Maha Sarakham

10 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

I am almost out of gas and motivation to keep working, but it is better to keep doshing up for a little while longer.  So miss Thailand and the ease of Pattaya.  Love the baht bus hop on and off.  Love walking around. So much food of different types from around the world.  Daily foot massages.  Fun nights out.  Buddhist temples are so peaceful.

You're doing the right thing.  Pattaya isn't the same place you remember.  Keep working through this period of global struggle as long as you can.

26 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You have a very odd sense of what's "normal."

Hey, up to you if you want to watch and read the negative news everyday.  Our life is no different than before covid, don't know what to tell you.  

Get out and enjoy nature and the outdoors like the original poster seems to think he can't do.  It's all still there.  Nothing has changed except your perception you're still "locked down."  Except Aussies, they're just screwed.

Life is normal here in the US, who is still locked down at this point?  Make a move if it's weighing on you that heavily.

I think Thailand as a destination for new retirees will be significantly reduced in the future.  Thailand is not easy nor cheap anymore.  People who go online and search for 'retirement in Thailand' will be flooded with pages full of negativity, talk about scams, racism, visa issues, and be immediately turned off.  When searching for 'value' for money, Thailand doesn't even make the top retirement destination lists as it used to pre-2014.  With that, I struggle to see a business case for attracting new retirees to Thailand that aren't looking primarily for the girls.  But even that scene I think will be less in your face and instead move online in the future.

This entire pandemic has been a stake in the heart for Thailand as far as I'm concerned.  I don't see any possible scenario where they come out of this with anything near what they had before.

Walking Street will never be the same again and its probably a good thing.

Seems like he fell victim to the unsustainable party lifestyle.  Never ends well.  

However, it is incredibly foolish to say this is representative of everyone retiring to Thailand.  It all depends on your hobbies and your unique situation.

It really depends.  Without seeing the damages, we are all just assuming things.  I would just walk away and go radio silent if I felt like the landlord was trying to take advantage of me.  It sounds like they are upset you moved out early and are trying to recoup losses during a time when it is unlikely he/she will find another renter.

I would never 'walk out' normally, but if someone is clearly trying to scam me, I would just disappear off the face of the planet overnight.

The best times are behind Thailand, you're not mistaken.

Still very happy in the US, if you have the means to live in a good area and can afford it.  Problem is, most people left to SE Asia looking for 'value' for their dollar.  Retirement back home is expensive and many simply do not have the option of uprooting out of Thailand.  However, the situation in Thailand is looking dire, I will admit my wife is signaling we may never return to Thailand at this rate without a significant shakeup of those in power (which is unlikely at this point).

15 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

I think everyone seriously underestimates how much tourism impacts Thailand, particularly at a grassroots level. Every worker we meet as tourists, is a person who relies almost solely on the industry, and tips etc. to live a dignified life. I recall a conservative estimate of tourism income is 25% of the economy.

So true, I'm actually blown away at how minimal the domestic tourism sector managed to support the industry.  It is clear that international tourism was the lifeblood of more 'unofficial' jobs that weren't in the official recognized tally.  Street food vendors, night life workers, guest house owners, and everyone in between - none of those people are accounted for in officially registered figures.  Thailand needs tourism, it has relied on it for far too long with a relatively uneducated mass of people that used it to support themselves and their families lifestyles.