Bangkok - Foreign husbands of women from Thailand's Buriram province are pumping 230 million baht (6.7 million dollars) into the local economy each year in remittances and spending, a recent survey of the income-generation of mixed marriages revealed Friday.

According to a survey of 967 mixed marriages registered in Buriram province, 300 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, foreign husbands have proved good providers for the local economy, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.

Statistics expert Saijit Klutanont estimated that 66 per cent of Buriram women married to foreigners had moved overseas and remitted between 10,000 to 20,000 baht (294 to 588 dollars) back to their families each month.

The remaining 329 couples lived in Buriram, where much of the foreigners' monthly incomes of 50,000 to 80,000 baht was pumped into the local economy.

Most of the foreign husbands were British, followed by Germans, French and Italians, and the majority were aged 51 to 60, the survey found.

Most of the women cited "a better life and financial security" as their main reason for marrying a foreigner.

Buriram is one of Thailand's less prosperous provinces. There are no national statistics available on the total number of mixed marriages in Thailand and their overall contribution to the gross national product. (dpa)