The Loneliness Most Expats Don’t Talk About
The emptiness hit me on a Tuesday afternoon.
I’d been in Bangkok for a while. I had the apartment, the routine, and a growing list of people I’d met. But when 5 p.m. came around, and everyone went their separate ways, I’d scroll through my phone and think:
I know a lot of people here, but I don’t really have friends.
It’s a feeling most expats recognize.
You arrive in a new city with a sense of adventure, but that wears off fast. The first few weeks are a blur of Instagram stories and exploration. Then the novelty fades, and you realize you’re eating dinner alone again because everyone you know is either a coworker or a fellow traveler passing through.
The problem isn’t Bangkok.
It’s that making real friendships in a new city takes more than just existing in the same place.
The Match That Changed Everything
For me, it started with football.
I grew up playing in France. When I moved to Bangkok, I couldn’t find organized pickup matches anywhere. There were WhatsApp groups, but they were chaotic. Half the people would flake, nobody knew which pitch was booked, and you’d show up to find seven players instead of sixteen.
So I started organizing matches myself.
First for friends.
Then for friends of friends.
Then the WhatsApp group hit 50 people, then 100, and suddenly I was spending more time coordinating logistics than actually playing.
That’s when I built KickHub, a web app where anyone can book a spot in a pickup football match, pay online, and just show up.
What Made KickHub Different
- No WhatsApp chaos
- No wondering if enough people will come
- Teams balanced on the spot
- Simple online booking and payment
What I didn’t expect was what would happen next.
Why Football Works Where Everything Else Doesn’t
There’s something about sport that shortcuts the usual awkwardness of making new friends in a foreign city.
You’re not sitting across from someone trying to make small talk over expensive drinks. You’re moving together, trusting each other with the ball, celebrating a goal like it actually matters.
In ninety minutes, you learn more about someone — how they compete, whether they’re a good teammate, what makes them laugh — than you would over three coffee meetings.
Football Is a Universal Language
Football is also universal.
Whether you grew up in Argentina, Hong Kong, or Lagos, you know what offside means. You don’t need to explain the rules.
Everyone speaks football.
Consistency Creates Connection
And it’s repetitive.
The same time every week. The same venues.
You start recognizing faces, then names, then you’re making plans outside of matches.
A group of players started grabbing food together after every game. Someone recommended an apartment building to a newcomer. Two guys from completely different industries connected at halftime and ended up working on a project together.
What began as:
“I need something to do on Saturday”
became a real community.
What the Community Looks Like Today
Over a thousand players have signed up from more than 40 different countries.
Teachers, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, embassy staff, Thai locals — the only thing that matters is that everyone wants to play.
Weekly Matches Across Bangkok
We run 30+ matches a week across two venues in central Bangkok:
- POLO Football Park near Lumphini BTS
- OASIS Football Field near Chong Nonsi BTS
Both are easy to reach.
Some people come once. Some come every week and have rearranged their entire social life around it.
Affordable and Easy to Join
The cost is minimal — around 270 baht per match, roughly $8 USD.
Less than a decent lunch in central Bangkok.
No app download required. It works directly in your phone’s browser. You book a spot, show up, and play.
When Pickup Football Became Something Bigger
The community became so real that when we ran a 120-player tournament — the KickHub World Cup — it sold out.
People were competing, yes, but they were also genuinely celebrating each other.
That tournament was the moment I realized this had become something much bigger than pickup football.
Expanding Beyond Weekly Matches
We’ve since added:
Football Academy Training
A Football Academy with ex-professional coaches for people who want to improve their game.
Expansion Into New Cities
We’re expanding to Bali and Phuket because the same pattern exists everywhere:
Expats and nomads arrive in a new city and need a way to find their people.
Thinking About Joining?
You don’t need to be fit.
You don’t need to be good.
Half the people out there haven’t touched a football in years.
They came for the same reason most people come:
They needed to be part of something, and this seemed like a place to start.
What Your First Few Matches Will Feel Like
First Match
Show up early. Introduce yourself to the person next to you.
Second or Third Match
You’ll start recognizing faces and feeling more comfortable.
Sixth or Seventh Match
You’ll probably have a group you see every week.
This actually works.
The Real Thing
If you’ve been in Bangkok for a few months and the novelty has worn off…
If you’re eating dinner alone more than you’d like…
If you miss that feeling of being part of something…
You might be surprised where you find your people.
Sometimes it’s at a coworking space happy hour.
Sometimes it’s through a class or a hobby.
Sometimes it’s a pickup football match on a Saturday afternoon near Lumphini — and a group of strangers who become your actual friends.
About the Author
Ludovic Lin Yoshimura
Ludovic Lin Yoshimura is the co-founder of KickHub (kickhub.app), Bangkok’s largest organized pickup football community.
When he’s not building the platform, he’s usually on the pitch.