newnative

Whether it's Bangkok, Pattaya, or other tourist cities, I would say the condo projects most impacted are the newer, massive projects of 500 to 1000 units or more, with the majority of the units being small 25 to 35 sqm condos--which are ideal as illegal 'hotel' rooms. The newer projects also allow a buyer to easily purchase multiple new units all at one time--rather than buying one by one resales from individual owners. This allows these buyers to, in effect, run an illegal boutique hotel within the condo project, using condo staff, and bypassing any hotel regulations, taxes, etc. I've told this story before. Spouse and I used to own at a then new condo project in Pattaya with over 1200 units, many small in size. At one AGM, a Chinese owner stood up and announced that he paid over 1 million baht in condo fees each year so why shouldn't he be allowed to rent his rooms daily, even if it was illegal? Well, he answered his own question--it's illegal--but do the math. Supposing his unit average is 35 sqm and the condo fee is 60 baht a sqm, that equates to about 25,000 baht a year in condo fees, per unit. If he is paying 1MB a year in condo fees, that indicates he owns around 40 condos in the project--definitely a boutique hotel that he was--and maybe still is--illegally running. He was not the only one doing illegal rentals in the project and management, at the time, did absolutely nothing. We had to sell and move--living there was not enjoyable at all as a year-round resident. We now own a house but if we ever buy another condo to live in we will look for an older, well-kept project, with a much smaller number of larger units. For example, something like Northshore, with less than 200 units, with the smallest condo being around 64 sqm--which would be one of the largest in many of the new projects being built. We would also look for a project aggressive against illegal rentals and one that embraces new technology--such as facial scanning--to help fight the problem.

I doubt you have any idea whatsoever what 'most expats do'. To start with, most of us likely aren't where you are; we're not tourists here for a week or two doing tourist stuff. You're earlier comment saying any place with clean air 'would make some place good to live year round' is just as utterly ridiculous. Iceland has good air quality, according to google, but I certainly would not want to live there year-round. Lots of things should be factored in when choosing a place to live, including health care, services, recreation, shopping choices and variety, restaurants, entertainment, year-round weather, cost of living, availability of a variety of housing stock to buy or rent at all price points, airport proximity, local population demographics, crime rates, suitability to your hobbies and interests, and more. Air quality figures in, of course, but is just one of many other considerations when I am choosing where I want to live.

It's probably a better place to live year-round than to just visit for a week or two--although there is plenty to see and do if you get out there. It's certainly kept my interest for 14 years.

Ban tourists from renting motorcycles. Only holders of Thai motorcycle licenses should be allowed to drive a motorcycle in Thailand.

I doubt tourist behavior has changed much over the years. People vacation to let loose and have fun, a change from their regular lives of quiet desperation. What has changed is social media, blowing up isolated incidents that in the past would either not have been reported, or, if reported locally, would not have received wide-spread publicity. In any case, just a show of seemingly doing something.

Reducing the debt by a "lie amount". Got that right.

More lies from the second biggest liar in the world.

France has a population of 68.8 million. Tourism industry is 8.8%. Thailand has a population of 71.1 million. Tourism contributes 7.24%. Google figures. Neither country is totally reliant on tourism, but, of course, it is a very important industry for both countries. For whatever reason, Asean Now likes to focus on tourism stories--there are lots of them, many focused on numbers, and from which countries, etc. When you are bombarded with them, it leaves the impression that you have: "Tourism, tourism EVERYTHING tourism'. Had AN chosen to focus much more on farm and manufacturing stories, you might have a different perception. The largest contributor to Thailand's GDP is manufacturing, not tourism.

I wonder just what the hospital s doing for its 3000 pounds a day--other than not curing him.

Per the article, I'm not seeing any infrastructure improvements being made in booming Pattaya. Meanwhile, there are maybe a dozen mega projects under construction or on the drawing boards--with seemingly a new one announced every other day. When completed, these huge projects will be dumping even more vehicles on to the already severely congested roads. Pattaya really needs to be doing massive road improvements but, instead, is doing very little, with the do-nothing administration in place now.

Agree. The biggest argument always put out against casinos is they will harm Thais who will gamble their money away. Easy solution, bar Thais from entering any casino unless they can meet high thresholds of wealth, as this proposal does. Nothing new, some other countries bar locals from their casinos. The 5000 baht entrance fee for the super-rich Thais who qualify should be scrapped, though. Spouse and I were just at the Genting Resorts World project in Malaysia the other day. I think Thailand envisions something like this for its gambling/amusements entertainment project. The place was absolutely packed--on a week day--with lots of Muslims and Chinese. Some westerners but probably 80 to 90% Asian--and lots of families with children. The project has both outdoor and indoor amusement parks, lots of shopping, cable car rides, and concert halls, among other attractions. It was clear to see that this project, with all it had on offer, was attracting lots of non-gamblers as well as gamblers. A well-done project such as this one, if executed as well in Thailand, should also be popular with both gamblers and non-gamblers in Thailand.

Bangkok. One has a good job and the other is currently working in the US in a clerk job.

What was the 'harrowing' part? The other gym members must all be breathing a big sigh of relief.

'Timely government interventions'. 5555555555555 That'll be the day.

Huh? Why in the world would this policy encourage Thai nationals to send their money back to Thailand to have it taxed? Likely many will do just the opposite--leave the money abroad, and untaxed.

Always near the very bottom--and sinking every year rather than rising. I'm always reminded of the cave rescue of the student soccer players. Of all the players, only one, a non-Thai, could speak English and communicate with the rescuers. That world-wide bad publicity should have been completely embarrassing to the Thai government and a loud wake-up call to mount a crash program to shake things up and improve. But, instead, years later nothing has improved and Thailand's ranking continues its plunge to the bottom in the rankings.

Tried other products, nothing comes close to Gillette. To the poster who wondered what your skin has to do with a shave, your hair grows out of your skin so how your skin reacts to a shave is actually at least as important as the hair. Gillette gives me a very close, fast, comfortable shave with no skin irritation, rashes, etc. And, many times I have been saved from cutting myself with the razor's good, forgiving design. For me, well worth the cost.

Walk it off. You'll live.

Thanks for the recommendation. Just watched the first episode and liked it a lot.

I'm neither 'shocked' nor 'scandalized' by this minor crime incident.

"35.5 million tourists next year." How about 2025, this year? AI writer seems to have a problem with time, recently referring to Trump several times as the 'former president' and, now, apparently still thinking it is 2024.

Totally agree. Yes, a cliche, but you do only go around once. Not for me a 'crappy apartment'--especially one owned and furnished--likely badly--by someone else.

Easily fixed by eliminating the parking on the shops side, widening the sidewalks, and adding shade trees--or making a covered walkway to provide shade and rain protection, lit festively at night.

Finally! I, for one, will be quite happy not to have someone walking towards me with terribly disfigured legs--which I assume to be the result of perhaps running through a burning house with the floor on fire, or the result of a horrible, dragging motorcycle accident. Only to discover as they get closer that, no, those are really ugly tattoos, not horrific, healed leg injuries. Ditto for arms. Someone chose to brutally disfigure themselves. As the OP said, nobody looks better with a tattoo--including Angelina Jolie. And, they only look uglier and more ridiculous as the person ages--and sags.

I have two Thai nieces, both in their early 40s, beautiful, educated. Neither has ever married, neither seems to have marriage in their immediate future. They have dated but so far it seems they have found their Thai male suitors to be lacking. My sole male Thai nephew, also in his 40s, finally did marry so maybe there is hope for the nieces. Meanwhile, gay marriages can take up some of the slack for the Thai marriage businesses.