The Tiger Woods saga may have not much relevance here at Retire-Asia, but it possibly  illustrates one of the many differences between East and West culture. Maybe he’s been expecting the ‘best of both worlds’ and being able to be with other women – and get away with it.

Well, he didn’t. On August 23rd, 2010 the Woods were divorced, with a settlement believed to be about $100 million. That’s a high price to pay even for the richest golfer in the world for his affairs with those multiple mistresses (not to mention the money he paid some of them for their silence). His game has suffered too. Poor old Tiger. Let’s hope he’ll learn from this and go on to further success.

Talent and exposure bring publicity and fame. Fame brings money. Money should buy ‘the perfect life’, right? Well, apparently not – and not while living in the USA and under the global media spotlight.

Tiger’s problems and his probable realisation by now that money doesn’t buy happiness or everything you want in life, may lie in his ethnic background.  As is well-known, his family background includes both Thai and Chinese connections on both parents’ sides.

While it’s not acceptable in the West, in Thailand and Laos at least, it’s quite common for a married man to take on a second wife known as a mia noi or small wife, although technically they cannot be married. Monogamy is the law in both countries. He may have more than one mia noi and father their children.

A Thai or Lao man cannot do this without the financial means to support both his spouses. Money is definitely part of the ‘arrangement’ which is usually with the knowledge and (not always) tacit acceptance of the man’s mia yai (big wife). Both women will expect compensation in some form or other.

They don’t usually all live under the same roof, but it can happen with the agreement of the first wife. She may be bored with taking care of her husband’s needs, both in and out of bed, and is happy for someone else to do that. She may even have a boyfriend, but that is usually not made public.

One advantage of this East-West cultural difference is that the children do not suffer unnecessarily from the upheaval of divorce and the loss of one parent – sometimes due to a single infidelity on the part of their father (usually) or mother.

Extramarital affairs of the rich and famous are always hot news.  Tiger may have been forgiven for ‘just doing it’ once maybe, but apparently there are now SEVEN women with stories to tell (or sell).

He’s left himself wide open for derision and food for the tabloids and TV talk shows.

Will he ever live this down, one wonders? Not yet, by all accounts.

A word of warning for the foreigner or expat – farang – living in Thailand and especially the Lao PDR and married to a local woman. You will definitely not get away with this type of behaviour. Someone, perhaps in authority, is likely see it an opportunity for making trouble and/or money.