You will find a huge amount of misleading information online regarding Sin Sod, and conflicting experiences can be found plastered all over forums and blogs.
So, when a foreigner wants to marry his Thai girlfriend and the inevitable subject of Sin Sod arises, it is no surprise that he becomes confused over what he should be paying and why he is expected to pay it.
Part of the problem is that Thai women often don’t explain the concept of Sin Sod very well, which isn’t at all surprising, considering that for them it’s a standard tradition and an age-old part of Thai culture.
They just get on with it. It's normal. They've seen it a hundred times at weddings since childhood. And like traditions the world over, some people simply participate and follow along without really understanding the history.
I'm married myself, and I've been to a few Thai weddings in my time. But of course, if we want to know the truth about Sin Sod, the best people to ask are Thai people themselves. So for this post, to make sure my understanding is accurate, I enlisted a couple of Thai friends to help me stay on point.
Before I begin, I am not by any means saying that the information in this post is entirely definitive or one hundred percent historically factual.
However, what I can say is that the information is the experience of myself and two Thai people, both educated and well-versed in their own culture.
Contents
What Is Sin Sod?
Sin Sod is paid to the bride's parents. It is a repayment for the investment they have put into raising their daughter, and also for the loss incurred by their daughter not being readily available to support them anymore.
It is also symbolic of the groom's ability to be able to financially take care of the bride.
Sin Sod is a very significant part of the Thai marriage tradition, and something most families take seriously. However, not all families keep the money, and in the modern day it is often returned.
The Three Components of the “Thai Dowry”
To break the meaning down further, there are generally three reasons for the payment of Sin Sod, as follows:
1. Traditionally, the eldest unmarried daughter takes care of her parents until she gets married, and therefore the Sin Sod in some respects replaces that income for the parents. As you might know, it is common for a single Thai woman to send a portion of her salary to her parents each month.
This usually stops once she is married and has her children to care for.
So, as you can imagine, for parents with no pension plan and little savings, the Sin Sod is a much-needed payday.
Richer families, who don't need the money, usually return the money because, quite simply, they don’t need it. For them, Sin Sod is more about showing status.
2. Once a woman has been married, and/or has kids, the structure of Thai society makes it very hard for her to find a man of decent stature. Therefore, the Sin Sod acts as a sort of insurance in the event that the husband leaves and doesn't offer post-separation financial support.
The bottom line is, if a woman finds herself back living with her parents as a single mother, the Sin Sod insures that there will be some money/land in the family to support the family.
Thai society also dictates that the older a Thai woman gets the harder it becomes for her to find a job, let alone a well-paid one. So again, should she find herself alone in the future, at least the family will have some money put by for some inevitably rainy years ahead.
As you can see, marriage is actually somewhat of a risk for a young woman.
3. Where poorer families are concerned, Sin Sod is considered repayment for the money invested in their daughter. Many families sell land, borrow money and generally go without to put their kids through university, or in some cases to simply put food on the table.
The Sin Sod is essentially a repayment for that investment. The amount paid for Sin Sod could be considered relative to the sacrificial cost of bringing up the child – thus the reason it is often referred to as payment for the “mother's milk”.
What Sin Sod Isn't
Some refer to Sin Sod as a dowry, but to be clear, you are not buying a woman or approaching her family to buy her.
The Western-centric viewpoint that Sin Sod equates to the purchasing of a Thai bride is completely incorrect.
To fully understand the tradition, I think it pays (pardon the pun) to put the word “dowry” out of your mind, not least because any suggestion to your future in-laws that you are purchasing their daughter will be very offensive.
Who Pays Sin Sod?
Any man marrying a Thai woman is expected to pay Sin Sod.
The amount is usually agreed between the two families. Where a foreigner's parents aren't present, the duty falls on him to ask the family how much they expect.
Who Doesn’t Pay Sin Sod?
In the modern day, many families don’t expect Sin Sod, and many will tell the boyfriend that they don’t want any money. Indeed, many young Thai women are now rejecting the tradition because of its outdated meaning.
However, it is very rare that money isn’t shown at the wedding, albeit that it might be returned.
It should be noted that to expect the money back, or to ask for it back, is unacceptable. One will be offered it back if that is to be the case.
Also note that you may not be required to pay Sin Sod if the woman you are marrying has been married before. See the section below for more details.
How Much Should You Pay for Sin Sod?
Historically this has (generally) depended on six factors, as listed and discussed below:
- Family Name
- Education
- Prior Marital Status
- Dependents
- Employment
- Age
1. Family Name
If your girlfriend is from a well-to-do family, you could be looking at a fair lump sum. However, in this situation the money will most likely be for show and returned to you after the wedding.
2. Education
If your girlfriend is university educated or beyond, then it is likely that you will be looking at a minimum of around 300,000 Baht. This is a low-moderate amount by modern-day Thai standards.
For example, a friend at my girlfriend’s workplace is soon to marry a Thai lady of a high-school level education and he is paying 200,000 Baht. His salary is approximately 30,000 per month.
3. Prior Marital Status
If your girlfriend has been married before then you should pay less. You might argue – on grounds of tradition – that you shouldn’t be paying at all. However, as a respectful gesture, you should offer something.
Remember that marriage is intended to happen once in Thai culture, and therefore importance is emphasized on marrying for the first time.
Unlike second and third marriages in the west, which may be seen as equally as important and “true love” matches, in Thailand they are not that much of a big deal. Celebrity second and third marriages are the exception to this rule.
4. Dependents
If your girlfriend has kids, tradition dictates that you should pay less.
This stems from the age-old thinking that the woman is tainted in some way, already given to another man, so to speak.
You will become responsible for another man’s seed, and for that you shouldn’t be paying for the privilege.
5. Employment
In terms of a woman's employment, it's hierarchical and usually correlates with education and earnings. For example, you'd pay/show more to marry a banker than a cleaner.
6. Age
Age is a contentious and quite horrible issue when it comes to Sin Sod.
I mean, when ex childhood superstar singer Tata Young, at almost 40 years old married Prame, the son of the FairTex boxing brand owner, she commanded 100 million Baht Sin Sod.
But for a 40-year-old woman from a poor rural family and a few kids in tow, it's unlikely that more than 200,000 Baht would be on offer.
That said, the type of guys such a woman would have access to wouldn't be able to afford more than that anyway.
But who knows, occasionally a rich man does fall for a poorer woman in good old classist Thailand, and to show his wealth he would no doubt slap down a hefty sin sod.
Age comes fairly low down on the list, though, and Sin Sod is generally decided by status, family wealth, family name and accomplishment/education of the female in question.
Want to know what I think you should pay? Leave your circumstances in the comments section and I'll give you my estimate!
My Girlfriend Is Asking For Too Much!
Many foreigners find themselves in this position, and it isn’t necessarily that your girlfriend is trying to con you, more so that she is trying to secure higher face for her family, and in some cases to elevate her family's wealth.
Face is everything in Thai society. To marry a foreigner with a Sin Sod of less than 200,000 Baht would be quite a loss of face – not just for her but also for you!
The fact that she is marrying a foreigner will mean tongues start wagging in the village.
So when you say:
“What! No way! I am not paying to marry you”
Or you announce a payment less than what an average Thai guy earning 10-15k a month would pay, you get branded a “Farang kee-nock” (literally translated as bird shit foreigner, but refers to a poor, lower class foreigner), or “Keniiow” (stingy).
The folks in the village will have a good laugh:
“Why is she marrying a foreigner when he can’t afford to pay anymore than one of us folk”?
Yes, unfortunately most Thais believe, as many westerners do, that Thai women only marry foreigners for financial security, unless of course the Thai woman is richer or as wealthy as the foreigner.
Ask Her Parents
Anyway, don't take your girlfriend’s word for it, because the tradition is that you are supposed to ask the mother and father for the amount they want. It is not for the woman to tell the man what she wants. So arrange to meet with the parents and politely ask them what they expect.
They will probably say one of two things:
1. “Oh no, mai pen rai. We don’t want anything”.
2. “It's up to you”.
The first answer doesn’t mean you say, “Okay, great”, and go and buy a new car instead.
By answering in this way they are exercising their “grengjai”. They are being polite.
What they actually mean is:
“Tell us what you WANT to pay, and you will be able to tell by our body language whether we think it’s okay or not”.
So basically you need to make out you really want to pay. As you can see, this all falls in nicely with the non-confrontational Thai style.
The second answer means, “What do you want to pay… but don’t insult me”!
*It should be noted that some families might genuinely want nothing at all.
Will You Get Your Money Back?
Chances are that you might, actually. Though don't expect it.
Interestingly, there was a poll Pantip, the popular Thai website, that surveyed a number of readers, asking whether their families returned the money.
48 out of 75 families said they returned the Money. Ten families returned only some of the money. And 17 families didn’t return any money.
All This Talk of Money Seems So Shallow!
Yes, and for the most part it is.
Sin Sod is largely about face.
“Look at my daughter, she went to university and married a good man with a good job”.
Or even, “Look at my daughter, she didn’t go to university, but she is so beautiful and hardworking that she married a lovely rich foreign guy”.
As a foreigner, you may feel like you are buying your girlfriend and have become a victim of the old “Thailand ATM” syndrome. And depending on the circumstances, that could be the case.
But if you're in a secure, genuine relationship, you need to forget what the misinformed barstool gossips say and consider your girlfriend and the culture. And yes, that's right, she too needs to consider your wallet.
Like it or not, Sin Sod is a big part of Thai culture, and, as soon as a Thai woman announces marriage, the big question on everyone's lips is, “How much Sin Sod“?
Why?
Because Sin Sod is a reflection of her and her family and you and your family.
A Thai woman lives to make her family proud, to show the other villagers that they are a good family, that they are to be respected, and that they are climbing the social scale.
I Feel I'm Compromising My Western Culture
I hear you.
I come from a culture where the woman’s father is supposed to pay all the wedding costs, though it’s more a 50-50 thing in the modern day.
But think about it like this: Your girlfriend has probably already sacrificed many of her cultural traditions to accommodate you in her life. Living with you and sleeping with you before marriage are two of those sacrifices.
Without you knowing it, she will have been the talk of her village for living with you without being married – this reflects badly on her family.
Don’t forget that you chose her as your girlfriend, and with all due respect, before getting involved with a woman from another culture, you really should understand the culture first.
On an emotional level, you need to consider that just like every Western girl dreams of a white wedding to make her daddy proud, the majority of Thai women grow up dreaming of marrying in their home town and making their parents proud with a respectable Sin Sod, and in turn elevating the family face.
The way I see it is this: An average wedding in the UK costs £20,000. So if you pay £4,000 – £6,000 to marry your Thai girlfriend in a village ceremony that costs no more than £2,000, you still save a whopping £12,000!
That said, in the UK, you get gifts and money from your girlfriend’s family, so that does offset some of the cost.
You also get money in Thailand. Guests put money in a box on their way in. We clocked up about 15,000 Baht if I remember correctly. That was a pleasant surprise.
Truth be told, you aren’t likely to get much in return at any point unless you marry into a wealthy family, but then setting up home here is cheaper, as is taking care of a woman post-marriage.
In Summary
Sin Sod isn't a recent cultural scam made up to dupe foreigners out of their savings; it has been around for donkey's years and is an expected part of every Thai wedding, although not everyone adhere's to the tradition.
Is it outdated? Probably.
Are some Thai brides using the tradition to extort older foreign men and secure a windfall for their family? A few. Where there is money to be made there is always someone seeking to exploit a situation.
In a nutshell, it is important for a foreign national marrying a Thai to understand this tradition, to know its symbolic meaning and what a fair Sin Sod is in a given circumstance.
That doesn't mean you have to agree with it, but whether you like it or not, marriage is about compromise – because it involves two people – so do your best to find some middle ground that makes both you and your partner feel comfortable.
Or, just call the whole thing off!
Feel free to pitch in with your experience. It would be really useful to know what married guys paid, or didn’t pay, and how the process was handled.
I would like to say a big thanks to Marisa and Noynar for contributing their cultural knowledge to help me write this post.
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Last Updated on
Davide says
Jan 24, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Mirko says
In Thailand, a foreigner is discriminated in several ways. It is quite difficult to have a real social life with thai people. Contrary to many other countries.
So, let's still be farangs, and not pay this SinSod.
Apr 13, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Gary says
Second sin sod is a joke period. I have been in a few relationships where the family ruled my gf. MONEY is the only thing they are after. I cut them loose pretty fast.
You need to remember there are thousands of women here looking. Do not settle and do not pay the sin sod. Find a good looking gal that is willing to look after you and give her an allowance. If she makes noise cut her loose.
I have one now I pay nothing to except an allowance. She is 50 years old has a great body and good in bed. A keeper.
Screw the gold diggers and leave the bar girls alone.
Jan 22, 2016 at 6:42 am
TheThailandLife says
Jan 22, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Shawn says
Feb 11, 2016 at 7:13 am
Peter says
Jan 23, 2016 at 11:05 am
Uri says
'Civilized' countries have their way to show off in marriages, other prefer traditional ways. I agree with you 100% that you should not let not only 'them' but anyone else, 'suck your blood 'till they drain you'. Just do not marry if you feel this way. Gary bought good mistress, well...in my opinion, nothing wrong with his playboy's life. He can't afford to buy mistress in 'civilized' country? It's OK by me, no judging.
As I mentioned in my other post, this blog, I think, is for people who want long-time partner, family, kids.... They want to know how to deal with marriage in Thailand, not to know how to have financially safe sex (they know this already:). This is Thailand, they traditionally do Sin Sod. All my gal's married relatives did and, in all known to me cases money have been returned to newlyweds.
Most of Thai men wear shirts and pants when go out. Not like those fat sweaty farangs on the streets of Pattaya wearing just ugly wavy trunks. Are these farangs civilized? Not in my view...
Jan 24, 2016 at 4:00 am
Peter says
Jan 24, 2016 at 10:21 am
Nishi says
Dec 23, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Uri says
Dec 23, 2015 at 9:03 pm
FarangDave says
Jul 31, 2016 at 12:09 am
paul wadsley says
Jan 04, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Martin says
as far as I have read from above she surely won't be happy if you offer only 100k THB, as this is less than a Thai man would offer.
I guess 200k or 300k would be much more appropiate, and helps her keeping her face.
Jun 09, 2016 at 5:44 am
Long Time says
I have been to many Thai weddings over the years. Most pay between 40-60,000 baht to the parents and maybe 2 baht of gold. This is for an average couple of average means. Poorer families of course do less. Recently I went to a wedding were the girl was pregnant (to whom we do not know and was a village joke) and only half baht of gold was given.
The largest wedding I have seen was for 400K in Sin Sod and 5 baht of gold and this was a well to do family and the money went back to the daughter. The daughter was well educated (degree) and the husband (Thai) was also educated (degree), so it was a even match. She had a Thai boyfriend before meeting her current husband (for 3 years) and I was told, she had asked originally for 500K but due to this 'other Thai' relationship, the price was reduced as she was 'used' goods.
Many years ago before I met my current partner, I met a 32 year old Hotel Manager for a 5 star group. She was well educated but not by a 'high' University and certainly was not hiso. After a year, she asked me Sin Sod of 1.2 Million baht and 15 baht of gold to marry her. I spoke to a Thai friend of mine that knew us well and was told, if she married a Thai, she would only get 300,000 and 4 baht.
I took her to task over this and she told me the parents would keep the money and she would keep the gold. Nothing was coming back to us. I am independently wealthy but I told her no, it was going to be 300K an 4 baht of gold; the same amount that a Thai partner would go into the marriage for.
She went to bed very angry that night and her bags were packed by the next morning and I have never seen her again. Yes, it can play against you like that.
To the farangs here that are reading about Sin Sod. What is written in this blog is correct but the truth being about the amount 'we' pay, compared to a Thai, is way overboard. Yes, if you are a 'very wealthy' Thai, you can dis-regard most of this as they play in a league of their own an it is well above us both socially and culturally. Sin Sod in these cases can go in the Millions.
There are plenty of 'average' rich Thai guys out there but I can tell you, they will not take spoiled goods (married or women with children) and following Sin Sod now in a traditional sense, the money always comes back to you. They have heaps of choice and most Thai girls would prefer to marry a Thai, not a farang and that is the truth.
If she has been married, has children and you are prepared to take them on (an the family should be grateful for this fact), you need pay nothing and if in token she wants something, 1/2 baht in gold for a nice wedding ring is enough, as well as a Village wedding.
Frankly, I am tired of seeing Thai bar girls ride over farangs with 'Sin Sod' (or some Isaan poor farm girl that wants to take you for a ride) as in reality, if you find the right women, she will ask you for very little and it will come back to you if she has a good family.
If they are poor as 'mice' rice farmers or of that ilk and ask for huge Sin Sod and say they will keep the money, go look for a better quality of girl as from experience, there is NO shortage of women here in Thailand and we are in control, not them.
Just don't let your second head do your thinking and yes, not all Thai girls are money hungry monsters that Thai Visa makes them out to be and just let common sense guide you through.
Like your blog by the way. Easy to look at and has a few interesting subjects.
Dec 05, 2015 at 11:50 pm
Uri says
Dec 07, 2015 at 3:07 am
oracle says
Nov 20, 2015 at 12:37 am
Martin says
Dec 05, 2015 at 10:51 am
jack says
Nov 13, 2015 at 4:40 am
TheThailandLife says
Nov 13, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Eddie says
Jan 13, 2016 at 3:02 am
Justathought says
Take into account too that she has had to support her two daughters by herself this whole time too aside from the occasional farang long timer/boyfriend(not saying this stuff to be mean just its what happens to most thai bar girls ask around if you don't believe me.) .
Also taking into account her mom doesn't have anyone else to support as her husband is dead...so one little old thai lady might need about 500 to 1k baht per month to live off of...trust me they are spin thrifts and can live off much less than 500baht unless they are not that smart with money.
All of that being said I would calculate a fair sin sod for a farang taking her daughter and grand children off her hands at about 30k baht with maybe another 5k to 10k worth of gold at most. A thai man unless he is blindly in love with her and simply can't find anyone else would pay maybe 5k sin sod and if the mom is lucky 1k baht of gold.
A farang is always going to pay double to triple that of a thai its just the way they love to bend us over and freak us good.
The mother sounds like a greedy old mama san, or milk peddler...don't go buying her used cow for more than she is worth. Not trying to degrade your lady...but she was a former prostitute so she is super used goods so she holds little not no real value sin sod wise to anyone. She is damn lucky to have you so I doubt she will protest too much and if her mom is going to try come between her and her new found wealth and better life for her daughters...lol yeah right...you could get away with no sin sod and just give the old biznitch a couple cheap imitation gold necklaces and call it good.
Mar 13, 2016 at 10:22 pm
jleerot@hotmail.com says
and thank you very much for your answer. It will be helpfull to our futur as earing from a white man who knows his stuff that i dont get f***ed over makes to pill easyer to swollow. I discussed your answer with my wife to be and she laughed at me for pointing out she wasnt a Virgin anymore:)...and she thanked me (with a synical smile) for trusting "some web site" more than her. In the end its a win win situation as i feel more secured now and she will not ear me complaining about the price anymore.
I have also told her that, from my side moneywise that will be it and she accepted it...its christal clear to her. But i told her that when she has a job, her money isnt mine. I expect her to participate in paying some of the expenditures (some=very little) and with what is left i dont have to know. She knows that if one month she sends money to her mum she should not be asking me for clothes shopping. We have sorted that out, thanks to you.
Could you give me your point of view about gold please. she did her best to explain but might help to have your point of view. Apparently it has to be shiny and heavy (so thai :). She told me as well that in countryside thailand diamonds dont count as the locals dont know how much they cost and think they are fakes. If i dont want her to loose face in front of her village, what would you advise me? how much gold?
Nov 14, 2015 at 11:03 pm
TheThailandLife says
Nov 15, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Gabe Asher says
If you still think they should pay a sin sod and NOT a dowry, you need to lay off the Chang. One culture/tradition is no more impt than the other. If they convince you that theirs is to be respected and not yours, you need to take a long look at the family you're marrying into.
Most sin sods at weddings are for show. Many times its the womans family who shows their own money, not the mans.
I wouldn't get married, so it's a non-issue for me. If you want to pay a sin sod, do it.
Oct 13, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Gabe Asher says
.
I've lived all over the world, and there are 'victim' and 'non-victim' expats everywhere. Not just here. It's a mindset. We call them 'shirts'. Don't be a 'shirt'.
Oct 13, 2015 at 1:59 pm
TheThailandLife says
Just for good measure, I asked the two Thai women sitting opposite me, both educated at top Bangkok universities, what they thought of your comment. After laughing somewhat, they both explained that their parents wouldn't have let them marry anyone without a Sin Sod because this is a hugely significant part of the Thai wedding ceremony and very important in Thai society, which, in case you didn't know, is one based on socio-hierarchical factors - many of which are reflected by Sin Sod.
If you knew anything about the tradition of Sin Sod you'd know your comment sounds ridiculous, because if anything it would be the other way around. A girl working a bar in Soi Nana is less likely to have a Sin Sod because she will most likely have been married before, since most bar girls are divorcees/separated single mothers.
The Sin Sod represents the woman's status and that of her family, and therefore an educated, unmarried woman marrying for the first time would have a larger Sin Sod than an uneducated bar girl with kids who'd been married before.
This notion that Sin Sod is a scam dreamt up by Thai people to con foreigners out of money is an ignorant bar stool rant dreamt up by a foreigner.
If a Thai woman doesn't want Sin Sod as part of her wedding then she can talk with her family about that. If a foreigner doesn't want Sin Sod then don't get married in Thailand to a Thai woman. But I can assure you, of the 10 or so Thai weddings I've attended, all had Sin Sod; except one. In this instance my friend, a Thai woman, decided she didn't want a traditional Thai wedding. She married a foreigner and didn't have Sin Sod. Her parents accepted this.
Furthermore, all my friends who married Thai women had Sin Sod. These women are all university graduates, without kids and never married before.
Please don't post up random, ill-informed comments. Provide facts and references to back up such sweeping statements.
Oct 13, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Dragan says
and she is clear in her head that she have man who will take care of her. my point was until u pay her of, u need to cash her all the time. and works fine. she is happy and she tells everybody around that she is happy. only what they do all day long is to be with man. and she have plenty of time to check you and she knows what kind of man u are.
bar girls are just to take your money. but if she likes u, again u need to pay of her in the bar and than at the home.
what i like here, everybody knows what is going on and u easily get what u want. we should thank you generation before us. they have build us road to thailand. now every girl in thailand want the same / the farang man :)
Oct 13, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Uri says
'Sin Sod is a hugely significant part of Thai wedding ceremony and very important in Thai society, which, in case you didn’t know, is one based on socio-hierarchical factors – many of which are reflected by Sin Sod.'
I completely agree with this. I just think that Sin Sod ceremony (sitting around plate with money and gold on it) is Thai tradition but, throwing money for the wedding is universal. Marriage has always been, in my opinion, a financial contract. This tradition exists in any, I repeat, any country in the world. In most countries groom's family expected to pay, in some other places like India, bride's family pay.
In modern days it is all about vanity. People can't stop to show off. This is why social media such a hit :). Wealthy ones want to protect their socio-hierarchical status and show off, “less fortune” ones are trying to follow and show off. All this has nothing to do with love and family values. I had been married to wonderful woman for 35 years. We had very small wedding but, I wish all of you, readers, to have such mutual love, care, support and respect in your marriage that we had. She died of breast cancer complications in 2011.
I thought, after her death, I would never be able to meet woman that I want to live with and, I really did not want too. However, I met this Thai woman one and half year ago. It was enough time to know each other and to come to discussion of finance part of our relations. I trust she made her choice between me and her family. I told her that I can afford 400,000 Sin Sod and, she told me that her mother will give back all of it to us anyway. She wants to add 200,000 of her own money. Couple years ago her oldest brother threw big wedding for his daughter and gave all Sin Sod to young couple.
As you mention 'The Sin Sod represents the woman’s status and that of her family'. I respect my future wife and, I do not want her “to lose face”. I would pay Sin Sod even her mother would not return it to us but, I would not keep warm relations with my mother-in-law :)
Are there men who were victimized by their wives in Thailand? Yes, many. Also, there are many horrible divorce stories in your country, whatever it is. Thailand is not exception. So, do not rush, make sure your girlfriend chooses you over her family. Sin Sod has nothing to do with love.
Oct 14, 2015 at 5:25 am
kee-naio farang (scottish) says
Her family have adopted me as part of the family and love me to the point where they take my point over others.
I have lived in thailand for a long time and understand most of the culture and the face part, sin sod is as said to look after the family and to show face.
Since i love my girls family back, and they are a great people who have never asked for anything from me, and i have never given money.
The only gifts i have given are in the form of me laying tiles in dads house, re-wiring the electric myself, painting the house myself and improving his living conditions slowly using my own hands and diy skills.
I will give a substantial sin sod, for my family, for their face, and to ensure everyone is happy.
I will not embeggar myself, my wife has not asked for one, nor have her family. But i will give it out of my own respect for the culture, love of the family and the very thai aspect of face.
Nov 06, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Gabe Asher says
So? If she marries an Indian man, does the Thai family do this? LOL!!! They only want to 'mesh' cultures when it serves them. Wake up. Don't be a Moe.
Oct 10, 2015 at 10:02 pm
TheThailandLife says
Oct 12, 2015 at 5:31 pm
Justathought says
Mar 13, 2016 at 10:42 pm
Mr. says
When you call other people arsehat.. it's always a good idea to check if you are wearing one yourself.
Apr 15, 2016 at 8:52 pm
Dragan says
Pay her 100 - 200 Eur when you are back home. And 20.000 - 40 .000 bath when you are in Thailand. They ask for marriage, but if you pay every month is fine.
u pay extra accommodation, presents and food. this could be 20.000 to 40.000bath more.
if u pay more she is happier and relationship is happier. it is good to find one who likes u in beginning. and do not play games with the money. 'give me what you like'
reading is fine, but please do calculation. can you pay all of it? if you can cash her family and u really want to bring her home.. find her a job.. than u are fine. there is many of them, who will ask nothing in return. in beginning u pay something to get into.. every trip there cost 200.000 bath anyway.
i think more than half of the man who can go there can not pay all of it. than frustration comes. same frustration u have with your business. you want to things move on, but not going. for those who have constant good income and having holidays/mistresses is the best. for all others i recommend to find cheaper places. Thailand is not cheap and is not poor country. they have sun, fruits and tourists 365 days. that is paradise
Oct 08, 2015 at 2:40 pm