What are the best ways to meet other expats?

[Conan The Barbarian]

Are there any expat events or get-togethers? I'm really tired of only seeing Thai faces, especially since they can't speak English and I don't know Thai.

[Purdey]

There are social groups in Bangkok. Most can be googled. There is also the British Club in Silom, but you have to pay to join.

[scubascuba3]

Definitely helpful if you play a sport before retiring, i cycle in a group plus play golf with friends, but many groups organise golf

[Cameroni]

Facebook has a lot of groups, the entertainment pages are full of bars for expats that hold PS4 tournaments or dancing events or other stuff. 

 

The Digital Nomand groups are also full of people desperate to meet others.

 

Failing that you could have children and arrange playdates with other parents, always a winner.

[1FinickyOne]

There are expat clubs in some areas - - you might want to say where you are from... or just google it in your area... 

 

Or you might want to learn the language or get one of those new translation thingys

Edited August 7 by 1FinickyOne

[wombat]

Advertise for a meet and greet expats bar crawl on Soi6?

Edited August 7 by wombat

[CanadaSam]

https://www.internations.org/

 

They have meetings every few days at different and usually interesting venues, for expats.

 

Just put your email address, they will keep you informed of dates and times.

[chiang mai]

My experience is that outside of places such as Pattaya, most people seem to want to avoid other expats. I think you need to pick and chose very carefully since many here seem to be, er, problematic.

[soisanuk]

If in Pattaya, the Pattaya City Expats Club meets every Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Pattaya located at the north end of Beach Road - a friendly group. Their meeting program starts at 10:30am - many arrive around  9:30am  to visit with other expats before the meeting starts.  More information on their website - https://pcec.club/

[IsaanExpat]

40 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

https://www.internations.org/

 

They have meetings every few days at different and usually interesting venues, for expats.

 

Just put your email address, they will keep you informed of dates and times.

Dont. Just dont. I gave them my email in '17 when I started travelling internationally. They infect your email inbox worse than Herpes and no matter how many times you unsubscribe it comes back, like Herpes....

[2baht]

15 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

I don't know Thai.

Learn!.....This is ahhh.....Thailand!

[fredwiggy]

Ask other expats here where they live. If close, ask to meet up. Some you might want to avoid, and you can tell much of this by their comments. If you're a Brit, and you see them trashing Brits, obviously you avoid them. Like interests? Something to do with them while living here. I'm a hunter and fisherman but haven't met any that are close. A majority here are in and around the big cities of Thailand, so that makes it easy for many here to meet up. If you're in the boondocks it's not so easy. Only way is going to the local bars, which all cities have, or in a Lotus, but some barely smile when you smile at them. I tried talking to one at our local Lotus, and his wife came over and grabbed him and scurried away. The look on his face. I'm guessing she didn't want him to talk to others, thinking they might give him ideas.

[twizzian]

Living far from touristy and expat magnets, I’ve always found the few expats that live in my city tend to deliberately snub another foreigner 

[trainman34014]

Just walk around any Supermarket and see all the unhappy Farang faces.   Don't expect them to smile back or acknowledge your existance; i just can't understand the attitude of many of them but hey, each to his own happy or miserable World eh !

[shdmn]

14 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Just walk around any Supermarket and see all the unhappy Farang faces.   Don't expect them to smile back or acknowledge your existance; i just can't understand the attitude of many of them but hey, each to his own happy or miserable World eh !

A lot of us have attitudes because we are trying to avoid toxic expats.  There are so many that we develop an expat shield after awhile, where we just kind of assume they are all toxic until proven otherwise.  At least that is how it is for me.

Edited August 8 by shdmn

[IsaanExpat]

4 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Just walk around any Supermarket and see all the unhappy Farang faces.   Don't expect them to smile back or acknowledge your existance; i just can't understand the attitude of many of them but hey, each to his own happy or miserable World eh !

I don't avoid other falang out of spite, I've met too many that just want to vent AT you rather than enjoy a decent conversation.....maybe I should loosen up, but I have a family here and I don't feel like standing around with them at the local Tesco while some miserable old bastard bitches about all their problems lol.

 

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me....one time I was griped at on the BTS about the lack of dart games in the bars of BKK and the "liberal <deleted>" wondering around from America....

 

I'll try to be a little more open in the future, but honestly, I'm a prick in America too🤣

[Skeptic7]

What for❓

[ChrisKC]

That's the problem with some foreigners:

 

Too many Thai people in Thailand!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'

[stupidfarang]

Many expats you meet in Thailand you would not associate with back in your home country. Choose carefully who you wish to chat with.

[fredwiggy]

48 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Just walk around any Supermarket and see all the unhappy Farang faces.   Don't expect them to smile back or acknowledge your existance; i just can't understand the attitude of many of them but hey, each to his own happy or miserable World eh !

You never know what kind of day, week or month  they've had, which is just like people driving fast on the road trying to pass you. They could have a wife, girlfriend or ex that made their life miserable, at least for the time being.They could have brought this on themselves, treating their partners like crap and expecting them to be sex slaves. They could have treated their partners great, but picked crazy, narcissistic, liars ,cheaters or overly greedy ones, and their life here hasn't been a bed of roses. If they don't want to talk, I let them go on their way. If they do, we see if we can relate about shared interests. Walk a mile in their shoes or you never know.

[MalcolmB]

I think it would be good for this Forum to have an end of year or Xmas party.

i would love to meet a few of you in real life.

 

[Jeff the Chef]

I'm on my 2nd year here living out in the sticks, every time I see a foreigner (white /black westerner on my travels locally I make the effort to say "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, some respond, some don't, no problem to me, politeness never hurt anyone. 

[animalmagic]

17 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

Are there any expat events or get-togethers? I'm really tired of only seeing Thai faces, especially since they can't speak English and I don't know Thai.

Try going to a Thai language school.  There you should meet foreigners who have at least one thing in common with you.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

Just walk around any Supermarket and see all the unhappy Farang faces.   Don't expect them to smile back or acknowledge your existance; i just can't understand the attitude of many of them but hey, each to his own happy or miserable World eh !

Did you smile at everyone in the supermarket in your home country?

Why should someone smile to you just because you are a foreigner?

[Will B Good]

Bangkok is yor best bet......https://www.meetup.com

 

Greater chance of meeting 'normal' expats there than anywhere else.

 

I used the site above, mainly to get into sports.....but there are (or there was) plenty of social events.

[bunnydrops]

25 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I think it would be good for this Forum to have an end of year or Xmas party.

i would love to meet a few of you in real life.

 

Not sure I would want to meet some of the people behind some of the posting here.

[GypsyT]

2 hours ago, IsaanExpat said:

They infect your email inbox worse than Herpes and no matter how many times you unsubscribe it comes back, like Herpes....

Easy to block. Read Email instructions.

PS. Won't remove Herpes....

 

[CM Dad]

17 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

Are there any expat events or get-togethers? I'm really tired of only seeing Thai faces, especially since they can't speak English and I don't know Thai.

If you are tired of seeing Thai faces then why did you decide to live in Thailand?  Since you chose to live in Thailand, why haven't you made an effort to learn to speak Thai?  If you need to be in a place where English is the predominant language spoken, then I would suggest that you move to an English-speaking country.  You are obviously living in the wrong country. 

[GypsyT]

I like this for worldwide infos;

 

https://www.expat.com/en/destination/asia/thailand/

 

[bunnydrops]

Even out in the sticks, there are usually some Saturday get-togethers. Where I am they come from as far as 30km and depending on the season can get as many as 40 people counting the wifes showing up. Some faces are there all the time, new ones come and go.