46 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Air quality..................much worsr……………………. no, at least in Bangkok it's better now

 

 

In the beginning of this year schools were closed in Bangkok because going out on the street was dangerous for children. Was air quality even more bad in the past ?  

29 minutes ago, JackGats said:

Internet, taxi apps, availability of western food, less paranoia about AIDS.

AIDS was in full swing 20 years ago, 1999. 

 

I know, that seems like last week, not 20 years ago. ????

 

26 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

In the beginning of this year schools were closed in Bangkok because going out on the street was dangerous for children. Was air quality even more bad in the past ?  

Yes, at the beginning of this year the air quality was bad. But that was a big exception.

I don't remember bad air quality like that for years in Sukhumvit, Bangkok.

 

When I arrived here in 1995 traffic air quality was definitely worse than now. Lots of busses with black smoke, etc.

Obviously now it's still far away from good. But definitely better than years ago.

I am sure the not existing 2-stroke motorcycles make also a big difference. 20 years ago basically all bikes were 2-stroke which burn oil. Now, since many years, all new bikes have 4-stroke engines now with electronic fuel injection.

14 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

AIDS was in full swing 20 years ago, 1999. 

People talked about AIDS. But how many heterosexuals were infected? As far as I know very few.

And lets not forget places like the old Thermae with a back entrance through the toilet and the kitchen, the old Nana disco, at that time rotten places like Midnight or Tilac, all the small bars in Nana 2nd floor, ...

They were obviously not as clean as the new polished chrome places. But they had character. Many of us remember those special times ???? 

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, at the beginning of this year the air quality was bad. But that was a big exception.

I don't remember bad air quality like that for years in Sukhumvit, Bangkok.

 

When I arrived here in 1995 traffic air quality was definitely worse than now. Lots of busses with black smoke, etc.

Obviously now it's still far away from good. But definitely better than years ago.

I am sure the not existing 2-stroke motorcycles make also a big difference. 20 years ago basically all bikes were 2-stroke which burn oil. Now, since many years, all new bikes have 4-stroke engines now with electronic fuel injection.

 

Most bikes I see in Bangkok are more than 20 years old, so probably still the old ones ????

 

I don't know how it was 20 years ago. But for me the bad air quality this year is enough reason to disqualify Bangkok as a place to live permanently. It was not only the beginning of this year, it was also the months before and the months after. I am in Bangkok only for a year, and the bad air quality is the first thing I mention when people ask about Bangkok. It's terrible.  Bangkok is only livable after rain.

 

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

People talked about AIDS. But how many heterosexuals were infected? As far as I know very few.

My best pal (heterosexual) died of AIDs this July.

Caught in Chiang Mai sometime in the last 15 years, diagnosed in London last year, died in London age 59 after nearly a year in hospital.

4 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

Most bikes I see in Bangkok are more than 20 years old, so probably still the old ones ????

 

I don't know how it was 20 years ago. But for me the bad air quality this year is enough reason to disqualify Bangkok as a place to live permanently. It was not only the beginning of this year, it was also the months before and the months after. I am in Bangkok only for a year, and the bad air quality is the first thing I mention when people ask about Bangkok. It's terrible.  Bangkok is only livable after rain.

 

You get used to it, believe me.

And after a while you only notice the real bad days like beginning of the year.

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

18 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

People talked about AIDS. But how many heterosexuals were infected? As far as I know very few.

My best pal (heterosexual) died of AIDs this July.

Caught in Chiang Mai sometime in the last 15 years, diagnosed in London last year, died in London age 59 after nearly a year in hospital.

That is obviously sad, you lost your best pal.

 

But I think many of us remember the days when AIDS was presented as a HUGE risk like have unprotected sex and you will get it. Over the years it became clear that the chance to get the HIV virus like that is very low.

But very low is obviously still not 0. Some people get infected. But I think a lot less than people predicted last century.

Never take much notice , got Me Beer on the Sideboard Here.!...????[emoji481]????


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I really can't think of much if anything that's better. BTS is the same + extension. Airport link I rarely use bc it's such a sh1tfest. MRT is nice but very limited and has overcrowding issues. Internet and communication is better than 30 years ago but 2000 there was plenty of Internet about. Airfare not any cheaper but maybe more flights to more places which I don't care about any more.

 

It's a good challenge - what is better? We often are told to stop whinging but it's really gone south. We're all just frogs in a pot of boiling water.

 

I'm very indifferent to staying on in years to come.

 

Certainly the politics has gone in the toilet.

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My best pal (heterosexual) died of AIDs this July.

Caught in Chiang Mai sometime in the last 15 years, diagnosed in London last year, died in London age 59 after nearly a year in hospital.

My condolences bro

To those of you who come from a town in the UK, how much better was it 20 yrs ago? In my old home town ,far better,at least people wore normal clothes ,not covered up ,and most spoke English ,now its like downtown Bangladesh.

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3 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Oh, so much worse.

Much much worse.

The horror, the horror...... (spoken in hushed tones a la Marlon Brando as Col Kurtz in Apocalypse Now).....

Strange that, it sounded more like Frankie Howerd to me!

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Or has the entire world followed the same path?

There are very many better places. Just look at what you wrote. Thailand is 3rd world.

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Air quality..................much worsr

Traffic pollution.......much worse

Cost of living............much worse

Exchange rate...........much worse

Materialsim in thais........... worse

Crowdedness............much worse

Girls............................getting fatter

Respect for whitey...............worse

Chance for older guy to get younger wife.........worse

Noise pollution.........worse

Chinese tourists.......much worse

Degradation of natural beauty......much worse

Thai smile..................much less

Cost of medical care.....much worse

Heat............................worse

None of the  above, wasn't  here then, airports  worse, things we cant discuss are worse here and in general outside  of TV, rules  getting worse in their enforcement TM30 etc, 

Better, Wife earns  more, Wife's  nom still don't drag on the floor and she hasn't changed  much, bts extended ( better) but now too crowded (worse). Costs, don't see  much change bought top model Honda Jazz for Wife in 2006 700k new  model now only 720k 13 years,  almost no change.

Good  posters  left or  banned ? who knows as now its not  known on their  names anymore.

Probably said  too  much already.

Weather see  no change, hot, too hot and way too hot.

Availability of diy items better, used to haul stuff from the UK now can get it in Thailand although  AUTOGLYM  polish is raving expensive in Thailand so buy  in the Uk and fly  over with it on my annual trip but IS available in Thailand.

Worse , security, no one used to care  much now  need  blood  stool  sample  just to post a letter.

 

 

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

What is better about Thailand, and life in 2019? The malls and cinemas. The BTS. All the new rooftop bars. My desktop computer. My 65" LED TV. My home theatre. My smartphone. My iPod. My scooter. Seems like mostly tech stuff. Anything else? Not sure. What do you guys think?

Those things are better the world over for the most part.

45 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is obviously sad, you lost your best pal.

 

But I think many of us remember the days when AIDS was presented as a HUGE risk like have unprotected sex and you will get it. Over the years it became clear that the chance to get the HIV virus like that is very low.

But very low is obviously still not 0. Some people get infected. But I think a lot less than people predicted last century.

as many other ways, its a <deleted>ty way to go,

but i think he was lucky not to make it to 60,

i can only hope i wont see 60 either

11 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

i can only hope i wont see 60 either

Why...what's wrong with 60? Still many good years left after that. Unless one has health complicated problems, life can still be great.

If memory serves he currency exchange rate against the US dollar is actually a better now than it was  20 years ago...and vastly better than it was say 23 years ago, pre "Thaitanic". (I remember well as I built my house with the baht at 25, only to have it devalue significantly against the dollar right after the work was finished which was mid 1997).

 

Of course it is worse now for the British pound but that is true against all currencies and  due to devaluation of the pound.

 

I think you are right on the other counts, though.

 

However there have been  improvements especially for those of us living out in the boondocks:

 

- much more reliable electricity supply (blackouts and undervoltage were chronic problems 20 years ago, now very rare)

 

- much faster and more widely available internet connection, boroadband now posisble almost everywhere. Even 7 years ago, I couldn't get it.

 

- greater availability of consumer goods: 20 years ago I had to drive 4-5 hours roundtrip just to get to a Tesco or Big C. Now have both, and Robinsoms and HomePro, in the province.  And Lazada!!!

 

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

Are there any positives since 20 years ago?

Netflix 

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

If memory serves he currency exchange rate against the US dollar is actually a better now than it was  20 years ago...and vastly better than it was say 23 years ago, pre "Thaitanic". (I remember well as I built my house with the baht at 25, only to have it devalue significantly against the dollar right after the work was finished which was mid 1997).

 

Of course it is worse now for the British pound but that is true against all currencies and  due to devaluation of the pound.

 

I think you are right on the other counts, though.

 

However there have been  improvements especially for those of us living out in the boondocks:

 

- much more reliable electricity supply (blackouts and undervoltage were chronic problems 20 years ago, now very rare)

 

- much faster and more widely available internet connection, boroadband now posisble almost everywhere. Even 7 years ago, I couldn't get it.

 

- greater availability of consumer goods: 20 years ago I had to drive 4-5 hours roundtrip just to get to a Tesco or Big C. Now have both, and Robinsoms and HomePro, in the province.  And Lazada!!!

 

Likewise. Nine years ago when I first came to our village in Nongbualamphu we had some mobile connection if we were lucky and stood in the right place. Now we have fast internet (so fast that four or five Youtube connections can run at once). Our local town had nothing,  Now it has a 7 eleven and a small Tescos. Nong bua had very littile, Now it has a big Tescos, Makro and Thai Watsadu.  No longer any need to make the 100 + kilometres round trips to Khon Kaen or Udon Thani on a weekly basis.   

48 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

Strange that, it sounded more like Frankie Howerd to me!

I thought he was paraphrasing the effeminate guy from the carry on movies.

23 minutes ago, wisperone said:

Why...what's wrong with 60? Still many good years left after that. Unless one has health complicated problems, life can still be great.

nah..thanks, but no thanks, i have no idea why i linger around,

well actually i do, i havnt got the means to end it in a pleasant way

24 minutes ago, wisperone said:

Why...what's wrong with 60? Still many good years left after that. Unless one has health complicated problems, life can still be great.

Not sure about that, approaching 64, and the years after 60 haven't been that great.

Nothing in particular to complain about, just nothing left I want to do, and I can feel illness and infirmity approaching.

20 minutes ago, amykat said:

Netflix 

DVDs have been around forever if you need that sort of thing. PiratX Xay

4 hours ago, sidjameson said:

I dont trust my memory. But here goes.

 

Air quality..................much worsr

Traffic pollution.......much worse

Cost of living............much worse

Exchange rate...........much worse

Materialsim in thais........... worse

Crowdedness............much worse

Girls............................getting fatter

Respect for whitey...............worse

Chance for older guy to get younger wife.........worse

Noise pollution.........worse

Chinese tourists.......much worse

Degradation of natural beauty......much worse

Thai smile..................much less

Cost of medical care.....much worse

Heat............................worse

 

Like I said, i dont trust my memory. Is the above true? It feels it to me. 

An awful lot of that applies to the rest of se asia too.

 

How much worse does it have to get before other places look better?

Or has the entire world followed the same path?

Or have i just become a grumpy old man?

Hard to disagree with this.  I would add the immigration and reporting stuff is really getting out of hand.  My first visit was in 2004, 15 years ago now to this day, and I thought the place rocked.  I so miss the low seasons and then a few months of high seasons were OK.     Went downhill  after the Thaksin coup as the general feeling of being in a gilded cage appeared.  Then the mass exodus to Pattaya after the Bangkok Floods.  The intermediate Russian surge didn't help the place.  Way too much being built up and condos galore jamming the skyline.

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not sure about that, approaching 64, and the years after 60 haven't been that great.

Nothing in particular to complain about, just nothing left I want to do, and I can feel illness and infirmity approaching.

Strongly echo the same sentiment as I now pass 62.  Finances are good, no longer able to jump over the hood of cars, or do a jumping back turning kick into the punching bag as I could in my Tae Kwon Do years.  Finances are good.  So many friends have gone or lost contact with over the years as I moved out from home town. 

3 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Housing/Condos... much better

Ammenities... much better

Internet... much better

Banking... much better

Western food... much better

Supermarkets... much better

Flightprices... much better

Hotels.... much better 

Infrastructure.... much better

Taxi/Tuktuk... Grab is much better

Medical quality... much better

My finances... much better

Shopping... much better

 

 

................

Internet better is subjective.  Sure it can be nice, but <deleted> like facebook, twitter, people burying their heads on their smart phones ignoring the world. 

western food better?  I don't know.  Lots of smaller farang owned places are struggling with costs, using crappier ingredients, etc.  Shopping, well I don't need or want any more big western style malls. I got plenty of malls here in the USA, but I will admit that's a toss up as occasionally it is nice for a cool air con walk around in a big mall.  Plane tickets have not gotten worse, so in general that is OK, especially since they are priced in USD for me, and with zero price increase in over a dozen years, it is hard to say the prices are not better.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

20 years back I couldn't buy a 50" TV for 8,000bht.

Could you buy a 50" Tv twenty years ago?