13 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have never understood the enjoyment of sitting on sand and looking at water 

I enjoy walking on the beach. The wind off the ocean is usually bug free and the air is not  full of smoke. It is fun to walk on the sand, to see the little sand crabs scurry as the birds hunt for food. I enjoy sitting on a patio, having a drink as the sun sets. There are a couple restaurants in Hua Hin where a dinner at sunset, with the gentle lapping of the waves is  relaxing and a delight.  Chiang Mai doesn't offer me this. 

I enjoy the Sea side places in Thailand because, in Canada,  I live near the mountains and

do not feel the need to see more mountains, small mountains, half way around the world.

  It is also the sound of the waves and seeing boats and sail surfers,  bikini clad women.

  and eating fresh caught sea food, that appeals to me.  I do enjoy swimming in a hotel

pool though as there are less jelly fish, and other things like rubbish and broken glass

to walk over with my bare feet.  

Geezer

Things are only going to get worse. I really don’t get what the government are planning to do with the millions of people who soon be in very dire straits.

 

Huge over reaction in Thailand and globally. It may sound dramatic but more people could end up dying of poverty in the long run. 

6 hours ago, moe666 said:

Really, I have been here 10 years and never been ripped off but I also stay out of Karaoke bars.

So did I.... but almost every venue I went to, to eat or have a social drink upped the prices, one restaurant even added items to my bill that I never ordered and demanded I paid, only when I spoke perfect Thai and said I would call the police did they say it was the service girls mistake.

Most shops I went into and private transportation tried to do the double pricing bit.... it got to the point it spoiled the whole trip.
 

After visiting Chiang Mai couple of months ago I was really disappointed. The air pollution is bad. I guess that would be the last time I visit Chiang Mai. No reason to suffer when I go on holiday is there?

  From what I know in Malaysia they do control burning, that is part by part and about a week rest in between burning to keep smoke down. It appears they don't have a big problem, do from time to time a little haze but most haze from across the straits from Indonesia.

   I never knew Thais are so stubborn they just keep burning even when they know the problem.  Well, they will burn all the tourist revenue . Good bye Chiang Mai who was once a beauty but no more.

15 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Old photo

Nop.. (2017)

 

 

This is an old photo

 

20 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I think CM was recently voted as the top, or one of the top places for Thais to visit.  Not sure why, visit a few temples and waterfalls nothing new for Thais the place seems a total bore.

Exactly....Thais are packing Hua Hin .... went there two weekends ago and the beach resorts were packed...the touristy places designed for foreigners...not so much. Chang Mai is a likely visit for Thais during the cool season...because they want to have the chance to buy a new winter coat and experience temps dropping below 25 C once on their life...ha ha ha. My GF always hits me up around Christmas time..."what about a weekend in Chang Mai ?" 

10 minutes ago, tonray said:

Exactly....Thais are packing Hua Hin .... went there two weekends ago and the beach resorts were packed...the touristy places designed for foreigners...not so much. Chang Mai is a likely visit for Thais during the cool season...because they want to have the chance to buy a new winter coat and experience temps dropping below 25 C once on their life...ha ha ha. My GF always hits me up around Christmas time..."what about a weekend in Chang Mai ?" 

Same with Cha Am, dead during the week, but the last long weekend holiday I thought the restaurants were having a free beer promotion.  The traffic  was horrific, but the beaches were clean and have never been 'ripped off' there.  

 

I went to Chiang Mai once and enjoyed the smaller city feel, mountains were great and had a good family day at the zoo. I was planning a trip to Chiang Rai and had hotel prices of 3,500 per night quoted, then suddenly this jumped to 5,500. Maybe the impact of the governments  travel schemes.

8 hours ago, finy said:

Can't sympathise when I'm being kicked out in September.

 

I don't hear anyone in power (or not in power) asking for tourists to stay.

 

Maybe it can come back to life in the next decade.

You are not being kicked out, on the contrary you have been given a free extension to stay!  You can take the necessary steps to get a visa to stay after Sept . (OK from an agent, which will cost you a few bob of course, but my feeling is wither you can't be bothered to get one or either don't have the funds or are Khee Neow.?)  

21 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have never understood the enjoyment of sitting on sand and looking at water 

You are looking at the wrong thing

The bikini clad girls, or boys depending on what floats your boat are what you look at

57 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Nop.. (2017)

 

 

This is an old photo

 

Is this a high season photo??

21 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have never understood the enjoyment of sitting on sand and looking at water 

Or having filthy birds on you for a selfie pic

21 hours ago, Greenside said:

On top of the precipitous decline in tourism, it shouldn't be forgotten that there are a significant number of annual "snowbird" expats who would normally be expected to arrive in the next couple of months and despite having annual visa extensions are currently unable to enter the country.  I have American friends who have spent almost half the year here for more than a decade but can't see how returning this year is going to work out, if at all.

 

I'm sure that they contribute more to the local economy than average visitors and no effort needs to be made to entice them to come.  Unlike casual tourists, I'd think that many would willingly consent to quarantine on arrival given the length of their stay.

 

Are there any figures on the number of annual Snowbird visitors?

That Snowbird would be me..stuck in the states..wishing I could leave today for CM.....my other home.... ????

15 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

You are looking at the wrong thing

The bikini clad girls, or boys depending on what floats your boat are what you look at

Its a bit of a sad existence though, going to beaches just to look at other peoples bodies 

20 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Lived here in CM way over 20yrs and still love it. I can still travel to beaches or BKK or where ever. Has a small city feel. After about 3 -4 days in BKK I am ready to come back home.

Same    2008 and on for me......liked Khon Kaen and Nong Khai too for a jaunt

4 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

Or having filthy birds on you for a selfie pic

Double whammy, you can go back home on look at the photos , just prior to going out in the evening and looking at even more females . 

On 8/11/2020 at 10:28 AM, ChakaKhan said:

That Snowbird would be me..stuck in the states..wishing I could leave today for CM.....my other home.... ????

Yep,  tourism is hurting something bad.    The girls on Loi Kroa said that when you left they lost half their customer base

let me get the tissue box ... 

Just about the time the proposed international travel ban until 2021 is lifted, Chiang Mai will be at peak hazardous/deadly AQI 290+ until May.  That should just about do in those already barely hanging on.   

Blame the idiots burning and the ineffective government lops.  No sympathy from me.  

19 hours ago, rumak said:

Yep,  tourism is hurting something bad.    The girls on Loi Kroa said that when you left they lost half their customer base

LOL  actually I never went in those, I would go in No. 1 Bar to get a good beer and brandy.....there used to be a LBoy bar on that corner and they would always hoot n holler at me..eventually became friends and would let me bring in my own sangsom as long as I bought mixers...sadly "she" moved to europe..bar is gone ????

On 8/10/2020 at 1:02 PM, CorpusChristie said:

I have never understood the enjoyment of sitting on sand and looking at water 

Maybe you like sitting in a tree looking at a banana?????

On 8/13/2020 at 9:38 AM, ChakaKhan said:

LOL  actually I never went in those, I would go in No. 1 Bar to get a good beer and brandy.....there used to be a LBoy bar on that corner and they would always hoot n holler at me..eventually became friends and would let me bring in my own sangsom as long as I bought mixers...sadly "she" moved to europe..bar is gone ????

A pal of mine bought his wife from the No. 1 bar.

Dunno what happened to him of the marriage.

On 8/11/2020 at 10:27 AM, ChakaKhan said:

Or having filthy birds on you for a selfie pic

I quite like filthy birds on top of me.

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I quite like filthy birds on top of me.

Depends on your defention as I was referring to the ones at tae pae gate that climb all over the chinese

 

Not the ones that climb on grandpas.....or Britmen too...either way to seem to be about making a baht..

at least some good news, love how quiet it is.