Maha Sarakham

Guess the days of Chiang Mai as the digital nomad hub have since passed... 

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The real Japan lays outside of Tokyo, Osaka, etc etc.

We went to the countryside to attend a wedding, hot springs, etc. in addition to Tokyo.  Don't get me wrong, the people of Japan are incredibly honest but the country itself just doesn't seem to be set up for tourists or general convenience, the infrastructure just isn't there and the level of English spoken outside of Tokyo is minimal and sometimes a headache to deal with.  Even for basic things like airport transportation, bus routes, general directions, taxis, etc. it was a headache trying to get around anywhere without our local friends.  I'm not knocking the place, just giving our honest perspective on it.  I'm glad people are excited about Japan but the food alone was uninteresting enough to deter my Thai wife from ever wanting to visit again.  She struggled to find anything remotely spicy or bold in flavor, it was all very bland compared to a lot of other Asian cuisines.

2 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Bangkok far more fun.

Yeah, I guess when you've seen Bangkok electric and alive til' 4 AM pre-pandemic and the luxuries of Singapore, Tokyo is really nothing special.  I found Japanese food to be very mediocre compared to Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese food.  I'm glad people like Japan, but it's just not for us, we wouldn't go back.

Absolute mental case.

I guess when you can't see their face, alternatives are needed.

I would think the availability and charm of Thai women is more than just a boon for golfing, it is also the reason a lot of men come to Thailand in the first place, whether on a holiday or as an expat.  

Here's hoping we see 35 or 36:1 soon.

Took a bicycle tour through Mai Chau in the North of Vietnam (about 3.5 hours outside of Hanoi) a couple of years ago and the local guide stated that houses were about 26k USD in an immaculate, beautiful area very similar to Chiang Mai.  He did mention that the rice field land was owned by the Vietnamese government although it was sure beautiful.  Would love to live there someday.

12 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Wait. Are you saying that a some point people will stop aging? When they do money will magically rain from heaven?

I'm confused.

No, I'm saying the new generation does not think the same way as the older generation in many cases.

8 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Totally agree.

But i think the number one thing,  that most get wrong is  not enough money to live the life they dream of.

and after 8-10 years they are done and heading home.

A chronic problem with many indeed.  I think their expectations are too high initially and in order to attain the lifestyle that they originally envisioned in their golden years in Thailand, they have to maintain that higher level of spend with an unrealistic budget that eventually taps out their finances early.

In my opinion, one of the most important things people can do before retiring to Thailand is spending some time actually living in the country for 3-6-12 months to understand the lifestyle they are getting into and the implications of their budget in sustaining that lifestyle.

3 minutes ago, wasabi said:

I've considered this but overwhelmed by all the different city choices. A college town would be nice. Somewhere with a downtown, safe, relatively affordable housing. I was looking at this list but never having been any of these places it's hard to know what to think. I have been to Miami, Orlando and Cocoa Beach. All okay places but not top for me to live.

A lot of options, Florida has been rapidly developing over the past 5 years or so, you might not even recognize it anymore.  The restaurant/culinary scene seems to be exploding and big investment going into a lot of the bigger cities and its infrastructure.  That said, hard to top Bangkok if it wasn't for the bad air.

1 minute ago, wasabi said:

I've also considered moving back to the USA but not to California but not sure where yet.

Florida is a very nice and less expensive alternative to California.

Eventually these old traditions will become less prevalent in Thai society as the older generation fades into the sunset.  It's just going to take time.

48 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I would say almost ZERO night time tourist action in Da Nang.

A few normal bars, some restaurants that all close early.

Light and fire show at the Dragon Bridge at 9pm weekends.

That's about it.

That's the way I remember it too.  9 PM was the peak of the excitement other than a few small bars overlooking the river.