When Was The First Time You Visited Los?

[Heng]

First time for me was back in 1985, when I was 9, visiting the "home country" with my folks. Moved here from Texas in 1997 after finishing my undergrad degree.

[Steve2UK]

1987 (aged 37). Love at first sight - the country and people, that is (the other came later). Each of five trips after that felt like coming "home". Here now (in Chiang Mai) sorting out what I'll need for living here permanently as from November.

[Fast Eddie]

By coincidence it is exactly three years today since i first set foot in Thailand. What was meant to be a three month stay soon turned into a year as i was captivated by the place. Later on this year i will be moving out to Thailand and setting up base there for the next few years. I can't wait.

[Kerryd]

1st trip in Feb, 1993, while on leave from a peacekeeping tour in Croatia.

Such a strange, exotic place, unlike anywhere else I'd ever been (North America and Europe). Couldn't wait to come back again.

I did manage a few more trips over the next couple of years, and last year I started making more "permament" arrangements. When ever I decide to stop doing the wage-slave thing, I'll be (hopefully) set up and enjoying the good life (probably end up mopping out the toilets in Dave's bar for tip money) !

[Felt 35]

1985 on a work assignment. Holiday in 1993. Been living here since early 1997.

[dclaryjr]

Seems we have lots in common and would really enjoy meeting you and talking over all the experiences we've endured in Thailand and since.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Look forward to it, Ken!

[paultiger1]

1st time was on a golfing holiday oct 02. Met a very nice lady(now my wife) and said i would come back to see her.

2nd time was jan 03 for 3 weeks.

3rd time was may 03 for 3 weeks.

4th time was oct 03 for 3 weeks.

Then the good lady came to UK 2 times in the next 5 months.

5th time was apr 04 for 3 weeks.

6th time was jul 04 for 2 weeks.

7th time was sep 04 for 3 weeks.

Then in nov 04 my better half came to Uk again, got married 10th feb and has just gone back to Thailand.

My 10th trip is 11th apr, for 1 month this time.

Guess with all the money i spend on flights, i will never have the money to join you in LOS...!!

[dclaryjr]

One commentator mentioned Pattaya around 20 odd years ago. Yes, 30 years ago it was a wonderful place apart from the odd USN ship hitting the beach now and then. Now look at it!. Commercial, overblown, noisy but then, it suits a lot of people. I wonder just how many expats who have retired to that area now regret it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My wife and I vacationed in Pattaya 30 years ago and loved it. When we went back in 89, my brother-in-law set up a trip to Pattaya. I hated it! The room was terrible, the location sucked. The beach looked nothing like I remembered from my last trip. I complained to my wife who was initally miffed at me, but the next day we packed in the car and found a really nice resort on the beach at Cha Am. We practically had the place to ourselves. Loved it!

[Thaiquila]

Came on a three week tour in 1998 at age 41 that included Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket (for the vegetarian piercing festival).

I had delayed going to Thailand because I knew I would like it, and I wanted to see more of the rest of the world before going, afraid that I wouldn't go anywhere else after I went to Thailand.

I did have strong feelings within a few days that the country would change my life.

BTW: It seems like a ironic time to mention this. I had an acquantance while I was in grade school whose family were US operatives of some kind. He was shot and killed in Bangkok during the student riot upheavals of the time. So that was his first time.

Edited March 9, 2005 by Thaiquila

[konangrit]

First came when I was 21 in January 99. Then spent the next few winters here as there isn't much money to be made for sub contracors in the UK construction industry that time of year.

Eventually decided there was a lot more of the world to see, so stopped visiting Asia and did some travelling around the US, Mexico, and South America along with Western and Eastern Europe for the next couple of years. During this time changed careers to an internet based one which gave me the potential to work wherever I wanted. Was getting bored of the UK, and all my mates were settling down, so started thinking about moving abroad. Thailand was the obvious choice and came here a little over 4 months ago. Going to give it another year to see how I get on, may be bored of it by then, will see. No plans to return to the UK, if I get bored of Thailand will try Shanghai, or maybe Brazil. Already bored of Pattaya, and am probably going to move to Phuket.

As you can tell, I get bored rather easily.

Edited March 9, 2005 by konangrit

[lampard10]

Myfirst time was in1987 while working for SAAB Aircraft in Linkoping in Sweden.I went for a p1ss up in Gothenburg ,went to fly home and ended up in Copenhagen International Airport somehow . From there I caught a flight to BKK and on to Pattaya.I phoned in sick to Saab when I got there,but to no avail.My contract was terminated .Still,I have been coming here ever since between jobs,and twoyears ago moved here permament .No regrets. I met the woman of my dreams and she met the man of hers

[TRIPxCORE]

First time was January 1997 for a holiday. Didn't really like it much on my first visit but a friend talked me into going back again a few months later. Second time around, liked it ok as I was a little more acclimated to certain things. Met me wife on a trip soon after that one and kept coming back to visit her after that. Now that we are married and living together, we fly back to LOS together to visit family all the time. Made over 40 trips so far.

[HarryHacker]

First set foot in Thailand in 1979, at the tender age of 14.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Duty bound............so what went wrong? What made u such an ######?

[HarryHacker]

First set foot in Thailand in 1979, at the tender age of 14.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Duty bound............so what went wrong? What made u such an ######?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

XXXXXX= arshole?

[HarryHacker]

Maybe? what contribution have you made to thailand? oh, Prt DICK will say....... ?????

[buadhai]

First came in 1977 at age 28 while on a round-the-world trip. Spent a month: Chiangmai, Koh Samui, Phuket.

Have returned almost yearly since, mostly to dive, look around and visit friends.

Will retire at the end of this month (March 2005) and move to LOS permanently April 5th.

Can't wait....

[Nignoy]

Bunch of sprogs so far

Snap!! I arrived  in Ubon 3/3/1963 , by way of Borneo and Singapore, pattaya with no bars   or katois or volonteer police, don muang to phuket by taxi 20dollars US and he stayed with us  as chaffeur all week, loved it then!! love it now, and moving to Prachuap for good in may. OpCrown has a lot to answer for!! Nignoy   :

1963

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited March 9, 2005 by Nignoy

[utapaortnab]

Bunch of sprogs so far

Snap!! I arrived  in Ubon 3/3/1963

Nignoy,

Have you been "in-country" since 1963? If so, that is longer than any expat I know personally.

Sure would love to sit and pick your brain about all the changes in Thailand since then.

Mayhaps we will have that opportunity.

Ken Bower

soon to be full time/part time resident of Chiayaphum, Village II

[Jockstar]

Anymore guys? Who's the longest?

[Neeranam]

I have a friend who came here in 1954 with the navy. He moved here permanently in 1965 as part of the US diplomatic sercice, and had been here ever since. AMAZINGLY, he can't speak any Thai! He has always had English speaking staff/maids/wives. I wasn't even born then. he is the longest resident that I know well.

I am a spring chicken, AUG 1992.

Edited March 10, 2005 by Neeranam

[Tornado]

1997 first time and decided to stay. It is not the same as it was back then, to busy now and way to many farangs.

[Neeranam]

1997 first time and decided to stay. It is not the same as it was back then, to busy now and way to many farangs.

The islands weren't the same in 1997 as in 1992. I never went back to some places after 1994. I am sure the same is true for back in 1954. Keep on moving is my advice, if you don't like a lot of farangs and business.

[Nignoy]

Bunch of sprogs so far

Snap!! I arrived  in Ubon 3/3/1963

Nignoy,

Have you been "in-country" since 1963? If so, that is longer than any expat I know personally.

Sure would love to sit and pick your brain about all the changes in Thailand since then.

Mayhaps we will have that opportunity.

Ken Bower

soon to be full time/part time resident of Chiayaphum, Village II

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry Ken have been back at least every 2 years since 1970, there is another ex thai vet living in San Antonio , Theo the Duke Yeotrakis , Imet him in yhe field hospital in Korat in 64 Nignoy

[autonomous_unit]

I visited first around Songkran 2001 to meet my future in-laws and tell them that they were my future in-laws.

In a mad rush free of any soul-searching, we married 2.5 years later, and we moved here about 10 months ago. That began my second trip to Thailand!

We're both about 31 now, and the most I saw of Thailand so far was on that first trip when we drove to the deep south via Hua Hin with her brother. We've been slowly learning about more areas of Bangkok, focusing on places to live, to buy practical things, to eat, and to spend lazy hours in government offices.

[jayenram]

After doing a desk top study on the feasibility of setting up a branch office in Asia, I volunteered to go myself. I had designated Kuala Lumpur as the hub and set off there in Feb '95 for what was intended to be a 6 month stay. We had just completed the preparation of a tender for a job in Rayong, so I decided I may as well drop the package (Sterling 300 excess) off in the Client's office in BKK. I overnighted here and caught the early flight next morning to KL.

During the next few weeks there was a bit of negotiating to complete on the tender so I travelled up and down on a number of occasions. During these visits, I was introduced to the girl who eventually became my wife.

The branch office in Kuala Lumpur was set up and I remained there to manage it. By this time I had decided that when it was time to retire, I'd make every effort to retire to Asia.

After 5 years w*rking in Malaysia and China, and having been to Thailand on numerous occasions (albeit only a couple of days at a time), the UK company virtually folded and I took voluntary retirement (early, of course) with a pension which would allow me to live in Asia quite comfortably.

As my wife was Thai it seemed logical to live in Thailand. For the first time in 5 years, I visited UK last year and if I hadn't been convinced before of the wisdom of my decision to live here, that put the cap on it!

[Jockstar]

After doing a desk top study on the feasibility of setting up a branch office in Asia, I volunteered to go myself. I had designated Kuala Lumpur as the hub and set off there in Feb '95 for what was intended to be a 6 month stay. We had just completed the preparation of a tender for a job in Rayong, so I decided I may as well drop the package (Sterling 300 excess) off in the Client's office in BKK. I overnighted here and caught the early flight next morning to KL.

During the next few weeks there was a bit of negotiating to complete on the tender so I travelled up and down on a number of occasions. During these visits, I was introduced to the girl who eventually became my wife.

The branch office in Kuala Lumpur was set up and I remained there to manage it. By this time I had decided that when it was time to retire, I'd make every effort to retire to Asia.

After 5 years w*rking in Malaysia and China, and having been to Thailand on numerous occasions (albeit only a couple of days at a time), the UK company virtually folded and I took voluntary retirement (early, of course) with a pension which would allow me to live in Asia quite comfortably.

As my wife was Thai it seemed logical to live in Thailand. For the first time in 5 years, I visited UK last year and if I hadn't been convinced before of the wisdom of my decision to live here, that put the cap on it!

Good desision then.

[Thaiboxer]

Came here first time in April of 1999 to visit my wife before we got married. Stayed three months. Went back to Florida, worked at a hotel, saved my cash and came back in April 2000...stayed for three and a half months. Went back to Florida, worked, then returned in April of 2001, my wife and I got married and moved to Florida after our honeymoon. Came for vacation in 2002 (May/June) and then we moved here in Sept. of 2002...been here ever since. We moved here permanently for different reasons but one of the main ones was so we could have a more relaxing lifestyle and be able to have children for less than what it would cost proportionately in Florida. Jobwise,I could earn a decent income teaching here as well.

[Boon Mee]

1997 first time and decided to stay. It is not the same as it was back then, to busy now and way to many farangs. 

That's why I've moved out to the "Boonies" of Suphanburi. The only farang around and I love it! Not there permamently but soon.

First arrived LOS on the train up from Butterfield in 1978. Was working in Singapore at the time but it didn't take long after to get a commuter contract and move up.

It don't get no better...

Edited March 10, 2005 by Boon Mee

[SEAtramp]

First trip was in 1968. Stayed a week en route to Japan. Hey Jude by The Beatles was playing in every bar in Patpong. Tender 17 then

Edited March 10, 2005 by SEAtramp

[Jockstar]

First trip was in 1968. Stayed a week en route to Japan. Hey Jude by The Beatles was playing in every bar in Patpong.  Tender 17 then 

Fukc mate that was a long time ago. Fair play to ya. I wasn't even born. But ya gotta love the Beatles. the music has never aged.