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10 mistakes newbies make in Thailand

I've made so many mistakes in Thailand some that cost me money, others pride but they are mistakes I'm glad I made and even though I've written this list you're probably going to make some of the same mistakes. Most of the mistakes rookies make are mistakes made with Thai girls and money.

10 mistakes newbies make in Thailand

Taking girls back to your apartment

I know when you're on a budget it's easy to take the girl back to your room because you don't really have many options. But short time hotels can cost as little as 140 baht an hour and are most affordable. It's also safer. Too many newbies have got done by taking girls back to the place they actually live only to wake up to have their laptop and valuables stolen. Another problem is if you take a girl back to you're apartment she knows where you live, she can come around any time she wants and knock on the door while your banging the next door neighbor  Best rule for newbies to go should be: "if you plan to only bang the girl no more than 3 times she doesn't get to see where you live".

Not haggling for goods

Haggling over the price in Thailand is not being cheap. In fact if you don't haggle then the Thai's are going to eat you for breakfast. Haggle for everything and ask for discounts and promotions there's no reason to pay more than what you have to.

Running out of money

It's not the 80's anymore and even though you can get plates of food for 40 baht that will fill you up it's unlikely that a newbie would ever live like a Thai from day one. It's pretty easy to run out of money in Thailand, while things are cheap it's still easy to do to spend 200-300 dollars a day.

Lend someone money

A guy I worked with once asked to lend him $1000 he said he would give me $1200 in ten days (this was in California). After ten days I realized that if I didn't get paid I'd lose 100%, after I couldn't contact the guy on the tenth day I was freaking out. In that case I did get my money back but in Thailand you'll never get the money back. When you lend money to someone here think of it as a gift because you'll never see it again. Newbies make the mistake of handing over 10's of thousands of baht to other Farang and Thais only to get frustrated when it doesn't get returned.

Getting into a kerb side parked taxi

This is my favorite newbioe mistake. Taxis and Tuk Tuks that are just sitting around are going to cost a premium because they are waiting there for you. Getting into a Taxi/Tuk Tuk that's already moving is going to be up to half the price of one sitting there. Another Taxi newbie mistake is asking "how much". When you ask how much they assume you don't know and will make something up.

Roped into a business deal

You feel optimism and an energetic buzz you don't feel in your own country, it looks like the opportunities are endless. But what people fail to realize is even though there are thousands of people walking past a business that it's going to be a success. Most Thai people only earn $350USD a month, how much of that do you think they can afford to part with?  You want to sell to tourists? You'll need a Thai partner, this is when you get roped in.

Making the wrong friends

Thailand lets face it is a cesspool of losers and wankers who have pissed off everyone that know in their own country so decided to move to Thailand where no one knows them and they can rip off and piss more people off here. You're going to meet tonnes of them and the problem newbies in Thailand make is they end up hanging out with degenerates who pull them down because they don't know anyone else, they get roped into doing stupid shit that end them in jail or hospital. Do not trust anyone in Thailand, most people Thai and Farang are compulsive liars who will stab you in the back given half the chance. Having enemies is a bad idea too, what newbies learn quickly in Thailand is to sit on the fence.

Going to the village

Newbies will want to know what the village life is like, maybe they've met a girl and she wants to take you to see where she's from. This is a big mistake on so many levels, firstly the village sucks ass. There's nothing to do and you'll go to some cul-de-sac in the middle of nowhere and be shuffled from house to house meeting the family, extended family, and family of family and if you're lucky a few Buffalo's as well. If you're on vacation then this is the last thing you want to do. Stay away from the village at all costs.

Getting serious with a Thai girl too quickly

It's easy to see why guys just keep coming back to Thailand, the girls are easygoing and fun and mostly non-pretentious. Thailand is relatively free and certain liberties you'll think you have more than back home but it's really all about the girls. Even if a girl is hooking you still can't help but like the little sluts. Bar girls come with a hefty price and baggage that newbies just really can't understand. But besides that even good girls can turn bad and getting into a relationship with a Thai girl too quickly too fast can end in disaster. This is Thailand and there are are a million girls take you're time and try a few hundred out first.

Newbies who don't read Living Thai 

This website has become a respite for expats living in Thailand but it's also the go to web if you're searching for information about Thailand and dating Thai girls. With the 600+ articles I've posted there are is some really good advice to keep you from fucking up in the land of smiles. Newbies biggest mistake they can make before coming to Thailand is not reading Living Thai.

What are some of the mistakes you made as a newbie? How did it work out? Embarrassed to say? No worries just post an anonymous comment.


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About Chris

Chris founded LivingThai.org in 2011 and has received over 3 million visitors. He has lived here for over 10 years and speaks reads and writes very good Thai.

14 Responses to 10 mistakes newbies make in Thailand

  1. scott April 14, 2013 at 9:44 am #

    Your quite the writer of negitive things, i believe Thai people are not all what you say. Maybe if you stop hanging out in sleazy bars with bar girls you would have a better vision of the beautiful women Thailand has. Also i think your editer should fire your fucked up racist ass.

  2. Krypton April 14, 2013 at 1:11 pm #

    Yeah, not haggling for goods and spending too much. Too true to me. I paid about 200 bath (if I remember it right) for a plate of rice and chicken.

  3. Ace April 14, 2013 at 6:57 pm #

    Good article Chris. All true too. Far too many farangs get themselves into trouble here just because of lack of common sense or not being clued up on what’s going on. This is a good warning to anyone about to come to Thailand soon.

  4. Faraday April 15, 2013 at 7:49 am #

    Some good advice here, so thanks. I was in HKT a few weeks back getting some baht from the ATM. A western guy was hanging around with a sort of pleading look in his eyes. Allegedly the atm had just taken his card but ” I do have money in there” he said….yea right! It might have be genuine but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t lend him any money…

  5. Johnnie Walker April 15, 2013 at 3:50 pm #

    Not sure you should put guys off visiting a village, its educational and a great cultural experience. There again for the type of guy who’s only reason for being in Thailand is to shag as many girls as possible, I don’t suppose they’d be interested.

    6 years ago I rented a pickup and drove the gf of the time up to her village in Khorat. We slept at a resort a few kms away. Every day we went out sight seeing. She showed me many interesting things and places that most farang never get to see. i.e Pattaya 2.

    • Chris April 15, 2013 at 4:37 pm #

      Don’t go to the village with a bar girl is probably more i’m saying, still i do the village thing all the time but for newbies I don’t recommend it.

  6. BKK Tiger April 15, 2013 at 4:03 pm #

    Great list of newbie mistakes, I have been here over 10 years & have been very lucky not to fall in to alot of those pit falls … Keep up with the great articles 😀

  7. steve April 16, 2013 at 12:28 am #

    Biggest mistake in thailand cost me $1,200.
    put a deposit down for a condo but when i got the contract emailed to me i was shocked, the contract was only 3 pages and filled with spelling errors and a floor plan with a door leading into another apartment,wtf. I cut my losses.

    • Chris April 16, 2013 at 5:45 am #

      if it was filled with spelling mistakes maybe they lifted it off my site, tough break but live and learn mate.

  8. Faraday April 16, 2013 at 6:58 am #

    Getting ‘loved up’ after 2 nights with a bar girl.
    * hangs head in embarassment*

  9. Brad April 17, 2013 at 4:15 am #

    I just got off the plane and took a taxi to my hotel. Had the guy stop at an open area, no wall market. Saw 2 plain looking girls in their 20s that were selling phones. I asked for just a cheap one. They saw me with my white skin and big suitcase and asked for $25 USD. Paid their asking price for a plain call and text only phone. A week later at the mall I saw the same brand of phone. There was a 2 for 1 offer for $25 USD. And this model came with internet access and a few other extras.

  10. Michael June 13, 2013 at 12:57 pm #

    This should be a to-do list. The experience is in surviving these fuck ups.
    Life is in the scars.

  11. Ron January 4, 2014 at 5:23 pm #

    Fell in love with a bar girl. Didn’t last very long and didn’t really loose much in the process. Always kept my wits about my pocket book. I was generous at times but kept my money close. We all make mistakes.

  12. big fella March 22, 2014 at 1:56 am #

    thank you chris for your ADVICE, story, on “10 mistakes newbies make in Thailand”.

    I have been living in a village for the past 4 years and I was advised by a few farangs not to build in a village, for many reasons. everything that was mentioned, I responded by saying, that’s not a problem, but nobody said anything about the fkn noise.

    the noise from, roosters, dogs, loud music, loud people talking outside my home to someone 50-80 metres away, all of this from 3am onwards.

    I did find some humour in item number 10 (living in viilage) and I did read it out to my wife (partner) who laughed as well and that was about the buffalo’s.
    only yesterday there were two buffalo’s and the farmer outside our back door (we don’t have a fence).

    one farang told me that we are rated number 309 in order in the FAMILY and when a new born arrives, we become number 310. that is so true.

    having said all of this, the thai village people are gentle and loving.

    cheers,

    bigfeela (trevor)

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