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Meeting People in Leisure Places

ThailandGuru.com > Clubs and meetings > Leisure places

There are countless places where you can meet people and sometimes make friends. I have met countless tourists, some being experienced and interesting world travellers whereby I more-or-less barter tips on Thailand for info on their adventures abroad. We're all foreigners in Thailand, and those who don't work here are usually quite open to leisurely conversation in a proper venue, such as bus terminals and stops, open aired beer bars, river boats, etc. Since I also work here, I occasionally strike up conversation with professionally dressed people.

Some particular leisure venues:

Khao Sarn Road is the traditional "backpacker" area, with cheap accomodation and without any of the seedier elements of Bangkok, but this area has changed over the past two years to a predominantly Thai yuppie-of-sorts area. The new backpacker area has moved northwest, along the river, and is much quieter. While this used to be a good place to meet young globetrotting backpackers, and stay for cheap, it's lost a lot of its ambiance recently.

Sukhumvit billiards and open-air beer bars are a common place to socialize -- the outdoor ones without any blaring music or go-go girls. Most beer bars are not really girl pickup places, though some are. I find them good to find conversation with world travellers. There are several along Sukhumvit, e.g.:

Bamboo on soi 3 (Nana Nua), an indoor place about 100 meters from Sukhumvit, has pool tables
Soi 4, in Nana Plaza's center, and also down the road a little bit further
Soi 7 pool hall, about 20 meters from the corner, on the right, a favorite of many expats
Soi 7 beer garden, about 40 meters from the corner and across the street from the pool hall, mainly a freelance prostitute pickup joint but OK when not crowded
Cheap Charlies, about 50 meters down soi 11 on the left, used to be a hangout for professional engineers before the 1997 crash
Clinton Plaza, between sois 13 and 15, has several outdoor beer bars plus a good indoor pool hall on floor 2
Thermae, near the corner of soi 15 next to Clinton Plaza, located in the basement of Ruamchit Plaza, mainly a late nite prostitute pickup joint, but popular for expat friends to socialize, too, after 11pm
Asoke corner, the outdoor beer bars on the corner of the busy intersection of Asoke (soi 21) and Sukhumvit Rd.
Artist bars of soi 33, named after Western artists over the past several hundred years, a few of these are lounges frequented more by professional expats, especially on Fridays after work, around 7pm or thereafter. Walk down until you find one with a good crowd.
Bull's Head, soi 33/1, sometimes a good place after work

There are countless nitelife discotheques and go-go bars as covered in the Nitelife section, but these are generally not good places to hold a conversation or meet people. One exception:

On Fridays, around 7pm, a group of expats meet at Woodstock on floor 2 of Nana Plaza, the back right. This is a fairly quiet place with a couple of pool tables, TV and 60s-80s music that isn't loud. Not a bad place anytime. However, on Friday nites, just walk in, turn left, go up a couple of steps, and mix. The food's OK, too. The group at Woodstock is a mix of old-timers and newcomers who originally met on the webboard of NanaPlaza.com (and some of the old-timers probably haven't logged into it in months). Nana Plaza is an intense go-go bar area, and Woodstock is an exception in the complex.

An expat can always cure their loneliness with a prostitute. In fact, they are economical language tutors, so-called "long haired dictionaries" (polite) or "sleeping dictionaries" (crude), at daily labor rates you'd never find in the West. With phrase book in hand, and listening to them talk with others such as vendors, you could be taking some useful steps ... as long as you aren't too under the influence of alcohol, which impairs memory. Some make decent tour guides, too, though you've got to use your judgement in choosing. Class of language is another factor. While you can learn Thai from nearly any bar girl, you will later find out the different choices of phrases which show class. Imagine learning English from a slum vs. an office. You can start in the slum, and maybe can choose a good slum dweller, but should become aware of the differences. Also, pick someone who pronounces phrases clearly, fully, gently and slowly/patiently.

If you learn Thai, then you vastly open up the cultural benefits and intellectual growth of your Thailand experience. Then, when you go back to the expat areas, you'll see just how crude and clueless many veteran expats there still seem.

There are countless Thai nitelife places, such as discos, pubs and the like. Most farangs don't get on well in these places, especially if they have "learned the bad habits and low class Thai language" of Sukhumvit. However, if you dress right, conduct yourself well, and can speak good Thai, then you can meet a lot of higher class Thais at Thai places. I've been doing this for a long time. You generally walk in and sit down alone at first, buy one beer, and check out the place. Though you won't see anyone looking at you, they are, discreetly. If you appear to not be a whoremonger (with farangs, you're almost guilty until proven innocent), then after awhile you might be invited to a drink at a table. If not, then move on to another bar. You stand a good chance if you dress nicely and have a pleasant and friendly look on your face -- if it reflects your real mood.

If you enjoy people-watching as I do, and enjoy being alone, then you may eventually have some interesting experiences at places like shopping malls, especially the beer lounges that are kind've social places. Don't have any high expectations, though.

Making Thai friends is not difficult, as many can speak English and will be happy to practice with you. If you can speak Thai, your scope is greatly expanded. If you are not too pressed for productivity with your time, then you may enjoy going to meet a Thai family or groups of friends on mainstream outings in and around Bangkok.

However, I must emphasize this: Forget about picking up women in the suburbs and purely Thai places, except of course the real hot spots such as on Ratchada Phisek Rd where there are many freelance prostitutes mixed in the crowd. With mainstream ladies, at best you may be able to get is a phone number after the first day.

This is not for most farangs or newcomers, who will have a much better time in the expat social centers.

THe highest class Thais and most meaningful relationships will come not from leisure places but from offices and professional associations.

ThailandGuru.com > Clubs and meetings > Leisure places

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