Who Is Responsible For The Family?

[Norrad]

While I have no problem supporting a girls family (Lets face it, 10000 Baht a month won't kill me), I've just been told that its the youngest daughters responsibility to give the most. ie. Money, plus property etc.

Is this true? Her older sister is married to a westener, but he is almost never asked for anything.

[swissie]

No such ting as "who must be sponsored the most". (unless it's a "pet sister" of your wife.) You are "responsible" for "the family", including distant cousins that heave not existed before.

But the "Farang" that does not have to "give anything", I would truly like to meet. Or better: His wife that deses't want "anything". Sorry, that would have to be a "first"!

So, anyone that can deliver "proof positve", that he never had to give "anything" to the Thai G/F-Wife, will automatically be listed in the "Guiness Book of World Records" sa a sole and unchallenged winner.

But then, as far as I know, there is not (yet) such a sector to be fond in said publication. Probably with good reason.

Cheers.

[mickmac]

"that he never had to give "anything" to the Thai G/F-Wife,"

C'mon Swissie, your comment above should apply to any woman in the world, not just to Thai women. Even the richest women in the world would still want something from you , albeit time, attention etc..... So grow up and cop yourself on. There's no such thing as a free lunch.......

[kudroz]

This whole "give the money to the family" annoys me. I get away with it with my wife by explaining that in my culture we ain't doing that and i ain't no walking ATM. If they want money, they can support themselves and if they can't - that's too bad. I might give a 2k or 3k once every few months just to help a bit... but I would never do more than that on a "regular" basis month to month.

She understands and wish to adopt western culture, now she insist on paying her share of the house, restaurant bills... Great stuff

[GuestHouse]

"From each according to their means, to each according to their needs".

Sums it up nicely. You only need to strike a balance of what is reasonable.

[Johpa]

While I have no problem supporting a girls family (Lets face it, 10000 Baht a month won't kill me), I've just been told that its the youngest daughters responsibility to give the most. ie. Money, plus property etc.

Is this true? Her older sister is married to a westener, but he is almost never asked for anything.

In traditional Thai village culture, it is true that the youngest daughter would take care of the parents in old age, but she shall also inherit the house. Traditional Thai culture is matrilocal, that is a newly married husband will usually move in with his wife's family or set up a home in the same village. It is still common to find groups of sisters living in the same village. Academics speculate that this is a result of the older corvee system of taxation where men were drafted to work for the government for six months a year, either as laborers digging canals or as military fighters in some campaign. Men were not always counted on making it back home alive.

That is not to suggest that the older sisters do not help and assist the aging parents, only that the youngest was expected to stay with the parents in the family house to take care of them in their senior years.

The idea that you should give property is preposterous as the youngest daughter inherits the house. What she provides in return is comfort and hospice in the parents final years. If you married the youngest daughter of a traditional family then you might have some additional obligations, but all the sisters should be sharing parts of the obligations. And needless to say, such traditions have eroded a bit.