Expat Advice: Relationships in Bangkok, Thailand

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Bangkok

What is your current status? Are you single, dating, in a long-term relationship, married or divorced?

Married, no children

What is it like in your country of residence for someone with your relationship status (married/divorced/dating)? If you're single, how do you meet other people? Do English-speaking people tend to gravitate to certain parts of your city?

Being a married couple here is fine, as long as your man doesn't partake of the local nightlife. I can't imagine a worse place to be a single, Western woman. Yes, English-speaking people do tend to gravitate to certain parts of the city. We even have an "American Suburb" gated community. Sadly, living there you might not ever realize you are in a foreign land.

If you have children, what advice would you give to others making a similar transition to your country of residence?

We do socialize quite regularily with other married couples. When not with other couples we enjoy movies, tennis, bike rides, etc.

What would be the best advice you could give someone with your relationship status that lives in your country of residence? Any other thoughts?

Bangkok Thailand is infamous as the "sex vacation destination of choice." It has also been blamed for breaking up numerous marriages. I think of it this way:

There are very attractive, readily available women in Bangkok - boat loads of them. It's like a candy store where all the candy is butterscotch flavor...

A man (boy) in the candy shop that doesn't like butterscotch won't even be tempted. There are men (boys) that aren't wild about butterscotch, but since it is so readily available they will partake of it. There are men (boys) that love butterscotch - some of these men will enjoy the smell in the candy store, but not eat any because they are loyal to their candy at home; some of these men will eat at the candy store until all their teeth have rotted out of their mouths and they've lost everything. Then there are men that love all candy and they were going to eat until their teeth rotted out and they've lost everything no matter where they were, this candy store just happens to be cheaper.

Strong, stable marriages survive the men that just enjoy the show (smell) but don't touch. Strong, stable marriages often even survive a nibble or two... A marriage with other stresses, might not survive even being in the same city as the candy store.

Even if the husband is totally immune to the candy, living in Bangkok can be hard on a Western woman's self esteem. Thai's will tell you you are fat, even if you are not. If you are fatter than them, you are fat. They will also tell you that dark skin is not pretty, any shade darker than pasty white is dark. If you are bigger than a size 7-1/2 shoe or 10/12 in clothes, forget it, you cannot buy off the rack in Bangkok. And if you are a bit bigger gal, those approving glances you got on the streets back in the states, you won't be getting those here - ever. So even that great hubby that is totally immune to the temptations of Bangkok, might have extra work to do in Thailand stroking his wife's ego.