Thailand forum

MADMAC, when I first came to Thailand I though I would meet many locals and was very exited about it but...many Thais do not speak very good English which makes it hard to get to know them while on a short holiday... My Thai is very limited (ou eek ka and a few more essentials hahaha ). I did not meet many Thais who were travelling either. I have met many Thai people who worked at the places I have stayed and keep in touch with a few, like the crazy lot in Koh Chang or Koh Tao. I think I personally connect with people through sense of humor regardless of where they came from (and drinking of course) I totally agree, if I lived in Thailand I would want to learn the language and get to know local people , what makes them lough and for sure would try to fit in.

I am Ukrainian but I have moved to London when I was 17, so I totally understand where you are coming from on this one!

PS Is it really possible for a westerner to speak Thai fluently (oh my God, and write!).

The thing that usually prompts me to socialise with Westerners is conversation-withdrawal, and also the mild sense of camaraderie we share.

Even in a busy place like Chiang Mai, Thai who speak near-fluent English are few and far between. Not speaking anything beyond basic Thai is my short-coming, and I may get to work on it if I end up 'living' here on a longer term basis. Travelling to an entirely new city where you know absolutely nobody can be very socially isolating if you don't engage in the odd bit of chin-waggery with fellow ex-pats.

i've had good luck meeting other westerners during bus and boat trips more than anything else. it just seems like sharing that particular experience creates a good atmosphere for striking up a conversation. i like hanging out with other westerners when i travel because, as cranky notes, it is that sense of shared experience.

meeting thais or other locals is more difficult, largely because of the language differences. but i noticed that as my thai improved, hanging out with thais became much easier and more fun. plus, as thailand developed economically over the past few decades, there were more thais travelling around and hanging out at the clubs and beaches and places like that i visit while on holiday.

either way, having something to share, like a snack or a pitcher of beer is always a great ice breaker and a way to get a conversation going. i once shared a large jug of wine with some kiwis i met at the mut mee guesthouse in nong khai and they are now my best friends in the world. cheers.

Beyond counting and your basic "Sawasdee Khap - Sabai dee mai?/Hello - how are you?," my Thai is pretty much limited to "Hong nam ti nai?"/"Where's the toilet?", "Ni tao lie?"/"How much is that?" and "Peng mak mak/That's too expensive"

Hard to have a meaningful conversation with that stuff alone.