I need some third-party opinions. I’m a Swiss guy currently in Cambodia. I came here on holiday and met a girl at a restaurant in Siem Reap. We talked for a bit and she offered to show me around the area. We hung out together for a week, during which we also hooked up. It was a great week. Then she invited me to stay with her at her family’s house. I accepted because I thought, why not? I’ve been here for three weeks now and had my visa extended by 30 days. I work remotely, so I’m able to support myself financially. My parents hate me being here because they think I’m being taken advantage of financially. For example, they were upset when I told them I bought some things for the house to make my stay more comfortable. Personally, I don’t feel like I’m being taken advantage of.
May I ask how much that cost you? You say things are cheap there so if it’s in the range of what you would have otherwise paid for a hotel or for your general cost of living at home, it sounds more like a mutually beneficial situation. You get to extend your vacation for relatively cheap and they get to keep what you’ve bought when you leave.
Just make sure to keep an eye on the situation. People can get used to your generosity and you don’t know how their disappointment will manifest when you eventually decide to leave. They might just be grateful for what you gave them, but they might also ask you to stay for longer than you’re comfortable with, they might ask you to buy them more stuff before you leave or they might ask you to take the girl home with you. Not even out of greed or any bad feelings but just because what you gave them feels nice and wanting more of that is just natural.
As long as you set limits for yourself (important edit: and communicate those limits) and are prepared to leave within the hour if they don’t respect those, I see no harm. Best case, you have made new friends that you stay in contact with and can visit some time in the future. Worst case you have to leave in the middle of the night and never see them again.