nigelforbes

I really don't want to get into a manipulation debate, I leave that to others in different places so please don't go there in this thread. But if you know anything about international settlements and the role of USD in cross border transactions, that will be great.

I read Krugman but didn't think his Indian Rupees and Brazilian Rials example was a conclusive argument, although it did make me think that in that particular scenario they would have to deploy a USD middleman because of the rarity of the pair. If you substitute other more heavily traded currency pairs, I think the Dollar middleman argument becomes less compelling since both parties to the trade would likely already hold the others currency, in their reserves. Which may point towards variables whereby USD is deployed into the transaction when one or the other parties doesn't hold the counterparties currency. Dunno, more WAG at this stage .:)

Thanks, I'll read the Thai paper version. IF, BIS were to settle a cross border transaction between the Central Banks of two banana republics, merely by debiting and crediting their foreign currency reserve accounts, would that still be a USD transaction in your view? After reading the BIS website and looking for more information,I increasingly think this is what happens since one of BIS's strengths is settling cross border transactions using any of the 180 currency pair exchange rates they manage via the FOREX. https://www.bis.org/banking/finserv.htm This type of foreign currency netting arrangement is a natural extension of the ACH/Fed settlement process which is why is seems like a logical answer for me. But again, I may be wrong, I don't know. You may have seen I tried to open the issue up to a wider audience to see if their was somebody lurking who knows the answer, I might as well have asked if there are any retired brain surgeons out there...:) I'll read Klugman.

Too funny. With Immigration/ICE trucks parked along side the checkpoint, there is no guess work. And now, all of a sudden, for convenience sake, all of Bangkok is now regarded as a tourist area, really! Heads up, it isn't.

Whilst the miles you quote may be correct, I don't know I haven't checked, flights from those locations are very different. Flights from Chicago to Bangkok fly the polar route, over the arctic circle, flights from Berlin fly more or less direct over the middle east. The difference in flight time can be substantial, Berlin/Bangkok can be about 12 or 12 hours, Chicago/Bangkok is more like 17 or 18 hours. The difference in flight time is more pronounced from other locations, LA to Bangkok often involves stops in San Fran and Tokyo plus the flight crosses the international date line which makes jet lag substantially worse - this is the rost flights I have ever taken personally, for that reason. New York/Bangkok direct is 16 hours, most flights connect and take 19+ hours. So taking the Chicago/Bangkok flight time over the pole, doesn't give a representative picture of the differences. Lastly, you need to bear in mind that Americans get substantially less holiday each year than Europeans, the difference can be two weeks versus 5 weeks or more. https://www.airportdistancecalculator.com/chicago-united-states-to-bangkok-thailand-flight-time.html

That's there, this is here.

Japan is the biggest single investor in Thailand and has been for decades, their continued FDI flows are nearly always the largest of any country. None of that points towards problems.

It says that 8% of existing Japanese forms in Thailand, plan to bring in business from other countries, into Thailand. The other 92% aren't doing anything apart from run their businesses here the way they have in the past.

A useful one might be going after and fining those posters on social media who slag them off and call them all crooks .....just a thought. ????

You don't know what the purpose of the checkpoint was for, you can only speculate.

Nonsense! Thailand is at the heart of the illegal drugs industry in SE Asia, that and people smuggling make checkpoints and stops essential. I used to drive from San Diego to Irvine every day and get stopped around Oceanside at the border patrol checkpoint and my car searched, almost every day for drugs or illegals, exactly the same thing..

The difference between investing the 800k inside Thailand versus outside, isn't that great, especially when you consider the downside risk of getting caught and being blacklisted. 800k baht can earn 2.15% at Kasikorn, the average return on equities is 8% pa, the best one year fix in the UK is 4.17% (per money savings expert). For most people that would be an easy decision, especially those who regard Thailand their home and want to stay here.

I'm not aware of Pattaya style dodgy agents that will do this and I think it's unlikely there are any/many, not in the North.

I doubt it. If the spends were calculated in Baht and then converted back to home currencies, that would mean Americans would have been spending less because they would have received more baht for their dollars.

All these things are true of course, Whilst it is possible to buy a good used car at a decent price, the chances that you'll be successful are much lower here than back home, plus there's no recourse whatsoever, if the proverbial wheel does fall off. Thai's are masters at making a sows ear look like a silk purse, the cover up/touch up side of things here is masterful in many products, not just cars. Renting for one or two months might make sense but not much longer, the financial case just support doing that when you're going to be here for years.

Indeed, but then there are those stories about people who never take their cars to be checked and then they break down, miles away from anywhere, in the wilderness and they die. Which would you rather be, safe or dead.

Appalling news, Europeans must be banned immediately, Thailand wants a better higher spending class of tourist and they're not playing their part....you know who you are.

You and I know that but tourists, visitors and newbies may not.

EST in the North is around 7k, it should be similar elsewhere. A very very useful test which resulted in me also receiving cardiac stents.

Good, A bunch of people learned something and now know more today than they they did yesterday, that means it was a worthwhile effort.

If you do a search on this forum there's plenty of discussions about them, there's a reason why they are not mentioned.

FWIW I'm a Brit.

Go for it. :))

Jeeze guy, what's with the attitude! People are only trying to get along and be helpful or seek info.