Thai Chat is No. 1 Dating tool as PC tablets flood Thailand and more Thai women go online

This comes as Thailand's No. 1 dating site; ThaiLoveLines reveals that Thai Chat Lines is the most effective dating tool by far for finding love in Thailand. But Thai Chat services have to be used with care.

Brad Thompson and his new Thai fiancé Areeya (26) are happy that they have found love together. They are one of thousands of relationships that are formed on Thai dating sites each week as millions of Thai woman use international dating sites to love, friendship and sometimes marriage in foreign lands.

Finding love online with Thai Chat Lines

How did you actually meet online? 'Brad contacted me on the Chat lines and I found that he was a good guy' says Areeya who has just finished a masters degree in hotel management at Chulalongkorn University Thailand's most prestigious university. Brad is a senior sales representative for an international company based in Seoul South Korea. He is an American and twelve years older than his new Thai love.

Research conducted by the Thai dating site finds that 63% of all first one to one contacts on the dating website are through online chat while e-mail comes second with 29%.

Thai Chat as a key tool for dating foreigners online

'In the last ten years or so there has been a boom in internet cafes in Thailand but now it is changing really, every Thai woman can now own a tablet PC,' says Carla Boonkong a journalist in Bangkok who sometimes uses Thai dating and social network sites but writes about Thai women and their ongoing quest to find romance online and in foreign destinations for foreign publications.

Tablet PC is the key for Chat in Thailand

This year has seen a huge rise in the sale of tablet computers in Thailand. Sales are surging throughout the year. One commentator estimates that sales in Thailand could reach over 6 million units by the end of 2013 or an increase of over 100% on 2012. 'The tablet pc is the answer for many Thai women who want access to the internet and who cannot afford a laptop or computer,' says M/s Boonkong. 'It is expected that sales of laptops in Thailand will actually decline this year by 10%.'

Working in Coffee shop but on Chat to America

Warinrat is a Thai woman living in Loei province in Thailand's remote North East. Although she has her own computer and a good ADSL internet connection at home, she uses a new tablet pc to meet friends online at work. Warinrat hopes someday to meet a foreigner for marriage or a long term relationship. 'I have a coffee shop, it is my own business and during the day I like to chat with my friends from around the world,' she says. While speaking on the phone to Warinrat, she is engaged in chat with an American man in San Diego. 'He is retired man but before this he was a doctor,' she tells us.

Warinrat tells us that she has daily chat sessions with foreigners all over the world. She says it makes her life more exciting and enjoyable. 'I learn many things, even if in Thailand we are not rich, we have a good place to live and people are happy but foreigners have good ideas, many want to come and live in Thailand.

Security is important with Chat in Thailand

Warinrat uses her tablet and laptop at home to chat with men but sometimes she can talk live on her webcam. 'In my coffee shop the connection is not strong but at home I can see and hear some friends and make AV connection.' Warinrat has a Skype and Facebook accounts as well as her account with ThaiLoveLines, Thailand's No 1 Dating site. She is aware that security is an issue. 'Sometimes I get many people want friend with me on Skype and Facebook and ThaiLoveLines too but I am careful. I only meet friends on ThaiLovelines for chat and meeting online.'

Scam artists target Thai woman through Chat

In recent years international gangs have switched online scams from targeting foreigners online to targeting Thai women. The reason is that some Thai women are often receptive to stories from apparent well to do foreigners online. It often transpires that these are false profiles and many Thai women have become victims. At the same time foreign men continue to be a target.

Here are some common details of such threats:

• Users are invited off the dating site to external communications services such as e-mail before the scam begins.
• Users purport to be a Thai woman when targeting foreigners but are in reality are based in other countries such as Africa or even central Europe.
• User often post photos showing a younger son or daughter on a carefully crafted profile which contains a lot of hyper bole. In this way they elicit empathy and attempt to gain trust.
• Users post profiles purporting to be high flying business men or senior government officials.

Advice to users on Chat services:

• Do not be afraid. Read about the threat and once the user is aware, there is no danger. Security on ThaiLoveLines estimates this threat to be less than 1% of online users.
• Keep all chat activity on site where security risks will certainly be detected over a time period if all chat activity is onsite. This is why scam operators always encourage users off legitimate dating sites where security sweeps will detect them.
• Read all profiles in detail and ask questions. This is also good advice on how to get to know genuine users better and makes for more effective dating.
• Remember that Thai dating sites are the most effective way to meet relationships partners in Thailand or around the world. In particular Thai Chat is the key tool to begin relationships.

New Chat Lines on the Thai dating site

ThaiLoveLines, Thailand's leading dating site, recently introduced a new Chat Lines service which has increases security for online users including internal keywords surveillance, IP tracking and a live security team which monitors the international dating website 24 hours a day. The new Chat Lines service is being introduced in phased basis and when complete comprises of:

• Full mobile and tablet use allowing users to Chat and connect through Audio and Video between mobile devices.
• IP tracking and monitoring on a 24/7 basis with security alerts being sent to a full time security team working online.
• Internal Thai Chat alerts to alert users to best practice on the Thai Chat service and update them about security threats while using the Thai Chat service.
• Instant translation for Thai to English and English to Thai linked to both Google and Bing online translation services.
• Automatic audio and video connection.
• Blocking and reporting systems for Thai Chat.
• Monitoring of all chat messaging for key words and security threats. Alerts are sent to the site security team.
• IM alert service with e-mails being sent with the first line of chat conversations where users have missed or not seen a chat message.

'We are concerned that both our male and female users can become the subject of abuse. Our first way to combat this is through information and education and we are installing internal advertising on our Chat services to make our users aware. Once users are aware, there is no threat. We have also increased the range of blocking and reporting systems on our dating site. But now we are going further and being proactive. Our dating site has always put safety and effectiveness first. We encourage users to post photos and we reject false or misleading profiles. But now we are strengthening our monitoring programme also. We have discovered that safe online chat and dating is better for everyone online' says Bill Mc Mahon security officer with ThaiLovelInes.com.

2007 Oxford survey: Thai Chat empowers Thai woman

Research carried out by a Thai researcher at Oxford University in the United Kingdom showed that Internet chat interactions between Thai women and men online tended to show that Thai women received more attention online and were in a position to influence positive outcomes. The research confirms what many men have known since the beginning of time: that a man online with Thai Chat must work harder to make more contacts and achieve a positive outcome than a woman. The research is underscored by research in Thailand on one national newspaper which shows Thai women are more involved with internet use than men in Thailand. The survey showed online dating and education as areas focused on by Thai women.

However the results are contradicted somewhat by ThaiLoveLines security officer Bill Mc Mahon. 'We have seen that some Thai women, because of the culture in Thailand, can be very trusting and sometimes easily manipulated by bad actors. We are determined that this sort of thing should not take place on our site. The good news is that Thai women are becoming more worldly wise and often network together.'

Thai woman commits suicide on live Chat

The hidden dangers of Chat particularly where they concern Thai women and relationships can be seen from the shocking story of Thai woman Nichakorn Srisawad who hung herself with involve in an AV Chat session with her on and off boyfriend in 2010. The Thai woman hung herself live online while the webcam recorded her suicide which unfortunately was witnessed by her boyfriend and other users online.

The Thai woman was living in a rented room in Bangkok. When Thai police arrived at the scene of the 6th floor apartment in Bangkhen area of Thailand's capital city they found the body of Miss Srisawad hanging from a ceiling fan. Officers could still the see that a Thai chat session was still in progress on her computer.

Her 25 year old boyfriend rushed to the scene but it was too late. It emerged that the woman had been involved with a man from the Netherlands and has been working for three months at a time in that country. It emerged that the woman was trying to get her relationship back online with her old Thai boyfriend but he reported that she had become more difficult to communicate with.

In room 203 of the 6-floor building, officers found the deceased body of Miss Nichakorn Srisawad [24] from Nakhon Sawan. A blue bed sheet was hanging round her neck and tied to the ceiling fan. Her feet were just touching the floor. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and brown shorts and there was no sign of any struggle in the room.

In the corner of the room a computer was still connected to an internet video chat program. There was a conversation still visible in the chat box between the deceased and someone who appeared to be her boyfriend, judging by the content. The web cam had been pointed in the direction of the deceased body, and had allowed the boyfriend and many other internet users to witness her suicide.

A maid who worked in the apartment complex claimed that a man had called the complex to inform them that a woman in room 203 was trying to hang herself. The maid then went straight to the room and knocked on the door but received no response. A neighbour of Miss Srisawad also came to help and eventually they both broke into the room where they saw Miss Srisawad hanging dead from the ceiling fan. The police were then informed.

Subsequently Mr. Theerawat Geeraphapjarern [25] appeared at the scene and claimed that he was the boyfriend of the deceased. He explained that he used to be her boy friend 3 years ago before she got a new job which involved her spending periods in Holland. He said because they were spending so much time apart they decided to end the relationship.

Miss Srisawad consequently entered into a new a relationship with a Dutchman, and Mr. Geeraphapjarern himself also had a new girl friend. After this he never spoke to her again, until last month, when Miss Srisawad came back to Thailand and tried to contact him, wanting them to get back together again.

Mr. Geeraphapjarern explained that they started to have a relationship, but he noticed Miss Srisawad's attitude to be different from before. She seemed to be more stressed and hot-tempered. A week before, they had a heated quarrel when Miss Srisawad told him that her Dutch boyfriend had come back to ask her for a reconciliation. During a chat on the internet, following another argument about the Dutchman, he decided to finish with her. At that point, Miss Srisawad told him that she couldn't live without him. That was the end of their conversation and Mr. Geeraphapjarern had no idea Miss Srisawad planned to kill herself.

Miss Srisawad's sister, Mrs. Sukanya Suead [30], told police that her sister had got a new job in Holland, working 3 months there and then 3 months back in Thailand. She didn't know she had got back together with her previous Thai boyfriend.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanaphat Sukmee stated that it was assumed Miss Srisawad committed suicide because of the problems with her love life. They would be questioning Mr. Geeraphapjarern again, and investigations would continue. The deceased's body was sent to the forensic institute for autopsy.

Later, one of the deceased woman's relatives who came to take charge of the body at the forensic institution, told reporters that Miss Srisawad was normally a cheerful character, and was never stressed. She said that none of her relatives can believe that she would want to commit suicide, adding that internet users should be careful when using chat programs. They can be useful, but also a hazard at the same time.

Authorities concerned about Chat online

Police in Thailand and most countries around the world have issued warnings to all internet users but particularly to women to be vigilant and circumspect about internet usage when contacting strangers and particularly on webcam Chat services. In Thailand, the calls have come in response to a case where a Thai woman was murdered after meeting a man from Pakistan whom she had met online. It is also emerged that there are dangerous people on the internet that use emotional blackmail and manipulation to lure unsuspecting victims into positions where they are compromised. Here are two very important rules:

• Never use nudity or semi nudity online even with a Chat partner that you like or trust. All activity online can be recorded and later can be used against you. It has emerged that there are predators online that use such material to coerce chat partners male and female but also certain people who are skilled at developing emotional pretences. Never agree to do anything that you are not comfortable with. If a Chat Line user or any internet communication makes your uncomfortable, terminate it.
• Report any suspicious chat partners in confidence if you encounter any sort of manipulation or uncomfortable requests. Your report will be followed up and investigated.

Best practice for using Thai Chat Lines

Here is a series of tips to make Thai Chat work for you online. Follow all these steps and you have the best dating tool possible for finding love and relationship in Thailand and around the world:

• Make contact with as many people as possible online. You must also be patient and wait for a response and allow your dating profile to appear online more often.
• Allow one to minutes for a response from the other user who may be working on other areas of the dating site or doing something else on their computer.
• Do not invite users to give out external details online until you have established a strong relationship with the other party over a number of weeks of regular contact. This is critically important. In addition to being more secure all chat users now have a coherent record of interactions from which to pursue and effective love search.
• Ask questions about the users profile politely. But always be sensitive.
• Be friendly, polite and welcoming at all times.
• Give users a second chance to make an impression. It is surprising how many successful relationships evolve from users who have initially not hit it off because they were shy or misinterpreted the other chat partner.
• Feel free to ask for advice from your favorite Dating or Social Networking site if in doubt. Remember not to tolerate any abusive behaviour online and report any incidents in confidence. In this way you are protecting yourself and other users.

The growth of Thai Dating and expansion of Dating services such as Thai Chat Lines is a wonderful resource which can be enjoyable and rewarding when used with care and with method. With the growth in mobile devices and new technology which makes communicating with online partners more intuitive, it is a very exciting prospect.