Some background reading - https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/5-c...ers-and-thais/
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Some background reading - https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/5-c...ers-and-thais/
Sincerely, no offense intended, but I actually started laughing out loud when I read this.
My first 3 years in Thailand were totally business related, and my first introduction to Thailand's sex trade was at the curtesy of a group of upper-class business professionals. The first private club they took me to was located in the back alleys of Bangkok...members only...boys and girls on staff...I don't even want to mention the ages of some...anything goes...and the only chill in the room was coming from a host of AC units strategically placed in areas where the hottest action was going on.
I had 3 years of exposure to the types of environments described above which catered exclusively to the middle and upper classes, and believe me, there was never a chill in the board room during our morning meetings when we talked about our evenings out - as long as the microphones were turned off and the janitor was out of the room.
All a Thai prostitute has to do is change the walk and start saying "how do you do" instead of "up to you" and they fit in just fine. Half the movie stars you see in Thailand used to have numbers pinned to their hips. Nobody in Thai High Society even cares (even at the absolute highest levels).
THIS IS THAILAND!
I don't know, then folks over there must be excellent actors, because that smile sure seemed genuine. And not just the smile, but all the actions to back up the smile. If they secretly despised me because I was shacking up with a younger Thai guy, then what was all the random acts of kindness and friendship about, not to mention the countless number of times I was offered a helping hand?
Why would some neighbors keep showing up at my house with plates of food? I remember making reusable bags cool in my neighborhood, and three of the shop owners ended up giving me free bags because they knew I like them. After I went blind, one shop owner even gave me a free walking cane one night when I was there, and I'm guessing they didn't have one just laying around, meaning they pro-actively went into town and got it. How about back when I was sighted all the times neighbors or others who knew me seen me walking around the city, and stopped to offer me a ride somewhere? And the countless number of things, as I could go on for hundreds of pages, as I'm sure others here could.
They all knew I was shacking up with Kim, and later Leo. Are you really so pessimistic that you want me to believe all that was fake, and they all secretly despised me? Again, if that's the case, they're some excellent actors who go way above and beyond hiding their true feelings of me, because it didn't seem like that at all.
Or maybe... most out that way are just down to earth folks who embrace a "live and let Live" mantra. Maybe they don't really care about the trivial dynamics of the relationship, and instead simply see it for what it is -- a relationship where both people are decent guys, and both are better off with each other than without, because that's the reality of the situation.
Maybe it's as simple as that. As long as you're good for each other, benefit each other, make each other happy, and are both decent and respectful people, then they'll either be supportive or at the very least apathetic to the relationship.
Sorry. I see your point.
As far as "cultural acceptance" the age gap really has little meaning IMO.
As far as having common interests goes, which I agree is probably the most important thing, it would first depend of what a farangs personal interests were - and then trying to find a partner with similar interests.
I know one expat who's primary interests seem to be sitting in front of his TV watching Cricket matches, complaining about his ex-wife who stole his house (37 years ago). and sitting at a bar with a flock of other silver-hairs (or, raccoon heads) every night getting drunk on G&T's. He hates Thai food...doesn't speak a single word of the language...and has no interest whatsoever in learning about the culture. I imagine finding a Thai boy with similar interests may be just a tad challenging for this chap.
Hell, not every farang even wants to be partnered with someone this much younger. It's definitely not for everyone. I'll even go as far as saying it's not for the majority.
For every roses round the door, white picket fence, baking for the village fete, pinnie on in the kitchen, let's get a puppy, your mother's coming to stay for a month..wonderful, come on it's our favourite tv show, buying matching t-shirts, no honestly I really love that colour, traipsing round the supermarket with money off coupons, let's get a kitten, we must have the neighbours round for a fondue, we need to economize, you've crashed the bike AGAIN, you know they're 8 baht cheaper at ××× bliss on Earth enjoyed by Dodger there are 1000s of farangs left sobbing are their depleted bank account and their utter foolishness. Avoid avoid avoid. Wouldn't get me in a bzilion years.
But.
If he did. It's a Dachshund.
I have made a few Thai friends that are well educated and relatively well off, when with them I feel little if any cultural issues but they are also much older than the boys Dodger speaks of being 35 years younger, they also would not think it a prize if any of their children married a falang.