It is rare that I actually give advice on my website, I would rather you discovered the city for yourself, although of course I do provide information of where to go etc. However, this blog is different - I am going to give you one very important piece of advice, and I would urge you to not dismiss this "out of hand" - Network with other ferang in Thailand!
Living in Udon Thani, or indeed anywhere in Thailand, is full of obstacles, pot-holes and barriers, the language not being the least of them. You can research as much as you want before deciding to live here, but until you begin to talk with other ferang that have lived here for some years, you probably wont get the full picture.
So who are the best people to network with?
I would suggest, if you want to build a network, to approach ferang business owners (or at least part owners of a business). These people are more likely to have knowledge of most, if not all, aspects of living here, either through personal experience or via their customers.
Let's assume you have recently moved to Udon Thani to live and you want to find the best place to get your computer fixed, upgraded or even want to buy a new one. Where is the best place to do this? Small things like this, actually require some prior experience, as so many small Thai retail outlets will not do for you, or give you what you are expecting. You may be able to find this kind of information on the various expat forums that exist, but not always and not always in the area you live. As an example, this is just the very tip of the iceberg, as virtually everything you will want to do, is going to be a new experience for you and if you do this alone, you may pay the price for it.
Most of the ferang that have lived here, and use the girly bars, will have lots of information about all sorts of things, and if one individual does not know the answer, there is a good chance that they will know someone else who does, and so it goes on.
What I have found is that if you are from the UK, it is perhaps best to meet other UK people, US ferang seek other US ferang etc...especially if you want advice on visa's and marriage, as the rules may be different depending on which country you come from (such is Thailand).
Udon Thani has bar and restaurants that are owned by people from quite a wide range of countries, and these are where I would suggest your Thailand networking should begin.
Living in Udon Thani, or indeed anywhere in Thailand, is full of obstacles, pot-holes and barriers, the language not being the least of them. You can research as much as you want before deciding to live here, but until you begin to talk with other ferang that have lived here for some years, you probably wont get the full picture.
So who are the best people to network with?
I would suggest, if you want to build a network, to approach ferang business owners (or at least part owners of a business). These people are more likely to have knowledge of most, if not all, aspects of living here, either through personal experience or via their customers.
Let's assume you have recently moved to Udon Thani to live and you want to find the best place to get your computer fixed, upgraded or even want to buy a new one. Where is the best place to do this? Small things like this, actually require some prior experience, as so many small Thai retail outlets will not do for you, or give you what you are expecting. You may be able to find this kind of information on the various expat forums that exist, but not always and not always in the area you live. As an example, this is just the very tip of the iceberg, as virtually everything you will want to do, is going to be a new experience for you and if you do this alone, you may pay the price for it.
Most of the ferang that have lived here, and use the girly bars, will have lots of information about all sorts of things, and if one individual does not know the answer, there is a good chance that they will know someone else who does, and so it goes on.
What I have found is that if you are from the UK, it is perhaps best to meet other UK people, US ferang seek other US ferang etc...especially if you want advice on visa's and marriage, as the rules may be different depending on which country you come from (such is Thailand).
Udon Thani has bar and restaurants that are owned by people from quite a wide range of countries, and these are where I would suggest your Thailand networking should begin.