[Phuket facing worst tourism crisis in three decades - half of hotel rooms empty in 2020]

On 1/3/2020 at 1:49 PM, laocowboy2 said:

Same period for me but not just the taxis. Overpriced, inferior hotels. Overpriced restaurants with average food, filthy beaches etc etc. I still holiday in Thailand several times a year but not in Phuket - and regularly tell other not to either. So sad - when I first visited in 1978 I though #t that I had found paradise.

Could you describe what it was like here in 1978 (I wasn't born for another 10 years). How was it different, infrastructure, local attitudes, police, rules etc...?

[Happy New Year....immigration swoop on 83 year old Brit on 4,929 day overstay]

On 1/4/2020 at 9:21 AM, Chazar said:

They  like to  immediately  pin any problem on the local foreigner, had it  here many a time...........local water  supply has had a lot  go  "missing"....... first thing they say.....check baan farang he got many tree, had about 6 people turn up at the gate, told em to sod  off...............later it  turns  out 3  people  in the  village  all illegally  taking water....no  apologies to us + we  have our  own water  supply via  lake and underground wells. Their water  supply is barely  ever  used because 1 its filthy dirty 2  regularly  broken, 3  full of snails worms etc

Just one example  of the "stories" they love to spout.......got  many more if  you have  all day....cutting down trees was another..............more  rubbish never  cut a thing. Then there was the  filling holes in the road  where it "wasnt my  job" but they could  never afford to do it.

Please tell more, I find this interesting, hadn't thought about being a farang in the village before and the kind of things they would like to pin on us

[Building A House In Isaan]

Just wondering is permission to build a house required in Thailand?

 

Or if I own/lease the land can I build whatever I want on it without consulting/paying the authorities?

[Mandatory health insurance for Non O-A visa effective from 31 October]

I had very little experience of Thailand until my first visit one year ago.

 

Since then I have been following the news, this forum etc... to try and learn more about the country, it's societal structure... 

 

I always had the impression of Thailand as a care free land where anything within reason goes. After my first visit I thought to myself I will definitely end up living here asap. 

 

But it seems as if the citizens/tourists are increasingly being controlled by the government through new laws which seem to pop up daily.

 

I am 32, work in professional capacity and can work online. However, I am starting to think there must be better places with less government influence on day to day life than Thailand.  

 

My Question(s):

1. Has Thailand always been this way?

2. If not, then when and why (in your opinion) did it start getting more strict? 

3. Where else in the world/SE Asia would you recommend to someone like myself (i.e. are there any relatively untouched lands left?)

 

Thank you