When did you first come to Thailand?

[scorecard]

On my first visit the road from Bkk to about 20 km short of pattaya was 2 land tarmacked road (1 lane in each direction). The last approx. 20km was dirt and impassable when it rained.

 

Pattaya was a small sleepy fishing village with just a couple of simple sois and a couple of mom and pop disorganized convenience stores.  

[Mansell]

1963 based in Singapore in the R.N. Went all around the area with visits to Hong Kong, Phillipines, Ceylon, Malaysia, Japan, and Bangkok. Singapore and Bangkok were completely different places back then. I think those two places have changed more in those 56 years than they did in the previous 56 years.....staggering changes.

[Deli]

Before many of the whingers here could wipe their arse without mother's help

Edited May 21, 2019 by Deli

[Bkkjimbo]

Arrived 2pm yesterday. Unbelievable place. Taxis are great too and everyone speaks English so it's so easy

[khunPer]

1987 first time; 2001 second time and third time; lost count the following few years, commuting about 7 times a year; expat since September 2005, officially checked out of my home country 15th December 2006, and haven't regret that, so far...????

[sawadee1947]

The voting is about your first visit, not about how long you you've been here.!!!! 

[Camelot]

1964. 

Travelled overland from UK. Stayed a week and went on to Oz and NZ. Returned here for good with a dream job in 1966. Wish I had a time machine to revisit those halcyon days.

[Andrew Dwyer]

1991 ( for work ) was the first time , had to wait another 24 years till the second !!

[BritManToo]

I came for a two week holiday in 2009 to help me get through an acrimonious divorce.

Met a nice girl half my wife's age, moved in and never went back, was divorced in my absence.

 

Before the holiday, my 50yo wife screamed, "now I've stopped sleeping with you, you'll never have sex again".

Boy, was she wrong!

Edited May 21, 2019 by BritManToo

[Mister T]

Similar story, arrived on October 6 1999. My kids actually made me come to Thailand after 25 years of crap marriage and rotten divorce. Stayed a week in Jomtien and a week in Chiang mai. Went back and got rid of everything, came back. Met an amazing woman 20 years younger than me at a school dance, never looked back.

[Wilsonandson]

2002 for a holiday and returned 2003 for good. Still love Los but it has got way too expensive. Looking to move maybe to a neighbouring country where the cost of living is cheaper. Thinking China.

[chilli42]

Moved here in 1990 for work.  Bangkok was a good deal less cosmopolitan than today but I liked it a whole lot more in the early 90’s

[watcharacters]

7 hours ago, Deli said:

Before many of the whingers here could wipe their arse without mother's help

                  

[Damrongsak]

March, 1977. 

[Tarteso]

May 2.555... ????it was the future?

[CLS]

November, 1999


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[rickudon]

January 2008. Knew my marriage was ending soon, and partially a reconnaissance trip. Had already decided to look at Udon Thani first (good expat population, away from tourists and rural province). Had a stunningly good first day and ticked most of the boxes, decided i had found a new home. In less than 3 years i was living there, with a wife and baby...... still here.

 

Noticed from the poll that very few have come this decade. Yes, the shine has faded.

[avvocato]

1974 - arrived at Sattahip RTNB in July. Married a Thai in 2006 and moved here 2016. Still adjusting.

[moon0205]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 5/20/2019 at 2:34 PM, Don Mega said:

2006.

 

oh dear, i'm afraid i will one of those historic long-stayers. August 1971 shipped my household here, while staying at The Oriental (room rates from Bt 800 !). visited the office assigned to me in Phra Athit Rd. and then employed taxi drivers for about one month in search of accommodation. settled down at Embassy Place Apartment on Ploenchit - vis-a-vis the only supermarket around town (Foodland if remembered correctly). after 2 months a Peugeot 504 arrived at Klong Toey, and the first driving test was to China Town, somewhere around Yaowarat. Walking in circles perplexed and fascinated, the difference to my hometown Nuremberg couldn't be greater. so carried away I was that after 3 hours my efforts to find the way back to the car left in a soi where sadly unsuccessful. it was getting dark, I had to return by taxi. came next day, and even then it took me two hours to almost give up. a tiny police box at a corner was like rescue by the lighthouse! tried to tell my problem with hands and feet, was understood, and a young officer took me around several blocks on his motorbike, while I was still completely lost due to any landmark building recognizable by an unprepared young foreigner. all ended when he made a left turn into any unspecific soi - THERE IT WAS, parked seemingly ok, its navy blue color unrecognizable due to 2 days Chinatown dust. When this officer's head movements made it clear to me that parking here is a no-no, he at the same time saw a box of Kent cigarettes on the back seat, and he liked to point at it. gave him four packages, and never was anybody more thankful than this police man. 
could go on for hours describing all new impressions with Charoen Krung, Silom (the only Central department store!!), Narai Hotel Pizza .....

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, moon0205 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh dear, i'm afraid i will one of those historic long-stayers. August 1971 shipped my household here, while staying at The Oriental (room rates from Bt 800 !). visited the office assigned to me in Phra Athit Rd. and then employed taxi drivers for about one month in search of accommodation. settled down at Embassy Place Apartment on Ploenchit - vis-a-vis the only supermarket around town (Foodland if remembered correctly). after 2 months a Peugeot 504 arrived at Klong Toey, and the first driving test was to China Town, somewhere around Yaowarat. Walking in circles perplexed and fascinated, the difference to my hometown Nuremberg couldn't be greater. so carried away I was that after 3 hours my efforts to find the way back to the car left in a soi where sadly unsuccessful. it was getting dark, I had to return by taxi. came next day, and even then it took me two hours to almost give up. a tiny police box at a corner was like rescue by the lighthouse! tried to tell my problem with hands and feet, was understood, and a young officer took me around several blocks on his motorbike, while I was still completely lost due to any landmark building recognizable by an unprepared young foreigner. all ended when he made a left turn into any unspecific soi - THERE IT WAS, parked seemingly ok, its navy blue color unrecognizable due to 2 days Chinatown dust. When this officer's head movements made it clear to me that parking here is a no-no, he at the same time saw a box of Kent cigarettes on the back seat, and he liked to point at it. gave him four packages, and never was anybody more thankful than this police man. 
could go on for hours describing all new impressions with Charoen Krung, Silom (the only Central department store!!), Narai Hotel Pizza .....

And ?

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎5‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 7:10 PM, FruitPudding said:

Interested to see how long the average member has been here.

First came is not the same as "being" here.

I first came on a two week bus tour of Malaya and Thailand from Singapore in 1974, Stayed in Hat Yai, somewhere in between that I forget, Bkk and Chiang Mai.

In Bkk saw the big soapy massage place and went there on Xmas eve. The "masseuse" was more interested in getting done and out to the party going on for the staff, plus she had no condoms, so my 3 hour massage turned into a half hour non event.

The next time I tried a massage, I paid for an hour, and the girl ( fully clothed in a floor length skirt, and speaking no English ) washed me with a shower hose on a sort of waterproof bed. She had only reached my knees when the phone went and time was up. I didn't have enough on me for longer so I wonder to this day what might have eventuated had I had longer. 

We all went up Temple Mount, and looked out on a sea of 3 story shop houses. So different today.

One evening all "the boys" on the tour got taken to a brothel frequented by US soldiers on leave. Got to see a very boring live sex act in a sort of box, while down the corridor behind curtains the GIs were being "seen" to.

A great night out, NOT.

I never went to Patpong as the tour guide assured me that if I went there I'd be murdered. Of course it wasn't true, and I heard all about it from the other guys, that did go.

Chiang Mai was only memorable for the impossible traffic, but they had a row of stalls alongside the moat selling genuine US army equipment.

On our return to Hat Yai, a real sleazeball ( just like in the movies ) pimp brought girls for the guys that wanted one. Not the sort of guy one crossed.

Crossed the border into Malaya, and we all had to contribute to the "tea fund" for the Malayan immigration guys. Some refused and had all their souvenirs stolen off them by the imm officials. Those of us that paid kept ours.

All in all a worthwhile trip, but I never developed a burning desire to go back. In fact I had to choose between a pair of stereo speakers and a trip to Bkk, and I chose the speakers. I still have them.

I never went back for many years, and when I did, that is when I fell in love with LOS.

[moogradod]

1975. It did change my life towards being attracted to Asia forever. Went to BKK, CM and Samui.

Bangkoks tallest building was the Dusit Thani, Samui had no concrete roads around the island.

 

Stayed on Chaweng Beach for the equivalent of CHF 1.-- per night (THB 12.-- back then if I remember correctly).

Everything was extremely laid back then.

 

Married my Thai Wife 2006, moved here beginning of this year.

[geronimo]

I arrived here in 1985, which I have covered in my post "The early years"

 

BTW I am entering the POTY this year, so TV will have to find a new commentator. Even though it means I will lose my gratuities, no more discounts on the baht buses, I have decided I want POTY after my name.

[champers]

On 5/21/2019 at 2:06 PM, Deli said:

Before many of the whingers here could wipe their arse without mother's help

So long you now need someone's help to wipe your arse?

[champers]

44 minutes ago, geronimo said:

I arrived here in 1985, which I have covered in my post "The early years"

 

BTW I am entering the POTY this year, so TV will have to find a new commentator. Even though it means I will lose my gratuities, no more discounts on the baht buses, I have decided I want POTY after my name.

You have to be nominated, or do you have another account in a different name?

[geronimo]

2 minutes ago, champers said:

You have to be nominated, or do you have another account in a different name?

I'll be nominated, I have all the mods in my pocket ..... But I'd prefer to be judged on my posts.

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by geronimo

[ivor bigun]

Came to Pattaya 25 years ago,never heard of it before,met a Beer garden owner the first day and became friends ,warned me not to take any girls seriously, one night only,took his advice ,never more than one night ,such fun came back 6 weeks later ,,eventually went to BKK and got into business with a guy ,i ran the British end for years ,back and for all the time ,met my now wife, we went to live in UK but came back 13 yrs ago .

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thaibeachlovers]

12 hours ago, ivor bigun said:

Came to Pattaya 25 years ago,never heard of it before,met a Beer garden owner the first day and became friends ,warned me not to take any girls seriously, one night only,took his advice ,never more than one night ,such fun came back 6 weeks later ,,eventually went to BKK and got into business with a guy ,i ran the British end for years ,back and for all the time ,met my now wife, we went to live in UK but came back 13 yrs ago .

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Bad advice IMO. I always looked for a keeper and had her for however long I was in Thailand- she went with me to the beach or wherever. Worked more than it didn't.

My biggest regret of growing old is that while I know I had a temporary GF on my Thai trips I don't remember what we did on those holidays!

BTW, my longest "keeper" was 8 years and next longest 4 years. However, the month I spent on Railay West with a DDG lass from Playskool ( Nana Plaza ) must have been the most memorable, as I still remember some of that trip.