| When you are dating a person of another culture, | | | | they get older. |
| understanding the culture itself becomes very | | | | In fact Thai women seek the approval of their |
| important. Too many times people underestimate | | | | parents before selecting their partner in marriage. |
| the role that culture plays in inter-cultural | | | | Thus the time when a Thai girl chooses to |
| relationships only to be left bruised and hurt. When | | | | introduce her boyfriend to her parents is very |
| dating Thai women, understanding the Thai way | | | | important. A Western man must realize that this |
| of life becomes all the more important as it is | | | | is very important phase in her life as she has |
| entirely different from its Western counterpart. | | | | made her relationship with you public and should |
| For instance, in West the freedom of the | | | | the relationship fail, she and her parents stand to |
| individual is given great emphasis and people are | | | | lose face. |
| indeed free to choose their own path regardless | | | | Of course all this would be very new to a person |
| of other persons opinion, prejudices, likes and | | | | born and brought up in the West where the |
| dislikes. Western society accepts and encourages | | | | approval of her kith and kin plays little to no role |
| individualism and indeed many aspects of its | | | | in helping him find or select a girl. This is just one |
| culture are tailored to suit it. However in Thai and | | | | of the much cultural dissimilarity that exists |
| many other eastern cultures individualism is | | | | between the West and the East. People engaging |
| actually looked down and frowned upon. The Thai | | | | in cross-cultural relationships will need to |
| culture for example lays a great emphasis on | | | | understand these ground realities before they |
| preserving the family and family values. Children | | | | start dating Thai women. |
| are expected to look after their parents when | | | | |