Travelers social impact on Isan

What's your take on this article?

Awkward Mixed Bag. Not sure if the issue is cross cultural marriages, or the preference to retire in a rural area as opposed to Bangkok or Pattaya. Possibly the author doesn't know either and thought to just put it all together under one headline and hope for the best. ;)

Do you think that foreign spouses are helping the Isan economy?

Help may imply a conscious contribution to a goal. In that sense no. But in a basic economic factors sense, spending money in a place does benefit the local economy, yes.

how about the socio-economic situation, ie Thai men?

Retirees tend to marry women who are a bit older, often with kids. Those are not the ones who are particularly desirable to Thai men.

Are they making it more expensive for us to travel the country-side?

LOL!!!! Please, WHO travels to Isan? Do a quick survey around Khao San Road and clock up the people who want to visit Isan, and the ones who just want to go party on Ko Pha Ngan. Isan is and remains dirt cheap for those who want to explore it, be it foreign husbands or travelers. Compare this with the islands, where mass backpacker tourism is racking up prices to stratospheric heights, relatively speaking. ( Anyway, it'd be great if it were true though, as it would mean that Isan woudl no longer be a poor region! Sadly this isn't the case.)

"The influx of comparatively wealthy Westerners, sometimes amounting to 100 foreigners in one small village, has had an obvious impact on Isan society"

I think it is a bit of exaggeration to say 100 foreigners in one small village. Many small villages don't have much more than 100 total population. I think the farang is usually the one and only in each village. Maybe the larger cities in Isan have 100.

What's your take on this article?

The first time I went to Khon Kaen my Thai friends asked me if I was looking for a wife. By the number of wedding shops in downtown KK, I soon realized that there must be something to this. However, I am always highly suspicious of statistics generated by Thai research.

Do you think that foreign spouses are helping the Isan economy?

If they are establishing businesses that provide sustainable employment for local people - yes. Spending money locally - yes, to a degree. Buying their wives gold and their in-laws trucks - no.

how about the socio-economic sitaution, ie Thai men?

Thai men don't seen to really pay much attention to stuff like this. It's the women who really run things anyway. And Thai women often do encourage their daughters to find ways of supporting the family.

Are they making it more expensive for us to travel the country-side?

Who's "us?"

I happen to live with a woman from Udon Thani (in Bangkok), and I can say that when we've gone there we've spent less because her family takes care of us. Isaan is generally a bargain anyway compared to "tourist" Thailand.

I think (agreeing with a previous post) that the places that are the most expensive in Thailand -- the islands in the South -- are where the "us" you speak about mainly goes. The naive hordes of unprepared travelers who make the West look bad and make Thais (at least a few of them) wealthy!

"Travelers social impact on Isan"

Practically nil, as almost no travellers visit the region, and most of the ones that do are just going to/from Laos via Nong Khai.
There are certainly some westerners living in Issaan, but nowhere near 100,000 !

But the region is not without its attractions, as an estimated 100,000 foreign husbands will testify.

According to a study carried out by the government's National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), as of 2003 there were 19,594 women in northeast Thailand married to Westerners

Obviously there cannot be 100,000 men married to 19594 women, I'd believe the 19000 to be about right perhaps ?

100 foreigners in one small village ?? No way !!

Edited by: Mike_N

Edited by: Mike_N

That the Western male is a source of economic benefit to Issan goes without saying either directly or indirectly.

Should you ever have the fortune/misfortune to arrive in a village with a Thai female in tow there can be little doubt that these 'husbands' are seen as a definate potential financial boon to the local economy often encouraged by wifey and her family to the point of bankrupcy.

When I first went to Isaan with the former Lady Bleakopeth, I was the centre of attention and the whole village turned out. When it transpired that we were only staying there for a matter of hours their dissapointment was palpable.

I wouldn't call it an 'influx' of Western males either.

Its been more like a steady trickle since the young ladies of Isaan began to flout the clout in BKK, Patters etc.

You can see the 'Baan Farang' scattered fairly freely around the NE these days - though most are now free from the eponymous occupant and even those villages which don't have their own 'Baan Farang' will have one nearby.

Western husbands a boon to the local economy? You bet your arse they are. They turn up, build a house, get their cash drained, get the boot.

My take wouldbe that it is a classic piece of Thai academia - no research, no stats, no reerencing and just based on an idea the guy had whilst in the toilet.
I wouldn't say there's an axe to grind but it certainly seems to have no idea what qualifies as "cross cutlural"...it's just another load of bollocks about "johnny foreigner" whoever he might be......

• And the trend hasn't been good for Thai men.

Out of the bunch of guys who I know and have houses or live in Isaan more than half of them are taking care of kids their wife/girlfriend had from Thai men. The Thai men in all cases not supporting/not being able to support their own kids at all.
So guess it's not to bad for Thai man. Somebody else taking care of their kids...

That the foreigners living there has an impact on economy is for sure, thye usually have more spending power than the locals and most build a nice house.
100 in a small village is complete stupidity, however, most villages have 0-2 foreign houses I would say - and not all of them live there permanently.
*****

There are plenty of negatives to this - normal regional market forces are upset.....

Firstly they upset the price of land and housing (rents even) make difficult for locals to own or rent housing or farmland.

What they build is not necessarily good either - it can impact on an inefficient utilities infrastructure and of course uses possible farmland.

THe psychological effects of having a wealthy "foreigner" in the midst of a community can affect male female relationships and the way local businesses conduct their business - holding out on locals in the hope that the "big bucks" will come from the foreigner.

In UK in WW2 they had a saying about the US troops - "Over paid, oversexed and over here" - I;m sure this sort of resentment exists in Issan now.

• Firstly they upset the price of land and housing (rents even) make difficult for locals to own or rent housing or farmland.

Doubt that. There are way more well to do Thais who run businesses up there who influence land and housing much more than those comparable few foreigners.
A single foreigner or two in a village of a couple of hundred people will not influence land/house prices much either...

• In UK in WW2 they had a saying about the US troops - "Over paid, oversexed and over here" - I;m sure this sort of resentment exists in Issan now.

Yes, sure, always blame the 'foreigner', easiest way to deal with it.
As said above lots of foreigners got woman with kids (abandoned) by Thai man. Those woman are usually not on the 'most wanted' list for Thai men anyway.
+++