What is life like in Thailand Now
[Music] [Applause] [Music] bkk1 he [Music] go walk out the door just turn around now CU you're not welcome anymore the kk1 it definitely is and welcome to P Thailand welcome down here and of course in the studio the podcast Studio as normal always got a guest in and always hot and always relaxed in the studio Mr Alex vanam welcome to the studio sir how are you sir I'm absolutely ecstatic for seeing you yeah as always good thank you very much and thank you for gracing our presence I do realize do understand that you are now virgins in this new studio pretty much we are breaking this studio in today awesome man bro Eli nice to see you in the studio nice to see you here nice to see you as well you you're always chilled out isn't he Al always looks relaxed get really jealous sometimes how easy you [Music] are now you guys are off on a trip okay correct Alex please tell us about the trip and about where you're going suddenly so day after tomorrow we're going to head to Dubai and then after that on Tuesday we're going to go to bahain for the air show and and what is that I mean the air show what is it is it a yearly thing a monthly thing what is that uh every two years every two years because you know what's interesting because farra and Bahrain are the same organizers so they do every two years mhm and like next year you go Paris and Dubai right and we're looking to get out there and just build some relationships get some video footage and use it back on this end when we get here so what about sort of like when you're out there getting some uh nice audio clips for me that would be nice wouldn't it oh definitely and you know at least you can come on camera and go hello or or we can say hey woo listen I of course we're down in p as you know the the the studio is down in p i mean guys how is Bangkok at the moment guys uh it's it's picking up you know it's a you know the year is closing in so you know it's a December uh you know it's octo it's November so you know we're moving on to December and uh you know we're looking for it to pick up a little bit more but uh we got a slow start but you know the good thing is that there's there's potential so what do we what do we think in general guys about um we know that there's a slump in Thailand we do know that we understand that and we know that things are not like they used to be uh do we see guys that um Thailand is going to pick up and be like it used to be or do we not see it getting back to what it used to be you know what it's interesting you said that because now with the they just completed the elections what few days ago with Trump winning and you know we did a I did a report on Bangkok one this morning in terms of the bot going to decline right so actually you know what when you have a weaker bot obviously you're going to have more people coming in so it'll be good for the country in in a lot of ways because I remember when Thailand was like 52 bot to1 doll MH that you know of course you had a lot of people coming in but when the BT gets too strong then you know people are going to go elsewhere but don't you don't you think that the cruncher the one that crunches the whole thing well two there's two things that crunch the thing thing one of the things was of course the visa to get into the country now we have 94 countries now that are Visa free you can get in you can walk in and that's it the way you go and get your 90 days and extend it blah blah blah that's okay but the biggest thing the biggest backdraw I can see the thing that's keeping the peopleware at the moment is the airline tickets yeah the airline tickets pric is going up yeah U I just had a couple family members visit I think they paid about uh close to two grand just to come over round trip 2,000 for USD $2,000 yeah 2,000 USD about what is that about one and a half thousand so about that yeah is that first class is it or no no no it's just a business class or coach one of those wow wow wow wow that's so it's still pretty expensive isn't it it is it is but you know the thing with flying you know that I from my experience is the longer you set the date out the cheaper the flight would be so you know unfortunately for them they booked it like two months out uh but I encourag them to do like six months or more you know because at that time you know you can get a really good deal sure yeah how do you guys I mean what do you see I mean how long you been in Thailand now I uh I've been in Thailand for a little over a year so July made a a year uh so just a little over a year yeah and Alex you've been here 20 years so 20 versus two I've been coming to Thailand way before that now now we know I mean it's this a little bit when me and halex talk about you know what it used to be like prior covid I mean Patia prior covid was bustling it was a million people a month y coming to paa when it dropped to co you'd be lucky to get a thousand wow I mean huge difference well it dropped from I tell you what it dropped from it dropped from 39 yeah 39.4 million people arriving in Thailand down to 400,000 within three months within three months that's that's that's within three months so I'm pretty sure you guys experienced like the businesses closing and just uh other companies trying to reestablish themselves I think that type of Market yeah yeah I mean you know we had businesses in Paia you know and and uh you know it just cost money but you know simple because you know what's interesting I remember coming to Paya just after the first uh lockdown and I remember you know pataya is known for like being crazy like you know a lot happening but I I kid you not when I came to Paya just after the first part lockdown it was like abandoned it was so scary how quiet it was it was really I I tried to describe it to my friends over in the UK and I said you know if you can imagine the wild west where you looked down and it's just sand blowing and the the bush is rolling down the road that's what was that's what P was yeah I remember that that's what it and and the homeless the homeless side of it just ignited exploded really hundreds and hundreds of people on the streets oh sleep I remember that well I know for a fact I mean my wife and had offers to come to Thailand back in 2020 when Co hit right and because we didn't know like the the Wares about like what Co was you know how how damaging it was um after seeing some videos that they sent to us where they had uh people in trailers and had hazmat suits on serving them food we decided to stay put in the states so uh when the opportunity came again after covid had kind of died down then we took that opportunity here so think I think the way that I've said this or explained to people this is only my opinion we had nearly three years of Co didn't we that's right and I think it's going to take over three years to recover easily to some kind to some kind of normality I don't think that Thailand will ever be back to what it was right that's my opinion okay only my opinion um but I do think it will get great again and I think it's a great country and I think lots of people will visit it but I think it will be a different kind of the clientele yeah that's my opinion it's you know what it's interesting you said that it's not going to be the Chic clientele it's going to be more like you know your middle class or lower class uh tourist it's not going to be like I mean if you look at it let's say you look at it prior to covid for example or even way before that you go to all the you go to Mandarin Oriental or you go to all these top hotels they were your very very very very chic clients sure but now today it's kind of like uh down downgraded midd class upper middle class kind of thing yes I mean years ago I mean you know prior Co now we're talking what what's Co now five years ago uh four years four years ago four years ago I mean but prior to co I mean the Chinese used to come over here Lo and you'd get you'd get 600 in a group following the red flag yeah you know and that was it and they only went to designated places they had deals with the people they'll get Kickbacks blah blah blah blah blah blah that's what they were doing now you tend to find that the Chinese are coming over in ones and twos yes yeah the only thing is of course you know most of the Chinese are just tourists they don't spend that much right you know and that's not the sort of clientele in general that they want in patio if you know what I mean they want the European guy they want the Australian the Americans you know the English you know they want those guys that spend the money well I mean each one of those countries have a stronger dollar value than China of course you know so of course you know you can get that if you can get that type of dollar value driving you know through Thailand I mean they're going to the country's going to you know make more money in well overall if you guys if you guys were trying to explain to somebody that didn't know Thailand at all okay Alex first if you were to describe Thailand in a very short sentence and somebody said to you why do you like Thailand Alex it's home that would be your answer yes yeah and then I would say why is it your home it's because of what we have here in Thailand you know it's I I don't want to go too much in terms of cost of living and all that but it's just you've made it your home yes I made it my home and you brother where where do you see yourself uh to me Thailand is another opportunity um I'm always looking for opportunity so uh one of the reasons I came here is because of the thing that uh Lexi said he didn't want to get into you know the cost of living you know um even though um you know even though you you know you said that they went through some tough periods you know it's still you know you can still go into the store and get a loaf of bread for a bought and some you know some oh it's still I mean it's amazing I mean the thing is in Thailand as you know Alex and of course you're getting to know is you can leave you can live how you want to live it you can live the top end of the scale the bottom end of the scale the middle of the scale it doesn't matter where you live but you can live sure I don't think there's anywhere I can take my family and I have a family of four uh you know two teenagers and a wife and there's nowhere I can take my family and feed them off for 7 USD and and and the food is is really good you know and and pretty healthy is not like you know watered down or anything so there's not places anywhere always especially pad here Pat always talk about the prostitution they always talk about the girls that's all they tend to talk about what they don't talk about is the 21 golf courses that are around here the water parks the the family facilities the big hotels you know it outweighs everything that's in patio you know they just see that side of it and when you talk to somebody oh I live in P oh yeah it's just that sleazy sex sex in the city thing oh no it's not you know and then when you explain it to them and you tell them what it is they sort of understand it but of course the media these days paint a picture that's what it is yeah yeah but but you know the thing the thing in P I mean I I came here when I was seven years old back in 1993 and you know I remember it was not much I mean we stayed at the Royal Cliff Hotel one of the first hotels one of the first yeah my dad used to stay here in the' 70s that was the actually what's interesting that was the last development prior to jumpen cuz you know on jumpan pratamnak was nothing at that time and and the RO Cliff was hotel and he knows walking street from back then also when the joined the Vietnam War but um the thing is I remember coming here in 1993 we say Ro cliff and also um we went to a couple I forgot which water park it was but there was definitely water parks but it's not like what you have today no I mean I would imagine that the one that you went to if anything back in that day was patio water park that's the one yes with the tower where you can come down on the zip cord because that was that's been there for yks oh like at least 40 years plus yeah it's it's it's I mean it is amazing I mean you're in you're in Bangkok though aren't you but but back to what you were saying you know one of the reasons that pataya was probably not on our list is because of what you just said you know it gets that it gets that stigma that you know is just a an adult you know playground you know and uh but I'm you know as I'm coming out here more I'm starting to see there's a lot more that the that the city has to offer and it's a beautiful place so okay guys question for you okay a newbie shall we say a newbie and an oldie if that's what you want to say yeah what's what's your opinion guys on the gambling the casino that's going to happen in Thailand how do you see it and what do you see well that's a good part um because you know of course I mean we spoke about it the other day in terms of you know what's going to bring what the what's going to bring into the country uh you know what's interesting also because we I did something on Bangkok one the other day that I was seeing that they want to charge locals 5,000 bu to get in thing they wanted the the thing as we stand at the moment is that the the Fang people can go in no problem y That's right The Thai people have to get an ID card to play in the casino and have to be vetted to make sure they've got the money to play in the casino because these are the casinos where you go in and you can't bet your house your mother or a cow you know you've got to go in there with real cash and and that's what they've got to produce to play in those so they've got to be vetted to play in there which which I understand because we all know that gambling is in Thailand we know that it's it's happening as we speak I mean everybody knows it it's happening um it was very it was I just want to say something just before you guys talk one more I had Brian in here the other day and and Brian was sitting opposite me and I said I recognize you and he said and I said I was talking about gambling he says yeah I was one of the guys that got busted the other night for playing poker yeah and they got fined for playing poker but their excuse was the police excuse was this you never had permission to play now he didn't say you can't play he said you haven't got permission to play so I think the Tide's turning bro what do you think um I I know that the casino is going to bring a lot of opportunity here to uh to Paya and Bangkok overall um just the idea of someone having uh the idea that they could win uh which is that's a big thing same thing that drove Vegas and still Las Vegas to this day sure there's a great book by Charles doig called habits and they talk about how the birth of the casino industry and how people are driven just by the idea that they could win even though they know they may not so that that um that there's something psychological with that so there always the it's it's always going to be a cash cow for the for the country it's an addiction it's an addiction that you can you can sort of control but it's also an addiction as you know can get out of control definitely um and I think that's where the ties are going to fall foul but the thing is like you know because the interesting thing is that they're going to create a lot of jobs sure yeah that's the one thing lot of opportunity there there's a lot of opportunity but there's you know you have to take the good with the bad you know there's a lot of opportunity but there's a lot of uh you know downsides you they say you know what they say whether there's a dime there's crime yeah 100% so it's true though is it bro you you know and it's going to happen anyway in Thailand it's going to it's definitely going to happen I mean as we know um they've got a committee of 34 the committee has now signed it off and it's for the big fellow to sort it out so I mean it's it's going to happen um I think what we've heard so far is three in Bangkok y two in Patia two in puket y uh that's what we've heard so far um it's going to go out to the big tender boys as you know um you know mgms and all those kind of people because they're the only guys that are going to afford the five billion bar license and the one billion bar a year to keep the license y I mean it's not a small fee I mean that's that's roughly about a th000 ties a day or people a day at 3,000 bar just to pay for the license so a billion bar so be like $30 million a year just to keep the license it's 30 it's 3,000 times a th000 a day for so whatever it is I mean it's it's you know I mean whatever it is it's just a lot of money but yeah I think somewhere along the line is it going to be guys the same as the marijuana is it going to be a snap decision or are they going to think about it I think it's going to be a snap if they'll approve marijuana they approved the casino well yeah they did they approved marijuana but they didn't really think it out did they no it just they just approved it one day and then uh just got let me ask you is it is it has it you know have they stopped it no exactly no I mean I used to go to the I used to go to the secondhand market and visit a lady she used to sell secondhand jeans and and trousers and shoes and the whole thing yeah now she sells marijuana plants with the jeans with the jeans whoa oh my God what a way to double double her earnings but I think I think I think one of the things if you guys are in agreement is my opinion is that they've got to make Pat sorry they've got to make Thailand easier accessible yes to everybody yes to everybody yeah correct and and not put the clamps on it I mean the thing that gets me is I've been here 16 years I've been married for most of that 16 years and I still have to report every 90 days to say that I'm here yeah right which I find is a right kick in the ass it is you know but but what they're trying to do now I think you you we did a story on it is there trying to make it if you've been here for 15 years or more that you could apply for residency here yes to to all the people that have got kids here and that which is nice which I'm trying to do also because I'm going to apply for my permanent resident as well it's it's a big it's a big thing but I just don't I get it that they want to know where you are and what you're doing if you're a tourist and all that lot but if you lived here for so long and you yeah same address you got kids here you're paying taxes you've got the whole thing I do everything by the book and I still have to go there every 90 days say I'm still here I mean I don't go somebody does it for me but you know it's just the pain in the ass of doing the 90 days I I think a constant show like a a record to show that you've been spending money here in Thailand and uh you know contributing to their economy for three years I think that's enough I really do I do I met somebody that coming on the what's the new the the the new Visa the DV uh DTV I met somebody two days ago who's got one of them now yeah that's a report every year oh hello hello amazing so where where where's the thought where's the thought process in it but you know it and also another thing you they should also think about is a tm30 you know when you arrive in then you have 24 hours to tell to report your address that your where your were abouts I mean I've been in the same address for 15 years what what what difference is is that going to make you you know what's today's society don't you what's happening now is what makes me laugh yeah and they talk about Ai and all that is when you try and sign in somewhere you have to prove that you're not a robot that's right that's right it's right though isn't it prove that you're human yeah yes you know what I mean that's what we've been getting on the Bangkok One news every time I go in it's like prove that you're human what is that to prove just imagine going like no imagine no yeah no no no uh food we've had some pizza downstairs we've had a bit of a snack I mean I like that kind of stuff I mean bro what's your kind of favorite food I know that you you like all this uh I know where you're going to go but I mean I'm with you I mean I'm pretty open man uh you know I could as long as it tastes good and it's made with love man you know uh you got me but uh nothing exotic man you know I'm not an exotic fan I won't okay when you say exotic what's exotic what do you to me like you know ballot you know any like penis uh you know or derbs or none of that stuff man I can't you're not into that kind of thing no I'm not uh oysters and that oysters you eat oysters oysters the only way I'll eat oysters is if they're Rockefeller like they have to be grilled with like butter and cheese or breadcrumbs or but I I can't do the wrong cremated before you eat them Bas they got to be cremated we go they got to kill it twice as they say Alex come on you you like all your food I mean what's your what's the one that you go for I mean I know you've changed your diet since you're a fitness fanatic now that's right so I mean what what what what have you changed it to I mean what is your special thing your nice food that you like no just you know just a basic steak salad you know that kind of thing I mean I'm not into shellfish myself and definitely not into but you did try though didn't he try some fish you tried some fish at one place you didn't you try an oyster or something at you tried somewhere some fish food somewhere I know you did cuz we all made you taste it I think you spat it out yeah that was at Tina's oh was there we go was it what was it I can't remember I think it was Nick was duck oh it was duck it wasck duck yeah yeah what Loris is in the corner flapping his arms no but honestly I mean I'm the same like him you know with love and all that but um I love my pastors and all these things but um I don't know whether to listen to him or shoot him yeah no but but duck in the studio yeah duck in the studio but honestly speaking I mean you know I eat all the good stuff during the day but then at night time I just go for the salads maybe a couple of Bal eggs a protein shake after workout that kind of thing okay all right so listen guys just to sum it up all right in the last minute of our our show today give me where you think we're going to be in the next year ax media we expect to be double the size what we have right now but uh you know we're going to put in a lot of hard work you know just I mean Rome like you said Rome wasn't built in a day no just go everything step by step set goals set plans everything I feel this time next year we should have double the workforce we have at the moment good okay that's a that's a positive attitude definitely um you know Manpower wise uh trying to increase the Manpower uh you know sales team uh design team will need to be you know increased in production as well so you know um with that growth you know that's that's where we you know where we're heading so and then we're also looking at uh the ventures in the Middle East so to possibly open up something there as well so um you know of course how much of we don't like we don't like to keep customers waiting no that's one of the motos do not keep customers waiting you know you know customer service after the after service is more important than the sale correct we we all know that I mean you got to look after these people of course of course yeah they can sign with you for years you never know good good enjoyed yourself guys yes it was very good thank you lovely lovely there you go patland of course studio and of course my man Eli stay with us dkk1 [Music] [Applause] a stoping us [Music] [Music] now go walk out the door just turn around now cuz you're not welcome anymore bkk1
2024-11-15 22:54
