They can trick you into a relationship before you even know it. I have a friend whose life was ruined because he fall in love with a Filipino and in the end lost a big sum of money, after buying a house etc . The relatives was just using him . I guess same same as in Thailand , except it is easier to communicate in English .
I have to agree with N'Irish, no one forced the foreigner to support the boy and his family, buy a house, etc. Those were the foreigner's choices. Why did he make those choices? Because he was playing under a foreigner's set of rules governing relationships, and those rules would encourage him to expect that in return for his money and commitment he would be rewarded with the love and loyalty of the boy and family. Unfortunately, in that case, the family was being guided by their own rule book which allows poverty stricken SE Asians to use a foreigner to whatever extent they feel is necessary to provide support and then terminate the relationship. For them, there is simply no rule that requires the pinoy to observe the foreigner's preconceived notions of relationship and fidelity. It's a gamble, both in the Philippines and in Thailand. You "pays your money and takes your chances".