Is Thailand A Good Place For A Young Man To Spend His 20's?

[AD1985]

After hearing of the greatness of Thailand and its people/culture I've made plans to relocate there after graduating (my career allows this) The prospect of being in a simpler culture where the people are friendly, the girls are beautiful, and the costs of living are cheap sounds great. Also I hate the western ideal of chasing status/material possessions so I think the Buddhist culture here would fit me well.

However recently I've had this nagging feeling that I may be making a mistake. I have been thing that maybe Thailand is great for older men, but not young.

Question that are on my mind recently include:

-Will I be isolating myself in a culture of people who I don't understand and an expat community that shares little in common with me? Even if Thai people are easy to befriend I want friends who share commonalities of the west. But how many western guys in their 20s are even out here?

-Is it going to be harder to attract girls the "old fashioned" way with language and cultural barriers? (I feel when I'm young I should mostly still work for it)

-Will living in this foreign world rob me of a richer set of life experiences that I could have had in the US, with a culture I grew up in and understand? (ie am I going to envy what other people my age got to do and/or look like a reject if I came back to the US)

I guess the short of it is that I wonder if Thailand is a place to get away when change from the western life is desired, or if it is just a better place to be in general.

I will ultimately have to go and see for myself but if anyone has a comment I'd like to hear your opinion.

Thanks

Edited November 25, 2008 by AD1985

[patklang]

Depends where you want to live in Thaland.You are chosing to live in a country that you have never been before and make assumptions???

sounds a bit silly to me but hey

UP TO YOU

[Geekfreaklover]

I moved to Thailand when I was 24, now into my thirties. I made some mistakes, got involved with the wrong girl, lost a bit of money. But hey, wouldn't change some of the memories for the world.

I

[sassienie]

I moved to Thailand when I was 24, now into my thirties. I made some mistakes, got involved with the wrong girl, lost a bit of money. But hey, wouldn't change some of the memories for the world.

I

So how did you financial support yourself?

I often wonder if under 50 year old Farangs that manage to stay here are legit and those under 50s that are planning to reside here, how do they intend to gain an income?

Edited November 25, 2008 by sassienie

[junki3korean]

i`m moving to chiang mai in a month......i`m 21 i cant wait.....only for a year though...you can always go back home if things arnt right for you....or move to another city

Edited November 25, 2008 by junki3korean

[MrPot]

I'm 26, got wife and kid over here wouldn't change for the world for now has I have a good job. If your thinking about teaching then I'll feel without the right qualifications your'll be wasting years of your life

Oh, I'm not a teacher and never will be

Edited November 25, 2008 by MrPot

[britmaveric]

short term why not, but if you want a career def not in the long term.

[chalks]

The unanswered question remains: have you been here before? It's not clear from your post, but I suspect not.

I just turned 29 and have been here for 2 years. I have a professional job paying more than back home in a multi-national company, such that if I ever leave (no plans to) it would not affect my career. The first time I ever came to Thailand was for the interview, after glowing reviews from a friend who moved here to work in the same company. You don't mention what your career is, but be careful coming here is not a one-way ticket.

There are plenty of young people here (no numbers, sorry), but a lot of them are here for a short time (months to years) just to experience a different culture as young people do, so friends come and go. I have met a lot of great people however and keep in touch with most of them...

As for girls... 1. There are lots of prostitutes, and girls who otherwise will "love" you for your money (as with anywhere in the world, but easier to find here). 2. There are a lot of guys going for them. 3. Most of them are tourists. 4. There is lots of innuendo about 1-3 on thaivisa and other sites. Ignore it. 5. There are many guys here who would never touch a prostitute, but they are underrepresented as they don't go around blogging about it. 6. Plenty of "normal" girls are interested in westerners (many girls are disinterested in or actively "hate" westerners, but there is a plentiful middle ground). 7. Yes you will need to try almost as hard for the "normal" girls as you would back home, and that includes finding ways to meet them with all the barriers you mentioned. I know a lot of guys who met their gfs/wives through friend of a friend type deals, just like back home. Except the girls here are more beautiful :-)

For your cultural questions, that all depends on you. Learning the Thai language is a great help if you want to live here, although many expats get by speaking very little. If you do it rights it's also a great way to meet people. The Thais are generally great people, have a rich culture, and great food.

[Geekfreaklover]

I moved to Thailand when I was 24, now into my thirties. I made some mistakes, got involved with the wrong girl, lost a bit of money. But hey, wouldn't change some of the memories for the world.

I

So how did you financial support yourself?

I often wonder if under 50 year old Farangs that manage to stay here are legit and those under 50s that are planning to reside here, how do they intend to gain an income?

I worked hard in the city of London. Managed to make money from property in the UK. Renting and renovating. Had a small inheritance. Started a Thai limited company. Exporting. Has been good for the last few years and now been hit with exchange rates is starting to hurt.

Thinking about returning to the Uk to be honest. If I wait till i'm 40, might be more difficult.

[Underdog]

It's a great place to spend your 20's, they take 10's, 50's and probably 100's too, don't worry they like money! (and soon they are going to need a shed full!)

[easyride]

It's a great place to spend your 20's, they take 10's, 50's and probably 100's too, don't worry they like money! (and soon they are going to need a shed full!)

This made me smile, the purple ones open a lot of doors too.

Seriously though, don't cut your roots to home. Thailand is a wonderful

country but those smiles aren't always sincere. If the sh_t hits the fan

make sure you can get home.

[patklang]

chalks,

you talk sense and a good maturity about you.at last a clever bangkokian lol.only joking but its a pleasant suprise for a farang living in bangkok.

[Kerryd]

I will ultimately have to go and see for myself but if anyone has a comment I'd like to hear your opinion.

Bingo !

You'll never really know until you've been there, done that, and have the scars personal experiences that go with it (chicks dig scars so I hear).

Too many people come to Thailand on a 2 week holiday, live in hotels, eat in restaurants, party in bars, and then decide this is heaven on earth. They go home, pack, maybe burn some bridges and return to live out their lives in paradise.

Only to find out that living here isn't quite the same as being on holiday here.

Culturally, I personally think you will have a richer cultural experience in Thailand than in the US, unless culture = Monster trucks and Monday Night Football/baseball/basketball.

To get the best out of your time though, it would be better to learn the language and make friends amongst the locals. I did that during a 4 year stint in Germany in the mid-80's and had a blast. Learned the language, experienced life as the locals lived it (more to it than just Octoberfest), and left with some lasting memories.

Never had a problem fitting back in when I returned to Canada, but did enjoy going to German restaurants and being able to read the menu and order in German (at least when they had a waitress that spoke German !).

I'll bet there are thousands, 10s of thousands, 100s of thousands of Westerners that wished they would have learned about Thailand when they were in their 20s.

But beware the pitfalls. Here they often come bearing smiles. Many fall into various "traps" and find that slippery slopes can quickly turn into sheer cliffs.

For example. Bars. Great place to party and have fun of course. But when you find yourself waking up in the afternoon and heading over to the local boozer for a snack and a drink, and 12 hours later find yourself crawling back into bed, day after day after day, you're in trouble.

Many fall into that trap, because their favourite bar is also the place where they can find people that speak the same language, and they don't know enough Thai (or have never tried learning) to get around and do other things.

Make sure you have something to occupy your time and keep you from spending most of your waking time drinking.

A language course is a good place to start, and meet new people (both locals and other expats). There is plenty to see and do here that has nothing at all to do with girls, bars, partying, etc.

As I mentioned, some of the pitfalls come not only bearing smiles, but in some cases, extended families, sick buffalo and numerous other problems that require ever increasing amounts of cash to solve.

Don't lose your head over affairs in the bed !

If it is within your means, get a tourist visa. Come over for a 3-6 month stay, and do it as though you are living here, not on holiday. Rent an apartment. Buy groceries locally. Eat like the Thais do, where they do. Avoid eating at Western fast-food places except as a "special" treat once in awhile.

Make friends with your neighbours. Start learning the language. When there is a local "cultural" event (like Loy Krathong or other Buddhist festivals), go with your friends and see things as they do.

Then, after 3 months (or so), you can go home and take a break, sit back and have a "good think" about your experience. Then you will have a somewhat firmer basis on which to make your decision, than you will get simply by asking on forums like this.

Good luck.

[Neeranam]

yes, a lot better than where I come from anyway.

[CuriousGeorge77]

After hearing of the greatness of Thailand and its people/culture I've made plans to relocate there after graduating (my career allows this) The prospect of being in a simpler culture where the people are friendly, the girls are beautiful, and the costs of living are cheap sounds great. Also I hate the western ideal of chasing status/material possessions so I think the Buddhist culture here would fit me well.

What on earth makes you think Thailand has a SIMPLER culture? If you think that Thais are savages then you'd best stay home. Thai's kind of think the same about us... afterall, we don't shower regularly, we don't take our shoes off when we come inside, we don't keep our houses clean, we stink (a big no-no in Thailand), we don't respect our surroundings, etc.

However recently I've had this nagging feeling that I may be making a mistake. I have been thing that maybe Thailand is great for older men, but not young.

Question that are on my mind recently include:

-Will I be isolating myself in a culture of people who I don't understand and an expat community that shares little in common with me? Even if Thai people are easy to befriend I want friends who share commonalities of the west. But how many western guys in their 20s are even out here?

There are plenty. However, your isolation will be up to you in any case.

-Is it going to be harder to attract girls the "old fashioned" way with language and cultural barriers? (I feel when I'm young I should mostly still work for it)

Your questions doesn't really apply. Money doesn't mean the same thing in relationships in Thailand. In the West, people say "If you love me, you won't care about my money" in Thailand, they say, "If you love me, you won't care about your money." Even the poorest of the poor works his ass off for a dowry, and being generous is the most important thing to be in Thailand (much like being independent is the most important thing in the West) This is a major source of conflict if you don't understand whats going on. A corollary to this is that if you have more money, you can be more generous, and get more respect.

-Will living in this foreign world rob me of a richer set of life experiences that I could have had in the US, with a culture I grew up in and understand? (ie am I going to envy what other people my age got to do and/or look like a reject if I came back to the US)

No. Going outside of your own culture will give you BY FAR the richest set of experiences. If you don't stay inside your shell, you will change what you think about yourself and your native culture, and you will gain insight and experience simply not possible otherwise.

I guess the short of it is that I wonder if Thailand is a place to get away when change from the western life is desired, or if it is just a better place to be in general.

It is better if the things in Thailand are what you want. If you are career minded then maybe Thailand isn't the place for you. Other things though are great. In the US, some things are great thers are not. It just depends on your particular circumstance.

I will ultimately have to go and see for myself

exactly

[madjbs]

Yes, it's a great place

[AndyBlueEyes]

-Is it going to be harder to attract girls the "old fashioned" way with language and cultural barriers? (I feel when I'm young I should mostly still work for it)

(excerpted)

As long as you have plenty of money then you will be able to attract plenty of girls even if you are a total loser. If you are like most people and have to work for your money, then I guess that will satisfy your feeling that you "should mostly still work for it ".

[anotheruser]

Spoken from personal experience right?

[Huey]

I came here at 26 and I'm in my 30's I loved it and wouldn't change it if I could.

[lazygourmet]

No risk... No fun...

[Tyree D.]

if you won't mind making little money go for it. read my last couple of months of posts. it was fun at age 20 then 24-26 but I won't go back...especially if all the flights are canceled. now i wait for somebody to point out i didn't capitalize and letters.

[Ta22]

i am 32 now , married - i been in thailand for about 9- 10 years , maybe more .

i started coming to thailand since i was 19 .

personally stay in japan , china , taiwan , indonesia , korea , malaysia , before .

but at the end of the days thailand is the best of them all . or rather the most balance to my needs .

-

IN the PAST is easier for a 20's plus to stay here ,

REASON the older VISA system is GREAT -

But the NEw visa system . had been a harder but still possible if you do it the right way ,

IN the Past . there is less tourist liefstyle -

and i stay up in chiangmai for a full 7 years . i stated staying in Koh samui .- for almost a years - No rental. i am perm resident as A Guest house . - rate is 100 baht a days during when the Koh samui sea is still blue , while now is green with rubbish .

-

anyway - own a small honda dream and in the place for 3 - 4days . at the moment i own about 5 bike and 7 cars .

the cheapest is still honda dream . but to top it up is about 70 baht now .

.

back in the early 2000 . i stay a while at Shukumit soi 26 . i rental a House with a garden and 4 room with a few thai girl for 28,000 baht a month i pay half and the remaining 3 girl cover the other half and household bill like water and electircial bill .

at the moment i think shukumit soi 26 rental is in the 50,000 or 80,000 range and i don't think you get to find a house there now .unless you buy it .

.

like all younth i enjoy clubbing alot and is a hardcore clubber . had my member ship for the club at soi 26 beside Four wing hotel .

if i reclal correctly is call " TRAUS " or something . 25,000 baht for 1 years membership . unlimited entry + 10 guest 10 bottle of black label .

you can pick up all the girl you want with a membership card . cos there wil alway be yonng girl trying to get in for free .

entry is 200 for thai and 300 for farang .

.

entry = 1 drink beer or house pour .

...

FOod is relatively cheap . at about 20 batt in bangkok , and kohsamui 15 baht - 20 baht .

-- i also bunk at khaoSan road for a long time . the cheapest guest house is 50 baht . shared room in the soi .

- i was lucky cos i was posted to work with the singapore embassy during my army days . so alot of my spending is well cover by the embassy .

we do not have a work permit . all we got to do is show them my passport and also our embassy pass.

-

i learn alot in thailand ,

i learn to respect people more in thailand then i do when i am in singapore .

i see thing diffrently which give me a fresh view from how people can live their life at peace more .

then the city hardcore style of puttingonesel fin Debt .

i learn to live with what i have .

[Ricardo]

erm ... you didn't capitalize.

To the OP, I would suggest that living in Thailand may spoil you, for returning to a more-normal country, we old farts are in-any-case already part-spoiled, which accounts for the aroma !

[lazygourmet]

if i reclal correctly is call " TRAUS " or something . 25,000 baht for 1 years membership . unlimited entry + 10 guest 10 bottle of black label

Taurus -La Lunar- ; precisely...

[Ta22]

Yeh " Taurus " - but i heard after the Drug Bust . there chnge their name to Sol Luna or La luna like you said .

i can only remeber is call Taurus - and is the best club in town some -8-9 year ago .

. oh yeh thailand is such a nice country that .

you would learn to be spoil by it .

first off is the easy and much cheaper lifestyle , the same price you pay in your country you can get 3-4 time more .

and overnight . from a poor guy in your country , you are tranform into a rich farang . whhahhahaa

- kinda boost your ego in some way - or i call it the feel good look good be happy factor

Edited November 26, 2008 by Ta22

[MrHammer]

Im 26 and lived for a year in Thailand before going back.

If you want to go you should definately go for it, try it out, but make sure you got something meaningfull to do, you could go for a MBA?

Is Thailand the place to be for a young guy? Sure, its great Its cheap and easy living, beautifull girls plenty. You can live your life as you want it for little money.

About the girls.. You'll have to work your game just as much for a girl in the same social class as yourself. It can be even harder if she only speaks little english and only have thai friends, but its worth it. Plenty of girls here will expect a provider\sucker also, dont go for those.

Great beaches too.

BUT.. Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong great places too and much better for your career.. not cheap though, which is what i get at in the end: Most guys are here because its cheap no way around it.

So.. go for yourself.. but dont hang around with nothing to do.. get some education here (and the ED visa), study, make some friends from the same background as yourself and see if you like it.

[JetsetBkk]

I'm 26, got wife and kid over here wouldn't change for the world for now has I have a good job. If your thinking about teaching then I'll feel without the right qualifications your'll be wasting years of your life

Oh, I'm not a teacher and never will be

Glad to hear it, mate!

[1000baht]

I couldnt think of a better place to be in your twenties. I moved here when I was 21, have been here 2 years now, I have no intention of going home. You must make sure you have a financial plan. You will make mistakes, we all do, if you dont make any, there is something wrong. Like said before it will depend where you move to, you decide to take up shop in Pattaya or something, it might be game over. i wish ya all the luck, look forward to hearing more.

[bingobongo]

it is a fantastic place to be if your goal is to ever become a civil war correspondent

[Heng]

Moved here when I was 21. It's been an uphill battle but the view is certainly pretty good now in my 30's. Doubt I would have made anything of myself if I weren't legally able to own and operate businesses without having to deal with the hoops.

For my foreign friends most who are "successful," none are involved in local on the ground businesses, most work and/or manage their biz affairs online.