Living in Chiang Mai

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It has been surprisingly difficult to make friends in Chiangmai.
Not impossible, just very difficult.
Why?

Most people I see here are not the sort I want for friends.
Chiangmai attracts some very, very, odd types of people.
And that "odd" is not a good thing.
I will give some examples to illustrate.

Thailand is the retirement home of choice for many retired criminals from Western countries.
Some haven't fully retired, and still are making mischief here, as they did back home.
To confirm, just read the newspapers.

Thailand attracts a lot -- really a lot -- of drunks.
Bars and bar culture is everywhere in the expat areas.
If one's method of making friends by sitting on a bar stool, there are plenty of places to sit around here.

Thailand also attracts lots of drug addicts, especially Northern Thailand.
Yes, drugs are illegal here, but that doesn't stop anybody.
Again, my source is the local papers: frequent reports of drug busts and drug deaths.

Thailand is also a magnet for homosexuals.
What they are looking for is readily available here.
There are many bars with the multi-color homosexual flag on the sign.
There are "bath houses" advertising "massage by men, for men".

So what is left?
For normal, heterosexual, men, that's a good question.
All the vices have their gathering places -- bars, etc. -- but what is there for normal men?

Well, Chiangmai does have some sports clubs and golf courses.
If you're the sports type, Google will help with research about that.

There is Rotary and Lions in Thailand, but I don't know about Chiangmai.
For the joiners, research is needed.
There is no Freemason lodge in Chiangmai, although there are several in Bangkok, but that's 700 kilometers away.

Chiangmai does have two expat clubs, English-speaking expat clubs.
One is run by a Thai woman who also owns a travel agency and is dedicated to picking up trash along the highways and painting orphanages.
She's always eager to have helpers in those sorts of endeavors.
The other expat club is run by a man who also sells "mutual investments".
Nothing wrong with that, but it is not a "club", rather it is a marketing device.
Both those organizations offer programs with surprising little substance for expats.
I'm not saying no substance, just very little.
But, please, attend a few of those meetings and decide for yourself.

Other than that, what's available for normal men to meet others of like mind?
Over a year in Chiangmai, and I haven't yet found a good answer.
When it comes to meeting other expats I hope someone on this forum knows something I don't.

-- Oneman
Chiangmai
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Last edited by Oneman (2009-10-26 04:43:44)