Shocked and Confused by the Thai dowry system? Read this for more clarity.
Foreigner’s Guide to Surviving the Thai Sin Sod Circus So, you’ve fallen in love in Thailand. Congrats! She’s beautiful, kind, funny, and her dad is suddenly very interested in your financial statements. Welcome to the world of sin sod, Thailand’s traditional dowry system, where love and economics shake hands and occasionally, choke each other. What Is Sin Sod? Sin sod (สินสอด) is the Thai dowry. Think of it as a culturally-sanctioned “Thank you” payment to the bride’s parents for raising a human being you’d like to mate with. It's also part peacock display, part trust exercise, and part "can you afford to feed her if she never works again and demands weekly mall trips?" Are You a Foreigner? Buckle Up. If you’re a foreigner, expect the price to mysteriously inflate like a tuk-tuk fare in the rain. You’ll be quoted numbers that sound more like house down payments than marriage customs. Don’t worry, this is normal. You’re not being completely scammed, just selectively evalu...