TOKYO (dpa) – Mayumi, 25, visits Thailand three times a year to see her Thai boyfriend. “Thai men are better than Japanese men,” she said. “They are sweet.”
Thailand is an increasingly popular travel destination for Japanese women in their 20s. Most of them go there to simply relax but some of them said they go because they think Thai men can help them ease their stress.
“In Tokyo, everyone is so busy by themselves and we are always worried about things like jobs and money and I get tired of such a hectic life. Thai people are broad-minded and I find it more comfortable being with a Thai guy,” said Mayumi.
According to the Japanese government, the number of Japanese who travelled to Thailand rose by 7.7 per cent in 2000 from the previous year to 885,938. Among them, the number of Japanese females in their 20s totalled 142,951, compared to only 89,953 Japanese male visitors in the same age bracket.
Chika Ko, who visited Bangkok on vacation last summer with her female friend, said she understands why some Japanese women are fascinated by Thai men.
“Compared with Western men, Thai men are modest and they are also sweeter than Japanese men, so I understand some Japanese women fall in love with Thai men,” Ko said.
The 25-year-old Ko said Thai men she met in Bangkok behaved like Western men, such as opening doors and helping women, and were very polite and modest.
“I think many Thai men have something that most Japanese men don’t have, so that some Japanese women are attracted to Thai men,” said Ko.
A spokeswoman at Japan’s biggest travel agency, the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB), said Thailand has recently been very popular among single women in their 20s and 30s, thanks in part to the popularity of Thai foods and other products in Japan.
The JTB official said the popularity of Thailand is also explained by lower costs, short distances travelled and Japanese travellers’ inclination toward a short-term stay.
A spokesman at another leading Japanese travel agency, HIS, said that the attractive prices made it possible for young people to visit Thailand several times a year.
“If you go to Thailand in the off-season, you can find a round- trip ticket at around 36,000 yen (295 dollars). You can also find a hotel as cheap as at 3,000 yen (24 dollars) per night in Bangkok,” said the HIS official.
Masako Yoda, 28, who has visited Thailand twice in the past with her female friends, said compared to Japanese, Thai people are more genuine and friendly.
“Thai people remind me of Japanese people 20 or 30 years ago. Japanese people used to be more kind and honest to others. I think some Japanese women get fascinated with Thai men because they have something that we have lost,” said Yoda.
Yoda also said it is easier for Japanese to adopt the Thai culture and lifestyle, compared to adopting them in other foreign countries, because of similar culture and food habits with Japanese.
“I think many Japanese women get along with Thai men more easily than with other foreign men,” said Yoda.
The 28-year-old Yoda said that while the living standard is lower in Thailand, she thinks that some Japanese women could find something in Thailand that is more important than a high standard of living and a high salaried job in Japan.
The 25-year-old Mayumi, meanwhile, said she is not thinking about getting married with her Thai boyfriend.
“International marriage would be so complicated. I would rather have some fun now and think about the future later,” said Mayumi.
