Never get too comfortable.
They say the “honeymoon period” to culture shock starts to wear off after the first three months of living in a new country. My quaint love affair with Bangkok wore off within the first month. Sadly, I learned the realities of where I rank in the hierarchy of the legal system’s priorities when a drunk driver hit me as a pedestrian. It wasn’t until my friend called my name for the third time that I realized I was sprawled out on concrete. Fortunately, people rushed towards me and got me into an ambulance quickly. It wasn’t until I made myself leave the hospital to go to the police station that I realized where I, a farang without wads of cash, stood on the totem poll. After waiting there, in a neck brace and bandages for over ten hours, let’s just say soi dogs are treated better than I was.

Try alternative healing and health regimens.
As a result of the injury, I sustained three herniated disks in my neck. Over a year later, I still have pain on a daily basis, but massage helps relieve much of the strain. The months that immediately followed the accident were filled with trips to spinal specialists and physical therapy. Real relief didn’t occur for me until I started seeing an acupuncturist and taking up the practice of yoga. Prior to the injury, I wouldn’t consider myself a believer in alternative medicine, but now I encourage anyone who suffers from minor aches and pains to those with more serious conditions to incorporate nontraditional medicine into their well-being treatment. A good place to find these practitioners is in the Australian Women’s Group’s Bangkok Guide, sold at most major bookstores.

Do Learn Thai.
Around month four of living in Bangkok, I was pretty proud of how much I had learned without ever having to pick up a book or take a class. After that, my Thai language skills reached a plateau. Yes, my accent got a little better and my vocabulary broadened slightly, but I really can’t call myself a basic Thai speaker after living here for 16 months. Having a firm grasp of Thai probably would have helped me understand the culture better and would have aided in assimilating. So do yourself a favor and do better than I did: get yourself to a Thai class or put out a classified ad for a language partner.

Engage in activities outside of your 9-5.
Writing for the Bangkok Trader has been a great experience as it has allowed me to exercise my brain in ways that I don’t get to do at my day job. It has forced me to explore the city and share my experiences with others, which has made me feel excited about living here. Many friends of mine volunteer and the positive energy they exude after a few hours of helping others is palpable. Others choose to get involved in sports activities, from rock climbing to soccer matches – these activities make you look and feel better and you get to meet new people, which should never be underestimated. I, myself, solidified a few good friendships when I decided to enter a fun run. Not much of a runner, I pushed myself to try something new, and the results were worth it. It never hurts to meet more people in Bangkok, especially when the scene of expats seems to be always changing.

Friendships beware.
One of the hardest things about being a “young person” in Bangkok is the high turnover rate of friends and acquaintances. Many of my good friends have left the city, and each time, they take a little piece of their friends’ hearts with them. It hurts to see people leave who you’ve invested emotional time in. Some longer-staying expats tackle this problem by making sure the people they may become friends with have long-term plans to live in Bangkok. Others, like myself, don’t have much of a screen and have learned to cope by using social networking to bridge the distance to those that have moved away. Don’t avoid meeting new people, but beware of each individual’s long-term plans.

Date but don’t seek.
This high turnover rate also proves to be a damper if you’ve caught yourself an expat lover that happens to be leaving. Don’t let that stop you from putting yourself out there though. Some expat women are prone to think that Bangkok is a barren city for dating. This simply isn’t true, but admittedly, it isn’t the best place to be “young and single” either. To both expat men and women, I recommend always keeping an open mind and an open heart because, in reality, there are many pockets of expats and Thais in this big city just waiting to be snatched up. And remember that we have a responsibility to not leave a messy trail in our wake; the same rules of respect for your partner apply here – Cabbages & Condoms on Sukhumvit Soi 12 give ’em out for free.

Leave before it’s too late. In response to a mutual farang friend’s complaint about a specific Thai custom, one of my more outspoken Thai friends said, “If you don’t like it, then get out!” Those words have stayed with me because while they may be harsh, they are true. There will be some things that you may not like as an expat here, but for the most part, you’ll be unable to change them. For instance, like the way no one seems to move to one side of the escalator when you can hear the BTS train pull into the station. Well, either you learn to accept these things that you can’t change, or you should “get out.”

Expand your worldview.
Living in Bangkok has expanded my worldview, which has been even more greatly affected by my travels out of the city. Do take advantage of Bangkok for being the regional hub that it is – travel is cheap, and the destinations are fantastic! Thailand

favorites of mine include: Phuket for the Vegetarian Festival, Kanchanburi for the
stunning Erawan Waterfalls, Chiang Rai for the motorbike ride up Doi Mae Salong
and Ko Kret for its ability to take you far away from Bangkok while being just 30
minutes away.

With found memories in mind, I can say, yes, I am sad to leave this city. I do,
however, have a sneaking suspicion that this isn’t the last time I’ll be enjoying life
in the Big Mango