Look around Pattaya and you will see that the property boom has stalled. Incomplete developments with minimal or zero workers on site, huge volumes of condos and houses for sale with no buyers, and no sign of any improvement in the near future.
This doesn’t stop companies such as Raimon Land producing puff pieces for the local press. A recent article is titled “Thailand property remains an attractive investment proposition”, although the article itself admits likely falls of 25-30% in the value of Bangkok properties. Where do I sign up?
She who must be obeyed works for a property company so she has experienced the slow-down first-hand over the last year. She could also see that the current staffing levels could not be maintained and was wondering whether she would soon be available to be home with me on a daily basis.
Frankly, this was not an outcome I relished. She needs a job to keep her occupied and she needs the independence that comes from earning her own salary. I enjoy pottering around doing my pointless hobbies during the day and having her company in the evenings. The only downside is that she only has one day off per week, it would be good to have the weekend to do things together.
And now we do. Last week the company sacked a number of staff, and the remainder were put on a shorter working week and had their salaries cut. She who must be obeyed now has Saturday and Sunday free, along with slightly less money at the end of the month.
Same thing happened to me five years ago, except I was given Monday to Sunday free and substantially less money at the end of the month. They called it voluntary redundancy, I called it the destruction of my self-esteem and the ripping away of the very fabric of my life. The horror. The horror.
Comments 🔗
2009-06-05| Pete, frogblogger saysIt must be so much more marked in Pattaya, being pretty dependent on tourism. We feel it in Chiang Mai, but nothing like to the same extent.
By the way, no offence intended in my recent parody of Pattaya (last blog), but at least I linked to your blog which amply demonstrates that there is a different side to the town! Hope you get a few hits.
2009-06-05| Camberley saysRipping away the very fabric of your life?? Oh we see the effects of that every day in your blog. Racing bikes, girls, polo, windsurfing. It must have been a truly devastating experience.
By the way, I thought you had fixed Kenya.
2009-06-05| Spike saysI don’t think I will ever be the same. Yes, we fixed Kenya. That is why the flag is in colour. I appreciate that Camberley is still in monochrome so maybe you can’t see it.
2009-06-06| Camberley saysBloody cheek. Err yes I see the colour now, but it is a bit dark, maybe you need a few more hits to boost it a bit.
2009-06-06| Pete saysWhat does the flashing bit mean? Rwanda looks rather like a multi-coloured Belisha beacon.
2009-06-06| Spike saysMeans it is a first time visitor from a country. Hello Rwanda!
2009-06-06| Spike saysAnother thought Camberley, were you looking at it on a PC or a Mac…..?
2009-06-07| Spike says“By the way, no offence intended in my recent parody of Pattaya (last blog), but at least I linked to your blog which amply demonstrates that there is a different side to the town! Hope you get a few hits.”
Pete, I think you made a good summary. But there is a population of “ordinary” people living in Pattaya, it’s just they don’t frequent the obvious tourist areas (i.e. she who must be obeyed wouldn’t let me!).