Thai Millionaire Puts $315,000 on the Line to Find His Daughter a Husband

Thousands of eligible bachelors are now vying for not only the daughter’s hand in marriage, but also a prize of 10 million baht ($315,000) and the opportunity to take over the farmer’s durian empire.

Arnon Rodthong, 58, has been fielding calls from potential suitors for his youngest daughter, Karnsita, around-the-clock since he posted his initial Facebook status on Saturday, AsiaOne reports.

There have been so many offers, in fact, that Rodthong — whose durian distribution business is one of the largest in Thailand — was forced to make a new Facebook post this Monday urging people to stop calling, as he was “dying” from having to attend to all the applications.

“Stop calling me, I haven’t had time to rest,” Rodthong wrote, as translated by Asia One.

“Over 10,000 men have applied to be my son-in-law,” he added.

Rather than continue with the fruitless task of screening candidates through the phone, Rodthong has now decided to host a mass tryout that will begin on April 1.

“Let’s all meet on April 1,” he said in the Facebook post. “Pack all your clothes and necessities, and be prepared to stay and work in my durian plantation for three months.”

While the details of the trials remain a mystery, Rodthong has made it quite clear what he expects from a potential suitor. In the now-deleted Facebook post from Saturday, the father of four noted that the perfect son-in-law need not be rich or well-educated (“No need to show me your university degrees,” he wrote) — just hard-working, thrifty, and eager to learn about the durian industry. The successful candidate will also not smoke or gamble.

According to local outlet Khaosod English, Rodthong is looking for a reliable protégé to carry on his business alongside his daughter, who also works under him. Acknowledging that he is getting older while work is increasing, he said, “If I wait for a son-in-law to come here and ask [to marry her], it will be too slow, so I’m asking for one right now.”

Karnsita, who is a graduate of Bangkok’s Assumption University and also holds a Chinese-language diploma from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, admitted to initially being surprised at her father’s announcement, but is now assured that he means well for her. She also told reporters that the final decision on who she will marry will rest with her.

When asked about her preferences in a partner, Karnsita noted that she wasn’t too fussy about looks.