Leaver

Where city hall wanted it to be, or where ridiculous rents eventually pushed it to be? I have no doubt, 5 to 10 years from now, high LK Metro / Baukhao / Tree Town rents will push the centre of the adult nightlife to another location.

Interesting. Maybe some of these motorbike races can ride two bikes at the same time.

There's every chance that the steps at the front of Tree Town could become the next coconut bar, even for the Indians in the future.

Perhaps the price of the alcohol went down, but they put the tax up more than the decrease in price. ????

Err, so why are you commenting on the Pattaya forum about a matter that has no affect on you?

Thailand has the death penalty for criminals, yet refuses to euthanize stray dogs.

They need to create the illusions of being democratic, and being a popular outcome. ????

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=christmas+lights&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.11257f6dBY7aTF

Strange time to be selling, with the finishing line in sight. https://www.bahtsold.com/view/well-established-bar-soi-chaiyapoon-444330

Why did you chose to live in Pattaya in the first place?

Most can still have a good day. I'm sure they have prepared with ice boxes.

You can still catch covid, spread covid, get sick from covid, get really sick from covid, and die from covid, despite being vaccinated. The percentages of the last to are small, but across a large population, it's enough to overwhelm Pattaya's / Thailand's health care system. They are in a difficult position, because they know opening up will see the virus rip through the population, and they know they haven't got the hospital beds for the few percent that still get very sick and possibly die.

Walking Street outpriced itself well before covid. Unless Thai landlords offer realistic rents there, post covid, so Walking Street can compete with LK Metro / Baukhao / Tree Town etc, then it will struggle for adult nightlife customers. Some nightclubs and restaurants will survive, but the bars and gogo's for the girls will be finished. Walking Street is not the only show in town now, and package holiday Chinese and Russians, walking up and down spectating and taking photos, don't pay the bills.

Some time after the coup, when it was clear the military were not in any rush to hold elections, I wondered if Thailand may see a wave of populism and nationalism where by The General makes a statement similar to, "There will be no more retirement visas after 2025, and no grandfathering past visas" for example. This would effectively give most foreigners a few years to sell their property to a Thai, and clear out. The national Thai attitude has long been "Thailand is for Thai's." They want you to fly in, spend all your money, and fly out. Such a policy would effectively be a Mugabe style taking back of land owned by foreigners, but without the violence. Point being, they may allow you to own the property, but it's the visa that allows you to live in it, and visa policy can be changed with the stoke of a pen in Bangkok. So, owning a property, and being able to live in it, is really at the mercy of authorities. It can be argued that such a policy may harm the construction industry, but with 1000's of new properties sitting unsold, even prior to covid, I think the property industry was in trouble here anyway. Interesting times ahead.

I don't think you need to be exceptionally wealthy to retire here, but there is no doubt that the cost of living is increasing for foreigners here, not helped by poor exchange rates. As for the exceptionally wealthy, I agree, why would they chose Thailand? They trashed their tourism area beaches and nature years ago, have unfriendly foreign ownership of property laws, have failing infrastructure, and is politically unstable. Always need a Plan B, and as you suggest, many may have to resort to it in the not so distant future.

Thailand offers no reasonable path to permanent residency and / or citizenship. It's one thing to say you will stay in Thailand until you die, it's another thing to be legally allowed to stay until that day comes. The retirement visa / extension does not give the "right" to live here. It is nothing more than a 1 year tourist visa that can be extended in country.

Re-entry?

And if already infected, nothing to lose.

What exactly do you get for your 14k baht?

They may not attend the event, but many may "attend" Pattaya for the show.

Err, if that's all he could do with a shotgun, he must have been very drunk, or is a lousy shot.

If people didn't drive / ride drunk, there would be no need to avoid them.

In the past there have been incidents like this and it all depended on who the offenders were, who the offender's parents are, and how much money they had, for a case of it was just "a misunderstanding." ????

Pattaya. When I first moved here, I expected anywhere from 15k to 25k. I got 20k thrown at me first up, for EVERYTHING. So I took it, and been with them ever since, as it was never my intention to move 800k to Thailand. Would you care to elaborate on your post?

Perhaps add a power bank to your survival kit, but by the sounds of it, a gun would be better. ????