Why Thai Women Prefer Foreign Men

Although they total only a fraction of a percent of Thailand’s female population, there are a large number of Thai women who prefer to have foreign husbands and boyfriends.

I don’t have the numbers, but my hunch is the percentage of Thai women seeking foreign husbands and boyfriends is higher than in most other countries.

But why?

The majority of Thai girls working the bars in Thailand’s popular tourist hot spots like Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai are very money orientated.

Thai bar girls are commonly from poor families, poorly educated, and with little prospect of progressing on to a high paid job or career. Their best chance of escaping poverty is to marry a rich man or at least a man who can offer some financial security.

The average single male foreigner visiting Thailand supposedly meets that criteria and he just happens to be on the hunt for a single Thai girl.

What About the Other Kind of Thai Woman?

She’s not poor, she’s not a bar girl.

She could be anything from a nurse to a lawyer, a student to a successful businesswoman.

She earns a good salary and doesn’t expect her foreign boyfriend or husband to pay for everything. For them, there is obviously something more appealing about foreign men than money.

At least that’s the way it would appear to me. There is also no reason why money could not be the agenda in a more indirect way. Independent, self-supporting Thai women just might prefer foreign partners because they are financial equals, meaning they can maintain their own financial independence.

Status Symbol

If you have ever dated a Thai bar girl, did you notice how she made a point taking you to places where she had friends or family?

She would take you back to her bar, to her favorite eating places, or to meet her cousin. She is basically showing them her new status, you.

Experimenting With Foreign Boyfriends

Financially independent career-minded single Thai women have time on their hands. They are in no rush to marry and start a family.

They may seek a foreign boyfriend just for the experience of sexual and social experimentation. They may want to compare foreign men to their Thai counterparts.

Foreign Men are More Faithful than Thai Men

Up until 1935 polygamy was legal in Thailand. A man could have a wife, plus a minor wife (mistress), known as a mia noi.

And believe it or not, he could have a third wife who he visited purely for sex. Some sources refer to the Thai man’s third wife during that era as a sex slave.

Monogamy is not a quality which Thai men are noted for. Polygamy is no longer legal in Thailand and is a practice that often results in bloody retribution by his spouse, many Thai men do carry on the practice of keeping a second wife.

In most cases, this is still the norm and considered acceptable by most Thai women.

Even if not maintaining a second wife, it appears to be common to have a junior companion for the purposes of sex and entertainment.

This woman could be University age or older and her position may not be cemented in their relationship. Not a sex worker nor a second wife, but a “friends with benefits” situation or “geek” กิ๊ก.

Note: Thai men might expect their wife to accept it, but a foreign man usually would not.

Thai Men Don’t Want Thai Women

There is a widespread belief that Thai men do not like to “marry down”, meaning they do not want to marry a woman from a poorer social class or background.

The average Thai girl who chooses to work the bar would find it imposible to find a wealthy Thai husband.

Thai men are also said to be very reluctant to date divorcees, widowers and single mothers. This leaves Thai women in those categories with no option but to seek a foreign partner.

Thai Women Prefer the Look of Western Men

Whether it is for their sex appeal, their oriental look, or their Thai ways and mannerisms, Thai girls are very appealing to many men. Just as Latino and Scandinavian women are appealing to other men.

There’s no accounting for taste, so there is no reason why a Thai woman should not simply prefer the Western, Arabic, African, or whatever look a foreign man has.

Yes, it really could be that simple, could it not?

You will rarely find a Thai woman with an Arabic, Indian, or black partner. A wealthy Arab perhaps, but my guess is this is purely transactional and short-lived.

A degree of racism still exists and if one of the long-term goals of the relationship is a child (be it for love or to cement a financial obligation to help from the man) they will almost always procreate with caucasian men.

The child may be collateral damage to the relationship, but at least he will be lighter-skinned than the average Thai and possess facial features that Thai TV stars fantasize about.

Some people want what they weren’t born with: for western women, it’s a tanned brown skin and for Thais, it’s pasty white skin, for one example.

Not every man will continue to support a woman after a relationship ends if a child is present, but I would guess it hovers around 20-30% of men will send some form of financial aid out of guilt.

What Do I Think?

Personally, I believe the small percentage of Thai women who prefer foreign men do so for many different reasons, including all of those covered on this page.

During my time living in Thailand, I have seen all kinds of relationships.

I have seen many foreigners with a stunningly beautiful “trophy wife”.

I’ve known elderly foreigners whose wife seems to be blatantly waiting for him to die.

I have some younger friends who attract the attention of, and court successfully, rich young Thai women wealthy enough to own a Mercedes.

I’m happy to say I know some super happy Thai/Western couples. They have fantastic relationships and share a genuine love for each other regardless of race, culture, color or money.

I don’t know how, where, or why they met. It doesn’t matter, but it’s usually convenient for both. 

What Do You Think?

Married to, divorced from, dating, or hoping to date a Thai girl?

Or do you simply have an opinion about why some Thai women prefer foreign men as husbands or boyfriends? 

Well, the internet voted. And feel free to drop your comment below.

A cynical bunch you are, you overwhelmingly said they only want foreign men for money.

Other popular responses include:

• They can’t find a suitably wealthy Thai man.

• They date foreign men for social status.

• They find the look of foreign men more desirable.

• They just want to give foreign men a try or to experiment.