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Disillusioned Western Men Seek to "Thai" the Knot (Western Women Are Wrecks)
SAWF NEWS ^ | 12/23/2006 | Pornchai Kittiwondsakul

Posted on 12/23/2006 5:15:33 PM PST by Dallas59

BANGKOK (AFP) - "I could not find anybody in the States. There was nothing in America for me. That's why I'm here," says the clean-cut 52-year-old bachelor, who bears a passing resemblance to Hollywood actor Michael Douglas.

Sullivan, an emergency nurse from Florida, is one of a growing number of foreign men seeking young and beautiful Thai brides via the Internet.

Speaking at the Bangkok office of Sweet Singles, a Thai bride-by-Internet company, Sullivan says he has decided to "go beyond boundaries" in his search for a wife after a futile quest in the United States.

"American women in my age are, basically, a wreck. They are physically and emotionally beaten up from relationships and life. They are untrusting," says the well-built Sullivan, sporting a pink shirt and white pants.

"I think the feminist movement in America in the 60s really trashed American feminism. American women lack a certain femininity about them that women of other countries have," he laughs.

Sullivan contacted Sweet Singles six months ago and was introduced to Yoshita Tongsalee, an attractive 27-year-old teacher of traditional Thai dancing.

After corresponding with her via e-mails for three weeks, Sullivan decided to meet her and flew to Bangkok in early December.

"Just from e-mails, I knew she was the one. I just knew," says the American, his emerald earring dazzling.

"I find Thai women in general to be less self-centered and more family-centered than I find in western women," he says. The couple plans to marry next year.

John, a 43-year-old Briton who got married to a Thai woman four years ago via an Internet bride agency, also has grievances about western women.

"English women are very demanding and they expect you to be good-looking and have plenty of money and give them lots of attention. They drink a lot and they smoke a lot and they eat a lot," says John, who declined to give his last name.

"I am not very good at getting women anyway. I'm not the best-looking guy in the world. I'm quite short and it's very hard for me to find an English woman who is shorter than me," he says on the telephone from London.

Before marrying his Thai bride, John dated six British women, but his relationships with them were anything but happy.

"I'm just fed up with British women. They are not so loyal," he says.

When he met six Thai ladies in Bangkok via the Internet, including a 32-year-old business woman who later became his wife, John says he was struck by their kindness and family-centered values.

"I think Thai women are more loyal to their husbands. They are not just 'take, take take.' Also they have old-fashioned family values, which we used to have in this country," he says. John and his wife now have two young boys.

John and Marc declined to say how much they paid to get their Thai wives. Sweet Singles says it can charge a foreign man up to 1,700 dollars for a three-year membership to meet Thai ladies.

Some 10,000 foreign men have signed up with Sweet Singles over the last decade, and nearly half of them were previously divorced, says Bee, the company's customer service manager.

Some 80 percent of them get married to Thai women through the agency.

Americans account for 60 percent of the company's male clients, with the rest mostly from Australia, Britain, Germany and Scandinavian countries. Their average age ranges from 55 to 60.

Some 20,000 Thai women have also joined Sweet Singles, with their ages ranging from 20 to 40. The company charges a Thai woman 700 baht (20 dollars) for membership.

Bee, a petite 40-something, says Thai woman often have a favorable impression of foreigners.

"Many Thai girls were disappointed by Thai men who are famous for womanizing, drinking and gambling. Thai woman believe Caucasian men are more responsible and sincere and not playing around with other women," she says.

Thanitchaya Buaban, a striking 26-year-old beauty from Thailand's northern tourist spot of Chiang Mai, says she used to have a Thai boyfriend but he cheated on her many times.

"I was heart-broken. After I joined Sweet Singles, I started meeting foreigners and they were very kind and polite," she says at the firm's office.

Thanitchaya says she now has many American suitors who are trying to win her love with diamond rings and necklaces.

"I'm going to choose the best one," she says with a big smile.

For Sullivan's fiancee Yoshita, her experiences with Thai men were more traumatic.

"I was planning to marry my first Thai boyfriend, but he did not show up on our wedding day. He embarrassed me and my family," Yoshita says. "My second boyfriend cheated on me and impregnated another woman."

But Yoshita, who wears a golden heart necklace, says she is looking forward to living in Florida with the man of her dreams -- even if she still refers to him by his last name.

"I believe Mr Sullivan is a gift from God. He is really a good man and respects me. Every day I pray and thank Buddha for giving me Mr Sullivan," she says.

Sullivan nodded and held her hand.

"I have to step outside my own culture to find someone with whom I am compatible. I am not narrow-minded in that regard," he smiles.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: asianbrides; dating; mailorderbrides; marriage; sexes; single; thailand
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To: Steve Van Doorn; cammie; Thumper1960; killjoy

"He may not always say, the things you'd have him say, then all at once he'll say....something wonderful...He has a thousand dreams that won't come true, you know that he believes in them and that's enough for you....you'll always go alone, defend him when he's wrong, and tell him when he's done, he is wonderful....a man who needs your love can be...wonderful!"

The first Queen of the King of Thailaid, from the musical 'The King and I' based on the novel, 'Anna and the King of Siam (Thailand)'.


461 posted on 12/23/2006 9:43:09 PM PST by baa39 (Shall we dance, bom bom bom...)
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To: MarkL

LOL!


462 posted on 12/23/2006 9:43:58 PM PST by TheWriterTX (Proud Retrosexual Wife of 13 Years)
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To: cammie
"Mr. Sullivan sounds like a perv.

You are wrong. He is correct about selfish Brit and American women. I am with a Brazillian women that has the warmest heart and twice as many degrees as I have. Nice dark brown hair and dark eyes and an average women's body shape. A basic, nice woman to be with. Her family is in both countries. And they own businesses.

463 posted on 12/23/2006 9:44:00 PM PST by BobS
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To: GladesGuru

No reconsideration necessary. Whatever his intent was, I'm thankful that I don't have what it takes to make it as a stripper.


464 posted on 12/23/2006 9:45:36 PM PST by cammie
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To: Bronzewound

You're reading WAAAAY more into what I said than is actually there, Bronzewood. But have a Merry Christmas.


465 posted on 12/23/2006 9:46:47 PM PST by cammie
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To: Northern Alliance

I see, that is why I asked the question, as I'm sure you know the belief in the divinity of the king was long unquestioned in that country, and of course in his son, who came to the throne on the king's death.

In Japan, it was not entirely impossible before his not-too-distant death to find Japanese in that country AND America who believed in the divinity of Emperor Hirohito.


466 posted on 12/23/2006 9:46:57 PM PST by baa39 (Shall we dance, bom bom bom...)
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To: Sam Cree

Now Sam,

That's not shrill, that's assertive. ;-)

How's fishing been?


467 posted on 12/23/2006 9:47:11 PM PST by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon Liberty, it is essential to examine principles, - -)
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To: BobS

You are generalizing. Mr. Sullivan's situation and your situation sound like they have nearly nothing in common except for the fact that your partners are not American.


468 posted on 12/23/2006 9:49:07 PM PST by cammie
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To: Northern Alliance
...and one of those in particular is not respected anywhere as near as much...

Could it be the individual in question is suffering from de-elightenment? ;)

469 posted on 12/23/2006 9:50:20 PM PST by killjoy (Life sucks, wear a helmet.)
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To: Northern Alliance
Emotionally Thais put the King in a different category than they would other people.

Either his portrait or Buddha's is always the highest image on any Thai wall.

470 posted on 12/23/2006 9:50:41 PM PST by null and void (Propaganda doesn't have to make sense. Hell, it often works better if it doesn't.)
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To: Thumper1960
"The weaker sex, my arse."

Did I miss something?

471 posted on 12/23/2006 9:51:39 PM PST by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* ?I love you guys?)
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To: Bronzewound

Oh, and one PS -- that wasn't me who called him a loser, less than a man, not rich, and pathetic. That was another poster. I called him that later.

I believe by that point I had just said he was behaving like a pig. :-)


472 posted on 12/23/2006 9:52:40 PM PST by cammie
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To: killjoy
Could it be the individual in question is suffering from de-elightenment? ;)

Yeah, I guess if you were Thai that would be the way out. ;-)

473 posted on 12/23/2006 9:52:41 PM PST by Northern Alliance
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To: Central Scrutiniser

Unfortunately, the architypical Babuska can bench press a tank turret. That comes from lots of genetic selection for talents like being able to pull a plow.

Whereas all too many FemiNazi's can cut sod with a harsh line or two.


474 posted on 12/23/2006 9:52:58 PM PST by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon Liberty, it is essential to examine principles, - -)
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To: baa39
Do you have the sheet music for that? I'm going to try to get my wife to sing that for me tomorrow night and maybe once a month thereafter.
475 posted on 12/23/2006 9:53:13 PM PST by Bronzewound
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To: Steve Van Doorn
Whomever it was who coined the term "the weaker sex" as a reference to women, hadn't a clue about the nature of the feminine vessel.

They are, and always shall be, at least the equal of men in terms of subtle power.

All except those feminist Yank and Brit chicks. :-)

476 posted on 12/23/2006 9:56:16 PM PST by Thumper1960 (Unleash the Dogs of War as a Minority, or perish as a party.)
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To: GladesGuru

I've hardly had a chance to go fishing in a while. I have a thought of going over to Sprigger Bank sometime soon and kill a few Spanish macks....How's everything out on the Loop? I certainly was pleased with this years hurricane season, btw!


477 posted on 12/23/2006 9:58:33 PM PST by Sam Cree (don't mix alcopops and ufo's - absolute reality)
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To: cammie
PS Too - I understand that you did not make all the arguments that I brought up. But some of what you said seemed like a bucket of water out of a bigger ocean.

No hard feelings. :)

Thanks for the Kerryesque tagline.

478 posted on 12/23/2006 10:01:29 PM PST by Bronzewound ( That wasn't me who called him a loser…. That was another poster. I called him that later. cammie)
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To: cammie
Many strippers become lesbians. This male ER nurse would know that, too, since the strippers often end up in the ER for one reason or another.

They learn not to like men.

479 posted on 12/23/2006 10:05:12 PM PST by Mamzelle
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To: GladesGuru

Speaking of shrill, I think they had battleaxes around before feminism, but feminists have surely made an art form out of it.


480 posted on 12/23/2006 10:05:35 PM PST by Sam Cree (don't mix alcopops and ufo's - absolute reality)
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