Expat Clubs -Why don't you go?

[Prubangboy]

I have steadfastly dodged popping in to the expat society (or whatever it is) in Chiang Mai for 18 straight months. Even with the tantalizing offer of a discount buffet.

 

It's down to sheer, ignorant predjudice on my part that they're going to be stiffs and do-nothings -based on nothing.

 

Do you share my view? Based on what?

 

Have you ever attended such a meeting? How wrong am I?

 

 

[flyingtlger]

7 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

It's down to sheer, ignorant predjudice on my part that they're going to be stiffs and do-nothings -based on nothing.

It sounds like you've already made up your mind....

[CharlieH]

Good to see someone with such a positive outlook and open mind and not pre-judging people and places. 

 

Are you not kind of in one right here ?

[sirineou]

12 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

Do you share my view? Based on what?

I did, until I learned about the discount buffet. 

How much of a discount are we talking about?  

[fondue zoo]

12 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

a discount buffet

 

You had me at "a discount buffet".

 

Sure I'm a stiff, and it's true I do enjoy a bout of extreme "do nothing".  But discounted buffets.. come on.

 

[Prubangboy]

20 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

 

 

It's down to sheer, ignorant predjudice

 

 

 

You're gamely fighting a fight I already won against myself.

 

What are people's (who've been or never been) perceptions of these clubs?

 

 Is it OK to have a broad opinion of something without extensive, first hand knowledge?

 

If I went to the buffet would that sole appearance fully legitimize my thoughts, or would I need to do a tour, including Roi Et?

[ikke1959]

WE have been a member of an expat club too, but we quit this year after 3 years membership. Reason is simple.. but too far from our home and the activities are more for the elite class than for common people. Besides that as we have drive 60 km to the activity and 60 km back in the dark I can't drink alcohol as in Thailand you never know what to expect on the road and as a foreigner with alcohol there are more problems.. So for us it has no value...Although we liked it somehow, but because we were almost never at the activities, we didn't get to know a lot of people and so we felt a bit lonely..Anyway we will see... living in our place is good too I don't need expats

[Prubangboy]

I think the buffet is 200 baht. But BritmanToo goes to a German buffet for that amount. So is that really a discount?

 

Partic if it's a watermelon/overripe pineapple/hard cantaloupe fruit selection as per a usual discount hotel buffet?

[fondue zoo]

 

Make up an outrageous but plausible back story/history, to tell other expats. 

 

[JimTripper]

Most people don't need the club. They are at foreigner bars, eateries and such every day where there are other expats around.

 

I had a neighbor who ate at the same foreigner type restaurant practically every day where the food was overpriced, Ok, but not great.

 

It was more about hanging out with similar people then the food or drink. At first it seemed dumb to me that he was always there with so many local thai eateries nearby (which I always ate at) until I caught on to what was really going on.

[simon43]

I didn't move halfway around the world to mix with other expats - in general, I have found expats in Thailand to be either bad, mad or a mixture of both!

[Prubangboy]

In Chiang Mai, they have something even stupider, called The Algonquin Club. Surely, only Gammaglobule alone here will know that the Algonquin club was a fabled round table of wits, from which the phrase, "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" emerged. 

 

You have to be invited to join. I got an invite. I looked at their website. They had a lecture from a guy calling himself "the bad boy of finance", so basically blowhard-central. The person who recco'd me (my estate agent) said it was about a thou a year to be part of the magic.  You can google it yourself to laugh at it. 

[SAFETY FIRST]

39 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

Expat Clubs -Why don't you go? 

Many years ago I became a member (life) of Pattaya Expats Club, I went for a while, probably because I was bored and wanted to learn more about my neighborhood. 

 

We are lucky these days social media, forums like Asean Now where we can ask questions, so many knowledgeable members. 

 

I'd say some expats are bored only trolling on forums annoying others, these are the guys that attend. 

 

[Gottfrid]

29 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

I have steadfastly dodged popping in to the expat society (or whatever it is) in Chiang Mai for 18 straight months. Even with the tantalizing offer of a discount buffet.

 

It's down to sheer, ignorant predjudice on my part that they're going to be stiffs and do-nothings -based on nothing.

 

Do you share my view? Based on what?

 

Have you ever attended such a meeting? How wrong am I?

 

 

No, you are not wrong at all. In fact the opposite, as you are as right as one can be. You are a member on this forum, and then already have experience. You know it´s not prejudice or ignorance. Everyday we get first hand experience by reading about how much most members see all as wrong in Thailand, and how much problems they have understanding and accepting the people of the country where they chose to relocate.

I totally share your view, and I have not moved to another country to engage in communities of people that I moved away from. There are plenty of good Thai´s that have much to offer and are able to have great conversations as well as a lot of fun. What is the fun in meeting all the grumpy and sad as well as lost people you read from everyday?

Yes, I have attended. Actually gave it 2 chances as I though I might have been wrong. I wasn´t! So, now it will never happen again. It´s enough to 1 time a year stand the New Year dinner buffet, that usually is full of clueless foreigners in a country they say they love but don´t understand.

18 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Good to see someone with such a positive outlook and open mind and not pre-judging people and places. 

 

Are you not kind of in one right here ?

It´s not pre-judging. We get the unhealthy dose of foreign intelligence and believes every single day on this forum.

[SAFETY FIRST]

17 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I have found expats in Thailand to be either bad, mad or a mixture of both!

Sadly most these days. 

[stoner]

24 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

and the activities are more for the elite class than for common people.

 

what kind of activities we talking about ? 

[jerrymahoney]

Expat Clubs -Why don't you go?

 

It's full of expats.

[huangnon]

It's healthy (imo) to socialize with other people from your own culture and share interests, make friends, play sports, exchange info, etc. Not sure I'd personally want to join up to any dedicated "club" to do this right now, but maybe when I retire in a couple of years..

[JonnyF]

37 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Are you not kind of in one right here ?

 

Are you not kind of proving his point?

[TheAppletons]

I'm a lifetime member of the Chiang Mai Expat Club.

 

I used to go to the twice monthly breakfasts (when they were at the River Market) to socialize with others who I knew would be there.  

 

I stopped going for two reasons:  (1) the people with whom I enjoyed socializing are no longer here; and (2) the breakfast time conflicts with the time I now frequent the gym.  

 

 

[Prubangboy]

14 minutes ago, TheAppletons said:

I'm a lifetime member of the Chiang Mai Expat Club.

 

 

 

 

What happens at the meetings and would it be of interest for a first time visitor? What's the nationality mix?

[TheAppletons]

Just now, Prubangboy said:

What happens at the meetings and would it be of interest for a first time visitor? What's the nationality mix?

 

  In Chiang Mai there are meetings (monthly, I believe) and there are breakfasts (twice monthly.)

 

  The meetings are where club business is discussed (finances, events, guest speakers, etc.)  It's a more structured event than the breakfasts and - personally speaking - I can't imagine it would be of interest for a first time visitor unless you were planning to be a participating member long term.

 

  The breakfasts are purely social so you show up, check-in, pay, then head for the buffet line.  Take your plate, choose a group of people with whom to sit, eat and discuss whatever comes up.  Pretty casual and this is where I would suggest one begin as a new visitor.

 

  Nationality mix: Americans, Western Europeans, Australians, Japanese mostly.

 

  (Disclaimer: I haven't attended in about five years.  What I have described above may not be accurate today.)

 

  

[OneMoreFarang]

I guess it might be interesting for someone who is new in town.

 

It seems to me that some people love their role to tell everybody else how much they know and how things work and all that. Lots of YouTubers are like that and I am sure there will be people like that in local clubs.

I try to avoid them, because often they think they know a lot more than they actually do.

 

Personally, if I want advice, I ask people who I know already and who I know are not just people who talk a lot without knowing what they talk about. Many of us know many people who know many people. Personal advice from someone recommended is always the best. 

[retarius]

I agree with the OP. Pretty much every expat I've met was either an astronaut, starred in a movie with Tom Cruise, was a star footballer with Millwall, was a successful entrepreneur and business man controlling the lives of thousands of employees, was almost was recruited into the Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 1960, or won a solo around the world rowing race in 1967, or was in some other way totally wonderful before he came here where he turned into a drunken fat slob. 

[OneMoreFarang]

I think this forum often show how to do and how not to do it.

 

Ask a reasonable question and you will get answers. Some good, some not so good, but mostly there is good advice in there.

 

And then there are the new posts like: Let me show you how to do this or that. Or Mr X in Thailand or something like that. Mostly useless. 

[DavidAlexander]

They have the breakfast buffet at Duke's twice a month now I believe. Went six years ago in the first month or two of living here and met a guy and his Thai wife I've been good friends with ever since. You never know....

[jerrymahoney]

When I first moved to Thailand 20 years ago I used to run into both expats and Thais who figured I had money to invest.

 

My standard line was: What you say may be a good deal for me.  But the only thing  certain is that it would be a better deal for you.

[worgeordie]

Are they still the haunt of "Financial advisors " , like the club in Chiang Mai ,

where one such man scammed several people then buggered off to the UK

to ply his trade, and the guy selling shares in Racehorses ,the biggest problem

attending those clubs is to know who to trust ......

 

regards worgeordie

[tmd5855]

34 minutes ago, retarius said:

I agree with the OP. Pretty much every expat I've met was either an astronaut, starred in a movie with Tom Cruise, was a star footballer with Millwall, was a successful entrepreneur and business man controlling the lives of thousands of employees, was almost was recruited into the Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 1960, or won a solo around the world rowing race in 1967, or was in some other way totally wonderful before he came here where he turned into a drunken fat slob. 

Met an old American in Korat, drunk or extremely tired and emotional.  Said he were an ex-mercenary started off in Rhodesia ending up a door gunner on the shuttle Atlantis during the 'Moon Wars'. 

 

 

[roo860]

1 hour ago, Prubangboy said:

In Chiang Mai, they have something even stupider, called The Algonquin Club. Surely, only Gammaglobule alone here will know that the Algonquin club was a fabled round table of wits, from which the phrase, "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" emerged. 

 

You have to be invited to join. I got an invite. I looked at their website. They had a lecture from a guy calling himself "the bad boy of finance", so basically blowhard-central. The person who recco'd me (my estate agent) said it was about a thou a year to be part of the magic.  You can google it yourself to laugh at it. 

https://algonqu.in/

Seems like my sort of company, wonder if they have topless waitresses?😆😆