Thx much Kev & Deb:)

Thanks for watching and noting!

It really is, just hope it doesn't become a magnet for other youtuber's now (or eventually turn into Thonglor by the sea) I already feel guilty for posting about lovely Khanom...

Thanks Dale, also for always watching, appreciated

@@SideTripLife love your work

lol! It was pretty much my real-time thoughts and then after watching the updates from Bkk, yep, that sealed it. Still South now btw. Thanks for watching & commenting. Cheers!

Cheers Ricardo! My longest supporter, much appreciated :)

@@SideTripLife your welcome ST..recently sold the house and everything I own and bought a RV to tour around BC. The plan is to make the move to Thailand in a yr or so..take care all the best.

Summer, BC, RV? Sounds fantastic actually Ricardo. I'd be all over the isolated spots on the Island you can only access via forestry roads. Enjoy and look fwd to Thailand upcoming!

@@SideTripLife thank you..just travelling the okanagan for the last month..hoping to see the rest of Canada and a bit of the US when travel restrictions are lifted before the big move to Asia.

Thanks Anne, will do. There's also simpler and less pricey options which your kids would also probably really like.

Thank you Nigel. Late April

Thanks for coming along albeit virtually Phil! Take care :)

@Norwegian Dreams Thank you! Here's hoping Thailand can ramp up vax soon and more can start to come back. Take care

@@SideTripLife So true. It will take some time though. Vaccine takes around 2-3 weeks to get some protection after dose one, and still one should wait at least 3-4 weeks before dose two. So, Thailand will unfortunately probably see rising numbers if they do not take strong meassures to minimize human contact. Which is what they enforce now. It is a terrible situation now, so lets cross our fingers vaccination ramps up, as you say, and it will get better the next 3-4 months, I’m sure. But again, the area you are in now must be a much better place to «live it out» than in Bangkok, I guess. It is an amazingly beautiful area, and you are probably safer there too. Prices is way better than BKK too, so sounds like it is in your favour also. Remember wearing a mask, two meter social distance and keep your hands clean too, You probably be fine and safe! Can’t wait for update and next video from You! What do you choose to do? :-)

Thanks Phil and agreed. Thoroughly enjoyed both Charlie's and Bamboo Resort (side by side too as you know;). Didn't meet Charlie but did meet the lovely owner of Bamboo Resort -who will also be featured in the next vid (besides being a very nice host, she's also a movie star now;)

@@SideTripLife Ate a few of Charlie's pizzas with her on the beach. Go just down the road and see the best doctor in the world Jet Lee.

Sold my biz here before rona, now preparing to launch another. Personally feel Paddy & others style, presentation and filming are far better than mine and enjoy watching all.

And of course it's where I met Wobbly Pops

Hi Scott. Nowadays one can travel almost anywhere in Thailand and find locals who speak some English, or in main cities all over, a lot of English. However, as bad as my own Thai is, glad I can communicate even if at a basic level. So, recommend to try to pick up some basic words as it's both greatly appreciated and also greatly adds to the experience (plus adds to the fun/sanook;) As for 'where' to stay when first arriving, EVERYWHERE - ie: would travel around the country first before deciding where to (or if to) up sticks. Some committ prematurely and discover it's not all like living in a travel brochure of course (or a YT vid;) So best come, visit, then can decide if you want to stay longer (& many do;)

Internet wifi was fast in the room upstairs. Never checked at Jam Bay downstairs but nowadays one can get sim card with min 10mbps and tether so not really a big issue usually.

@@SideTripLife Thanks for the info!

Jonahs, very sorry to hear.... Really feel for hoteliers (and all biz people & staff) who are struggling during these terrible times. Actually, I'm on KP staying at one of the many currently 'crazy cheap' beach bungalows and I can assure you, many here are on laptops much of the day too (but mostly sat on wooden balconies with fans;). But I get the 'squeeze' dilemma, in that many higher end places have cut rates to the point they're now at or far below former mid range prices, thus competing for 'your' targeted customer. This must make operating margins, costs and just hanging in there untenable for many mid-range (and also higher end too actually). I just hope you can hang in there, su-su and take care.

@@SideTripLife Thank you, keep up the good work! We will pull down our bamboo huts and driftwood bars to replace them with Starbucks and air conditioned boxes for "digital" people as soon as we can!

Tony, if this is for real pls update after you arrive. Have heard new arrivals especially from Bangkok must quarantine for 14 days now? Last, to any others thinking of 'jumping into a move', I always recommend firstly visiting a desired place and then staying for at least a while before committing to any move (lest the 'wow' wears off and is replaced with 'oh crap';) I absolutely LOVE Khanom but it may not suit some who need more 'distractions' (etc;) around them. Cheers

@@SideTripLife Ok i will update. I live in pattaya for the last 5 years and 3 month ago i visit Samui/Phangan. So tommorow i will stay one night in Surat then take the minibus to khanom. My girlfriend already called the lady from Motobike shop in kenom, i found it in google map. the-14-khanom-rent-motorbike-and-car.business.site So i will visit Sichon beach and who know what next

I was a little concerned to even find a video on Khanom as well. The first person to show me the place said... "please tell no one" I have visited often but mostly kept my secret for 8 years. :)

Eddie, Phil (+local guys & gals too) sorry all, I actually feel a bit guilty for posting vids of lovely 'secret' Khanom....

Was a big holiday weekend and just before 3rd wave. But yes, Thais have definitely 'found' Khanom and especially at this time that's good for the local biz. Edit to add: Including foreigner run biz - ie: Frankies (UK run) and CC's (also UK?) and Leeloo (French) Bamboo Resort (French again) and several others I visited were benefitting from mainly Thai trade.

@@SideTripLife i have a feeling some thais avoid going on trips to certain locations to avoid farangs. And now that farangs arent around thais are coming out more. What u think?

Frankly, with some of the grumpy, paranoid and weirdo Farangs one sees in Thailand (+ on 'Expat' forums etc constantly bashing Thais) wouldn't blame em LOL!. However, and in contrast, the vast majority of Thais are lovely, warm, welcoming and respectful people in my experience (give respect, get respect etc, simple as).

Ha! Thank you :) Actually, I almost didn't add any more vids to this series as the last one received relatively few views (despite for the few who did view, it also rcvd longer watch durations). To be honest, at times one thinks why even 'bother' spending hours making a vid.... I realise my style is a bit banal and info/content 'heavy' (zzzz to most;) but not going to switch to adding bikini thumbnails, acting like a clown, creating drama, or doing 'irl' streams (IRL = I'm Really Lazy;) etc lol Btw, prev vid if any are interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b5eJaaWopsCaeok.html Cheers! (& thanks to those who did watch, appreciated :)

No need to change for those of us who are hooked already! You're filling a void in my life right now, much appreciated.👍

@@SideTripLife honestly!! .. dont let the number of views get you down ... You bring joy to the people who watch your videos.. cuz they are honest ... If you change one life for the better ...it's enough validation..

Hi Rudi, thank you for your comments and even for calling me out (fair points raised). To be honest, I do feel a bit guilty about posting this series and thought hard about it before doing so. As you're likely aware, the Thai Govt/TAT is advancing the 'Thai Riviera/Gold Coast' initiative, the new Kahnom/Sichon coast road is part of this and there's now multiple construction projects all around the area & many more in the works. Thus, regardless if I posted vids or not, unfortunately idyllic Khanom is poised to ramp up development.... -------- Thai Govt/PRD News QUOTE: The “Riviera Thailand” project, which covers the west coast from Phetchaburi to Songkhla, highlights the beauty and luxury of the tourist attractions in the areas. The campaign is in line with the government policy of using tourism to distribute income to the locals and tackle social inequality. ------- I do accept that my vids may still attract some other foreigners to come look however, my audience is rather small and likely won't cause more than a few to actually make a move. Having said that, have received a few slightly worrying messages asking "How's the night life" (sigh)... I've responded that other than a nice beer at Charlies, or a quiet weekend jam at Jam Bay, there is none, so no sense bothering to come if this is what one is after. Another chap from Pattaya has already posted he's moving as we speak, based solely on my vids... to which I posted a caution there is no night life and advised others not to 'jump into a move'.... There'll always be a small contingent dreaming of a new seaside 'Pattaya-lite' (NO thanks) but if any actually do make it to Khanom, they'd likely end up returning after finding out it's not like that whatsoever (thankfully). Bottom line, apologies Rudi, I get why you're annoyed. As for myself, yes I am planning to move to the area as I absolutely love it. Still, my hope is that despite Khanom is poised for further development (regardless) that it retains it's slow pace, idyllic seaside charm and wonderful sense of community. Might also add, both the Khanom locals and local Expats are some of the nicest I've come across - and the odd rightfully disgruntled one, again, my apologies.

@@SideTripLife Thanks for you sincere reply, I really appreciate it, you sound like a honest, intelligent human being! 👍I am just afraid Khanom and the rest of NKST will end up like Samui, and Phuket, totally destroyed by tourism and specially developers without any respect for the environment! It is already happening in Khanom, they are destroying some hills in the back of Nai Plao, beautiful surroundings, hills, tropical rainforest, waterfalls, that area I used to hike and ride my bike. Now developers are building projects on these hillsides, cut all trees, the hills completely excavated. I see all of this with sadness. Anyway, Welcome in NKST, enjoy this beautiful province! And Yes, unfortunately your videos are well made and very pleasant to watch😜 (that’s why I hate them! ) 5555

Heading back for a current update stay tuned

Well Max, appreciate your fwd trend analysis which opens a larger discussion regarding longer term ramifications from both aging demographics and waning reproduction rates. However, there's an even more imminent change underway now which few are talking about, or even aware of. The onset of EVs (Electric Vehicles) and AI (self driving cars) and the impact will also have a knock-on effect on real estate (particularly commercial & inner-city real estate). For example, as fully autonomous cars evolve to mainstream (within 10 years) fewer people will actually own a car, thus fewer parking spaces will be required plus parking garages may become almost obsolete (that's a lot of 'currently prime' inner-city real estate which will also likely lose value, affecting city-wide pricing (& vital tax revenues...) Also, due to the current event, we've already fast fwd the natural evolution of 'working remotely', thus inner-city offices (and homes) will see less demand. Add into the mix less need for bricks n mortar retail as again, the current situation has accelerated the demise of retail to online. This doesn't bode well for shopping malls, as 'anchor' tenants such as JC Penny and many others increasingly face bankruptcy. This also doesn't bode well for the likes of Simon Properties or Intu etc etc (& pension + hedge funds) who have large stakes in malls and offices & associated REITS. Also malls will no longer require vast parking lots. So, from upcoming empty parking garages, empty retail spaces in malls + offices will also leave a huge gap to fill in formerly 'prime' real estate locations (& again, vital city tax coffers...) Cities and even countries have planned around big oil and big population bases to fuel tax coffers and now both are set to decline, oil fuel tax revenues dramatically. Could go on and on but suffice to say, speculative buying increasingly becomes the domain for those willing to take increasing risks. But buying to actually live in and enjoy for long term still makes sense. Having said that, think I'll continue to rent for now as that just makes more sense for me (unless I can find a perfect plot for a tiny home overlooking the sea, say near lovely Khanom/Sichon;) Ie: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b5eJaaWopsCaeok.html PS: recently test drove EVs in Bangkok + had a look at 'current' infrastructure, so if anyone is interested pls see: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sNWTdt2fsZ2ncYU.html

@@SideTripLife We should grab a beer next time I'm in country. You think in a logical rational way that is all too uncommon these days. I know who SPG is and am very involved in REITS (Blackstone REIT in particular). SPG is about to sell all their JC Penny & Sears spots to AMZN as local distributions centers. Yes the move to automatous vehicles will destroy the car insurance, car repair, and car dealership industries. You want to go to the beach with 8 people, you hire a large autonomous SUV. You want to go to Big C for groceries, you hire a tiny vehicle that can hold 8 bags of groceries. You want to take your woman out for your anniversary, you click on the luxury vehicle option on that app. There will be no more car repair shops, tire shops, auto insurance companies. It will all be self insured fleets by mega corporations. And this will lead to a dramatic shift from urban areas to lower cost areas. For example let's say I live in Bang Saen but work in Bangkok. Or I live in Alpharetta versus Atlanta, or I live in Boca versus Miami, I can take an autonomous van with no windows and a bed and catch 90 minutes sleep on the way to work. No car payment. No insurance payment. No maintenance. No bank involved. But I wouldn't discount the impact of a 38%+ population decline in the next 78 years in Thailand. Even if everything else stays the same, that will devastate the real estate market. Think about this, not only will Thailand lose 38% of their population by 2100 but China will lose half of their population. Blame it on low birth rates, 30 years of aborting girls, and 30 years of the 1 child policy. But it's irreverabile. And over 50% of the Thailand tourism economy is dependent on Chinese visitors. And these topic don't even touch the additional topic you discuss with the move to autonomous transportation and the move away from urban centers. The point is, don't think, wow, I can buy this property near the beach and in 30 years adjusted for inflation, I'll quadruple my money. The exact opposite if going to happen. This is the peak for countries in Europe, SE Asia, and South America. Certain countries like the US, UK and Canada will continue to grow slowly not because of birth rate but due to their immigration policies. The next century will be the rise of sub-Saharan Africa. By 2100, Nigeria will be bigger than China. Think about that for a second. So better to rent now if in Asia while stockpiling cash. Keep your options open. And SLT, we'll have to grab a coffee or beer next time we're in the same city together.

@@coastalmax MW, interesting commentary. I think we have read/are reading the same research on demographics. In this part of the world, S Korea and Japan also have the same problem. And then there's the impending population decline in China. This, together with its property collapse, is not good news for the residential RE market in Thailand in the years to come, but I rarely hear anyone in Thailand talk about this issue. The developers keep on building condos and Moo Baans, but in 10, 20 ... years who is going to buy them? In Bangkok , the birth rate is 0.9 - as you know, a birth rate of 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population. Interesting days ahead.

ok but what are we talking about?

@@SideTripLife no.500 likes

Thank you:):):):)

Indeed! LOVE Khanom! Pardon the volume flux & the cc/subtitles takes 24 hrs to propagate, thus pls check again. Cheers

@@SideTripLife Ok Thanks.... :-)))

Hi, YT takes up to 24 hrs to add automated CC. Pls try again then.

@@SideTripLife Thanks! (YT's reasoning completely escapes me & they are particularly bad about "CC" in vlogs coming from LOS!) 🥴 Yep!!! They just showed up, Thanks Again. 👍