palm

i just wanted to know ..... Where ios the crisis???

what has has happened to all our dooms day brigade?? its not going to be the same with out them..

We are here, dear HD. Don't worry. The Mother Of All Threads will be kept alive... For a very long time.

As for myself, I'm waiting for the BOT on november 30 when they will publish the details about october exports (with many goodies like indexes of volume, price etc.).

I will get back to you, after a few charts. I promise.

Now its January 2008, it would be a great time for us to see your 'charts' regarding exports.. You did promise.

Why would condo owners get visas? You think a Mexican can just buy a cheap condo in LA or London and move there legally? Why here in Thailand?

Well Thailand used to give out the Investor Visa for condo purchases over 3m baht until 12 months ago (the Taksin Government changed the policy). I have the Investor Visa and can renew it yearly by just showing my Chanote to immigration every year. Its quite a quick and painless process.

Now its no longer available, the Thai Elite card thing is a bargain at just 1m baht for a 5-yr renewable VISA.

I'm not sure how many other safe countries will give a 5yr Visa for a relatively small amount of money?

The ex commies are now the only real free people when it comes to money and taxes, left in the world.

The Caribbean and South Pacific are good havens too. Never had a problem in 15 years, banking in both regions.

This is where people can once again vote with their opinion and money. Not to accept/invest/buy new developments that don't recycle sun energy where it's plentiful. Even in "sunny" England they calculate 10 years as a maximum return for the solar power investment. Here it would be more likely 3 – 4 years to get investment back and a almost any Villa could be self sufficient after that:

What is your opinion on the case?

3 - 4 years??? Who told you this? What is your source?

The systems I've looked at here have a ROI of at least 15 years, not taking into account the replacement of batteries or panels.

If you know of some magical solar system that provides a ROI in 3 to 4 years, please let us know where we can get it.

Hi

I am curious to go to the Horse Racing here, which I understand is every Sunday.

Has anyone here been and had a good or bad experience there? Is there a best time to go, a best place to sit? Any restaurants there?

Cheers

Well first off I have been here for almost a year already. I basically look after a group of people that consist of 30 people. In every case there is always a motivated person and a few more unmotivated people.

Your experience is common in most countries - a few motivated, a few in the middle plodding along, and a few who are ready to move on.

The Thais I've spent time with at my GF's business are no different. Many are very hard-working and extremely reliable - others less so. Exactly the same experience I've had in Europe and America.

Mr Padthai

You seem a little obsessed with how long people have been here. How long have you been here then? BTW spending 50 years on a bar stool doesn't qualify people to become a Thailand guru (no matter how much they think they are one).

Experience counts for somthing, no?

It puts perspective on comments from arrogant from new arrivals like Bendix.

By the way, I don't drink.

From reading your posts on this thread I have the impression that you have lived here at least twenty years.

If this is not the case, you are going to seem like a bit of a tosser for your criticism of Bendix.

Yes, how long have you been here PadThaiGuy? You side-stepped garro's question nicely.

To everyone else who dismiss me as a rose-tinted new arrivalist. I'm so sorry for being happy and failing to fall in with the self-pitying 'my life isnt going the way it should' hegemony so favoured on Thaivisa.

I'm sure after a few more years I'll be as bitter and wretched as everyone feels I should be. Of course, by then I'll probably do the rational thing and leave, rather than wallow in it.

Yes, PadThaiGuy - how long have you been here?

Do you have a good income to let you do as you please? Or are you unable to go home to your country of birth and so feel trapped here?

Doh! How many times do I have to repeat that values are not the same as prices.

The average price of BMR Housing units launched has come down, big deal.

It is NOT the same thing as Values collapsing.

What Area's graphs show is that developers today are targeting lower income market segments, nothing more than that.

Oh and these projects are selling rather well too.

I think you are right.

I seem to have read some months ago that the developers were shifting to the lower priced market.

It's now November 2007, and I've yet to see any quality condo prices dropping. I've only been asking for a year.

Prices in fact have been going up, and the cost of land certainly isn't falling either.

If you look at land and property prices in major Asian cities, you'll notice the same pattern.

But if you understand that those saying prices must fall are the ones who can't afford to buy here anyway, you can see their frustration.

This is the best thread on ThaiVisa to see which of the foreigners here really don't have a pot to piss in.

It really shows the ones who can't afford to buy property here, the ones can't afford to apply for PR, the ones who have tiny pensions being hammered by the strong Baht.

Have any of you whingers ever figured out that your personal misfortunes in Thailand are not caused by the Thais or the Thai economy, but from your own inability to understand business and economics; hence your checkout-girl incomes resulting in your hard-done-by posts.

Anyone know where to safely store the title to my condo? would it be with a lawyer firm like at home?

Buy a small fire-proof safe for your condo.

as I understand from Raimond Land's recent study, the average size of condo units launched are decreasing, BUT the average per-sq-meter price is rising....

Correct.

everyone talks about the men with no money over 50 trying to stay here on a shoe string budget and this is probably the reason for all the new rules.

well about those of us that are under 50 (i happen to be 45) and have money. I make my living off of stocks and bonds in canada. I pay taxes there. I do not work in thailand. only bring money in from canada. I have no problem putting any amount of money (within reason) into a thai bank. already have 15 million in this country.

now how do i get a visa????

any ideas????

Go see the Thailand Elite people - you get a 5 year renewable visa and other 'perks' for 1m baht. Not 'cheap', but small change for anyone liquid, as you sound to be. Good luck!

However at this stage i really would just like some idea of what is possible with around 2 million baht build cost.

Thanks in advance

Lee

There is an enthusiastic guy who runs a good web site at www.coolthaihouse.com - which covers lots of the details of building in Thailand.

OK, this is bad. I used to think trips to Montreal and Vancouver were such a bargain.

Americans will really be in trouble when Canucks call our greenbacks "monopoly money".

What on earth will become of the phrase "the dollar is king!"

I think the phrase is more commonly now known as "the dollar is sinking!".

Canada is one of the nicest countries I've ever visited. I wonder how long before the Mexicans are crossing the US border on route to the next one in Canada?

Sigh...i can't believe you guys, 8 pages and no one has even come close to naming the best pizza in town.

Lemoncello on Sukhumvit Soi 11 has the best pizzas, hands down, end of story.

Try the "Saporita" with mascapone and real Parma ham. Angels will weep.

I'll definitely have to check out Lemoncello now (its opposite Villa Market if I remember correctly?); even my friends have said great things about Lemoncello but for some reason I always end up in Venezia for Italian food in Soi 11 where the pizzas are fine, but not great.

Palm I have a question for you, how much cash would you need to produce $3,000 a month, with a 3% increase every year, that you did nothing for?

Almost forgot you can't touch the any of the original investment ever.

Are you there yet I am, just on of the poor folks here in Thailand

My investments bring me in earnings (profits) of $3,000 every 2 days, (7 days a week).

Is this a trick question from you? And whats the relevance of your question to the Thai or world Economy?

well Vegas Vic

any news for us about those wonderfull times in america. USD devaluating, housing prices going down, goverment bails out gamblers.... no they are calling it Morral hazard.... politicly corect name for bailing out the fools who gave out ninja loans.

maybe we should open a thread just for you... Crisis in America.

Great idea.

Maybe there's just been a power cut at his trailer park, and he'll be back shortly. Lets hope so.

SET ends up 1.97%

Thai shares rallied almost 2 per cent on Friday on foreign investors' buying spree in energy stocks after the record high oil price.

well those forign investors peobebly did not hear about "investors confidence"...

Here it is again for anyone who missed it:

Thailand's exports amounting to nearly US$14 billion last month, hit a record high with an 18 per cent rise over the same period last year while a total of about US$ 97 billion was earned from exports during the last eight months this year, according to Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet.

But, hey if I had an income of under $2000-a-month (or worse) like most of these whingers in here, I'd probably be bitter and anti-Thai too. If we took advantage of their laughable economic advice and understanding of business in general, we too could earn the income of a Western supermarket checkout cashier.

If I understand this correctly then there would not have been a problem if the Land Registry value had been 3m, which it isn't.

No doubt if the falang has no significant savings or access to income or some form of family/friends support he is truly stuffed, but believe that with some professional advice he can get hold of some top-up funds and pay some interest for the privilege. As for Thais being xenophobic, well how many Brits don't go on and on and on about 'bloody immigrants' in the UK?

I just renewed my Investment Visa this week. Relatively painless - just a 90 minute wait in the ticket queue at immigration.

The lady checked my TT3 AND Land Registry documents were correct and over the legal 3m baht requirement.

If, to avoid tax, someone enters into a side-deal to show a property was purchased for less than the Investment Visa's legally required amount on the Land Registry document, whose fault is that? Immigrations? I think not.

1 mil invested (I have averaged almost 30% for the past 5 years but lets just say 10% is realisitc).. is still 100,000 per annum in wasted return.

4 trips per year 25k for one nights accomodation..

hmmm.. savings !!

The visa is renewable every 5 years and lasts for a lifetime, I think you are missing that point in your calculations.

I dont have to do a Visa run again ever.

I dont like to travel cheap skate so I fly business and stay in nice hotels so for me the 1M investment pays for itself and starts to even save money very quickly and of course a 20min trip for a 90 day stamp is a lot less bother that these crazy visa runs.

It might not suit everyone but for me it's already paid for itself and is beginning now to actually save money.

Nice to see a real Elite card holder, talking about his experiences with the card. Can you send someone in your place to get the 90-reporting done? Like a lawyer or other 'official'?

Big projects 'crucial' to Thai future

Pridiyathorn urges new govt to save economy

By Anucha Charoenpo

Sunday September 16, 2007

Former deputy prime minister Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday urged decisive action by the next government to push ahead with mega-projects that he says are crucial to rescue Thailand from a sluggish economy.

snip

bangkokpost.net

Very misleading graph, why does the axis start at 4%.

I find it very strange that people see +4% GDP growth as terrible, especially seeing all that has happened in that time period.

Very strange indeed. But then if you factor in the pitiful understanding of economics of all the whingers, plus their desperate finances caused by the strength of the baht, it all makes perfect sense.

Low inflation

Strong balance of payments

Healthy GDP growth

Incredibly low unemployment

Mobile workforce

Booming exports

If this is a crisis, then the entire world is in an economic crisis.

If you look at macro economic fundamentals, and speak with significant companies in Thailand actually manufacturing and exporting, you get a very different picture of Thailand from the neer-do-well foreigner brigade who are unable to meet their monthly girlfriend payments because their $2000 pension is hammered by a strong Thai baht.

I heard there was a new investment visa with a minimum of 10m bhat?

You could try the Thai Elite card - its only 1m baht and you get a 5 year renewable visa and other benefits.

http://www.thailandelite.com/member_terms.php

It has a lot of detractors though.

Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of this year grew 4.4 percent against 4.2 percent in the previous quarter, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB).

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/6253875.html

Thai Firms confident export growth can hit 12.5%

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/12Sep2007_biz37.php

Nothing like a bit of economic reality to upset the whingers.

thanks highdiver for the jab, but in reference to point 3, i find my cutting and pasting much more informative than your lollipops rhetoric, and some of us like to live in reality and call like it like we see it, besides i enjoy working in the first world, i find it more stimulating than living in a third world junta that is disintegrating politically and socially (i prefer to earn 6 figures yearly in western currency than 7 figures yearly in baht)

i would like to add a #4 post to your list, those who leave the west becasue they could not cut it and live in denial.......sort of like a midlife crisis i suppose

So which glorious country do you live in bingobongo?

Why do you feel you have to live in a first world country to earn a 6 figure western income?

It sounds like you have real issues with Thailand. Did they throw you out or something?

Opinion

That nationwide motorcycle sales from January to July of this year were down 16 per cent from the same period last year, as reported in the August 30 edition of Krungthep Turakij, will come as a surprise only to those in the business who felt the drop to be steeper.

if there is one thing that is too much is mottorbikes...

however the drop in motorbike sales is contrated by the very high increase in pickups. not passenger cars but pickups.

it seesm rural thailand is moving up from motorbikes to pickups.

What's laughable is most of the negative foreigner posters on here couldn't even afford to buy a motorbike here in the first place without breaking out into a cold sweat.

Maybe we can start a 'Falang Charity Shop' for all of the bitter foreigners who despise the idea of Thais having MUCH more money than them; owning new cars and pickups, owning large houses and condos etc.

I've never been in a country where the foreigner population contains so many drop-outs, bums, neer-do-wells and losers.

two of the most ignorant and arrogant posters continue to display their combined ignorance .............

pick up sales domestically have also declined ,

and Palms knowledge of the gender of the Governor of the BOT is legendary ...........................

Mid, I am happy to see you are familiar with one of my favorite books of all time "Zen and the art of motorcycle maitainence" it's kind of an underground classic here in the states among us boomers! It is likely that Palm is just projecting his current substandard situation in life on the rest of us, I figured Palm out long ago and don't even waste time responding to him any longer. It's actually kind of sad, the poor chaps constant mantra about "all those poor farang bums who are just scaping by in Thailand" (when in fact many of the posters he assails actually live very comfortable lives in the states or elseware) and his unwillingness to recognize the downturn in the Thai economy brought on primarily by the strong baht. There does seem to be a growing consensous that if the FED cuts the funds rate by 50-75 basis points by years end, that it will actually help the dollar to appreciate (and in turn will help the baht to weaken), which will hopefully help to moderate the downturn in the Thai economy. Lets hope that consensous is correct for the sake of the Thai people, and of course all those "drop-out, bum, neer-do-well and loser farangs" (I couldn't resist) I hope that Palms' life, or at least his outlook on life improves, as it must be very depressing to be so bitter all of the time!

After Palm's insistance a while back that there was 'no evidence' of hedge funds causing an asset bubble I wonder if he is ready to admit he was 100% wrong, or would that be out of character for him?

Lol, where did I ever say discuss Hedge Funds regarding 'asset bubbles'? I didn't. You made it up. lol.

Just show the real evidence of Hedge Funds being the cause for the appreciation of the Baht. Maybe you know something the BOT doesn't?