Abstract

This paper drawing on empirical research examines the narrative accounts of Thai women now living in England following migratory marriage. There is a focus on Thai women as ‘mail-order brides’ (Esara, 2009; Sims, 2008; So, 2006) given impetus through sex tourism in Thailand. Thailand’s sex tourism industry is recognised as the attraction for many British male nationals travelling to Thailand on holiday (Charoensri, 2011). This attraction has given impetus for the United Kingdom (UK) becoming a favourable destination for Thai women pursued by western men, although I must point out that this is not the case for the women in this sample. Thai-UK (2015) have raised concerns of the discrimination facing Thai women living in the UK arguing, that such stereotypical images of Thai women are preventing integration and acceptance for many women within their communities. Given this, there is little focus on the lived experiences of Thai women within families and local communities in England (see Charsley, et al, 2011; Chuenglertsiri, 2020; Sico, 2013; Statham, 2019). This qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews explores the narrative of 10 Thai women who migrated to England through marriage. The findings identify that the women experience isolation, and arguably, discrimination through language and cultural barriers that impacts on their chances of acceptance and integration in the public sphere.