Are men in this country really "the front legs" or "the back legs?"

[Guest]

Thais have a saying about the four legs of an elephant... The men are considered to be the front legs (the leaders) and the women are supposed to be the back legs (the followers). How true do you think this saying is for the male-female relationship in Thailand?

Are men really the front legs?

I think that in many ways women (from lower and middle class families) tend to be the leaders in the relationships; they just let the men think they are the leaders by giving them a tad longer leash then most Western husbands are allowed to have. Many Thai husbands I know usually give all or most of their paychecks to their wives. The wives tend to make decision regarding the kids, the house, who they will visit on the weekend, etc. But for upper class families where the husband is the bigtime bread winner, he tends to be the one in charge.

What do the rest of you think? Who are the real leaders in relationships here? Are you the front legs in your relationship or the back legs?

I might like to think I am the front legs in my marriage, but damn the back legs keep kicking me and sometimes refuse to follow!!!