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 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," said the woman, who declined 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
Thu Aug 31 2017
The course could prepare women for the reality of life in the West. - Photo for illustration purpose
Polis tahan guru disyaki liwat tiga pelajar
Tiga pelajar tahfiz dipercayai menjadi mangsa seks luar tabii apabila didakwa diliwat seorang guru agama dari pusat tahfiz berkenaan sejak dua tahun lalu.
Teroka pasaran baharu, tingkat perdagangan serantau
Selain lebih banyak perjanjian perdagangan bebas (FTA), beliau turut melihat perdagangan dalam kalangan ASEAN juga wajar diberi penekanan yang lebih lagi.
Pasaran: FBM KLCI naik 14% sejak awal tahun ini
Ketua Strategi, MIDF Research, Syed Muhammed Kifni Syed Kamaruddin berkata beberapa pengumuman serta kemas kini projek semasa telah memberi kecenderungan positif kepada pasaran ketika ini.
Pesawat ringan lakukan pendaratan cemas di LTSAAS
Insiden melibatkan pesawat ringan jenis Diamond DA-42 dengan nombor pendaftaran N566CB dikendalikan Techstrait Ltd.
Ibu hamil 7 bulan, suami dan anak selamat kereta jatuh gaung
Kereta dipandu Nur Raihan hilang kawalan semasa menuruni bukit sehingga terbabas dan jatuh gaung sedalam 10 meter.
[TERKINI] Pesawat ringan dilaporkan melakukan pendaratan kecemasan di Lapangan Terbang Subang
Sebuah pesawat ringan dilaporkan melakukan pendaratan kecemasan di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Subang, Selangor pada pagi Jumaat.
'Kekurangan maklumat mekanisme rasionalisasi subsidi antara punca sentimen pengguna lemah'
Kekurangan maklumat mengenai rasionalisasi subsidi dilihat antara penyebab mengapa sentimen perbelanjaan pengguna berkemungkinan kekal lemah selain inflasi yang tinggi.
Tarikh akhir pengemukaan e-Borang Tahun Taksiran 2023 dilanjutkan ke 15 Mei
Ia meliputi pembayar cukai kategori Individu Pemastautin dan Individu Bukan Pemastautin.
Tahun kelima kempen 'We Care for Society’ Hada Labo terus bantu golongan terpinggir
RM50,000 disumbangkan kepada Women of Will (WOW) dan Persatuan Kechara Soup Kitchen untuk salur bantuan kepada golongan memerlukan.
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar AS pada sesi awal
Pada 9 pagi, ringgit merosot kepada 4.7770/7825 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.7745/7775 pada Khamis.