To create further confusion...

Sin sod is not always payable. You may find a girl (more likely woman for this senario) where some westernisation has happened within the family structure. I say woman as from my experiences, generally once a woman is getting into her late 30's, whether she has been married or not, Thai's consider her no longer desirable as a marriage partner.

I still remember when I first met my partner. One of her girl friends spoke very good English curtesy of a long term relationship with an American doctor. I started asking her many questions about marriage expectations, and she gave me the best advice...it was always ask your partner, she is the one you wish to have a relationship with and is the one who is best to resolve the issue with. The wisdom of her comment was it gave my partner and I time (time is the greatest piece of advice you will receive from the old hands) to learn to communicate with each other by learning each others language and culture before making serious committements. Once we had learnt about each other when the issue came up of sin sod it came as no real suprise that for me it was not required.
The difference for me I guess was that I married into a middle class thai family that was full of educated people (a lot of teachers, medium size company owners etc). Most spoke not only thai and lao-issan but also quite a few spoke good English. They enjoyed farang culture and had a good grasp of farang relationships. I was the first farang into the family circle but many of the others had married on farang principles of love first not life time money expectation. The same thinking extends out into most of my partners single girl friends.
The other thing that was different within this family and friends is that if sin sod is considered then the family do not get involved in the discussion what so ever. That is done between the two intending partners and is usually only sufficent for an extremely big wedding bash.

The key is take your time, learn about each other, state your objectives and expectations honestly so that your intended partner knows what the short and long term scenario is going to be. At the end of the day, let your head rule (the one on top of your shoulders), as you are better to move on from a possible relationship where the honest expectations are not going to be met.

Some very solid advise within the last four post.

Roadman, I am so glad you put in yours to take time and discuss expectations. It really seems to be one thing that keeps popping up time and time again and that is TIME. Why oh Why do we forget that time is on our side. I guess as falangs we are in a hurry but this is Thailand and have never met anyone who has been to Thailand that won't say "There is time and then Thai time". Move the relationship in Thai time or government time and all will work better. Most whirl wind romances don't work in any country.

Not sure if this is cowboy logic or Thai logic. "What is meant to be will be".