Comments on: Sin Sod: Thai Dowries Change With The Times. Or Do They? http://absolutelybangkok.com/sin-sod-thai-dowries-change-with-the-times-or-do-they/ Welcome to Bangkok Thailand, Airport, Politics, Food, Nightlife and Thai Culture of the Big Mango! Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:43:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cynic http://absolutelybangkok.com/sin-sod-thai-dowries-change-with-the-times-or-do-they/#comment-12076 Cynic Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:37:00 +0000 http://absolutelybangkok.com/?p=660#comment-12076 It's also quite interesting how many other aspects of Thai culture can be forgotten so long as the farang comes up with the cash. I've never been a monk, as most Thai men would before getting married, I think Bhuddism is like all religions a bit of a crock and would raise my children to be highly sceptical of it. I have no intention of becoming a rice farmer. All of this was no problem for my ex girlfriend's family. Oh but that one aspect of "Thai culture" - paying 300,000 Baht to marry an Isaan farm girl was none negotiable ... See ya! They weren't prepared to be the least bit reasonable about it, and in the end that finished our relationship. Says it all really. It's not like buying a wife, but pay up or go away. Well that sounds very much like buying a wife to me, khrap. So much for the "face" they would have gained by having a big sin sod, how much did they lose by their daughter's fiance calling it all off and leaving because of her parent's cynical attempt to rip me off? Well enough that she works in Pattaya now, and not in 7-11 ... She had never done that sort of work before. Not to worry, dad has a bottle of lao khao in his hand and didn't have to lift a finger, mum can play cards all night, and her brother has a blue light on his motorbike. Let the good times roll. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand and the people and certain aspects of the culture but sin sod is a ridiculous feudal remnant. Bitter? Moi? Well yes. I loved that girl and I know that breaking up made her unhappy too. I also believe that sin sod or not she would have had a far better life and far greater opportunities in terms of travel, experiences and material wealth than she will get in Pattaya, for the three to four years she has until she is past it, let alone the rest of her life after that. Trying to get hitched up with an aging sex tourist is probably her best bet, sin sod would be an easier sell in the light of a bulk buy discount. Of course she could have stood up to her parents and made her own decisions, but that wouldn't be very Thai either ... It’s also quite interesting how many other aspects of Thai culture can be forgotten so long as the farang comes up with the cash.

I’ve never been a monk, as most Thai men would before getting married, I think Bhuddism is like all religions a bit of a crock and would raise my children to be highly sceptical of it. I have no intention of becoming a rice farmer. All of this was no problem for my ex girlfriend’s family. Oh but that one aspect of “Thai culture” – paying 300,000 Baht to marry an Isaan farm girl was none negotiable … See ya!

They weren’t prepared to be the least bit reasonable about it, and in the end that finished our relationship. Says it all really. It’s not like buying a wife, but pay up or go away. Well that sounds very much like buying a wife to me, khrap.

So much for the “face” they would have gained by having a big sin sod, how much did they lose by their daughter’s fiance calling it all off and leaving because of her parent’s cynical attempt to rip me off? Well enough that she works in Pattaya now, and not in 7-11 … She had never done that sort of work before.

Not to worry, dad has a bottle of lao khao in his hand and didn’t have to lift a finger, mum can play cards all night, and her brother has a blue light on his motorbike. Let the good times roll.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Thailand and the people and certain aspects of the culture but sin sod is a ridiculous feudal remnant.

Bitter? Moi? Well yes. I loved that girl and I know that breaking up made her unhappy too. I also believe that sin sod or not she would have had a far better life and far greater opportunities in terms of travel, experiences and material wealth than she will get in Pattaya, for the three to four years she has until she is past it, let alone the rest of her life after that. Trying to get hitched up with an aging sex tourist is probably her best bet, sin sod would be an easier sell in the light of a bulk buy discount.

Of course she could have stood up to her parents and made her own decisions, but that wouldn’t be very Thai either …

]]> By: Greg http://absolutelybangkok.com/sin-sod-thai-dowries-change-with-the-times-or-do-they/#comment-1593 Greg Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:02:40 +0000 http://absolutelybangkok.com/?p=660#comment-1593 Great post. When I went to the wedding of a well-off friend, I left feeling a bit depressed due to the huge stack of cash on the table. As a guy who certainly makes far, far less than what the average Thai thinks all "rich" farang make, I thought I'd never get married. Luckily, my gf and her family are pretty modern and don't go for that dowry stuff. It's quite interesting how the idea of a dowry is so violently rejected by us farang, yet often still considered normal in a relatively western-friendly country like Thailand. Great post. When I went to the wedding of a well-off friend, I left feeling a bit depressed due to the huge stack of cash on the table. As a guy who certainly makes far, far less than what the average Thai thinks all “rich” farang make, I thought I’d never get married. Luckily, my gf and her family are pretty modern and don’t go for that dowry stuff. It’s quite interesting how the idea of a dowry is so violently rejected by us farang, yet often still considered normal in a relatively western-friendly country like Thailand.

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