Sites overview | Date-safe tips | In-depth reviews | Avoiding bargirls | Casual dating | Advice for success
Thai dating sites have become extremely popular in the last few years, and many fruitful relationships now begin this way.
In my circle of friends, I know of three couples that have met through online dating, and I also know a number of single, English-speaking Thai women active on such sites.
Online dating is the modern way of meeting a partner, and statistics show that users will reach nearly 400m in 2023 (1).
That said, you should be as cautious about the online dating process in Thailand as you would in your own country.
Sensible Dating
You should make sure you’re well informed before you start out, not just about the women themselves but also regarding the legitimacy of the site.
For example: how many members belong to the site, how active the community is, the pricing model and the level of customer service.
While you should be cautious, you should be excited too!
Online dating is now the preferred way to meet women, and in many ways it's better than nightclubs, bars and personal introductions, which can often turn into a nightmare.
It’s not just those looking for a relationship that can benefit from Thai dating sites, either. Men traveling on business or going for a holiday in the region can find a date online for their visit.
In this post, I'm going to give you some top tips for using Thai dating sites, and provide you with a comparison and overview of my experience with the best.
If you can't be bothered to read the in-depth reviews of each, you can click on the links in the shorter overview list below.
4 Best Thai Dating Sites (Overview)
- Thaicupid (Biggest membership – most popular)
- Thaifriendly (Great reputation for everyday women & fun encounters)
- AsianDating (Find Thai women abroad & other SE Asian ladies)
- MyLadyBoyDate (Transgender Dating)
Before we look at these sites individually, let's run through a few top tips to make sure you don't run into any problems.
3 Date-Safe Tips Before You Start
Before we get into the sites, let me just offer up 3 tips that will keep you safe.
These rules are common sense, but worth reminding yourself of before you get carried away with the thousands of potential partners you’re going to be viewing in the coming days.
- Engage with the person you're interested in for a good month or two before arranging a meet up. This gives you time to be confident that they are who they say they are.
- Never send money to someone you have never met, no matter the excuse they give.
- Don’t give out your home phone number or address until you have met the person, or at least chatted over Skype and had a video conversation.
Now onto the best sites:
Top 4 Thai Dating Websites
1. ThaiCupid.com
Thai Cupid has a membership database of 1.5 million, and a whopping 70% of the female online Thai dating network.
If I were to enter the Thai dating world now, this would be my first choice.
Operated by Cupidmedia, a company that owns many other dating sites in a broad range of ethnic niches, TC is probably the most popular dating site for foreign men seeking Thai women.
It has been going for over 10 years, and is by all accounts the biggest of them all.
Overview
If you want a broad selection of genuine women, with decent jobs – 21-40 years old – this site is a good place to begin.
On my most recent visit I found 2,136 people online, and over 1,000 active profiles for the aforementioned age group.
Like all dating sites, functionality is restricted to the membership you have.
Thai Cupid is free to join, but with free you can only send 1 message every 15 minutes, and you won't be able to message all members (some have restricted profiles that only paid members can view).
This is a tad frustrating because you have to wait for the response. But hey, it's free! Send a message, make a cup of tea, and then repeat.
Free membership won't get you video chat either, which is a great feature to use once you've established a connection with someone.
Your membership level also determines how far up in the search results your profile will appear; so bear in mind that those extra few dollars can make a big difference to your success.
ThaiCupid Pricing
One great feature of ThaiCupid is the translation service that comes with the Gold package ($34.99 per month / or $69.99 for 3 months – that's less than a dollar a day).
This translates messages for both parties, preventing cross wires and breaking down the language barrier.
For higher profile visibility, unlimited message sending and video messaging capability, go Platinum ($39.99 a month / or $79.99 per month – that's still less than a dollar a day)
The paid plans aren't expensive when you think of it on a day-to-day basis:
Gold:
- 1 month – $34.99 / ÂŁ23.33
- 3 months – $69.99 / ÂŁ46.66 (Good value at less than a dollar a day)
- 12 months – $139.99 / ÂŁ93.33 (Best value at less than 0.50 Cents a day)
Platinum:
- 1 month – $39.99 / ÂŁ27.49
- 3 months – $79.99 / ÂŁ54.99 (Good value at less than a dollar a day)
- 12 months – $159.99 / ÂŁ109.99 (Best value at less than 0.50 Cents a day)
For everything in Gold, plus video messaging capability, go Platinum.
For an extra few dollars, I'd say it's worth it to be able to communicate face-to-face with a potential dream date!
+ Check the profiles on ThaiCupid here
2. ThaiFriendly
ThaiFriendly has gained solid popularity among the expat community and overseas date seekers over the last few years, growing to a huge 1m+ members.
It is independently run and doesn't have the corporate backing of ThaiCupid, which is evident by the low budget design.
But don't let that put you off: it's easy to use and has all the functionality you need.
Overview
The site is popular because it caters to a slightly different crowd than TC.
By that I mean you a broader cross-section of women.
Think younger women like uni students, and singles in the city seeking a bit more of a “fun” relationship, rather than those women of an age where settling down is a priority.
I always think approaching dating too seriously can land you in as much hot water as going in too loosely, so to speak.
And searching around I get the distinct feeling a few of the profiles I saw were women playing away from home, which may well appeal to some.
ThaiFriendly is fun. It has to be said. You could easily whittle a way an evening browsing the profile here – there's such a broad selection of people.
It really is a fun place to socialize by sending messages, and of course to make “special friends”.
Thai Friendly Pricing
TF is free to register and there's no obligation for a paid membership. You can begin sending messages straight away, but bear in mind that to begin chatting on instant messenger and have live chats you'll need to upgrade.
The pricing structure hasn't changed much in the last 5 years. It operates a simple, flat rate fee, which is reflective of its overall “easy-going” vibe.
- Option A) $24.95 for a 30-day membership
- Option B) $49.95 for a 3-month membership
- Option C) $69.95 for 6 month
- Option D) $99.95 for a 1-year (365-day) membership
+ View profiles on Thai Friendly here
3. AsianDating
AsianDating is often overlooked because people head straight to ThaiCupid.
But don’t forget that Thai women live over the world, and indeed there are great women of other South East Asian origin living in Thailand, too.
If you are seeking to start a long-distance relationship, you might also do well to consider Asian Dating.
Overview
This site has a good global reach, so you might meet an Asian lady in your home country, Thailand, or a country other than Thailand.
By nature, this makes AsianDating a place with a diverse membership and some fantastic single women to chat with.
Like sister site ThaiCupid, CupidMedia also owns Asian Dating. It is very popular with expats living in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, and also guys living in the US and UK.
If you want to open your mind beyond Thai women, you’ll find a lot of women on here from the Philippines, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Asian Dating Pricing
The membership pricing and functions unlocked by upgrading from a free to a paid plan is essentially the same as ThaiCupid, but a bit cheaper.
Gold:
- 1 month – $29.99
- 3 months – $59.99
- 12 months – $119.99
Platinum:
- 1 month – $34.99
- 3 months – $69.99
- 12 months – $149.99
+ See Asian Dating profiles here
4. MyLadyBoyDate
If Thailand's third gender is your preference, MyLadyBoyDate is the platform for you.
There are ladyboys from all over the world on the site, but predominately from Asia – mostly Thailand and the Philippines.
The owners of the site (a couple – man and ladyboy) take the business very seriously and are hot on keeping the site for serious members only.
Overview
The site is free for transgender woman, which has naturally resulted in a large membership base (110k members).
The fact that men have to pay has created a sensible barrier for entry. This means that only serious members gain access, and probably the reason so many relationship have emerged from this dating site.
- 110,000+ profiles (rigorously screened)
- Instant messaging feature
- Compatible with smartphones and tablets
- Safe and discreet
MLBD Pricing
Premium membership is $29.90 per month, with advantageous discounts if you buy several months.
If can read further information on this site in my MyLadyBoyDate review.
How to Avoid Bargirls on Thai Dating Sites
Like any other single woman, many bar girls – both those having sex for money and those solely working in the entertainment industry as a dancer or hostess – are looking for a partner.
So yes, it is likely you’ll occasionally come across such women on dating sites.
You may be able to identify such women by their working hours, or the fact that they say they don’t work yet still have the cash to sign up for a premium membership.
Be aware that many that some of these girls may be serial daters and probably have a man in every port, so to speak. Some may not work the bars and may just be dating-savvy; hooking a sugar daddy here and there.
Ladies of the night usually have a reasonable command of broken English (or “barglish” as it’s called), yet no education past the age of 15 to justify a formal education in the language.
Such women are also likely to have children from previous relationships: married off young in the village and left with children by an abusive/alcoholic/gambling husband. This is a very common truth, which I wrote about here.
This may not be an issue for you and, depending on what you’re looking for, you may not mind what a person does for a living, or whether they have dependents or other guys in their life.
However, I think it’s a good idea to be clear on the type of woman you are looking for before you start, and the type you don't want. That way you can spot the traits in a person that you want to avoid.
The last thing you want is to end up dating a woman who is solely seeking financial support for her family, and isn’t genuinely interested in what you’re looking for.
Start off on the right foot and seek a woman that shares your interests, values and intentions.
A Word on “Casual Dating”
If you’re just looking for intimacy, these Thai dating sites probably aren’t the place for you. If you want an escort for short encounters, then check out Smooci here.
You’ll notice that on many dating profiles the women state that they are seeking a life partner, soul mate or “good man”, as opposed to a one-night stand.
If you do see a profile advertising a bit of fun in the sack, you can almost guarantee you’ll end up paying for it, or at least having to entertain the woman financially for a period of time.
That said, these experiences will vary from site to site.
Sound Advice for Dating Success
Research shows that the secret to success in online dating is to aim high, keep it brief, and persevere (2).
- Send lots of messages: keep persevering
- Aim high: set your bar high, even if you think a person is out of your league, go for it.
- Keep it brief: don't send people essays, keep communication to the point
- Be patient: women, especially, tend not to rush in. So be patient and be prepared to play a long game.
I wish you the best of luck with your search for a wonderful Thai lady. Believe me, there are loads out there.
Remember: people seldom spend time writing about how great their relationship is, which means you tend only to read about the bad experiences online.
Thai women are generally fabulous people. Trust me, I know, I married one!
If you met your partner on a Thai dating site, please feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below, so that you can help others do the same.