My visa is good until April. After that, I'm not sure if I'll still be here.

Yes, not only is the Chinese tourist season over (Thank God and Buddha!!!), but there are also fewer other tourists and fewer retirees.

And the number of retirees will drop over the coming year, and beyond. After the recent election, which was "won" (read, "stolen") by the military coup leaders, the govt has clamped down and made it more and more difficult to get visas.

That goes for anyone. Even some 1st-time visitors to Thai who are trying to cross the land border from Malaysia are being turned away. And 5 people who applied for an education visa with my school had their applications rejected when they submitted them in Hanoi or Yangon.

And some of my friends in the residence complex where I live will not be able to extend their visas next time, since they will not have enuf money in their Thai bank account.

I'm looking for a better place. Maybe ... Malaysia. Or Poland!! :-)