Farangs in Rural Areas - where do you meet?

[PaDavid]

Thirteen kilometres from where I live in the Erawan Distict of Loei there is a crossroads. Two minor roads intersect the 2400 Highway between Erawan and Nong Hin. Within a 400m radius there are a few houses, but mostly properties are of a commercial nature. Three times a weeks there is a market - the largest rural one for miles around. Opposite ithe market is a large grocery store which has two concrete tables outside, each surrounded by four concrete benches. It's here that we farangs living within a 20km radius or so meet up on market days for a drink and get together. 

 

There are about a dozen of us who live within the circle on a pretty much permanent basis. But, there could be another 50 or so who come and go. Some who visit when work in their homeland, and money permit. Some who have wives with family connections in the area. I've been there when it was just me. On other occasions there can be up to twelve of us - naturally, all men. Whilst our women folk browse the market, or sit at their own table doing what Thai women do best - talking and eating - we chaps drink a few beers and chew the fat. 

 

Having a few moments to spare (!) I got to thinking what other farangs in remote, rural locations do for social intercourse. Perhaps you would like to share your experiences. 

[Boon Mee]

If moi ever sees another Farang in the Province in which I live it's at Big C or Home ? Pro. 

Very rare here. 

[dotpoom]

Your tale kinda reminds me of the Farangs sitting at the tables in Big C, Pattaya Klang.

   I live in "the sticks" myself and the reason I'm here is to mainly get away from the "socialising" scene.

   Not because I'm anti-social....but because the longer I live amoung my fellow man the less tolerance I seem to have for the degree of self-centerdness I have come to observe amoung them.

[csabo]

Why would anyone want to meet any farangs. I can't think of anything worse. I moved here to get away from them. 

[GreasyFingers]

They appear to be pretty sparse around here. Have met a 2 or 3 at the local markets or restaurants but as far as I know no one gets together. I think that maybe we are basically loners so do not seek others company. I am not anti social but am currently on Samui (lived here before) and looking forward to getting home as there is nothing but socializing here.

[Nice Boyd]

I ignore them, ask to borrow money , moaning, Forgetaboutit

[Laza 45]

I have a couple of groups of friends.. one group gets together at a nice coffee shop (it has recently been renovated).. in a local hotel.. every Thursday.. sometimes there are 3 or 4 sometimes more.. depending on who is around.. some come from villages quite far away some live near the town.. a good opportunity to catch up and solve problems like which is the best way to watch the football.. where is there a good Dr or dentist.. etc etc.. the ladies do a bit of shopping.. and eating.. of course..  not many of us go every week but it is a good way to catch up.. I like it better than going to a bar... 

 

I have another group of friends.. we sometimes get together at each other's homes for a BBQ.. party.. meal.. whatever... Sometimes we meet at a restaurant that we like (there are quite a few).. again for a meal ...an afternoon or evening out & conversation.. our ladies all come along and eat and talk ..of course..  Good friends.. good company and a nice break from the day to day routine that we all seem to create for ourselves.. and an opportunity to discuss our projects, plans & problems.. Always enjoyable.. 

[smotherb]

I think all of us need some touch with our origins at some point in time or another. I've lived as the only non-local in small villages in Vietnam and the Philippines. Out of the nine foreign countries in which I've had the choice of where to live and not been housed on a farang compound; I chose to live away from the other farangs in up-scale local neighborhoods. I found the benefits of not being in a farang ghetto were pleasant--less bickering and complaining,  more local friends and experiences, less costly existence. Still, I need some home-cooking, opinions on situations back in the world, and the comradery of jaw-jacking about things of old. Of course, having that place away from the other farangs means you can always withdraw to your home.

[simoh1490]

I meet on a one to one with people I like and know well, typically over lunch.

[Antonymous]

Making friends with people just because they aren’t Thai but live near to me has never been a fruitful endeavor for me and I don’t seek out farangs in our area. I have been made aware that there are two that live within 10kms and I have bumped into both of them once only, by chance. Exchanged pleasantries and that was it. There may be more but never seen any. And clearly if there are other farangs around here they don’t seek me out either, because none have come calling.

 

I keep in regular touch with my farang friends by email and Skype and we meet physically only once in a while locally, elsewhere in Thailand or in neighbouring countries. My closest friend (by distance) lives about 60kms from me, but I have friends all over the world who I keep in touch with. Thinking about it, in the past I don’t think I met any of my friends because of proximity as such (like a near neighbour) but rather through work and gatherings of people with shared interests.

[gamini]

1 hour ago, csabo said:

Why would anyone want to meet any farangs. I can't think of anything worse. I moved here to get away from them. 

and let's face it, all they can talk about is beer bar girls and bikes. I prefer Thai company any day.

[newatthis]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

If moi ever sees another Farang in the Province in which I live it's at Big C or Home ? Pro. 

Very rare here. 

Same here. May see them when I go shopping but don't actively seek them out. Never was one for socializing back in Oz and I'm the same here.

[Hoppyone]

13 minutes ago, gamini said:

and let's face it, all they can talk about is beer bar girls and bikes. I prefer Thai company any day.

I would too if I could understand Thai instead of sign language 555

[hkt83100]

I have been at Immigration in Korat to do my 90 days report today. I have seen about 4 or 5 "falang" there, if you are talking about westerners that is. The rest - just guessing by the mountains of passports - have been neighbors from Cambodia. So even the Immigration is no place to meet, but who cares...

Edited June 18, 2018 by hkt83100
Forgot to add location

[Laza 45]

30 minutes ago, gamini said:

and let's face it, all they can talk about is beer bar girls and bikes. I prefer Thai company any day.

..just depends who you chose to hang out with.. no chat about bar girls.. or bikes with my friends.. we drink beer mostly but always on the look out for a nice wine.. I've got a big extended Thai family that I like a lot but they aren't a lot of company for me.. I'm really not all that into getting pissed on lao khao and I don't understand a lot of Thai.. so prefer an evening out with my ferang friends.. 

[Justfine]

55 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I meet on a one to one with people I like and know well, typically over lunch.

And they pay ?

[csabo]

1 hour ago, gamini said:

and let's face it, all they can talk about is beer bar girls and bikes. I prefer Thai company any day.

You and me both brother. This country really can draw the losers of the world. 

[joebrown]

I once asked a group of school children what they thought about seeing farangs regularly sitting drinking beer together at an open fronted bar in my local village. They said it gave a bad impression and created a farang stereotype in their minds.

I rarely drank at that bar before they told me, and consequently I stopped going there.

Nowadays I travel 50km once a week to play golf with about 20 farangs at the military course in Phetchabun. (No, I never drink more than 1 beer before driving home) .

[PaDavid]

Some interesting replies. Thanks guys. Generally I am happy with my own company, but every so often it's nice to have a chat in a language I can understand and there aren't any bars, supermarkets or restaurants within an hour's drive. Perhaps I'm lucky. The guys I meet up with are, in the main, pleasant company and the conversations varied. 

 

I was here three months before I discovered the farang meeting place. Prior to that I too thought I was a rarity. 

[Justfine]

4 minutes ago, PaDavid said:

Some interesting replies. Thanks guys. Generally I am happy with my own company, but every so often it's nice to have a chat in a language I can understand and there aren't any bars, supermarkets or restaurants within an hour's drive. Perhaps I'm lucky. The guys I meet up with are, in the main, pleasant company and the conversations varied. 

 

I was here three months before I discovered the farang meeting place. Prior to that I too thought I was a rarity. 

Maybe cause it's a better area. Some areas attract the wrong type of farang.

[seajae]

actually ran into another farang this morning, it was nice to have a chat for 15 minutes or so then walk away, rarely see them around, will say hi if I do but getting together regularly for a drink etc is not in the least bit interesting to me, I am quite happy doing my own thing plus it keeps me out of all the bullsh*t that gets spread around, not interested in politics and who is screwing who

 

[connda]

Honestly, I don't know any farang within 20 km radius of me.  30 km for that matter.
If I feel a need for 'my tribe' I get in the car and drive to Chiang Mai.  And I don't often feel that need.

[Enoon]

 

There is another Westerner in my village who (although not a native english speaker) is fluent in english, intelligent, imaginative, open to ideas and lacking in extremist social/political views.

 

That'll do me fine for now.

 

 

[RickFarang]

In general, we don't meet. There was one fellow who lived in our village occasionally. We would drop by each other's houses. Unfortunately, he knew about as much English as I knew French.

[maxisrael]

I am not interested at all to meet other farangs and especial they from my home country, love to live far away from them and have a lot of friendly and helpful Thai people living near and the nearest is at least 100 meters away , and thet is my sister in law............ living in rural Chiangmai.

 

Shopping once a week or longer having a lot of land with our vegetable garden loads of fruit trees a large fish pond with tilapia if we want to eat fresh fish no hormones fed , our chicken coop for the daily fresh eggs and selling the eggs we don't need further my hydroponic setup for salad cucumber and tomatoes all grown without chemicals.

 

What do you need more drinking with foreign 'friends' not me !  

[superal]

Have a guy from a remote Thai village  who plays golf once a week with his farang friends . It is his only chance to talk in his native English tongue  or converse with anyone as the village only speak Thai and his wife pigeon English . Well he never stops talking , butts in on conversations and has an opinion about everything . Have to listen to the details of something insignificant that happens in his daily life . Lost count on the times I have told him to <deleted>  ? 555 

          He clearly misses the social contacts in his isolation .   ( You know who you are ? ) 

Now on the other hand where I live ( small town ) there are quite a few farang around and I have to say that rather than stick together many of them  squabble , back stab , gossip and run down each other down. Their wives can also make an influence by playing the jungle drums and your private events are broadcast and become distorted / exaggerated   etc . Having said that I have a small circle of friends who I can trust 100% and have known for a few years and we meet up regularly 3 or 4 times a week and sometimes daily . 

[doggie1955]

 

We have a Farang group here in Phichit, we meet every Friday at 7:30 pm at the "Nest hotel" and inside there is bar & restaurant called the "Gosse".  Our group is here to help each other and just sit and chat in English...Like we are planning a trip to Cambodia in Aug as a group to go to the casino, and some of us will take our wives and just have a good time for 3 days. You can find our group on  fb: Farang of Phichit

 

 

 

[superal]

35 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

 

We have a Farang group here in Phichit, we meet every Friday at 7:30 pm at the "Nest hotel" and inside there is bar & restaurant called the "Gosse".  Our group is here to help each other and just sit and chat in English...Like we are planning a trip to Cambodia in Aug as a group to go to the casino, and some of us will take our wives and just have a good time for 3 days. You can find our group on  fb: Farang of Phichit

 

 

 

Sounds like you have a fraternity and I reckon you all look forward to meeting up on Fridays . I would like you to expand a little on your planned Cambodia trip in August . Which border crossing ,where do you stay and have you done it   before ? .Finally what is your poison in the Casino ?      Sorry I do not do FB  

[Dick Crank]

I found myself shunning other foreigners after my first year in Thailand and also surrounding countries, esp those who looked like they hailed from my home country.

 

i'm not sure why. It got worse as time went on. By the fifth year I was actively avoiding eye contact passing on the sidewalk. With locals I was ok even with the language barrier.

 

In my home country I feel normal and fine with interaction, though I'm no social butterfly And do avoid gossip.

 

I never really understood why this developed. I think it was some sort of long term culture shock and also trying to avoid the same questions over and over that tourists seem to as like where u from? What u do? Etc etc

 

anyhows I never got over it and it bugged me for several years until I started doing more trips back to my home country USA between travels

[Radar501]

On 6/18/2018 at 10:47 AM, PaDavid said:

...our women folk browse the market, or sit at their own table doing what Thai women do best..... 

gossip