Moving Abroad after FIRE | Your Network is Your Power! How to Make Friends and Build Connections Overseas
On this blog, I have shared several articles about how to move abroad after achieving FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), focusing mainly on costs and procedures.
If you have read my posts a few times, you have probably realized that moving abroad after FIRE is actually quite simple if you have the money and time.
However, to make your life abroad truly fulfilling, building a network in your new home—such as finding companions with similar values or friends you can consult with when trouble arises—is unavoidable.
That said, many people may not know how to build a network from scratch in a country where they are living for the first time.
So, in this article, I would like to explain how to expand your network overseas.
5 Methods to Increase Acquaintances Overseas
There are various ways to build a network from zero overseas, but the following 5 methods are the most common and practical ones practiced by many people.
- 1. Utilizing Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.)
- 2. Participating in Networking Events
- 3. Starting Classes or Joining Hobby Groups
- 4. Socializing at Regular Bars/Restaurants
- 5. Introductions from Acquaintances
I have included methods I actually used to increase my acquaintances overseas, as well as methods practiced by my friends and colleagues.
One of my friends is a bold character who says, "If I see a Japanese person of the same gender who looks like we'd get along at the supermarket, I just talk to them!" However, since I personally could never do that, I will focus on methods that anyone can start casually.
1. Utilizing Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.)
Nowadays, building connections through social media has become mainstream. It is not rare to meet like-minded companions or friends through posts on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
Some people might worry, "I don't have photos to upload," or "I don't know what to post."
In that case, I recommend starting with X (Twitter).
Since X can be completed with just text, it doesn't require "Insta-worthy" photos or videos. Also, many people use it to gather information about various countries, and since you can communicate by replying to tweets, it is possible to casually talk to strangers.
I recommend starting by following people who live locally and have many followers.
From there, you can branch out to people of the same generation, people with similar hobbies, or people who have also achieved FIRE.
Instagram gives the impression that it is mainly used by women in their roughly 30s, and fewer men seem to be putting effort into operating it.
You need to post beautiful scenery or sparkling daily life with photos, so unless you put effort into it, it is hard to make it useful for networking.
On the other hand, since you can see posts with photos, it has the advantage that a person's personality is easier to understand than on X.
2. Participating in Networking Events
For those who are resistant to meeting people online, participating in networking events is a good option.
Overseas, networking events to increase connections among residents are held actively.
Taking Bangkok, where I live, as an example, the following types of gatherings are famous:
- Prefectural Associations (Kenjin-kai): Gatherings of people from the same prefecture in Japan.
- Age-based Gatherings: Groups of people born in the same year.
- University Alumni Associations: Famous universities often have historic alumni associations overseas.
- Business Networking Events: Gatherings for business people to exchange information.
There are also various large and small gatherings to find hobby companions.
You can find these meetings through social media, free papers, or information sites for Japanese locals, so it is a good idea to check them in advance during your preparation period for migration.
For networking events that gather people of all nationalities, not just Japanese, there is a platform called "Meetup."
You can frequently receive information about this on Facebook, etc., so if you want to enjoy multinational exchanges, why not look for a Meetup held in your destination city?
3. Starting Classes or Joining Hobby Groups
If you have special hobbies or skills you want to learn after moving, it is quickest to increase friends through classes or club activities.
In the case of classes or clubs, you will meet and converse regularly even if you don't actively seek it, so there is the merit that it is easier to build relationships than at a one-time networking event.
For men, my impression is that many increase their friends by joining sports teams such as futsal, tennis, or basketball.
For women, classes such as yoga, Pilates, handicrafts, and cooking are popular.
For those who are shy and not good at talking to people for the first time, language group lessons are recommended.
Since there are situations in the lesson where you practice conversation with other students, you can naturally become friends who can talk to each other from there.
4. Socializing at Regular Bars/Restaurants
If you like eating out or drinking, why not find a comfortable Izakaya (pub) or bar and become a regular?
You can become friends with the owner or staff, or become friends with other regulars you see often. People who like the taste and atmosphere of the same shop often have similar values and senses.
If you become friends with the staff, they might introduce you to customers who seem to get along with you. Above all, having a place you can call "your spot" other than your home will make your daily life more enjoyable.
5. Introductions from Acquaintances
Introductions from your own friends or acquaintances in Japan are the easiest way to build relationships.
There is a sense of security because it is an introduction from someone you both know, and since you know what kind of person they are in advance, the hurdle for conversation at the first meeting is low.
You might think, "There's no way my friend's friend happens to be in the country I'm moving to." However, in the case of Southeast Asia or North America, if you trace various people, you can surprisingly meet "friends of friends."
In my case, a friend of a friend happened to live in Thailand, which expanded my social circle when I had just arrived. Later, when I listened to another friend, I found out that her husband was stationed there alone, or that a senior from high school was in Thailand as an expat. The world is smaller than you think.
What I Actually Did When Moving to Thailand
I have been living in Thailand for 8 years, but I started from a state of zero acquaintances.
The first things I did to make friends after moving were these two points: "Introductions from Acquaintances" and "Participating in Networking Events."
Since a friend of a friend in Japan lived in Thailand, I first asked to be introduced to that person, and from there, my acquaintances increased somewhat.
However, I thought it was not good to rely only on human relationships connected from one friend, so I participated in exchange meetings for Japanese people and events where Thai and Japanese people could interact to increase my acquaintances.
Also, since there are Japanese and Thai people in my workplace, relationships with people I became friends with there continue even after changing jobs.
Recently, there are cases where we become friends who hang out offline from interactions on Instagram. I realize that the methods of building networks are changing with the times.
Summary
In this article, I introduced methods to increase friends and acquaintances when moving abroad.
It becomes harder to expand new social circles as we get older, but if you keep your antenna up and act proactively, expanding your network is not that difficult.
Of course, some people are passive and shy. I am one of them.
However, the new ways of thinking and values found through new relationships are extremely stimulating and attractive.
By gathering your courage and taking a step forward, your life abroad after FIRE will become a more fulfilling and irreplaceable time.
Author: Yuki Ishida
Writer based in Thailand
In 2017, I fulfilled my long-cherished desire to move to Thailand and have been working as a sales and career consultant at a Japanese staffing company there.
I began my activities as a writer in 2019 and mainly share information useful for living in Thailand and moving abroad through both domestic and international media. Based on my own experience of relocating overseas, I strive to provide realistic information to help those planning to move abroad avoid regrets, and I write with this motto every day.
The media I have contributed to so far are not limited to Thailand-related topics, but also cover a wide range including domestic and international travel, local governments, food manufacturers, and educational institutions.
