American vlogger leaves Thailand after years for Vietnam

3 hours ago, newnative said:

I suspect it's a case of he's looking for fresh material for his vlog.

Yes. “Influencers” do have a rather fascinating way of stating facts. Apparently, the truth is just a rough draft, and accuracy is something to be added later… if convenient.

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

We are absolutely thrilled to have one less vlogger here in Thailand. Somehow the air seems a little cleaner today and it's easier to breathe.

I am missing him already

He can’t even speak Thai. Probably annoyed the Thais don’t speak enough English to his liking. He popped up couple times on the YouTube, something about him annoyed me. Hope he stays in Vietnam.

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Beere said he will spend a few weeks in Vietnam and plans to make comparison videos between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.

If he were to compare the beer prices he could rest his case.

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

What was wrong with the Zihuatanejo area? I heard it's like many other beach areas that are quiet. The one in Shawshank was of course in the US Virgin islands. I'm guessing you knew that but just wanted to see the beach you visited.

Saint Croix. Was there not so long ago.

He'll be back once he gets tired of the Vietnamese not being too welcoming to foreigners because they still have resentment about the Vietnam war & loss of family members. I visited it twice. They never say hello, very difficult to order food, almost the whole population doesn't speak English or basic English. Their food is not that great.

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Though my heart does go out to the Thai people who make a living in tourism, and are dependent on an incredibly regressive administration and a lack of progress with regard to policy, there is a silver lining in this whole thing.

Of course I'm referring to pure selfishness on the part of us expats. Less tourism theoretically should mean lower prices, fewer price hikes and lower occupancy in hotels, which certainly benefits us if we're doing a lot of traveling.

Also the general environment is just better with less crowds. The authorities have had plenty of time to commit to the necessary reforms and they seem either indifferent, or just completely ignorant. It is quite possible that there's just a little bit of arrogance in the mix too.

I agree with your comments, but we should not forget that Thailand's tourism industry is around 20% of GDP. If tourism is on the way down, so is the whole Thai economy. Vietnam does not rely so heavily on tourism, so any increase is simply a bonus to them.

As expats, whilst we may think is good for us, it's tourism that allows expats to enjoy all the variety and choice we have here. Everything from restaurants and sports bars, to golf courses and shopping centers, even flights.

Imagine many of these businesses closing, the premises left vacant for months, possibly years. It's not a good look.

I agree, the Thai government has been / is asleep at the wheel. No innovation, no investment in tourism, the same old scams here. They just thought the people would keep coming.

Vietnam is now a genuine competitor, possibly even a threat to Thailand in the tourism market. Vietnam's tourism was booming pre covid. It's picked up where it left after covid. Meanwhile, the Thai government continue to do nothing.

Don't attack this guy. Encourage him, so that others of his ilk may follow his example.

He also said Thailand's heat, air quality and worsening floods had made him less inclined to explore more of the country.

So has he only explored Phuket and Bangkok?