lannarebirth

I think someone got to her after I left. Maybe a friend or something, talked her into this thai nonesense and that she should look for someone rich to give to her family. Maybe they showed off their iphone and bragged about it. Talked her into feeling guilty or something.

That's possible, but from what you've written I'd say more likely she realized that there was no future with you. You live hand to mouth and did not seem to be making any long term plans to someone who had committed their life to you. She probably decided that she was worth more than that.

I've been in Chiang Mai since early November and within the last two weeks I have been experiencing shortness or breath and difficulty when going jogging and biking. In fact, I only walk rather than jog now. I have been coming here for a couple of months since 2004, but this year is by far the worst. Anyone else having this experience?

I am returning to the USA in mid-February and plan on going to Hua Hin for about 10 days before catching my flight out of Bangkok. I heard that air quality is better there.

I haven't noticed any increase this year, except in dust created by large construction projects. Apparently the government has no requirements for them to use water trucks for dust abatement. There are more vehicles on the roads here every year as well, and as a pedestrian I'm sure you'd be sensing that. The skies seem pretty clear so I haven't even looked at the PCD website yet this year to see what the readings are.

C'mon George, you know where the money went:

http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service/appointments/

Here's the one for Chiang Mai. Something similar I imagine for Bangkok.

So the waterslide venture to Sukothai never got off the ground, eh?

Ironically, you can get the Ebook at Amazon that shows how all of recorded history, literature and academic knowledge could be wiped out once digitized.

http://www.amazon.com/Century-Complete-Ele...e/dp/1592483895

To answer the OP's original questions, of "what is going on"? The THB is strengthening against western currencies, probably for the reasons BM Abrak has elucidated in several posts in this subforum. As for the Euro account. Yes you can get one here, though Thai banks aren't very good at foreign currency accounts. You will have to convert to baht to withdraw or pay a "commission". You can probably get one even on your tourist visa. If the first bank says no, the next one probably will say yes.

2009 was a great year; problem is, it was the last year of the worst decade in history. If you were lucky enough or smart enough to invest only in one year you have done a great job. Most of us need more than one year's performance however.

10 year basis, down about 25% in price, down about 25% in underlying currency to purchase, down about 25% +/- in inflation. It payed a sweet approx. 2% annual dividend for most of that time though.

OK, that last bit was sarcasm.

Nice one George. Who'd of thunk it?

There are currently some rumors circulating that markets will fluctuate. Hope that helps.

It's only the 6th of January and but I think you can be assured of having secured the awards for:

Most non committed post of 2010

The post that told us nothing new Award for 2010

and

The Blatently Obvious and therefore unnecessary post of 2010.

I was shooting for sarcasm, but I think that may fall under your third award.

Now imagine you keep 6, more or less undomesticated mountain dogs. They catch the scent and move in en masse while one is in flagrante dilecto. It's not pretty and I still bear the scars. Could have been worse I suppose, as the local Thais are very good at keeping down the wild pig population.

Ian, I used to live on the beach, both in the US and Canada. My pointer just loved rolling in washed up, decaying sea lions. It is an exquisite stench not easily neutralized or masked.

There are currently some rumors circulating that markets will fluctuate. Hope that helps.

Similar thread last year. Might be something useful in it:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Writers-Grou...+group+workshop

Mission Accomplished!

Inverse relationship deteriorating.

Management?

Why? you have given 100 reasons why we should have crashed, yet we rallied hard. shold I cut n paste? or should I do what Lanna does and change the words so they are now my own concoction? Go with the flow Midas, stop trying to anaylise, even analysts cant do it correctly . Look at the charts, they can only go up midas if there are more buyers than sellers. What do they know that you dont? Why do we continue to hit new highs on poor job data? I know why but you need to research how the market works first Midas. When you show some understanding perhaps we can debate.

But there is no rally any more ?

And you didnt even know the market had fallen " there was no traditional new year sell off "

How embarassing for you zorro

And lannarebirth would be the last person I would be insulting regarding his knowledge of stockmarkets

_1% is not a sell off

Jeez Midas . Okay this is for you. The dummies guide to reading a chart. I made it nice and easy with big arrows and big words. Midas what do you see in this chart? Keep in mind you called a great depression all the way, now THATS embarrassing

What do you see Midas?

(yes you can p.m Lanna)

Are you familiar with Igor Tebelev's Nine Counter?

market up, midas down at least you have some mates here in the same shoes , Lanna and flying both watching their money earning 4% ROFL!

I thought 14% was okay but 200% was even nicer and we only half way through. Any way will leave you and your mates alone , see you around 11,000 for some more whipping

Why don't you just get on a plane and go to Macau for a long weekend – much quicker to achieve your ail and easier than you trying to talk up the " market " ?

Please enlighten us and tell who exactly do you think will the buyers and why ?

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported 2009 net outflows in stock mutual funds was $31 billion and net inflows to bond funds was over $300 billion. I think mums and dads are sworn off stocks for good and are quite content with 4% ! You know what I mean zorro – more concerned about return of capital than return on capital. Could be like Japan, where burnt equity investors stay out of stocks for 20 years and stay safely in bond funds.

Please enlighten us and tell who exactly do you think will the buyers and why ?

Why? you have given 100 reasons why we should have crashed, yet we rallied hard. shold I cut n paste? or should I do what Lanna does and change the words so they are now my own concoction? Go with the flow Midas, stop trying to anaylise, even analysts cant do it correctly . Look at the charts, they can only go up midas if there are more buyers than sellers. What do they know that you dont? Why do we continue to hit new highs on poor job data? I know why but you need to research how the market works first Midas. When you show some understanding perhaps we can debate.

Almost everything I post here is my own work. What I trade on is 100% my own work.

"So please explain why ANYONE in their right would jump on board with the " bulls " now " ?"

But you have been saying this all the way through the rally, no?

At 14000 you will be say the same thing

Between then and now we have seen contracts ripped up by judicial decree and people walking out

on their mortgages and credit card obligations-at a casino at least you have a 50% chance of winning.

You talked it down all the way up. your still doing it lol

market up, midas down at least you have some mates here in the same shoes , Lanna and flying both watching their money earning 4% ROFL!

I thought 14% was okay but 200% was even nicer and we only half way through. Any way will leave you and your mates alone , see you around 11,000 for some more whipping

Actually, a pretty good portion of it is only earning 2.25%. The rest of it earning at much much better rate. Thanks for yor "interest".

So, the Thai market is trading back up to the point it was at 21 years ago. Nice.

bit quite in here??? Bears have hit the woods ,oh well was a tough year for them. To those who took the plunge congrats on riding out the massive rally, big $$$ for no work, beats teaching lol

. Also there was no traditional new year sell of which is very encouraging going into 2010

Share market set to gain up to 15%

The Australian share market is expected to lift by up to 15 per cent in 2010, after posting its best gains in 16 years as the domestic economy continues its recovery from the global financial crisis.

http://thebull.com.au/articles_detail.php?id=8390

last time you stopped by you'd sold everything on a 1% correction even though you maintained you had a 15% stop loss. What are you trying to say here, other than post articles other people have written and charts other people created?

Maybe you need to learn netiquette Kevin as good manners online should be as necessary as good manners in person.

Unless good manners in any form is not of interest to you?

Good manners is of no interest to me? Where did you get that from?

Did you ever see me using profanities, mis-spelt or otherwise? I don't need others to tell me about ettiquette, my mother taught me that already. I have no need for bold or all-capitals as a means of expressing anger since I never get angry. Netiquette or not , I still find it amusing that people interpret all caps as shouting. Leave the caps lock on and people are saying 'Alright, I heard you. No need to shout!!!'

Anyway, I'm off to 'work' so I hope you enjoy your evening. Happy New Year to all.

I have to admit I find the capital letters as shouting/offensive thing hilarious myself. I know it's commonly accepted as such and I'm the odd man out, but really, should anyone at all care at all about such things. Haven't we all got more important things to worry about? If you don't then you're truly blessed.

Doesn't it flood in there sometimes?

The old people's home for 'farang' is a very good idea! (I actually discussed this on ThaiVisa some years ago).

Working a a translator, especially for language pairs such as Russian-Thai, Farsi-Thai, Arabic-Thai would surely be in good demand. But you would need to be fluent in your language pairs. (My Thai is good enough for the translation work that I do as a volunteer, but not yet up to working in the legal system).

One reason why I like to cosider secondary employments is because my primary income (from SMS software), is earned from outside of Thailand, and only requires a portion of each day to check the servers etc. So I have time availabe to follow other career or academic study ideas.

But the comments in my OP still stand. I'm not rich (right now!), and do not have substantial savings. Even if I were rich, I would still want to pursue a second career/business, becuse experience has taught me that no matter how 'safe' your primary income and/or savings might appear, something or someone can come along and <deleted> everything up for you!! That 'something' could be the Icelandic banks crashing, or that 'someone' could be your elderly mother being taken ill and requiring you to abandon your Thai job and return to the UK to care for her. Anything can happen!

Simon

I think you're narrowing in on something you can do and you would likely be good at Simon. You're a bright and hard working man that can rise to challanges and challanges himself. You've a background in the hotel business with a niche to serve the handicapped. The Baby Boom generation is reaching retirement age now and with all the TV they've watched, shit they've eaten and poisons they've ingested there's going to be a tsunami of Alzheimers cases coming in need of long term care. Here's what one guy in Chiang Mai is doing:

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/099/success.shtml

http://www.alzheimerthailand.com/Alzheimer.../Ueberblick.htm

I hold that health care should be made available to everybody regardless of income, race or creed and should be a manifestation of a further advance made by the human race since coming down out of the trees.

And what reasonable person wouldn't think similarly?