Liu Yi Fei

Yoon Eun Hye

Hoang Thuy Linh

Anna Kawamura

Collections

Ariel Lin

Name: 林依晨 / Lin Yi Chen
English name: Ariel Lin
Cantonese name: Lam Yi San
Profession: Actress, Singer
Birthdate: 1982-Oct-29
Birthplace: Taiwan
Height: 160cm
Weight: 43kg
Star sign: Scorpio
Blood type: A
Education: National Chengchi University (Korean major)

Beauty Full Day

Good Afternoon Sunday. My Girls

The Pretty Girl

Defining The Female Role In Japanese Fight Clubs
Fight clubs in Japan are no mere rowdy affair, once seen and forgotten fights. Here the fighters bow and congratulate one another after the fight, thereby you can see as well as feel the sense of honor and audiences respond to this display of genuine sportsmanship.

Could it be one of the reasons that Japanese fight clubs are always packed solid with female fans?

Its widely known that Japan has a unique, real fight culture. Its not simply a roughneck, criminal adventure. Rather it’s an honorable thing, about pride and respect, and the fans especially females plays a vital role.

The hard won, clean cut image of the fight industry matters a great deal in Japan. Indeed its classified to be quite hip and classy as well, and its simply not just for males but for the females too. As a matter of fact Japanese women considered to be shy and quiet are the main force behind Japan’s consumer economy, taking to fighting as entertainment in droves.

Strippers Add Personal Touch To Toyota Meetings
Oh what a feeling! Toyota Motor Co.’s Philippines subsidiary makes Camrys, Corollas and now, according to Shukan Asahi (11/10), whoopee!


Nine workers from Toyota Motor Philippines were punished after they used a company meeting to call in a stripper. The lass who bared all was performing as part of a Toyota-sanctioned activity called “Personal Touch,” or PT.
Toyota started running the personal touch programs in Japan and kept them up at its offshoots across the globe. “It’s been one of the company’s labor policies in implementation since the late ’60s,” a former Toyota worker tells Shukan Asahi.
Personal touch meetings are supposed to provide a chance for managers to communicate with the staff beneath them. They’re still run in Japan, but they’re called fureai katsudo (mixing activities) here.

“Personal touch meetings usually take place outside of the factory, so we don’t have concrete details about what took place,” a spokesman for the subsidiary tells Shukan Asahi.

“We’ve heard that some people went too far and were punished for it, but we regard this as a local matter and will respect whatever decision was made locally,” a Toyota spokesman in Japan says.

“Strip shows are part and parcel of wining and dining during personal touch meetings. Workers have a lottery to see who gets to sleep with the stripper and some employees have actually done the deed,” a Toyota Philippines worker tells Shukan Asahi. “Do Japanese employees attend? We may sometimes invite them as guests.” (By Ryann Connell)

Everyone’s Anna Kawamura

Everyone’s Anna - Minna no Anna — Anna Kawamura

Cute and spunky, Anna Kawamura brings us her first hardcover photobook with her girlish charm. The first thing one notices in this photobook are Mari’s eyes, wide, curious and expressive, with a hint of longing that will pull the reader in.


She poses in several outfits, including a one piece bikinis, high cut shorts, uniforms and sun dresses showing off her very slim frame with shots of cleavage and behind. She takes a dip in the ocean, climbs a tree, and gazes into the camera in a series of shots that highlight her bright personality and amazing smile. Bikini fans will definitely enjoy Anna-chans first photobook. Hardcover, 9.5 x 12″ (24 x 30 cm).

Valentine’s Day In Seventeen Countries

No matter where in the world, love exists. Some celebrations are low-key while others are full-fledged fetes. Let’s look at some of these festivities.

EUROPE

People living in Austria and Germany share with Americans the tradition of bestowing upon their wives presents of roses or chocolates.

In Denmark, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with enthusiasm. Early Valentine cards were transparent and when held up to the light, a picture of a man handing a woman a present would be projected. Another popular gift is to give pressed white flowers known as Snowdrops (one source identifies Snowdrops as candy).

A “gaekkebrev” or joking letter, sent by men, has a romantic verse in it but is not signed. Instead, the man signs his name with a number of dots that correlate with the number of letters in his name. If the object of his affection guesses his identity, she receives an Egg on Easter.

In England, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in various ways. On Valentine’s Day Eve, women used to practice rather strange customs. They would take their pillow and pin a bay leaf on each of the four corners and consume eggs where the removed yolks were replaced with salt! (My mouth puckers at the mere thought.)

After doing this, they were confident they would dream of their future husbands. In another custom, women would write the names of their lovers on paper. These papers were put on clay balls which were dropped into water. Whichever paper surfaced first would bear the name of their future husband.

In the present, some unmarried women arise from bed before daybreak on Valentine’s Day. They wait by the window, searching for a man to pass by. They feel the first man they see, or someone with a close resemblance to him, will become, within the year, their bridegroom.

Children in England sing special Valentine’s songs and receive candy, fruit, or money. In some regions of England, people bake special Valentine’s buns adorned with caraway seeds, plums, or raisins.

It is traditional to get engaged on Valentine’s Day in Italy. Popular gifts are china baskets and cups that have been filled with Valentine’s candies. Women in Italy practice the same fortune telling custom of watching for their future husbands as is done in England.

In Scotland, Valentine’s Day is traditionally celebrated with a festival where unmarried males and females gather together. Each individual writes their name (or a fictitious one) on a piece of paper which is folded and then put into a hat, one for the women and a separate one for the men.

The ladies draw first and the process is repeated by the men. When the two drawn names do not match, the man is expected to pair up with the lady who had drawn his name. The man presents a gift to the lady on his paper. The women pin the name of their partner on their sleeves or over their hearts. Is this the origin of wearing one’s heart on their sleeve?

In Spain, women give gifts to their husbands; men give flowers to their wives.

NORTH AMERICA

In both Canada and the United States, school-age children delight in exchanging Valentine cards with their friends. There are classroom parties with Valentine sweets and card exchanges. The students generally make fancy envelopes or boxes in which to deposit their cards.

They also take great delight in creating homemade (school-made) Valentines out of red (pink, white) construction paper, other fancy papers, paper doilies (often available in a heart shape), etc.

The pupils have as much fun in creating their cards as in receiving them! Teenagers may have dances or parties while everyone, from adult down, gives flowers, candy, or some other gift to their spouses or significant others. Valentine candy is generally packaged in heart-shaped boxes sometimes decorated with lace and such.

Mexicans celebrate Valentine’s Day but the day goes by another name; “Dia de San Valentin” or “Dia del amor y la armistad” is a day of love and friendship.

ASIA

In China, Valentine’s Day is not normally celebrated on February 14th. Rather, according to the Chinese calendar. it is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. On this day, lovers crowd the Temple of Matchmaker to pray for love and happiness. Singles can also come to pray.

One traditional practice involves girls putting a needle on the surface of the water when the star Vega can be found high in the sky. It is time then for the girl to search for a husband. Also, this day is set aside for girls to make any wish at all.

Modern China puts a new spin on this holiday when hotels give Valentine discounts for couples. Not only is the room rate discounted but also on this day the hotels will not ask and check for marriage certificates. However, any other day of the year Chinese law requires hotels to verify marriage certificates before allowing couples to check in.

In Israel, Valentine’s Day is a popular time for marriage proposals to be made. Gifts are also exchanged.

In Japan, chocolates play an important role. Women give a box of chocolates (”Giri-choko”) as a token of friendship or gratitude to her boss, colleagues, and male friends. Giri-choko” translates as “obligatory chocolate.”

Going a step further, a woman can express her love for that special man in her life by giving small gifts plus a box of chocolates known as “Honmei-choko” or “prospective chocolate.”

In a month’s time, men who have received the gift of chocolate presents the women with a box of chocolates on White Day, March 14th. These chocolates are generally either white chocolate or the candy is wrapped in white boxes. Japanese men often give gifts of lingerie or jewelry to their special women.

In Korea, Valentine’s Day is celebrated much the same as it is in Japan. However, men who were not recipients of chocolates celebrate together on April 14th, or Black Day, whereupon they eat black noodles called “Jajangmyun.”

Thousands of couples celebrate Valentine’s Day in the Philippines by gathering together for the world record of the most couples kissing at one time. This festivity is called Lovapalooza. That’s a lot of chapped lips!

Taiwan observes two Valentine’s Day celebrations, one on February 14th and the other on July 7th. On these days, it is traditional to exchange roses; the color and number of roses determine the message. For example, one rose is “only love,” eleven roses mean “a favorite,” “forever” is the message coming with ninety-nine roses, and one hundred and eight roses signify “marry me.”

In Thailand, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in unique ways. Among these ways is the joining of two elephants as the world’s largest bride and groom. Also included is the world’s largest mass-wedding and the world’s largest underwater wedding.

Korean Kimchi Is A Super Food

Kimchi has been the keystone food of the Korean diet for thousands of years. Although there are many varieties of kimchi it consists mainly of fermented vegetables in brine with spicy seasonings.

The most common seasonings include, garlic, scallions and chili pepper. Depending on the type of kimchi being made, other seasonings include ginger, onions, salted fish or shellfish as well as fruit or fresh seafood. The most popular kind is the Napa cabbage variety.

Kimchi has a high concentration of dietary fibers. The fiber in kimchi helps to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

It’s low in cholesterol, sugar, fat, while also being low in calories. Kimchi is rich in antioxidants like vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), vitamin C, calcium and iron.

Most types of kimchi contain ingredients like onions, garlic and peppers all of which have health benefits. Red pepper is one of the most prevalent ingredients of kimchi which has the hot tasting capsaicin. Capsaicin stimulates gastric juice in the stomach and helps aid digestion.

Garlic strengthens the immune system and helps the body absorb vitamin B1. Ginger helps with blood circulation and increases the appetite.

Since kimchi is a fermented food it contains beneficial bacterial cultures of L. acidophilus a probiotic or “friendly” bacteria found in yogurt. L. acidophilus improves gastrointestinal function, boosts the immune system and aids in the production of niacin, folic acid, and pyridoxine. Kimchi is total health food.

Avril Lavigne

Needs Beer and Vodka To Rock. Pop punk Avril Lavigne refuses to sing “nice songs” in the studio when she’s drunk.

The Canadian star has admitted many of the tracks on her latest album, The Best Damn Thing, were recorded while she was under the influence - but she claims she only boozes when she has to rock out.

In a new Interview magazine chat with fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado, Lavigne reveals much of her last album was recorded on a steady diet of “Jager, limoncello, vodka, beer”, but she’s keen to point out she wasn’t drunk throughout the recording process.

The Complicated singer says, “I wouldn’t sing a nice song, a mid-tempo or a ballad drunk, because it just would not be good.”

And Lavigne assures fans that she never plays shows drunk anymore - because she “sucks” if she’s intoxicated on stage.

She adds, “I don’t like to drink when I go onstage live, because I suck. I forget words.”.

Venice - Charming City of Eternal Love

Venice! Oh, Venice! Perhaps, you want to ask me what interesting or new things can I tell you about this city? Of course, nothing! Hope you know much about Venice. Certainly I can’t tell you something interesting. However I want to tell you about my trip to this charming city.

I want to describe my impressions and feelings. Before my journey I knew that Venice is the city that stands on water and it is very popular for its romantic spirit. But I wonder how can the constant smell of dampness create that romantic spirit? Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. During my trip to Venice I understood that I don’t feel that smell at all. I didn’t even notice it.

Everybody knows that Venice is a city of love and for love. The spirit of love doesn’t leave you. You can feel it everywhere. The romantic spirit pursues you when you walk down the San Marco square. When you pass between the left wing of the San Marco Cathedral and the gallery you find yourself in a lagoon.

I was surprised much when I found out that the square is situated in the lowest place of the city. So when the flood starts we can watch the transformation. The square turns into a lake and the people’s movement consists in crossing the wooden floorings.

I fell in love with the Venice coffee and those small cafes. I was impressed by the peaceful conditions and the architecture of the “Florian” and “Quardi” cafes. I enjoyed not only the coffee, but also the felling of peace in my mind and soul.

I sat on the ancient chairs, drank tasty hot coffee and listened to the sounds of the live music. I thought about that amazing thing how many great and famous writers, poets; artists have been here, in Venice.

And, may be, they sat in the same café, on the same chairs drinking the hot coffee and discussing a new play or poem or picture or just talking about their lives or simple sat silent listening to the music. Just like me!

The most popular and classical Venetian boat is gondola, although now gondolas are widely used for tourists or for some ceremonies. It is certainly a very expensive pleasure (you should pay approximately 70 euro for an hour), but it’s worth it. One of the most beautiful Venetian traditions dictates that couples must kiss under every bridge. It looks like a prove for eternal love.

The other amazing and interesting things are the pigeons. They seemed to be domesticated. You have to feed them and they will sit on your shoulders or head and you will feel the heat of their bodies and their heartbeat.

Venetian carnival is one of the most magnetic features of Venice. It is like a miracle. The carnival takes place on the San Marco square. The eternal holiday and magic reigns here during the carnival.

You can participate in different competitions, the lights shine everywhere. You meet people in masks during the carnival. Masks are everywhere. Masks have always been the central feature of the Venetian carnival and the most popular and spread masks are Pierott and Arlekino.

Everything looks so colorful and bright. But even then when there is no carnival the city looks shiny and colorful at night. The Venetian nights are charming. Though the night fires cover everything the mystics and secret are felt in the air.

I had in impression that the lights fall down into the water, mixes and I could imagine different pictures and figures. I was sorry for those things that I’m not an artist because that beauty can’t be rendered only with the help of words. You have to feel everything, to see it with your own eyes and to fall in love with this charming city.

The city on the water! That charming city on the water! I didn’t want to leave it at all. But as you know the time is not an endless thing. I have to return home. And what a strange thing! The smell of the dampness disappears at once. You don’t feel it at all. So, you don’t have to be afraid of it.

I had a great grief in my soul that I have to leave that charming city, the city of eternal love…

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Discount Travel site is http://www.travelime.com

Veronica Mars - Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell Gains Super Powers In Heroes

NBC is adding former “Veronica Mars” star Kristen Bell to the cast of “Heroes.” The network has hired Bell for a key multiepisode arc of the second season.Bell will make her first “Heroes” appearance in October. She’ll play Elle, a character described as a sexy, mysterious young lady who has ties to the supposed death of Peter, H.R.G.’s past and the future of Claire. Elle will kick off her arc by committing a serious crime, though it’s unclear whether she’s good or bad.

“This was not easy to pull off,” said “Heroes” creator-executive producer Tim Kring. “But since we’re an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in (Bell’s) schedule.”

Universal Media Studios prexy Katherine Pope also hinted that landing Bell wasn’t easy, noting that “many studios (were) chasing her in both film and TV” and that she was happy that Bell “chose to star in our show.”

Picky Kids? They Got It From You.

A WEEK’S worth of dinners for young Fiona Jacobson looks like this: Noodles. Noodles. Noodles. Noodles. French fries. Noodles. On the seventh day, the 5-year-old from Forest Hills, Queens, might indulge in a piece of pizza crust, with no sauce or cheese.

Over in New Jersey, the Bakers changed their November family vacation to accommodate Sasha, an 11-year-old so averse to fruits and vegetables that the smell of orange juice once made him faint. Instead of flying to Prague, Sasha’s parents decided to go to Barcelona, where they hope the food will be more to his liking.

And at the Useloff household, young Ethan’s tastes are so narrow that their home in Westfield, N.J., works something like a diner.

“I do the terrible mommy thing and make everyone separate dinners,” Jennifer Useloff said.

All three families share a common problem. Their children are not only picky eaters, prone to reject foods they once seemed to love, but they are also neophobic, which means they fear new food.

But for parents who worry that their children will never eat anything but chocolate milk, Gummi vitamins and the occasional grape, a new study offers some relief. Researchers examined the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of twins between 8 and 11 years old and found children’s aversions to trying new foods are mostly inherited.

The message to parents: It’s not your cooking, it’s your genes.

The study, led by Dr. Lucy Cooke of the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August. Dr. Cooke and others in the field believe it is the first to use a standard scale to investigate the contribution of genetics and environment to childhood neophobia.

According to the report, 78 percent is genetic and the other 22 percent environmental.

Hoang Thuy Linh Is Vietnam Paris Hilton

Vietnam is having a Paris Hilton moment. An online sex video featuring a popular celebrity has riveted the nation for more than a week now, much as Hilton’s clip seized the attention of Americans when it hit the Internet several years ago.But unlike Hilton, the 19-year-old woman at the center of Vietnam’s sex scandal won’t be able to capitalize on her newfound notoriety.

Hoang Thuy Linh’s show has been canceled and the actress has made a tearful farewell on national television.

“I made a mistake, a terrible mistake,” said the doe-faced teen, who had cultivated a good-girl image. “I apologize to you, my parents, my teachers and my friends.”

Her fall from grace has highlighted the generational fault-lines in Vietnam, a sexually conservative culture within which women have been taught for centuries to remain chaste until marriage and stay true to one man — no matter how many times he cheats on them.

Like everything else in this economically booming country, ideas about sex and gender roles are quickly changing as satellite TV and the Internet bring Western influences to a society cut off by decades of war and economic isolation.

But for many in communist Vietnam, new ideas about free love are much harder to accept than the free market. And unlike men, women who break the old sexual taboos are not easily forgiven.

“Kids today are crazy,” said Nguyen Thi Khanh, 49, a Hanoi junior high school teacher. “They often exceed the limits of morality. They have sex and fall in love when they’re much too young.”

In the old days, Khanh said, a woman who had sex before marriage would be ostracized.

“A good girl must keep herself clean until she is married,” Khanh said. “Thuy Linh should be condemned. If I ever see her again on TV, I will turn it off, for sure.”

In “Vang Anh’s Diaries,” Thuy Linh portrayed an earnest high school girl, modern and stylish but determined to uphold the traditional virtues of “cong, dung, ngon” and “hanh,” which promote women as tidy, charming, soft-spoken and chaste.

Then the 16-minute video hit the Internet on Oct. 15 featuring Thuy Linh in bed with her former boyfriend, both of them apparently aware that they were on camera.

On Thursday, Hanoi police detained four college students accused of posting the sex clip to the Internet. They could face charges of “spreading depraved cultural items,” which carries a sentence of six months to 15 years if convicted.

Police identified the man in the clip as 20-year-old Vu Hoang Viet, who is currently studying overseas. They said a friend copied the film off of Viet’s laptop, and passed it along to other friends who then posted it online.

Most of the public’s wrath has been directed at Thuy Linh rather than Viet.

“People will forgive him, but not her,” said Tran Minh Nguyet of the Vietnam Women’s Union, which promotes gender equality. “Vietnamese think it’s OK for a boy to have sex at that age, but not for a girl. It’s absolutely unfair.”

The video has been the talk of Vietnam. Even members of Vietnam’s National Assembly were overheard gossiping about it last week at the opening of the new legislative session.

A few lonely voices have sprung up in Thuy Linh’s defense. But in most newspapers and on blogs and Web sites, the video has become the target of jokes and condemnation.

VietnamNet, a popular online newspaper, said the episode underscored the “dark side of globalization” and warned that a flood of foreign influences “threaten Vietnam’s cultural foundation.”

The scandal also has disillusioned many of Thuy Linh’s biggest fans.

“She was supposed to set a good example for Vietnamese students nationwide,” said Chi, 14, a Hanoi junior high school student who declined to give her full name. “Now this scandal has ruined everything. It’s completely destroyed her image.”

Hilton’s sex tape, made with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon in eerie night-vision green, surfaced just before the start of her reality TV series, “The Simple Life” and helped propel her to superstardom.

But in Vietnam, the video scandal is certain to destroy Thuy Linh’s career, said Nguyet of the Vietnam Women’s Union.

“Vietnam is changing quickly, but there’s no way Thuy Linh will be forgiven,” Nguyet said. “That will take another generation.”

Denise Richards Mother Dies Of Cancer

Former Bond girl Denise Richards is in mourning after becoming the latest star to lose a parent during what is being called `black November’ for celebrity mums and dads.

The actress’ mother, Joni, has lost her battle with cancer. Richards took time out from her acting career last year to care for her ailing mum. Richards, her father, her two young daughters and other family members kept a vigil at the bedside of Richards’ mother, Joni, in a Long Beach, Calif., hospital for two weeks before she died.

The actress told OK! her mom’s illness has inspired her to reflect on her own life.

“I was always a people pleaser,” Richards said. “And I just finally got to the point in my life after having my daughters and going through a really ugly divorce (from actor Charlie Sheen), and … my mother (being) sick with cancer, that I’ve just gotten to the point where life is so short and I just want to be happy.”

Richards is the latest celebrity to mourn the loss of a parent in the past several weeks.

November was a terrible month for celebrity-related deaths - Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Kanye West, the Osmonds, Jane Seymour and British actress Kelly Brook were among the stars who lost mums and dads during the month

Hello Kitty

Looking For Rugged Masculine Teens. The cute cuddly white cat from Japan’s Sanrio Co., usually seen on toys and jewelry for girls and young women, will soon don T-shirts, bags, watches and other products targeting young men, company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu said Friday.

“We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion,” he said.

The feline for-men products will go on sale in Japan next month, and will be sold soon in the U.S. and other Asian nations, according to Sanrio.

The usual bubble-headed shape of Hello Kitty was slightly changed for a more rugged, cool look to appeal to men in their teens and early 20s.

For example, a picture of the cat on a $36 black T-shirt has the words, “hello kitty,” instead of the usual dots for the eyes and nose.

Hello Kitty is one of mascot-obsessed Japan’s biggest “character” hits, decorating everything from a humble eraser to a $48,000 diamond necklace.

The planned products mark the first time Sanrio is developing Hello Kitty items especially for males, Tohmatsu said.

But Sanrio had tried a “limited edition” collaboration in men’s clothing with designers in Tokyo’s chic Harajuku section earlier this year, and they proved popular, he said.

“Young men these days grew up with character goods,” said Tohmatsu. “That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty.” - AP

Tokyo Girl

The Tokyo Girl Hairstyles Bash Japan’s Economy. Economic forecasters beware: Japanese women are cutting their hair again.

Women tend to wear their hair long when Japan’s economy is doing well and short when there is a slump, the Nikkei business daily reported, citing a survey conducted by Japanese cosmetics company Kao Corp. As for Japan’s future economic performance, the Nikkei pointed to expectations for a trend towards shorter hairstyles.

This mirrors the view among some analysts that Japan’s longest growth cycle since the Second World War may have ended and the economy is at risk of falling into a recession.

Kao, Japan’s second-largest cosmetics firm, has conducted regular surveys of 1,000 women on the streets of Tokyo and Osaka over the past two decades, the Nikkei said.

Until the early 1990s, when Japan’s economic bubble burst, 60 percent of women in their twenties kept their hair long, the Nikkei said, citing the survey.

During the 1990s economic slump, short hair — defined as above the collarbone — became the dominant hairstyle for Japanese women. But since 2002, long hair has regained some popularity — just as the economy started to expand, the Nikkei said.

The Nikkei also identified a new factor that could affect the validity of hair length as an economic indicator: the rising popularity of the chignon. - Reuters

Here on the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand

There are a great number of mixed Thai-Western marriages. It really is turning into quite a phenomenon. Around Phuket’s schools and playgrounds it is common to see mixed-race children happily playing with the 100% Thai kids.

They are usually easy to spot with fairer skin, western features and non-black hair. A whole generation of culturally diverse, multi-lingual children is growing up and will soon be quite an asset to Phuket’s tourist industry.

This phenomenon of mixed marriages in Phuket has really exploded over the last decade. Of course, the major reason is the expansion of Phuket’s tourist trade. When you have more than a million western visitors a year, it is natural that some of them will meet and fall in love with local people. Especially when the local people are so appealing.

But there must be more to it than that. The tourist resorts around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and US also receive millions of foreign visitors a year. There are mixed-nationality marriages at these resorts but not thousands in a small area like there are in Phuket.

One thing stands out when you look at Phuket’s ex-pat population - the vast majority of us are men. Probably around 90% of the ex-pat population is male. That is not the case when you look at the breakdown of tourist visitors where the split is only 60-40 in favour of males.

So while there are many women visiting Thailand, only a small percentage of them decide to settle here. It is probably a similar percentage to those that settle at other holiday resorts. But the men are marrying Thai women and settling here in numbers that way exceed what is typical elsewhere.

There is an obvious conclusion to draw. There are a lot of men coming to Phuket to actively seek wives. They are not just falling in love while on holiday - they are coming with the pre-planned intent of finding a doe-eyed Thai beauty to be their spouse.

Many men seem to be dissatisfied with their experiences of women in their home country. Society has changed rapidly in the west over the last few decades. Women have become more confident and assertive. They can be intimidating to approach and fast with a withering put-down.

They are much more demanding in their relationships and expect a lot of concessions from their partners. Many men do not like it. They still want the fifties ideal of a feminine, doting wife.

So they come to Thailand in search of the answer to their problem. Here, they believe they can still find women who are beautiful, feminine and attentive to their husband’s needs.

Here on the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand

There are a great number of mixed Thai-Western marriages. It really is turning into quite a phenomenon. Around Phuket’s schools and playgrounds it is common to see mixed-race children happily playing with the 100% Thai kids.

They are usually easy to spot with fairer skin, western features and non-black hair. A whole generation of culturally diverse, multi-lingual children is growing up and will soon be quite an asset to Phuket’s tourist industry.

This phenomenon of mixed marriages in Phuket has really exploded over the last decade. Of course, the major reason is the expansion of Phuket’s tourist trade. When you have more than a million western visitors a year, it is natural that some of them will meet and fall in love with local people. Especially when the local people are so appealing.

But there must be more to it than that. The tourist resorts around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and US also receive millions of foreign visitors a year. There are mixed-nationality marriages at these resorts but not thousands in a small area like there are in Phuket.

One thing stands out when you look at Phuket’s ex-pat population - the vast majority of us are men. Probably around 90% of the ex-pat population is male. That is not the case when you look at the breakdown of tourist visitors where the split is only 60-40 in favour of males.

So while there are many women visiting Thailand, only a small percentage of them decide to settle here. It is probably a similar percentage to those that settle at other holiday resorts. But the men are marrying Thai women and settling here in numbers that way exceed what is typical elsewhere.

There is an obvious conclusion to draw. There are a lot of men coming to Phuket to actively seek wives. They are not just falling in love while on holiday - they are coming with the pre-planned intent of finding a doe-eyed Thai beauty to be their spouse.

Many men seem to be dissatisfied with their experiences of women in their home country. Society has changed rapidly in the west over the last few decades. Women have become more confident and assertive. They can be intimidating to approach and fast with a withering put-down.

They are much more demanding in their relationships and expect a lot of concessions from their partners. Many men do not like it. They still want the fifties ideal of a feminine, doting wife.

So they come to Thailand in search of the answer to their problem. Here, they believe they can still find women who are beautiful, feminine and attentive to their husband’s needs.