Foreign Husbands Bring Big Changes To Isaan

[Plus]

I'm sure these family members, village folk and wives that you suspect have been interviewed aren't exactly the most reliable source of information as to the English language proficiency of mixed relationship kids.

Probably yes, but I doubt that their proficiency somehow is higher that is claimed - basic English daily communication.

If you want to compare it to other Thais, it looks great, if you compare it to native English speakers - nothing to write home about. Maybe without proper schooling (which they don't have in the villages) many won't be able to find work in their fathers countries and be condemned to third world wages for the rest of their lives.

And that's how they report on the study was slanted - they chose to look at the findings in the negative way, not that the findings themselves are wrong. Thas can't be proven at the moment.

[Thaddeus]

I try to base my research on 'living it' ... not just asking about it.

And this is were I disagree with parts of that survey, especially the food habits part. It's a cross section, but it isn't completely representative.

The ex-pats around here tend to fall into two categories. One's like myself 40ish in age, with young kids and the ones who are much older, without kids, or wife has kids from a previous marriage that have reached an age were the farang partner has very little influence on them.

The ones like myself are fairly representative of the language part (as I posted earlier) with regards to food, we pretty much all eat Thai style most of the time. If we do have a Burger/KFC/Pizza it will be in Buriram and only because we happen to be there for some other reason (car service, hospital visit etc) .... food prepared at home will be Thai.

Now, the older set, almost to a man, cannot live without Farang food.... but very few of the Thai partners have made the switch and will either prepare two sets of meals or prepare a western meal and get a Thai carry-out.

As I said before, we live in the boonies.... my experience may not apply with the ex-pats that live in Buriram central, but the Bamboo Bar has been full every time I have been there, as has the Farang Connection in Surin.

Maybe Martin (of the FC) could give us a breakdown of a typical food order for a mixed race couple.

[Kilgore Trout]

> Absolute twaddle and blame shifting from the teachers in the classroom - my parents didn't teach me my language - my teachers in school did that, and my own intelligence and aptitude then allowed me to expand on that teaching and refine my skills for speaking, listening, reading and writing, building my vocabulary based on those skills, not on what my parents said to me.

I think you are a bit misguided here. If your parents didn't teach you your language then they must have been absent from the first 6 years of your life. Any early years teacher or child psychologist could tell you that the first 4-6 years are the most important for a child's language acquisition. Furthermore, anything taught at school must have some reinforcement at home; this is especially the case for Thai schools being that they rely mostly on rote learning. Home is where a child feels most comfortable and uses language the most. Most of the marriages I know of similar to what we are discussing are with non native speakers of English but who use it to communicate. Imagine being a child and hearing your mother and father speak pidgen English all the time. Most of them are receiving no proper instruction in their fathers native tongue either. At the early years it will have a huge impact on that child's future learning, and not just with language. Language is the key to learning other subjects and those who grow up in these households will likely have a disadvantage unless at least one of the parents is educated and dedicated to their child's learning.

[Colonel_Mustard]

I think you are a bit misguided here. If your parents didn't teach you your language then they must have been absent from the first 6 years of your life.

Very few people learn their native language by being taught. It is usually acquired, not taught.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Language is the key to learning other subjects and those who grow up in these households will likely have a disadvantage unless at least one of the parents is educated and dedicated to their child's learning.

A disadvantage compared to who? Compared to having 2 Thai parents?

I would say that children of mixed relationships are in an advantageous position regarding languages compared to children from 2 Thai parents.

[Dakhar]

And so what is the real data on English skills of mixed farang kids growing in rural Thailand? For that matter, what is the real data on immigrants children command of their father's language in mutlicultural families? How many Americans still speak Italian or German? How many Candians still speak Ukranian? How many generations did it take to completely lose it?

And on the other hand, are immigrant children always as proficient in Engish, French, or German, or Dutch as native kids?

The data that is out there is often times based on the Hispanic/Latino pop. living within the US. There is also a lot of data on CODA's. That would be Children born of Deaf Adults. The kids grow up fluent in sign language, and fluent in whatever other language they are exposed to.

There proabably not a lot of data gathered on Thais and linguistics. Thai's are more concerned about survival than linquistics. Language aquisition, language impairment either receptive or verbal is considered pretty petty in Thailand. Thailand currently has 20 working audiologist in the country.

[mitrapaap]

One good thing is that the kids of these mixed Isaan marriages are having to learn English in order to communicate with their western fathers. This means that there will be more Thai children who will grow up have a good foundation of English as a second language.

Thailand really needs more fluent English speakers if they hope to compete with Malaysia or India for business from the west.

Like it or not, English is the language for business.

Well, well, you have forgotten that not every farang is native english, and not every native's english is necessarily good (or do all americans and british have A grades in English?). Therefore as mentioned in the study, the english the kids get is often poor. You may say better poor than inexistent, well yes, I may agree with that. But expecting a bilingual generation coming our way seems a bit too optimistic.

[capt_canada42]

Yeah I have to agree, I don’t think that survey was entirety fair either. They make it seem like every woman married to a foreigner was a worn out old X-Bar Girl from Issan who blew her first marriage a Thai man who knocked her up. So they headed down to Pattaya or were ever to sell “toot” to support mama and the baby until they found some old European pensioner who’s standards were low enough to accept them and settle in a cheap part of Thailand to live out the rest of their days in more comfort then they could get in their native countries with their meager pensions.

I think it would have been a more insightful survey if they separated X-Bar girls from women who didn’t meet their husbands for the first time on their back. I’m sure you would find allot more differences with couples who met out side of the prostitution game then those that got together for a “short time” and decided to extend.

I personally have found, after 5 years in Thailand, that you can almost always spot the “Bargirl/Looser” couple right away, and their stories are almost inevitably the same, “We met at the bar but, it was her first time, or she worked cashier, or she only danced, or she only did it to support her family ect” However, the other Thai Foreigner couples are different, they are of every race and nationality, and they have stories as diverse as any other kind…. “We met at a restaurant….” “I saw her online and we started to chat….” “She worked at Asia Books and I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw her with that Hello Kitty pin on her shirt..” ect ect.

I would love to see such a survey that separated on the hoe factor. I think it would prove to be much more interesting and cast a more positive light on Thai/Foreigner couples.

Boy you seem real open minded your about a closed as Thai's are to any girl who has had to do what she had to do to support herself, This country is full of prejudice the straight Thai's look down on people who have had to work in bars.

When I came here almost 28 years ago I noticed the bar girls were more like western women in their liberated attitude even if they were selling it.

The straight girls were quite uptight and you had to go through a courtship reminding me of the early days back home.

Anyways there are good and bad people every where in life and its hard to generalize and say the people who work bars are evil, as most of them are people just doing what they have to. Funny over the years I asked many girls why they choose the bar to work and they said they were trying to meet a good falang husband and that was the best place to do it as most Falangs don't do straight Thai things.

[Dakhar]

""If you want to compare it to other Thais, it looks great, if you compare it to native English speakers - nothing to write home about. Maybe without proper schooling (which they don't have in the villages) many won't be able to find work in their fathers countries and be condemned to third world wages for the rest of their lives.""

Frankly, if I thought for a second my actions would condem my child in any form or fasion I would pull the plug and pack up and head home right at this moment.

But wait a tick....

Asia is the fastest growing economic area in the world. Wait a tick, I speak Mandarin Chinese, and English.... My wife speaks, English and Thai... I have business needs that require me to travel to China often. I can bring my child and expose him more to Mandarin, thus brining him in to two economically powerfull languages... and he gets to learn Thai. I may, in order to secure his future even further, take a job in China. Who knows....?

The money that I have can insure my son a strong education in any country he chooses.

Further.... there are many many many, foriengers in America with American degrees, speaking English as their second language, holding down high paying jobs in America. So how is it that, a child born into a bilingual family, could not do the same?

[qualtrough]

Not quite sure why, but that study touched a nerve here with some didn't it?

I don't see what the fuss is with the language issue. Sure the kids will likely be better in one language than another, in this case Thai since they will have so much more exposure, but they will also have a firm basis for building on and improving the other parent's language if they are exposed to it. I had a friend who lived here until his eldest kid was about 11. While they were here they were definately more fluent in Thai and had a slight accent. Now in Canada for more than 7 years and you would never know they weren't born there. I speak English with our kids, and my wife speaks Thai to them. Ocassionally we will speak the other's language as well. Our kids are not confused at all and are doing well. Better at Thai, but as I mentioned above, that is to be expected. This issue has been studied in depth for years and is not controversial.

[mitrapaap]

Whether working in a bar or not is each individuals choice. I had neighbours, their room was twice as big as mine and of course twice as expensive. I couldn't have afforded it neither did they. It was a farang in the background paying it, and a few hours after I came home my neighbours, two ladies, went to work. We have plenty of young and nice people working in our factory and they would punch you in your face if you suggested them to work in a bar or to find a farang to resolve their financial misere. The bars do not represent the society at all.

I found the findings about food and culture rather boring as they seem to be quite normal, but was impressed about the frankness regarding the reason why Thai women marry westerners. It's all about "social security" which means money. 90% of the farangs would not be of interest and get no attention if their income was lousy 10 or 20,000 Baht. The fact that almost all posts in this thread are about food, language and holidays shows how well we know the cash factor but diligently ignore try to ignore it - understandable.

[capt_canada42]

Not quite sure why, but that study touched a nerve here with some didn't it?

I don't see what the fuss is with the language issue. Sure the kids will likely be better in one language than another, in this case Thai since they will have so much more exposure, but they will also have a firm basis for building on and improving the other parent's language if they are exposed to it. I had a friend who lived here until his eldest kid was about 11. While they were here they were definately more fluent in Thai and had a slight accent. Now in Canada for more than 7 years and you would never know they weren't born there. I speak English with our kids, and my wife speaks Thai to them. Ocassionally we will speak the other's language as well. Our kids are not confused at all and are doing well. Better at Thai, but as I mentioned above, that is to be expected. This issue has been studied in depth for years and is not controversial.

Yes I agree fuss about what my daughters speak English and Thai fluently as I spend time with them helping them understand both languages.

I think if you want your kids to do well you have to pay attention to them so I do and it pays off they are number 1 in their classes in school.

The most gratifying thing is to see them reason in both lauguages as well and argue with my wife in English as well as Thai.

[capt_canada42]

Of course they would be upset as I said earlier there is much prejudice here against Thai girls with foreigners and there is alot of pressure by there peers to not work in a bar.

Thats one of the first things you learn here is that if any lady you go with will be looked on as a bar girl.

Yes no matter where you live in the world economic pressure decides a lot who goes with who this is life !

[Plus]

The money that I have can insure my son a strong education in any country he chooses.

No, in rural Roi Et, on 60k a month, you won't get strong education. The study was about farangs over fifty living in rural Thailand, remember? It doesn't refer to farangs sending their kids to ISB here.

Anyhow, it seems unresonable to expect children growing in Roi Et to build a professional career in the West just because their German fathers could speak some English.

I personally know a couple of kids who attend Thai schools and their English is nowhere near English kids of the same age, though a lot better than Thais, and they'd beat them at understanding and reasoning.

Bilingual edication issues are important here in Bangkok, too. We are worried that our kid won't be really good at neither Thai nor English, nor other subjects. We are, in fact, considering moving him from English Program to a good Thai school. We just can't see his current teachers giving him sufficient background in science and math when he reaches high school. Speaking English in itself is not a profession.

[ray23]

If the guy left his office top do the survey I would be very surprised. I can't say I saw any insight into Thai farrang relationships, that I have seen. To truly understand a survey you have to know the quetions asked, if there really were any in this.

[mitrapaap]

If the guy left his office top do the survey I would be very surprised. I can't say I saw any insight into Thai farrang relationships, that I have seen. To truly understand a survey you have to know the quetions asked, if there really were any in this.

Whatever it is, first thing you need if you want to understand anything that is presented to you in written form is the ability to read (somehow carefully). - The survey was not done by a guy!

[Dakhar]

The money that I have can insure my son a strong education in any country he chooses.

No, in rural Roi Et, on 60k a month, you won't get strong education. The study was about farangs over fifty living in rural Thailand, remember? It doesn't refer to farangs sending their kids to ISB here.

Anyhow, it seems unresonable to expect children growing in Roi Et to build a professional career in the West just because their German fathers could speak some English.

I personally know a couple of kids who attend Thai schools and their English is nowhere near English kids of the same age, though a lot better than Thais, and they'd beat them at understanding and reasoning.

Bilingual edication issues are important here in Bangkok, too. We are worried that our kid won't be really good at neither Thai nor English, nor other subjects. We are, in fact, considering moving him from English Program to a good Thai school. We just can't see his current teachers giving him sufficient background in science and math when he reaches high school. Speaking English in itself is not a profession.

An income of 60K does not to me imply that this a person's real income. All it says to me, the fellow has a claimed income of 60K, or has a budget of 60K. On my visa application I have a claimed income of 50K in order to suffice regulations... but it is actually well above that. My monthly budget is around 25K. Yep, I live in a village. (My child is condemmed)

I would not doubt for a moment, these inteviewed folks could dig deep and pull out enough funds to send their child to a decent college, if compelled to do so.

Just as I pointed out before, foriengers live within America making tons of money, relying on their second language skills. Forieng students recieve degrees in America while haveing to rely on their second language.....

Ok, maybe they are exeptionally bright, and well... maybe you should listen to your gut and send your child to an all English environment for an education. As for me, and the many others on this forum have posted, our kids seem fine. We, apparently have no worries...

Heck it is your baht and your child, so do as you wish.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Dakhar

[Plus]

I don't know where they got 60k number, but probably not from the immigration office.

I would not doubt for a moment, these inteviewed folks could dig deep and pull out enough funds to send their child to a decent college, if compelled to do so.

It will be difficult to get into a decent college in the West with some Udon Annatoamaksoeoxvmervnarngardngvn Udom Suksa high school diploma. It will be hard to get into a decent Thai university for that matter. But to each his own, your money, your kids - who am I to judge? I can't afford ISB myself.

[Moo Dohn]

Actually, I find this research kind of bogus. I have been married to my wife for over 5 years now. While I still work and live in the states (she splits her time betwwen the states and Isaan)... When she is staying here with me in the states, she can't wait to get back to Isaan and eat Spagetti Lao and Som Tum. She does like the pizza here, but gave up eatting it because she thought it was making her fat. Face it, Thai people love their country and food. I don't care how many foreign husbands move to Isaan... Sum Tum will NEVER go away... And BTW... even though we live in the USA, we eat pretty much exclusively THAI food for every meal. She even packs a Thai Food lunch for me every day (today I have basil chicken, yum...) So, while some foreigners may refuse to culturally adapt to Thai customs... others are more than willing to do so!

[ray23]

If the guy left his office top do the survey I would be very surprised. I can't say I saw any insight into Thai farrang relationships, that I have seen. To truly understand a survey you have to know the quetions asked, if there really were any in this.

Whatever it is, first thing you need if you want to understand anything that is presented to you in written form is the ability to read (somehow carefully). - The survey was not done by a guy!

Well after a quick read I saw very little need to read it carefully so if this lady left her office I would be very surprised.

Sorry after four years here I'm afraid my household not in the least similiar to her thoughts. Nor is any farrang household that I know of.

It was obviuos that she has a preconceived idea as to what the results of her survey was going to be. It's the same kind of dribble you here in the Tallot by gossiping ladies, not married to farrangs and nothing better to do. Now I did read it that well.

Edited November 17, 2006 by ray23

[Canadianvisitor]

Maybe they should do a survey on how many "Farang" husbands celebrate Thai culture and embrace the culture of the Thai people.

[Thaicoon]

Never saw a survey that wasn't skewed in some way. Note this one was done in some of the major cities in the Isaan. I'm sure the results would be different if it had been conducted in the countryside.

Great now they are going to be fat like us americans !

My thai wife cooks superb western food, but does not eat much of it and is very carefull in prepring it, also thais are not like westerners, they do not have set routines in meal times, my wife will only eat with friends or when she is hungary, us brits will eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe a take away after the pub shuts, after drowning 12 pints of Guiness.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Boo

[jellykookabanj]

Many Thai women in the Northeast who have married foreigners are now keener on eating pizzas and hamburgers than somtam

> Most can't afford it unless a farang is paying

and prefer celebrating Western holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day to traditional Thai holidays

> farang holidays are about being given gifts instead of paying penance to make merit

The head of the study, Asst Prof Supawatanakorn Wongtha-nawasu

> Now there's a real immigrant Chinese-Thai name if ever i saw one (more than 13 characters in the spelling means Chinese immigrant a reliable source once told me) .... leads to the validity of their entitlement to discuss westerners changing the cultural traditions in Thailand - Chinese have done their fair share of that too ..... think noodles - first made in China and brought here by the Chinese. Ditto for fireworks at Loy Kratong time - adopted from the Chinese New Year practise.

found that foreign son-in-laws had caused the community-oriented Northeasterners to become the more individualistic and give less attention to social interaction.

> More accurate would be that the spouses chose to more closely associate with their husband and the spouses believed their husband did not want to join in with community events due to language issues and feeling awkward when they didn't know what to do at events.

Cross-cultural couples had less interaction with neighbours because foreign husbands faced language and cultural obstacles, while the wives tried to adjust by becoming "farang" rather than helping their husbands to be more 'Thai', Supawatanakorn said.

> More accurate than the preceding statement?

Thai culture in these families was thus overshadowed by Western culture, with the families' own consent, due to the pride of having foreign sons-in-law, she said.

The researchers also found most wives interviewed were either not interested or less enthusiastic about traditional Thai holidays - such as Buddhist Lent and Makha Bucha Day - compared with Western holidays like Christmas Day or Valentine's Day.

"In some Khon Kaen villages, with dozens of women marrying farangs, Christmas Day is no different from the movies with real traditional Christmas celebrations, while many Northeastern festivals were forgotten," the academic said.

> It's the gifts I tell you !!!

On the other hand, many foreign husbands enjoyed celebrating the Songkran festival but did not understand the tradition and meaning behind it, she said.

> Might be true in Issaan, but not in Chiangmai - many farangs living here despise Songkran and even leave the country for a holiday to escape it ..... 10-12 days of it is way too long.

The wives still ate somtam, which they grew up eating, but also ate pizza, hamburgers or fried chicken as a symbol of their adjustment to Western culture.

> No, not as a symbol of adjustment, but to show off the status of being able to afford it, in the same way that low paid government servants put themselves in debt for life to own a Mercedes. Same paradigm, different price tag.

Many ended up eating both local and Western dishes, while their husbands found it harder to adjust to local food and stuck more to Western food.

> Yup - the longer you're here, the more you want an increase in western food in your diet - even if it's what you'd class as junk food back home.

Supawatanakorn said that since the wives found it more convenient to cook once for all family members including their husbands, Northeastern food - especially somtam with fermented fish - had gradually disappeared from their meals, she said.

> Not in my household - the wife BUYS her Somtam 4-5 times a week. She ONLY cooks Thai food and all western food is bought in rather than made.

The study found that most Northeastern Thai women married to foreigners were over 30, with an average age of 35, and had education below secondary level. More than 70 per cent had previously wed and divorced Thai husbands and most had one child from the first marriage.

> Can't help feeling the survey sample was biased in order to reinforce social stereotyping here - education below secondary level ..... meaning they never finished High School? Exactly whose fault was that? And why were the parents not punished for permitting the truancy? I've always found a very high percentage who marry farang have not only finishjed high school, but have also finished college or university, and many of the college students have also returned as adults and done vocational courses as well. Regardless of the qualifications, Thais married to westerners quickly acquire a much wider knowledge of global history, geography, and current affairs than their peers, and they get their eyes opened wide about the same topics related to Thailand itself. They quickly become "Pee" even to their own elders simply because of the wealth of knowledge transferred from being married to someone with a different perspective.

Supawatanakorn said most wives saw their cross-cultural marriage as turning over a new leaf.

> See my comments immediately above ..... trying to be positive here - I'll ignore the stereotyping about money digging.

The average age of farang husbands was 50, and most came from Germany, Britain and Scandinavia. A fourth of those over 60 had brought their retirement funds to settle down with Thai wives who took care of them, Supawatanakorn said.

> Again - very different results in Chiangmai where the average must be nearer to 38-40 for the husbands.

The foreign husbands had an average income of Bt60,000 a month, but most of their wives didn't know their husband's work or educational background. The wives were mainly interested in whether their husbands had enough money to support the family, she said.

> I'm trying to stay off the gold-digger cliches, but it's getting difficult.

The study also found that Isaan families whose members had married foreigners had changed their views on choosing spouses. From the traditional practice of parents choosing spouses for their children, the decision is now made by the individual and is based mainly on economic security. Some women agreed to marry foreigners they had never met before the wedding day as they felt that if the man had money, the villagers would eventually accept and respect them.

> Or, to put it another way - if the man had no money, the villagers would never ...... ?

With the obvious increase in wealth of wives married to farang, due to their husbands' financial support, some 90 per cent of residents surveyed said they wanted their daughters to marry foreigners, Supawatanakorn said.

> More fool the husbands for letting the wives be obvious about the wealth - fastest way I know to empty a wallet is to give the wive carte blanche on buying - in ANY country.

Some girls told the researchers they were prepared to fly overseas to marry a foreigner when they grew up.

> But some of them never do grow up, even after having kids and a string of different husbands.

Cross-cultural marriages were also supported by the older generation as these couples took care of their own children instead of placing the burden on the grandparents, or could afford nannies.

> I'm also trying to stay away from stereotyping about laziness. However, this is maybe the only genuine positive thing said about farangs as spouses for Thais in the whole articvle. Why should retired grandparents get lumbered with their grandkids day-in-day-out ? But then, that's farang thinking for you.

However, the cross-cultural marriage weakened the children's language skills as parents spoke to them in a mix of Thai and English, which confused the kids and made them less fluent in the Thai language, she said.

> Not accepting that. It's up to the parents as to which language they want to be dominant in a mixed race household. Besides, the academic's statement is absolving the educators from ensuring the children reach the minimum standard requiored by academic testing. She's blaming the mixed marriages for the failures of her colleagues in the classroom.

The children's English skills were limited to basic daily communication due to the parents' limited educational background or a less stimulating social environment.

> Absolute twaddle and blame shifting from the teachers in the classroom - my parents didn't teach me my language - my teachers in school did that, and my own intelligence and aptitude then allowed me to expand on that teaching and refine my skills for speaking, listening, reading and writing, building my vocabulary based on those skills, not on what my parents said to me.

In areas with many farang residents there was the phenomenon of shops putting up signs for their goods in Thai and English and of English being spoken between vendors and husbands, Supawatanakorn said.

> And so they should if they want non-mixed race kids to learn enough English to allow Thailand to compete in the global marketplace - everywhere in Thailand should be doing it, just as they do in Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Ever seen an interesting TAT promotional banner, but the whole thing is in Thai? Really makes you feel wanted, doesn't it?

Is it just me, or does the write up of this study not sound just a tad more xenophobic and condemning of foreigners than similar ones over recent years?

Gaz

Extremely well balanced explantion. Absolutely spot on with all you have said. My wife's family have exepted me and she has not altered her lifestyle very much. She much prefers Thai food and readily cooks for herself and family as well as preparing European style food too. And the lack of romanized signs and posters does make me feel slightly unwanted.

[Boo]

If some of you can't comment on a simple survey without turning it into an opportunity to slag off farang women then it will be closed.

[Thaddeus]

> Absolute twaddle and blame shifting from the teachers in the classroom - my parents didn't teach me my language - my teachers in school did that, <snip>

*sigh* ..... are you saying that you were a total mute before you went to school ... for more absolute twaddle, click on the arrow sign in the quoted text ..... for the benefit of the quoted poster it's a little red arrow pointing left.

//edit/ arrow

Edited November 17, 2006 by Thaddeus

[helicoptor]

Garlic Bread? GARLIC.....& BREAD ???

[Thaicoon]

If some of you can't comment on a simple survey without turning it into an opportunity to slag off farang women then it will be closed.

did not mean to have upset you, they were not relatives were they, hel_l only having a laugh, do not get your knickers in a twist.

That is why most of us, have thai wives and Girlfriends as we have had enough of Frrrang Woman....,

good pic tho........to big to post again, sorry lads.

Have one on me Boo

Edited November 17, 2006 by Thaicoon

[the_webninja]

I think it is a Good thing for Cultures to intermix, and interbreed, and Social Interaction is a good thing as well. However in this study, it shows a lot of Negative things, that maybe someone in the Local Government can address.

1. The Lack of Interest in Thai Cultural Events is a very bad thing, because if this trend continues everything that is know as "Thai" will die out and be forgotten. I believe that Thai Culture is one of the most Beautiful Cultures in the World. These are the things that got the attention of the Foriegners to begin with. Yes Thai Women are some of the Most Beautiful Women in the World, but I feel it is a great form of disrespect for Foriegn Husbands to lead the families away from Thai Culture as if to imply that the Foriegn Husband's Culture is some how Better and Over Rules the Thai Culture in some way. This is wrong, because if the Foriegn Husband's Culture was better, then he would never have left his Homeland to come to Thailand. I believe it is every Foreign Husband's DUTY to embrace and cherish Thai Culture as a way of Reciprocating all the Love that Thailand has provided the Foriegn Husband's with.

2. I like the Idea of Mixing Foods and Cultures, but I don't like the idea of eliminating One for the Other. That feels like there is something wrong there, that is much deeper than the Surface Values.

If the Foriegn Husbands actually LOVE Thai people, then why do they insist on ignoring or refusing to accept Eating Thai Foods, Celebrating Thai Holidays, and forcing THEIR Beliefs onto the Thai people around them, and making the Thai people change to that which is NOT Thai? Is this how they Show their Love for the Thai people?

3. In the Study it mentions that the primary Concern of the Thai Women who Married Foriegn Husbands, was Financial Security more than anything else. This is common with many Women not just Thai Women, but it seems funny that so manyWomen use MONEY as the Prime Value in deciding a Relationship. Isn't a Relationship suppose to be based on LOVE?

4. The Study claims that the Thai Women are growing more Individualistic, and Independant rather than operating within the Community. This is the greatest common evil I see with Any Democracy that interact with Foriegn influence such as British or the Americans. People begin to follow a Trend of Cutting themselves off from Society, becoming more and more Detached from the people around them. And I am not talking about the behavior of the Foriegn Husbands now, I am talking about Individuals who adopt Western Style Culture. Anyone who Adopts Western Culture Tends to adopt a Colder outlook to those around them. More Isolated and Distant, not Warm and Friendly as Thai Culture is. Western people don't usually Smile at each other when they Pass on the Street, Western people are more Distant and Cold Hearted. If the Thai People Adopt more Western Styles of living, Thailand will no longer be the Land of Smiles. But the people who adopt Western Culture will tend to display more Hatred and Contempt for those around them, simply because most Foriegners are Christians, and Christians base their Teachings of Life on Hating Everyone who is NOT Christian. They use terms such as "Sin" and "evil" to Justify their Hatred of others, and their Philosophy of life is to Live in Misery and hold Contemptious Attitudes towards others, they live in Misery waiting to Die to go to Heaven where they believe all their Dreams will come true. This is the Path of the Thai people who follow the Western Ways. Buddhism bases its teaching on Compassion and Understanding, which is why most Thai Customs and Traditions are more Warm and Compassionate, such as Smiling at someone when you pass them on the Street. Christians are not like this. Christians believe in Holy Wars, and Killing everyone who is not Christians. Christians believe in keeping Slaves, Degrading Women, and Promoting Hatred and Contempt. They are not nice people, they never were. Look throughout History, and you will see the effects of Christians in almost every Country in the World, they Kill and Manipulate the people to try to FORCE them to believe the way they do. This is the way of the Christian. Beware.

In Summary, I think that it is a Sad thing that these Foriegn Husbands are committing such a Grave Wrong to disrespect the Thai Culture in such ways. I do not think that Thai people should discourage Thai people from marrying Foriegners, I believe that Mix Marriages provide both Cultures with many benefits, but I think it is up to the Thai people to Teach the Foriegners their Responsibity to maintaining the Thai Culture especially if they want to live in Thailand. Otherwise everything that is known as "Thai" will be forgotten, and it will die out, and the Thai people will all live in Misery as they Do in every major City in the entire Western World, and Thai Culture will adopt the Same style thinking, as Western Cultures so they will also have the Same Style Problems as well. Foriegners come to Thailand because it is Unique, it is Special, it is Different, and it is Beautiful. If you take all that away, and make Thailand just like every place else in the World, then it will not only hurt the people of Thailand, it will hurt Tourism, it will hurt the Honor of all the Thai people throughout time, and disrespect all Thai Ancestors, and Curse the land with a Great evil like Thailand has never known before. Why do you think there are so many Chrisitan Colleges in Thailand now? Because they "just want to teach?" Yeah right. Like they did to every other Country in the World right?

[Pink Mist]

and your point is in three words or less?

[Dakhar]

Whew.....

Kill whitey.... What a thread.

In regards to getting in to a college with a foriegn degree. Welp, believe it or not, I used to work in the international graduate admissions office at my college. Beleive it or not, colleges are not linked with the CIA, they have no clue about where, when, and how students obtained their degrees in their home land. Basically it boils down to, grades, transcript, proof of finacial security, GRE, TOFL scores... and presto.... you are in. If the student is not college material, it will eventually shine through, and out they go.

So yea, if I did not work in such an environment, I would probably be worried too.

BTY a little known fact. Salsa is sold more in the USA than ketchup. The point is, hispanics have been living in America for many generations, and they are still eating bean burritos, and marching with flags chanting in Spanish, "Vive Mexico." (even though they are wacked christians, they still have a strong belief in the family unit.... go figure)

So to Thailand.... I don't think you have much to fear, except ignorance.