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Obviously there's a lot of factors to be taken into account, including returns you're looking for risk tolerance etc etc. As the info you've given is minimum, and obviously know nothing about you, below is only a suggestion:

Put 1/5th in each of the following:

Aberdeen Growth Fund = Thai Equities

Aberdeen Global Emerging Markets Fund = Emerging Market Equities

Aberdeen Emerging Opportunities Bond Fund = Well diversified emerging markets bond fund

MFC International Gold Fund or TMB Gold Fund = unit trusts that give expsoure to gold price

Cash = probably a limited access account, eg only withdraw x times per month. Will give a reasonable rate and a bit more flexible than fixed deposit

That would give a reasonable spread of risk and return across asset classes. Note: there are lots of other good fund management houses, eg ING. I suggested Aberdeen as they offer a reasonable range and cut down number of people to deal with. they don't do a gold fund tho'

http://www.aberdeen-...ationfactsheets

http://www.mfcfund.c...navdailyo_t.php

I'd add, we hold all 4 funds above on behalf of our daughters for their future, and timelines at least 5 years

If only picking one I'd choose Aberdeen Growth or perhaps Aberdeen Global Em Markets. I've held Aberdeen Growth in Thailand for over 10 years. It's 5 year return is around 60%+ and 10 year about 590%. These include difficult times in 2007/8 and this year. It's averaged nearly 20% p.a. for me after charges. I don't expect that in future tho, and something like 60% more reasonable for 5 years. {Figures are from my own record, but their website should show similar} Worst ever year down around 40%, best ever up 100% - so yes volatile, although I can't ever recall it having lost money over a 5 year period, it may not be suited if you want your money before that. Hence suggestion to diversify with some lower risk, lower reward funds such as other countries equities, bonds and gold funds.

Changes are around 1-1.5% initial fee and similar per annum, but check links above.

As I say, only suggestions, and yes have already put my own money where my mouth is and been happy with them for several years

What a load of waffle mate sorry, it's only the equivalent of 6 grand sterling.

Just buy some gold easy. Here is the last 10 years chart...

At this point in time, I am quite happy to be a bachelor and stay that way.

Q, Cliff Richard...

i want to look friends and family back at home and say this is my wife, and when the question comes how did you meet, i dont feel deep down shame she was working as prostitute.

No need to feel deep down shame mate you need to learn from the TV mob. Simply hold your head up high and lie through your back teeth.

I have the hangover from hell today and after reading this thread and the ridiculous childish i know more then you, you quoted this, no i didn't, yes you did, single word analysis, i feel like jumping myself now.

There is a lovely old lady with a false leg that walks the sois of Pattaya with her son collecting garbage, she means no malice at all when she shouts hello farang to just about everyone she passes.

However put a white English version of her in Deptford Market walking around shouting hello blacky to everyone she would end up arrested or beaten or both, the two countries may as well be two worlds apart.

............in most cases, if some one can afford the 30-40k to rent one of these units, they can easily qualify to buy the same condo and pay the mortgage...

This is very true. But there are untold numbers of people with a lot of money living here more or less permanently who wouldn't buy Thai property at any price, under any circumstances, because they distrust it and the people selling it.

And there are lots of people renting here who have no intention whatsoever of being here for more than a year or two or three.

Between them, they probably keep the rental market going.

It's always the folk that have "lots of money" that don't own anything here not even the motorbike they ride, nothing, zilch, nada, strange that.

during the last drug war our village lost a wife and husband to this.

they had won the thai lottery and so were buying a lot of new stuff. pickup, land etc. they preferred to remain anonymos and keep their win to themselves. the locals started gossiping that they were drug dealers, so the police came and executed them both. they took their pickup and cash. only later was it found out they won the lottery and were infact innocent. the police to this day have never gave back the cash or pickup.

That's one of the most disturbing things I've ever read, if that doesn't shock you then your either insane, lived here to long or both.

There has been much written about mixed marriages and it seems to work better (particularly in the early years) if you are domiciled away from the girl's home country. That generally forces her to culturally assimilate as opposed to a man constantly resisting the cultural pressures of the lady's home country.

That would all depend greatly where one is from.

Many of the girls come back to Thailand it's just a matter of time. Many go to live abroad on false hope, fed with complete and utter BS by their partner how rich they are back in never never land only to find out the guy is a bum without a pot to piss in. The two week millionaire has show his true colours.

Many of the girls live this fairy tale that every farang is rich and lives in a castle and will be the princess one shes finds herself a prince.

Truth of it is, she will end up in some where like Peckham on the 22nd floor of a 1960's built giant high-rise council estate, with beans on toast as the set menu and about as much hope as Arsenal winning the premiership.

It's surprising some foreigners get mad when their other half does something back to them they don't like, usually 100 times worse as it's a build up of being spoken to like shit, treated like shit, cheated on and generally just being a complete and utter arse hole I don't blame them for getting their own back. No woman in the world will put up with that shit forever.

The girlfriend prefers it to riding pillion on the bike. In fact, we're just off to Makro

These images sprang to mind....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MBQ-IBC3k

The requirement to live close to a city is more so for the children, so we can take them to events and get clothing a decent prices and go for dinners and by our household items and such. We want to live about half an hour away from a city if that helps any ?

[...]

Thanks for the internet advice, I wonder what you're all using for connection right now if you are in Thailand? We mainly use DSL and cable here in Canada and I'm familure with satellite as well… I would definitely have to base my move on the internet connections there, which sounds silly but that it out livelihood.

You don't need to live close to a city to get what you have listed except perhaps 'events', not sure what events you would like.

I use 3BB, 12M D-1M U and get this speed 24/7. Paid a year up front and got 10% off which make it around 1,200 pm. I did have to pay an addition cost for installation as I live in the bush and required 1km of cable to hook up to the exchange. Put a smile on the face of the locals when I then provided free wifi for them. Monthly data usage for myself is around 200GB

I had a cleaner who came in a couple of times a week for an hour who also done my laundry for 300 Baht a week but do not have one now. I live alone, don't make any mess and clean up dishes etc as I go. There is a laundy 30 seconds away from me who charge only a token price, perhaps because they too use my wifi. Once every 3 months I get a couple of locals in to clean the place top to bottom while I'm away on a visa run and give them 400 Baht each. They also leave a dinner in the fridge for when I get back to boot.They say it takes about 4 hours though I suspect they knock it out in an hour or so, make some food for themselves (which I said they could do), sit down and watch a couple of hours of Thai TV on a big LCD with surround sound.

I'm very much part of the community, give and receive things such as fish, fresh honey, lifts here and there. I also fix their computers for nothing when they have a problem and buy local, garden grown produce. The area is very quiet, has no crime. Within 30 minutes I can go to Tesco Lotus, Big C, Makro, bowling, cinema with English speaking movies, beach, waterfalls, may western restaurants, bars both local and western, markets with food or other produce. There is however, nothing close by for children to do but this is not an issue for me as I don't have any.

Your mild religious conviction is going to be a non issue as is my well known anti-theist stance. It may though be an issue if you decide to live at the very south of Thailand.

One thing to consider if you decide on a gated community is that you will looked at as aloof and unwilling to be part of Thailand. You will also never get to see and experience many of the true wonders of the country. Most of the people in Thailand are very poor by western standards but they have a richness in their life which most westerners will never ever have. If you can immerse yourself in Thai culture as much as possible then you will become a better person for it.

I like you Gumbo your down to earth and tell it as it is no bs, you stand out from the rest of the miserable cockroaches.

I hear there was a riot in N. London yesterday. Maybe they thought they were at a succer game.

silly

Pattaya isn't really Thailand

That's correct Pattaya is a city in Thailand.

Been all over Thailand and Pattaya beats the lot hands on for full time living everywhere else gets boring after a week.

Most who have lived in Pattaya then blown all their money have 2 choices, go home or go live in the jungle somewhere like Tarzan and come on here and slate Pattaya.

Freehold 7 to 8 million up.

This will ruffle a few feathers.

why is it always a friend ?

No one can "afford" to lose property.

Good luck fella.

she came into the house and said " you buy me for what ? can get free outside in the park "

bought her chocolates " i not want eat chocolate, i want eat pok pok "

Buy her some English lessons.

What I was thinking - and whatever you do, don't start speaking like her - it happens all the time.

There's nothing worse it's like listening to two Teletubbies.

I am from the United States of America, just like many of you postimg here are from The United Kingdom.

I was born in the state of Massachusetts, but that does not make me a Masachusettsian

England is not a state it's a country. The only "state" are your National Curriculum subjects IE lack of geography and a sorry state it is at that.

If you got money Pattaya is still a great place to live whether it is high or low season there are plenty of people around and the social life is as good as it gets anywhere in the world.

If, however one has to face up to the fact that one can not live in another part of the world and it is only a matter of time before he has to return because one is simply "not cut out" to live abroad and has squandered ones wealth on booze, women and wasted rent and has nothing to show for a life times work except a strawberry nose and 50% less brain cells from when he first arrived and a disgruntled attitude for absolutely everything and anything then it is he who shall be for the first to claim that the place he chose to live is falling apart and coming to an end because that is all he can do, blame everything and everyone else when the reality is it was all his own doing and Pattaya the place he chose to live is prospering and will continues to prosper with or without old strawberry nose.

I see less oddball fraggles about, that is a good thing.

The day Koto quits trying to educate people to clean up after themselves and to help clean up will be a great loss and a very sad day indeed.

You would do well to seek therapy in a government approved psychiatric institution.