b17

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Too many peados

Too many people who cant spell.

Too many peados

Too many people who cant spell.

Can't spell?

I stopped reading when I read that you'd "attached some photos".

I dislike all the people "surviving" on chump change proclaiming they are living a decent life and want for nothing more.

I'm sad that we can't be friends in that case, my "chump change" it does me very nicely and I don't want for more. But the value of my savings and investments exceed even your wet dreams, no need to spend it all here on a daily basis though!

The richest man I ever met (net worth 10 billion US) had one further aspect apart from wealth: humility. It's a shame that those with less to boast about do it the most.

I don't believe this. I can visit Singapore and have a really good time for half of what it would cost in New York, San Francisco, London or Paris.

I certainly didn't find Singapore cheap when I was there and spent 3 weeks 2 years ago. Most things were very expensive and Cigarettes prices were outrageous. Food was great in most places but you also paid through the nose to eat a fine dinner. The only thing I didn't find too high was bus fares and alcohol, but back then I didn't drink too much or keep a close eyes on the tab when I did. Taxi's were too bad but almost impossible to find during rush hours.

Another oddity is that Singapore only allows a certain limit of new cars (or did when I was there). So unless you have special permission like a Taxi Driver, who can get a new car every couple of years, you go on a waiting list and can wait up to 10 years to get a new car. So as a result, the resale value of a used car is worth more than a new one. Imagine buying a Mercedes-Benz new and driving it for 2 years. Then selling it for a higher price than what you paid for it. Well this is what Taxi Drivers do and why most of the Taxis their are nice new cars.

Singapore was the only place I was ever at where most Taxi Drivers, who have been living there a long time, are Millionaires. Property Prices are through the roof on buying or renting. Cheap ones in not such a good area go for +$1 Million. Okay if you want to sell your property and retire here. Not so okay if you plan to live there. I am surprised there isn't more doing this though. But then if you are Asian and have close family ties, it is difficult to do I suppose.

Just to clarify, anyone can buy a new car at any time, as long as they have sufficient cash to pay the COE on the vehicle. There is no waiting list for cars, although you could easily wait ten years if you were unwilling to pay the additional COE amount that is added on to the purchase price of the vehicle. Resale values of used cars are almost NEVER higher than a new one- if they were, the resale market wouldn't exist.

Taxi drivers are not allowed to own their own vehicles - they are owned by Comfort, CityCab, etc and are upgraded every few years. The drivers pay a daily charge to the companies - typically, it takes them about 5 hours of driving to pay off the petrol and daily rental charge.

I am a close friend of a Singapore taxi driver, and I can assure you that 99% of taxi drivers are NOT millionaires. They live in HDB (public housing) flats and generally drive over ten hours a day to keep the larder stocked.

FYI, I lived in Singapore for over 21 years, and agree that most things are very expensive, save Hawker food.

I like sunshine and I like sea. Singapore appears to me to have neither; nor anything else I want. I don't like "shopping" and I can find better food in many a place. A bit like others I live in a small town; has pretty well everything including a decent swimming pool. If I want sea I can be in Phuket or Samui in 3 hours and if struck by an insatiable need for Eau Sauvage or a new Gucci handbag in BKK in an hour. Lack of a decent bookshop is a bore but Kinokuniya deliver and I can live without Tate Modern and the V&A! Oh yes no skiiing. Air Asia to Japan? Cheaper than London Zurich. Decent house here 2M B, Decent Rental 10K B max....Garden full of Bee-Eaters today. Singapore? London? New York? Zurich?....I'll pass

Singapore is a tropical island, and somehow it appears to you to not have sunshine nor sea? I lived in Singapore for two decades, and I can confirm it has both sunshine and sea in abundance.

Thailand is a well known destination for "right to die" groups, and certain Thai vets are well known sources of phenobarbital.

http://www.ibtimes.com/west-australians-heading-thailand-euthanasia-drugs-190034

Going fishing

Taken in Mae Lao, Chiang Rai.

Mae Lao, Chiang Rai.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/balcer17/22194073765/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/

Is the sky falling? Stop this fear mongering and grow a pair!!

I don't claim to be an internet expert, but after twenty years of being around Thailand and Thai people, I can assure you this supposed "Single Gateway" will NEVER happen in at least a decade (or two) at the very earliest. It's expensive, complicated to implement and will drive the economy downward - in simple terms, Thailand's elites would never support this measure, and that in itself is enough to stop the plan in its tracks.

Just take a chill pill and get back to your favourite websites . Nothing to see here...

I recently moved to Chiang Rai, and it's exactly what I was hoping for in terms of size - like the bears in the story, CR is "not too big and not too small".

As an earlier responder said, just join 'Chiangrai everything' on Facebook and you'll see some rental possibilities popping up with some regularity. Also, you might want to have a peek at Lanna reality webpage - they have many listings as well.

Good luck!

Watcher of the skies. Wat Rong Khun. July 20, 2015.

Don't worry, be happy!

Some parts quite interesting, and worth watching. It works as a nice snapshot of a particular time in SE Asian history, and includes some nice footage of both Singapore and Malaysia in addition to the Golden Triangle. Thanks to Boycie for posting it up for us...

A little over ten years ago we were astonished when a local architect with a specialization in restoring older heritage structures quoted her price to design our home - 8,000 Baht. We expected another zero in the price, but, happily, that was the price. With inflation, I'd anticipate a fair price nowadays would be around 20k baht...(?)

Rode my hybrid bike 70 km from central Singapore to Changi village and back - best part is watching the sunrise at the beach with a strong cup of coffee in my hand .

I went to the Chiang Rai land office yesterday and had absolutely no difficulty getting an usufruct - took about 90 minutes and cost me 85 baht.