My post was not directed at Mel or anyone in particular. Just a general bit of info from my experiences, or more so, what I have seen others go through. I've seen quite a few farangs get raked over the coals financially and emotionally. My 'family' in the village are all women except a couple guys who are decent hard working gents who do what they can. My significant 'others' can support themselves, and do so daily. (And yes, of course I helped along the way. You support your wife and children and help as needed or appropriate and not foolishly or above my means.) We moved to Surin from the village many years ago basically for daughter's education and better business opportunities for their restaurant business. I have over the years though seen the mistakes other guys have made. I hate seeing these guys get screwed over. Hell, I've helped some get out of their predicaments and offered advice to others that hopefully helped them see where they have gone wrong. They can take it or leave it. It's not just farangs either. I've seen Thai guys get taken in and screwed over as well. Some families here (and the world over) can be vicious and destructive for all men, silly buggers we are that can be blinded by 'love' and the retarded small head we sometimes think with.Cent, please don't hold back. Your insight is so dead on that it should become mandatory reading at TAT offices and Thai visa outlets.
Most of us (white western farangs) have put ourselves into relationships well within the "bumfook" (excuse me, Ferret) - the poorest parts of Thailand.
We basically pay for that privilege. Our significant others do not support us.
Our SOs are not from the Hiso end of Thai society.
But seriously why are we here ?
If we really know why and we are happy with the answer...and our choice...then so be it.
We originally came to the devil's playground for what...to study Buddhism ? To take art classes with gold leaf ? To learn to communicate in another language ? To train to become a mahoot ?
(Fook no.)
We all know why we're here so let's not beat the dog.
As an American (for instance) we could always pull roots and go to Mejíco, Costa Rica, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Uruquay, Portugal, parts of eastern Europe or...
But in the end we'd probably be a helluva lot worse off or possibly still unhappy...or wind tits up in a ditch.
Let's face it - weren't the majority of us 'happily married at sometime' to someone our own age back home ?
So hell, why not try to find the right partner at the right time and try to make a go of it. It couldn't get any worse than the last time, could it ?
(Well it could but ...lol)
I came for the weather and the beaches with a friend who worked with me in the airline industry and who wanted to go and asked me to come along. Did it, as if you've ever been through years of extended New England winters of snow and ice is easy to understand. Neither of us had much real idea of what the LOS had to offer other than a good exchange rate, cheap beers, sunshine and beaches galore to recharge the batteries of our winter battered souls. We used to travel to other warm places each winter, islands in the sun, with our basically free airline staff passes. First class seats usually as well. I fell in love with the country and all it has to offer and kept coming back. It seemed a no brainer really except for the long flights. LOL
