How Do Thai Girls Make New Friends & Acquaintances
You would think that the abundance of Thai girls on online dating sites is a clear indication they find it easy to make friends; and they have lots of friends too.
Since I'm a frequent visitor to Thailand, a few friends asked me how many Thai friends do I have.
The answer is - ZERO. I have never made a Thai friend once, in all the years I've been in, out and across the many provinces of Thailand.
While Thailand is commonly known as 'the Land of Smiles', Thai friendships are not easy to build. And here's why ...
Are Thai People / Girls Snobs or Something?
Nothing could be further from the truth, when it comes to Thai girls, or the general populace of Thailand.
I've always found Thai people exceptionally gracious and kind.
But the issue with friendships is cultural.
Thais are cautious in ways that aren't easily apparent.
Examples:-
- Kids don't do sleep overs
- They don't go to each others houses to play
- a Thai won't have friends over unless it's a special occasion.
It's just not their style.
Thai people, including Thai women and men, place more emphasis on spending time centrally with family and extended family.
Communities Are The Secret Sauce
Thai people don't have the culture of making friends in public places or small talk.
They usually make friends via communities they join. The example place to do this might be Churches/Religious groups.
Tourist groups or organized group trips are also good, but Thai people tend to forget the friends they make on the trips as soon as it ended. I've found Thais, well Thai women from my personal experience, tend to have short-term memories.
The best group kind-of-thing for Thai women will definitely be Thai-focused dating websites or apps, for sure. You know their agenda is to find a man and your agenda is to find Thai women. Nuff said.
Do Thais Actually Have Friends Though?
Here's a kicker - Thais rarely make new friends as adults.
The Thai women I've spoken with all tell me that they go to school and/or University and make lifelong friends there.
Their work and professional life is more about acquaintances than friends.
Thais form deep, lasting, meaningful friendships when thrown together at the bottom of a hierarchy. And Thailand is full of hierarchies they all need to manoeuvre.
Plus, Thais Are Shy - Thai Girls Included
Thai people are shy which also contributes to building friendships, later in life, after school.
But drinking together is a big part of forming bonds.
That's what Thai girls do when they hang out, they drink. The drinking breaks down the shyness so they can live a little, talk a lot and enjoy some time with work buddies.
Work buddies (acquaintances) are the closest that Thais girls have to the absence of school friends. At least it's an outlet.
Can Foreigners Have Thai Friends?
As a foreigner, getting Thai friends will be a bit hard, since Thai people tend to stick together and avoid outsiders.
You should focus on going to communities or places where there are Thai people that can speak fluent English, otherwise you'll never get go anywhere. It's just too dang hard otherwise.
Another example could be Thai food cooking and/or tasting. Thai girls all love their Thai food. Getting involved in cooking and tasting or even 'foodie tours' will have you find a great many Thais doing the same as you.
And since you then already have a common interest, the process of friendship building is far easier to establish.
Thais Aren't Accustomed To Strangers
In Thailand, it is uncommon for them to talk with strangers, unlike other countries where you can walk on the street, and admire people like 'I like your jacket'.
They simply don't do it.
Again, don't be a stranger and find a dating site where you're instantly classed as a welcome guest. Or a group/community - this takes more time and effort on your part.
Try a Different Location Too
Bangkok is a BIG city, in Thailand. The disadvantage in finding friends is it's massive size. People tend to more aloof and distant in a large city anywhere.
I've had friends actually move to village locations such as the Isaan areas. This is certainly a much different way to integrate and make Thai friends so please do give this careful considerations on the up and down sides but their stories are ...
'I would go out for a walk and Thai people would come up to me and start talking, invite me to their house for a meal, and such.'
Village life takes patience to deal with. You won't be taking a quick local trip to a near-by bar or club, in a village, like you would in Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket. But you will make Thai friends in a village.
Buy a Cute Dog :)
OK this is another option with downsides but worth considering if the lifestyle suits you.
If you live around any park areas in Thailand (and Bangkok has many) then buying a small and cute dog might be a good solution. Bear in mind having pets in condominiums is usually a no-go but housing rentals should be OK - check that situation first.
Taking a meandering stroll with a cute puppy is an absolute certainty in attracting local attention, from Thai people - especially Thai women!
You can easily see this in evidence by going to a local park, like Lumpini Park, and watching any activity involving small dogs. Those things are chick magnets!
Obviously, you need to take long-term care (and commitment) and that's a big downside, at least for me.
Closing
Making Thai friends has it's challenges, with language, their private nature, as well as location.
If it's Thai female friends who you're really interested in, online dating sites are the easiest and most ideal solution.
Questions?
Do click though on the included links for much more reference material on Thai bar girls, as a first point.
But if you have any questions, please do log that question in the Issues area and I'll be more than happy to answer you back, OK?
