With his first touch in Spain's La Liga, Thailand striker Teerasil Dangda felt he belonged. Off the pitch, he was living in an entirely different universe.
Chanathip Songkrasin during a training session at Consadole Sapporo.
"As the days went by, I felt left behind in everything," said Teerasil, talking about his time with Almeria in 2014.
Teerasil was referring to something so fundamental, it's easy to overlook -- the ability to communicate, and build a bond with, those around him.
The number one drawback to Thai players making a success of themselves in bigger, tougher leagues is not their lack of ability. Or as some might argue, their professionalism or commitment, even if this might be partially true (Teerasil missed his spicy Thai food, but revelled in the tougher training sessions).
The ability to communicate confidently in English -- or the host nation's language -- and live comfortably amid an alien culture is a huge barrier to Thais making a success of it abroad.
Here's Teerasil again talking of his time in the club canteen with teammates: "I was the only one in the entire club who did not know what was going on. It was worse than on the pitch. I felt alone, drifted. I was sitting among my teammates but I did not know why they laughed. I just laughed along."
As anyone can testify who has lived in a foreign country and is surrounded by natives but cannot speak a word of the language, the experience can be a stiflingly lonely one.
As the foreigner, it's up to you to learn the language, you to prove yourself, you to make the effort and acclimatise to another culture and lifestyle. It's simple: if you don't adapt, you return home sooner than expected.
Without the release and bonding experience of playing time on the pitch, as Teerasil found, this feeling is only more intense.
Even footballers of the highest ability at the peak of their careers who have gone to play away from home have found they just couldn't cope with their alien surroundings (think Brazilian Robinho at Manchester City).
In the end, Teerasil couldn't hack it, and returned to SCG Muang Thong United less than a year later.
Chanathip Songkrasin is the latest Thai talent to try and make it in a bigger league, albeit in the slightly less pressurised surroundings of the Japanese league.
Four games and three first team starts, and there are some promising signs, even though he has joined a club, Consadole Sapporo, who are fighting relegation.
However, to truly integrate and not feel the ache of home calling, he'll need to feel that sense of belonging that so eluded Teerasil, and another Thailand legend who failed to make it abroad, former national team coach Kiatisak 'Zico' Senamuang, who didn't play a first team game under Steve Bruce at Huddersfield in the 1999/2000 English Division One (second tier) season.
As Teerasil said about his time in Spain: "If it was purely about football, I think I could play."
Time will tell if Chanathip, who is at Sapporo on loan from Muang Thong, has learnt the harsh lessons from the experience of his Thailand teammate.
And should he really crack it, it could be the precursor to other talents (the likes of Theerathon Bunmathan and Kawin Thamsatchanan) finally making the step up to better foreign leagues, and thereby boosting the standing of Thailand domestic football.