[wepoiyub]

Hope I'm posting this in the correct section.

I'm new to this site. Glad I came across it. Already I am relating better to my Thai husband. Had no idea some of the things he does is because he is Thai and it has to do with his culture. Just thought it was him.

Haven't been to Thailand yet, but definitely within the next two years. I am very curious as to the reaction we will receive. I am an American of Latin descent. I think my marriage is very unusual. It's not that common for a Western woman to marry an Asian, especially for that woman to not be of Caucasian descent. How often does one see this in Thailand? Will Thai people be totally surprised?

I've lived in Japan and China and 75% of the time was mistaken for being Asian. Even many Americans think I am Asian because I study the area, lived there, and can speak the languages. I guess Latins and Asians don't look that different. We are usually short, with thick black hair, dark eyes, and vary from white to dark skin. I believe when I am in Thailand I will be mistaken for Thai too!

But when the natives do discover I am not Asian and then find out I am married to a Thai man they are very surprised. They ask a lot of questions. Haven't encountered any negativity yet. So I'm hoping for the same in Thailand. I can deal with questions and am hoping people won't talk about me and my husband behind our backs.

[Indian Butt Magic]

Thailand is not all that multicultural and that's one thing I like about it. I also lived in Japan for many years on business, and find the mono cultural society much more cohesive and desirable than my own multicultural disaster land that I live in, that is Australia.
Because Thailand has a very dominant mono culture you find like Japan that people trust each other more, as every one basically thinks the same, and the people are very friendly, now in comparison to Australia, every one distrust every one as most people have been ripped off by misunderstood culture, Australia is basically not a very friendly country.
Now it is more common to see a Thai woman with a western man, but I think no one will take much notice of you, if your skin color is basically the same as a light color Thai person, but if you have dark skin, Thai people have an obsession about dark skin being linked to being a laborer, so if you get to much of a tan, they may think you are of the lower working class, In my opinion you should use sunscreen or Thai people may think you are a lower-class laborer, as people who work in offices do not get a tan.

[gettoblaster]

I guess Thai people will understand you well and easily accept it.

Whether you are white, brown or darker or in-between, somewhere or the other, people will have questions that need to be answered. You cannot avoid it (accept maybe in your own place), because despite us thinking otherwise, the world has to still fully evolve in its understanding of each other. As a white you could probably have convenient time, because of the circumstances, but that does not mean people do not have questions, doubts, mis-understandings about the West too.

My suggestion is to not delve too much on what may or may not happen on a statistical level, where people do not know you directly. Focus and spend all your time in relating with the people you meet one-to-one. That is where it matters, and that is where you have the capacity to change or enhance the perceptions you believe.. is you...

[vypusknye]

I am married with a Thai girl for almost 20 years now. In the early years we did have some problems, but the problems that were basicly cultureproblems.
Now after many years I am happy that in that days we did not divorced. At this time we understand each other very well. And yes, sometimes we have an argument as in every marriage, but we solve it the same day. We have a statement hanging on the wall: "go sleeping with a smile". That is: solve every problem before you go sleeping. In the beginning we had a lot of "problems", and now we are laughing about them.
What color your skin, what race, what religion, it must be no problem if you love each other. Only if there are difference in culture you have to handle them very well and try to understand each other. When you understand the culture from your partner, you get a wonderfull time and later you are smiling about your problems you have now.

[wepoiyub]

I'm thinking my experience in Thailand will match my experiences in Japan and China. I think it is just the cultures of Japan and Thailand - to be friendly to each other among other things - and it it just coincidental that they are fairly mono-cultural societies. China is also very much a mono-cultural society, but I see the two countries as quite different. I did not find people there too trusting, caring, friendly to each other. All of the above are definitely not friendly to their minority ("different") citizens though, they treat them horribly (not that any other country always treats their minorities fairly). But I find racism to be more of a problem in Asia than in America since the people there are accustomed to their mono-cultural society and not accustomed to a multi-cultural society at all.

That was what was mainly in my head paul-au was how easily I tan. In winter I'm light-medium, in summer I'm dark. I get comments in Japan once in awhile because of the Asian obsession with whitening lotion. So funny how it is the opposite in America and people are obsessed with having a tan. I tell them it's just normal where I come from. So I'm curious as to my treatment in Thailand (basically my post is just me thinking out loud, I'm not really worried about it). I try as much as possible to speak in the native language and not use English, so many people do not spot me as American or even a foreigner. But honestly it's great leverage a lot of the time, to speak in English and be an American. They treat Westerners very well in Asia. Maybe too well. Most of the people I've encountered really think highly of Americans for better or for worse.

So I'm wondering if I'm gonna be shunned more in Thailand as opposed to the other Asian countries. Apparently it's not that often an Asian encounters a dark American.

Either way I'm not worried about it. I travel too much to be worrying how the locals will react to me. I just go and make the most of everything and hopefully broaden mine and their horizons.

[Inenuedbabnor]

Sure, most the local folks will be rather surprised at such a couple but absolutely nothing to worry about.

In say Bangkok, your sight together will taken with 'a piece of cake' cause there are in fact, far more relationships such as yours in progress these days than at any time in the past.