S'pore man, 43, pays S$12,000 to matchmaking agency over 3 years, but still can't find a wife

A Singaporean man, who has never been in a relationship before, claimed that he has spent about S$12,000 to get a matchmaking agency to find him a Vietnamese bride over the past three years or more, but has not married anyone yet.

He is now accusing the matchmaking agency of cheating him.

The matchmaking agency responded that it has helped to arrange for him to meet more than 20 women, and as a result, did not make much money from him.

Met first woman

The bizarre circumstances surrounding this story was reported by Shin Min Daily News.

The 43-year-old man, surnamed Wang, said he had commissioned the True Love Vietnam Bride Matchmaker in Orchard Road in 2021 to help him find a suitable Vietnamese bride to start a family.

He first met a woman, "Ah Hua" (pictured above in cover image), in Singapore, paid the S$2,000 betrothal fee, and went to Vietnam to meet the woman.

It was then that he found out that she was engaged to another man.

Wang said: "Ah Hua told me in person that she was engaged to someone else. If I wanted to marry her, I had to pay her the betrothal gift right away and hold the wedding the following month."

"Only then would she break off the engagement and marry me."

Wang, who resides in a four-room public housing flat, said he and "Ah Hua" had disagreements and their engagement eventually fell through.

Met second woman

The matchmaking agency then introduced Wang to another Vietnamese woman, "Ah Lian", at the end of 2024.

Wang alleged that the person in charge of the matchmaking agency said Wang had to pay about S$10,000 to bring Ah Lian to Singapore.

The fee was to cover the cost of introducing the pair to getting the paper work done.

"Now I have spent about S$12,000 and still haven't married anyone," Wang said.

The second woman he matched with is banned from entering Singapore for undisclosed reasons, making it impossible for him to marry her here without a hitch.

Wang can still appeal for her to enter Singapore, but it was understood that the process takes weeks.

Matchmaking agency founder responds

The 63-year-old founder of True Love Marriage Agency, Mark Lin, said in response that he had introduced more than 20 women to Wang.

"I have been in this business for 23 years. Most male customers only need to be introduced to one or two women," Lin said.

"But Wang dragged it out for so long and has seen so many women but still can't get married. Whose problem is that?"

Lin also refuted the claim that the first woman, "Ah Hua", was already engaged to someone else before.

He clarified that "Ah Hua" had met a man, but both parties failed to reach an agreement and the marriage fell through.

It was then he introduced the woman to Wang.

Lin said: "Our practice is that if both parties are interested in getting married, the betrothal money will be paid and the wedding date scheduled. It is true that Ah Hua was not engaged before she met Wang. I did not lie to him."

The agency boss also explained that it has cost S$12,000 so far for Wang to find a partner because Lin has to engage a Vietnamese agency and pay for their services in finding potential partners.

Since Wang has been matched with about 20 parties, the agency fees that Lin has to fork out on Wang's behalf was almost S$7,000 to S$8,000.

"I didn't make much money at all," Lin claimed.

Single man explains himself

Wang did not deny that he has met more than 20 people, but he pointed out that the women introduced by the matchmaking agency had issues.

As marriage was a major life event, he proceeded with caution.

"The first one told me that she was engaged to someone else before she met me, and the second one told me that she had never been to Singapore, but now she is not allowed to enter, and I don't know why," Wang said.

"I am worried that they are hiding something, and there will be many problems when we get married."

Wang also said he found out online that the process to appeal for a foreign bride to be admitted into Singapore takes at least eight weeks.

He then explained: "If I rashly register for marriage and the appeal fails in the end, won't we be separated? What's the point of getting married?"

Lin, in turn, refuted these claims and said Wang was too paranoid of others and assumed that the women were in it for the money.

He added that he had told Wang to register the marriage first to increase his chances of a successful appeal: "Because if you register, it means you want the woman to enter the country as your wife."

"But I am not the one getting married, and if he doesn't go through with the procedures, I can't do anything about it."

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News