khunPer

As @blackcab says that about it, and if SS has been paid, I presume it should come automatically, it nothing has changed since we got it, however a number of years ago when it was 400 baht. We didn't ask for it, nor needed it, so I put the money into my child's savings account.

Yes, it's difficult to obtain reliable statistic data, and probably like difficult to collect them. 2016 stat for USM, Samui Airport: Source: Koh Samui by the Numbers: Tourism Statistics The latest tourist number I've seen is for Surat Thani province 2018 – i.e. including mainland and the two other islands Phangan and Tao – it was 2.7 million tourists. Real Estate: The Land Department office in Lipa Noi used to write on a big white-board on the wall the number of transfers, and appraised values, for each month, and sum for a calendar year. A visit to the land office might unveil some numbers, but appraised values might not be the same as real price paid (i.e. it was, and perhaps still is, common that the appraised value is lower than the actual sales prices, and therefore preferred by both seller and buyer to be used for calculation of tax and transfer fee, the difference could be 10-fold).

I think they also have tiger-petting at Namuang Safari Park by Namuang Waterfall 2. It has been mentioned at Trip Advisor and is also an activity at their own homepage. However, it's been years ago since I last visited the Namuang Safari Park, but at that time they had no tigers. The other possibility is as mentioned by @Briggsy Samui Aquarium & Tiger Zoo, where they also provide a possibility of a photo together with a tiger, and sometimes together with a baby tiger. They also have a tiger show, but not free-walking tigers. Images are from the two zoo's websites.

If your reservations are rather anxiety than funds to raise a second child, a full time combine in-house nanny/maid might be a solution. I have one child here myself, and really also did not want more. We, my GF and I, had full time employed help for our child when a minor, and the child was not really any, or much of a, burden. Especially when it's an employed assistance, rather than family/friend, it's more easy to ask for what is needed, and still be able to have some freedom; i.e. being able to leave the nanny and child (children in your case) at home, and head out for something. I understand your reservation – understand, because I myself said "no" to a second child – but it's a question of mutual agreement and finding an individual balance. My major concern for a second child was economy. I had calculated that a child would be 5+ million baht in total cost, in average 250k baht to 275k baht a year in 18-20 years – and that I could afford, I could set the money aside – it would however be a fairly plain, or normal, life-style, but including some level of good schooling, but not the most expensive International schools, which can be up to a million baht, or more, a year. Having a second child would be 10 million or more, or cutting hard in expenses for both children; i.e. mainly school fees. My GF agreed in that one child, we could afford to take financially relative good care of, was better than two. Compared to my Scandinavia home country where reasonable good schools are free – i.e. we pay over the high taxation – it's said that the cost to raise a child is one million kroner, and that equals circa five million baht, so "same-same but different". With your concern about "if something happens", and you are going to raise two children on a limited budget, it makes sense to view the economic aspect, and the responsibility parents have to raise a planned for child.

Apart from inflation – and local taxes on especially alcohol – also currency exchange rate affects prices, especially when having the money in foreign currency. I missed the 90ies, but at my first Thailand visit in 1987 we got 4 baht for each Danish krone, today we cry over having only about 4.60 baht for the krone, and a few years ago we got more than 6 baht. On a package 1987-tourist trip with most included – i.e. accommodation and domestic flights and transfers – we mainly spend money on private excursions. A hotel limousine with English speaking driver – well, little to some English – would be 600 baht for a day; whilst a minibus would be 800 baht. We might have paid for fuel also, but I believe to remember that it was included. Just after the millennium, some 15 years later, a minibus would be 1,200 baht a day plus fuel, and the exchange rate was 5 baht to the krone; i.e. 25% more local money for our foreign currency, so relative the minibus was 960 baht plus fuel. I don't drink beer, so I have no recall on booze prices, but 100 baht would get you a fine dinner at most places in '87, except when renting a private dinner cruise for five persons on a Chinese junk boat, and the riverfront buffet at Oriental in Bangkok, they ware both slightly more than 100 baht a person, but still affordable... I remember I bought two cheap fancy battery wrist watches at the market for 20 baht each – probably tourist price, but cheaper than the battery inside would cost me at home – same kind of junk-watches today would probably be in the 200 baht range; however the batteries, and thereby the watches, lasted quite long time, two-three years. I came back to LoS next time in 2001, this time on my own expenses, so I got a much better detailed view on various prices, but that's just after the 1990ies...

"Rich people" is wrong wording, it'e merely people that can manage, but still also manage to get a "poor peoples card" and support – I know examples, that's why I state so – and that was not the intention with the otherwise good approach from the government to aid people that have too little. Sad to see the many comments bashing "rich people", the true rich folks don't have a chance to get near that card; and the benefits are anyway so small that the real rich people don't care the efforts to try to get a card.

Perhaps wishful thinking... –and what happened to all the "quality tourists"... Wouldn't the baht exchange rate rather be what could make a change – Europen countries are down up to 25 percent in currency exchange rate value, and so seem the number of European tourists to be, and probably also tourists coming from some other countries – I don't believe that missing tourists due to bad exchange rates will come back just because they get another two hours to spend "gold" in the nightlife...

I presume there is a reason why many Thais have mia noi and/or giks...

Bringing back "good old time" might be more than just opening hours – as you rightful mention – meanwhile a lot has changed, and the increasing number of tourists since the 1990ies and early early 2000s might have chosen Amazing Thailand for other reasons than nightlife, and they might well outnumber the ones from the good old time that might have left; and do they come back because of two hours longer nightlife... On the other hand, great for those destinations with nightlife oriented tourists to add a few more hours to the partytime...

I got the impression, from reading Thai news, that places like Pattaya had changed to be a family oriented holiday destination, but perhaps I missed something... However, it might help a bit within the the partying group of tourists, and those seeking late nightlife. But there have been long openings hours before, but instability in opening hours – in periods it was 12 Midnight – might have scared some of those visitors away to other destination, and they might wish to see ongoing stable opening hours before planning a return...

Source: Twitter

The official number of incoming foreign tourists to Thailand in first half of 2019 is up by almost 1½ percent... Source: Registered hotel rooms at Samui might not tell the full story about the island's tourist occupation. The demand from visiting guests are different today, than for example 10 years and more ago, including an increasing demand for staying more private, or family friendly, in a villa. Without exact details, it's partly guessing; just like looking at numbers of passengers passing Samui Airport don't include boat and ferry arrivals, which could be both up or down, and all total numbers are inclusive of both locals and expats, which should not be counted as visiting tourist. Without doubt, some of the guests are changing, compared to previous times, and costs like exchange rates for Thai baht might also affect the number of visitors from certain countries. Furthermore Asian tourists spend less days in Thailand compared to European tourists, so even increased numbers, can be same or less booked room-nites.

In the Danish news: A reply to mister Trump from Greenland's "landsstyreformand" (prime minister)... GREENLAND WISH TO BUY USA BACK Greenland's prime minister Kim Kielsen offered yesterday to buy USA. »It was Leif Leif the Happy (Den Lykkelige) that discovered America, and his father Erik the Red (Erik Den Røde) that discovered Greenland, and settled here. Therefore it will only be natural for us to get USA back,« says Kim kielsen. He has not yet decided for a price offer, but he considers that it should be fairly low compared to USA's colossal government debt. »And if we shall include Trump in the deal, the price offer will be even lower,« he says.

Source: Donald J. Trump at Twitter

Very interesting news, do you have any source links?