What’s my life like after being married to a foreigner for 18 years? In one word, all I can say is awesome!
I guess we Thai women have no idea what to expect when we meet a foreigner and get exposed to a different culture other than our own.
Growing up in rural Isaan, my family was extremely poor. I was luck to see 10 bahts to go to school with and had no possessions at all.
Our house had no running water, furniture or appliances and we would sleep on straw mats on the concrete floor.
When I first met my husband, I had no idea what to expect. So many of us have heard stories about foreigners good and mostly bad. I guess there is no way of telling from looks when they are kind and generous or not?
In the very beginning I had no idea about my husband, or what he did, and later on I learned he was very successful. He was nice and he was generous, and nothing every seemed to get to him. He was sincerely a good guy and never let anything get him down.
He was very patient with me and he was a rock!
My husband from day 1 was so sincere and generous. I believe he really sympathized that people in Isaan are so poor and he made sure I never wanted for anything. Honestly I must have been the luckiest person in the world and to this day I never let him forget it!
He would take care of my family and everyone else he came across. The kids in Isaan loved him.
We had a giant traditional Isaan wedding, that was attended by over 500 people. My dream came true and it was the happiest day of my life.
When I first went to stay with my husband before we got married, everything was new and exciting to me. Many of these things I had never seen.
Electric clothes dryer, vacuum cleaner, Apple Computers, you name it. I have no idea about any of this or how it worked.
I had never traveled, not even in my own country. I was lucky if I had seen 3 provinces, while my husband had seen them all.
Traveling was a real joy for me and I liked international travel even more!
I will never forget my first time on an airplane!
Eventually we moved to the US for years for our son’s advanced education and I attended and graduated from the University of Florida. My husband was very adamant that we get skills we could use in the future to support ourselves and I am very thankful for that!
I think for us Thai’s, we are use to the Thai ways and those are mostly wrong. Living in the US opened my own eyes to many different things that I never believed until I saw them for myself.
18 years later, I am happy my husband has given me a wealth of opportunities to do anything I wanted.
Business, traveling, ownership, education, he has taught me how to stand on my own two feet in a first world western society.
I am pretty sure I have had a one in a million opportunity that I never take for granted.
I have had friends that have got divorced from foreigners and I can see that it takes a very, very special man to do what my husband has done for me the past 18 years. This type of man, I believe is very rare in Thailand because they do not have to live in the cheap third world, they have the choice to live where they want.
We have a marvelous place in the USA.
My husband has afforded me the best life possible, joint accounts with my name on everything, unbelievable platinum cards and all kinds of perks. He just has never worried one day about money or any of the other things we hear horror stories about.
He wants people to treat me with respect and he has taught me very well.
Things can work out and it is all dependent on who you get married to. I am so, so lucky I found the one in a million that truly finds happiness from making me happy.
My family loves him to death and always marvels at why this guy would choose a poor farm girl from rural Isaan.
I try my best every single day we are together.
In 2 years we will have another huge party for the entire village.
18 years later, still feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
I still keep this photo my husband took from the very time at my house! Yes, that is me 18 years ago.
Wow, what a life I have enjoyed! Look at me now, so happy!
