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Article about how to get some friends:
I guess it does sound a little crazy, if not irresponsible, to move half way around the world to a country where I didn’t know anyone. It’s been over two decades since I lived in Thailand – and suffice it to say, I lost touch with my friends here. I have met a few people – in my MBA, in my career – who lived in Thailand, but no one who is still living here, let alone in Chiang Mai.

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This post is about how an introvert like me has made a conscious effort – and several mistakes along the way – in making friends here. I’ll organize this post based on the sources (where) I was able to make friends – giving a rating (1 being difficulty for me to find friends, 4 being easy) – and highlighting some advice along the way: Professional networks (alumni, LinkedIn) I started making connections before I got to Thailand. I reached out to alumni from my college as well as my MBA program. I was able to get some advice from a few alumni but (unfortunately) not a single person who was able to meet up – in Chiang Mai or in Bangkok – to let me buy them a cup of coffee or take them out from lunch. I think in my 20s-early 30s, the power of these networks was strong, but I suppose life (especially watching my friends have kids) takes over and people are busy. I also attempted to connect with LinkedIn contacts – “2nd” connections – but there were one or two I could find and they too were busy with life or with work. International School (parents of my children’s’ classmates) One of the first things I did after enrolling my kids into the international school here was to join the Parent-Teacher Association/Group. It was, I thought, a good way to connect with others, especially expats who can perhaps show me around Chiang Mai. There were Americans I befriended, as well as an Australian, Chinese, and Thai. I was able to make one good friend – a Korean Dad – from the PTA, both of us share golf and travel as hobbies, so played couple of rounds together. I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t gotten too friendly with the other parents, perhaps everyone is busy with work and parenting. I think a big reason why I’m such good friends with the Korean Dad is that we both are early retired and share some hobbies. Thai Language School / Language Exchanges. Another thing I did early upon moving to Thailand was to sign up for Thai language classes. I didn’t need an ED visa to stay in Thailand, I enrolled in classes for the sake of just learning the local language – strongly believing that if I invited to live in this country on a long-term visa, the least I can do is to respect the country’s people and culture by learning its language. And the unintended benefit of taking a Thai language class is making friends with other expats. You’re not going to meet nomads or tourists, because neither group plan to stay in Thailand for too long, so classes are almost an automatic filter for other expats who intend to stay in Thailand for the long-term. And chances are – you’re going to meet other open-minded travelers because you all would share at least one hobby – learning! I also want to quickly add that there are language exchanges available too – in Chiang Mai and in Bangkok – that offer a relaxed way (outside of the classroom) to practice your Thai and also help local Thais (and foreigners) practice their English. I made a good friend from Bangkok from one of these language exchanges. Facebook Groups / Meetup.com. Speaking of hobbies, another great way to make friends is to join the array of Facebook groups (in Chiang Mai) and Meetup groups (in Bangkok). I have joined a writing group, an art/sketching group, and a board game group in Chiang Mai – but my favorite one is the hiking group . It was through this group I made a really good English friend (and his Chinese wife), as well as a number of other expats and travelers – who have invited me to other events. Unfortunately, Meetup is not at critical mass in Chiang Mai – but it definitely is a reliable source to make friends in Bangkok. My favorite among Bangkok Meetups is the Boring Club – which does a great job hosting a diverse set of events such as board game night, pickleball, badminton, music bingo, and even tarot card readings. I made some good friends through these activities, thanks to Meetup. Digital Nomad Meetups. Perhaps it’s my youthful looks or my penchant for travel and ‘working’ online, but I get along very well with digital nomads. In my experience, while they may be traveling frequently and their length of stay in Thailand is usually uncertain, they are one of the most open-minded, accepting, welcoming, and worldly human beings I have met. There is a weekly digital nomad meetup in Chiang Mai, where I met one of my best friends.













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