Danish Youth Café in Bangkok off to a steady start

Loneliness and solitude is often a bi-product of relocating to a strange city in a strange land with no prior connections and only the local knowledge found in a Lonely Planet book.

One of the main topics of conversation were the difficulties of living abroad alone.

So networks are often formed, but slowly and primarily for those living here permanently, as opposed to the visitors due for a shorter stay.

But yesterday the newly established Danish Church in Thailand held the first youth café – a weekly event meant for the young persons finding themselves relocated to Bangkok.

It wasn’t packed, far from, but it wasn’t empty either, and numerous aspects of life here were discussed; culture shocks, the importance of traffic, some politics and a bit of history but also just general small talk.

Bringing comfort

The main purpose of the café, according to the founder Lisbeth Schebye, is to help create a network for young Danes who managed to get themselves down here.

“It brings comfort to meet on a common ground and spend a couple of hours together and build a small network here in Bangkok,” Lisbeth Schebye says.

She is an intern at the Danish Church of Thailand, where one of her projects were to start some kind event to help gather the young Danes here in Bangkok. And it is no secret that the differences between Denmark and Bangkok is alarmingly huge, especially for a newcomer. So in the end, it became a café:

“The café is a good chance to share experiences. How to get around, which sights to see and how to generally function in a country like this. Or you can just show up if you are in need of a hug,” she says.

For now, it doesn’t host more than some coffee and sodas, but according to Lisbeth, there has been some fundraising going on, which hopefully can lead to the café aquiring boardgames and equipment to make their own coffee.

But that’s something to happen in the future. For now, spreading the word is the main concern, coorporating with the embassy and hostels known the host Danes.

And in that spirit, be sure to check out the café next Tuesday or the Tuesday after (or after that one). It’s hosted at The Tree House café on the property of the Church of Christ in Thailand (the towering building with the lit cross).

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