VegasVic

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This the basis for eternal dictatorship and eternal injustice.

A bunch of billionaires appointed by the elite to overrun any will of the majority of Thai people.

Myanmar looks like a beacon of freedom and democracy compared to Thailand.

Max, You beat me to the punch my friend When I read the original post here I thought to myself, gee here Burma is finally making some positive moves to get out of the dark ages with the their self perpetuating military dictatorship model, and yet Thailand seems to be falling head first back into the dark ages with this nonsense As I posted back when the General overthrew the government, when you start hearing rumors about reeducation camps then it is time to pull up stakes and get the heck out of Dodge

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The CIA hasn't always been right in their projections but current developments and trends show they sure do know how to work an oil field here and there...and who knows, the way things are going the Locusts in Langley just may be right this time....

While I have serious doubts about your source, it sounds like very positive news to me alt=thumbsup.gif>

Who could cheer such things?
From the linked article.....

Brennan’s and the CIA’s industrial sabotage of the Saudi and other Middle East oil
industries will continue to have far-reaching effects on the world economy.
Oil industry insiders fear that the CIA has unleashed something that may deal a devastating blow to the global economy.

Once again let me say "I HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT YOUR SOURCE" , meaning that the quoted reference is likely more FOS than full of facts With that said I would be (as well as most of the civilized world) very happy to see the governments in Russia, Iran and Venezuela overturned Comprende Amigo

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This is the same idiot that wrote "American is Stretched to Breaking Point, Watch the Markets."

He says US GDP of 17 tr + EU GDP of 18 tr equals 30 tr. Huh??? 17 + 18 = 30. He cannot even add and we are supposed to take him seriously on financial matters.

He says Russia's foreign reserve of $415 bn can absorb . . . Russia foreign reserve is down to about $ 370 bn of which about $ 160 bn is NOT liquid. That leaves about $210 bn liquid to deal with crisis and losses of $40 bn for every $10 per barrel decrease in oil price below a $100 a barrel.

Russia will likely have to spend another $ 70 bn in very short term to try and further prop up Ruble. This would leave about $ 140 bn in liquid foreign reserve by the first of the year with losses to the federal bydget of somewhere between $100 to $160 bn due to decrease in oil price alone. He now has bigger problems paying debt due to currency losses

He says Ruble devalued due to attack on the Ruble. Russian already had inflation and recession prior to sanctiins. Putin devalued Ruble to try and offset decrease in oil price because he does not have enough liquid reserves to make up the deficiencies federal budget. He effectively threw Russia into hyperinflation to try and avoid default. No one att

He is just a Russian lover

The Russian Central Bank is a privately owned operation the same as the US Federal Reserve. Putin gets to appoint the Chairman and that is pretty much it. I am surprised that he has not nationalized this bank and I do expect it to happen in the near future.

The CIA hasn't always been right in their projections but current developments and trends show they sure do know how to work an oil field here and there...and who knows, the way things are going the Locusts in Langley just may be right this time....

CIA Director John Brenan spent several years in SA as station chief there so he has a battery of moles in Saudi state oil companies and in the field. Putin is indeed preparing to go after the Russian Central Bank because he's certain there are CIA-turned moles in that institution who he's convinced engineered the disastrous 650 basis point stranglehold on the economy rate hike.

Cesar Chavez's chosen successor Nicholas Maduro has seen the dollar rise 1700 percent against the bolivar since he took office and has now lost his best buddy Raul Castro to the United States while having to reduce discounted oil and food supplies to Cuba.

The CIA engineered oil glut to bring down Putin and Maduro

The result of the sudden decline in oil prices has resulted in heavy damage to the economies of the CIA-targeted countries of Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Brennan and his economic warfare operatives banked on the Saudi overproduction to harm the economies of all three countries and the CIA has not been disappointed. Russian Central Bank Vice Chairman Sergei Shvetsov said, “What is happening is a nightmare that we could not even have imagined a year ago.” The CIA figures that the governments of Vladimir Putin in Russia, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran, and Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela will have long since collapsed and been replaced by pro-Western regimes within 5 years.

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_68648.shtml

While I have serious doubts about your source, it sounds like very positive news to me

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I feel sorry for you for the type of Thai girlfriend/wife that you seemed to have wound up with, but then again perhaps some of this could be your fault alt=whistling.gif>

Where did I say this is me?

I'm Thai, understand Thai and speak Thai reasonably well.

If you could understand Thai you would hear all the girls discussing how they rip-off their foreign husbands/bfs.

But you don't understand Thai, and when a girl boasts about scamming you to her pals (phone or in front of you), you don't have a clue.

Learn to speak Thai, then you can comment from knowledge rather than ignorance.

And this isn't one or two foreigners, but is happening to every foreigner I know or have ever met.

Those with university educated, hi-so, white skinned, half Chinese down to those with Issan bargirls.

No exceptions.

One of the big problems with this forum, most of the posters are daft as a brush.

The guys that know what happens, and local prices, like CanarySun, and a few others just get laughed at.

The cheating, lying and scamming is so endemic, that foreigners generally haven't a clue about the price of anything in Thailand.

It would appear that you have been rebuked enough since you made this foolish reply to my post so I will not rub salt into the wounds here, however I will let you know that I have been married to a Thai lady for nearly 30 years and trust her implicitly, not because I am "daft" as you like to use the phrase in most of your posts, but because she has earned my trust. Also for the record I do speak Thai and I was NOT one of the posters attacking canarysun about his so called outrageous claims, because I am very well aware of the prices that Thais pay in the all Thai neighborhoods for rent, and the prices that can be had at student dormitories. Most farangs can afford a better lifestyle so they don't need to look for lodging in places like these, with that said many farangs do get ripped of because they have not made the effort to learn the language. If you really are Thai then I feel sad that you hold your fellow countrymen and women in such low regard, perhaps you have been wronged by a Thai women in the past and have a terrible bitter streak, but just as there is no need for those who lashed out at canarysun for trying to provide information to the poorer farangs out there, there is also no need for you to lash out with the bitterness that you carry around with you. Peace be with you my son

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sounds good in theory, except how on earth do you find somewhere, if you don't speak Thai?

Rule 1
Never rent from a foreigner
Rule 2
Never rent from English language adverts
Rule 3
Never rent through a property agency
Rule 4
Don't rent using your Thai gf as a front
Rule 5
Beware of shady operators selling any services on the sly through forums

In all these cases it generally costs double the price of renting yourself directly from a Thai owner.

Suggest you take a Thai speaking friend along. Most Thais don't speak English so it's good to have a Thai speaker helping you when you are house hunting.

As for the rules from AnotherOneAmerican: Agree with them maybe with exception of Rule 4. If you have a good Thai gf, certainly she can help with many local things including finding a reasonable place to rent.

You would be surprised at the number of wife/gfs that make a commission on everything you spend.
If you speak Thai, you can hear the bargaining, "Charge buffalo double and split the extra 50/50 with me"
From what I see and hear, more do than don't.

I feel sorry for you for the type of Thai girlfriend/wife that you seemed to have wound up with, but then again perhaps some of this could be your fault

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24 grams by post in an envelope to the US $1.10

They could also be consolidating freight and have someone at the other end the splits and distributes.

I would think the records on ebay are so complete money laundering would be difficult, a bar on the other hand...

Companies that do large volume business enjoy bulk shipping charges, so they do not pay what you or I would pay to send something.

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It's a shame the british currency wasn't similarly effecting some of the disgruntled mean spirited sh$tbags that get on here

Be patient my friend, as deflation rears its ugly head in the EU the fallout will have a negative impact on the Pound

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But the Russian tourism market will be great!!

I hear that arrivals in Moscow are way up, and the fellow selling wheelbarrows ( to transport the Rubles it will take to buy dinner) at the arrival gates is doing an incredible business

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Here is an article from the Boston Herald about remarks from a Congressman from Massachusetts about one of the Senators from MA.

It would seem I'm not the only one that has crazy ideas around here.

Wonder how this one will be spun. alt=whistling.gif>

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Battenfeld: Hillary Clinton's Kennedy curse

US Rep. Joe Kennedy III reflects on first term

Saturday, December 20, 2014

By: Joe Battenfeld

Hillary Clinton could suffer a serious case of Kennedy deja vu if she makes another presidential run.

This time it’s U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III who may help derail Clinton’s White House path by endorsing her potential 2016 opponent, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, much the same way the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy backed Barack Obama in 2008.

“Whatever (Warren) wants to do she’s going to excel at,” the 34-year-old Kennedy said in interview with Herald editors and reporters. “She has been adamant that she’s not running for president and I take her at her word for that. If things change, we’ll see.”

Article here: https://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/joe_battenfeld/2014/12/battenfeld_hillary_clintons_kennedy_curse

I will say this for Elizabeth Warren, she is intelligent, principled and forthright, so right there she posses at least two qualities that Hillary does not posses The problem with the DNC is that they seem to have already anointed Hillary, and given the incredible amount of negative baggage that Hillary has, I seriously doubt that she is electable At least with Warren the Dems would have someone who wants to expose Wall Street for all its corruption, instead of Hillary who is in Wall Streets back pocket

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People never learn from their past mistakes.

There are many permutations to this .....................

There is even a financial doomsday scenario. alt=facepalm.gif>

don’t provoke the bear, because the bear could invoke it in a flash…………..

What Putin is not Telling Us: The Raid on the Ruble was supposed to be a Checkmate. It’s Not alt=tongue.png>

http://www.globalresearch.ca/what-putin-is-not-telling-us-the-raid-on-the-ruble-was-supposed-to-be-a-checkmate-its-not/5420985

There is even a financial doomsday scenario. alt=facepalm.gif>

don’t provoke the bear, because the bear could invoke it in a flash…………..

More fiction, fantasy, Putin worshiping political spam.

"I looked into his eyes and I saw his soul." George W. Bush after a summit with Vladimir Putin.

Russia Is So Screwed
By Jordan Weissmann

Sorry buddy, it's true

.

Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Well, it looks like Russia is in for a long, cold, and economically devastating winter.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/12/16/russian_currency_crisis_putin_has_no_good_solutions.html

The Ruble Stopped Crashing Today. Russia Is Still Screwed.
By Jordan Weissmann

Brace for the worst, buddy.

Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images

Checkmate!

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/12/17/russia_s_currency_crisis_calmed_down_today_don_t_expect_it_to_last.html

Despite some of the propaganda websites quoted here (and some like globalres are really ROTFLMAO funny) in this thread, the truth is that Russia is indeed screwed and when they run out of Dollars to buy back Rubles they will be forced to sell their gold reserves. On CNBC today their was a legitimate panelist who threw out the possibility of a 40% (yes that is forty) hit to Russian GDP. I do not wish any ill on the Russian people, but they were the ones who elected Vlad, so perhaps they need to storm the Kremlin

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Some "too big to fail" bankster somewhere is sitting on a $$ trillion of derivative products based on the exchange rate of the ruble. And some other tbtf bankster has written a credit default swap covering the guy who is sitting on those derivative products. And a 3rd tbtf bankster has written insurance guaranteeing that the credit default swaps will be made good if it all goes into the toilet. And they all took home their zillion dollar bonuses this week, just before Christmas.

I wouldn't be surprised if the price of pork bellies was enough to tip over the house of cards, much less the ruble. And it has nothing to do with fundamentals.

While I know that you made this post "tongue in cheek" it sadly does bear resemblance to the absolute insanity that occurs on Wall Street every day

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If Sony isn't going to release it in theaters they should at least get it on the web, so NK still loses.

I hear the movie is a bit of a turd though. Too bad for all the publicity it's getting.

The movie was made for the adolescent humor crowd and wasn't destined to become a huge financial success or a critically acclaimed piece of work, however with all the hoopla going on I think that now this movie will wind up being a massive financial success, and you can be assured that it will be released

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A poor decision on Sony's part to give in. Even with the poor behavior of some of their executives, they should move forward. Who has ever known a movie excutive in Hollywood to behave properly ?

SONY is a Japanese company, what makes you think that a "hollywood exec" made the final decision???

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From your link.

"For what determines how well people live (and yes, aiding people in living well is pretty much the point of this whole having an economy thing) is economic output per capita. That total economy divided by the number of people who get to consume the output.

Here the US is well ahead (north of $50,000 a year in the US, only just over $5,000 a year in China and yes, that is after adjusting for price differences) and China would need another three generations of breakneck growth to close that gap."

Yes but again using GDP as any indicator is not useful as it includes
Government Spending what they do not have. Especially so in the case of the USA

Are you saying that China doesn't have government spending? That's what's been holding their GDP up as exports fail to grow noticeably.

"As growth has slowed this year, China has rolled out a series of targeted fiscal and monetary stimulus measures, including stepped-up spending on railways, energy, public housing, expanded credit to farmers and private businesses and more relaxed rules for the housing sector." LINK

The government is also the only thing keeping the real estate sector from a complete collapse

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Looks like North Korea has the U.S shaking and crying under the bed. Little Kymie will be loving this and would have grown in confidence knowing he is more powerful than the U.S. America has just given kym more courage to up the ante through thier cowardice. Hilarious the once mighty and powerful U.S brought to thier knees by one stupid little fat guy.

As a U.S. citizen I want to thank you for your ignorance, as always it seems the U.S. bashers here on thaivisa are alive, well and clueless as ever FYI my friend it was a private company that was hacked and it wasn't even a U.S. company at that, SONY is a Japanese company, so how you came to the convoluted conclusion that the U.S. was "brought to their knees" by all this nonsense I won't even venture to guess, perhaps you had better go back to the bar and order another Chang and rethink your post

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Its just a marketing ploy -

Wait six weeks then it will be released

As I was scrolling down through the posts I was wondering if anyone would pick up on this! Although it wasn't a marketing ploy, Sony was really hacked by the commie bastards, however with that said this movie will be released and it will have a much larger audience than the adolescent humor crowd that it was made for, and Sony will wind up making a bundle on this movie

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I don’t pretend to fully understand it, but it’s all part of a growing trend where Nations are slowly but surely divorcing themselves from a dependency on the US Dollar. With the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency there was always a guaranteed market for US Treasury Bonds. Thus, even with QE, these Bonds maintained value. But, as Nations and Pacts (BRICS etc) begin entering into bilateral arrangements for trading in their local currencies, that dependency on the US Dollar, and demand for its Bonds, is reduced.

In the twelve months between January and December 2014, the Russian Ruble lost 50% of its value against the US Dollar. It would be interesting to see at what point, if any, Russia off-loaded some of its US Dollar stockpile into the market.

It would be even more interesting to see just how those countries that took the Ruble instead of demanding Dollars, feel about that decision right about now - OUCH Deflation is a very real scenario in many countries around the world right now, with that said I think that I will keep my investments denominated in U.S. Dollars

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This is a big middle finger to the USA for snubbing Thailand after the coup-d'etat.

After the meeting the PM was seen doing the happy dance with his NBF!

Happy.JPG

Given the amount of money involved I doubt it even registers on the U.S. economic radar, and China has their own problems with the real estate bubble bursting and the fallout from the collapse, like exposing the Chinese shadow banking system, I don't think that a self appointed military dictator should be engaging these type of agreements, but then again the way they keep postponing elections the military could be in control in Thailand for a verrrry long time

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I dont really understand the implications of this particular agreement, but what i want to know is why the sudden rush to sign as many agreements with China in such a short a time as possible.

Agreements signed on Saturday in Bangkok, then over to China and sign four more on Monday. I sincerely hope that these agreements and the deals between the countries are being studied and thought out carefully. It all seems very rushed.

Perhaps the Chinese have come bearing gifts to big to turn down.

I would note that the yuan/thb agreement is part of a larger pattern of moving away from settling accounts via the US Dollar and doing direct currency exchanges. This means that there will be slightly less demand for the US dollar for conducting business between Thailand and China (buying and selling) as transactions can be settled directly. China is busy setting up similar agreements all around the world, as is Russia. This should result in lower transaction costs as the US clearing house won't be collecting it's percentage or be in a position to stop or delay the transaction if the US decides that it's politically desirable. FYI. This is just my understanding and I am far from an expert.

You nailed it.

This is an excellent move by Thailand. Less dependency on the USD is the way to go. Specially now that China is the #1 world economy. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/12/07/chinas-now-the-world-number-one-economy-and-it-doesnt-matter-a-darn/

Other countries are following suit.

Be careful what you wish for Sherlock for you may very well get it

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I dont really understand the implications of this particular agreement, but what i want to know is why the sudden rush to sign as many agreements with China in such a short a time as possible.

Agreements signed on Saturday in Bangkok, then over to China and sign four more on Monday. I sincerely hope that these agreements and the deals between the countries are being studied and thought out carefully. It all seems very rushed.

Perhaps the Chinese have come bearing gifts to big to turn down.

I would note that the yuan/thb agreement is part of a larger pattern of moving away from settling accounts via the US Dollar and doing direct currency exchanges. This means that there will be slightly less demand for the US dollar for conducting business between Thailand and China (buying and selling) as transactions can be settled directly. China is busy setting up similar agreements all around the world, as is Russia. This should result in lower transaction costs as the US clearing house won't be collecting it's percentage or be in a position to stop or delay the transaction if the US decides that it's politically desirable. FYI. This is just my understanding and I am far from an expert.

"as is Russia" ? I think you mean "as was Russia", there is nobody and no country that wants anything to do with the Ruble right now or anytime in the near future As far as the memorandum of understanding goes, it smacks of the beginning of a relationship between a loan shark and a needy gambler, I certainly hope for Thailands sake that when a proper government is elected and a new Prime minister installed that they can exit this agreement if need be. Remember the old saying "beware of Greeks (Chinese) bearing gifts

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A crash is when you want more people to visit your website or buy your newspaper.

What is the difference between a crash and a downturn?

The OP should tell us what his definition of crash is. Difficult to answer the question otherwise.

what a silly comment

Yea I didn't quite follow that one either! I think what this poster may have meant is something along the lines of the old adage about what is the difference between a recession and a depression, the answer being that when your neighbor losses their job it is a recession and when you lose your job it is a depression

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Is Thailand's bubble economy heading for a 1997 style crash? Quite likely next year but very hard to predict, these things usually happen so suddenly due to a combination of factors. We all know what will happen at some point in the future, and that might trigger a huge slump.

We are already seeing a downturn in the property market on the islands- I expect to see more land and property up for sale early next year. A short term property slump in BK is likely at some point .. household debt, inflation, the tourist sector and new tax legislation kicking in, leading to a domino effect

FF, You are spot on as the conditions are right for some sort of downturn (crash?) and it is indeed usually some sort of external event the triggers this type of thing like in 97

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I keep reading about this supposed Russian desertion, but it puzzles me.

I just came back from 6 weeks in Europe and am now back home in Jomtien.

When I left the high season was just beginning and now it's definitely in full fling. The roads are packed, Thepprasit week-end market is un-approachable, the restaurants and bars seem to be doing fine, and the Russians are everywhere ! I hate to think what it would be like if the ruble had not taken a plunge ? Perhaps this area would now be called 'Little Russia' ?

Now, to be entirely fair, some of them are almost friendly, some of them now say hello in the elevator, so perhaps things are sloooowly going in the right direction, but the vast majority are still unpleasant, arrogant, rambunctious and apparently drunk 24/7. I wonder how many more points down the ruble needs to go before it rids us of this unsavoury lot of 'comrades'.

Sorry, just stating the unpleasant truth here.

It could be for the same reason why there is a mini boom in the Russian retail sector right now, as many (rich and poor) Russians are not putting of buying big ticket items any longer in fact the are flocking to the stores to stock up on whatever they can, it would seem that they feel that the Ruble has much further to fall and they want to spend those Rubles while they can get some bang for their Buck (eh Ruble)

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The FALLING AUSTRALIAN Currency will also cause many Aussies to stay at home instead of holidaying in Thailand. About time the BAHT was brought back to reality, been over inflated for far too long.

The problem with that is it isn't up to Thailand, it is up to the worlds currency traders and Thailands currency has been strong these past few years because there is a lot of very cheap money around the world and when that money flows into a small market like Thailands SET then those foreign buyers must purchase Baht to enter the market thereby pushing the price of Baht up, of course as in everything else in this universe there are cycles and it could very well be that Asia has seen the peak of this most recent foreign investment cycle for a while and if those funds rotate out of Thailand then they will sell the Baht they receive for their securities and repurchase another monetary unit and repatriate their finds on to their next investment, QED