Dear Hillary,
My Thai boy friend gives in to his family at all times, and now we are an item, the demands are coming in every day, even if it is personal items of jewelry that I have given him. These items get changed into folding money, only problem is that it is my money that he is doling out, not his.
nd it’s not just a few hundred baht here and there, it’s by the few thousand here and there. I believe that it is the custom in Thailand that children look after their parents, as a matter of duty. I did not know that this covers a grasping avariciousness by the family towards the children. Is this the norm for this country? It seems that the family condones this behavior, and even encourages it.
Rob
Dear Rob,
Duty to one’s parents is a well documented part of Thai culture, but how that is applied is not clearly stated. You are obviously worrying because your finances are part of all this, so you should perhaps consider that you have a duty to your bank account, and not to your boyfriend’s parents.
However, once you give something to your boyfriend, it is his decision what he does with it. There are many families that are not so avaricious. Petal, the choice is always yours. I think you should seriously review this relationship. From what you are saying, it all seems a little one-sided to me.
