Singaporean man offers dowry worth over $250k to Thai wife, says he gave up $12k salary to be with her

A Singaporean man has made the news in Thailand after marrying a nurse from Kalasin province in Northeast Thailand. 

Their whirlwind romance reportedly involved him quitting his $12,000 a month job in Singapore to settle down in Thailand, with the wedding dowry of cash and gold valued at over $250,000, according to Kalasin News. 

The 32-year-old man, identified only as Jordan, told the news outlet that he'd met his wife, "Eve" Ratchadaporn, 29, at a cafe in Bangna district in Bangkok. 

They exchanged contact numbers and began texting on the Line messaging app, sparking a long-distance relationship. 

The pair decided to marry after dating for a year, with Jordan making the move to Thailand. 

Jordan, who speaks Thai, told the news outlet that he and his wife wanted to build a life for themselves in Thailand. He added that he'd taken on a job at a local company for half his original salary at a bank in Singapore — equivalent to about 300,000 baht (S$12,162). 

Jordan expressed that he appreciates the Thai culture where "you have to create whatever you want yourself". 

He also credited Ratchadaporn for the encouragement in helping him to adjust to life in a foreign land. 

The couple — decked out in traditional Thai wedding outfits — got married at a pool villa in Kalasin on Nov 29, in front of both sets of parents. 

According to Kalasin News, the pair presented 100,000 baht in cash and gold worth around $13,000 to Ratchadaporn's mother at the ceremony. 

The report also stated that the couple intend to travel to Singapore to hold a second wedding ceremony, where Jordan will offer a dowry of 1 million baht along with over $200,000 worth of gold to the bride's parents. 

Jordan told the news outlet that he felt "goosebumps" during the ceremony — which included traditional Thai dancers — as he had only seen such weddings in movies. 

"I feel very lucky," he said. 

[[nid:719946]]

candicecai@asiaone.com