The following article was copied from GeoffandAmy.com. A big "Thank You" to Geoff for giving us permission.

About Geoff and Amy: Positive Thai Farang relationships are possible! Amy and I are a Thai Farang Couple, she's from Si Sa Ket and I'm from the USA. We hope you enjoy our site, dedicated to the sanuk side of our cross-cultural mishmash. If you have your own stories to tell, drop us a line or join the forum.

I have seen the question come up numerous times, but have never really read a satisfactory answer. Why are Farang out there marrying Thais? What is it about them that would cause a person to fly halfway around the world and choose a partner, despite the numerous hurdles to be leapt in order to make the relationship successful?

Now I am sure the vast majority of Thai Farang relationships are about the individuals involved. You fell in love with Noi, or Lek or Pim, not with some abstract notion of Thai women. Nevertheless, something about this abstract notion made us look in that direction in the first place.

Conventional wisdom (and the Internet) give us two main variants for the possible reasons. First, Western men are so totally disillusioned with Western women because they no longer exude ‘traditionally feminine qualities’. Therefore they naturally head to a place, where these characteristics are perceived to be more prevalent, to seek out a partner. While I am sure there are Western women that fit the negative portrayals cited as evidence, the sheer range of different types of women in the Western world would lead one to believe that there are millions who do not fit these stereotypes. So women with the desired characteristics are almost certainly available locally.

Secondly, men are looking for someone submissive, meek and disempowered so that they can maintain a level of control in the relationship that works to their advantage. With the disclaimer that I have only my own observation to go on here, I can say that I have yet to meet such a couple. I certainly believe that they exist, but either they are a rare minority or they are intentionally hiding from me.

So what are some of the real reasons? I make no claims that this list is definitive or all-encompassing but I think the motivations identified are probably more generally applicable than those 'conventional wisdom' provides for us.

There will always be a certain part of the population who are adventurers. They long for the exotic. Certainly, compared to Liverpool or Columbus or Flensburg, Bangkok (from our viewpoint) is very exotic. And compared to Bangkok, that little village in rural Thailand is more exotic still. The same goes for the women. For the average Farang, every aspect of her is an adventure. Her behavior, her way of life, her family, her cooking….they are all exciting and intoxicatingly alluring. The type of person that would seek out a partner from Thailand is the kind that thrives on and therefore seeks out this type of exoticness.

Another characteristic of a man who would look for a wife in Thailand is often portrayed as negative. This is because it is a characteristic that results in some men being exploited. It is the desire to help their partner improve her lot in life. Whether it is providing money to assist her in leaving a harmful environment, encouraging her to continue or resume her education or taking some of the strain off of her by helping her family, most men with Thai spouses are willing to step up to the plate. They are generous and would naturally be inclined to choose someone who truly needs and benefits from their support.

Intellectual-curiosity also plays a major role. I have often heard that due to cultural, language and educational differences it is nearly impossible for a Farang to have a thought-provoking conversation with a Thai woman. I suggest that it is much harder to have a truly mentally challenging conversation with someone who is too similar. Men in relationships with Thai women savor the fact that conversations with her are like a window into another culture and perspective, forcing them to consider where she is coming from while simultaneously compelling careful examination of his own points of view, in light of their differences.

The final reason, that Thai women are, for the most part, cute as a damn button, is obvious enough that we all khao jai (เข้าใจ-understand) without any deeper exploration.