wylergnu

I'm all for the Murdoch Australia Network if it shows the NRL games he has the rights to.

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Yeah I can't see how it's all the wife's fault if you have that many credit cards. Consolidate them all into a few 0% balance transfer cards and cut them up too once you get them. At least that way you won't be paying interest.

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I'm in two minds about this. On one hand while this guy is overseas he is costing the government less. No doubt he will be able to get rental assistance, free meds and other allowances if he was in Australia so the government is saving money while he is overseas. On the other hand I believe there should be a limit to how long someone on welfare can stay overseas. Money going overseas does not help our economy and I've got no doubt alot these people on welfare holidays are taking the piss.

Oh dear. So all those times I thought my TGF was complimenting me, she was actually calling me a big buffalo?

Does anyone know if a foriegner can open a bank account in India? The interest rates are very good...

http://www.hdfcbank....fd_interest.htm

-you can if you have a long term visa or residence permit,

-interest rates look phantastic without taking into consideration that the Indian Rupee (INR) has lost 12-20% vs. major foreign currencies during the last 7 months and that Indian inflation is rampant at 9.5%.

-the rates published by HDFC are for INR deposits which canNOT be converted back into foreign currency!

-income tax applies.

summary: there is no free lunch.

Well theres the rub...... I guess I will make do with 5.5% a bit longer

I looked at Commonwealth banks Au site and I don't see the 5.5%

Balance Interest rate

$0 - $9,999 0.01 % p.a.

$10,000 - $19,999 2.75 % p.a.

$20,000 - $49,999 3.25 % p.a.

$50,000 - $99,999 3.25 % p.a.

$100,000 - $249,000 3.75 % p.a.

$250,000 - $499,999 4.00 % p.a.

$500,000 or more 4.25 % p.a.

I don't think that opening accounts in several counties is the best way to hold a basket of currencies. I believe that Naam has eluded to opening an account in Singapore with multiple currencies but when I have tried to find them in the past the rates of the currencies looked lower. Perhaps that has changed now.

Naam can you recommend a good reliable company in Singapore to do business with?

On-line banks in Australia will give you 6.1%. This has fallen from 6.6% only a few months ago. Government guaranteed. Still very poor when you consider inflation of about 3.5%.

There is no point changing money into Australian dollars to do it though given the AU$ is close to historical highs.

I guess limes are better? Ive always thought the same of passionfruit. Very easy to grow but I dont see them much in Thailand.

Im always "falang" when I visit my gf's home town near Kamphaeng phet. I dont think Ive never been called "farang" there.

Last year I got pulled over for driving in the right hand land when not overtaking. The problem was I was overtaking a truck at the time, and nearly ran over the police officer who jumped out from the bushes in the median strip to stop me. Crazy idiot. God knows what would have happened to me if I ran him over.

Of course, it was just the undeclared tea.

Racial profiling doesnt exist in Australia.

When you see some of the crap that Asian's try to bring into our country its fair enough I say. Insect infected herbs etc. I wouldnt take much for it to ruin our agriculture.

When I come back into the country I always make sure Im the one with the home made curry paste, dried shrimp etc. TG gets checked. I walk straight through.

what? so its ok for you to take stuff (or crap as you say) back to yr country but not asians?

The crap I bring in doesnt threaten my country, but it is for my asian girlfriend. Back OT, Im sure customs officers profile likely offenders. This would go for drug smuggling as well as food items. I guess you could call this racist, but then Australia is no doubt quite a racist country. Just look at what happened to that poor Indian doctor here last year. Similar to Thailand but without the smiles. The police stuffed up and probably held her so long because they refuse to believe they are ever wrong.

Of course, it was just the undeclared tea.

Racial profiling doesnt exist in Australia.

When you see some of the crap that Asian's try to bring into our country its fair enough I say. Insect infected herbs etc. I wouldnt take much for it to ruin our agriculture.

When I come back into the country I always make sure Im the one with the home made curry paste, dried shrimp etc. TG gets checked. I walk straight through.

First post!

An emerging country like Thailand is always going to get more expensive. Im sure alot of UK expats are suffering from the loss in value of the GBP. However, Thailand is way cheaper that Australia ATM, with the possible exception of a few things like some elctronics. Food and property prices are going through the roof here, and the AUD has stayed very strong. When I first visited Thailand in 1995 I got 19 baht to the AUD. ATM its 29.