Visitor Experience Vs. More Permanent Residence Experience

[ivan96822]

Came to Thailand for the first time in 2011 and spent two weeks in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok and it was everything I expected. I was in my early 30s, partied like I was in my early 20s, spent a few nights with friendly women who were very willing, and had an awesome time.

Came back in the summer of 2012 with plans to stay a month. Followed the same M.O. with similar results. No complaints and lots of good stories to tell...

I am a gainfully employed teacher here in the west and am considering teaching for a year or three (or four) in LOS, but I want to ask those in the know this question:

As more permanent, working residents with jobs and not so many opportunities to cut loose eight nights a week like a visitor, how does the real world, boots on the ground experience of a Bangkok "local" compare to someone there on holiday? I know that you still probably enjoy at least one to three nights out a week, have a tough time keeping the more willing lasses away, and live a modest yet colorful lifestyle there in the Kingdom, but I must ask, can you please give some insight as to the similarities and differences between the visitor experience and the more permanent residence experience?

Thanks in advance!

Edited October 23, 2012 by ivan96822

[thehelmsman]

Common sense would dictate you're only bound by disposable income and the body's stamina. Party on..............

[TommoPhysicist]

The constant sexual demands put upon the aging foreign male takes it's toll, after two or three years.

I'm in my late fifties and after five years I'm definitely flagging.

[Dancealot]

The put it in another way:

A long time ago when i was a visitor i was attracted to the life you mention. As a more permanent i changed my attractions from 'there' to 'the country'.

In the end i got sick of the 'life there'. I mean by this i can' t cope with what's going on down there in the lower parts of the street you mentioned. Luckily i opened my eyes just in time to escape that life and consequently changed my ways to truly enjoy Thailand's real attractions. Every day is exciting and a real learning school when i spend time there. It is another culture and it is a better way of life to live there for me in comparison to the west.

If you want to venture into your 'attraction' please go ahead. I did. It was a good lesson for me Mr teacher. I met myself in Thailand and i did not like what i saw. After realizing this my eyes where opened. And i saw what i was really looking for here. I cannot explain this to you in any other way then this:

Do what makes you feel good and help others in order to make them feel better.

Good luck!

[rgs2001uk]

As someone who lives here, I dont have the time or inclanation to go to the area mentioned.

I mix with the locals, there is always something on, ordination parties, graduation parties, weddings, tam boon baan parties, birthday parties, sporting events etc etc.

The only times I go the this area is to visit friends who are passing through for a couple of days en route to somewhere else.

Last time I was out with a friend in the area, we spent 4k between us.

To me, this area is like some sort of parallel universe that exists in a black hole, best avoided.

Most of the farang I know do not use this area.

Two nights later he visited my area, we repeated the same night we had in Suk, this time it cost us 800 baht between us, this was in a Thai area.

[chrisinth]

That is a very good approach to someone who is planning to (possibly) move here. As I am sure you realize, actually living in a country (anywhere in the world) as opposed to visiting on holiday, especially with the view to working there, is a vast divide. You will find that once the novelty has worn off (and believe me it will!) then you will be back to concentrating on living a "normal" life.

Something else you should be aware off is the fact that you are looking at teaching. This comes with its own restrictions as far as partying goes as it is highly frowned upon (rightly so) for teachers looking the worse for wear during their lessons. I am not involved in teaching here, so the later is second-hand information which, if wrong, will be corrected by one of our esteemed learned friends on the forum.

Anyway, best of luck! It is an astounding country to live in, but like anywhere, it all comes down to your own viewpoint and expectations at the end of the day!

[beano2274]

Your expectations as a tourist are not as high as those when you live here permanently (or maybe the other way around depending on you).

Teaching is a good job, English native speakers jobs are advertised quite often, looking at your name I would think you are not an English native speaker, but there are many jobs around for non native speakers (if am wrong about your nationality apologies), and also voice over work is plentiful for Europeans, if you know the right places to look.

Good luck

Edited October 29, 2012 by beano2274

[Swiss1960]

While not yet living in Thailand, from my years I noticed two main differences between holiday and residence that I must take into account:

First, whether Sukhumvit or Walking Street, after no more than one week, those places get really boring. And after two weeks, seeing the same beach every day and reading books gets boring also... so definitely, I will need to find a place, where I can do something, whether charity or other, otherwise I will end up as one of the many drunken sexpats that we see sit in the bars from 8 morning to closing time...

Second, it also comes down to budgeting. As mentioned above, there is a huge difference in having a fun night in the country or having the same in Bangkok / Pattaya / Phuket / ... (name your town). And my budget for life (...or what years are left) just does not include daily nights out on the streets of the major and expensive city streets.

[ivan96822]

Swiss and Beano, thanks for taking the time to read my post and responding to it.

Beano, I'm an American, a native English speaker, just for the record.

Swiss, regarding the fact that you say Walking Street and Sukhumvit are boring, I would disagree. I've spent a considerable amount of time in both, and though they are not the wholesome or even upstanding places to seek out entertainment, I find them conducive to my lifestyle.