Lots of comments questioning yesterday’s “Pattaya is busy” story, Typhoon Mawah is heading west but will it affect Thai weather? Industry officials calling on some quicker progress in the renovations at U-Tapao Airport servicing Pattaya and Rayong, bickering between the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties about who should be the house speaker in the next Thai parliament. And a kite festival on in Bangkok at the moment at Terminal 21 Phra Ram 3. Electricity prices on the way down?
Tim Newton Today is a daily take on Thai and regional news and issues of interest to expats and foreign tourists who love Thailand.
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Tim’s new Ming vase 🙂
0:30 – “Pattaya busy” story grossly exaggerated, according to TNT viewers
3:15 – Electricity prices will come down from September in Thailand
4:59 – Push to accelerate the U-Tapao Airport expansion plans
8:45 – A typhoon heading towards Thailand? Let’s check out the weather map.
10:55 – The Election Commission may announce the official results of the election soon
12:10 – Pheu Thai and Move Forward bickering over who will be Speaker of the House
14:25 – Netflix move to stop people ‘sharing’ their streaming account
15:48 – Kite festival comes to Bangkok
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Hua Hin is very quiet with very few tourists, which I believe is a blessing. Bars largely empty, shut or for sale. Just had 1 glass of wine in the French wine bar and was the only customer the other night. It is time Thailand reinvents itself away from mass/ over tourism.
Organ theft you say (fake). I'd like place a fake 'liver' order when next in Pattaya, presuming all stories are connected Mr Boonanan. I don't really drink, but always good to have one in the freezer just in case. Also enjoyed your cleverly coloured lime polo Tim , nicely offset by the darker green of the plant behind. 🙏
"caused by the COVID-19 pandemic"
Thais are moving to Pattaya from Bangkok. Been talking about it this morning and the transport and roads are full. Supermarkets are getting really busy. People walking around again. I wonder if it is just lack of money to spend. Or more expats living there and don't move around.
Gas and electric went up 3 fold and now they are talking about a 20% reduction. Still more than double last year. Food prices are going up big style. I noticed even on the last month return big movements. Prices have going up on everything. Only wages are not keeping up at 10% over the last 1 year.
Money on high speed trains would be more cost effective than airport.
Most of the tourism, airline, airport and hospitality workers laid off around the world during the pandemic went to work in other sectors and many of them probably won’t return to their previous occupations.
My step daughter had to work as part of her course for 5 months. 50bt a day. And accommodation free but pay electric and share with 3 other girls. I had to help her with money at 18 years old. She will not go back and change education subject out of hospitality. I had to help her out with 100bt a day.
I jomtien at a good size hotel at 1000bt per night including breakfast and pool. It was 50% full and only 5 falang.
good to see electricity prices falling
Looking for swing tips from faldo I see….
Morning Tim. The Ming dynasty was from 1369 to 1644. Not quite 2,000 years! The buster jar and cover is based on an 17th design. I specialise in pre Ming, namely the Song dynasty.
8:55 – Mawar – Malay for Rose.
Pattaya is still full of Bus tourism…India and China visiting yet they do not frequent bars. The bar numbers grew unnecessarily since last July, yet there was really no demand for it…just farangs wanting to live their dream by owning a bar 😅✌️😉
I hope the dog is not bad mouth too much
I just came back from Phuket and the hotel was quiet. Apart from Russians
Thailand has priced it self out the game , keep the bloody Russians 5555555 🙏
I live in Jomtien 2 months ago the songthaews were super busy and absolutely full up. Today I saw 4 songthaews go by the first one had 5 passengers the next 3 not a single sole. Forget the bullshit numbers from the spin doctors just check out the restaurants bars and massage shops in tourist areas . Even blind Freddy could see how bad business is. Oh yes I forgot the Chinese and Russians are coming to the rescue. 555
Have the cats been informed of the new 'priceless artifact'? 😁
Sid you poonhound.
I was in pattaya less than a week ago, and it was dead in comparison to phuket. I know some business people who do night markets, and they were struggling to make a 200bhat sale a day. Its pure BS.
This reminded me of an empty bar with a line outside
You can tell Pattaya is not busy when you go to TF and all the freelancers are desperate hitting you for ST and LT messages.
What happened to aniton
Ive notice more Indian restaurants and business opening up. Ive met Thai peoples who's business had to close due to high rates. If you go down soi 13 and other place nearby shops, hotels and cafes are being knocked down or refurbished ready for new business.
But since the introduction and huge increase cafes not selling coffee… local restaurants and business are loosing customers due to the increase of smells drifting from Cannabis (Marijuana) cafes. Surprisingly though Pattaya's Bali Hier Pier with the boats heading to the islands was more overrun than the city it self.
Pattaya will soon be a ghost town…
Is that a painting of "The Bluebird" behind you Tim? Sir Donald Campbell? My childhood memories, if I'm correct. Barry
Hi Tim!
Good, varied and interesting show.
As for pricing etc. If you go half way round the world and are prepared to pay more for goods, services, entertainment etc, then i believe that is foolish. The whole attraction of coming to Thailand is value for money. With current worldwide economic problems, Thailand is in danger of pricing itself out of the market for many.
Good job mate!👍
If they want more tourist-related workers, try paying a decent salary.
This is out of the blue: CPT Thammanat Prompao got re-elected in the Phayao 1 constituency under PPRP (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2023_Thai_general_election). 😅
A++
Many do not return into tourism industry because being affraid of a new wave. They never expected anything could stop the tourists from coming. That shock went deep
Is Nick still with you? Miss him!
Judging by the vast majority of comments on this vid, and also my own contacts in Thailand, TAT are now (as always) giving totally false tourist numbers. As I said earlier today, they are scamming the numbers and IMO the organisation's management should be sacked and charged with fraud. Hopefully the new MFP lead Govt will address the TAT lies and distortions that have been going on for many years – ever since the Junta gave them free rein to be their PR Dept. I stated at the time that 40 million tourists had not entered Thailand in 2019 – because TAT claimed 4.5 million from Malaysia, 1.8 million from Laos, 900K from Cambodia and 400K from Myanmar – a total of 23.8 million – I reckon 80+% of those numbers are a scam. Plus TAT counts as tourists all foreigners arriving in Thailand who are not all tourists – they are workers, businessmen, expats, family, etc. TAT claim them all as tourists and makes up an arbitrary number that they claim they all spend – and then claim they have brought 100s of billions into the economy – and they got paid big bonuses. Total scam.
I did tell the Move
Forward mob to Not form a coalition with the Puea Thai mob as it would lead to squables and gain Puea Thai credibility they dont deserve. You shoud form a coalition with any party but Not the Peua thai lot. That way thered be no house speaker bickering for example, as they would not be in government.And I would particularly recommend letting the military party in coalition, Their experience and contacts would be greatly useful in warding off any sneaky moves, and youd also learn the ropes from them. I just dont understand why you even need telling.
Tim wat happened wiv yr eye??? Did a grumpy old man punch it.😂
Re Pattaya, I have a friend who has a stall in one of the Markets. Business is terrible.
air fares from europe rip off, same for female company charge.PATTAYA R.I.P. for now
Bangkok was pretty quiet this week, most accommodation i stayed hostels hotels etc were fairly empty.
Weather modification? They sure spray their skies hard there
It's so quiet in Pattaya that the bar girls have started to bar fine each other. 🤣🤣
Hi Tim . Thanks for the update . Many friends of mine don't want to travel to Thailand this year because the Russian . Thailand have make a big mistake whit the Russian . I no money and the tourist industry are important for THAILAND but not this way . Goodnight and stay safe there from Heidelberg .
I know nothing about the political system 😢
the pilot shortage has been building for a long time and will take quite a while to be unwound. Since pilots are required to retire at fairly young ages many of them won't be going back to the cockpit. I think that's a big part of the problem with fewer flights being available. With regard to wages, they've been stagnant in much of the world for 40+ years. While small business will feel the pinch, big hospitality corporations have been paying their executives too much just like most other companies while the rank and file workforce have been screwed over.
Cha-am is basically back to normal, most expats have returned to live after the pandemic, and it’s always busy on the weekends with the local Thai tourists. Also there is a lot of construction happening in Cha-am, which is a good sign that the local economy is back to normal.
the new government wants to break the big corporations stranglehold on various parts of the Thai economy. What do you think about them taking away Bangkok Airways monopoly on several airports. Koh Samui's tourism economy would certainly benefit from competition at the airport.
Thumbs up 👍 Tim Newton
Tim – I walked through Soi 7 last night and counted the farangs in the bars – the total was 40 – that's about 1 per bar for the whole Soi.
I agree with statement I am a group of 20 golfers over here im Pattaya and it is reasonably busy with bar pumping outusic to 4 am. Alan
In answer to reply to my remarks below,my normal direct flight on thai air last summer was almost £2000.and I had to change going, compared with £600.+before, direct both ways, completely direct was then £3000+.I have been regular visitor for approx. 25years, and have a condo for 20 years.women from bars certainly more expensive than before.