Quote Originally Posted by Smiles
What you probably have going for you ~ perhaps the only thing besides the ATM card ~ is your relatively young age. There's a small chance that he might well fall head over heels for you no matter what the language barrier. But Gone Fishing makes a very good point to keep in mind: you will be seen as a great status-enhancer in the eyes of the guy's friends, if only for the young age. Make no mistake about it, this social dynamic is extremely important to Thai people, and so many westerners ignore ~ or don't comprehend ~ it's very deep pervasiveness in Thai life.
I agree, Smiles hit the nail on the head.

You also need to understand the idea that most Thais don't think or make decisions independently. They tend to work and function best in groups and are influenced by their peers, friends and family a lot more than the average Westerner. It's not peer pressure because the average Thai willingly submits to this mob mentality! This isn't a derogatory comment, it's just part of Thai culture, and it has good and bad consequences.

What it means to you and your new-found boyfriend is that any decision he blindly makes is most likely what his mother or the network of other bar boys or whoever tells him to do. That's why all the girls/boys who work in the bars say the same stock phrases "You handsome man", "up to you" and so on. Once you've known him for a few weeks, you'll bet his friends will be telling him "say mother sick" "ask for diamond ring, ask for pickup truck" or the classic "kwai mai sabai" (three more Thai words to boost your vocab). Not saying he's going to be dishonest, but as a young guy who's new to the game, he's going to be looking to the other bar boys for bragging rights, recognition and advice.