Is Pattaya A Good Place For Networking With Other It And Business Professionals?

[GoGet]

Is Pattaya a good place for networking with other IT and business professionals?

It's a very open question, I know but I will try to fill it out with more details later.

[craigt3365]

Actually, it's a great place to network. There's a variety of networking events going on in town. Lots of expat workers up and down the eastern seaboard.

Not being in business, I can't help with the specifics of them, but hopefully somebody will come along and give you the details. One is Lighthouse:

https://www.facebook.com/LighthouseClubPattaya

I believe there are a few chamber of commerce events also.

[GoGet]

"Is Pattaya a good place for networking with other IT and business professionals?"

Not sure about networking with professionals but it is certainly a good place to meet unemployed website designers and SEO "specialists". Also part-time real estate agents with no work permit.

Just go into any bar ......

Ha, that's funny.

I'm just thinking the place has 5 million visitors a year, most of which can afford to travel abroad (i. e. middle income or above). I'm not interested in the sleaze, I'm interested in the numbers. That's a heck of a lot of international visitors and I'm sure many of them are involved in relatively successful businesses, lest they couldn't afford to spend much time there. Correct me if I'm wrong, I only visited the place once and I was abhorred by all the alcoholics and the bars (I'm a teetotaler) but the numbers intrigue me. Plus you only have to drive around for a while to see plenty of construction work going on and fashionable hotels being raised. There's money in that place.

[DrTuner]

It's best not to get involvedvwith other farangs. Must be #1 reason for people finding trouble in Thailand. Earn the money outside and spend in TH is the way to go.

As for Thais, are you fluent in Thai ?

Edited October 23, 2012 by DrTuner

[simple1]

OP you need to be specific in your area of expertise in IT and management. The large MNC's IT vendors have offices in Thailand, and some have foreigner managed partners such as SAP, but Thai's are the doers. I know of one foreigner owned IT provider in Pattaya "Liberty computers", again staff will be Thai.

Most of the larger IT companies will have their Asian regional H.O. in Singapore or H.K.

[manarak]

My first answer to OP would be "no".

Most people I met were a waste of space and time.

But then I think the people I would like to make the acquaintance of are those who do not want to network because they don't need to network to be successful.

Most "networkers" I met during the past 20 years were very superficial sweet talkers with no added value whatsoever.

I am an independent webmaster.

Edited October 24, 2012 by manarak

[raro]

IT is a rather wide field. If you are looking for the likes of SAP, go to Bangkok. There you will also find other larger IT companies that do server maintenance, hosting and so on.

In Pattaya you will find only smaller companies that offer similar services but are too small to take a second foreigner on board.

sent from my Android phone

[GoGet]

How about Chiang Mai then? Would that be a better option?

[raro]

Bangkok. Not Chiangmai, not Phuket. Bangkok.

sent from my Android phone

[GoGet]

Sorry, Bangkok traffic is just too much. I want to live too, not just work.

[GoGet]

And by living I don't mean partying, I mean being able to exercise in a safe and healthy environment, eat in small restaurants and so on.

I cannot afford to live and work in air conditioned luxury sky scrapers, I'm more of a laptop nomad.

[Rimmer]

A commercial post has been removed

[Penangfreak]

My first answer to OP would be "no".

Most people I met were a waste of space and time.

But then I think the people I would like to make the acquaintance of are those who do not want to network because they don't need to network to be successful.

Most "networkers" I met during the past 20 years were very superficial sweet talkers with no added value whatsoever.

I am an independent webmaster.

Fully agreed...Most businesses have a bloody hard time to find a reliable IT company with even basic trained technicians. Wanna do business try Bangkok. Pattaya attracts the wrong people, o.c. there is exceptions....Good luck. PF.

[manarak]

If anyone wants to meet & speak about internet business around a beer, I'm available... in Pattaya

[raro]

Sorry, Bangkok traffic is just too much. I want to live too, not just work.

I'm just telling you what the reality is. Still, we don't know what exactly you are looking for. IT, as we discussed already is a rather wide field.

sent from my Android phone

[GoGet]

If anyone wants to meet & speak about internet business around a beer, I'm available... in Pattaya

If you substitute the beer for a glass of refreshing orange juice, I might be game. I don't drink and I want people that I do business with or talk business with to be sober.

[GoGet]

My first answer to OP would be "no".

Most people I met were a waste of space and time.

But then I think the people I would like to make the acquaintance of are those who do not want to network because they don't need to network to be successful.

Most "networkers" I met during the past 20 years were very superficial sweet talkers with no added value whatsoever.

I am an independent webmaster.

Fully agreed...Most businesses have a bloody hard time to find a reliable IT company with even basic trained technicians. Wanna do business try Bangkok. Pattaya attracts the wrong people, o.c. there is exceptions....Good luck. PF.

What about Chiang Mai then?

Pattaya attracts, specifically, 5 million people per year. I do not believe that all of those individuals are the "wrong people" (although I'm sure the vast majority are).

[GoGet]

Sorry, Bangkok traffic is just too much. I want to live too, not just work.

I'm just telling you what the reality is. Still, we don't know what exactly you are looking for. IT, as we discussed already is a rather wide field.

sent from my Android phone

Yeah... I'm thinking maybe it just takes too much time to set up networking meetings online, so maybe I should just go to a place with a lot of people and see what happens. I'm pretty good at striking up conversations with strangers, so if there is a high enough number I will probably meet some interesting people.

[JSixpack]

And by living I don't mean partying, I mean being able to exercise in a safe and healthy environment, eat in small restaurants and so on.

So exercise in a cheap room w/ a couple of dumbbells or a TRX. Lots of small restaurants and stalls around everywhere.

Sorted.

Edited November 3, 2012 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

Yeah... I'm thinking maybe it just takes too much time to set up networking meetings online, so maybe I should just go to a place with a lot of people and see what happens. I'm pretty good at striking up conversations with strangers, so if there is a high enough number I will probably meet some interesting people.

They won't be talking about IT.

[nanapong]

Sorry, Bangkok traffic is just too much. I want to live too, not just work.

I'm just telling you what the reality is. Still, we don't know what exactly you are looking for. IT, as we discussed already is a rather wide field.

sent from my Android phone

Yeah... I'm thinking maybe it just takes too much time to set up networking meetings online, so maybe I should just go to a place with a lot of people and see what happens. I'm pretty good at striking up conversations with strangers, so if there is a high enough number I will probably meet some interesting people.

Yes you'll certainly meet some interesting people in Pattaya but not so many wanting to talk IT. You'd be better off in BKK for business and put up with the traffic.

Edited November 3, 2012 by nanapong

[manarak]

If anyone wants to meet & speak about internet business around a beer, I'm available... in Pattaya

If you substitute the beer for a glass of refreshing orange juice, I might be game. I don't drink and I want people that I do business with or talk business with to be sober.

People are hardly drunk after a beer or two :-)

Edited November 3, 2012 by manarak

[Tolley]

OP still hasnt defined what he means by IT.

I am a freelance SAP consultant but I have never worked in thailand because I can get a lot more money elsewhere.

I spend a lot of time in Pattaya but have never met another SAP consultant here apart from friends of mine who have come over.

There are plenty of general IT people everywhere and I presume Thais can well handle most of these jobs unless you have some niche area that you work in.

[raro]

I was involved with a company that set up SAP and similar products. ALL those businesses are Bangkok based. Almost all of their customers are Bangkok based. At least the head office where the decisions are made.

There is a lot of networking going on in Pattaya, Chambers of Commerce, Light House Club etc. I attend a lot of those functions. In Bangkok and Pattaya. In Pattaya you meet mostly entrepreneurs that have barely enough staff to maintain the work permit, in Bangkok you meet CEOs of large enterprises. Those managers from Bangkok may also come down to Pattaya once in a while, but they are all based in Bangkok.

[GoGet]

"So exercise in a cheap room w/ a couple of dumbbells or a TRX. Lots of small restaurants and stalls around everywhere.

Sorted."

I don't know man, Bangkok is just too much. Thinking a bit about Chiang Mai or Pattaya.

"They won't be talking about IT."

I should clarify, I'm an entrepreneur specifically interested in helping small businesses finding capital through crowdfunding. I work mostly with other software developers but I should perhaps say I'm in the IT/financial services industry. Crowdfunding is a relatively new concept so a bit hard to categorize still. It can have a wider appeal than pure programming I believe since most startups need capital, regardless of industry.

"I'm just telling you what the reality is. Still, we don't know what exactly you are looking for. IT, as we discussed already is a rather wide field.

sent from my Android phone"

See reply in this post, just above yours.

"Yes you'll certainly meet some interesting people in Pattaya but not so many wanting to talk IT. You'd be better off in BKK for business and put up with the traffic."

See above.

"If you substitute the beer for a glass of refreshing orange juice, I might be game. I don't drink and I want people that I do business with or talk business with to be sober.

People are hardly drunk after a beer or two :-)"

Sorry man but alcohol is just unhealthy and you should stop. One drink is one too many, regardless of what the populace says.

"OP still hasnt defined what he means by IT.

I am a freelance SAP consultant but I have never worked in thailand because I can get a lot more money elsewhere.

I spend a lot of time in Pattaya but have never met another SAP consultant here apart from friends of mine who have come over.

There are plenty of general IT people everywhere and I presume Thais can well handle most of these jobs unless you have some niche area that you work in."

I'm into crowdfunding, not SAP or programming. I'm an entrepreneur, not an employee.

"I was involved with a company that set up SAP and similar products. ALL those businesses are Bangkok based. Almost all of their customers are Bangkok based. At least the head office where the decisions are made.

There is a lot of networking going on in Pattaya, Chambers of Commerce, Light House Club etc. I attend a lot of those functions. In Bangkok and Pattaya. In Pattaya you meet mostly entrepreneurs that have barely enough staff to maintain the work permit, in Bangkok you meet CEOs of large enterprises. Those managers from Bangkok may also come down to Pattaya once in a while, but they are all based in Bangkok."

Good to know, thank you for your useful and informative reply, please feel free to comment further.

Thanks all of you guys for your replies so far, IT technicians can be so very friendly and resourceful. Please continue to post in this thread, maybe we can stir something up.

GoGet

Edited November 4, 2012 by GoGet

[DLock]

Thailand is not the place to look for companies to "invest" in.

You will find plenty, but very, very few worthy of investment or time.

Just guys like you, who want to live in Pattaya and are struggling to survive.

Go to a network function and let it be known you have money to invest. See what happens.

[GoGet]

I'm not an investor per se, this is a link to one of my main professional interests:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdfunding

[GoGet]

So, it seems most of you guys are saying Bangkok is a better option than Pattaya when it comes to networking within the traditional IT industry?

Still not sure. Pattaya has a bad reputation but I have a feeling it could be nice to establish something with web and IT there. I'm thinking about creating a crowdfunding campaign for that purpose, perhaps I'll post a link here to the campaign here if I do.

[manarak]

So, it seems most of you guys are saying Bangkok is a better option than Pattaya when it comes to networking within the traditional IT industry?

Still not sure. Pattaya has a bad reputation but I have a feeling it could be nice to establish something with web and IT there. I'm thinking about creating a crowdfunding campaign for that purpose, perhaps I'll post a link here to the campaign here if I do.

what did you successfully crowdfund and what were the sums raised?

[craigt3365]

So, it seems most of you guys are saying Bangkok is a better option than Pattaya when it comes to networking within the traditional IT industry?

Still not sure. Pattaya has a bad reputation but I have a feeling it could be nice to establish something with web and IT there. I'm thinking about creating a crowdfunding campaign for that purpose, perhaps I'll post a link here to the campaign here if I do.

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