More than 100,000 Thai women currently live in Germany, over 20,000 of them are married to Germans.

Germany (and the UK) has imposed new rules that require Thai women who want to marry a German  man to have basic command of German language before a visa is granted. The Thai government has launched a training program to assist women with learning about German culture and the language.

The intent of the new regulation is ensure a foreign national that will live in Germany will have the basic skills and understanding to function independently, helping them understand the society and acclimate quickly. After living and traveling abroad, I think this is very wise and the Thai government providing assistance with the training is wonderful.

The number of Thai women living in Germany surprises me, a much higher number than I would have guessed. I wonder how this counts toward Thailand’s booming export business?