Making friends in Thailand

[James Randall Gape]

I am thinking of moving there for a while. I am a U.S. Citizen, I speak English and no Thai at all. Is it easy to make friends there?

[Mac Mickmanus]

It is quite easy, I just walked around asking random people whether they wanted to be friends and I made about three friends everyday

[BananaStrong]

You will (a) end up HATING foreigners after you hear their horrible stories and (b) never want friends again in your life.

 

This is a place for loners hiding in Pattaya or in ChiangMai telling others they are a famous influencer while NOT wanting to share their experiences.

 

Zero foreign friends, but plenty of Thai girl "friends"....... as long as the money lasts

[TorquayFan]

JRG - whereabouts do you expect to go? Phuket area may prove expensive and Pattaya is full on - maybe somewhere a bit quieter such as Cha am or Jomtien would be good? Depends on what you are looking for . . . .

 

If you make friends easily in the US then I'd guess you'll be OK here. But have a good look around. Good luck.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, James Randall Gape said:

Is it easy to make friends there?

It's very easy to make friends with western foreigners here.

Join a hiking or cycling club.

Sit in an expat bar, play pool.

I've made some really great friends here in Chiang Mai.

 

 

[The Old Bull]

If you drink beer you will have lots of expat friends, if you want to stay in a village you will have to drink Lao Khaw to have lots of Thai friends.

[zzaa09]

3 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

If you drink beer you will have lots of expat friends, if you want to stay in a village you will have to drink Lao Khaw to have lots of Thai friends.

Ya Dong tends to be the elixir of choice. 

[warrima]

You will need to get your story right. Your days of being a retired plumber or carpenter are over. Now you're an Ex Top Gun Pilot or Brain Surgeon to Royalty. 

[Danile]

Hi, I recently moved to Thailand, can you advise expat chats on whatsapp or fb messenger, thanks

[Selena]

Yes. Thais are naturally friendly. I'm sure you'll love staying there. ????

[richard_smith237]

Good people meet good people....   Its that simple and the rules of social engagement here are the same as anywhere else (within reason). 

 

Thus, allowing meetings to occur naturally is the way to go.. as is joining clubs & groups of things that interest you. 

 

There are of course utter t!ts here.... they are easily spotted and avoided.... 

 

So advice: Don’t worry to much about it... relax, chill out, enjoy being you and you’ll make acquaintances, some of whom will naturally turn into friends. 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Good people meet good people....

Where does the OP claim to be 'good people"?

I'm 'not all that nice' people.

[n00dle]

On 2/20/2023 at 6:35 AM, BananaStrong said:

You will (a) end up HATING foreigners after you hear their horrible stories and (b) never want friends again in your life.

 

This is a place for loners hiding in Pattaya or in ChiangMai telling others they are a famous influencer while NOT wanting to share their experiences.

 

Zero foreign friends, but plenty of Thai girl "friends"....... as long as the money lasts

An attempt at humour with a dark underbelly

[1FinickyOne]

I think where you settle in Thailand and what you are looking for, what you like to do, will make a difference...

 

The language can be challenging but it is very rewarding to be able to speak and not as difficult for many of us as it might seem. Thai people are quite open and love a foreigner that can engage in friendly conversation, especially so in their language... of ocurse you can learn more, but just one word a day will put you miles ahead of most foreigners by the end of a year.

[sidneybear]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:06 PM, 1FinickyOne said:

I think where you settle in Thailand and what you are looking for, what you like to do, will make a difference...

 

The language can be challenging but it is very rewarding to be able to speak and not as difficult for many of us as it might seem. Thai people are quite open and love a foreigner that can engage in friendly conversation, especially so in their language... of ocurse you can learn more, but just one word a day will put you miles ahead of most foreigners by the end of a year.

Working in Thailand is a great way to find friends, as is joining clubs and societies. It's no different from anywhere else. 

 

[Pjay]

As a single male and an old male at that I made friends with 2 blokes I was sitting next to on the plane one of the guys was Japanese and worked in Bangkok the other another Australian who was working whilst travelling. In a previous visit I was in thailand I made friends with 2 Americans who showed me all around the city including the more seeded side which was a bit of an eye opener. I visited Kanchanaburi and western people were everywhere and just happy to chat and tell you information about the local area. so easy to meet with people. Never ever did I feel alone.

[bignok]

I avoid westerners. Just not worth it.