Where is "Little ******?"

[FolkGuitar]

In many American and European metropolitan locations you can find a 'Little Italy,' a 'Chinatown,' 'Koreatown,' 'Little Havana,' 'Little Saigon,' etc., etc., etc. These exist in almost every major city in the west.

While Chiang Mai does have a Chinatown area, I don't seem to be able to find a 'Little America,' 'Little London,' or an 'Aussietown.' When we move to a foreign country we seem to want to make entre into the foreign society. Many westerners even take pride in making it known that they have lots of locals as friends and shunning their own. When the foreigners move into western countries they seem to want just the opposite, and stay in their own communities.

Just something I've been wondering about....

Edited February 5, 2016 by FolkGuitar

[villagefarang]

I think it could have something to do with moving from a more developed country to a less developed one and the arrogance of English speakers thinking everyone should speak English.

[SoiBiker]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

Really.. I think if we do a poll on this forum where people live then just about everyone lives in San Sai, Hang Dong et al, or possibly Nimman.

There is no predominantly Farang area, and then especially not by the same nationalities.

And even Nimmanhaemin has vastly more Thais.

To get a serious concentration of foreigners you need to be looking at places like Pattaya, in certain areas. But also there it doesn't go by nationality.

Edited February 5, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[FolkGuitar]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

[SoiBiker]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

[TheAppletons]

I think it could have something to do with moving from a more developed country to a less developed one and the arrogance of English speakers thinking everyone should speak English.

[villagefarang]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

[SoiBiker]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

I think the difference is more to do with the tendency of farang men to come here for the women. How many of those Farangs are female? How many would have chosen those villages if they hadn't been led there by a local woman?

[villagefarang]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

I think the difference is more to do with the tendency of farang men to come here for the women. How many of those Farangs are female? How many would have chosen those villages if they hadn't been led there by a local woman?

That is a good point. Very few foreigners, male or female, are able to navigate life in Thailand without the aid of a local partner to act as translator.

Edited February 5, 2016 by villagefarang

[SoiBiker]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

I think the difference is more to do with the tendency of farang men to come here for the women. How many of those Farangs are female? How many would have chosen those villages if they hadn't been led there by a local woman?

That is a good point. Very few foreigners, male or female, are able to navigate life in Thailand without the aid of a local partner.

Seriously?

I've managed to struggle through somehow, as have most of the people I know here.

[villagefarang]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

I think the difference is more to do with the tendency of farang men to come here for the women. How many of those Farangs are female? How many would have chosen those villages if they hadn't been led there by a local woman?

That is a good point. Very few foreigners, male or female, are able to navigate life in Thailand without the aid of a local partner.

Seriously?

I've managed to struggle through somehow, as have most of the people I know here.

Still, the vast majority do "struggle" as you say and are limited by their inability to speak Thai.

[SoiBiker]

I'd say the opposite was true. Those who rely on a Thai partner to communicate through are not forced to engage with Thailand in the same way as those who manage without.

My use of the word 'struggle' was meant in an ironic sense, by the way. It's not hard to make your own way here without a Thai partner at all.

Edited February 5, 2016 by SoiBiker

[villagefarang]

I didn’t have a Thai partner for the first 20 some years so I am not disagreeing with you, but I did speak Thai so was not limited in the way someone who can’t speak Thai is.

[fey]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

agreed

how many broke foreigners do you see living in cheap thai type housing? it's almost always exclusively thai

how many broke thai's do you see living in cheap guesthouses, it's almost always exclusively foreigners

how many foreigners do you see at the local thai market buying food and groceries? i can them on two hands over several years

far less integration then i saw with asians where i'm from in the usa

thailand is a very classist society which makes any true integration rather difficult

not having a usa-town, or aussie-town is likely due to less tolerance for it here, not because foreigners would not want it

Edited February 5, 2016 by fey

[villagefarang]

I have always found it very easy to cross boundaries and access an level of Thai society so I feel it is more the attitude and behavior of the foreigners which is the problem, instead of the class structured nature of Thai society.

[FolkGuitar]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

Where is the British enclave? I've never noticed any part of Chiangmai that I could call "Americatown?" Can you give me the Google Map coords, please. And I seem to recall a rather large number of TV posters stating that they keep away from farangs, preferring the company of Thais for their social life. I guess your post confuses me a bit. Did you mean to say that farangs DONT get lumped together, as I stated?

[SoiBiker]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

Where is the British enclave? I've never noticed any part of Chiangmai that I could call "Americatown?" Can you give me the Google Map coords, please. And I seem to recall a rather large number of TV posters stating that they keep away from farangs, preferring the company of Thais for their social life. I guess your post confuses me a bit. Did you mean to say that farangs DONT get lumped together, as I stated?

Huh?

I was agreeing that there's no 'British' enclave, but rather a generic farang enclave.

[daoyai]

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

agreed

how many broke foreigners do you see living in cheap thai type housing? it's almost always exclusively thai

how many broke thai's do you see living in cheap guesthouses, it's almost always exclusively foreigners

how many foreigners do you see at the local thai market buying food and groceries? i can them on two hands over several years

far less integration then i saw with asians where i'm from in the usa

thailand is a very classist society which makes any true integration rather difficult

not having a usa-town, or aussie-town is likely due to less tolerance for it here, not because foreigners would not want it

"broke foreigners" " broke Thais" ?? most long term expats integrate to the level they desire, that is the attraction of CM, we can "bye Kad' for all that local produce, chicken and pork, go to Rimping Kasem or Tops for beef and farang staples. ... or go "native" rarely speaking Eng. in some remote village or all Thai neighborhood in the city. I have done both and now prefer to be in the international mix... much more interesting.

[daoyai]

...in regards to the OP, most of the ethnic enclave he mentions are centered on commercial activities, "little Italy" , china town, etc, ethnic shops . since foreigners are not on the path to perm.res. or citizen status and are very stricktly limited as to busines opportunities, this is not possible. The exception being Indians, they have most of the fabric shops and are often clustered together in the markets. ... they got citizenship long time ago.

Edited February 5, 2016 by daoyai

[villagefarang]

...in regards to the OP, most of the ethnic enclave he mentions are centered on commercial activities, "little Italy" , china town, etc, ethnic shops . since foreigners are not on the path to perm.res. or citizen status and are very stricktly limited as to busines opportunities, this is not possible. The exception being Indians, they have most of the fabric shops and are often clustered together in the markets. ... they got citizenship long time ago.

The economic aspect is important I think, as new immigrants often move to the cheapest areas and sometimes end up displacing the previous group of immigrants or subdividing the area. I think economic immigrants and western retirees are going to act differently.

[TheSiemReaper]

Oh the enclaves are there alright - just not based on where you live but rather where you drink (which has been true of English speaking expats since living ex patria became a popular thing). It's natural for people to seek each other out based on shared language, heritage etc. but most Western expats are economic migrants leveraging geo-arbitrage to get the most bang for their bucks... so they come alone, choose somewhere to live and then become involved in social ghettoization. Conversely, those emigrating to the West tend not to come alone... they move to be with families and extended networks (which the Chinese call guanxi) - so they tend to settle together. Their cultures often involve less "bar/pub" time too than ours does.

[Oscar2]

I was talking with a new arrival in my area who was surprised that he was not the only farang living this far out of Chiang Rai (60 km). It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen. Again I think it is because we have a different attitude to those immigrants moving to the West.

I think the difference is more to do with the tendency of farang men to come here for the women. How many of those Farangs are female? How many would have chosen those villages if they hadn't been led there by a local woman?

actually during Songkran i always try and avoid the city and drive through remote villages all over the place - some times an hour or more out of C.M. i'm always very surprised when i see farangs in the most remote of villages participating in Songkran festivities along with the locals. many of them are indeed single women; whether they are missionaries, running orphanages - or doing whatever. there are a LOT more than one would think.

[northernjohn]

I think it could have something to do with moving from a more developed country to a less developed one and the arrogance of English speakers thinking everyone should speak English.

Sad to say I have to agree with you on that.

You're kidding, right? Pretty much everything inside the moat is Farang Town.

But that's lumping ALL foreigners in together. That's not the case in the West. There, each nationality has its own distinct enclave, streets with all the shops selling only that country's goods and services, with signs all in that language. Today, most of the signs inside the moat are in Chinese... for the tourists, not for residents.

By 'The West', I guess you mean the US - enclaves like those you describe aren't particularly common in Europe.

Yes, foreigners here tend to get lumped together in farang ghettos - but they're certainly not integrating into Thai society like your OP suggests.

Canada has the same situation in it's larger cities.

[totally thaied up]

I am the only farang out at my village but when Immigration came calling the other day, they told me that their were 300 of us out in this region and I never see them at all when I go out to the house. I mostly see the same faces at the same bars when I drive past the moat/Loi Kroh area.

At certain coffee shops, I see the same Nomads, year in and year out. Went to a party the other night out at Hang Dong and it is my first social contact with farangs for years in fact. Was surprised at the amount of older farang women that could speak Thai.

[cyberfarang]

I find the Americans to be the most sociable. When an American meets another American in Chiang Mai they instantly seem to click, discussing home towns and where they`ve lived in the States. On the other hand the Brits are completely different, they prefer to blank their fellow Brits and other Farlangs. I think the Australians come a close second. Also Americans intend to keep together in groups but the Brits prefer to stay as loners and are most likely to be the ones that will look the other way and ignore you.

[MaeJoMTB]

It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen.

It's because Pattaya attracts poor, yet pretty, rural girls from all over the country.

Then, when they make a conquest, they want to move him back to their village.

Totally explicable.

What isn't explicable, is why the mugs follow them to such out of the way places?

Edited February 5, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[totally thaied up]

It seems no matter how remote, there is a farang associated with almost every village you visit. A large number of foreigners are spread throughout the countryside and are not necessarily living in an enclave of fellow countrymen.

It's because Pattaya attracts poor, yet pretty, rural girls from all over the country.

Then, when they make a conquest, they want to move him back to their village.

Totally explicable.

What isn't explicable, is why the mugs follow them to such out of the way places?

The mugs follow them because they are 'in love' or have a case of rice fever.

This happened to a fellow counterpart of mine only a few months ago and has gone out to some poor back block of Isaan to see his 'bar' girl that had been only working for 'two' weeks here in a Chiang Mai bar. There is one born every minute and they will not listen to commonsense. Just now waiting for the call of the million baht 'sin sod' shortly for a 40 year old slapper with 2 kids....

This place attracts all sorts of losers and for some, Isaan might seem paradise compared to Redfern or Logan in Australia. Still, I could not live in a village for too long. Maybe when I am old an very grey and want to talk to Somchai about breeding buffaloes but that is a long way off yet...

I do not want to be around farangs. We have the expats club for that. There are just so many social and dance functions at various hotels or cocktail receptions to fit the need for most that want that and you will never be short of friends.

[Chicog]

I find the Americans to be the most sociable. When an American meets another American in Chiang Mai they instantly seem to click, discussing home towns and where they`ve lived in the States.

Usually at the top of their voices.

Which is why you can't hear the Brits, Aussies, etc. doing it.

[SoiBiker]

I find the Americans to be the most sociable. When an American meets another American in Chiang Mai they instantly seem to click, discussing home towns and where they`ve lived in the States.

Usually at the top of their voices.

Which is why you can't hear the Brits, Aussies, etc. doing it.

So very very true.