Meeting new friends

[Dennis01]

I travel to Bangkok each year and would like to meet other Gay men for friendship. I know that there are many "dating" sites but I am a regular ThaiVisa user and would like to know how others have met gay friends in Thailand. I will be in Bangkok for the next 2 months staying in my condo. I would like to have friends who I can meet with every time I am in Thailand. This is probably the wrong site for this topic but I do not want to go to other sites that make me feel uncomfortable. I am 61 years old. Thanks

[anon8]

Spending every winter here for past 10 years I had one gay friend. American guy, working here, he moved back to states 5 years ago. And thats it, no gay friends since. But have straight foreigners friends.

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[Scott]

It might be helpful to know where you live? If it's in Bangkok, then you might want to let us know which area.

[Dennis01]

My condo is in Silom area. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[Scott]

Silom is a big mixing pot for gays, so you should have no problem in meeting people. Make it a point to check out some of the venues on Soi 4. Go a bit earlier in the evening and have a beer, a soda or a coffee. Maybe get something to eat. There are usually some of the more business type people who will stop by for a chat after work.

Be a little brave and introduce yourself to people, or if your a little shy, hang drop by a few times a week until you start noticing some of the same faces and then introduce yourself. Let the waiters kind of know that you are looking to meet people. Sit down close to others and try join the conversation.

Last time I was there, I was with a colleague and we were having a nice talk. A US guy working in Singapore started a conversation with us. People like to be social and it's an area where you can be.

Remember, there are a lot of people you might not want to hang around with, but the more you meet, the greater the chances you will find what your looking for.

Best of luck.

[anon8]

Yes, it is very easy to start conversation in coffee shops, almost every night you can have a chat with guys from Australia, US, or many other places. For some reason it is easy for me to start convo at Starbucks in Pattaya, on Beach rd.

But it is not easy at all at Balcony or Telephone in soi 4. I have never been able to start a convo there with any man, who is sitting alone. Dont know why.

Sent from my C6802 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Scott]

I am not much at starting a conversation period. The greater the mixing of people, however, the easier it is. On Soi 4 it's easier if it is earlier, when there is more likely some conversation going on -- businessmen etc..

But coffee shops are a good idea as well.

Once you have met a few people, they tend to introduce you to other people etc.. It is a little bit of a snowball effect.

[Dennis01]

Thanks for your advice. Not sure if I will go to the bars etc - was looking to meet gay friends via Thaivisa - but thanks anyway.

[anon8]

Thanks for your advice. Not sure if I will go to the bars etc - was looking to meet gay friends via Thaivisa - but thanks anyway.

I tryed once to meet TV member for coffee, a while ago, just for chat since I had almost no foreigner friebds at the time... no luck, we never met.

I think internet and real life are maybe not a good idea to mix.

Person who you know online, maybe have formed some online friendship even.. Meeting that person in real life maybe not what you were expecting.

I once met a guy in Europe, we knew each other for abour 1 year online, a chat room about US politics. I was very weary to meet at all, it is not easy for me to meet a new person. He kept insisting, and one day I found courage to meet, I thought what the hell, what have I got to lose.

I know him since, I am happy we met in real life.. But if he didn't push me, and kept insisting he wants to meet up, I never would have taken the initiative.

It is not easy to make friends with other foreigners here.

[Scott]

The problem for many people is that the persona that is developed online and in writing may be very different that the personality in real life.

I worked with a very, very nice man. One of the most congenial people I've run into. I found out through another person that he was a poster on Thaivisa and had been banned. This affable, pleasant person is an online nightmare.

Personally, I have only met one person directly through the internet and it didn't turn out well. We were great friends chatting, but face-to-face, was just very different.

But, all that said, if Thaivisa has another one of its get togethers like it did for it's 10th anniversary, I can certainly suggest a special event for gays who might be interested.

Let me know.

[onthemoon]

When I first came to Thailand, and also when I moved back the second time, I hung out at Telephone Pub often and met people by talking to them or being talked to after a couple of times. Just as Scott says.

On the internet, people like to hide their names. See, we use nicknames rather than real names. Different medium.

[rubyeb]

it is easy to make gay friends. It takes time to meet real people. with Skype, Note and dozens of other apps, it is getting easier. I am a gay man happily married to a thai Ladyboy. She is on her ipad talking to friends and family all over the world every day. We live in Los Angeles thanks to the Supreme Court ruling June 2013. We lead busy lives yet can usually squeeze in conversations. Dennis01, if you or anyone wants to start a conversation, just ask.

[onthemoon]

I am old-style, I go to pubs and meet people. Meeting people on the internet means not meeting them, it just means conversing electronically with an online persona.

Here is something new I just learned: These days, people have apps on their smart phones. They connect electronically and then meet personally. People invite people to their homes, even though they don't know each other, they just "met" on the internet, through that app.

Amazing.

At the same time, people don't meet at pubs or discotheques any more, even though they might go there. Once the place closes, everybody sits or stands outside and uses their apps. That's what my Swiss friend (early 40s) told me.

I'm too old for that. I haven't even been to a discotheque for over a year. I wonder whether people still go there.

[robertthebruce]

I am old-style, I go to pubs and meet people. Meeting people on the internet means not meeting them, it just means conversing electronically with an online persona.

Here is something new I just learned: These days, people have apps on their smart phones. They connect electronically and then meet personally. People invite people to their homes, even though they don't know each other, they just "met" on the internet, through that app.

Amazing.

At the same time, people don't meet at pubs or discotheques any more, even though they might go there. Once the place closes, everybody sits or stands outside and uses their apps. That's what my Swiss friend (early 40s) told me.

I'm too old for that. I haven't even been to a discotheque for over a year. I wonder whether people still go there.

For sure people still go to ''Clubs'' , especially the younger ones......

[onthemoon]

I am old-style, I go to pubs and meet people. Meeting people on the internet means not meeting them, it just means conversing electronically with an online persona.

Here is something new I just learned: These days, people have apps on their smart phones. They connect electronically and then meet personally. People invite people to their homes, even though they don't know each other, they just "met" on the internet, through that app.

Amazing.

At the same time, people don't meet at pubs or discotheques any more, even though they might go there. Once the place closes, everybody sits or stands outside and uses their apps. That's what my Swiss friend (early 40s) told me.

I'm too old for that. I haven't even been to a discotheque for over a year. I wonder whether people still go there.

For sure people still go to ''Clubs'' , especially the younger ones......

Good to hear.

[taiwanatoa]

Is there any more on this one?

[alex88]

I have met a lot of gay farangs by hanging out in non moneyboy bars such as balcony bar. It's pretty friendly there and not really a pick up place. I'm sure you were already aware of that, but that's where I have met some good farang friends.

[Scott]

I seldom go down in that area any more, but I just love Balcony. It's a little easier to mingle than some of the other places and meeting people is a little easier.