Quote Originally Posted by cdmatt

21 August: He's not greedy at all either, and he doesn't need much. For example, I just have a crappy 900 baht Nokia cell phone, and the one he bought for himself is even worst than mine, so it's not like he's eyeing me up for that fancy 8000 baht cell.

10 August: I don't pay HIM $3,000/month, no, but everything included, I'd say it's around there. He makes about 25,000 THB off me a month, or thereabouts I'd say. But then add in riding elephants, going to the island, buying clothes, eating, drinking, etc... yeah, I'd say around 90,000 THB a month. Well, that's probably exaggerating. Say 70,000.
Unbelievable. But as long as "I'm happy, he's happy" then I agree 100% - "it's all good".

Quote Originally Posted by Bao-bao
IтАЩd add that if itтАЩs a change away from Thai ways to Western ways it isnтАЩt usually a change for the better, either.
I agree with that, bao-bao, with some reservations, and with your view generally, but I do disagree with some things.

Most of us would probably look on a relationship as being "long term" after a few years, rather than a few days, but that's only my opinion.

"When in Rome do as the Romans do" seems only fair - if a farang/Thai couple live in Thailand, then the more the farang can at least accept if not adapt to Thai ways then the more chance the relationship probably has of succeeding, just as the reverse holds true for those living in the West. Surely that is true of any couple from different countries, regardless of whether they are gay, there is an age difference, or one is Thai?

The question of family actually moving in "long term" is often brought up with the usual apocryphal stories, but "perhaps we're working with different definitions of "long term"" again - the longest any of my in-laws have ever stayed is overnight, and that's only when they want to get away, briefly, from their own family. Unless you set up home in a "home village" I just cannot see this as being the problem many imagine.

I do not really see the "trips to the temple, traditional religious holidays, events, journeys" as something you either need to "adapt to" or to "try to get the Thai to ignore". Why should you adapt? If you are not into going to the temple together there is no obligation to do so - Thai/Theravadan Buddhism emphasizes that we should all "find our own way" so any sort of evangelism is out and it really is "up to you". Similarly, why should you want to get him to "ignore" his own faith, unless you are trying to convert him? I can't see why "religious differences" should be any sort of a "challenge" at all, for either of you, unless it is you (the farang rather than you personally) who is the one with the problem. Theravadan Buddhism makes very few demands on any way of life and is far easier to get along with than most other religions with such strange and difficult to justify constraints as fish on Fridays, no turning lights on or off on the Sabbath, no eating or drinking in daylight for a month (but as much as you want at night), etc, etc. I think you are seeing problems where none (unless you are a bit of an evangelist yourself) exist.