newnative

I agree it's very expensive--and it goes up a lot every year. At my age--71--I'm reluctant to switch, though, having been with April for about 10 years now..

The extremely low numbers of people getting the LTR should be a big tip-off that the program needs to be changed drastically to attract more applicants. I've looked into the retiree LTR, which I would be interested in if it was made easier and with more flexibility with the requirements. I must say the people I've emailed with questions have been very patient, polite, and prompt in responding; unfortunately, their hands are tied with the strict requirements and limitations.

Sorry your Pattaya experience was not a positive one. That has not been the case for my partner and myself. As I said in my post, Pattaya is now a big city, with a lot of different areas on offer. My partner and I find plenty of good restaurants to eat at--but we range all over the city--including the Darkside, where we now live. I think a number of expats have decamped to the Darkside as beachside Pattaya has become more and more popular with tourists. There's a great seafood restaurant on Sukhumvit near the Mercedes dealer, of all places. Mostly frequented by Thais--who know about it. Restaurants like that all over, but sometimes you need to seek them out. Ditto for plenty of grocery stores: Makro, Big C, Tescos, Foodland, Tops, Villa Market, and several others provide about all we need when it comes to food selection. I think if you can't find something to eat in Pattaya you're in deep kimchi and may need to rethink the Far East experience. Unlike you, the expat friends we have known for years are all still here. I can't think of a single expat we know who has moved to somewhere else. None of the friends we know fit your description. You might think we have been lucky in our friends here but I believe there are plenty of Pattaya expats leading happy lives here, enjoying their retirement years in a nice place to live with pleasant weather year-round. We're just not as visible as those hanging out at the bars at 10am. There's recreation around if you look for it. We like the walking and bike path around Mabprachan Lake. There are parks scattered all around. Pattaya has a half dozen or more beaches to choose from. If one is too noisy for your beach walk, try another one instead. We used to live in Wong Amat and enjoyed the beach there. We don't have a home gym so we have a gym membership at one of the nice resorts and we go to the gym there about 2 or 3 times a week. And, there's nothing like having your own private pool to enjoy year-round. I'm going to venture a guess that Chiang Mai also has massage parlors--I've been to CM about 5 times but didn't take note of them. As a Pattaya resident it's not something I give much thought to here, either. They are certainly a bigger presence in the tourist areas and not so much in other parts of town. Not a big deal, in any case, at least for me. I would agree with you that Pattaya is lacking in culture events, museums, art galleries, etc. That was also the case where my partner and I lived in the US--but a big city with all that was nearby. Same here--Bangkok is just 2 hours away, so it's not far if that's important. I love the movies so I am happy to have several movie theaters in Pattaya showing films in English. So, again, sorry your experience was not optimal and I wish you good luck in CM. Safe travels.

This was already happening in 2019. 61% of the Chinese visitors to Thailand that year, over 6.5 million, were independent travelers.

Lame

We can add this to the programs for reporting motorcycles on foot paths, polluting vehicles, noisy motorcycles, etc.--all totally ineffective and should be handled by the proper government agencies, not the public.

The already mentioned stores plus Chic Republic, Lifestyle furniture at Boonthavorn, and possibly Mega Furniture. If I had to choose just one stop I'd go with Index.

Took my four sisters there when they visited in 2017. It was packed. Went back late last year with my partner to catch a dinner cruise and we were shocked at how it had changed. Just a handful of stores and restaurants still open.

61% of the Chinese tourists in 2019 were independent travelers, not in tour groups. That's over 6.5 million. More numbers actually do add up to more spending.

Good decision to ban the parking. As others have said, it would be very easy to open up temporary parking lots on empty land--give the owners of the land a tax break or even temporarily rent the land from them for parking. When the owner is ready to develop the land, he can have it back and the city can move parking to another empty lot. The same should be done on often grid-locked North Pattaya Road--eliminate all the parking, create another traffic lane each way, and open parking lots on empty land.

He still alive?

It was terrific. Definitely try to see it in 3D.

Your questions have been answered--you simply don't like or agree with the answers. Go back and re-read my posts--some from a year or so ago. Your retention of information is not good so you likely have forgotten answers you have been given. You just asked me a question in another post regarding the number of properties I have on the market. You forgot that you asked me the same question just a few days ago. Maybe get tested for Alzheimer's?

Yet another repeated question, already asked and answered in a post from just a few days ago. Welcome aboard the Leaver Loop.

And, two more questions to add to the hundreds already answered, many more than once--as these have been. And, once again, accusing me of 'hyping' real estate when I respond to your many posts directed specifically to me. I rest my case.

With almost every post you always manage to put in some comment that I'm always hyping real estate in Pattaya with my posts--including this one from you. The reality is, probably 75% of my posts talking about real estate are replies to your posts to me. Yesterday and today there have been 9 of them alone. The reality is, instead of hyping real estate, I am either answering your questions or correcting your posts with wildly bad misinformation. This current post from you has both 2 dumb questions to answer and misinformation--so you hit the trifecta. To wit. Some recent past questions from you, to add to the above: Why do developers keep building when there are 'thousands' of unsold properties? (Asked many times.) Do you live in both properties AT THE SAME TIME? What is your advice for someone trying to sell a condo when there are 'thousands' on the market? Isn't buying a property the same thing as being a real estate agent? Why can't I grasp the concept of synergy when it's on display for me every time I visit Walking Street? (Condensed by me for many of your business questions.) Don't you have 'skin in the game'? (Asked many times.) Why sell if property is such a great investment here? Didn't you deny you were a property flipper, which is akin to a real estate agent? (asked several times.) For example, thousands of properties on the market here, and you want to say the property market here is a healthy one, even when they are still building more. Seriously? Have you had any inquiries on the properties you have on the market lately? At what cost to other areas? (Asked many times.) If you and your partner "are doing just fine" then why are you constantly talking up the property market here? (Asked in various ways, many times.) What do YOU give more weight to, TAT's stats, or the observation from people on the ground? Who do you actually think you are selling property ownership in Pattaya to here? Everyone could see it was a bubble. Why didn't you? If Pattaya has a healthy property market, why are there thousands of properties on the market here? (Asked many times.) People just can't sell. Have you personally observed the amount of properties on the market here, and all the new construction? Did you personally observe the website? Perhaps you could try to explain it to the guy trying to sell his studio condo, I'm sure it matters more than a whit to him. What advice do you have for him, other than to offer it at 500k baht, accept a loss, and walk away? (Asked several times.) How would the city of Pattaya look then, with shuttered building after shuttered building along many streets? (Asked or commented on, many times.) If Pattaya has a healthy property market, why are there thousands of properties on the market here? (asked 'thousands' of times.) I have no idea if there were hamburger shops there pre or post McDonalds coming to Orlando. Can you quote my post for this? (Can't believe you 'forgot' your McDonalds quote, which I had to respond to it was so outrageous.) When I post the same link in the future and the number of condo's for sale here have increased from 536, what will be your reply? (Asked many times, variations of things getting worse for real estate in the future.) Most of the above are exact questions from you, just from the past month or so. I haven't even listed all your misinformation posts I responded to--such as T21 opening 700 stores which resulted in 700 other older stores closing, for a net gain of 'zero'. One thing most evident from above is the infamous "Leaver Loop'--you asking a question, getting a response, and then you asking the question again, perhaps in a slightly different form, because you didn't agree with the answer. Rinse and repeat in the endless Leaver Loop. You even responded the other day when all I answered was 'Okey dokey'. If you go back more than just the month or so I checked, you'll see most of the above questions asked before, many asked more than just once or twice. And, many others you have asked me regarding real estate. So, if I'm posting too much about real estate, you just have yourself to blame.

Your second sentence both asks and answers your question--and, we get restless and like to keep busy.

More Leaver Loop. To answer your question, yes. Same as now--Pattaya house and Bangkok condo. Some people have getaway places--one reason Pattaya is so busy on weekends with Bangkok people--all discussed in earlier posts. See posts on Lumpini Park Beach Jomtien and the other projects built by Bangkok developers.

Discussed many times. You're just doing your Leaver Loop, which is still obsessed with property ownership even though you keep declaring it's not for you. I'm not trying to 'offload' anything--I just posted I am using my 2 properties--to put a roof over my head.

Good to know. Leaver says there's 'no one'.

Totally clueless--especially your comment on 'cheap Darkside sales'. You are really in the dark. (small pun) Totally clueless but, yet, still totally obsessed. And, still sitting at the keyboard instead of doing any actual observation other than the bar areas. Broaden your horizons.

Pity you don't ever go out and actually 'observe' anything other than this or that bar or restaurant in the small area you frequent. You go on and on, post after post, about '...they are still building more.', yet you never go to the condo projects, as I've suggested, and check on how the sales are. What's the percentage sold at Cetus? Reflection? the Rivieras? Zire? The Palm? Northpoint? Aeras? Centric Sea? The Base? Edge? Wong Amat Tower? Baan Plai Haad? Arom Wong Amat? Pattaya Posh? Any idea? Doubt you've been to any of the many new housing estates on the Darkside to check sales there, either. Easier to pull up a realty website from your keyboard and see there are 'thousands' of listings and that's all there is to know--or learn. No other 'observation' needed.

Still obsessed, I see.

Addressed many times. You simply don't like the narrative because it does not fit your often-stated view that Pattaya is not 'thriving' unless every single business is doing well. So, you keep asking the same question over and over, hoping for a different answer. Maybe go back and re-read my posts and those of others if you want something to do.

I'd never buy any property with a lease.