newnative

How many deaths and horrible injuries do we need before this terrible animal breed is outlawed?

My source is official statistics. As I have said many times, and another has just said on this thread, they report the good and the bad. In 2021, they had to report international tourist arrivals of just 427,869. Can you imagine! Did not even reach a half million! For the whole year! How bad did that make them look? Couldn't they have found a few more here and there--or made them up--to make them look better? Yet, there it is, 427,869, for all to see. In 2014, the international arrivals dropped from the year before. Why? Because the coup happened and it kept international tourists away. Embarrassing for the coup leaders. The figures could have easily been juggled to make the coup leaders look good and gain some favor with them. Did that happen? No. There's the embarrassing drop in numbers, for all to see. You may 'prefer to believe' your eyes and a hotel owner you 'speak with' but it's ludicrous to make your warped pronouncements based on such small and unreliable information. You remind me of the deluded poster who recently posted a thread saying that 95% of the crime in Thailand happens in Pattaya. When I called him on it and asked him to produce statistics, he said he had none, but, instead, it was his feeling that the figure was 95% based on his reading of Asean Now. I'm afraid you're methodology is just as suspect.

https://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourists-nationalities-Thailand.asp A slight correction to my earlier post. UK tourists were up around 5% rather than 6% from 2015 to 2019.

Wow, the ink was hardly dry on my post. For the record: It's the same with western tourist numbers. Some posters are of the belief that western tourist numbers were dropping drastically in the years before covid. Also not true. From 2015 to 2019 the numbers rose for every western country tracked except Australia, which did drop slightly. American visitors were up 34% in that period. UK about 6%. Posters do not want to hear this--they will always maintain the numbers were way down because they talked to so and so and he said his bar was not doing that well. Well, there you go--no need to look any further--they've gotten the scoop from so and so.

Exactly. The counting method hasn't changed so it is quite valid to compare one year to another. It's easy to see, for example, that there was a dip in tourists in 2014, the year of the coup. I've posted this a number of times but it just falls on deaf ears--posters don't want to hear anything that does not fit their narratives and perceptions. It's the same with western tourist numbers. Some posters are of the belief that western tourist numbers were dropping drastically in the years before covid. Also not true. From 2015 to 2019 the numbers rose for every western country tracked except Australia, which did drop slightly. American visitors were up 34% in that period. UK about 6%. Posters do not want to hear this--they will always maintain the numbers were way down because they talked to so and so and he said his bar was not doing that well. Well, there you go--no need to look any further--they've gotten the scoop from so and so.

Yet another example of why I am totally opposed to any organized religion.

Hmm. We're either 'ignorant' or 'rich' according to the OP. Maybe there's a third possibility. We don't sweat the small stuff.

Despite what you read on Asean Now, not everybody is poor--and that includes Russians. The fact that they had the means to get to Thailand likely puts a lot of them in the upper class. Thailand is inexpensive so many can afford to live here for extended periods.

Thai spouse's family lives outside of Bangkok near Impact and we have a getaway condo in center city Bangkok. We visit about once a month and enjoy our visits. When my spouse retires we might end up relocating from Pattaya to be closer to his family. If we did we would probably look for a place in the BKK suburbs.

I disagree. There are probably more women working just at convenience stores--7-11s, Tops, etc.--all over the greater Pattaya area than in the bars. Then add in all the other retail--everything from banks to clothing stores to electronincs/cell phone stores to opticians to pharmacies to shoe shops to--the list is endless. Then add in all the hospital workers and all the workers at health clinics, dentists, etc. Hospitals are big employers of women and we have at least 4. Then add in all the workers at the hotels, restaurants, tourist places, etc. Then add in all the women working in Mom and Pop shops--everything from street food vendors to laundries to barbers and beauty salons, etc. etc. No contest.

Yaa! Good decision. He is clearly not fit to serve as President.

I enjoy it. Gets me in a holiday mood.

Great! Hope it passes!

I was going to suggest the Lake Mabprachan/Pong area, as well. The bike trail around the lake is very nice. Fresh market, post office, gas station, local restaurants, badminton courts, pharmacies, and other services are all nearby. We can jump on the Motorway and be on Sukhumvit in about 15 minutes. For an intown location I would suggest Wong Amat. It's quiet and easy to get to hospitals, malls, T21, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. A number of condo choices in the 10,000 baht or less range.

Thanks for the information. Appreciate it.

Yes, Thailand. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Bumrungrad in Bangkok.

I'm in the same boat and I'm curious as to whether you have had a CAC (Coronary Artery Calcium) test and, if so, what your score was. Like you, I have been taking a statin for high cholesterol for at least 20 years, which has kept my cholesterol within normal ranges. At my last physical, the doctor gave me a CAC test, which I don't believe I have ever had before, even though I have high cholesterol. My reading on the CAC test was 433, which is considered very high. Zero to 100 is the normal range. I've since had an MRI, which indicated my heart arteries have blockages but are not severe enough to need stents at this point. I had not yet seen this posted article with new research on statins or I would have ran it by my heart doctor when I had the MRI. I find myself questioning the effectiveness of statins since I ended up with blocked arteries anyway after taking statins for at least 20 years. While the statin kept my cholesterol in the normal range, it apparently did little or nothing, in my case, to prevent the buildup of calcium in my arteries. Or, perhaps the buildup could have been worse. Color me confused at this point.

If you re-read the post, nowhere does it state that Yellowstone charges more for foreigners.

Joining hands is about all that will be accomplished. We've seen these same articles for years. Crackdown on this. Crackdown on that. No will to actually get anything useful done--by any agency.

Wake up, America. He's a wannabe Hitler.

Been there twice, once by van/taxi, the other by plane. Definitely fly.

Beautiful view Thanks for sharing.

Pattaya has some big, highrise condo projects on the way. Contrary to some of the comments on this thread, developers do find buyers for their projects, which allows them to go on and plan new projects. Some examples: Arom Wong Amat was started right at the beginning of covid and topped out not too long ago. Apparently, buyers were found for this pricey project and the developers are beginning another highrise project, Arom Jomtien. Also in Jomtien, the next Copacabana project is getting started. Copacabana Coral Reef will be 56 floors with 1872 units. I believe this project has had a name change from Copacabana Golf. Following previous successful projects such as Riviera Wong Amat, Jomtien, Monaco, and Ocean Drive, the next Riviera project will be a highrise in Pratumnak, Riviera Malibu. Back in Wong Amat, Habitat Group, which has built a number of Pattaya projects, has announced Wyndham Grand, another highrise project which boasts a location just 250 meters to the beach and 900 meters to Terminal 21. Across from Axis condo, the massive 67-story Grand Solaire is under construction. When finished, it will have over 2,400 units and, supposedly, will be the tallest building in Pattaya. Another massive, new project under construction is Marina Golden Bay, two 51-story towers with 1800 units, located off of Thepprasit Road. And, finally, Skypark Lucean, which seems to be on the building site where, long ago, I believe Ocean One condo was slated for. Phase 1 is planned as two towers of 60 and 31 stories, with 900 units. Pattaya's skyline continues to change dramatically from when my spouse and I arrived in 2010. At that time, with highrise condos, there were the View Talays, Jomtien Complex towers, Metro, Jomtien Plaza, Royal Cliff, Northshore, and the three sisters in Wong Amat--Sky Beach, Park Beach, and Silver Beach. PKCP. Saranchol. Pattaya Hill. Plus, some others scattered around. Now, I couldn't begin to count all the new condo projects that have been built since 2010--which does not seem that long ago. You really get a sense of how big Pattaya has become when you are driving in on the Motorway and see the skyline in the distance. It's definitely a city now, with an ever-changing city skyline.

Spouse and I are thinkng about giving each other watches.

Totally incorrect in your conclusion. Most tours work the way you describe--the fees are paid in the country of origin and the tour company pays for lodging, food, transportation, etc. Fun fact: In 2019, 60% of the Chinese tourist to Thailand were not in tour groups.