Thailand is offering a free course to help Thai women cope with the
highs and lows of interracial marriage and avoid potential scams or falling
victim to human trafficking when moving abroad.
As Thai society becomes more accepting of interracial marriages, some
women view them as a way to better their economic status, the social
development ministry says.
“Our course will teach women how to conduct themselves, about the laws
of their destination country, and how to prepare before going,” said senior
ministry official Patcharee Arayakul.
“This is to reduce the risks of women being scammed or being a victim
of human trafficking,” added Patcharee, who is the director of the ministry’s
division of gender equality.
Although there is no recent data on such marriages, a 2004 government
study showed more than 15,000 women from one of the poorest regions,
northeastern Isan, had married foreign men, and sent a monthly total of 122
million baht (RM15.61mil) to their families.
The course covers “legal rights, how to seek help through relevant Thai
authorities, as well as exploring issues of culture shock,” said Dusadee
Ayuwat, an associate professor at Khon Kaen University who helped to design it.
“The practical advice was very useful,” said one woman who attended the
day-long course, paid for by the ministry. “I was more interested in the legal
aspects rather than the culture shock,” she said, declining to be named.
“The course could be useful for some Thai women,” said Ploynisa
Duangdararungrueng, a former spa manager who is married to German national Ralf
Wacker.
“Thai women, especially those from the northeast region, are
soft-spoken and submissive,” she said. “They must learn to respect themselves
and their culture.”
Her husband said the course could prepare women for the reality of life
in the West.
“For a lot of women, life in the West is like a fairy tale, but in
reality it can feel extremely isolating moving to a small town,” said Wacker
who urged Thailand to offer a similar course for Western spouses.
“If the Western man does not understand the family dynamics, this can
cause a lot of problems.” – Reuters
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