kritsana77 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:49 am I don't want to comment on the entire article. However, I constantly had stomach problems when I lived in LOS for 13 years . Constantly. However, I have been in PP now since August 2019 and no problems at all. I often cooked at home then as I still do today. Is it all MSG in Thai food? I don't know.

if ur cooking at home, why would there be any difference?

I used to have small acid indigestion and had to use Tums; cut out sugary drinks, cut down on bread and salt...
all is a good now
eat at home 90% of the time

FYI rents falling here in Phuket as well BUT ONLY on the top end / middle places, its all about covid and lack of customers.

There's some absolutely fantastic 4-5 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 2 pool homes overlooking the sea that were 120,0000 baht ( apx $4,000) and can be had for 80,000, ($2,600)

NO way i'd pay over $2,500 for an apt in PP regardless of what i was earning.

Without me asking, the landlord dropped my rent last September amounting to -7.7%. I've been there over 4 years so I guess they don't want to lose a long term tenant. So hardly ground breaking reduction in the order of -20% but welcome nevertheless coz it shows they are reactive to market realities.

Then last month I noticed my electricity rate was dropped by 5c/kw amounting to -16.7%. Really happy with that coz the old rate was on the high side for a serviced apartment. I don't have plans to move out coz of the location so this is good.

However, I agree with Doc67..the bigger discounts are if you're looking now and in the higher price ranges. I reckon you could drive a hard bargain. Yet there is a reluctance to bring prices down for existing tenancies. I imagine the uncertainty as to when things get back to pre covid times is also a factor and they figure tenants are reluctant to go through the hassle of moving.

It's all a bit of a game really, tug of war between the landlord and tenant. I've heard a few stories about restaurant businesses with some landlords being accommodating for ones that are affected by the lack of tourists due to covid. Others will fight tooth and nail to not give in to reducing the rent. Comes at their peril though coz I know of 1 instance where they refused to reduce so the tenant didn't renew the lease and several months later the landlord has not found a replacement tenant and the shop is shuttered. And, when they were told the tenant was moving out, they were suddenly offering rent reductions...a case of too greedy and accommodating too late. I know another case where the restaurant tenant is thinking of bailing out on a lease for the same reasons.

If the ass wipes in charge would make it easier to pop over for a visit from Thailand, I would lend a hand by renting such a serviced apartment.