Vegemite

Not bad maaate... but where's the Vegemite?

Here I am.

Life is what you make it. Putting your money in a savings account and watch it grow, sitting in your easychair - how much of a life does that make? Lets wave a flag for better die trying, than not having tried at all.

Well said.

I was waiting for the standard answer " if you want to make a small fortune in Thailand come here with a large fortune".

It is just so easy to say these things, and they get said way to many times.

Ray23 was doing a bit of research on opening a store for farangs and got a lot of feedback. He is probably cruising around here somewhere but if he doesnt surface you can find his post on this exact subject a few pages back in the Issan forum.

All the best.

My wifes Aunty raises and feeds silk worms and then makes silk.

The wife says that the silk is worth good money.

So, I asked the wife: why doesnt your Aunty grow more silk worms and make more silk and earn more money, as she is very poor and doesnt do a lot during the day?

" Because it is a lot of work darling"

They can sit under their houses all day and do almost nothing except eat and rest and talk.

But they are the most lovable people that I have ever met

I have just arrived back in Australia after spending a month in the LOS, I met a Thai girl in Bangkok and accompanied her back to Roi et where I stayed with her family. She lived about 5 kms outside the township of Suwannaphum, which in turn is approximately 50 -60 kms from Roi et. Although the living conditions were reasonably fundamental all the people in the village were happy and treated me well.

I did not meet any Falangs during my stay in the village and nor did I see any in the township of Suwannaphum, acually I only saw one Farang in three days in Roi et, which is a reasonably big place.

I am looking at retiring shortly and moving semi - permanently to Thailand, I would be able to build a reasonable house in the Village and live there with my Thai girlfriend and I think I would be quite happy. I was wondering if there are many Farangs that live in the areas around Roi et as I am going back to visit in a few months and would be interested in meeting and discussing the pros and cons of village life.

Regards

John

I was in Roi Et recently and found the White Elephant bar quite by chance. We didnt stay long but there were a lot of Falang there at the time. They speak english as well.

Even many of the so called experts rate Gareth Morgan.BTW, he probably picked up NZ20mill with the sale of trade me.

As for the dollar, you can thank the NZ Government for intervening here.They TOLD the Japanese investors to stay away from investing...

They wanted to give exporters a kick start, but interest rates have started to climb and the balance of payments have turned to <deleted>.around and around we go....

Perfect. You got it in one.

Also the reserve bank only has to control inflation and is blind to everything else.

The only good thing in my eyes is that it is all so predictable but very sad in a lot of ways.

Around and around!

Does anybody know where I can buy some blueprints for a house, in Surin. I would like to find a book of houses and their prints to choose from. Any suggestions please.

If you can get to Bkk check out some book stores, even one 7 11 had a great range of mags and hard cover books with exactly what you want. Plans forever. Not sure if these will help but might be fun.

pskhome.com

buddyhome.co.,ltd

tradinghome.com

grandhome.co.th

narawadee.com

palayialhouse.co.th

buathong.com

All the best.

no

Do you have any thoughts at all>??????????

No??

Just wondering if there are any thoughts on the future of the Baht.

Trademe just got sold for N.Z.700 million. Immigration has propping up the housing market but is dropping. The N.Z. dollar has been held high recently because of the high interest rates available to offshore investors such as the Japanese using Urodashi bonds. Those bonds are coming due for renewal during Feb and March. With the N.Z. dollar dropping and the returns probably dropping there will be a wholesale sell off.

Nobody is talking of a recession yet and generally, things are still pretty healthy.

Some Asian immigrants are doing very well these days but it is still hard. Most of them bring money with them but many are doing well without it. They are good hard working people in general but Thais hardly show on the radar. Immigration has tightened up because of the number of overstayers. Now it is hard for a Thai to get a visa. Very sad.

The immigrant population in Auckland is now approaching 40%, there are all sorts of people here. Great fun.

P.S. dont get me wrong about the Thais. There are only 2 - 3000 in Auckland these days. Not official but you just dont see them every day like some of the other Asians.

All the best.

Yep, I had heard that Trademe was sold off; and agree with your other comments...20% you reckon?! Well if we are 1/2 way there, then time to watch a bit more of a slump. Actually, briefly the NZ dropped to 39c vs. the USD; that was pre 9 11 if I recall correctly....

The info I get about the coming recession is from the supply industry (e.g. energy) where I used to work, and just general sentiment from the entreprenuers I know in NZ (the few remaining, the rest have gone to Australia). While some sectors of the economy will flourish (and I think the expat holiday housing in Taupo/Kiapara etc is one of them) some of the economy such as boat building has been slowly going off the boil for a while now, and maybe the dropping dollar will help them, but the damage has already been done, with boats and sails being made in China now; a one way street.

There are always the NZ success stories like my old boss Greg Muir going to Pumpkin Patch, but overall it is an economy hard to predict.

For Asian immigration, that is more my mum's feedback; she still lives there and mixes with a lot of the immigrants (mostly chinese some Thai) and almost none of the ones going there with lots of money have been that successful that she know of. On the other hand, the ones going there with not much tend to do well e.g. Thai restuaranteurs from the first batch of 10 years ago. I think the ones going with money expect to invest in the way they do in Asia, and invariably the mechanics of making money in NZ vary so much in NZ compared with how they did things back home. By comparison, the immigrants going with not much e.g. Cambodians and vietnamise, tend to buy into labour intensive cash generating business such as bakeries, and do probably better as a result than many of the better educated smarter immigrants who often are looking for something a bit more 'hi so' than a bakery!

If we are talking immigrants there yep, I'd say Thais are aruond 2-3000. But including students and temp working staff and (of course) illegals and it gets up around 10 times that I would guess. I heard that you can overstay now for 5 years then apply for citizenship; is this actually true?!

Anyway, back on topic, I see NZ slumping a bit once housing cools down; as so many people have their investment in property alone, and a drop in prices will be kicking them hard. However, if it drops 20% then the next wave of immigrants will be keen to go to NZ again; cheap housing and cheap money to boot.

20%......have to start thinking on what to do with our money in Aussie too then....

I really doubt that any Thai can stay for 5 years and then get citizenship. The few that I know of, that have been caught overstaying have been on a plane out of here in 24 hours. One lady recently deported cant apply for a visa for 5 years even with the help of an expensive lawyer sent to Thailand. Mind you if her Kiwi husband had could easily have activated something before it ever got to the deportation stage. Not the brightest star in the sky.

You are right about the Kiwi addiction to property. I have been in or on the fringes of the building industry here for most of my life. During the last few years many people have been buying rental properties. The last time we got a bubble like we have now there were landlords trying to flick off thier rentals as there was an over supply and the interest rates were going up or the fixed terms were due for renewal or there was an over supply and the returns were not as good as expected.

Lots of houses on the market and prices going down.

My work has allways depended on " the economy " and I have watched it closely for to many years.

Almost all economists here were forcasting a 20% drop in the Kiwi against the US when the Kiwi was buying US 73. But economists are not allways right and they generaly still get paid if they are wrong. One that is worth listening to is Gareth Morgan at infometrix (google infometrix) and some reasonable info from Roger Kerr at rogeradvice .com

Not sure if any help for you but worth a look and Gareth Morgan is seldom wrong. Also he is the father of the man that just sold Trademe.com

Just instincts for me and I havent seen N.Z. bottoming out at this stage.

All the best.

5555555555555555

Indeed. I would say the Kiwi is weakening against almost everything at the moment, and the real question is whether the investment of the last few years has been making NZ more competitive, because from what I understand, all that money is either foreign money buying real estate, or locals buying real estate.

The businesses I know in NZ that are actually doing well are few are far between other than trademe.co.nz; then again FTAs may help, but that is mostly to prop up Fonterra more than anything else AFAIK; which is a disaster waiting to crumble according to the farmers I know who are stuck in their area, and according to my old company which supplies them. Other than Fonterra, most of the FTA is going to benefit the consumers in NZ with lower prices; but with the NZ dollar dropping, I'd say that the point of comparison is going to be tough. A fair chunk of housing being sold off to Americans etc at the moment but in a while the amount of land still available to do this is going to run out, and once the Asian immigrants start figuring out that there is almost no way to make money in NZ I can't see the economy staying where it was a few years ago.

So my pick is this recession could potentially be worse than the previous ones, as the property market starts to drop; as soon as rates drop NZers go crazy and pour more money into property, and as soon as rates go up the currency picks up and makes the exporters even more uncompetitive....

Mind you, I have a terrible track record; and for the NZ : Aust cross rate I guess a fair few of these factors are the same for the people in Australia, as their property market is perhaps even more overheated in some segments (e.g. inner city apartments) than NZs.

Trademe just got sold for N.Z.700 million. Immigration has propping up the housing market but is dropping. The N.Z. dollar has been held high recently because of the high interest rates available to offshore investors such as the Japanese using Urodashi bonds. Those bonds are coming due for renewal during Feb and March. With the N.Z. dollar dropping and the returns probably dropping there will be a wholesale sell off.

Nobody is talking of a recession yet and generally, things are still pretty healthy.

Some Asian immigrants are doing very well these days but it is still hard. Most of them bring money with them but many are doing well without it. They are good hard working people in general but Thais hardly show on the radar. Immigration has tightened up because of the number of overstayers. Now it is hard for a Thai to get a visa. Very sad.

The immigrant population in Auckland is now approaching 40%, there are all sorts of people here. Great fun.

P.S. dont get me wrong about the Thais. There are only 2 - 3000 in Auckland these days. Not official but you just dont see them every day like some of the other Asians.

All the best.

Thanks . . I'm not sure the Kiwi is at a low . . . I recall it being around 1.20 a few years ago, but it's certainly making me think seriously about taking a punt.

As for the tax issue . . . i live in Thailand and can opt to sign an approved issuer levy . that way, only 2% of gross interest gets shaved off, and no withholding tax. Of course, then it's up to you how you treat the tax thai issue . . . .

The Kiwi is definately not at a low yet. Not long ago it was buying US74c yesterday Us63.3c today Us64c.

Those that make a living out of being in the know about these things said the Kiwi dollar would drop 20%. Now it has dropped almost 10%. I am confidant that it will go to at least 15% and probably 20% against the US. I have put some money where my mouth is.

Not to many years ago the Kiwi was buying US45c. Exporters are happy at around US 50 - 55.

One thing that you should keep your eye on is that now the reserve bank of N.Z. have stopped tightening but say they will not drop interest rates this year ( economists say they will have to drop rates mid-year because the economy is heading south faster than they think. The bank works with historic figures that can be up to 6 months old, get stats for one quarter and analyse them for another quarter. ) When the trading banks get wind of falling rates they will stop offering such good rates for term deposits.

All the best.

Do any of the more financially savvy members have any insights into why the Aussie is looking so strong against the Kiwi at the moment. A month or so ago an Aussie dollar bought around 1.08 Kiwi. Last week it was 1.12. Today it's around 1.15.

I have nearly A$400,000 in an instant access online account earning 5.5% in Australia. I have an NZ passport and have been offered a 90 day term deposit rate of 7.4% with my NZ bank. It's a better rate, the tax issues are more advantageous and with the Kiwi weaker at the moment, it looks like a good bet all round.

The stumbling block, though, is just how weak the Kiwi could still go.

I'm out of touch with the Kiwi economy. Are there any reasons why it's tumbling so much?

Hello Bendix,

the reserve bank of N.Z. has been trying to slow the economy by raising the interest rates.

They allways go to far and hold to long.As I write this the Kiwi dollar is free falling .

It has droped close to US 4 cents in the last few days. 6.5% this year.

Have just heard that against the AUS dollar, we are at close to the bottom historically.

If you want to put some of your money into a N.Z. bank you can definately get 7.4% but I am not sure how the tax will work for you. I have money invested here and pay 19.5% because I supplied my tax number.

I am no expert but I do know the cycles in N.Z.. Dont worry to much about the economy here as it bottoms out and then slowly takes a new breath.

I brought US dollars a couple of months ago at US 70.5cents ( now 63.30 ) and am expecting 15-20% return, getting close to 10% now.

The Japs are about to sell their Kiwi bonds as they the returns deminishing. We have had the highest interest rates they can get for quite some time but as the economy slows, the reserve bank will have to start dropping rates to stimulate the economy. Like mouth to mouth to a dying person.

If you want any info on what is happening here as far as interest rates go just PM me.

I'm so tired of the OMG... Global Warming Nonsense. I wish they would just publish all of the statistics that everyone has gathered and not just the one's that champion their own cause. Has anyone ever bothered to actually check their stats or look at some of the lesser known studies? Less than 4% of our Glaciers are melting world wide, most are actually growing. The water level world wide hasn't increased by more than 1/4" on a worldwide average in 100 years. Global temperature rise, some places are warming and some are cooling and not by strictly north and south regions. Most of this is cyclical for our world.

Has anyone noticed that this Global Warming Terror only started after the fall of the Berlin Wall? The world has to have a world threat to keep the masses in check... they have to divert our attention away from what the world governors are doing and focus it on a world threat. Well the cold war is past... Now we have to worry about either drowning, freezing to death or winding up on a planet that is total sahara. The Global Warming Guru's can't even agree on what will happen. Except that we'll all die and we'd better be very afraid. I'm afraid of them...

Well said and do the Thai people know how much more they will be paying in taxes on gas for cooking and fuel if the Kyoto protocol is signed? Even electricity!

Carbon credits? I don`t think that thousands of kilometers of rice rields will earn any.

It is a straight out tax grab and much of that tax ends up out of the country.

Be afraid.

Kiwis and friends

You don`t really want to take it down to this level do you???

What was his former hobby has now become disgusting to him.

Disgusting?! Hmmm, I don’t think I have ever said that. I may have gone off the nightlife industry – so what?! People change.

That many people still wish to partake in it – good for them. I have absolutely no problem with that at all, in fact it is nice that people enjoy themselves.

All that has really changed is that I went off the industry, and later went on to get married. I respect my wife and have no intention of cheating on her. What other people do is their choice.

And for what its worth, there is probably more nightlife news, and more accurate nightlife news in the column now, than there was in the past.

Stick

Proud to know that you are a Kiwi.

Many people on this site or in every day life wouldn`t have the guts to even start a website.

Good on you.

N.Z. has changed a lot and some times I think Thailand is the better bet.

All the best.

My wife and I were in Roi-Et last week and the week before. Two seperate visits.

When we tried to find an hotel in Roi-Et c/o TAT in Bangkok we were told that all hotels were full.

Unfortunately TAT does not recommend good 3 star hotels like Petcharat Garden with swimming pool for THB 600 per night.

They recommend overcharged hotels like Roi-et City for THB 1400. Besides this Lonely Planet is really outdated and publishes 15 year old stories.

Roi-et is called the smiling city of Isaan:

Update:

Very friendly city with good restaurants like White Elephant, KFC, Pizza Hut, Lotus, very beautiful lake, swimming pools, sports club, golf places, parks and attractive live music restaurants, etc

Enjoy the smiling city

Thanks for the info but we phoned Petcharat Garden,Mai Thai and one other that slips my mind.

All said they were full. By we I mean my Thai wife.

All of these we got from Lonely Planet.

Roi - Et city is in there but so is ; Ban Chong hotel, Saithip hotel, Phrae Thong.

I enjoyed my " quick " beer at White Elephant and Klaus`s wife Poo was very friendly ( sorry if my spelling is not right ).

I was so impressed with the place that I cant wait to go back. It is truley beautifull.

All the best.

Your absolutley right I'm surprised it wasn't flamed already. But this is Thailand and the

One of my favorite things is what I call village rides just go out by myself, see a road and go down it and check out the village life. Big red 750 CC bike and I go slow, I have met some very nice people doing this. In the villages they enjoy a little change of pace. You do get spoiled though you are an instant celebrity and they will find someone who can spak some english, if your friendly. I've been offered food from thier homes, suggestion of nice girls in the village. Now that is very tempting jus can't get the wife to see the humor in it. I'm gald I live here and I'm grateful for the real people here

Hello Ray,

I just spent 5 days in a very small village not far from Wapipathum in Mahasarakham.

I had the use of a couple of small motorbikes and I can see why you enjoy riding around the place. The roads are good and easy, no cars and the little villages are great. I felt a bit like someone from outer space sometimes, the way people were looking at me but they were always friendly. The temperature is very pleasant for riding as well. Got a flat tyre one day and it was fixed faster than I could drink a can of beer and cost 60 BHT. new tube and all.

Great place.

Water buffaloes are the Oxen of Thailand and where used extensively in farming until the tractor took over and made it easier and cheaper to get rid of the buffaloes and pay the smart guy that bought a tractor to plough your fields.

If you want to insult a Thai very badly you just call him/her a 'kwai' but I would suggest you stand back if you do.

The price of fuel is rising every week and fairly soon the tractors will join the rotting hulks you see dotted along the roadside. When Thailand cannot buy oil on the open market because of world demand and find that the oil shale they have in the north will not produce the quantities required most of the cars in the traffic jams in BKK will be scrapped.

It seems you are not aware of the current revolution that is taking place... in Thailand and many other countries in the region, many people are planting Jatropha curcas (Thai name is "sabu dam") to produce an oil that can be converted into biodiesel; Thailand is also planting oil palm to produce biodiesel. In a few years time, there will be no need to rely on countries like Saudi Arabia to supply fuel for tractors, cars and other vehicles. Due to the recent increases in oil prices, making biodiesel is now a profitable enterprise. It is possible to have your own integrated oil plantation, conversion plant and retail station all in one. Investment should be less than US$100,000.

Junglebiker

Please tell me more.

Are rice fields good for this or not?

My wife and I were in Roi-Et last week and the week before. Two seperate visits.

When we tried to find an hotel in Roi-Et c/o TAT in Bangkok we were told that all hotels were full.

In fact, we were told that all hotels across Thailand were full. So using Lonely Planet we booked a " hotel" called Khaen Kham.

Flew from Bangkok to Roi-Et with PB air and it was a great trip, around 50 mins.

Arrived at the " hotel". It smelt like a urinal. No light and mozzie city. I have done a lot of camping and would rather stay on the side of the road than ever see this place again. Hope somebody from Lonely Planet is reading this.

That aside, we were wandering around the beautifull lake in the center of the city and met a farang that steered us in the direction of a new apartment block by the name of Poon Pet sports club. This place was just great. A/C, hot water shower, tv, balcony,good bed and great food.

Anybody heading up that way that doesnt know the lay of the land to well or for the first time and wants a good place to stay, just PM me and I will give you contact numbers.

I was really impressed with Roi-Et. It is clean and friendly and the lake is something else. Does anyone know how many thousands of fish are in that lake?

Had a QUICK beer at the White Elephant ( does he allways look that way? ).

If there are any farang with upcountry wives that may not feel to excited about going UP THERE take it from me, you will love Roi-Et. I didnt want to leave.

All the best.

In Australia if you overstay your visa you get locked up for years.

nonsense! they only lock you up if they genuinely believe you are not going to leave shortly; it is almost unheard of to lock up a western person for an overstay.

For almost all over stayers they give you up to a 30 day bridging visa so you can wrap up your affairs, then when you leave you are automatically banned for 2 years (or is it 3? i forget).

There was 1 case were we locked up a over stayer for more then 10 years

The reason people are kept in detention is because they refuse to go home & insist on pursuing every legal avenue there is to enable them to stay and this takes aeons.

Furthermore I have read posts from time to time suggesting Australia has the world's strictest immigration policy - this is also utter nonsense. We have very open immigration policies. It is the enforcement of our (relatively generous) immigration laws that is strict, not the laws.

But unfortunately, as is the case with other western nations, it is still a major pain to try to get a simple tourist visa for a Thai.....

Same in New Zealand but I know of a Thai that was deported within 24 hours even with a kiwi husband. I think 5 years before she can re-apply.

i had a nice sandwich today

I've just downed a coupla leftover pizza slices...

HEY! so did I. How`s that.

In a couple of weeks I am going upcountry and will be able to see my wife eat ants, grasshoppers and frogs with sticky rice. Can hardly wait

Bus service from BKK (Morchit) with VIP-24 (999). Nice, A/C, 24 seats in a originally 50 seaters bus. Approx. 500 THB for the 7+ hr ride. Flying with PB Air (www.pbair.com) into Roi-Et Airport, awfully early in the morning is 2400 THB, - but a pleasant 50 min ride on those new Embraers.

BTW; Roi-Et is a nice city - stay at the new Petcharat Garden Hotel, take a pooying-spotting stroll in the amazing Bueng Palan Chai Park in the afternoon, and meet other farangs at the White Elephant in the evening.

Welcome outside the Bar Areas - to the Heart of Isaan !!!

Thankyou Jaypee,

I did some research on Roi-et some time back and want to visit while we are up that way for sure.

Thanks for the prices as well. They are a great help.

Just love the cartoon.

Hello,

I will be in Thailand mid Feb and have had the hard word put on me.

Upcountry it is like it or not!

Other than fly, can anyone tell me the most farang friendly means of transport between Bangkok and Mahasarakham/ Khon Kean/Roi ET or close to any??

Thanks.

What do you mean by quiet? Night Life, no beer bars, lack of overt bar girls all over the place. How about the noise of motorcylces roaring around, loud falangs from europe as well as the few from the USA.

It is possible that most of the condos are owned by rich Thai people who come very seldomly and possibly avoid high season totally.

So some explain the 'Quiet' in this 'thread'.

Maybe because the King is often here but totally at one end of the town. Don't wish for overexpansion or it will be another Pattaya and filthy beaches and increased costs due to having to clean up.

Plenty of computers around, plus reasonable connection with ADSL at TOT, not spectacular service but good for most users.

Enjoy the relative peace, if you want excitement go to Bangkok.

Thanks for that but I was really talking about the TV Hua Hin forum as apposed to Hua Hin itself. I loved the place and the pace of the place. After Bangkok it was like a breath of fresh air. We will be in Thailand in approx 4 weeks and if I have my way, it will be a direct trip from BKK to HH ASAP. I think the wife has plans for the other side of the gulf but where there is a will there is a way!

Does it have to be Rayong place? The city is a hub for petrochemical and heavy industry, plants, chimnies all around. IMO, not really worth a tourist visit.

There are some reasonable places around the city, Rayong Resort being one of them.

Thanks for that, Lonely planet says the same. Out of the city is good for me. Is Rayong Resort far out and how do I check it out? on the web?

Also, you could try the "PMY" or the "Purimas" hotels near the shore...otherwise there is the "Star" hotel in the city centre.

Thanks and same question as above. PMY and Pirimas, are they far out and how do I get some info?Near the shore is definately good for me. P.S. I also am a Kiwi.

Heading to rayong for family reasons in around 4 weeks. Does anybody know of a decent farang friendly place to stay? Guesthouse O.K. or decent hotel but not top dollar. Never been to Rayong before so any help would be great. Thanks.