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How to video call someone in Thailand (and when)
Updated
A video call does something no message can. You hear her laugh, she sees your kitchen, and for ten minutes the distance shrinks. It is also the best way to be sure the person you are talking to is who she says she is. This guide covers the practical side: when, how, and what to do when neither of you speaks the other's language well.
Pick the right time
Thailand is UTC+7 all year and never changes its clocks. A woman who works in a Pattaya bar usually sleeps until late morning and starts work in the evening, so the best time for a call is her afternoon, roughly 1pm to 6pm Thai time. In your time:
- UK: 6am to 11am in winter, 7am to noon in summer.
- Central Europe: 7am to noon in winter, 8am to 1pm in summer.
- US East Coast: 1am to 6am in winter, 2am to 7am in summer. Early morning before work is the realistic slot.
- US West Coast: 10pm to 3am in winter, 11pm to 4am in summer. Late evening works well.
- Eastern Australia: 4pm to 9pm in winter, 5pm to 10pm in summer.
The time difference guide has the full table. Whatever you arrange, write the time in both zones: "Sunday, 3pm your time, 9am mine." It removes every misunderstanding before it happens.
Calling while she is at work is rarely a good idea. The bar is loud, she is with customers and colleagues, and a phone out on the floor may not be welcome. If she calls you from work, keep it short and let her end it.
Which app
In Thailand the default is LINE, and LINE video calls are free over data between LINE users, anywhere in the world. WhatsApp and Messenger also work. Use whatever she already uses; asking her to install something new for you is a small burden that often goes nowhere.
Mobile data in Thai cities, Pattaya included, is usually good. If the picture freezes, it is more often her building's Wi-Fi or your own. Switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data on either side often fixes it.
Getting past the language
The first call is where most men discover how little they can say. Messages can be translated; a live conversation is harder. Some things that help:
- Keep the first call short. Ten minutes that end with smiles beat forty that end in silence.
- Show, do not tell. Your street, your dog, the snow, your dinner. Pictures need no translation.
- Speak slowly and simply. Short sentences, common words, no idioms. Her listening English may be better than her reading English.
- Learn three phrases. Sawasdee krub (hello), sabai dee mai (how are you?), and kit teung (I miss you). The Thai texting phrases guide has more.
- Laugh at the gaps. A shared "I do not understand" is funnier than a strained silence.
- Keep typing alongside. Some couples keep the chat open during a call for the words that do not come across.
Translated video calls on this site
On this site, calls are live and translated while you speak. There are two ways one starts:
- She invites you. When she wants to talk, she can send an invitation that appears in your conversation with a button to join. It stays open for a while, so you do not have to be watching the screen at that moment.
- You ring her when she is free. She can mark herself as up for a video call right now. While she has, you will see that under her name, and you can ring her phone directly. If she has not, the button tells you so; you cannot ring her out of the blue.
A call you ring costs two drinks. They are held on your card when it rings and only charged once you have been talking for a minute. If she does not pick up, nothing is charged. How it works has the details.
This way round is deliberate: a call only ever happens because she wanted it to. It also means that if she is free and happy to talk, you can be face to face in a minute, even when neither of you shares a language.
Privacy, both ways
- Do not record, screenshot or share a call. On this site it is grounds for closing an account, and anywhere it is a breach of her trust that cannot be undone.
- Mind your background. She may be in a shared room with friends or family around. So may you.
- Keep it respectful. A video call is not an invitation to anything more. Pressure for more on camera is the fastest way to end a friendship, and on this site it is against the rules.
Using a call to check who you are talking to
If you have met someone online and are not sure she is real, a video call is the simplest test there is. A real woman may be shy, tired or camera-averse, but she exists, and with time she will say hello. Endless excuses, a camera that is always broken, or a call that is always tomorrow are worth taking seriously. The fake profiles guide explains the other signs.
The short version
Call in her afternoon, not during her shift. Use LINE unless she prefers something else. Keep the first call short, show more than you say, and learn a few words of Thai. On this site, she can invite you or you can ring her when she has marked herself free, and the call is translated as you talk.
Want to write to her in your own language? Read How it works, then Start free. Her replies are always free to read.