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When John Thompson's second marriage ended in divorce, the 49-year-old Hawaiian graphic designer had doubts he would ever meet the right woman in the United States.
While vacationing in Thailand, he impulsively signed up with Sweet Singles, a company that promised unlimited introductions to eligible Thai women.
A year later, he married a 23-year-old Thai factory worker who could barely speak English. He'd had to bring along a dictionary on their dates.
But despite the communication problems, Thompson said he found the right woman. "It felt good from the very start," he said. "She cared about me and about us rather than just being concerned with herself like my previous wives."
For Tai Laysuwan, her husband is a real-life prince. "He is so nice," she said. "He opens the cab door and helps me carry things. I feel like a princess."
Once a fringe industry, Thailand's matchmaking business has received a boost from the Internet and booming tourism. Every year, thousands of men from around the globe - from Australia to Pakistan to North America - are marrying Thai women.
In the western imagination, Thai women enjoy a reputation for beauty, grace and good-naturedness. Many of the women are hoping foreign husbands are their gateway out of poverty.
Matchmaking fees range from $15 US per introduction to $3,000 for a year's membership with a dating agency.
"There are many, many more people doing it now because they all think they can make lots of money," said Lawrence Lynch, owner of one agency, Thai Professionals Introductions, which has offices in Bangkok and in Britain. He said he faced few competitors when he set up shop in 1997.
Demand from men in the United States is strong. From 2002 through 2004, more than 88,000 fiance, or K1, visas were issued by the Department of Homeland Security, with half going to Asian women.
John Howard, an expert on gender studies at King's College in London, considers the phenomenon to be exploitative.
"It's not unlike the way some multinational corporations go looking for exploitable labour in the Third World," he said.
"When the choice to enter into such a marriage is being made, there is a huge discrepancy between the positions of power of the women and men involved."
Tai, however, insisted her decision to marry Thompson had nothing to do with improving her finances.
She said her last Thai boyfriend was cheating on her and antics like his turned her off her countrymen.
"They're all butterflies," she said. "American men are honest and happy to stay with one woman."
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