Cheap flights? It's never been as expensive as it is today, that also accounts for grab where a simple ride now easily costs 150-200 baht which still is 70-80 on a taxi meter in BKK. Most places are dead too, good food can be found anywhere. Book stores? If you want to find a boring novel from 3 decades ago perhaps. Attractive spoiled and lazy woman mainly too, the good ones all move to BKK as soon they graduate.
It's typical with this forum, people sharing their experience of 100 years ago when they were there just for a few days or week lol.