Expats in Thailand Discover "The Best Thing About America"

Expats in Thailand Discover "The Best Thing About America"
A growing US veteran community enjoys a better quality of life in Pattaya... without sacrificing what they love most about the U.S.|©iStock/fokkebok

Palm trees and a salty breeze are great, but the people are what make an expat community special. During the past month, I’ve spent a lot of time in the neighborhood adjacent to mine and discovered a lively and diverse group, including a few Americans who’ve made the move to Thailand like me.

I was invited to a meeting of the "Pratumnak Hill Networking Group," a stodgy name for a bunch of expats getting together to drink beer, listen to music, and pontificate on a wide array of topics… minus religion and politics of course. The meeting was at a tiny kiosk of a bar located on Pratumnak Hill ("The Hill"), the charming community sandwiched between the neon lights of Pattaya City and the laid-back shores of Jomtien Beach (where I live) on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard.

The bar’s owner is Kraig from San Diego. Kraig came to Thailand nearly 15 years ago and got into the real estate game. We talked about the ups and downs in Pattaya and the surrounding communities over the years. "The property business here has the personality of Thai people," Kraig said. "Sometimes it slows down, but it never completely comes to a standstill."

When Kraig got tired of the hustle and flow of the real estate business, he and his wife Jane opened the Island Bar in a food court on The Hill called The Checkpoint, where there are ten to twelve bright yellow kiosks serving everything from Thai food to Tacos. Kraig gives the networking group a special two-for-one happy hour, so Jane is busy manning the Chang beer tap while he mixes the music and commiserates with the expats who show up for a frosty pint and lively conversation.

There’s Peter, a retired videographer from Australia. There’s Kim, a seventy-something Englishman who works as an actor in Thai movies and TV shows. There’s Dennis and Katia, a young couple from Russia who just moved to Thailand. There’s a Scottish guy who owns a pie shop. A Polish brewmeister. It’s as eclectic a crowd as I’ve ever seen.

An Eight-Town Interview Process

One newcomer to the group, like me, is Mike Esposito from San Francisco. Mike has been living on Pratumnak Hill for several months and couldn’t be happier. During his working years, Mike traveled all over the world, and always knew he wanted to retire overseas. "Towards the end of my career, I was interviewing countries," Mike said. "I spent a long weekend in Phuket about five years ago and knew Thailand was where I wanted to be."

Mike described his "interview" process once he zeroed in on Thailand, and I was in awe of his discipline and planning. Rather than hop from location to location like a tourist, Mike charted a methodical and thorough course. He made a list of cities and towns he had researched and lived in each place for several months to get an impression of what it would be like to live there full-time.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mae Rim, Koh Samui, Phuket, Hua Hin, Krabi, and Jomtien Beach all got their chance to be Mike’s new home. "I loved Chiang Mai," Mike said. "But the air quality during the burning season (March and April) is unbearable. And I really prefer the beach to the mountains."

Bangkok was too busy for Mike, and Hua Hin was too sleepy. "I almost chose Krabi," he continued. "The beach, the southern Thai food, the mountains, and access to all those gorgeous islands… that’s what I came to Thailand for." Mike said he couldn’t find a place to live close enough to the beach in Krabi, so he moved on to Pattaya.

"Pattaya is the only place I visited twice," he said. "The first time I came to Pattaya I did it like a tourist, and only saw the infamous Walking Street and all that nonsense. I felt like the place had more to offer, so I came back and found what I was looking for. After one long walk down Jomtien Beach, I was hooked."

Now Mike lives on Pratumnak Hill, and gets his exercise by walking down the hill to Jomtien Beach, stretching his range to several kilometers on the paved footpath under the coconut and acacia trees.

"This place ticks every box for me," Mike said. "I rent a cool studio with a sea view for $600 a month. I can walk to dozens of great restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, and music bars. I can hop on my motorbike and go shopping at a fantastic mall on the beach in Pattaya or cruise down the coast to Bang Sare and eat right-off-the-boat seafood."

I asked Mike if he missed anything about the US so far. "Well, I don’t miss the crazy politics and anxious people," Mike said. "But even though I love Thai food, every time I walk by a sports bar on The Hill that’s playing an NFL game on the big screen, I have a longing for good old American chicken wings."

One evening, Mike and I went to visit my friend Tommy Watson at his American soul food restaurant, Kickin Chicken, 200 meters up The Hill. Southern fried chicken, collard greens, mac-n-cheese, and some of the best spicy wings I’ve ever had. I’m pretty sure it’s the only place in Pattaya where you can order breakfast tacos made with Jimmy Dean sausage.

A Gathering of "The World’s Largest Fraternity"

Tommy is a retired US Army veteran originally from Washington, DC. He’s married to a bubbly Thai woman, and together with their daughter, they’ve created a little slice of America right on Pratumnak Hill.

A significant portion of American expats in Southeast Asia are former military and from several generations— I’ve met a lot of vets from the Iraq War and Afghanistan mess. I found Tommy’s restaurant through my next door neighbor in Jomtien, another US Army veteran. We’re like the world’s largest fraternity and our network is highly efficient… especially when it comes to food.

"I probably wouldn’t have been able to have my own restaurant back home," Tommy said. "The expenses and all the government red tape aren’t worth the trouble. But here, I was able to get up and running with a product I’m proud of and nobody else can offer."

Tommy doesn’t miss much from the US, because he spent a lot of his military career outside the country and felt less at home there than overseas. "I’ve got people coming by my place from all over the world, with lots of Americans stopping by to visit. This restaurant might as well be my front porch. I get to chop it up with some great folks, so I still get the best part of America without having to live there."

It was great to be invited into this neighborhood’s little circle of expats. And it’s heartwarming to meet Americans like me who find their way here to Thailand.

Kraig and Jane, the faces of Island Bar in Pattaya.
Kraig and Jane, the faces of Island Bar in Pattaya.|©Barton Walters

Kraig and his wife Jane (who own the Island Bar) are an adorable couple who’ve weathered the ups and downs of life in Pattaya together with big smiles and positive attitudes.

Kraig came to Thailand because, as he put it, "Runaway inflation, usurious taxation, and a hostile political environment isn’t something that just happened since the last election cycle. I wanted a better life and knew it wasn’t going to happen in California. I got offered a job in Thailand, so I got on the plane."

Tommy knew his retirement check from the Army would stretch twice as far in Thailand as it would back home in DC. "I had plenty of choices for the next part of my life," he said. "Now I run my own restaurant with my family and I make new friends on a weekly basis. I didn’t think this life was available to a guy like me in the US."

Mike Esposito should write a book on how to become an expat. He did a lot of research. He had a meticulous plan. And, he had the patience to visit every place he thought would be a viable candidate for the next chapter in his life. "I’ve spent way too much time outside the US to ever consider moving back there permanently. I know it’s hard for Americans to hear, but there are a lot of places that are just better to live in."

Watching what’s happening in America on the news can make me feel disconnected and out of touch sometimes. After 25 years in Thailand, I started wondering if I still have anything in common with Americans. Then I meet like-minded individuals like Kraig, Mike, and Tommy.

Kraig and I talked about music, old comic books, and real estate. Tommy and I talk about food, football, and our "glory days" in the military. Mike and I are the same age and can reflect on our circuitous paths to The Land of Smiles for several pints at a time.

Tommy is right… Americans are still the best thing about America… no matter where in the world you find them.

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