ArranP

Maybe ready a lighter for his next fart then light his arse up!!

Is such a ticket possible?

I am coming to Bangkok in August but not sure when I will be coming back to London.

It is cheaper to buy a return than two singles but as I do not know when I am coming back I cannot buy a standard return.

Could I get a return that would let me pick a date later on in the future for my return journey? If so would this be cheaper than two singles (£700-800).

Thanks.

I would buy a 1 year return ticket with a return date that can be changed.

When booking set the return date 1 year from the outbound date, then when your ready to return call up the airline and bring the return date forward.

To change a return date sometimes is free or can cost upto £70. EVA I believe is free to change the return, Emirates is £70.

Emirates do an economy ticket at around £450, with a 2hr stop-over in Dubai.

Arran.

Will you trust another Thai, especially a female to talk to your wife or can you understand Thai fluently ?

I suppose yes I would set out to trust Thai female marriage counciler, otherwise it would be counter productive to going along to see a marriage councelor.

Two very good replies, thank you to both, I will order the books and read the english, pass the Thai one to my wife to read.

The nearest Thai Temple to me is The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, there is an email address on the site, I will write them an email and see what they respond with.

Regards

Arran.

Hello,

In the Uk with the FLR visa there is "no recourse to public funds", with the ILR visa is there recourse to public funds ?

Regards

Arran.

Hello,

Does any know or can help with finding a marriage counceling service to help Thai / Brit partners living in the U.K. and its society.

Without going into any details my wifes behavour is unacceptable sometimes.

I believe it would help if she/we had someone else to hear advice from rather than just myself. I think this third party would need to be a Thai living in UK to appreciate the cultural side of things.

Regards

Arran.

Your wife would not be automatically excluded in the event of your divorce or seperation. You have a child together, also, she has a right of appeal, she could also be exempt from some of the process regarding ILR.

Have a look at the Border Agency UK website.

I do know, if the mother were eligible and did remain the in U.K. then she would be awarded custody of the infant, however if she were not or decided to return to Thailand, in this specific case, it is likely the custody of the infant would be awarded to the father.

I had contacted the Border Agency, they require to be informed of the seperation and state an application should be submitted for a new visa as the cirumstances which the existing FLR visa was based have changed. They would not comment as to the likleyhood of a new visa being granted.....

Sorry but just how do you "know" the mother would be awarded custody ? I don't think it is ever as clear cut as that and in many circumstances, the baby would be far better off with the western father than a hapless (if she be so) Thai mother.

It was explained to me by a family solicitor from my home town.

I have a beautiful daughter, if/when I am in thailand I would be reluctant to send her to the thai schools for any length of time. Maybe a good a idea for a short time to pick into thai culture/language which she would otherwise loose going to an international school.

Also, an english teacher who has taught in thailand told me, if you can afford it send her to the international schools.

I have met some thais who are well educated, hold down good jobs and are hard workers, but I'm not confident enough to send my daughter to the thai schools. Having witnessed thai people who do not understand percentages in maths, do not want to learn new things or do things differently for fear of therefore being classed as doing it wrong in the first place. Again I say this is true for some (but not all) thais....

I think its safe to say the level of education (including english) gained from the "International School route" and "Thai education system" are not of a similar level.

I think when we look past the exam scores, we can see an approach to life that is different between thais and farangs, my problem I face at the moment is overcoming "face" with thais, this seems to get in the way when I try to change the way a thai does something. Simply explaining the reason or logic behind not doing something one way seems to be imparting blame on their side, which then causes an argument and thus the original point is then lost. Its a communication problem that seems to be inherited from culture differences.

Whilst I don't recognise this particulary CTA fund, having glanced at its returns, its does not seem to me a very good one.

I am invested in the following CTA funds (managed futures), all have a history of good returns.

Tulip Trend www.trend.ky

Winton Futures www.matrixgroup.co.uk (matrix ascension)

BH Macro www.bhmacro.com

Try Gabriel Kelly at http://www.hansonregan.com/.

He got me a job a Siemens in Bangkok about 4 years ago as a SAP Basis Consultant.

Not sure if he still has contacts in Bangkok or covers your field of expertise but its worth a shot, mention my name he will know :-)

not that my feeling is right or wrong, but it is what it is and its leaning towward GBP strength against the USD :-)

Bob Parker thinks Equities will end 09 higher than todays level, going by that and in my experience as equities rise so does the "money flows" out of the USD, therefore weakening the USD and something similar to the JPY also.

Visa on arrival is 15 days and not allowed for a UK passport. Visa exempt entry is 30 days if air entry and 15 days if land entry. They have never been longer than 30 days for a UK passport. You might have had a tourist visa obtained from a Consulate? That allows 60 day stay which can be extended for another 30 days.

Ok, Thanks looks like another trip to Hull :-)

Hello people,

Last time I came to Thailand was on a One year Non Immigrant O visa, before that it was on VOA, which at that time I believed I could stay upto 90 days but since I believe the rules have changed.

I'm looking to stay for 2.5 months, I'm married my wife is Thai and we have a our daughter who is half Thai half British.

Regards

Arran.

A Non Imm O Visa will give you 90 days. Get from the Hull Thai Consulate. http://www.thaiconsul.co.uk/

Thanks whats the max now for the VOA (just being lazy) ?

Hello people,

Last time I came to Thailand was on a One year Non Immigrant O visa, before that it was on VOA, which at that time If I recall correctly I could stay upto 90 days but since I believe the rules have changed.

I'm looking to stay for 2.5 months, I'm married my wife is Thai and we have a our daughter who is half Thai half British. They will be entering Thailand on their Thai passports, but me on my British.

Regards

Arran.

Some simple rules:

Rent, don't buy property - not ever, not even if ALL your australian friends are raving about their houses.

Hi Harmonica, over the longer term I am considering a house purchase in Thailand, may I ask, what is the reasoning for you not buying property in Thailand.

Regards

Arran.

Hello my name is RAY, im 26 years of age and am looking at moving to BANGKOK/pattaya. I currently live in Australia. I have been to pattaya many times and have fallen in love with the life style. I love eating all the time and going to the gym and walking on the beach and like the friendly ladies at night. I feel i can live a better life there than I do now. I find im am very lonely here in Australia.I don t understand why Im tall and have no physical defromities and am very fit. Like being kept busy. I was wondering if you could provide me with some advice. I am currently am financialy secure and have enough money to rent my unit and live off investments from australia. I have done very well on the stock market recently too

I want to keep my investments in Australia and have income from the investment used to live in pattaya or bangkok. I can afford to live off 100 000 baht a month. I also have enough mony to invest in a business In the next year I want to get into the shallow end of the pool with a little business. I want something that can just break even and keep me occupied for a few hours a day so maybe a coffee shop. In the near future I will come into money and may be buy a hotel or apartment complex or buy a guest house (blue chip only). Can anyone provide me with any advice on people who have done this. please it would be so much appreciated. I am honestly thinking at the end of the year to move up and give it ago Lifes to short to be unhappy. I want to live in the land of the smiles

-------------------

Within 24 hours of your arrival in Thailand you will know you've stumbled into Paradise. You'll forget about your past as your heart and soul surge forward. Within a week you won't look back no more.

Lonely in Australia?

From day 1 here you will go into orbit w.r.t. women, beautiful women, soft, aromatic, smoooooth as silk, delicate, with tantalizing voices. Regardless who you're with, even if its just for a night or day, she will take care of you like no ever has before. Disregard the negative comments about hookers - here even the hookers outclass the average non-hooker western woman a trillion to one in terms of humanity, heart and soul. Light years ahead and besides there are hookers in the western world too but the only ones doing biz with them are the ones who've not discovered this paradise yet!

And the icing on the cake? ... even if you end up living with one, if and when its over, she won't take nowhere near half.

Some simple rules:

Rent, don't buy property - not ever, not even if ALL your australian friends are raving about their houses.

Stop advertising your financial wherewithal on this board - the sharks here will be waiting for you at the airport with hair-brained biz schemes and you'll lose it all.

No need to do any business, your stated amounts are more than adequate to live well.

Break the western code at age 26 - retire from life and do absolutely NOTHING! You will enjoy it.

Note: upon your arrival you will be mistaken by westerners living here for a bank, so paste a sign on your forehead saying, "broke to the bone, will work for food"

I agree with some of the points above, especially the last one :-).....

1. do take care around the ladies, some will want take your money to add to their own savings.

2. don't get to into the night life that your drunk most nights.

3. don't argue with the thai's or under-estimate them, there are more of them than us and they do believe in strength in numbers, don't be fooled with their size or build.

Look for other things to occupy your time, live a normal life, keep you head down, don't walk around with gold hanging off you or flashing too much cash about.

I came to Thailand, met a reasonable woman, it wasn't planned but she fell pregnant. Now my priorities in life have changed because I our little daughter, my priority is her safety. Currently I'm back in the UK, but for Thailand, I would now be inclined to search for typical european house to rent in a non-tourist area and take up diving or something to fill my time with.

IMF (as mentioned on blooberg) are a apparently selling their gold, this should, I think push down the price of gold in the near term, maybe a good entry point for the longer term ?

Has anyone discovered yet the most cost efficient way to make withdrawl in Thailand from the UK since the Thai Banks have announced they will start to charge when making withdrawls with a foreign card?

Whilst the Nationwide flex has started to charge for withdrawls abroad, the UK Post Office credit card does not charge so long as you credit the card first before making the withdrawl.

Don't forget that The Nationwide have recently announced that they will be charging on their cards very shortly, but they are still the cheapest.

Thats a shame but it was inevitable with no other bank matching it i suppose they think there throwing money away & banks don't do that no more do they.

Any idea on the charges & when they plan to start.

As of 1st June 09 Nationwide will charge 1% on withdrawals using their visa debit cards abroard.

The same charge will also apply to credit cards, the credit ccard charge kicks in 6th May 09.

More on this in this link

The UK Post Office credit card does not charge for withdrawls abroad so long as you credit the card first before making the withdrawl.

Pay it into your UK Nationwide Flex A/c and just take it out when needed .

Unfortunately the (N/W) will now be charging you a 1 % Vias fee for withdraw/trasaction etc. but its still a lot cheaper than the other Vultures (banks)

Tell the UK pens outfit that you are living in LOS and you lose any yearly update which will/soon be index linked again to pay levels (new EU regs applied) origionaly introduced by Babara Castle under dear Harold but Thatcher the scratcher pulled it back in the 80s...

Chok dee ...

3rd Try inter net ...slow.....

Just for info, the post office has a credit card which still don't charge when withdrawing abroad so long as you credit the card before making the withdrawl.

As a Brit, one reason of logic that prevents me from buying gold is, I believe (maybe incorrectly) as gold increases (and oil for that matter) the USD weakens, therefore leaving the position from GBP perspective almost neutral, am I mistaken in this assumption? as I would like to be able to benefit from the situation with gold...

your logic is... shall we say "seriously flawed"? because your assumptions are plain wrong . without going into details take a look at some (approximate) figures.

approximate cost of one ounce of gold in Sterling

feb 2001 = £ ~220.-

jun 2006 = £ ~335.-

jun 2008 = £ ~500.-

apr 2009 = £ ~600.-

Thanks Naam, for clearly presenting this argument. At first glance it appears to dispell any concern with buying from a GBP perspective.

I am of the current belief that USD will weaken against GBP between 10 to 15% in the next 6 - 12 months. Therefore to be a gold investor I would need a rise from gold of at least this before making any money from the transaction.

The IMF gold selling should push the gold price down, which then maybe would make a good opportunity to buy gold.

From a GBP perspective buying gold at say $850 when GBP/USD is at 1.47 would require gold to rise above $1000 before making any money if the USD were to weaken 15% to 1.70 GBP/USD.

On the Longer term, I don't think its a concern because currencies remain relative to each other whilst gold, I believe should push on upwards, but at least for the next 12 months I am unsure.....

I'm a bit confused, maybe I read this wrongly, I just saw another clip of Jim Rogers with him stating the IMF are selling their gold and he would currently not be a holder of gold with all that supply available, he said he would be a holder of oil.

Arran, just saw that interview. Jim is a good guy. He is a longterm investor. Jim's views on gold are that right now might not be the best time to buy unitl we see how the IMF ploy plays out. However, he said if they drive the price down, then he reckons you better buy it then as that will be one of the last great buying opportunities in this bullmarket. I would wait to see, you may be able to get it at under 700USD, maybe less. However, gold is the sort of thing to accumulate over a period of time as this bull market will last another decade or so, IMHO. 

As a Brit, one reason of logic that prevents me from buying gold is, I believe (maybe incorrectly) as gold increases (and oil for that matter) the USD weakens, therefore leaving the position from GBP perspective almost neutral, am I mistaken in this assumption? as I would like to be able to benefit from the situation with gold...

I'm a bit confused, maybe I read this wrongly, I just saw another clip of Jim Rogers with him stating the IMF are selling their gold and he would currently not be a holder of gold with all that supply available, he said he would be a holder of oil.

On Bloomberg today it was announced Jim Rogers is predicting Gold will rise significantly in the next months. Apparently the movement of the price of gold moves similarly in tandem to the S&P 500 index.

If this is so then what will this do to USD currency, USD weakens as gold strengthens no ? Therefore USD will weaken against its basket of currencies, including GBP ?