I started this blog because I’m one of the lucky men who has chosen to live in Bangkok, and I want to share my experiences with other guys who may be contemplating life in the Land of Smiles.
It’s a city that is modern yet undeveloped, where society teaches women to be modest yet doesn’t frown on prostitution, and where you can ruin your life if you have enough money and time.
Some people see Bangkok the way they see any other city in the world… they evaluate business opportunities, cost of living, quality of schools, and the like. This website is not for those people.
The people I am writing for are men who come here on business or holiday, who experience the incredible nightlife and the fantastic women, all available for a the price of a big mac or two, and start to dream about living here.
In April 2005 I came here on a holiday. Incredibly, I didn’t know what awaited me.
I was prepared for bus tours, visiting temples and cruising the river. I wasn’t prepared for what I found. The energy of the city was amazing; the people were friendly, the food was delicious, the temples were beautiful.
But the girls. The girls were perfect. Beautiful. Willing. Cheap. No matter why you visit Bangkok for the first time, once you discover the girls you’re hooked.
You’re shoveling snow off the driveway so you can put the car in the garage and you’re dreaming of tropical days & nights in Thailand. A customer is complaining about a late delivery of product, and you’re thinking about the Land of Smiles. You’re on your fourth RSVP-date this month — another self-absorbed fat cow – and you’re remembering the soft brown flesh you were caressing in Thailand. You keep thinking that maybe living in Thailand would make you happier.
If this describes you, then this is your website.
I saw Bangkok and decided I had to live here. I’m guessing there are a lot of other guys who think that life in Bangkok might be the key to their happiness. By writing about my life in Bangkok, and my observations about life here in general, I hope that I can help you decide whether, by coming to Bangkok you will find what you are looking for, or if it will simply be a crushing disappointment.
You come for the girls; for the cheap and uncomplicated sex. But bargirls are people too, and so are you. It’s not always as uncomplicated as it seems. Welcome to my blog. Please explore and leave your comments.
Note: The author of this site, Werewolf, is a regular contributor to the Big Mango blog – currently recognized as the leading Bangkok blog site. Click here to read the Big Mango Blog. He can be contacted at this email address: werewolfs_lair@yahoo.com.
To start reading the blog Click here
September 20, 2007 at 4:43 pm |
Sawadee khun Thaimedown
I have bee reading your blogs for a while now and enjoy most of the content. Many years ago I spent many months at a time enjoying Thailand especially Bangkok. After 20 plus years I returned to Bangkok last year and dejavu, I felt home again. I have travelled quite a lot in my younger days and never felt at home in a city (other than Sydney) more than Bangkok.
When I first visited AIDS was not invented yet and most disese were curable with a needle full of something or a course of tablets. So I spent many months fucking my and many bar girl brains out.
I like yourself grew a respect for the Thai WL’s and always tried to show that when they would grace my room and treated them to a good time and the best fuck I could muster at the time.
I hope to return to Bangkok in Dec this year and would enjoy a drink with a dirty old bastard ( like myself) whilst deciding on the evenings 4 legged entertainment (no I am not into beastiality, I thought both you and I can pick 2 of the finest each)
Whatever I enjoy your blog
Regards
James
September 20, 2007 at 5:18 pm |
James,
The “Thaimedown” handle tells me that you came from the hookerlooker site in Sydney.
Yeah, like you Sydney will probably always be #1 in my heart, but at this point in my life Bangkok is the right place for me. I enjoy the food, the weather, the culture… but most of all the girls.
When you’re coming here in December PM me through the hookerlooker site and we can hook up. I often get together with punters from Oz on their visits here. I have to admit though, my limit is usually one girl at a time. Not for any moral reason… just the pracicalities that come with age. I simply don’t have the energy to spend on two girls, so I try to take one truly fun one and enjoy myself as much as I can with her.
Thanks for your positive comments on the site; I write to entertain myself, but its nice to know that I occasionally entertain others as well!
November 27, 2007 at 5:49 am |
Interesting !
It’s very well written
But the “super point” is that I do know Tuk (nice to see her pictures)
Hope she’s keeping well.
Is she not the one “very jealous for no reason”…?
All the best
November 27, 2007 at 6:28 am |
@DID: Not a chance! The pictures of Tuk are from 2005. She was never my girlfriend… more of a friend. I knew her for a long time, but only barfined her twice. I haven’t seen her for a very long time, and the last I heard (much more than a year ago) she had fallen in love and left the country to get married in farangland.
November 29, 2007 at 2:38 pm |
Hay Werewolf,,,Great blog I came here via BBB’s site and your is pretty cool too.
My first time in Bangkok was in Sept this year and im coming back again in January,so after reading bits here and bits there I hope to have a blast lol.
So if i can buy you a beer or 2 give me a yell.
Seeya
November 30, 2007 at 3:22 am |
Adzadel. thanks for the positive comments. Beers are always welcome. All the girls in Bangkok are waiting for you!
WW
January 13, 2008 at 11:11 pm |
werewolf – i read an old post of yours regarding partying on $80/nite in bangkok. how about a post of everyday expenses…something along the lines of cost of living per month?
or a post of the daily antics here…ie: standing in line at the bts counter, only to get change to stand in line again at the ticketing machine. establishments trying to raise prices on you because you are not thai, or hearing what the locals say about you thinking you don’t understand the language.
January 14, 2008 at 3:09 am |
@anon: try this link for cost of living.
May 17, 2008 at 3:08 am |
Thinking about moving there.I have spent a little time in the PI & never been to Bangkok. i think it would be better than Angeles City. What could a 37 yr old salesman from the states do there for a job to make a modest income to have an ok place to live and have enough money in the pocket to have a good time?
May 17, 2008 at 7:58 am |
job choices are scarce… most people end up teaching English unless you have enough cash to open your own business.
May 30, 2008 at 1:33 pm |
I live and work here and share your interest in the nightlife. How do reconcile your nocturnal activities with holding down a respectable job here? Are your, presumably Thai, colleagues aware of this blog?
May 31, 2008 at 9:11 am |
Brewster: I certainly make a big effort to keep work and play separated. There is one person in my workplace who knows about the blog; he is farang and he approached me one day after I wrote about being out with him the night before (we’d only eaten dinner, but I named the restaurant). He read the blog, approached me at work and said, “well, obviously you’re Werewolf….” As far as I know, he is the only one who knows about the blog.
July 24, 2009 at 12:04 pm |
Wolf,
I read your blog quite often and I have to admit it is rather entertaining. From reading some of your posts it seems that you do quite a bit of work in Thailand although I’m not sure what type of work. I am interested in relocating to the area but I’m having trouble finding decent job opportunities. I currently work for a management consulting company and I would be interested in similar work in the APAC region. Anyway, I doubt this is something you want posted on your blog as a comment so please remove it if you wish. Let me know if you have any contacts or ideas for my job search. Any help is much appreciated.
Cheers.
July 24, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
ItchyFish: The blog concept is that it is aimed at people in your situation — people thinking about living in Thailand. I try to offer a picture of one man’s life here (mine) so that guys can use that as some sort of measure of whether or not life in Thailand will work for them. So your question is, in my opinion, very appropriate to the blog.
The biggest problem with choosing on your own to move to Thailand is what you are addressing: work for foreigners who are not transfered here by the company is tough to find.
First, Thai law discourages foreigners from working here.
Second, the inability of most foreigners to speak the local language is very limiting.
Some companies want or need foreign managers or technical people, but they tend to transfer them into the country rather than hire local expats (can you say “local expats”?).
So… job opportunities exist, but they are not plentiful.
You may want to look at the jobsdb website; it’s probably the first place you’ll find opportunities on the internet.
I tend to think there are only three REALISTIC options for foreigners who want to work here.
1. Get transferred here by your company. Usually great work if you can get it, since it usually comes with an attractive pay and benefits package.
If you come on your own, I think there are two other choices for most people:
2. Set up your own company offering some service or product, and give yourself a work permit. If you do this, there are several agencies that can help you with the necessary paperwork, accounting and legal compliance. You can see my links column on the right for the Thailand Guru website. He is one of the agencies. The Sutlet Group is very competent as well. You can probably Google them, though they used to have an ad on the TFS2M blog… not sure if it’s still there.
The one that’s probably best known has an office on Sukhumvit near Soi 14 but just at the moment I’m drawing a blank on the name of the company. I’ve heard mixed reviews about their service.
3. The final option, and probably the easiest for most people, is to teach English language. The pay is usually not great, but it’s livable. Getting work in an international school can pay pretty well, but most jobs in public schools or adult language institutes pay “just enough”.
In the end, your work will almost by definition involve you in something that requires or allows for English language. Running a pub frequnted by foreigners is a popular choice.
IF you want to do management consulting then you might set up a company to work with foreign (non-Thai) business owners and managers.
You may also look at some of the large multinationals like KPMG, PWC or others who use a lot of English and employ a lot of foreign managers.
If you want to expand your range of customers then you might look at offering training in cross-cultural communication or something of that sort. The training can be delivered in English to professionals who have to frequently deal with foreigners in their work.
If you have the skills to run a team, then you might simply set up a company that employs Thai staff who actually deliver the service, while you organize the business and manage the team.
The same companies that do company setup for westerners, of course, offer other services as well. You might be able to promote your consulting services through their businesses or even get hired to a salaried position inside one of those companies.
Again, I think you need to look at what you can do in a country where you don’t speak the language. Your job possibilities are limited because — in local terms — you are illiterate. Unable to read and write the language, and unable to speak or understand conversations you are at a disadvantage.
Also it helps to understand that the typical family income in Thailand is probaly less than US$3,000 per year. If you want to earn money that is livable for you (probably 20 to 50 times what a typical Thai family earns) you have to offer a lot of value to someone who can afford to pay you.
If all this sounds unappealing, then Bangkok or Thailand may not be for you. Perhaps Singapore or Hong Kong would be better choices.
On the other hand, if Thailand is your aim, then you may need to be very creative in your ideas about how you plan to make a living.
I’m happy to invite other readers to offer their input. Many of them are successful and well paid in careers here in Bangkok. I know computer programmers, stockbrokers and salesmen who make very attractive livings here. Penfold manages to make his beer money by offering personal fitness training to other expats in Bangkok. One reader lives in Laos but does a lot of his work in Thailand; he is a specialist in writing environmental impact studies which are required before major infrastructure projects (like building a dam) are undertaken.
Many of these guys have a wealth of knowledge about being financially successful in the Land of Smiles and may have better advice than mine.
Good luck!
August 7, 2009 at 12:48 am |
thanks for the perspective and ideas.