One Fact About Thailand – Even In Her Late Twenties Your Thai Date May Still Be Wearing Braces.

It’s A Fact About Thailand: Thai girls have braces.

I don’t mean the kind of braces to stabilize their legs or body. I mean Thai girls have braces on their teeth. Now you might think that’s not a very bold statement, lots of girls have braces after-all. How are Thai girls with braces different than Westerners?

The difference is most Thai girls have their braces in their 20s and 30s and even as late as their 40s. In other words, you could be dating a Thai woman with braces!

It’s A Strange Fact About Thailand But It’s True – Your Thai Girl Might Have Braces.

How can that be so? Why wouldn’t a Thai girl have her braces in her early teens like Western girls? After-all that’s when they’ve acquired all their adult teeth and it’s plain to see if the need for braces is there. Then, when she hits her dating years, she has a full set of beautiful teeth to aid her in her quest for a man. So why would Thai girls have braces in their adulthood instead of in their teens?

Why Would A Thai Girl Have Braces So Late In Life?

The first reason is money. It’s a fact about Thailand that many of the lovely Thai girls you’re likely to meet are from small villages in rural Thailand. The median income level is these villages is very low, sometimes less than 10,000 baht a month. That’s around $300 U.S.

Even if the parents were totally in favor of braces for their children it would end up very low on the list of priorities for their money. That isn’t to say you won’t see children with braces in Thailand. You certainly will. But it does tell you those children are from families with solid financial means.

What About Insurance?

You might think a family’s income level shouldn’t be a significant factor since they can claim the braces on their insurance. As good as that sounds it isn’t a true fact about Thailand. Whereas most families in the West use their insurance to pay the bulk of expenses for braces, in Thailand that option doesn’t exist.

Imagine if widespread dental insurance didn’t exist in the West. You’d have a lot more kids walking around with crooked teeth. Well that’s precisely what’s happened in Thailand. Poorer families have no means to acquire insurance and here’s the real kicker:

Another fact about Thailand: Insurance Doesn’t Cover Dental Care.

Most insurance policies in Thailand do not cover dental care. Thais of all financial means have to pay their dental costs up front. That means even middle-class families will struggle to meet the costs of dental work for their children. Now you start to see why only well-to-do families have teenage children with braces.

Another Fact About Thailand – Your Thai Date Wants To Look Good For You In Future!

Why Do Young Adults Have Braces?

How is it that young adults finally end up with braces? Where does the money come from? Understand that most Thai move away from home after high school. They go to the big city and start work or go to post-secondary school. After they finish their schooling or advance in their job for a couple of years they have more disposable income.

It is at this point they consider getting braces. If they were still living at home their income might be directed toward higher priority items but living on their own gives them the freedom to make this choice. Why would they choose to get braces when the money could be spent on splashier items or items of more need?

They Want To Look Good – It’s a simple fact about Thailand!

In a word, vanity. I don’t mean to imply any negative connotation here. Let’s face it, any young adult looks in the mirror each day and considers how attractive they might be to others.

Bad teeth cry out for attention. Young Thai learn to hide them by smiling less and covering their teeth when they laugh. Fixing those teeth allow them to be less self-conscious and more appealing to the opposite sex.

Braces Are Everywhere.

You will notice adults with braces all over Thailand. Watch when the hotel receptionist smiles at you and when the waitress brings your food. There’s a good chance they’ll have braces it’s a fact about Thailand. It’s not unusual at all to meet young professionals such as teachers and nurses with braces too.

Should you be turned off by a woman with braces?

No way. She’s already beautiful, right? It’s interesting because Thai women have a younger look to begin with and when you add a pair of braces a 33 year old woman looks like she could be 18. Of course, that’s nothing to complain about. If the Thai woman you’re dating has braces be reassured, they won’t be on long and she’s going to look even better when they come off!

Do you want to read more another Fun Fact About Thailand? Read the other parts of this series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Marc Lewis is a 50-year-old Canadian who has traveled the world extensively both on his own and leading student tours. He’s worked as a high school teacher, business executive and photojournalist. Two years ago Marc met a lovely Thai girl online and moved to Thailand. He currently makes his residence in Bangkok.