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bored in Surath

 
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wtdot03



Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 15
Location: cork ireland/surrathani thailand

PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 8:31 am    Post subject: bored in Surath Reply with quote

Bored as hell in Surath.I would be interested to know what other teachers do on their time off in other locations.I was told i could go to beach in evenings after school, be in reality it's too far away.Ok i can go to Kho Phanganan and Kho Samui at weekends which is a bonus, but of course then youre stuck with one the other teachers who may not be who u would choose to hang out with it.You can choose your friends but in small place like Surath, youre stuck with the other Farang of which there aren't many.I would say to other potential teachers bear this in mind.At this stage sick of drinking in same bars every evening that i the others decide they may go out while drunken Thai men slober over the teacher i live with and i'm trying to have a conversation that goes beyond "where u
from?".I realise a place is what u make of it, but give me something to work on!
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JosephP



Joined: 13 May 2003
Posts: 445

PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear you. I lived in Surat Thani about four and a half years ago and if I am reading you correctly, it sounds as if Surat is still as dull as ditch-water. Once you've made that rounds of Tesco, Big C, and Makro, drank a few coldies in the rather limited selection of bars, well...ain't much else to do, except sit around smoking Sai Fon cigarettes, slapping mosquitos, and plotting your escape.
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AsiaTraveller



Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 908
Location: Singapore, Mumbai, Penang, Denpasar, Berkeley

PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JosephP wrote:
Once you've made that rounds of Tesco, Big C, and Makro, drank a few coldies in the rather limited selection of bars, well...ain't much else to do, except sit around smoking Sai Fon cigarettes, slapping mosquitos, and plotting your escape.


If you're living in a foreign country and all you can think of doing for recreation is going to Tesco and drinking in bars, then of course you'll be bored anywhere in the world. If all you want is to hang out with other Westerners and do what you did back home, then you won't be a happy camper.

I lived on the coast near Surat Thani city about a decade ago. Most of my friends were Thai. Not everything was exciting or amusing, but at least I had no boring moments.
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wtdot03



Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 15
Location: cork ireland/surrathani thailand

PostPosted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers Joseph for that.As for Asia Traveller yeah i hear u too, but whatya suggest?I guess youre a guy and it's easier for guys as plenty of Thai girls to amuse yourselves with.It's not that i want to go to Tescos and drink in bars all time, that's exactly what i was saying.I would like to see the real Thailand too, but it's hard when youre working 7.50 to 4.30 mon to fri and that's what i meant.There isn't much i can do in the evenings, yes i have a few Thai friends also but it's same thing, same bars and what else?The other thing is i've experience rascism for first time in my life.Same i guess anywhere small town small minds.Yes i have had a great time in other parts of Thailand, but sometimes i have to wonder is it The Land of Smiles just for the tourists with their bulging pockets!Many people agree, even a good friend of mine, a teacher whos has lived here for years is married to a Thai lady and has kids before u decide it's just because i have a bad attitude or want the comforts of home.
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AsiaTraveller



Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 908
Location: Singapore, Mumbai, Penang, Denpasar, Berkeley

PostPosted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Develop some interests, wtdot. Do you have hobbies? Talents? Things you want to learn or study? There really IS a world of Thai culture out there. Finding your niche is what living abroad is all about. If you are studying Thai, work at improving it by joining some sort of group or club. Trust me, those things do exist, "even" for women!

Not everything revolves around drinking. Avoid those who socialise in bars. You're not in Ireland anymore ...Wink And the Thais won't stereotype you with the other farang you if you avoid the bar scene.
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JosephP



Joined: 13 May 2003
Posts: 445

PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I could agree with the idea that where-ever you go you take yourself, so, fair enough, if a person is bored it's because they are being boring. Hmmm... maybe, maybe not. Also the idea that somehow is a person could intergrate more fully with the local Thais a person would become less bored. I dunno. In my own case I was living in Surat with my wife (Thai) and our three-year-old daughter (born in the Kingdom). My mother-in-law lived on a farm in a mooban about a ten minute motorcycle ride from Big C. My interaction with foreigners was about five or six hours a day at work, and not that much considering we are all busy teaching. The rest of my time was dealing with the day in and day out domestic crud that everyone faces everywhere (with the exception of Paris Hilton, perhaps).
Before I lived in Surat I lived in Songkhla. Both are similar in size. Songkhla had a far better selection of things to do, was cleaner, friendlier, and the motosai taxi drivers were just idiots, not complete idiots like Surat.
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wtdot03



Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 15
Location: cork ireland/surrathani thailand

PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OOOOOh there's a racial stereotype even ever i heard one..."youre not in Ireland anymore"..lol.Actually i do aerobics here most nights if that could be described as an interest or a boredom-buster!But i really didn't come all the way across the world to do prance about in my matching fluffy arm and sweat bands (as fetching as they are!).Also i see absoutley nothing wrong with drinking culture (..yeah tis in the genes!), it's as good a way to meet others as any.I'm into my photograpy too, although that's a rather solitary hobby.But there really really and honestly is nothing to do here, actually maybe it's been i'm becoming boring in my old age (25), i have had the peculiar urge to take up needlework lately!(ahem)

But really besides my favourite hobby of playing cat and mouse with the local traffic, there is nothing to do.This place is not an example of the wonders of Thai culture either, even my Thai friends admit it.
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JosephP



Joined: 13 May 2003
Posts: 445

PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, wtdot03! My mother-in-law lives on a little ol' farm and my wife's stepdad has a few pigs. How about helping these two folks out sloppin' the pigs, feeding the chickens, and weeding the chili patch? Their several rai agricultural empire isn't far from Surat. A motosai taxi shouldn't run you more than 40 or 50 baht to get out there. You could experience something that so few westerners get a chance to do.
And since they don't have a phone, could you do us a favour and post us a note to see if they are doing okay? My wife has written to them but so far there has been no reply and my wife is getting a bit worried.
PS. I'm not being snarky or sarcastic here.
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