What Actually Makes You an “Old-Hand” in Asia?

[SoCal1990]

What qualifies someone as a real old-hand in Asia, particularly in Thailand? Years in-country, experience with visas and immigration, half a dozen failed romances, knowledge of local culture, language skills, or merely staying long enough without going home?

 

Personally, I’d say if you haven’t done at least 20 years here, you’re still a mid-level newbie. It’s only after the two-decade mark that you can claim true “old-hand” status. That's when you’ve seen governments change multiple times, witnessed street protests, department store fires, coups, tsunamis, currency crashes, floods, bar scenes rise and fall, and you’ve been through at least a couple cycles of Thailand reinventing itself.

 

And for those who hit 30 years? I don’t even know what category that is… ancient relic? Museum piece? Or maybe just “part of the woodwork.” Either way, at that point you've seen it all, and none of it surprises you anymore. Not even a soi full of ladyboys. 

[novacova]

Time is irrelevant. Know guys who have been here 25 30 years and can’t really relate to anything much outside of their local area and wife. Can’t even do an extension without an agent. Met one guy a few years back who lived in a condo with his local wife for 18 years in chang phueak, we were talking and as I was getting ready to split mentioned that I was heading to kad thannin in santitham and he said, “Santitham? Kad thannin? Where’s that?”

Chang phueak, where else and where have you been? A lot of hermit types here that stay in doors stare at the television all day and the only social activity is when the wife says “ok food ready”. 

[StayinThailand2much]

Experienced all of the above, plus a couple more, incl. terrorism (young people being shot dead on a motorbike, just dozens of metres from where I lived), bombs exploding exactly where I was (but 24 hours, the second time 2-3 hours later), Thai people in crazy fights, pulling a homeless Thai guy out of the sea, etc., etc. (I pondered, whether I should write a book about it, but a movie might be more appropriate...) 😆 

[fondue zoo]

The sun, it's brutal here, the skin of my hand is best described as reptilian now.

 

 

[SoCal1990]

43 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

pondered, whether I should write a book about it

Definitely should pen a book about it. You could title it "Wrong Place, Wrong Time". 

[SoCal1990]

44 minutes ago, novacova said:

Time is irrelevant. Know guys who have been here 25 30 years and can’t really relate to anything much outside of their local area and wife. Can’t even do an extension without an agent. Met one guy a few years back who lived in a condo with his local wife for 18 years in chang phueak, we were talking and as I was getting ready to split mentioned that I was heading to kad thannin in santitham and he said, “Santitham? Kad thannin? Where’s that?”

Chang phueak, where else and where have you been? A lot of hermit types here that stay in doors stare at the television all day and the only social activity is when the wife says “ok food ready”. 

That's creepy. Guys actually come to Thailand and shut themselves in for 20 years? Most expats I've met have been the opposite. 

[novacova]

24 minutes ago, SoCal1990 said:

That's creepy. Guys actually come to Thailand and shut themselves in for 20 years? Most expats I've met have been the opposite. 

It happens all over the place on the planet, not only here. Personally could imagine why some folks live in a small bubble.

[Lacessit]

Ability to speak, understand, read and write Thai with fluency.

 

That would be a small percentage of foreigners living here.

[connda]

First came here in the early 80s.

[Keeps]

I think it's being able to pick out a complete and utter c unt poster on this forum. The OP has made it a lot easier than it used to be. 

 

I've been on and off for 25 years+ so have put in a fair stint to be able to comment. 

[frank83628]

You have been a member less than a year but asking all the BS questions from the last 20 years, use the search function, or login to your previous socal account history & stop spamming