In a city of over 10 million people, I seem to meet people I know more often than I should.  Generally it's not me recognising them, it's them recognising me, I guess being a farang there are fewer of us so we stand out more to the Thais.  But weirder still, three of them I've never met.  They've recognised me from apps and Line.  It happened today on Silom Road.  I squirted her in the face.

 

Anybody else get this?  I've read a few stories of people meeting friends from their home country, in Thailand.  That's never happened to me.

It's very normal actually, happened to me many times in Bkk, a few times in Delhi many years ago, and i was just visiting for 1 or 2 days.

I think there are areas, in any big city, where most visitors go.

Khao San Road in Bkk is a classic. It seems that half the world is there.

 

The only place where it's possible to meet friends from home would be kao sarn road...everybody goes there and thinks it is real Bangkok.

It’s happened to me twice, I bumped into a guy who used to work for me in the UK as we were getting getting off a BTS train at Asoke, he’d lived here for a year, but ten years later he moved back to the UK a couple of months ago.

Then a couple of years later I was walking near Thonglor BTS when I turned a corner and bumped into my old boss from the UK, same organisation, he was visiting his son who works here, we usually meet up when he visits.

 

 

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Having lived here 20 years... My Wife having been schooled here and lived here all her life, we always meet people when out and about in Bangkok. It would be a very rare occasion that we go to some shopping mall, some restaurant or some fun event and not bump into someone one of us knows.

 

I also once bumped into an old school friend from the UK in Khoa Sarn road - Not close enough to keep in touch and the days before Facebook.... I recognized her...  we ended up having a laugh and spending a few days together.

 

I've bumped into ex-work colleagues at airports.

 

Whenever overseas my Wife will invariably bump into someone she knows...  At Suvarnabumi airport or simply walking down the high street in Japan etc...  

 

It really is incredible just how small the world is.

I experienced quite the opposite.

When i stayed in BKK i dated probably hundreds of girls there, but i hardly ever met somebody again randomly (I don't go to Khao San, but to places like Terminal 21, Siam, and so on).

I randomly ran into somebody i know not more than 5 times.

I met an old friend from school , last time I saw him was 30 years ago. Inside Burger King of all places.

16 hours ago, theoldgit said:

It’s happened to me twice, I bumped into a guy who used to work for me in the UK as we were getting getting off a BTS train at Asoke, he’d lived here for a year, but ten years later he moved back to the UK a couple of months ago.

Then a couple of years later I was walking near Thonglor BTS when I turned a corner and bumped into my old boss from the UK, same organisation, he was visiting his son who works here, we usually meet up when he visits.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Happened to me on a handful of occasions, and always seems to be on or very close to the BTS too. 

I meet Jim Morrison once and other guy name 'prince.'

I don’t know many people on purpose.I have A few friends.So chances of it happening would be slim.

I once bumped into someone in Terminal 21 who lives in my Jomtien condo. He was there just for the day, just like me. Neither of us goes to Bangkok at all often.

And a couple of years ago I found myself in business class on a plane from BKK to LHR, sitting right next to the man who lives directly opposite me in my condo building. That was just plain spooky. Neither of us goes to the UK more than once a year, and he generally only goes every few years. The odds of both of us being on that flight on that day and on that particular airline (which doesnt even fly direct) must have been very low.

Rivetting!

Do you remember me?????

Actually people see me, but pretend they haven't.

"I squirted her in the face" Saves the bedsheets I suppose.

It's happened to me several times. Twice in Bangkok, once in Gothenburg, once at LA airport, once in a restaurant in Newport Rhode Island and three times in London.

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Rivetting!

But here you are reading the thread and taking the time to comment. 

1 hour ago, UnkleMoooose said:

"I squirted her in the face" Saves the bedsheets I suppose.

no wonder she remembers :-(

Several years ago, I was sitting in Nana Plaza one afternoon having a cold one. I guy walks up and greets me by name and says he has my briefcase. I had no idea who he was, but he filled me in. It seems ten years before that I had left Iran and gave my briefcase to a friend saying, we will meet up some day and I will get it back. The man who walked up to me in Nana Plaza was not my friend, but someone else who my friend knew was going to Thailand and had given him my briefcase. Neither man knew how to contact me, except that I may be in Thailand. Small world eh, but it gets even smaller. The man with my briefcase had arrived in Thailand about six weeks before he met me and his household goods, which held my briefcase, were delivered to him just the day before.

On 4/16/2018 at 4:12 AM, Thian said:

The only place where it's possible to meet friends from home would be kao sarn road...everybody goes there and thinks it is real Bangkok.

It is as real as the Chao Praya river.

other places where you can meet old friends are, of course Bars, Malls, Open Markets, Temples, etc.. all places where lots of people go.

I like to take the Bus-boat on the river in Bkk, years ago, on the boat, i met an old school mate of my teens, which i was not seeing for years.

 

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

I once bumped into someone in Terminal 21 who lives in my Jomtien condo. He was there just for the day, just like me. Neither of us goes to Bangkok at all often.

And a couple of years ago I found myself in business class on a plane from BKK to LHR, sitting right next to the man who lives directly opposite me in my condo building. That was just plain spooky. Neither of us goes to the UK more than once a year, and he generally only goes every few years. The odds of both of us being on that flight on that day and on that particular airline (which doesnt even fly direct) must have been very low.

Had a similar incident on a flight to Munich. I had arranged to be picked up at the airport by a friend who was coming to meet his girl friend. She was arriving in Munich within the same hour on a different airline. As I settled into my seat, a girl seated in the row in front of me turned around--it was his girlfriend, she had changed her flight.

Only one person, and that was twice although a few years apart.

6 hours ago, Don Chance said:

I meet Jim Morrison once and other guy name 'prince.'

Prince Charles??

1 hour ago, mauGR1 said:

It is as real as the Chao Praya river.

 

Can you name me another neighbourhood of BKK which is like kao sarn road? I bet you can't, i haven't seen it in 20 years.

 

Kao sarn road is not like the rest of BKK at all, it's nice though but very different than the rest of the city...most tourists staying there have never been in the subs.

1 minute ago, Thian said:

Can you name me another neighbourhood of BKK which is like kao sarn road? I bet you can't, i haven't seen it in 20 years.

 

Kao sarn road is not like the rest of BKK at all, it's nice though but very different than the rest of the city...most tourists staying there have never been in the subs.

I completely agree with you, and honestly KSR is not my favourite hanging spot, i prefer other neighbourhood like Pahurat or Yaowarat..

But surely i find some enjoyment by seeing some very contrasting scenaries in bkk..

Probably the only big city in the world where i would like to live.

Bumping into Chinese tour groups is like bumpa cars.

9 hours ago, Don Chance said:

I meet Jim Morrison once and other guy name 'prince.'

I met Ali G once in Mcdonalds.

Bump into my wife regularly; turns out she lives in the same block as me.

4 hours ago, Acemaker said:

I met Ali G once in Mcdonalds.

What about Bruno?

Happened to me in CM the other month with an old Samui friend.

 

Always a pleasure to meet old friends unexpectedly!