I’ve been living in Bangkok on and off for two years now. It has become my base of operations, the place I return to when I am out of money and need to work. I’ve developed a network of friends, business contacts, learned the language, and mastered the city. But now this chapter in my life is over.
I first came here with my friend Scott in 2005. We were on holiday from work and, upon landing in Bangkok, decided the first thing we had to do was figure out how to get out. We hated the city. It was dirty, crowded, polluted, seedy, and boring. We were happy to leave and when I returned to Thailand in 2006, I spent ten hours in the city before I left for the islands. When I decided to learn Thai, I moved to Bangkok since this is the best place to learn the language (Bangkok Thai is proper Thai, learning it in one of the outside province would give me a harsh local accent). I figured I would tough it out for a month and leave. Soon things changed and I found myself living in the city. Then before I knew it, I had fallen in love. The city had a lot to offer if you knew where to look.
As I leave, I can’t help but think about all the things this city has taught me.
Bangkok taught me that first impressions are usually always wrong. I hated the city when I first came here yet the more I stayed, the more they city opened up and the more I found it an exciting and riveting place to live. Had I judged it by its first impression, I never would have stayed and I never would have enjoyed it.
Bangkok taught me that notions about safety are overrated. In the west, we are super safety minded. And if we aren’t, someone will be sure to sue us. Bu here you see little kids driving motorbikes, people running across busy streets, jumping on and off buses, and walking on sidewalks with gaping holes leading into pipes. Lawyers would have a field day. But by living here, I learned that safety, while important, is not as important as a level head. Few accidents happen because a lot of time people are just conscious of their surroundings and use their head.
So are notions about cleanliness. Last night, I ate food on the street next to a motorcycle stand. The night before I had chicken BBQ from chicken that clearly had been sitting there for sometime (on ice). The women who cooks my Pad Thai uses her hands to make it. Yet here I sit, still alive. They say a lot of the reasons why children develop allergies is because we are so hyper clean that their bodies don’t develop a resistance. There’s no talk about peanut allergies and wheat allergies here. Our species lasted thousands of years a bit dirty. Bangkok taught me that a little dirt never really hurt anyone.
Bangkok taught me that I can be tone deaf yet still learn a tonal language. I love learning languages. I’m also horrible at learning them. It takes me a long time to pick it up. I still can’t roll my R’s when I speak Spanish. Though I don’t believe it, my Thai friends tell me my pronunciation is very good. If I can get my head around Thai, my upcoming forays into French and German shouldn’t be so difficult.
Most importantly, Bangkok taught me I can make it anywhere. I moved here not knowing anyone or anything. Yet within months I had made friends, got a job, found an apartment, and learned the language. I managed to survive and even thrive on my own without any help. It should be that I could be self-reliant and independent. Now as I go to Taipei in the same situation, I’m not worried about anything. If I can manage in one city, I will manage in another.
Living overseas has taught me so much, more than can truly be discussed in one blog post. I am glad I made the decision to stay all that time ago. I am also glad I came back in August for one last stint in the City of Angels. I’m not sad to leave here though. I’ll be back again. And now I wonder, after learning so much in Bangkok, what will Taipei teach me?
It’s always the bugs that throws off foreigners. If you survived (or lived) in one Asian city you are golden.
Good luck in Taipei! Sounds like you had an excellent run in Bangkok, and I’m sure Taiwan will only treat you even better.
Awesome post man. Couldn’t agree with you more. When I first arrived in Bangkok I lasted a total of 2 days before I had to get out. It was senses overload the first time. It is a place that grows on you for sure. Now living here I absolutely love it.
Good luck in Taiwan buddy.
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good luck in taipei matt!
i’ve been toying with the idea of moving abroad for years but never really worked up the nerve to do it. i’m definitely interested in thailand though, and although my first impression was similar to yours, i found that the outskirts weren’t as bad for me. a friend and i spent a month living in a friends apartment in the sri nakarin area (towards the airport, a 45 min cab ride past the closest skytrain stop!) it was a challenge being that far from the central areas (and skytrain!) but at the same time, it gave us a real sense of living in a neighborhood.
what area did you rent your apartment in in bangkok? what did you do about visas? what language school did you use? i guess i have a lot of questions on the logistics of moving to thailand… maybe i’ll save that for a direct message another time. =)
but thanks for continuing to share your travels and experiences. can’t wait to hear about taipei!
Have fun in Taipei! If you learn to speak Mandarin, or Taiwanese, they will love you. It may sound difficult but it really isn’t that hard picking up various sayings in Mandarin.
You may want to check out; Chinesepod.com. It’s a great resource.
Nice attitude, Nice post, I’m sure that you will have a great new experience in Taipei
A little dirt builds up the immune system. All the best in Taipei. It’s a beautiful city.
Thats so nice of you that you move around visiting places and you take the pain to learn the local languages too. I am planning to learn a few foreign languages but not sure when to start and which one to start with.
Great post! I too, hated Bangkok initially, and never got a chance to give it a second chance (yet). I nicknamed it “the ugly underbelly of Thailand”. Yick. But then again, as you say, first impressions often are not accurate…what a great lesson for traveling – and so much more.
Great post, Matt. It’s always interesting to see what people take away from their experiences. In regards to your last comment, I couldn’t agree more, but in my case it wasn’t just one city that drew me to that realization. Despite the different types of experiences that every traveler and expat goes through, it’s always nice to see a little similarity across the board. We’re glad to have you in Taiwan. This little island becomes your oyster for the next little while!
I lived in Taipei for a brief time as a child. You know what I remember most? The rats, bats, banana spiders, and crazy crowded buses. I remember them fondly though…
Good luck!
Bangkok kind of sounds like Guatemala City. And what you’ve learned is exactly what I learned when living in Guatemala back in 2005.
I’ve learned so much after traveling around for the past 4 and a half months. I can’t wait to see what else I learn in the next country… which just so happens to be Thailand. We’ll just miss you. Dang it.
Awesome post man! Congrats on another successful leg of your journey. Best of luck in Taipei!
This post really spoke to me. Traveling is all about learning, I love that about it. Can’t wait to hear about Taipei.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes about Taipei. So far it seems cool but it’s very cold here and I hate the cold. Give me back my sun.
@mich: you are right
@malia: yeah, e-mail me!
@Tina: I do want to learn Chinese! Gonna start after the new year!
@Route Map: Just pick one! I am always learning languages. Go with french. it sounds cool.
@Nora: When you go back to Thailand, I will tell you what to do in Bangkok so you love it.
@Carrie: Glad to be here!
@Jamie: I’ll let you know if I see any of those.
@Geno: Thanks papa bear!
@Tanya: Travel is all about learning. You are very very right.
Totally hear what you’re saying except for the points about safety and kids on motorcycles.
In Thailand you are almost *twice* as likely to die on the road as you are in the US. (28 deaths per 100,000 peeps every year vs. 15 deaths per 100,000 in USA.)
Your points about Westerners exaggerating the dangers of life abroad are valid. But road conditions and driver education in many countries leave little to be desired.
Sources:
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
http://www.factbook.net/EGRF_Regional_analyses_AsiaPacific.htm
You can very well survive in India as well. Yes, in western countries, the people worry too much about cleanliness, hygiene and safety.
Very cool post Matt and definitely applies to a myriad of locations we base ourselves as expats
Bangkok is a great city. It has its seedy side, but overall it’s a nice place to be. I love the Buddhist Wats of the city. Lots of interesting travelers coming in and out of the city. It’s very affordable so you find people from every walk of life wandering its streets.
Impressed that you picked up some Thai.
Best of luck in Taipei .
It’s always nice to read articles like this because too many people just play it safe and ask what if. You’ll never know what is possible until you try. So many people want to do something in their lives but are afraid to take the first step.
I think it should be mandatory for everyone in the world to pick up and move to a foreign country at least once in their life.
Great post! I took my first international trip to Bangkok, Thailand, staying in the city for a week. I found myself, just like you, itching to get out into the country or a nice beach to escape the smell and dirtiness. But after a few days, I began to fall in love with the city — taking the BTS everywhere that I could and exploring my surroundings. I can’t wait to go back.
I enjoyed reading your blog on Bangkok , because I too lived and worked there for about 18 months a couple of years ago. You’re right that it takes a bit of time for Bangkok to get under your skin, but once it does, it never goes away. IEven when I had a really bad day there, something always happened to remind me why I was still there: particularly the kindness of strangers.
And although I was ready to leave when I came back to the UK, I still feel a huge sense of loyalty to Bangkok and can’t wait to visit again.
Great summary of a city that I spent five weeks in waiting a visa for a nearby country. At first I hated it too, especially the pollution, but the city really grew on me – the friendly people at the places you ate at regularly, the amazing temples, the life on the river, the happiness in so many of the people,,… And you are dead right about the health issues – it is no coincidence that westerners now suffer from more allergies than any time in history.
So awesome to hear that Bangkok has really changed someone for the good. It’s my home city and it always brings a smile to me when I hear it’s reached it potential. Awesome!
Come back soon.
@tom: I always go back to Bangkok. I’m in Thailand every few months
Very true about first impressions.
I disliked Bangkok when I first arrived there, big time in fact! and thats having been to India before. but the city has grown on me and I feel at home in that there are other lost lonely souls there too.
I smiled as I read this because so many of these lessons hold true here in Chile as well… it’s discovering the wonderful in living outside our comfort zone can be so rewarding! Good luck in your next adventure!