on a machine. Lost it, so stopped as I was on a losing streak. At least I can say I've gambled in Vegas.

me too, but I lost a whole $1 .................. never again, like you

Boredom is the key, go along meet some friends eat chat and wager a few baht here and there, and i know some of em have brought a few husbands to tears with the gambling addiction, i sincerley hope things get better for you OP.

Not just tears.

One girl I knew in Europe bankrupt one foreign husband, got divorced married and bankrupt the next one, s and severely damaged another "boy friend's" finances with her addiction.

Another in Hua Hin gambled away the house and pick-up, which was all the guy's savings.

And yet another nice girl in Hua Hin arranged for the murder of her European husband so she could sell the business and pay the gambling debts.

Just the tip of the iceberg.

If they smoke, get drunk, gamble, have tramp-stamps, worked in a bar or karaoke, leave alone..........

The harder side to understand is that the men become addicted to the Thai woman, and pay up even though it is financially a total disaster.

Once you have done that, you have lost the battle and the war. She WILL repeat and build up more debts.

You might add massage shop to your list.

It would be an instructive though somewhat trivial exercise to award points of risk to each of the establishments or characteristics you mention. Then, for example, you might tot up a score of 75 out of 100, which would give an indication of the likelihood of relationship failure.

Or perhaps just avoid all those with the warning signs you mention.

I have a Thai wife I took back to Aust and yes it was a nite mare when we went out to clubs that had pokies.

She got addicted to them and wanted to play no stop- but I put a stop to that and said ok yes you can play

BUT there will be a time to stop - you give them a limit on how much to spend and when they have a win

then its time to leave - and you must supervise them otherwise you will have problems.

I no of other thai/philopino ladies who used to go to the clubs and stay there all nite and go there 6-7 days a week

and spend huge sums of money as in 000,s - they told husbands lies that they were visiting friends - yes at the clubs

Be careful

4 years in the UK, no problem. Returned to Thailand but eventually had to travel for work for many years. As a consequence our marriage of 22 years went down the pan in short shrift because of her gambling bug which eventually came to light. Indeed, an addiction is an addiction and like any other can be easily hidden. I also had an acquaintance whose wife went down the same path, which ended in her taking her own life.

I played cards a few times when I was in the mob until such time as I saw someone lose $1,000 in a week back in 1977, that was a lot of money then. I have never picked up cards again since. Gambling is a mugs game and a cancer that is hard to stop.

You are all perfectly correct as the scourge of gambling can be the death knell for any relationship, in extreme cases it can take years for the individuals concerned to get their lives back on track.

To me one absolutely necessary step is to cut off the supply of money, whether you believe in equal rights within the marriage and joint bank accounts matters not. If the money is being squandered on a gambling addiction then you must cut off the supply, that at least should allow you to work on any issues without losing you're home.

I know words are easy and that I am extremely fortunate as I've never had to deal with this kind of issue, but I would suggest this is a prerequisite in dealing with this issue...

-Majic-

I know what you writing about.

My GF is addicted to HIGH LOW, game of dice widely played here in TH and Isaan. She could play 24/7 if she must not eat and sleep and would find an open spot to play.

The local police is in that activities and only sometimes a raid from outside police forces or now the Army can stop the village activities for some hours.

Also when she has some winning times also, over all, she surely lost a lot since she started playing 5-6 years ago.

Even more bad, that a local womanizer Policeman, (5-6 month her second BF, next to me) brought her addiction to a real high, 5 years ago and helped her to loose my money.

When I found out the circumstances, I went to the province capital town and police head office to try to file a complaint.

But was turned down, I should go to file a complaint, there where the policeman was working at my local Amphoe police station.

Ting Tong, these people are the police who share the bribes. All in one boat.

. I so want to call the Police on them in the Moobaan...

It is not caused by going to UK they are addicted in Thailand, I know falangs who have big problems with their partners gambling in Thailand, they make the excuse to go and see their friends but the are having card schools. Some guys I know lost their cars, motor bikes and even homes, it is very bad. Mate of mne, his wife it top school teacher and she goes out to join friends playing cards, she looses quite a lot.

I take my wife home to New Zealand and we go to my local club and she likes to pick a dog out on the races, that's all.

It seems too many men marry women they really don't know, especially in Asia. I believe a woman should be able to do more than just spread her legs. I wouldn't think of a relationship with someone who was not intelligent, ambitious, trustworthy and of good morale character. I would not want a drinker, smoker, gambler or hooker. If you are willing to accept those traits in your woman, accept them and quit complaining.

Certainly, you take a woman out of her homeland who hasn't traveled, isn't educated, doesn't make friends easily, except with those from her home country; and she will feel lost, lonely and willing to enter into any situation which will bring momentary enjoyment. As another poster suggested, get her a job; or better yet, send her to school, so she can do more than work at McDonalds. If she has no education, send her to language courses, help her better communicate in your home country. With a better command of your language, she may want to go to school or to work. Giving her something productive to do will sort her out--either she is willing to better herself, or she isn't and she will continue to be a drain on your assets.

It may be time to re-evaluate your relationship.

my wife mixes little with other thais in australia, the bitching, gambling, making face, all things she scorns.

gambling is entrenched in aussie life, but poker machines seem like a magnet too bored people ,with unfulfilling lives, asian and non-asian seem drawn to pokie venues.

i sometimes gamble, the wife hates it.

i went to the moobaan gambling house once, talk about desperate faces, quite a few mia farangs there both local and holidaying, they gave me bigger 'b*gger off looks' than the other gamblers.

ex-bargirls, teachers, policemen, shop keepers, farmers all were there, horrible place.

time for her to go !!!!!!!!

A big one is the common belief that wealth is a result of luck (and whatever supernatural forces) as opposed to work ethic, active reinvestment, and frugality. Add to that a lack of understanding of basic (as in high school level) statistics.

:-)