Thailand's Future: What do you think?

[scottiejohn]

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Up in Chiang Mai there's been no change in rents, the first condo I rented in the centre was 6kbht/month ..... 15 years later still 6kbht.

You cannot speak for all of CM just your personal circumstances!

Just because your rent has not increase does not mean that there have been no rent increases anywhere in CM in the last 15years!

My rent has gone up over the last 23 years!

Edited February 27 by scottiejohn

[mfd101]

In my 7 years of living here in little Plasat at the southern end of little ol' Sulin province, change has been uneven:

 

(1) What was a 2- or even 1.5-lane east/west road is now a 4-lane (and in some places 6-lane) highway. And masses of vehicles pouring along them in both directions every day of the week. Local roads all improved;

 

(2) But the price of my haircut (70B) hasn't changed and the price of a splendid brunch sitting outside at PTT hasn't changed (80B for beef larb & papaya salad & greens & rice for me plus assorted Thai chili & rice dishes for b/f). No tips;

 

(3) Twice-weekly shopping at Lotus is twice the price of 7 years ago - used to be up to 1000B, now often over 2000B. Quality is variable. We go to Tops outside Muaeng Surin once a month for the more upmarket & 'Western' things ...

Edited February 27 by mfd101

[Hummin]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Bangkok did change a lot. The BTS, MRTA, home delivery, fewer dirty exhaust vehicles, and much more.

But somehow, it's the same, I guess that is the Thai mentality or whatever you call it. Maybe it's more of the same, or something like that.

The biggest change for me in Bangkok is Grab Taxi. God I love Grab, best ever.

 

 

[Dolf]

14 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The biggest change for me in Bangkok is Grab Taxi. God I love Grab, best ever.

 

 

Yes all the apps are good. Saves dealing with taxis or tuk tuks.

[klauskunkel]

Quote

Thailand's Future: What do you think?

Ask Thaksin.

[FruitPudding]

13 hours ago, HugoFastor said:

Bangkok will face a real threat of being underwater by 2030 from sea levels rising. A cyclone hitting Bangkok within 10 years is a serious possibility.

 

You lost me at this part.

 

Nice try, Greta

 

 

[jippytum]

The divisive Shinawatra family have dominated Thai politics along with their new friends in the military. Unless we have some changes and new parties like the MFP are allowed to govern if they win an election that would be a good start. 

[mokwit]

17 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

We hear about Thailand being the hub of this and the hub of that. 

 

LOS means something different to different people. 

 

Legalising weed was a surprise to many.

 

Some like all the new malls and such, others miss Washington Square and Queen's Park Plaza. 

 

So, what do you think Thailand will be like in the next decades to come and what would you like to be like?

You won't be here then unless you are Chinese. HTH

[xeniv23]

14 hours ago, Dolf said:

Millions of foreigners are flying in.

And millions of foreigners are flying out again.  

[xeniv23]

44 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

You lost me at this part.

 

Nice try, Greta

 

 

I lived in a house in Nonthaburi across the river from Bangkok.  It did not take much looking to find water marks in the house that were chest high from flood waters.  I think it was 2014 when it happened.  Subsidence and rising water will not be good for Bangkok long term.  Reminds me of New Orleans.  

[Dolf]

3 minutes ago, xeniv23 said:

And millions of foreigners are flying out again.  

They are called tourists.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

The biggest change for me in Bangkok is Grab Taxi. God I love Grab, best ever.

 

 

I never used Grab.

Taxis are all over the place. If three of them don't want to switch on the meter then I use the next one. Normally it doesn't take more than 5min. 

[FruitPudding]

9 minutes ago, xeniv23 said:

I lived in a house in Nonthaburi across the river from Bangkok.  It did not take much looking to find water marks in the house that were chest high from flood waters.  I think it was 2014 when it happened.  Subsidence and rising water will not be good for Bangkok long term.  Reminds me of New Orleans.  

 

But was that flooding due to rising sea levels?

 

I thought a dam burst north of Bangkok

[xeniv23]

1 hour ago, FruitPudding said:

 

But was that flooding due to rising sea levels?

 

I thought a dam burst north of Bangkok

It was a combination of water releases from dams upstream due to heavy rain and high tides.  Bad combination.  I know some people who live near the river on the Bangkok side that often wade their street to their house during king tides.  With rising sea levels that is a too slim margin for the future.  

[HugoFastor]

3 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

 

You lost me at this part.

 

Nice try, Greta

 

 

You are obviously gravely uninformed. But you don't have to be. Watch this:

 

 

[HugoFastor]

2 hours ago, xeniv23 said:

I lived in a house in Nonthaburi across the river from Bangkok.  It did not take much looking to find water marks in the house that were chest high from flood waters.  I think it was 2014 when it happened.  Subsidence and rising water will not be good for Bangkok long term.  Reminds me of New Orleans.  

The last big flood you are probably thinking of, the one that put Nonthaburi, and much of Bangkok under about 2 meters of water, was in 2011. Many foreigners living in Bangkok at that time left the city for at least 6 weeks. Unfortunately not everyone got out in time though and many got trapped. Trucks were driving to large nearby cities like Pattaya to buy up all the bottled drinking water and bring it back to Bangkok where it could be sold at 10X the price. The drinking water factories outside of Bangkok were struggling to keep up with the increased demand. Thousands of crocodiles also escaped the crocodile farms and were lose everywhere. A number of people got accidentally electrocuted from power lines that had gone underwater and weren't visible. 

Edited February 27 by HugoFastor

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

IMO it will be the status quo for some time to come.

The education system is heavily biased towards respect for authority and obedience, until Thais learn how to question, business as usual.

That's very true, most Thai's can't think for themselves, they can't even question why they allowed a bunch of half witted soldiers with the same mentality as Somchai and Lek in the street to play at being politicians.

[Hummin]

17 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Thailand is done and Vietnam took over, when this changed, i let you guys know.

 

90% guys here are clueless, old, and came here in good times whilst they are now to old to go out, let alone know, about how Thailand is doing.

 

Meanwhile in saigon: endless street food, girls, guys. 
 

gogo bars with techno, ape <deleted> hot girls, even farang gay dancers, apparently it is possible to have fun in Vietnam.

 

Police comes: tables cleared, police 20 meter pass, move back tables. 
 

LETS PARTY.

 

PS: thailand bitching my visa, welcome back to vietnam, here is your 90 days on arrival for 25$

So this is progress? 

 

For who is this progress? 

[HugoFastor]

53 minutes ago, xeniv23 said:

It was a combination of water releases from dams upstream due to heavy rain and high tides.  Bad combination.  I know some people who live near the river on the Bangkok side that often wade their street to their house during king tides.  With rising sea levels that is a too slim margin for the future.  

More about the flood of 2011:

 

The Bangkok flood of 2011 was a devastating natural disaster caused by heavy monsoon rains and the overflow of the Chao Phraya River. It affected large parts of Thailand, including its capital city, Bangkok. The flood lasted for several months, causing extensive damage to property, infrastructure, and agriculture, and resulted in significant economic losses. The government's response and management of the crisis were heavily criticized, and the event highlighted the vulnerability of the region to flooding and the need for better disaster preparedness and infrastructure. It wreaked havoc that caused widespread damage across various sectors and severely disrupted services and infrastructure. Here is a more detailed summary of the impact of the flood:

 

1. **Economic Impact**: The flood caused significant economic losses, with estimates ranging from billions to tens of billions of dollars. Industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism were severely affected. Factories, particularly those in industrial estates north of Bangkok, were inundated, disrupting global supply chains and leading to shortages of various goods. The agricultural sector suffered extensive damage to crops, particularly rice, affecting both domestic food supply and exports.

 

2. **Infrastructure Damage**: Roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure were damaged or rendered impassable in many areas, hindering rescue and relief efforts and impeding the movement of people and goods. The inundation of key transportation hubs, including Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, disrupted air travel and cargo shipments.

 

3. **Utilities Disruption**: Floodwaters submerged electrical substations and other utility facilities, leading to widespread power outages and water supply disruptions. This further compounded the challenges faced by residents and businesses, impeding recovery efforts and exacerbating public health concerns.

 

4. **Displacement and Loss of Life**: Hundreds of people lost their lives due to the floods, and thousands were displaced from their homes. Makeshift shelters and evacuation centers struggled to accommodate the influx of displaced individuals and families, highlighting the need for improved disaster response and management strategies.

 

5. **Health Risks and Environmental Damage**: The stagnant floodwaters became breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes and contaminants, posing significant public health risks. Pollution from industrial facilities and household chemicals further exacerbated environmental concerns, with long-term implications for water quality and ecosystem health.

 

6. **Impact on Services**: Essential services such as healthcare, education, and public safety were disrupted, affecting the well-being and safety of the population. Hospitals and medical facilities faced challenges in delivering care to patients, while schools and universities were forced to close temporarily, disrupting students' education.

 

Overall, the Bangkok flood of 2011 had far-reaching consequences, highlighting the vulnerabilities of Thailand's infrastructure and the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response measures. The event underscored the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and community resilience to mitigate the impact of future natural disasters.

 

Also, many of the international factories in Ayuthaya were fully under water and suffered severe loses. Honda also lost hundreds of their cars that were already manufactured and sitting inside their factory compound awaiting delivery to dealerships. Many companies lost all of their valuable factory equipment to water damage and, thus their entire factory operation. Some of the companies affected decided to rebuild their factories in other regional countries like Vietnam instead of risking rebuilding in Thailand where the floods could happen again. Toshiba (and their semiconductor factory in Thailand) is one the big international companies that chose not to reinvest in rebuilding their factory operation and completely pulled out of Thailand. 

Edited February 27 by HugoFastor

[HugoFastor]

3 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

 

But was that flooding due to rising sea levels?

 

I thought a dam burst north of Bangkok

 

The flood that impacted Bangkok in 2011 was primarily caused by a combination of heavy monsoon rains and the overflow of the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries. Several factors contributed to the severity of the flooding:

1. **Monsoon Rains**: Exceptionally heavy rainfall during the 2011 monsoon season, exacerbated by the influence of weather phenomena such as the La Niña weather pattern, led to widespread flooding in Thailand.

 

2. **Water Management Practices**: Poor water management practices, including the release of water from dams and reservoirs upstream, contributed to the volume of water flowing into the Chao Phraya River basin, overwhelming the city's drainage and flood control systems.

 

3. **Urban Development and Infrastructure**: Rapid urbanization and inadequate infrastructure development in Bangkok and surrounding areas increased the city's vulnerability to flooding. Encroachment on natural waterways, insufficient drainage systems, and the paving over of floodplains reduced the area's ability to absorb excess water during heavy rainfall events.

 

4. **Deforestation and Land Use Changes**: Deforestation and changes in land use, such as the conversion of agricultural land to urban areas, altered natural water cycles and increased runoff, further exacerbating flooding.

 

5. **Climate Change**: While the direct attribution of individual weather events to climate change can be complex, some studies suggest that climate change may have contributed to the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and flooding, in the region.

 

Overall, the Bangkok flood of 2011 was a complex event resulting from a combination of natural and human-induced factors, highlighting the importance of comprehensive water management strategies, urban planning, and disaster preparedness measures in mitigating the impact of flooding in highly vulnerable areas like Bangkok.

 

Another contributing factor to the flooding in Bangkok in 2011 was the blockage of canals by garbage and debris. The canals, which are an essential part of Bangkok's drainage system, help channel rainwater away from the city and into the Chao Phraya River. However, due to poor waste management practices and illegal dumping, many of these canals became clogged with garbage, vegetation, and other debris over time.

When heavy rains occurred during the 2011 monsoon season, the blocked canals were unable to effectively drain excess water from the city, exacerbating flooding in low-lying areas. The accumulation of garbage and debris in the canals hindered the flow of water and impeded the functioning of the drainage system, leading to prolonged inundation and widespread flooding in Bangkok and surrounding areas.

 

The issue of canal blockage by garbage highlighted the importance of addressing environmental and waste management challenges in urban areas, as well as the need for regular maintenance and cleaning of drainage infrastructure to ensure effective flood mitigation. In the aftermath of the 2011 flood, efforts were made to improve waste management practices and clear blockages from canals to reduce the risk of future flooding events, but it is unknown if 13 years later those efforts are still ongoing or have since been largely forgotten. 

[Freddy42OZ]

21 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

We hear about Thailand being the hub of this and the hub of that. 

 

LOS means something different to different people. 

 

Legalising weed was a surprise to many.

 

Some like all the new malls and such, others miss Washington Square and Queen's Park Plaza. 

 

So, what do you think Thailand will be like in the next decades to come and what would you like to be like?

 

 

I've lived in Bangkok for 15 years.  It gets better every year.  

I can't wait to see what it's like in the next 15 years.  

 

[HugoFastor]

One of the main reasons that Bangkok could be underwater by 2030 is the fact that the water from the Chao Phraya river in the city eventually drains out into the ocean. And where the river now meets the ocean is not far away from the city center. It's only about 20 miles from the city center in fact, on the opposite of the river by Rama 2 Road in the direction going out towards Samut Sakhorn and Samut Songkram.
 

At the moment the river is still at a slightly elevated level above the ocean however, as sea levels rise, the ocean will eventually become higher in elevation than the river. When that happens then the river running through Bangkok will struggle to continue to drain out into the ocean as the water will be pushed back by the ocean. During the rainy season, when the river level often rises severely in Bangkok from runoff in the north, the river will eventually flood the city by an area of perhaps at least a 10 mile radius around the rivers edge. So much of the city center could eventually be underwater for months at a time as it was in 2011. 

[kingstonkid]

I think that there will be changes.  I think that the young people willl be obviously older and will be in positons to make changes. 

 

I think that it will still be a monarchy, but the military will still be struggling to find control that they lost.

 

The big questions are what is gong to be done about education.  The challenge here is that it is still run by the same people that ran it 20 years ago.  Can the new teachers and or the new adults make the necessary changes? Is unknown?

 

Thailand needs to get away from its dependence on tourism, and I do not think it can.

 

There needs to be a push in other SE Asian countries that makes them want to get better.

 

I have a feeling that Thaiald may end up dependent on or influenced by China and will, like a lot of the rest of the world, be less dependent on the U.S.

 

Really though, I see a modernization, but I think it will still be same as it is now.

 

    

[FruitPudding]

14 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

 

 

I've lived in Bangkok for 15 years.  It gets better every year. 

 

In what way?

[Dolf]

55 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

 

 

I've lived in Bangkok for 15 years.  It gets better every year.  

I can't wait to see what it's like in the next 15 years.  

 

Seems less fun than 10 years ago while Chiang Mai seems more fun. Bangkok is just too big. The next tier cities are improving such as Hua Hin, Khon Kaen and Udon as they get more international food.

 

Bangkok is polluted all year round too.

[FruitPudding]

I would like to see Thailand cleaned up to become a respectable country.

 

Got to grow up some time.

[FruitPudding]

On 2/27/2024 at 6:25 PM, kingstonkid said:

Thailand needs to get away from its dependence on tourism

 

Damn right. 

 

Or at least have a tourism industry that isn't trash.

[ravip]

On 2/26/2024 at 9:19 PM, Hummin said:

Thailand will be expensive for many who relied on Thailand as a nice cheap retirement home. 

 

 

The price of development.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Dubai and a real estate sales person handed me a brochure of some condos. The prices were ranging from AED 1,999,000/- to AED 2,352,000/-

Edited March 1 by ravip

[ravip]

12 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

I would like to see Thailand cleaned up to become a respectable country.

 

Got to grow up some time.

It will. Sooner than later.

[Hummin]

44 minutes ago, ravip said:

The price of development.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Dubai and a real estate sales person handed me a brochure of some condos. The prices were ranging from AED 1,999,000/- to AED 2,352,000/-

Depending on location, quality and size of course, but not so different from what you  can buy in Thailand in tourist areas. 

 

Spain is expensive, but higher quality

Edited March 1 by Hummin