Do Most Farangs And Thais Hang Out Together?

[danbkk1]

I just wonder if the expats and Thais hang out together, not in a romanctic or love relationship but, like hanging out afterwork or go and have a few drink between expats and Thais co-worker. I would really like to know seeing that I've been study aboard for almost 10 years and most of my friends are westerners. I don't have many Thai childhood friends left in Thailand

[ray23]

I just wonder if the expats and Thais hang out together, not in a romanctic or love relationship but, like hanging out afterwork or go and have a few drink between expats and Thais co-worker.  I would really like to know seeing that I've been study aboard for almost 10 years and most of my friends are westerners.  I don't have many Thai childhood friends left in Thailand 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not in the work world anymore and don't frequent bars, but I would have to say no, unless it is some sort of shared activity. I do a lot of bike riding in groups with Thias, but even with that the foriegners and Thais seem to be seprate in the breaks. I relly don't beieve is has anyhting to do with beiing clannish I think it's baout language. The Thais have always welcomed us on these rides. So my guess I you are fluent in the language things will open up to chatting in these groups.

Same thing happens when we bowl, Thai's are friendly, but when conversation is limited so is socializing.

[RamdomChances]

I mainly hang out with Thais as there are'nt any falangs living around here the closet here full time is around 40 km away. I get lots of people visiting though

[terdsak_12]

12 years here and have no Thai friends, know loads of them, and on friendly terms, but not friends. I think nothing in common at the end of the day, I can only talk about food, bowl movements, and Thai TV for so long.

[Kerryd]

I don't really know any farangs, so all the people I hang out with are Thai. Biggest problem for me, many of them are married, some with kids. Not a lot in common to talk about, especially in pidgeon Thenglish.

[chico]

I don't really know any farangs, so all the people I hang out with are Thai. Biggest problem for me, many of them are married, some with kids. Not a lot in common to talk about, especially in pidgeon Thenglish.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends, where you are (go)?

In tourist places, no problem to talk with farangs, everywhere, countryside you have to know where they live, where they meet!

hanging out there with thais you have to speak thai to be able to hang out with them! not many speak even 'pidgin' english, let alone decent vocabulary!

[Joey Boy]

I just wonder if the expats and Thais hang out together, not in a romanctic or love relationship but, like hanging out afterwork or go and have a few drink between expats and Thais co-worker.  I would really like to know seeing that I've been study aboard for almost 10 years and most of my friends are westerners.  I don't have many Thai childhood friends left in Thailand 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would depend on what your like and what the people yer workin with are like, one thing that most guys where ever there from have in common is that they dont need much of an excuse to go out on the piss, especially in a town like bangkok

[siamesekitty]

I just wonder if the expats and Thais hang out together, not in a romanctic or love relationship but, like hanging out afterwork or go and have a few drink between expats and Thais co-worker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From what I've seen at my company, not really. Thais might feel a bit weird about having to speak English amongst themselves to be polite to the expat. Eventually they'll lapse into high-speed Thai chatter and the expat will end up feeling rather uncomfortable. This sometimes happens even when the Thais can speak English and/or the expat knows some Thai (but just can't keep up with them).

(The Thais don't mean to be rude, it just feels unnatural to speak with each other in English the whole time. Imagine if you were with your westerner friends and some Thais, and had to speak to each other in Thai. How long do you think you could keep it up? )

[fiveyears]

Nope, no friends to be made in Thailand. Loads of Thais I get along with well, but for friends you'd have to look more towards your own culure.

[Gary A]

When I worked in a Thai factory I hung around with two different Thai engineers. One was into bars, girls and boozing and the other was a respectable family man. Between the two of them I learned a lot about the country and the people.

Now I am retired and living in Loei province. My best friend up here is a Thai guy who worked at the Udon US Air Force base during Vietnam. He speaks pretty good English.

[DJ Pat]

I got some good Thai mates who I hang out with sometimes. All of them were educated (Uni anyway) in the UK so they have a bit more brains than to just talk about food, eating and make jokes about me visiting whore bars.

[ray23]

I got some good Thai mates who I hang out with sometimes. All of them were educated (Uni anyway) in the UK so they have a bit more brains than to just talk about food, eating and make jokes about me visiting whore bars.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interestingly enough I was invited to a Thai party tonight, I didn't go because the only other farrang that was going to be there, doesn't really talk much. so conversation would have been very little also I know this group of Thias do not speak english. There would have been a ton of drinking going on and of course the mandantory Karokee. Now to enjoy a bunch of drunks singing it helps a lot to be as drunk as they are. I don't do that very often anymore. What I found intersting was the farrangs were not supposed to bring anything just chip in 300 baht each, that was a new one to me.

Every year we go on the Honda safety rides, a great night of camping, eating playing games, good entertainment a seven course mell sponsored by Honda. Cost about 400 baht for two, you end up with new coats and a couple of Tee shirts, they feed you and fill the bikes up for you as well. There are literaly thouands of people there, in three of these trips I have seen one fight. The Thai's that you run into are really very nice to you but the language becomes a problem quickly. These guys just amaze me that party till four in the motrning get up at six and start all over agian.

I really don't think the Thias mind hanging out with us, and in my case it's my own fault as I have not learned to speak Thai well. But language is a big problem. All and all the Thai's that I have met are very gracious people.

[danbkk1]

Thank for all the insights They are very informative. When I think of it, I'm very lucky and unlucky at the same time in that I don't have many Thai friends aboard at all. Only 2-3 people during my 10 years studies in both the US and UK. I'm usually the only Thai there, it must be a curse or something like that. Anyway, everytime I go back home for vacation, I do have troubles talking wiht my fellow countrymen. I just don't know what to talk about, aside from the rpgs in the video game console, even then we can not go very far because my conversation partners can not go on much about the story, since their language are not good enough. Really, my mentality and thinking process is very much similar to Westerner (more like an American, since I Literally grew up there. I was in the US from 15-23.

[siamesekitty]

Anyway, everytime I go back home for vacation, I do have troubles talking wiht my fellow countrymen.  I just don't know what to talk about, aside from the rpgs in the video game console, even then we can not go very far because my conversation partners can not go on much about the story, since their language are not good enough.  Really, my mentality and thinking process is very much similar to Westerner (more like an American, since I Literally grew up there.  I was in the US from 15-23.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting to hear that there are others who have this issue as well.

I grew up in the US as well, though I was there at a younger period of my life than you were (I actually finished "growing up" here). In my case, I speak Thai and have Thai friends, but I sometimes feel like things just don't "click". We get along well and everything, but for some reason I just can't seem to establish a really deep "connection" with those who have lived in Thailand their whole lives.

Part of this is due to different backgrounds, growing up with different environments, media, literature, current events, etc.. Another part is the language issue. I don't speak Thai as fluently as the average Thai; mine's a bit accented and slightly slower, so I have some trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire chatter.

[RamdomChances]

I got some good Thai mates who I hang out with sometimes. All of them were educated (Uni anyway) in the UK so they have a bit more brains than to just talk about food, eating and make jokes about me visiting whore bars.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pat thats the biggest load of pretentious sh!t I think i've ever seen writen here including Happy Palmers bar girls topics and DD's wind ups on some of your posts.

[DJ Pat]

Oh P*ss off

[RamdomChances]

Whatever

[DJ Pat]

I've gotta put all my toys back in my pram now. Look what you did.

[danbkk1]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting to hear that there are others who have this issue as well.

I grew up in the US as well, though I was there at a younger period of my life than you were (I actually finished "growing up" here). In my case, I speak Thai and have Thai friends, but I sometimes feel like things just don't "click". We get along well and everything, but for some reason I just can't seem to establish a really deep "connection" with those who have lived in Thailand their whole lives.

Part of this is due to different backgrounds, growing up with different environments, media, literature, current events, etc.. Another part is the language issue. I don't speak Thai as fluently as the average Thai; mine's a bit accented and slightly slower, so I have some trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire chatter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no problem with Thai language. I can speak it quite well. Sometime even too fast for anyone to understand Many people tell me that I have quite an accent but I think this is just how I speak. I don't think my Thai accent change over time. My funny accent is just there in both English and Thai.

It might also be the case that I'm not very much into small talk. Everytime I get into conversation that is stimulating, it tends to be very long and cover many topics from RPG game to international affairs.

[siamesekitty]

My funny accent is just there in both English and Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I keep worrying that this will happen to me if I stay here too long!

[Boatabike]

most of the people i hang out with are Thai, not much for sitting around with ex pats talking about football and the negative sides of thailand. My Thai is okish which i guess makes the difference for me. I have had some very very interesting conversations, its a struggle with the language but that makes it all the more rewarding when you realise that you just had a deep and meaningful in a foreign language!

[danbkk1]

My funny accent is just there in both English and Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I keep worrying that this will happen to me if I stay here too long!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha, It did not help that I study in the UK for my MA. It worsening my accent. Now my accent is definately not British almost American, except I can not pronounce L,R,TH, Z. It is just my own funny accent.

[ray23]

Thank for all the insights   They are very informative.  When I think of it, I'm very lucky and unlucky at the same time in that I don't have many Thai friends aboard at all.  Only 2-3 people during my 10 years studies in both the US and UK.  I'm usually the only Thai there, it must be a curse or something like that.  Anyway, everytime I go back home for vacation, I do have troubles talking wiht my fellow countrymen.  I just don't know what to talk about, aside from the rpgs in the video game console, even then we can not go very far because my conversation partners can not go on much about the story, since their language are not good enough.  Really, my mentality and thinking process is very much similar to Westerner (more like an American, since I Literally grew up there.  I was in the US from 15-23.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not a surprise really that long in another country, you mental process has to adapt to survive. What works very well in Thailand may not work at all in another country. Just the same for us coming here, it's a complete learning process to adapt.

[booman]

Yeah, I have a few friends who are Thai, golf buddies mostly. Invite them and Farangs to house parties and the such. I speak pretty good Thai so probably helps. People with common language tend to congregate together, until they realize that they despise each other