How long did it take you to feel like a local in Thailand?

[trainman34014]

Been here 20 years and i think the Locals are great; we show each other respect and get on with our lives.   I find the most ignorant people i meet here are other Farangs !

[Myran]

3 hours ago, Mekmong MICK said:

Disagree and I don't hang out with any expats.

 

You can feel like a local without being born here

And you can feel like you're a cat trapped in a human's body. The common denominator is being delusional. You're not anything close to a local and never will be.

[Acharn]

I'm glad you're feeling comfortable here. I like it. But I've lived in several places in Thailand for 42 years and have never felt like a local. Bad headline writing. I've got Thai family I've lived with for years, they are loyal and I trust them to take care of me after I start wearing diapers, but I am not a Thai, will never be a Thai, and will never be "accepted" as a Thai.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

I agree. But I think it's important to realize that.

I.e. in my home country are lots of people from other nearby countries. After a while there are no significant differences anymore. We eat the same, we do the same jobs, have the same language, etc. Sure, there are differences, but no big differences.

In Thailand there will always be big differences. 99% of farangs are different and will never be like a Thai person in Thai society. 

 

Thats just down to how multicultural a nation is.

 

Thailand knows there are 'very few' foreigners who have Thai Nationality... 

At the same time, particularly in areas of Bangkok, there are whole 'Indian' (Sikh) communities who are Thai, and they 'fit in like locals' because all locals know they are Thai... The same is said of Thai Chinese.

 

But with White Foreigners, who've gained Thai Nationality no one believes they are Thai, that just does not compute.

 

 

The Opposite is true in our home countries..    When I visit with my Wife (Thai), no one thinks she isn't British, its just assumed by everyone that she was born in the UK.

 

-------------

 

I think feelings of how we 'fit in' are more tied into how 'normal' we feel being here. 

I don't find Thailand anything special, I don't expect special treatment or negative treatment, I expect the same degree of indifference with which Thai's treat each other....     

.... everything seems pretty normal...   for me, thats a feeling of fitting in... fitting in enough anyway...  

BUT... thats in Bangkok...  

... when I've been in more isolated in Thailand and have 'kids following me around in Big-C giggling etc - thats when I'm reminded, no I don't fit in and there is still a novelty element to the 'foreigner experience' or at least the continued exposure to the feeling of being 'different' (which I don't get in Bangkok).

[NicoBKK]

15 years and I am still 99% Farang

[RSD1]

3 minutes ago, NicoBKK said:

15 years and I am still 99% Farang

Totally agree. Been here 3X as long. If you are a foreigner there is no becoming local. The more you think you know, actually the less you do. 

[thesetat2013]

6 hours ago, marin said:

The title should be me me me. As that's all that it is about. Why not get out and explore your new "home" rather than sitting inside all day posting?

fake photo, member here for only 4 days. What do you expect?

[Purdey]

I don't think they ever consider you Thai - Race and accent are a dead giveaway. Thais are very kind and often say, "Oooh, your Thai is very good." But it doesn't make you Thai.

I was listening to an interview in Thai with Bruce Gaston and was shocked when I looked at the screen and saw he was a westerner. Native-level Thai.

Having a Thai passport doesn't make anyone think you are Thai.

[Ralf001]

Bout 3 months give or take.

 

dont eat the food though.

[Mekmong MICK]

Just now, Ralf001 said:

Bout 3 months give or take.

 

dont eat the food though.

Well done friend, I don't get why it takes others so long.

 

The food isn't too bad although it would be nice if they had bigger portion sizes

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, RSD1 said:

Totally agree. Been here 3X as long. If you are a foreigner there is no becoming local. The more you think you know, actually the less you do. 

 

Thats called dementia...    

[Mekmong MICK]

1 hour ago, RSD1 said:

Totally agree. Been here 3X as long. If you are a foreigner there is no becoming local. The more you think you know, actually the less you do. 

You're just over-thinking things friend. Try to lighten up and fit in a bit more. Get a copy of the Lonely Planet and try to see a few places and do more local things

[Ralf001]

11 minutes ago, Mekmong MICK said:

Well done friend, I don't get why it takes others so long.

 

The food isn't too bad although it would be nice if they had bigger portion sizes

Nah, the foods <deleted>en rank.

[scubascuba3]

6 minutes ago, Mekmong MICK said:

You're just over-thinking things friend. Try to lighten up and fit in a bit more. Get a copy of the Lonely Planet and try to see a few places and do more local things

Uncle Buck you just smack of a noob, you'll learn

[Yellow Fever]

2 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Nah, the foods <deleted>en rank.

Disagree, the Banh mi for example is exquisite 

[spidermike007]

Well I think for most of us we don't feel like locals, and we never have. If you live in a heavily polulated expat  area, then perhaps you feel like one of the local expats.

 

I'm very comfortable here, and I enjoy myself here on a daily basis, but I've never felt like one of them, and that's part of Thai culture. They don't really want you to feel like one of them, the culture is simply too tribal for that, which is fine for me. Fortunately I've never had the need to feel like I belong, even in America I didn't feel like I belonged, so even though I'm very comfortable here I know I'm not one of them, and I never will be, and it doesn't matter to me, it's all good. 

[save the frogs]

5 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Is Bob there? Hey Bob, knock it off with twidle dee and twidle dum.

I wasnt going to spoil the party and say anything, but since you did ...

nice job. 

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, Yellow Fever said:

Disagree, the Banh mi for example is exquisite 

Banh Mi is nice.

It aint a Thai dish though.

One of (mek)Mong faves too aint it.... hmmm

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Well I think for most of us we don't feel like locals, and we never have. If you live in a heavily polulated expat  area, then perhaps you feel like one of the local expats.

 

I'm very comfortable here, and I enjoy myself here on a daily basis, but I've never felt like one of them, and that's part of Thai culture. They don't really want you to feel like one of them, the culture is simply too tribal for that, which is fine for me. Fortunately I've never had the need to feel like I belong, even in America I didn't feel like I belonged, so even though I'm very comfortable here I know I'm not one of them, and I never will be, and it doesn't matter to me, it's all good. 

Agree. And that's also a lot of what makes it enjoyable living here as a foreigner. As soon as you fit in and are accepted then they would treat you like one of their own. You wouldn't want that. The kid gloves come off and then it's finished. 

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, Yellow Fever said:

Disagree, the Banh mi for example is exquisite 

Oh, you should try the gyoza. Absolutely electrifying @Mekmong MICK. In fact, it's a Thai signature dish, known all over the world!

[RSD1]

2 hours ago, Mekmong MICK said:

You're just over-thinking things friend. Try to lighten up and fit in a bit more. Get a copy of the Lonely Planet and try to see a few places and do more local things

Obtuse and not even remotely good at trolling. You should try a new vocation to fill all your useless free time. Maybe something more on your level like kangaroo tipping. 

[RSD1]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Thats called dementia...    

 

Yeah, I heard that happens when you go to work for the AI text generation police. 

[connda]

Three months considering I was living in the Thai section of town in a Thai apartment with Thai people.  I integrated pretty quickly.

[BangkokReady]

10 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

I never feel like a local, because I'm not one.

Forgot to add, and neither do I want to be one. 

 

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

After a few weeks I felt like a local.

Then, sometimes later I realized I will never be a local.

Now, after almost 3 decades of Thailand I know I will never be a local.

 

The most you can hope for is for the people you see regularly to like you.

[Celsius]

2 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Obtuse and not even remotely good at trolling. You should try a new vocation to fill all your useless free time. Maybe something more on your level like kangaroo tipping. 

 

Not even funny trolling. Not even a single  chuckle from his numerous  topics.

 

And he seems to take a great offense to negative replies which makes him even more pathetic.

 

I would tell him to get a life and bang a couple of 19 year olds but it must be difficult from mom's basement.

[proton]

When I was in a karaoke in suk soi 23. It was chucking it down. Thai bloke insisted on giving for 50 baht towards a taxi when I left as he liked the songs I had been choosing, would not take no for an answer so I took it- and walked next door to the Tai Pan hotel. The karaoke is long gone.

[RSD1]

38 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Not even funny trolling. Not even a single  chuckle from his numerous  topics.

 

And he seems to take a great offense to negative replies which makes him even more pathetic.

 

I would tell him to get a life and bang a couple of 19 year olds but it must be difficult from mom's basement.

I suspect that he's a long time poster on AN who got bored so now he decided to suddenly setup a few fake trolling accounts. @Yellow Fever is his too. He had a third one that was setup a while ago that now seems to have suddenly disappeared.

 

To be a successful troll you need to have a sense of humor and a quick wit, which he is devoid of. Also, all the fake photos he posts are really pathetic and demonstrates his lack of digital media skills. You also need to be thick skinned, which he certainly isn't. 
 

He would be better off just sticking with drinking and surfing the porn sites. Being a forum troll definitely isn't his calling. 

[Puccini]

16 hours ago, Mekmong MICK said:

...my breakfast this morning was a Thai bahm mi and two little boys...

 

1. What is bahm mi?

 

2. Are you saying that you ate too little boy for breakfast?

[Andycoops]

Clearly a idiot, if he thinks he can blend in within 3 weeks as he sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

Try getting out into a village 500 Kms from where you are and see if you fit in...

[rickudon]

Got off the plane at Swampy, first time in Thailand, took the sleeper train to Udon Thani, and 6 hours later had found a pond and was fishing for plaa sawai. Also a public park which was better than most in the UK. Other farang were friedly back then (70 baht to the pound helped). Within 4 days the hotel owner had tried to set me up with one of her waitresses (a real beauty). I knew then i was looked upon as a local, albeit still a farang.