For western men dating a Thai girl, some things are easy to figure out and some are not. Particularly if the man isn’t too familiar with Thai culture, dating a Thai girl can be an exercise in frustration.
It can immediately become much easier though, if you learn a little bit about Thai culture. Just follow these simple dos and don’t when dating a Thai girl and you will learn.
Dos When Dating a Thai Girl
1. Do always be polite to her. Thai girls are used to Thai men who are usually exceptionally polite. Getting used to a western guy can sometimes be difficult, particularly if he is not as polite as the Thai guys she is used to.
In Thailand, being polite is more important than just about anything, and will get you a long way if you want a Thai girl to like you.
2. Do pay for things. It is not just that you are a westerner and she is in it for the money (which is what some western guys think, and it is simply not true). It’s just that, in Thai culture when a couple is dating. the Thai guy will usually pay for everything when they go out.
The Thai girl then will expect you to do the same. Thailand is a cheap country so don’t be “kee nee-ow’ (cheap!). Take her out for a nice meal, go to the movies or buy her a gift. Nothing you pay for will break the bank and she will be really happy.
3. Do be nice to her family. If you are lucky enough to meet a Thai girl’s family, it means she likes and trusts you. When you do meet her family, be nice to them. Thai girls love their families and will put them above everything – jobs, boyfriends, even marriage.
But, if you are nice to her family, she will love you even more.
4. Do Be Polite in Public. I have seen several western men with their Thai girlfriends shouting at shop keepers, being rude to waitresses, or complaining loudly about something stupid.
There is nothing more embarrassing to a Thai girl than being with someone who is rude in public. Keep your temper and stay calm. Thais believe the person who loses their temper ‘loses face’, and in turn is the ultimate loser.
Related: Thai girls must be the world’s sweetest women
Those who keep their temper and aren’t rude are respected in Thailand. Those who do are looked at as low-class, and your Thai girlfriend will think the same of you too.
5. Do Dress Well. What you wear and how you look in Thailand is often more important than who you are. Show up well dressed and well groomed, and your Thai girlfriend will be proud to be with you.
Sweat-stained shirts, too short shorts and an untidy appearance however will make her run for the hills. Fast.
Don’t When Dating a Thai Girl
1. Don’t Pressure Her For Sex. No matter what many western men think, the normal, average ‘good Thai girl’ does not have sex with a guy on the first date. Many, in fact, don’t even have sex until they get married (according to several recent polls, more than 60% of Thai women are virgins when they get married).
Pressuring your Thai girlfriend for sex, if she is a good Thai girl, is the fastest way to get her to dump you. You look sleazy and she thinks she can do better. And honestly, she is probably right.
2. Don’t Make Her Choose You Over Her Family – Trying to make a Thai girl choose you over her family will backfire every time. Thai women love their families and, if push comes to shove, they will choose them over something or someone else just about every time.
If you make her choose, she will. But….it won’t be you that will be the winner. Honest.
3. Don’t Mention Money – Thai girls think it is low-class when a man talks about money. If a western guy is constantly bragging about how much money he has and how much he makes, she might seem attracted but, deep down, she is thinking “What a loser”.
Show you have enough money to take care of her by being generous. Just don’t talk about it.
4. Don’t Smell – If I had a baht for every Thai girl who has told me western men smell, I would be a rich woman. After all, Thailand is an extremely hot country and Thais shower three times a day (at least).
On the other hand, some western men think showering every couple of days, and wearing the same clothes for two or three days, is possible here. It’s not.
Related: Is meeting a Thai woman through a dating agency in Thailand a good idea?
A shower every day in Thailand is mandatory, and two or three is even better. Your Thai girlfriend will be supremely clean. All the time.
And she will expect you to be too. Thai girls don’t like people who smell and few of them will date a guy for long who does. A bit of water won’t kill you. Use some. Please.
5. Don’t Complain About Thailand – Thais are quite touchy about their country and even a small or silly complaint can make them dislike you.
When first dating a Thai girl, don’t bitch and moan about Thailand. Thai girls are well aware their country has problems (just like every country does). There is no need to rub it in. If you do, she will likely break up with you and, on the way out, say “Why don’t you just go home?”.
Can’t blame her. I would too.
These five simple dos and five simple don’ts will make a beginning relationship with a Thai girl so much easier. Thais are some of the most relaxed and accepting people in the world so dating a Thai girl can be a lot easier than dating a western one.
Just follow these 10 dos and don’ts and dating your Thai girlfriend is likely to be a breeze.