Tag: homesickness

Homesick For Thailand

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After only three days of being back in England, I already felt painfully homesick for Thailand – worse so than my homesickness for England in reverse. When I arrived back at London Heathrow airport, I reveled in the cockney accents and the feeling of ‘fitting in’ with my brethren… But my excitement to be home was short-lived from there on out.

If I can sum up my return to England in three words, it would be: underwhelming, depressing and dull. For the first couple of months anyway… the grey winters of England have a hard time living up to the glitz of Bangkok.

Homesick for Thailand

But! Moving on from my depressing pining for Thailand – until my future return, let’s focus on the things I love about the most amazing country – my true spiritual home – in the world:

  • Firstly, the weather: In Thailand it’s always warm and sunny – you can sit outside whenever you want, take a walk whenever you want, or go see friends whenever you want. The warm weather allows people to be much more sociable and flexible in their lives, whereas the weather in many European countries can completely limit people and affects their moods. The permanent greyness and rain really do make you feel caged up and trapped inside your own home.
  • Creativity and quirkiness: The Thais are so creative! Now, I’m not talking about music or movies, I’m talking about the little things in daily life. Thai people make so much effort to add a little humour and colour to their homes, stalls, shops etc: Hanging beer can decorations, potted plants, ferry lights, and general clutter make every single street in Bangkok charming and interesting. I returned home to England at Christmas, greeted by a dull slap in the face of poxy, lazy Christmas lights hanging sorrily in the city centre. I mean, really England? Bangkok isn’t even a Christian country yet it’s decorations wiped the floor with the drab, dark streets of Bristol. Somebody in Bristol needs to get fired me thinks.
  • Modern life: Bangkok is modern, young, fresh and creative – I came to the realization that the west evolved/ modernised a little sooner than Asia but this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Thailand is just about coming into bloom with all it’s cool new restaurants, sleek bars, colourful office spaces and spectacular sky scrapers. I think this contributes towards Thais exercising a lot more creativity too – ferris wheels at festivals, cheeky mascot characters in office spaces, and intricate vintage themes in bars. Bangkok is definitely a city for young people. Unsurprisingly, Bangkok has been recently ranked as the number 1 city for expats to live in due to it’s great social life.
  •  Toilet hygiene: The Thais really do rule the world when it comes to toilet hygiene! I mean, you do not get any cleaner than the toilet’s best friend, the ‘bum gun’ as it is so affectionately called by Thai expats. Coming back to England, I can’t believe we don’t have bum guns in the west… Seriously, I feel like some kind of neanderthal returning to the stone ages… Tissue paper? Really?! (Of course, let’s just ignore the squat toilets in Thailand for now because I really really hate those)
  • Thai people: I miss Thai hipsters and their awesome styles; the little pyjama grannies brightening up the backstreets; the cheerful street vendors easily impressed by a farang’s rubbish Thai skills; and I miss the cheeky little ‘krap poms’ I used to hear every now and then (FYI: translates to ‘yes sir!’). Not only do I miss all the colourful characters of Thailand, I also miss that all important attitude that characterizes the Thai race so proudly around the world: The ‘Mai Ben Rai’ attitude. All the petty little things in life – Thai people’s answer is to rationally react with a charming smile… because it just doesn’t matter! Sometimes when you think with clarity and peace of mind, you realise that life’s too short for stupid little quarrels and qualms. But Thai’s think like this all the time – there’s no petty road rage, no over-worrying… nothing matters. That is Mai Ben Rai. When you step in front of a moped without thinking, and brace yourself for some sweary anger, you are pleasantly rewarded with a lovely, warm smile…
  •  ASBO Free: I think ASBOs are solely an English thing. ASBO = Anti-Social Behaviour Order. This is what we call all the naughty kids and teenagers in England. ASBOs have a tendency to loiter outside corner shops looking ugly and antagonising their elders. But in Thailand… the kids are so well behaved! Awww! Not to mention kids in general are much more quiet and unnoticeable – it’s all about the adults in Thailand, oh yeah!
  • The Language barrier: Language barriers can actually sometimes be a good thing – overhearing ‘interactions’ between douchebags in your home country can be pretty depressing. I’m sure there are plenty of douches in Thailand too, but hey, what you can’t see can’t hurt you. I can’t tell when people are being douches in Thailand because I can’t understand what they’re saying. Ignorance is bliss…
  • Dignified dressing: In England, as soon as the sun comes out, the streets become a shameless strip show, a nationwide flesh-fest. Generally, people cover up much more of their body in Thailand. Whether this is for humble reasons or because of fear of tanning – to me, it’s all a lot more graceful and dignified. No nude sunbathing, no eyefuls of skin… it’s all just left to the imagination.
  • Movie edits and cuts: This one will probably have people shaking their heads in disagreement, but I loved the movie edits when I’d watch Fox movies and HBO in Thailand. With the Thai edits, you end up missing out on the fked up rape scenes and torture scenes in horror films. Watching movies is all a whole lot more pleasant in the protective bubble of Thai TV editing =] (Bring on the happy Disney films any day)
  • Food EVERYWHERE: You’re never hungry in Thailand! There’s always a street vendor hiding around the corner somewhere, selling some kind of Thai snack or treat – bags of fruit, meat skewers with chili sauce, sticky rice and cheap Thai meals. Not to mention all the MSG makes everything so damn tasty! Nothing is better than a plate of Khao Man Gai from a street vendor at 3am in the morning after a late evening in the pub.

 

So for all those of you going through a hard time of homesickness – be strong and stick with it, because Thailand really is a special place =]

Lonely In Thailand

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social networking in thailand

Social Networking In Thailand

The expat community in Thailand is surprisingly small and cosy but I also believe that just living in another country instantly equips you with many common interests to meet and connect with other like-minded expats. Most people who have moved to Thailand will not only tend to share a similar attitude and outlook on life but will also usually be open minded enough to posess an interesting array of alike hobbies. There are many useful social networking websites kicking around to help you to meet other expats if you do get lonely in Thailand. In some people’s cases it can be hard to connect and meet with others and make friends in Thailand otherwise.

Social networking websites in Thailand

I have personally tried and tested some of these social networking sites myself and have found them to be very friendly and welcoming in Bangkok. It’s definitely worth a try to network with other expats in Thailand – there is nothing to lose from trying if you start to feel lonely in Thailand at least. Personally, when I am being anti-social in Bangkok, it makes me considerably more homesick also.

Meetup has an unbelievably wide selection of different groups for people to meet and either help out in the community, get some exercise or brush up on their language skills. Meetup groups in Thailand vary in size from about 5 to 30 people and include volunteer groups, beach volleyball groups, language groups, motorcyle touring,  jam sessions, web developers and naturist groups! And many more! There is something there for everyone…

Chickynet is a women-only social networking site in Thailand. Personally, I think it can sometimes be quite difficult and lonely in Thailand for women, as a large proportion of expats seem to be men. Chickynet is great for socialising, hanging out and meeting with other women in Thailand. It also hosts numerous events, has a classified section and forums for help and expat advice. I highly recommend joining this community if you don’t yet have many aquaintances in Thailand.

For the fitness and beer enthusiasts, there are many Hash groups which exist around Thailand both for cyclists and runners. If you like running and biking, mixed up with some heavy drinking then give it a try. The Bangkok Hash House Bikers host many cycling events and meetups around Bangkok, or there is a runner’s Hash in Bangkok that meet Mondays,  The Hash Pub in Chiangmai, Pattaya Hash in Pattaya… There are absolutely tonnes of other Hash websites to choose from in Thailand depending on your area…

Shared workspaces

For people who are self employed or similar, there are a selection of rentable shared office spaces around Bangkok which are ideal for meeting likeminded people.. or simply for those who are becoming lonely and bored of sitting at their desk in their y-fronts, scratching at their balls eating cheetos.

Hubba is located in Ekkamai in Bangkok and costs from 100 baht per day depending on which package you purchase with them. They offer a free trial so there is no pressure to join up at least. Some snacks and beverages are included in this price such as cakes from their pantry. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed and they can arrange meals for you very cheaply to eat and socialise with the rest of the staff.

Launchpad is another share workspace in Bangkok, Sathorn – you can read more about Launchpad here.

Expat Pubs in Thailand

Another great way to meet expats in Thailand are the western style pubs – there are many people who network and make friends more casually in this way. In Bangkok for example, you can find Irish and English style pubs along most of the main stretches of activity – Silom has many to choose from along the whole of Silom Road, Nana is also a particularly pub-filled part of the city. Phrom Pong and Ekkamai also have good selections. Check out Durty Nellys, The Robin Hood and The Black Swan. In Silom near BTS Sala Deng, The Roadhouse is a particularly social pub amongst Bangkok expats. None of these places are cheap, but then foreign luxuries in Thailand never are.

If nightclubs are more your scene, try the expat rich Levels on Soi 11 in Nana, Bangkok. For the more creative crowd I would recommend a visit to the small and cosy Jam Cafe in Sathorn (the end nearest BTS Surasak Bangkok). The Jam Cafe often hosts cult movie nights and other interesting events to get people meeting and socialising. They also make some good fish and chips, burgers and veggie meals for only 100 – 150 baht.

 

 

Homesickness

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thailand home sick

Four months ago, after much deliberation I finally got off my ass, took action and moved to Thailand… and now I feel homesick already -_-.  The first three months living in Thailand I didn’t feel even the slightest bit homesick, possibly from being distracted by the novelty of being in a new country. But then the homesickness kicked in and when it did, it hit hard. For a month now I miss England, and the homesickness seems to be so unrelenting that I even started to question… is it actually homesickness or am I simply ‘done in Thailand’ already?

I’ve adapted to the hectic environment of Bangkok and learned a lot too. But at the same time… I miss home – I miss the music… food.. I miss snow and wrapping up in the cold weather (and not being sweaty!) and I miss having a stable job and income! I find it difficult to get a proper job in Thailand and am gradually eating away through my life savings. To put it simply: Should I really be wasting my hard earned money mooching around in the sun when I’m not gaining much else from it?

ooo

So grey and Englandy!

Living in Thailand has made me learn not to take my home for granted, to appreciate it when I do get home. This insight alone has made my trip to Thailand worth everything already. The grass is always greener on the other side and as much as Thailand has always had a romantic and paradisal association in my mind, it still has it’s imperfections just like every other country. People can still be unfriendly… or even annoying! Just as much so as in my own country. I love Thailand but in reality it has many positives and it also has it’s weaknesses just like anywhere else…

You can search and search for that part missing in your life but moving to the other side of the world does not necessarily automatically cure the naturally miserable, grumbly bastards like me…. some us just need to learn that for ourselves. I think that all the discontentedness some of us feel is inside our heads and if we want to be truly happy, we need to examine inside our minds rather than the world outside. Otherwise we will never be happy no matter where we live.

…It’s still badass to move to a tropical country though!

So I try not to let my homesickness delude me, it’s important to appreciate and make the most of the opportunity to live within such an interesting and lively culture. Living in another country, as opposed to travelling, can teach you a lot more and provide you with some much more realistic and unique experiences. Bangkok is an awesome city to live in… So I will suck it up, get me a nice roast dinner from the pub and listen to some Red hot chili peppers until I am cured once again.

A good cure to homesickness? Socialize and meet people in Thailand.

 

Update! Turns out homesickness and culture shock hits you a lot harder in reverse, when you actually return back to your rather uneventful hometown… if you’re feeling homesick and in need of some positive thinking or appreciation of all things Thai, read about my return to England here.