| Here on the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand, | | | | and attentive to their husband's needs. |
| there are a great number of mixed Thai-Western | | | | It is dangerous to generalise too much about the |
| marriages. It really is turning into quite a | | | | men who marry Thai girls and settle in Phuket. |
| phenomenon. Around Phuket's schools and | | | | They all have their own story. Just the same, |
| playgrounds it is common to see mixed-race | | | | there are common patterns. You can place a lot |
| children happily playing with the 100% Thai kids. | | | | of these men into three broad groups: |
| They are usually easy to spot with fairer skin, | | | | Group 1. There are those that come to Phuket |
| western features and non-black hair. A whole | | | | for 'normal' reasons such as work or a break |
| generation of culturally diverse, multi-lingual children | | | | from work. It is natural that some of these |
| is growing up and will soon be quite an asset to | | | | people will meet and fall in love with locals. This |
| Phuket's tourist industry. | | | | happens all over the world. There is no doubt that |
| This phenomenon of mixed marriages in Phuket | | | | Thai women are very charming so perhaps it is |
| has really exploded over the last decade. Of | | | | more common here than elsewhere. |
| course, the major reason is the expansion of | | | | Group 2. Then there are those who fall in love |
| Phuket's tourist trade. When you have more than | | | | with their bargirl. The girls who work in the sex |
| a million western visitors a year, it is natural that | | | | industry are good at selling themselves; it is their |
| some of them will meet and fall in love with local | | | | job. It is not usually the hardened sex-tourists |
| people. Especially when the local people are so | | | | that fall for their charms. They tend to pick up a |
| appealing. | | | | new girl every night with no emotional |
| But there must be more to it than that. The | | | | attachment. It is the new guys. The men who |
| tourist resorts around the Mediterranean, | | | | come to Phuket for the first time, not quite |
| Caribbean and US also receive millions of foreign | | | | knowing what to expect. They probably have an |
| visitors a year. There are mixed-nationality | | | | idea that they are going to pick up a prostitute |
| marriages at these resorts but not thousands in a | | | | but they don't know how it works. They end up |
| small area like there are in Phuket. | | | | doing the GFE (girl friend experience - see Phuket |
| One thing stands out when you look at Phuket's | | | | Naughty Nightlife). That is picking up a bar girl and |
| ex-pat population - the vast majority of us are | | | | then keeping her for the entire length of the |
| men. Probably around 90% of the ex-pat | | | | holiday. They act as if they are |
| population is male. That is not the case when you | | | | boyfriend-girlfriend. The girl gets plenty of time to |
| look at the breakdown of tourist visitors where | | | | weave her magic. She tugs the guy's heartstrings |
| the split is only 60-40 in favour of males. | | | | with her life story until he is brimming with |
| So while there are many women visiting Thailand, | | | | sympathy. She gives him lots of affection and by |
| only a small percentage of them decide to settle | | | | the end of his holiday, he is in love. |
| here. It is probably a similar percentage to those | | | | Group 3. Then there are those who come with |
| that settle at other holiday resorts. But the men | | | | the pre-planned intent of finding a wife. They |
| are marrying Thai women and settling here in | | | | have thought about it and come to the reasoned |
| numbers that way exceed what is typical | | | | conclusion that a Thai wife would make their life |
| elsewhere. There is an obvious conclusion to draw. | | | | better. Some of these guys will look for their new |
| There are a lot of men coming to Phuket to | | | | wife around the sex venues of Patong. Others |
| actively seek wives. They are not just falling in | | | | want to stay away from the sex industry girls. |
| love while on holiday - they are coming with the | | | | They may try dating agencies or internet |
| pre-planned intent of finding a doe-eyed Thai | | | | matching services. Some of them will try to meet |
| beauty to be their spouse. | | | | 'good' Thai women away from the tourist resorts. |
| Many men seem to be dissatisfied with their | | | | Their approaches may vary but the conclusion is |
| experiences of women in their home country. | | | | the same - they think a life in Phuket with a Thai |
| Society has changed rapidly in the west over the | | | | wife would be better than their current life back |
| last few decades. Women have become more | | | | home. |
| confident and assertive. They can be intimidating | | | | Whatever the reasons, the mixed Thai-Western |
| to approach and fast with a withering put-down. | | | | marriage is now an established part of Phuket's |
| They are much more demanding in their | | | | scenery. Not all of these Western men find their |
| relationships and expect a lot of concessions from | | | | dream wife. Many of these marriages run into |
| their partners. Many men do not like it. They still | | | | problems but that is true of marriages the world |
| want the fifties ideal of a feminine, doting wife. | | | | over. There can be extra problems related to |
| So they come to Thailand in search of the | | | | marriages between people from different cultures. |
| answer to their problem. Here, they believe they | | | | Still a lot of western men are very happy with |
| can still find women who are beautiful, feminine | | | | their choice. |