Why Does a Thai Woman Cut Off Her Husband’s Penis
Regular visitors to Thailand will have heard horror stories of Thai women cutting off their husband’s penises and wondered if it’s really true. Thailand expats will have heard of these ‘marital mutilations’ and know the stories are unquestionably ‘bona’ fide. So why does a Thai woman cut off her husband’s penis?…. the reason is one of the world’s most practised pursuits…. extramarital relations…. adultery.
Stories about Thai women performing penile amputations whilst their husband’s sleep are not common occurrences in Thailand but Thai wives and penis slashings do make headlines occasionally, some are ‘big’ news, and some small. The story of a 40-year-old Pattaya woman made big news back in December 2010, only on this occasion the chop was administered by ‘chops’ when the woman bit off more than she could chew. The Thai lady bit off her estranged husband’s penis and then stabbed him to death. Photo right by Sudheendra Kadri | Dreamstime.com
There’s a Thai saying, ‘I better get home or the ducks will have something to eat’ which explains why Thai wives sometimes take a knife to the bedroom, and is also a reminder to every expat and tourist Tom that they’re better off home alone with Dick and not getting too pally with Mali the barmaid.
Nowadays more and more Thai houses are brick-built but back in the 1970’s when penile amputation was all the ‘rage’, wooden houses on stilts were much more commonly seen. And beneath the main living quarters chickens, ducks and pigs were sometimes kept.
A Thai wife, upon discovering her husband had a mia noi (secondary wife) and the affair had become public news would sometimes resort to chopping off her husband’s penis while he slept, and then throw it out the top window to the livestock waiting below. Often the ‘cock-a-hoop’ ducks would get there first and fight over the prized Cumberland or more common cocktail sausage. To the humiliated Thai wife revenge and respect has been regained with no hope of penis-reattachment surgery for their mutilated husband. The saying ‘I better get home or the ducks will have something to eat’ is often used by Thai men as a jokey aside meaning the person had better get home sooner than later or else their wife might think they’re with another woman.
An article published in the Journal of Urology in 2008 titled ‘The Epidemic of Penile Amputation in Thailand in the 1970s’, included this extract from Drs Genoa Ferguson and Steven Brandes of Washington University in St Louis;
“Women publicly encouraging and inciting other scorned women to commit this act worsened the epidemic. The vast majority of worldwide reports of penile replantation, to this day, are a result of what became a trendy form of retribution in a country in which fidelity is a strongly appreciated value.”
If you’re planning to marry your Thai girl and live in Thailand I will best suggest you keep rubber ducks, plastic pigs and rip the coq au vin page out of your wife’s poultry recipe book. Either that, or keep your own meat in its cupboard.
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Martyn, Well written article. What on earth made you pen this topic ?
How – I’ve heard the stories over the years and the topic popped up in a newspaper story last week. I think it’s a fascinating subject though best viewed from afar.
Hi Martyn, I keep reading these stories but I’ve never met anyone who has even remotely experienced it (friend of a friend of a friend’s friend). I do know an awful lot of women who’ve threatened to though. Thai and western. So it does make me wonder how many snips weren’t carried out but came close.
Catherine – According the the report I read the ‘snip’ was all the rage in the 70’s. The link in the post is another incident that happened in Pattaya nearly two years ago. It does go on but not enough to get personal wind of it…. not that I’d want to.
Hi Martyn,
I heard these stories to and seen a few Thai photos showing the severed parts, sadly most the men lost more than their manhood.. its a pretty grim thought to lost your life or your penis over a few moments of lust… humans are inherrently jealous and protective of their mate, soone should think more before they engage in extra-marital affairs. like you said keep your meat in your cupboard..
I have a beautiful Thai wife I plan to live in Thailand in a few years too.
May be we could get together some time for a chat, I am living in Wiltshire, just down the road from Swindon then we could exchange more stories
Ken – It’s a very gruesome thought but then again what goes through the Thai lady’s mind thinking about what her other half is up to isn’t too good either. However, in my opinion the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
I’ll email you but any chat may have to wait until the New Year when I’ll be returning from Thailand.
I agree the punishment does not it the crime, but guys need to remember that Thai girls are very jealous and possessive, this is also evident in your blogs on bar girls and going from girl to girl at the same bar night after night. I seem to remember reading something about shaped finger nails …. I have never done the bar girl scene, but I am aware of it and know a few who have, its pretty much the girls who nearly always come out on top and if any guy thinks he is smarter than these girl where money is concerned then they need to think again, I have seen a big guy get the shit kicked out of him by a small group bar girls because he refused to paid what was agreed.. well this could go on for some time.. so I will stop here.
Enjoy your trip and look forward to hearing some stories of your adventures..
Ken – Believe me, messing a bar girl about isn’t the cleverest thing to do. Many would probably take it on the chin but some won’t, and then there’s only going to be one winner. Your comment is spot on.
Bar girls aside, I believe you guys are missing something here. Thai men don’t like ‘leftovers’ so if the marriage breaks down due to another woman, it’s the Thai wife who loses everything, forever. Well, unless she’s willing to share her husband (and who wants that?) or divorce and take up with foreigners (and not all want what that entails either).
While the Thai hubby is free to take another wife, she loses her status in Thai society. There’s a severe loss of face with friends and family, and her financial security (be what it may) is no more.
Status is everything in Thailand, so to many Thai women, the punishment does indeed fit the crime.
Catherine – I do think Thailand being a ‘man’s world’ is extremely outdated and can sympathize with the wives who through no fault of their own get sh*t on and lose their status in society. It’s terrible, but it does seem a rather severe punishment to dish out. Then again, losing face is also a massive thing in Thailand. Don’t get me wrong, I have no pity for any husband who cheats on his wife but I just think losing ones crown jewels is a bit too cruel a blow.
Catherine, I do understand your point but it still does not warrant a man’s life.. besides if a woman’s future is so finely balanced in thai culture and I appreciate what you say is true. Then answer me this based on your point that they loss everything forever, then why do other women not respect another women’s marriage, knowing that she will lose face and her future security is at risk, surely then know that what goes around comes around… I know many men are like dogs sniffing around and I don’t condone it, but some women are selfish and only consider what they want regardless if it recks a marriage and another ladies life.. remember it take 2 to tango.. so I still beg to differ on the punishment.. but I do have sympathy for the ladies who lose their man to another lady.. you also have to remember that a lot of men think with their dicks and not their brains when it comes to women.. as sad as it is, its true.. and most women know this too. Many mothers tell their daughters ‘ if you want it go for it’ so is this not encouraging them to get what they want even if its the man of another woman, they use their charms too, because they know men are generally weak where women are concerned. . well enough said for now.
Ken, first off, the man (usually) still lives. But in in a reduced capacity. And as cutting off male bits happens so often in Thailand, doctors have become quite talented at sewing bits sewn back on.
Ok, maybe their man bit would be a bit shorter, but, it’s the chance you guys take, right? And maybe after two or three times of getting your bits trimmed you’d take to explaining,”it’s what we do with it, not how big it is”.
Couldn’t resist…
In every culture/society, there are men and there are men – ditto for women.
I’m not Thai. But what is known is that Thai (Asian) women have a penchant for cutting off their man’s precious body parts and western women don’t. So the truth you are looking for just might be found in the differences between the two cultures (but being unconcerned about hurting the person you are dating or are married to holds to no cultural boundary).
In the west it’s not unheard of for women to harm men who play around (or vice versa). Unlike in Thailand, getting a divorce isn’t as dire so (guessing) in the west it’s more of a, “how close am I to a loaded gun” issue. Either way, men playing around can be dangerous (ditto on the vice versa).
I don’t know about your comment about mothers… sounds like a class issue (and I’m not talking how much money someone has at their disposal).
Martyn, you are a guy so of course you are looking at this from a different point of view.
Men in Thailand can walk from a relationship, leaving the woman they swore to love to a life of … yeah. And yeah, I’d be pissed off too.
I have a fiery temper and I’ve been married to a guy who played around. Cutting off bits never occurred to me as a choice. But, I did had my guns dismantled by friends worried about the outcome. Different strokes for different nationalities.
Societies have different ways of dealing with problems such as these. If you chose to live in Thailand, there you go.
But… have you ever heard of a westerner getting his bits removed? I haven’t. Not that it doesn’t exist, mind you.
Catherine – I’ve never heard of a westerner having his bits removed, though I’m sure there’s plenty of them who could fill the crime sheet. You are right, different societies have different ways of handling things and if someone is going to live in Thailand then know the rules. It’s just that…. thinking about the punishment…. makes my eyes water.