klubex99

Now wifey's uncle is a copper.... This gets better and better

Well it didn't just happen last night. He's been in the police for over 25 years, but I was only joking when I said I will bring him over.... lol

To be totally honest. I don't think I really care what happened to Tony. If he got himself scammed, then more fool him. If he got worse than that, there is little I can do about it now.

I started this thread with tongue in cheek, mostly to see what the TV member reactions and responses would be, and I was pretty correct in my assumptions. Although everything said ha been the truth. It's up to you lot to discuss the possibilities. I ain't going to investigate it. I have other much more important things to focus on.

I am happy to add a few pictures in case anyone from Korat reads and knows Tony.

That's about it really.

Based on the OP's last post we have at least some more background of him to see if he is capable in solving the "where is Tony gone mystery ?".

He cant read thai, his wife needs to order his food and is very supportive in that because she knows what he likes to eat, he does not hold the small thai businessowners in high regard (copycats), he likes to drink beer and suffers from, early stages yet, Alzheimer. On a positive note we read that he takes his work into the bedroom by thinking too mutt.

IMO he really needs to convince with decent follow up to prove his mysterysolving skills.

I only hold thai business owners in low regard who open up exact same businesses next door to the business that had the original idea that they copied from BKK or wherever. Then another opens up the road, and within a year all of them go bust because they diluted the customer pool so thinly nobody is making any profit.

Don't know what its like where you are, but here... That;s how it works.

In town there is a road where there are literally 10 shoe repairers sitting in a line on the pavement with maybe 2 of them mending shoes. How do they survive?

I don't know where the Alzheimer bit comes into it, my grey matter is as sharp as the next guy's most of the time it is way sharper.

It is real.... But I really don't think anything sinister is going on. Maybe the glances at the swamp were more that maybe Tony lives in one of the houses beyond the swamp

I think he was probably the gullible victim of a Thai bar girl honey trap shake down scam for his cash and dumped, I don't think anyone would need to bump him off, there is nothing he can really do if he was lured into parting with his cash to set up a business then told to sling his hook.

Edit: Mind you though. There was a Thai guy there who I noticed as looking very thuggish. He kept looking over at me, he was sort of reclining in a very relaxed posture with hands behind his head, like you may expect to recline in your own home while watching TV. He was still there when we left and that was approaching midnight.

When you visited the bar, did it have a sign actually on the bar, such as Tony`s bar or any other name?

When you ordered the food, was the name of the bar printed on the menus?

Surely the actual name of the bar had to be displayed somewhere either at the front of the premises or inside the bar somewhere? Otherwise none of this makes sense, because most of the bars I have ever known have a name.

OK... Here is the full background as I am aware.

This place opened up about 8 months ago as a small coffee bar, I paid no attention to the place because I don't do coffee bars.So I didn't take notice of the name.

Then after a few weeks it ceased to trade. Probably went bust as usual, which is very common here because Thais have little imagination and tend to copy each other if they see a baht in it. Too many of the same business springing up in a very small area. It's the Thai way.... Business suicide rules here.

Then about 6 weeks or so ago, the signs sprung up... one at the end of my street and the other bang opposite the coffee bar which had been improved and extended with big flat screen TV added.presumably for the footy.

Most businesses around here usually have the name in Thai, there are not too many farangs here, so not so often in English... The menus are all in Thai around here so i never bother to pick one up, the wife orders, she knows what I like and what I hate, and just tells me which of my 'likes' are available.

I did look around for a sign, and there was one, but I can't remember what the name was... It was 'something coffee' I wasn't sure if it was the name of the place or a brand of coffee.

I have been awake all night, so later after some sleep I will take a drive down there and take a couple of pictures and post them here.

As far as I am aware, all references to Tony are non present.

The place is set up like a bar, not a coffee bar, I was drinking beers. Actually quite a relaxing little place if I was to be honest.

I pray to God this won't be your last post ever.

Lol.... I'll be discreet.

I may go in there with wifey's uncle and have a beer. They will surely know him, he is a pretty high ranking copper. Maybe we can all talk about where Tony is

Armageddon!

No but seriously, I hope that people are OK down there.

On our first trip, the locals told us that Nepal stands for Never Ending Peace And Love. They were right and we've gone back every couple of years since. It's so easy to get to from BKK, it's even possible to do a long weekend there. There's loads to do beyond trekking, and there's always something happening year round. Be sure to add Chitwan national park and the amazing town of Patan to your list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patan,_Nepal

Yep... It is the sort of place you will deffinately go back once you been there once.

I will add Patan and Chitwan to my schedule in November.

If I can get hold of some gold pans, I would love to have a crack at some panning in the mountain streams. The geology of the Himalayas is perfect for gold.

You've just sold me on it Klubex

Hehe.... You won't be disappointed.

OT If this is real please call the police, in Bangkok, I would lie low too, remain anonymous to locals who are glancing at the swamp.

Long while back, pre Thai move, used to read a guy named Tony Clifton whose sentiments I wished I'd listened to and now share constantly.

Where is he now....

It is real.... But I really don't think anything sinister is going on. Maybe the glances at the swamp were more that maybe Tony lives in one of the houses beyond the swamp

I think he was probably the gullible victim of a Thai bar girl honey trap shake down scam for his cash and dumped, I don't think anyone would need to bump him off, there is nothing he can really do if he was lured into parting with his cash to set up a business then told to sling his hook.

Edit: Mind you though. There was a Thai guy there who I noticed as looking very thuggish. He kept looking over at me, he was sort of reclining in a very relaxed posture with hands behind his head, like you may expect to recline in your own home while watching TV. He was still there when we left and that was approaching midnight.

When you visited the bar, did it have a sign actually on the bar, such as Tony`s bar or any other name?

When you ordered the food, was the name of the bar printed on the menus?

Surely the actual name of the bar had to be displayed somewhere either at the front of the premises or inside the bar somewhere? Otherwise none of this makes sense, because most of the bars I have ever known have a name.

OK... Here is the full background as I am aware.

This place opened up about 8 months ago as a small coffee bar, I paid no attention to the place because I don't do coffee bars.So I didn't take notice of the name.

Then after a few weeks it ceased to trade. Probably went bust as usual, which is very common here because Thais have little imagination and tend to copy each other if they see a baht in it. Too many of the same business springing up in a very small area. It's the Thai way.... Business suicide rules here.

Then about 6 weeks or so ago, the signs sprung up... one at the end of my street and the other bang opposite the coffee bar which had been improved and extended with big flat screen TV added.presumably for the footy.

Most businesses around here usually have the name in Thai, there are not too many farangs here, so not so often in English... The menus are all in Thai around here so i never bother to pick one up, the wife orders, she knows what I like and what I hate, and just tells me which of my 'likes' are available.

I did look around for a sign, and there was one, but I can't remember what the name was... It was 'something coffee' I wasn't sure if it was the name of the place or a brand of coffee.

I have been awake all night, so later after some sleep I will take a drive down there and take a couple of pictures and post them here.

As far as I am aware, all references to Tony are non present.

The place is set up like a bar, not a coffee bar, I was drinking beers. Actually quite a relaxing little place if I was to be honest.

Klubex99 I just PM'd you

Replied

BS there was 22 million tourist that came to Thailand in 2012, the biggest year for tourism in Thailand. they spend a lot more money than expats that claim 100 - 200 baht is too expensive for them to visit Thailand's tourist sites, they also complain that the cost of living is becoming to expensive. Most spend their money on Booze and women.

As most tourist are going to be here for a short time, they pay top dollar for every thing, during the high season most of the more expensive hotel are fully occupied, you would need a very large expat community to spend more money than 22 million tourist.

Expat greatly exaggerate their financial contribution to the Thai economy. You leave and some other retiree will move to take you place..

Cheers:

Actually, you are correct about the 22.3 million. With the 2013 figures up by 20.00% and currently standing at 17.4 million up to the end of August 2013. The overall forecast is actually for 27 million tourism visitors.

My 30 million was from the fact that I had been looking at foreign arrivals which include business visitors etc.

If you bothered to read my last figures correctly, you would have seen that there is more than enough evidence to suggest that one expat spends more than one tourist when the figures are extrapolated, making an expat worth more than a visitor.

Please go to the dictionary and look up 'extrapolate'.

Nobody mentioned that 250,000 expats spend more than 22 million tourists, but on a 1 to 1 basis, expats spend loads more... If $500 a month (very conservative figure) then that is $6000 a year, how many tourists spend that 'in a short time' as you put it.

Call the restaurant and say you'd like to book a party of 30, and say it's a surprise party for Tony .....

Maybe I can persuade the wife to ring them and say she is a private investigator who is trying to locate Tony because his rich aunt has died leaving him $3 million in her will.

That's actually a good idea man. Go ahead give it a try. I am serious. I am sure they would get you a foreigner and say: this is Tony, where is the money??

They may even ask me to be the farang seeing as I am probably the only farang that's been in there, there are not a lot of farangs in the immediate area, so I may get first choice Probably why Tony is so missed.

Please do not include me in you stats, as I do not feel like a 2nd class citizen in Thailand as I was considered in the states. I live a much better life than I could live on the same amount of money back in the old country and I would not even consider leaving,

Thailand tourism industry the bulk of which come from Asian countries with the usual Western tourist, while it would effect the Thai economy some, Expats exaggerate their value to the Thai economy, Tourist spend more money in Thailand then the expat population does, most expats budget their money on a month to month bases, as tourist spend freely for the time they are here,

I for one would like for those expats that dislike Thailand to leave, I am tired of the whining, 90 day extension, 90 day extension!

Cheers:

First off....

Asian tourists don't spend nearly as much as westernized tourists do. Asian tourist culture is firmly group tour operators that include everything from accommodation, flight, internal travel, food and drink and the whole tour is controlled. Asian tourists will spend little more than a few bucks here and there on souvenirs or the occasional beer or wine.

It is the westernized tourists who are spending freely, their tourism culture is the independent style with only paying for accommodation and flight, and everything else they pay extra for. Which accounts for the difference between 'Direct Contribution' and 'Total Contribution'. But lets say that Asians are spending the same as farangs.

Now the difference between the tourists and the expats is that for every expat living here, there are 120 tourists.

So if there was an expat for every tourist, that THB45bn a year would equate to THB5.4 Trillion almost double what tourism is worth when the figures are extrapolated, and that is based on very conservative expat contribution... You may be able to double that expat contribution figure.

So there ya go..... Expats ARE worth more 'individually' than tourists.

So maybe the Thai government have had their priorities stacked up in the wrong order, and made ought to be also promoting Thailand as the 'hub of retirement'. Rather than throwing up barriers.

Also.... I think you may have landed on the wrong thread. Nobody has whined about 90 day extensions in this thread. Nobody even mentioned being second class.

Op forgot all Thai woman working and living abroad and sending money to the provences no taxes paid in Thailand of course and under tax law in my home country foreigners sending money to their home country's can get tax discounts for doing this.

In 2007 the other newspaper wich cant be mentioned here had an artikel about money flowing into Buriram province from abroad yearly and the amounts mentioned in said artikel would make some people's head spin.Poor provinces my @rse.

Yes, I hear ya.

I wonder how much foreign money is flowing directly into Isaan per month.

I was more amazed by the difference in the value of tourism versus expats...

That would explain a lot why the Thai Government are so hands on where tourism are concerned and quite frankly couldn't give a monkey's nut sack about the expats.

They would be short of people to do this kind of research, I guess.

I don't think the people who did the research actually live here.

What would happen to Thailand's economy if all farangs disappeared tomorrow?

I am not talking about all foreigners. I am talking about all the farang from westernized countries who bring money into the country month after month.

I have done a quick study of the statistics, and I repeat 'QUICK' study, and my figures will be far from accurate, but most are based on good sources such as wikipedia and the world travel and tourism council.

2 very important things to note.

1... I have separated expats from tourists for the purpose of financial burdening from a % of expats and the fact that tourism is purely an injection of one way income to the economy.

2... I have decided to severely under-cook some of the figures as not to accidentally inflate the statistics, so there is room for speculation that the figures could well be bigger.

Tourism (2012-2013)

GDP: Direct Contribution.

2012, and is forecast to rise by 6.2% in 2013 to THB876.8bn

GDP: Total Contribution.

VISITOR EXPORTS

grow by 5.7% in 2013 to THB1,080.3bn

rise by 15.9% in 2013 to THB263.7bn

Notice the measly, tight-fisted investment in tourism compared to what it brings to the country?.....

Income Generated From Expats.

As I said earlier, I am going to estimate these roughly with some quite drastic under-cooking so that the true figures should be a lot more optimistic in Thailand's favour.

There are millions of foreigners living in Thailand, but I am only going to use figures pertaining to foreigners living here full time from westernized countries that are more likely to be bringing wealth into the country. I will ignore the foreign workers from the poor countries whom are more likely to be costing Thailand by taking money out of the economy to transfer to their home country.

So the figures I have found seem to rally around the 250,000 mark, so that will be my guide marker.

Based on average pensions and basic salaries, savings etc etc.... I would estimate that a conservative figure per expat of monthly income from western sourced funds to be no less than $1000 pm (THB30,000) but for the purpose of under cooking the figures, lets half that amount to $500pm.

Personally I have brought in over THB 8mil in the last 3 years so my contributions will offset a few farang who are living off just a few hundred USD a month.

So anyway, that would equate to $125,000,000pm (THB3.75bn) or THB45bn per year. The actual figure will be much higher.

Now since the past 20 years when Thailand started to take off as a tourist and expat Mecca, how much money can we say has been injected into the Thai economy from foreigners over that timeframe, bearing in mind that not all the money would stay here, but a large % would certainly remain permanently in the economy.

So if we extrapolated those figures across a 20 year period starting at 2013 and declining by 5% per year to get an average rough figure.

Well this is what I get.

Tourism THB 26.13 Trillion

Expats THB 577.36 Billion

Visitor Exports THB 13.7 Billion

Total THB 40.4 Trillion

Lets say that not all that money stays in the economy for one reason or another. Although the vast majority of it will stay here, rather than be removed by the entities that brought it in.... Let's be brutal and say the sources removed 40% of that money.

That would still leave THB24.2 Trillion Baht (That's more than DOUBLE Thailand's entire current GDP)

What happened to all that money then? Sort of makes that 2-2 Trillion they are trying to scrounge seem insignificant.

So that is what foreigners have been worth to Thailand.

What would happen to Thailand if over the next 5 years or so, some other destination took away all the interest from LOS?

Please feel free to speculate on your own idea of the figures.

When I was a kid, sometimes I was reluctant to wear underwear, and my mum used to always say.... 'get some underpants on.... You might get hit by a car or something.... Oh the shame'.....

In Thailand, there is a very strong possibility you might be in an accident each time you step out the door

Lets get this into perspective once and for all!

All this money that has been spent on anti-flood pet projects have been a total farcical joke that Laural and Hardy would find it tough to top.

2011 brought unprecedented deluges of rainfall that caused all the damage and misery.

Then all this money was spent and promises made.

fast forward to 2013.....

Much less rainfall than 2011, yet the floods are seemingly almost as worrying.... So what was all the money spent on?

Did they spend it all on retarding the system so much that the same chaos can be achieved with less rainfall??

Only Thailand..... only Thailand.

Stay where you are in the UK...

Work 18 or so months and save as much as you can.

Let your wife visit you as and when you can, but keep it real.... International travel is expensive when you are saving.

Don't keep flying to LOS... It eats up your money.

When you have 2 or 3 Mil Baht, take a month off and come to LOS.

Look around for a business to start with that capital, if you can't find anything, at least you still have your job to go back to while you use the extended time to think up a good business. I can help you there, i have run a few pretty successful businesses here, it is the true land of opportunity. Making a very good living here with a small investment is simple. I see many good opportunities here. They are everywhere.

There you go..... sorted.

Thank you for your response. It would be useful to PM you to ask your suggestions around business/opportunity there?

Already replied to your PM.

True middle class in the UK would be considered almost aristocracy in Thailand.

Our upper working class is probably Thailand's middle class.

Thailand's class system is a lot more distorted than most of the west.

For example, in the UK the class divide is getting smaller, and more people are becoming millionaires. There are currently around 700,000 millionaires in the UK despite the latest recession this number had risen by a staggering 17% between 2008 and 2010.

In Thailand, the class divide is widening.

Thaksin alone probably has more money than the poorest 10 million Thais combined.

In the UK, around 10% of the population holds about 90% of the wealth, in the USA 3% hold about 97% of the country's wealth, but in Thailand, 99.9% is probably held by 0.001% of the population.

Tony was a despicable fellow I have it on inside info he was a wife beater and a lay about as well.

And you can substantiate this with some form of proof can you?

and what exactly do you mean by 'was'?