If you are out of Thailand for whatever reason, sometimes it may not even take long to find new Thai friends in your city. California especially has always been a popular place for young Thais to make first experiences working or traveling in a foreign country or American guys that marry their Thai girlfriend and take them back home to live there together.
In fact, out of 69 Mio. Thai people an estimated 2. Thais 3. What you can experience there is pretty much one of the most open, casual and fun Thai style places outside of Thailand. The first time I have been there this summer I was quite surprised. Dozens of Thai women sell all kind of Thai food that they prepare and cook on the spot, just like in any market in Thailand. With the difference that here they are sitting on a mat on grass while in Thailand they usually have their own food both in form of a cart, sitting on plastic chairs while waiting for customers.
While walking around and being delighted about all the authentic Thai food from Tom Yum Goong, Dried Fish and Satay to Papaya Salad, it was also funny and kind of surprising as most of the food vendors asked me in German if I want to try some of their dishes. As I started talking to a few of them it turned out that most of them were married or some divorced with a German guy that often sat next to them selling drinks β even Singha and Chang beer! With we she means she and her German husband.
Many Thais like her who sell food in the park for five or six months can save enough money to fully support their families back home or even open a Thai restaurant in Berlin. Papaya Salad and 1 Euro per one piece of the smaller food e.
But then this is Germany not Thailand, the women here have to pay more for the imported ingredients and also have higher costs of living than back home. Most of the Thais here have a German partner, are divorced, or in the case of a lot of younger girls and boys doing au-pair, studying or normal work in Berlin.
