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