Why Thai Women Prefer Foreign Men

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

I don’t have any facts and figures, but my guess is the percentage of women in Thailand seeking foreign husbands and boyfriends, either on Thai dating apps or in social circles, is higher than in most other countries.

I’m not going to argue; the majority of Thai bar girls working the bars of Thailand’s popular tourist hot spots like Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin,and Chiang Mai are very money-oriented.

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

Single male foreigners visiting Pattaya (for example) supposedly meet this criterion, and many happen to be on the hunt for a cute single Thai girl.

What about the other kind of Thai women? They’re not poor, not bar girls. They could be anything from a nurse to a lawyer, a student to a successful businesswoman. They earn a good salary and don’t expect their foreign boyfriends or husbands to pay for everything.

For those types of Thai women, there is obviously something more appealing about foreign men than money. At least, that’s the way it would appear. Although, there is also no reason why money could not be on the agenda in a more indirect way. Ultimately, independent, self-supporting Thai women just might prefer foreign partners because they are financial equals, meaning they can maintain their own financial independence.

Foreigners Are A Status Symbol For Thai Women

Similar to driving an expensive car, living in a luxury house, having a foreign husband can be a symbol of wealth and a higher social standing.

Thai Women 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, for sexual and social experimentation, and 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. Internet references refer to the Thai man’s third wife during that era as a sex slave.

Monogamy is not a quality that Thai men are famous for. Although 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 some Thai women.

I’m not saying foreign men don’t practice polygamy. The difference is that Thai men might expect their wives to accept it, but a foreign man usually would not.

They Are Thai Women Not Wanted By Thai Men

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. This obviously means the average Thai women who chooses to work the bar would find it difficult to find a wealthy Thai husband. Thai men are also said to be very reluctant to date divorcees, widows, and single mothers, which in turn leaves Thai women in those categories with no option but to seek a foreign partner.

Thai Women Prefer the Look of Western 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?

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 between foreign men and Thai women. I have seen many foreigners with a stunningly beautiful “trophy wife”. I have some younger friends who attract the attention of, and court successful and rich young Thai women.

I’m happy to say I know some fabulously 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.

What do You Think?

Married to, divorced from, or dating a Thai girl, or do you simply have an opinion about why some Thai women prefer foreign men as husbands or boyfriends?