Status of various things in Bangsaphan

[cjsiam]

So---Been a year....coming back with family over new years
Questions about "conditions", how things are...

Any insight appreciated: (compared to a year ago)....

1) Electric stability--same, better, worse?

2)Internet/Cable/Wifi---any new options? I heard Cha Am/Hua Hin had fiber--anything getting down here?
what are people paying?

3) Going rate for square meter of house construction I hear 10K - 15KBaht/sq m....Interested in cautions or
recommendations.

4) Safety/Crime -- same? better? worse?

5) Immigration and impact of changes on those living here? are the insurance regs a problem?

6) General outlook--- are people leaving/coming? business --same/better/worse?

Hope to catch a few of you who I met last time and raise a elbow.....
cj:)

[buksida]

I'll give you some honest responses rather than what you probably want to hear.

1) Electricity supply depends where you are - there are blackouts several times a week down near the beach, but if you're on the main road it is stable.

2) As above, patchy away from the main road and town, there is "fiber" but it doesn't run anywhere near the advertised speeds. Good enough for TV streaming though, costs about 600 baht a month.

3) Construction is about half the cost of Hua Hin, roughly 10-12k per sqm.

4) Crime and safety wise things have improved, nothing happens in Bangsaphan! We often go out and forget to lock the doors!

5) Immigration is all done in Hua Hin, again no impact on BS aside from a few expats leaving. Nobody seems fussed about 24 hour reporting around here and the insurance thing doesn't seem to have kicked in yet.

6) The Thailand tourist slump has killed most related businesses and from that aspect the place has contracted - fewer bars and restaurants and lots of empty accommodation, most of it for sale. Dec to Feb should see things pick up a little but the rest of the year is totally dead, the Chinese hordes don't get this far. From an expat perspective there are definitely more leaving than arriving.

Some may paint a rosier picture but I prefer to say what I see!

[buksida]

I'll add that BS still beats other spots in Thailand and here is why: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2771

[bsb]

cjsiam, didn't you buy some land behind Cusine a couple of years ago?

[cjsiam]

yep!
We're coming down post Christmas with offspring to show the land to all...one hasn't seen it.

Planning on getting construction started---either in 2020---or 2021, when I'm there finally--.

none of these answers are far from what I had hoped....electricity, will just have to deal with
some battery and some filter.....tv streaming level cable---that will do, I'm more into just information,
and some game playing---so probably internet is ok....

Personally---can't wait to put some distance between the Mad-house that is the US right now,
and myself.... culture has fractured into something irrational.....

I'll be wandering the beach 2nd week in Jan, and 3rd week....

[cjsiam]

Oh and buksida---I stand by my comments about your post on "BS still beats other spots".....

[cjsiam]

In regards to the internet----
This is what I'm hoping helps fix this over next couple years.....

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/11 ... atellites/

this could make a place like BS ideal for the remote worker... just saying....

[cjsiam]

Oh and the property is behind the I-Talay restaurant....If it's called Cuisine, I don't know that....next to Coral hotel.

[buksida]

In regards to the internet----
This is what I'm hoping helps fix this over next couple years.....

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/11 ... atellites/

this could make a place like BS ideal for the remote worker... just saying....

I always thought Google would be first to do that!

Seriously though, the internet is not that bad here, I use a mobile data connection as a backup when the broadband is down. Its the electric supply that is a bigger problem, exploding transformers are a daily occurrence (it just went bang as I'm writing this) - I have an entire room full of fried appliances.

[cjsiam]

So what's best idea to stop frying appliances?
Given we're going to get to construct a utility room, where the power will be brought into the distribution panel...

I'd think serious surge protectors, and a Battery Shunt of some size.....
This is probably major concern...computers are my life......so....

[buksida]

So what's best idea to stop frying appliances?

Don't live near the beach or buy your own transformer! You're looking at serious money for a automated voltage regulator and backup battery system for a whole house, you'll need an extra house to store the batteries!

Its a two pronged problem; 1) overloaded transformers and the PEA refuses to upgrade them for the extra load, and 2) the elements - wildlife, trees etc shorting them out, the PEA don't cut the foliage back often enough (once a year I think). They don't shield open transformers here either. Hence big bangs multiple times per week - its usually the same transformer that they just keep patching back up with band aids.

I've done a lot of research into solar but it is not subsidized in Thailand so economically not viable for a whole house. Would cost several hundred thousand and you'd have to replace the batteries every couple of years. The govt would rather buy cheap power off Burma and sell it to their people at a profit - Thailand is all about the money, not sustainability.

One of the joys of living in the jungle! If you have deep pockets it won't matter.

[bsb]

Cusine is on the second beach road,one of the better places to eat in BS. thought I remembered you talking about the cooking gas place was next to you.
Just my CRS working overtime

[cjsiam]

Well, dang....
So I'm about 100m in from the beach--next to the Coral and up the small road from I-Talay.....at that corner...everyone is cutting across my front corner for now...

Well....going to have to filter out the spikes....
Batteries are a pain--so I'd like to minimize...but, suspect I'll need some.....
Looks like construction is a year out (maybe 18months)......

I'll be over in early Jan---will look through the utility stuff...actually what I do in the real life over here....
so....I can easily see how things are "managed" in Thailand being "sub-optimal".....hmm....
Solar might be something one does on a small scale....sigh...

Thanks much---very interested to track things as they progress (one dreams....)
cj:)

[cjsiam]

So dropping in 2nd and 3rd week of Jan....I-Talay...

Wondering about Country Road? Did it close down?

What's operating these days?

Hope some of you will be at Montri's (he's still there?....please say yes....)

Merry Christmas!
cj:)

[buksida]

Yep, Country Road closed, as did Blue Bar.

Coco currently open but he closes very early these days. Why Not still going but that's about it.