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Thai economy going bust ?
#1
Saw this article.  Pretty cutting commentary.

@"727Sky" , wonder what your take is ?

https://gatesofvienna.net/2020/07/monkey-tricks-in-thailand


Cheers
[Image: 14sigsepia.jpg]

Location: The lost world, Elsewhen
#2
While there are many truths in the article about the economy I would bet the article was written by a Brit. They came to Thailand with a retirement plan that sucked and are now hurting money wise. 

Yes the tourist business is terrible and just about everyone associated with that business is either unemployed or fixing to be unemployed. 

I have not been to Bangkok for over two years but yes they did a major clean up of the side walk venders. 

My town is pretty much the same with very little change other than many many bars who catered to foreigners are closed even if they were selling food.  

Now if you go to a mall they check your temperature upon entry and have to sign in to every business inside the mall. No big deal as it is for tracking incase some place exposes you to Covid.

The Golf courses are back open and Starbucks so my life really has not changed that much other than I used to hop on an airplane and go to different places for golf tournaments. There used to be a hundred entries but now they are lucky to get 40 people. Also I have not left country as reentry can be a problem with some of the new entry requirements. 

I live in the North central region about 1 1/2 hours from Vientiane, Laos and other than going to Nong Khai on the border of Thailand and Laos  to play golf it could be another planet as far as I am concerned. when the border was officially closed people would go to several places along the Mekong and a boat would take them cross border for $3.  The cops on both sides, if there were any, seemed to look the other way or were not concerned.. They were probably making money off the boat traffic.

So back to the article... Mostly written in a negative tone with half truths and blown way out of proportion IMO. True everything does cost more now but I can still get a Thai meal for 45 baht at the golf course and cheaper still at other places. Back in the 70s you could get laid for 100 to 200 Baht 3 to 6$...those days are gone according to some of the bar fly guys who complain it now cost 700 to 1000 baht for a little fake loving.
 
I like places where people just do their own thing.... so as long as my wife likes me and the golf courses are open I can not complain.  But yes there are many Thai people hurting as most live from day to day labor or if they hung their lucky star on the tourism industry they are hurting big time...Maybe a good thing as some of the hotel prices were stupid expensive .. I used to go to Pattaya for a month to play golf. A nice hotel with a pool and Jacuzzi was around $300 for the month yet other places in the tourist trap areas were double or triple the price.  .

hahaha I gotta go as I have a golf game with a tee off at 06:30..
#3
Thanks @"727Sky" 

Much appreciate the local view you provide.

Cheers
[Image: 14sigsepia.jpg]

Location: The lost world, Elsewhen
#4
(07-27-2020, 10:33 PM)727Sky Wrote: While there are many truths in the article about the economy I would bet the article was written by a Brit. They came to Thailand with a retirement plan that sucked and are now hurting money wise. 

Yes the tourist business is terrible and just about everyone associated with that business is either unemployed or fixing to be unemployed. 

I have not been to Bangkok for over two years but yes they did a major clean up of the side walk venders. 

My town is pretty much the same with very little change other than many many bars who catered to foreigners are closed even if they were selling food.  

Now if you go to a mall they check your temperature upon entry and have to sign in to every business inside the mall. No big deal as it is for tracking incase some place exposes you to Covid.

The Golf courses are back open and Starbucks so my life really has not changed that much other than I used to hop on an airplane and go to different places for golf tournaments. There used to be a hundred entries but now they are lucky to get 40 people. Also I have not left country as reentry can be a problem with some of the new entry requirements. 

I live in the North central region about 1 1/2 hours from Vientiane, Laos and other than going to Nong Khai on the border of Thailand and Laos  to play golf it could be another planet as far as I am concerned. when the border was officially closed people would go to several places along the Mekong and a boat would take them cross border for $3.  The cops on both sides, if there were any, seemed to look the other way or were not concerned.. They were probably making money off the boat traffic.

So back to the article... Mostly written in a negative tone with half truths and blown way out of proportion IMO. True everything does cost more now but I can still get a Thai meal for 45 baht at the golf course and cheaper still at other places. Back in the 70s you could get laid for 100 to 200 Baht 3 to 6$...those days are gone according to some of the bar fly guys who complain it now cost 700 to 1000 baht for a little fake loving.
 
I like places where people just do their own thing.... so as long as my wife likes me and the golf courses are open I can not complain.  But yes there are many Thai people hurting as most live from day to day labor or if they hung their lucky star on the tourism industry they are hurting big time...Maybe a good thing as some of the hotel prices were stupid expensive .. I used to go to Pattaya for a month to play golf. A nice hotel with a pool and Jacuzzi was around $300 for the month yet other places in the tourist trap areas were double or triple the price.  .

hahaha I gotta go as I have a golf game with a tee off at 06:30..

@"727Sky"  I heard that the Thai Government changed the requirements for people to stay as Expats.
Once A Rogue, Always A Rogue!
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