After almost 6 years working and living in Thailand I have some bits of advice for anyone looking to live there!

THere are many different types of Expats who live in Thailand.  The first thing you have to do is figure out where you fit in.

Are you married or single?
Young or old?
Male or Female?
Working or Retired?

Depending on how you answer to the above will determine how you will settle into life in THailand and how appropriate my advice will be.

Lets take it that you are Married, Young, Male and Working.

Hardest thing will be to keep your marriage together!  You will receive plenty of attention from all types of girls and your partner will definitely be jealous and as time goes by she will get suspicious too!  Even if you are a good boy (and I am sure there is one or two out there) your partner will begin to believe otherwise.  Why?  Because thats what all her friends will talk about, its what is discussed on all the chat sites, it IS what happens in Thailand.

However, if you manage to get over this initial hurdle it can strengthen your relationship.  Trust is an important part of any relationship but is even more essential in Thailand.  If you and your partner can maintain trust levels then you are on your way to having a great life!

The fact that you are young and working will give you the opportunity to live the good life!  There is so much to do in Thailand that all your weekends will be packed full of excitement.  For more advice on what to do please just get in touch with me.

Moving on to other types, lets take it that you are Single, Young, Female and Working.

You are going to have to get out there!  If you want to enjoy yourself you will have to start spreading your wings.  Although on first glance it may appear that all the guys are chasing LBD’s (Little Brown Dictionaries) there are a substantial number (and their numbers are increasing) who are looking for more of a challenge and some interesting conversation!  Yes, it may sound weird but some guys are looking for someone to put them in their place!!

Now, you could also be interested in your own LBD and this is definitely possible.  If you mix in the right circles you will have many successful and wealthy Thai men interested in dating you.  You will almost be like a trophy girlfriend but he will find it hard to deal with the fact that you are your own woman!  He will not be used to be being told what to do.  Either he will adapt or he will run.  Either way you will win!

I have met a lot of farang girls in Bangkok and they either love it or hate it.  There is no middle ground! If you manage to make some female friends then life will be much easier. But the fact that there is such a high turnover of expats will make it difficult to maintain these friendships.

Overall, being a young, single female in Thailand will be a tough ride but if you manage to get stuck in and over the initial hassles then it could be a great life!

Moving on again, lets take a single, old male who is retired.

THis is probably the highest number of expats in THailand.  When I say single I am including divorcees, widowers and separated men!  You may arrive in THailand single but a vast majority will get married within a few years!

My advice is to TAKE YOUR TIME.  Even if you think you dont have many years left you are better off not rushing into things!  It will take time to get to know a girl and find out who she really is and was!!

As an old man who is in his twilight years you wont have to worry about the daily troubles of work!  Instead, you will have the worry about the daily drinking binge!  Too many retirees end up as grumpy old men who complain about everything while propping up the local bar!

Then in this drunken state you will become easy prey to the local Thai vultures.  THese girls no a sucker when they see one!  You are NOT handsome – even though she keeps telling you!  Its your money she is after!  Yes, I will say it again, its your money she is after!!  Its your money, your money, your money!

But these girls are good and somehow they manage to manipulate you and reel you in.  Some of them will go for the quick killl and if that fails they will move on swiftly.  Others will take a more cautious approach.  These are the ones to watch!  If they see potential they are willing to invest a couple of years in order to snare you!  Yes, they can be that cunning!

But there are also genuine Thai girls who would be very happy to settle down with an ageing farang.  She may have limited education but she will be very thoughtful and kind.  She will take care of your every whim.  But you have to ask yourself the question – is she after me or my money?

Best advice I can give is to stay away from girls that you meet after the dun goes down.  The chances of a successful long term romance are greatly increased if you meet her during the day!

For all the types there are some simple ideas that will help you to settle in THailand:

• Learn Thai!  Learn how to read and write and get the tones correct.
• Read about Thai culture and beliefs
• Be respectful to the King.
• Be generous
• Be kind
• Smile
• Keep smiling!

THere are many different types of Expats who live in Thailand. The first thing you have to do is figure out where you fit in.

Are you married or single?
Young or old?
Male or Female?
Working or Retired?

Depending on how you answer to the above will determine how you will settle into life in THailand and how appropriate my advice will be.

Lets take it that you are Married, Young, Male and Working.

Hardest thing will be to keep your marriage together! You will receive plenty of attention from all types of girls and your partner will definitely be jealous and as time goes by she will get suspicious too! Even if you are a good boy (and I am sure there is one or two out there) your partner will begin to believe otherwise. Why? Because thats what all her friends will talk about, its what is discussed on all the chat sites, it IS what happens in Thailand.

However, if you manage to get over this initial hurdle it can strengthen your relationship. Trust is an important part of any relationship but is even more essential in Thailand. If you and your partner can maintain trust levels then you are on your way to having a great life!

The fact that you are young and working will give you the opportunity to live the good life! There is so much to do in Thailand that all your weekends will be packed full of excitement. For more advice on what to do please just get in touch with me.

Moving on to other types, lets take it that you are Single, Young, Female and Working.

You are going to have to get out there! If you want to enjoy yourself you will have to start spreading your wings. Although on first glance it may appear that all the guys are chasing LBD’s (Little Brown Dictionaries) there are a substantial number (and their numbers are increasing) who are looking for more of a challenge and some interesting conversation! Yes, it may sound weird but some guys are looking for someone to put them in their place!!

Now, you could also be interested in your own LBD and this is definitely possible. If you mix in the right circles you will have many successful and wealthy Thai men interested in dating you. You will almost be like a trophy girlfriend but he will find it hard to deal with the fact that you are your own woman! He will not be used to be being told what to do. Either he will adapt or he will run. Either way you will win!

I have met a lot of farang girls in Bangkok and they either love it or hate it. There is no middle ground! If you manage to make some female friends then life will be much easier. But the fact that there is such a high turnover of expats will make it difficult to maintain these friendships.

Overall, being a young, single female in Thailand will be a tough ride but if you manage to get stuck in and over the initial hassles then it could be a great life!

Moving on again, lets take a single, old male who is retired.

THis is probably the highest number of expats in THailand. When I say single I am including divorcees, widowers and separated men! You may arrive in THailand single but a vast majority will get married within a few years!

My advice is to TAKE YOUR TIME. Even if you think you dont have many years left you are better off not rushing into things! It will take time to get to know a girl and find out who she really is and was!!

As an old man who is in his twilight years you wont have to worry about the daily troubles of work! Instead, you will have the worry about the daily drinking binge! Too many retirees end up as grumpy old men who complain about everything while propping up the local bar!

Then in this drunken state you will become easy prey to the local Thai vultures. THese girls no a sucker when they see one! You are NOT handsome – even though she keeps telling you! Its your money she is after! Yes, I will say it again, its your money she is after!! Its your money, your money, your money!

But these girls are good and somehow they manage to manipulate you and reel you in. Some of them will go for the quick killl and if that fails they will move on swiftly. Others will take a more cautious approach. These are the ones to watch! If they see potential they are willing to invest a couple of years in order to snare you! Yes, they can be that cunning!

But there are also genuine Thai girls who would be very happy to settle down with an ageing farang. She may have limited education but she will be very thoughtful and kind. She will take care of your every whim. But you have to ask yourself the question – is she after me or my money?

Best advice I can give is to stay away from girls that you meet after the dun goes down. The chances of a successful long term romance are greatly increased if you meet her during the day!

For all the types there are some simple ideas that will help you to settle in THailand:

• Learn Thai! Learn how to read and write and get the tones correct.
• Read about Thai culture and beliefs
• Be respectful to the King.
• Be generous
• Be kind
• Smile
• Keep smiling!