swissie

I don't want to come across as a "smart alec", but assuming you have a valid drivers licence, why not buy a small motor home or a large van? That way you have housing AND transportation. Don't know how it is today, but "back then", I could park my motor home just about anywhere I wanted too (overnight). Not so in Europe. Outside of "campgrounds", a friendly police officer will wake you at 2 AM asking "what the hell are you doing here". To live in the US does have certain advantages (unless that too has changed).

Still many Asians suffer from "lactose intolerance". But on the decline. Wealthy Agro-Thais keep cows as a status simbol. European-Cows do not do well in a overly hot/humid climate. The cows in Thailand are part of African Zebu imports that can stand the climate much better than "Euro-Cows". But compared to Euro-Cows they give wery little milk. Barely enough for their calves. No wonder that "milk" is mostly an Import Product in Thailand. Arriving as "milk powder" from happy European cows, that produce 10X more milk than Thai-Cows.

The other way around. Thai female living with a Farang for 22 years under the same roof in Farangland. Never married. Now Farang is going to retire in Thailand, financially well off. Recommending to the Thai female life partner of 22 years: Stay in Farangland, apply for Social Security Benefits, as I will not support you financially. As not married, no legal action could be instigated by Thai authorities. Also: With no criminal record, nobody can be prevented from travelling to Thailand. I feel sorry for the Thai Lady. Rare, because it's usually the other way around, but this time a Thai Lady is the victim.

The CHF has always been a "special case". We live by our Exports. A strong currency doesn't help. Indepted only by 40% of GDP. But still: Parliament considers an increase over 40% as the "Armageddon of Switzerland", making for an unwelcome strong currency. But Switzerland is a "special case" in so many ways. To analyse Switzerland can only lead to serious headaches. Rumor has it, that Swiss People are "not from this world and don't really want to be part of this world". Well, if that's the case, we diden't do all that bad over the last 1000 years.

Russia is an "enclosed" Economical/Political system that needs no vital "imports" from nowhere and nobody.

I read several international newpapers daily (online). Financial news, but I also try to get "a feeling" how "the mood" of the general population is. In my home country I am not shy to ask Taxi Drivers, Restaurant Employees, Cleaning Ladies as to how they see their personal future down the road. Generally, I notice a somewhat "somber" undertone. Something like: "The problems of the world are incrasing left and right" but mostly " For decades things went quite well, this can't go on forever". Not surprising, the need for "safety" is on the increase. But can the US (once more) serve as the "safe harbor" for people and their money? That remains to be seen. If the US is no more available as a "safe harbor", who is? Eastern Timbuktu?

Yes, they are buying Gold to back their future currency. It will remain a "partial" backing, as there is not enough Gold around for 100% backing. OR: "SOMEONE" with great authority declares one fine day that 1 oz of Gold is now worth 1 million Dollar. That way a 100% coverage could be achieved. Stranger things have happened.

I know why western liberals and conservatives come to Thailand. It's the Temples and an average temperature off 33 degree celsius and an average air-humidity of 95%.

The de-dollarisation will be a slow process. The new "basket" of currencies will contain countries that are equally indepted as the US. Not making for a more "solid" currency than the US Dollar. A lame horse replaced by another lame horse? Unless the new "basket currency" is explictictly backed by the new central bank and their taxpayers. Same as the Euro. Unless that happens, I am confident that I will still pay for my tea in eastern timbuktu with Dollar bills for the next 10 years.

Has said condo in Pattaya been sold? There are thousands of properties for sale in Pattaya. There's an oversupply of property. Answer: Now the Chinese provide a "price floor". What about all the bar closures, before and since covid? If bars are so profitable, why so many closures? Answer: I said "in Pattayas heydays". Long gone. Are you suggesting buying a condo in Pattaya is a good investment? Answer: I said "those that bought 20 years ago". Are you suggesting buying a bar in Pattaya is a good investment? Answer: See comment above.

As mentioned, work permit issues arose.

It doesen't exist in your head. In the real world: Yes.

Yes, natural climate changes always occured. (At some time the earth was a "snowball", only "ice-free" around the Equator). Those changes took place over thousands or hunderthousands of years. This time around, WE heated up the planet, in less the 200 years. Studying physics helps, instead of listening to a certain US polititian that has declared climate change as a "hoax".

Why not tell it how it is? All the counter measures to combat "earth warming" come 30 years too late and are not radical enough. Even if we could contain the warming at the current 1,5°, at those temperatures, the ice will keep melting, with all the foreseeable consequences. To stop this process, we would have to cool down the earth by 1.5°. IMPOSSIBLE. We are on a highway to hell, but still enjoying the ride. It's strictly "after us the deluge". Why not (finally) tell it how it is. Fortunately, todays youth is busy on social media. Mostly content, as long as there is "panem et circenses".

I fully agree. What is most disturbing to me, is the "legal uncertainty". Depending on Amphoe, the laws made in Bangkok can and will be interpreted individually by local chieftains. Just too much "brown envelope" economy. But lo and behold, a Farang having bought his Condo in Pattaya some 20 years ago did quite well. During Pattayas heydays, even Farang Bar Owners made money.

Be careful YT. Poster KH has clairvoyant capabilities. Among other things he "knows" that my Thai Hog Operation could not possibly have been successful. He knows more about you and me than we do.

Work permits in Thailand (in short): "Whatever a Thai National can do, a foreighner is not allowed to do". Ergo, the farm work I did could have been done by a Thai. Zero chance for me getting a work permit. As I later learned, it was another Thai pig farmer that "signaled" me to the officialdom. Never mind. All water under the bridge.

Our grandfathers came mostly as "unskilled labor" to the US. No problem, they then worked for Henry Ford and Carnegie. In reverse: What awaits the "latinos" coming to the US today? Mostly unskilled laborors. Basically no need for them in todays US economy. Young latinos ending up in the many "underground" economies. Or mowing the grass for "rich people". For young Latinos, there is no American dream left, especially as "the Americans" themselves see their American dream fade away into the sunset.

Once upon a time I had a pig farm in rural Thailand. My Thai partner went with his truck to collect "questionable food" from hotels, restaurants and "old rice" from farmers, while I ran the pig farm. Pigs make for intelligent pets and eat everything without needing "stomach medication" the next day. We both made good money. But eventually some "officials" came by, raising the question with regard to "work permit" concerning the Farang. There, I decided to terminate my career as a pig farmer in Thailand. What has that to do with Wall Street? Nothing! I will be back on topic next time. Scouts honor.

Almost halfway through the "Investing year", let's take an up to date look at things. IMHO it seems that only 2 things are "moving the markets" these days. a) What is the US Fed going to do? b) Whats happening in China? Commodities are a good "early indicator". All it took was a series of unpleasant economic news fron China to have the Gold/Silver/Copper prices to nosedive lately. It used to be that if the US gets a cold, the rest of the world would get pneumonia. The day may not be far off when the same thing applies when China gets a cough.

This is a good time to start a poll: After having any prostate surgery, has your ejaculate increased or decreased? Meant as a joke. It always decreases. The medics don't adress this beforehand. After the fact, former ejaculation "excess" is absorbed by some sort of bodily absorbation they say, bodily evaporation so to speak. At any rate, this thread sould be moved swiftly to the "Health-Forum" to be commented by "Sheryl". Avoiding reckless further wild speculations concerning this matter.

Look at a world map. How many countries will qualify as "western standarts"? You can count them on less than 10 fingers. Why does half of south America want to emigrate to the US? Why does half of the world want to emigrate to Europe? Because they have a financially comfortable life in their home country? To you, apperantly, it's all Baloney. Look at the world map once more. Do you realise that to buy a Baloney-Sausage, for a majority of people in those less fortunate countries it will take 2 days wages to buy "your Baloney"?

HeHe! You may want to read a thread in "Property & Finance", Jobs Economy Banking etc. = Us, the financial drug addicts. Good reading, because I wrote it.

Ever since WW2, we had a nice run. Thanks to productivity gains, but mainly financed by increasing the amount of outstanding dept (government and private). For example: Currently, 8% of all the Tax Revenue collected in the US must be used just to pay the interest of the outstanding debt. No reversal of this trend visible. But in order to keep the party going "we" must inject ever more "credit" into the system. If we stop doing this, the 70 year old party will come to an end. The world has fallen prey to the worst addiction of them all: "Credit". Possibly a good time to increase the recommended 10% of Gold/Silver in an average portfolio to more.................... or much more.

Was meant to appear in the "health" forum. No acceptance there. So it appears here: Drug use dates back to the stone age. "Beer" entered the stage quite early. Soon it was discovered that with the consumption of beer, all kinds of personal "catastsrophies" are easier to bear. Back then as well as today, people find it necessary to escape some harsh realities of daily life. 30% of the world population still lives on less than 2$ a day. Expats in Thailand, having lost love and fortune. Those Farangs sitting in front of a 7/11, feeling no pain anymore. Or sitting at home, staring at a white wall, no boredom emerging while staring at a white wall while drugs do what they are supposed to do. = remove the consumer from an increasingly harsh reality. Few like the taste of Alcohol, but cherish the effects. As more and more people feel the urge of escaping todays harsh reality, plenty of "merchants" will supply the ingrediants that enable people to escape the harsh realities of a predatory world. Nobody likes the taste of drugs. But it's the effect that an increasing number of our neighbors yearn for. Drug addiction starts as a sociological problem, followed by chemical dependency. Today, we are far removed from Benjamin Franklins quote: "God gave us Beer, wanting us to be happy". At that time, he diden't know that eventually we would "overshoot" the target massively, due to the fact that todays world is far more "predatory" than in his time. Rant over. Or was I just looking at the great mirror reflecting todays world?