Southern Thai Women Are Choosing to Marry M’sian Men, Even If They’re Not the First Wife

Wealth and physical attractiveness remain key factors that prompt some Thai women, especially those from the southern region, to choose Malaysian men as life partners, even if it means sharing love as a second wife.

Mukhlis Mustafa Dorlohn, Imam of the Al-Furqan Mosque in Pattani, said this trend is not new but is becoming increasingly common among Malay women in Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani. Many view Malaysian men as more responsible and financially stable.

“Even though they know they will become second wives, they are still willing because they believe they will have a more stable life,” he said.

“For Thai women, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, the opportunity to marry a Malaysian man is seen as a way to improve their standard of living.”

Successful Thai women are also choosing Malaysian men

In other cases, highly educated or affluent Thai Malay women also choose Malaysian partners due to the difficulty of finding compatible men locally.

“Some successful older Thai women also choose Malaysian men because they feel local men are less capable or don’t match their preferences, especially with the rise in unhealthy marriages,” Mukhlis added.

He also noted that some Malaysian men pursue cross-border marriages as a way to start anew or expand their businesses, given the higher cost of doing business in Malaysia.

“Some marry Thai women not just for love, but also for economic reasons, knowing that the capital needed to open a shop or business there is lower.”

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Mukhlis explained that wedding dowry costs in southern Thailand vary by region, averaging around THB100,000 (~RM12,000), and can be as low as THB30,000 to THB50,000 for modest families, making weddings more affordable than in Malaysia.

“Thai women are usually happy when Malaysian men compliment their delicious food and beauty. That’s often how relationships begin,” he said, as reported by BERNAMA and the New Straits Times.

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