Social Network/group

[doji]

Do you know any social network/group that “has a good mixture of thai + foreign residents” in ChiangMai?

I’m not talking about foreigners with their thai wives/husbands, but a real social group where we can discuss varieties of subject in…with English language as the main medium.

I'm a Thai and would like to maintain my bilingual skill and afraid I might lose it...if don't use it frequently.

We’re planning to move to ChiangMai and don’t know too many people there. We will be working mostly from home and mostly very much happy with just the 2 of us. However from time to time…it would be nice to be able to socialize with other souls of similar interests.

Thanks in advance

[masuk]

Hope this is not too off-topic, but on the subject of meeting local people, the need to increase English language skills of so many Thais, not to mention my need for learning some basic Thai, I'd like to know if there is an English language radio station or times for English broadcasts in Chiang Mai.

In Indonesia, many of the universities ran English language stations, to increase the speaking skills of students through out the particular city. Some of us English Language teachers were asked to participate, answer questions on air.

Something similar to this link in Thailand, using local FM stations would be a great way to go.

http://www.kangguru.org/englishradio.htm

[hellodolly]

Kind of a tough question. You mention of "similar interests"

Maybe if you posted what those interests were it would help. Or is that all just to keep up with your English speaking and understanding ability.

[beb]

The first thing to come to mind is the expat club but frankly I gave up on it after one of the meetings literally turned into an hour long infomercial for a local retirement village. They all seemed like nice enough people but the focus was very "end of life".

Good luck!

[doji]

Hellodolly...

Thank you for responding My interests?....hmm

Serious side: art (mostly abstract), architecture, issues in urban planning

Non-serious side: Hiking (once/month), exploring off beaten path places, cooking international cuisine , looking for truly yummy dishes around town (from sidewalk cafés to posh places). Fashion: French summer to bohemian style…

But most of all, I enjoy conversing with someone who…has good point/counter point views with constructive criticism, open mind, non-holy better than you attitude, non-colonial points of view, or not using religious/culture (both thai and western) as answers for everything. I’m not here to help someone finding a thai girlfriend/boyfriend… and not here to learn the English language (rather to keep up with my creative thinking process)

Too tall order?

OK just push aside my serious side (nice, but not required, I can manage on my own). As for the rest, it would be nice to be in some organized club of those interests…just more fun w/ more people!

Facebook and internet friends are ok, however a face to face – in person is much more interesting and higher probability of being genuine.

[doji]

As for the Expat Club, is it made up of mostly non thai?

I think it will be quite awkward for me (a thai) to be in, and I don’t want to spend my time answering everything about Thailand, thai people, and thai culture.. in which I probably don’t know “everything” about it still.

You mentioned they mostly focus on the “end of life issues”. Well I’m not that old yet. In addition to that …I don’t understand why aging people would be spending much time talking about the end of a rainbow, rather than focusing on “how can I live happily and healthily everyday of my life until THAT DAY comes?”. I also think that many so called “EXPAT Club” tends to attract quite wide varieties of dubious characters(both thai & foreigners) trying to take advantage of older expats and their life saving. Nah I don't want to be in the middle of it. Just my point of view here

It’s probably not a right club for me also.

[hellodolly]

As for the Expat Club, is it made up of mostly non thai?

I think it will be quite awkward for me (a thai) to be in, and I don’t want to spend my time answering everything about Thailand, thai people, and thai culture.. in which I probably don’t know “everything” about it still.

You mentioned they mostly focus on the “end of life issues”. Well I’m not that old yet. In addition to that …I don’t understand why aging people would be spending much time talking about the end of a rainbow, rather than focusing on “how can I live happily and healthily everyday of my life until THAT DAY comes?”. I also think that many so called “EXPAT Club” tends to attract quite wide varieties of dubious characters(both thai & foreigners) trying to take advantage of older expats and their life saving. Nah I don't want to be in the middle of it. Just my point of view here

It’s probably not a right club for me also.

Actually that was only one meeting. I have been to many and found some really exciting topics and some really boring ones. But to each their own. I would recommend you look into it they have special interests groups such as Hiking, dining out, chess, computers, gardening and the list goes on. These groups are separate from the once a month meeting.

[beb]

As for the Expat Club, is it made up of mostly non thai?

I think it will be quite awkward for me (a thai) to be in, and I don’t want to spend my time answering everything about Thailand, thai people, and thai culture.. in which I probably don’t know “everything” about it still.

You mentioned they mostly focus on the “end of life issues”. Well I’m not that old yet. In addition to that …I don’t understand why aging people would be spending much time talking about the end of a rainbow, rather than focusing on “how can I live happily and healthily everyday of my life until THAT DAY comes?”. I also think that many so called “EXPAT Club” tends to attract quite wide varieties of dubious characters(both thai & foreigners) trying to take advantage of older expats and their life saving. Nah I don't want to be in the middle of it. Just my point of view here

It’s probably not a right club for me also.

yeah, I joined it for the same reasons as you but stopped because I found it geared more towards those retirement kinds of issues. I just wanted to find an opportunity to hang out with some people. So I guess in the end I can't really explain why I mentioned a club that I don't recommend and therefore you would be best ignoring everything I said. Ugh, what the hell was I thinking?

[elektrified]

Hellodolly...

Thank you for responding My interests?....hmm

Serious side: art (mostly abstract), architecture, issues in urban planning

Non-serious side: Hiking (once/month), exploring off beaten path places, cooking international cuisine , looking for truly yummy dishes around town (from sidewalk cafés to posh places). Fashion: French summer to bohemian style…

But most of all, I enjoy conversing with someone who…has good point/counter point views with constructive criticism, open mind, non-holy better than you attitude, non-colonial points of view, or not using religious/culture (both thai and western) as answers for everything. I’m not here to help someone finding a thai girlfriend/boyfriend… and not here to learn the English language (rather to keep up with my creative thinking process)

Too tall order?

OK just push aside my serious side (nice, but not required, I can manage on my own). As for the rest, it would be nice to be in some organized club of those interests…just more fun w/ more people!

Facebook and internet friends are ok, however a face to face – in person is much more interesting and higher probability of being genuine.

Your English is superb!

[shepsel]

You can contact Chiang Mai Friends Group. It is run by a Thai woman named Boong, and although the meetings are run in English, there are many different topics discussed from ways of greening the city to outings to various

villages.

[caliban]

Is this topic still running ?

I have just moved to Chiang Mai after spending three years in Laos

Loving the town but don't know many people here yet

would like to know if there is any social groups here I could join

many thx

[gingerandtabby]

There might one or two things "wrong" with any group. A suggestion would be to try at least 2 "meetings" of every group you can find and see what happens. Will cost you little and might get big returns. Some Chritioan churches might be of some help, too if you can stomach the "born again" stuff.

There is a theatre group in CM. There's a guy here who has an "opera group" and another one who has ballet viewings on his TV screen. Search around once you get here.

[LaraC]

If you use facebook, look for different groups on there. It works for Bangkok and other areas of Thailand too. Lots of young expats and Thais in these groups too.