ThaiLoveLines.com Francais Check out ThaiLoveLines.com. English Spanish Deutsch Francais Nederlands ไทย Join for FREE!
Site Tour ThailandFAQ How it WorksStoriesJoin for Free Contact Us Tell a Friend

Canadians men reject the old Thai Bride concept

Thursday 24th November 2011 12:29pm

Canadians opt for contemporary relationships in Thailand

Many Canadians meeting Thai women are younger and are more likely to be interested in modern contemporary and equal relationships.

Despite Canada being ranked No. 2 in one survey of Thai women on ThaiLovelines as a foreign destination in 2009, Thai immigrants into Canada tend to be the professional classes rather than young women seeking work. This is likely due to distance and climate, although there is a growth in the number of young Canadian men who visit Thailand and return with a Thai wife. There are several associations in Canada to help Thai immigrants to integrate into the community and learn the language, culture and customs of Canada.

Canadians seek educated Thai partners

Canadians appear selective in their overseas partners, particularly with respect to their Thai wives. Unlike the Europeans and Oceanics that marry Thai women for their beauty and attentiveness, Canadian men appear to be more selective in terms of their spouse's intellectual capabilities, are more likely to live and work in Thailand before finding a Thai partner often on a professional level. Figures from Thai marriage registration offices show that the average median age of Canadians marrying Thai women is lower than for men from other Western countries in particular the USA.

This does not necessarily mean that Canadian men do not seek Thai brides for their beauty and their famed respect and attention for their husbands, only that they prefer women on an equal intellectual basis as themselves. In fact, they will likely find that their wife is more than capable of handling herself intellectually and that she will make an excellent business partner. Thai women have their heads screwed on the right way, and understand business.

One Canadian ex-pat who lives in Thailand and works in the media business told ThaiLoveLines: 'Canadians like to visit Thailand are seriously interested in the culture and also of course, the beautiful Thai women but most are not like some western men easily taken by some sexy young Thai woman who is capable of passing her boyfriend off as her brother and make as much as they can from their besotted partner before disappearing into the twilight...and I'm not kidding! Most regular women in Thailand are nothing like this of course, but I watch out for bar girls professing love! Some might be genuine, but you should make sure and even then I'd need convincing, because many girls in the sex trade will take all they can from you before returning home back to their boyfriends and waiting for the next 'farang' to trick! Most Canadians are a bit more careful, I know friends with smashing Thai partners, many now living in Canada.'

Most commentators agree: get the right woman and you will have a wife that will devote herself to you and your happiness. By choosing professional young Thai women, Canadian men are inadvertently making sure that their choice of partner is less likely to be one of the minority that will take advantage of them. One aspect of Thai society that can lead to a misunderstanding of this type is in connection with the Thai social organization.

In Thailand, family is important, and even when referring to aunts, uncles and cousins, their terminology refers to the side of the family concerned and to the ages of the respective relatives. Courtship and the marriage ceremony will also be strange to Canadian men, and marrying a Thai woman is not the same as marrying a western woman in a western ceremony.

There are many customs involved in Thai marriages, such as that the approval of the parents of both bride and groom must be received before the marriage can proceed, and it is often custom in rural areas for the couple to live in the bride's parents' home, and not seek their own home until the next daughter is wed. Obviously, such customs do not lie well with western men and many such traditions are changing and being ignored as Thailand becomes increasingly westernized.

Thais do not generally immigrate to Canada

Although the number of Canadian men marrying Thai women is growing, it is strongly controlled by Canadian immigration regulations which are stringent. This level of immigration is a new development driven by more world travel by Canadians and internet dating. Whether it is due to the climate or for some other reason, Thais did not in the past immigrate to Canada in the same numbers as they did to the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Most Thais traditionally visited Canada to be educated or take up a professional position. Canada has not, therefore, had the same tradition with an influx of young Thai female workers as New Zealand does, or the relatively high volume of Thai brides experienced in Holland, Germany and Switzerland.

Even today many Thais who move to Canada tend to return after their period of study or when their work contract has expired. Where there are Thai communities, they tend to be focused in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta, with very few in other provinces. It is estimated that there are roughly only 4,000 Thai people living in Canada, with most of these being educated professionals or business persons.

There has been a fairly recent demand for young Thai nannies, many of whom have had problems integrating into the local community. However, where they exist, Thai groups or communities have gathered round to help them. There are also a few that enter the country as entertainers and night club artists, while some are also illegally brought in for other purposes.

Thai immigrants and Thai associations in Canada

There are several types of Thai associations in Canada that help new immigrants that require it. Unless young Thai people enter Canada as wives of Canadian nationals, it is often difficult for them to get used to western culture. They also tend to have language difficulties, particularly in French-speaking communities.

A number of these associations exist with the primary purpose of helping other Thais settle in Canada, and help educate them in western culture and Canadian ways. Although most Thai eventually make friends with Canadian work colleagues and neighbours, it still takes time for them to adjust to the sudden culture shock.

Among these associations are the Thai Associations of British Columbia, the Friends of Thailand and the Thai Association of Canada that now focuses on Ontario. The Friends of Thailand relate mainly to Vancouver, with a newsletter available to subscribers in all parts of Canada, and the association also permits any non-Thais to join that are married to a Thai.

These associations help young women entering Canada with their new husbands to learn English or French, and to learn the main differences between Canadian and Thai customs and culture. The Thai Buddhist Association has a temple just outside Toronto, and helps to maintain the traditional Buddhist faith among Canadian Thais.

It is evident then, that while many Canadian men do visit Thailand and return with their new Thai brides, this does not affect regional culture as much as in other countries because the percentage of Thais entering the country is relatively low in comparison to many European countries and others closer to Asia.

Nevertheless, there are Thai communities in Canada that look after their own, and most young Thai women entering Canada as the wives of Canadians can seek help from one or other of these groups, and so find it easier to integrate into their local community in terms of language, social communication and religion. These are very important aspects of traditional Thai culture that should not be ignored by Canadians that take Thai women as wives.

ThaiLoveLines.com is Thailand’s biggest internet dating site with over 355,000 members and growing rapidly …Begin your search for a Thai girlfriend, wife or partner here.


Canadians with Thai wives face stringent Immigration regulations returning from Thailand to Canada
Canadians are more likely to visit Thailand for extended periods, many working and living in Bangkok. Canadians with Thai wives tend to be younger than men from other Western countries.
Begin your search on Thailand's largest internet dating site: ThaiLoveLines.com. Begin by looking at our Thai Women Photos Gallery
Find out more about ThaiLoveLines.com


Other resources you might visit: