JimmyCA

Boy the USA is taking it up the behind right now and decoupling looks to be wishful thinking. Might it finally be a very good time to be patient and see condo and real estate prices take a major dump before buying in Bangkok. Might it finally be a time soon for bargain hunting.

From my experience as an investor in Thailand for three decades, I have yet to see the price level of condo property tumbling down. I do see unsalable property, plenty of them in which the owners are not willing to sell or not in a position to sell. I like to see my belief corrected.

did you take a vacation in 97 - 99

Good place to lie about riches though

give me one good reason why somebody would participate in an anonymous poll and lie. i have met personally several well known members of Thaivisa and we discussed investing and finances. except for one their net worth was far in excess of a million dollars. big deal? i don't think so

that one you will have to figure out for yourself

for sure the TV posters are no USD millionaires

Songkran death toll rises to 180

BANGKOK: -- A total of 76 people were killed and 1,103 others were injured in road accidents on Sunday, the third day of the 7-dangerous-day of Songkran festival, the Road Safety Monitoring Centre announced Monday.

-- The Nation 2008-04-14

Any other uplifning news?

Maybe they might consider cancelling a holiday which encourages acting like a damm fool for 7 days.

WOW about 30% worth over 30 m baht or about one million US .......... very unlikely

I would guess many more are worth less than 5m than over 40 m

Good place to lie about riches though

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

It is all relative. If you live in a warm, developed country, this is perhaps true. For you. However if you live in a county with half a year of frost-rain-snow, both islands are sheer paradise

Sure, OK for a one time first time tourist eith no travel experience

If you'er going to travel halfway around the world, may as well pick someplace decent.

Pretty piss poor returns given the markets were way up in 06 and also up 07. My own portfolio was up 22% in 2006 and 11% in 2007. People should not count on some unknown sod for something as important as investments.

Hog Wash - Not everyone has the knowledge, the time, the ability or inclination to study and understand financial markets and financial planning. Many quite rightly are too busy living their lives to spend time 'investing'.

For these people, investing through fund managers is a very good option, they let the professionals take care of the investments while they go out and live life.

--

I'm almost tempted to ask how much your investments have fallen recently .... BUT .... I halt myself .... remembering I disregard ANY AND ALL claims made by people in Internet Forums on the subject of gains and losses on investments, on the stock market, with property and in business.

Even using "professionals" you have to be personally responsible or you can wind up with squat. Following your advise is how people slowly get screwed by "financial professionals" I meet alot of piss poor old sods in Thailand who did not pay attention to their investments. Over a fifty year period a good savings plan and a little time understanding investments are more important than your career choice.

As for my returns 2006 and 2007 are as mentioned, 2008 thru 3/31/2008 -15%, that reads minus fifteen percent.

Hard to find someone who is up EVERY year.

I am a US citizen of Korean descent marrying a Thai national... she is currently living in Switzerland. We want to reside in Thailand and run a business together. How do I become a permanent resident of the Kingdom of Thailand without renouncing my US citizenship, and what do I need to do?

To become a permanent resident of the Kingdom of Thailand will be hard to do. Probably takes many many years

My fiancee in Thailand finally got her I-129F (fiancee) visa. She has never flown on an airplane before. She wants a nonstop flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles. The only non-stop I know of is Thai Airways. The cost on the website is 29780 baht. Can I buy the ticket on the website for her using my credit card, and if so, where does she pick up the paper ticket? Or, should I send her 30000 baht and have her buy the ticket? Or should I go see a travel agent? The easiest option (I think) is to just buy it on the website. But is it possible for me to buy a ticket on the Thai Airways website using my credit card, for another person, and where would she pick up the paper ticket (she lives in a village up north)?

Thanks

Better to buy a round trip ticket.

She will get homesick in about a week or so ... or maybe you will be over your thaifever and need a break.

Like Swiss accounts, UBS can put together a nice wealth management portfolio for us for just $250,000 and despite the recent sub-prime write offs they still averaged 9-12% annual returns for that level of investment.

only in some wet dreams! UBS's "medium risk" portfolio yielded in 2006 ~6.25% and in 2007 ~1.50% and the "high risk" one was down 18% in 2007 even at an average 8% i'd accept UBS wealth management.

Pretty piss poor returns given the markets were way up in 06 and also up 07. My own portfolio was up 22% in 2006 and 11% in 2007. People should not count on some unknown sod for something as important as investments.

I offer my current thoughts here:

China is responsible for the falling dollar.

It really has little to do with the chineese and much to do with the US national balance sheet. Very high debt and shrinking manufacturing base have caused most of the decline.

Since the dollar became the reserve currency for international transactions after WW2 the US has not had to maintain a strong national balanse sheet like other countries to generate foreign reserves, i.e US foreign reserves = US domestic reserves = dollar reserves. Run low and print more. Keep printing dollars and you get to where we are.

Keep your investments in hard currency and commodities if you want to survive

I buy all my computer programs and movies in Thailand. Quality is about the same and price is much lower. F Bill Gates he has enough money.

Why should an actor or musician make 20 million when 1 mill is more than they deserve?

Don't these douchbag American companies know they have to compete on value to the consumer?

Wow, I'm glad that you're able to justify stealing the works of others. I suppose someone could find something of yours and take it because they think you have enough money........

Been happening for to me for 20 years. I have some patented machines which were copied by fortune 500 companies. I in the end we could not survive their unbelievablely expensive legal manuvering. Never any help from Uncle Sam.

So at the core it is, as always, the big guy is right and little guy wrong.

I'll take the copies thankyou

I buy all my computer programs and movies in Thailand. Quality is about the same and price is much lower. F Bill Gates he has enough money.

Why should an actor or musician make 20 million when 1 mill is more than they deserve?

Don't these douchbag American companies know they have to compete on value to the consumer?

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

Check Air Macau, Air Tokyo and Korean air

Thai culture .. Anything else new?

Better get working on 'Family Health and Happiness in 2009' before everyone kills themselves

Is the Office the one where they have the girls in long white evening dresses? Haven't been there for ages, but if pubs are going to be squeaky clean like hospitals, then what is the point of going there? I am a non smoker but I would rather be in a place with smoke and atmosphere than in one with just a few old men and no atmosphere.[/size][/font]

You sound like a smoker

Again farang always wrong

The little punk will be shooting someone in a year or two

well written .... hope he survives to write a book

Just Back from my holidays in thailand after a very up and down time.

What the offical may be thinking:

You met the girl while on vacation last october, called her a many times, saw her another time or two staying in the same hotel all within the past 6 months.

She has no assets, you have not reported if you have any assets or not.

You want a visa for her to go to UK for 6 months.

The official may wonder why a visa would be requested in the first place after such a short relationship..... what is the plan?

I imagine it would be very unlikely to get a visa based on the above.

Woman threatens to jump from 12th floor balcony at South Pattaya Condominium.

On Tuesday Afternoon a call was made to Police to attend the Marine Yensabai Mansions in South Pattaya to deal with a woman who was threatening to jump from a 12th Floor Balcony. The woman, later named as Khun Sopar aged 21, appeared to be in a highly agitated state and was suspected of consuming narcotics. Police spoke with the woman for about 30 minutes from a neighboring balcony. She claimed that she was forced to have sex with foreigners by a local pimp and could not face living anymore. Police called in family members and the victim's Aunt was able to talk her down after 10 minutes of conversation. The young woman was taken to Hospital where her mental state is now being evaluated by doctors.

Pattaya City News

Wednesday 9th April 2008

Give me a break

Jump already

i wonder whether any person with an IQ above 82.5 believes that kind of bullshit

In Thailand IQ is 81.75 so it is a very believable story

The long and short of it is smokers are pigs.

What debating society did you go to?

I have applied to several but so far not accepted

Hi,

If you are buying diesel for your vehicle, avoid the Shell station on Huay Kaew Rd (near Kad Suan Kaew). They've just tried to give me the V-power diesel instead of the ordinary diesel for the second time, at over 2 baht per litre more expensive. CMMCB

WOW!

LOL ................ GOT A ROLL OUT OF THAT ONE

I've heard a lot of negative stuff about living in the Philippines but nothing specific. Personally i loved it there during my recent short stay.

A few quickies come to mind..........

Not a good place to go to make money but neither is Thailand. Outside of Manila, the Philippines is probably safer than its reputation.

The girls are catholic and much more relationship oriented. If you are living in Phils many - many more "good" girls available, most with college degrees. Go go bar girls are not as good / wild as Thailand

The Philippino food is crap but the western food is better than in Thailand. Manila is a much bigger shithole than Bangkok

Monthly living is cheap, hotels by the day are more expensive. Beer is better and much cheaper. Beaches are cleaner. Many of the foreigners you meet have families. Outside 2 or 3 areas there are much fewer sex tourists than Thailand.

Easy to communicate, all speak English. Weather in The Philippines, like right now, can be cooler and breezy when Thailand is hot and humid.

One thing you can have in the Philippines are a few locals as friends .... not many but some.

Thailand is an easier place to spend time, Thais provide many many conveniences in food, entertainment, 7-11 etc.

If you can split your time between the two you have a winner.

Hi all !

Why are people on this site constenty negative about everyhing, there is an occasional helping hand but others thank you !!!

I have a particular aversion to posters who don't take the time to check their spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.

as for me, I rather have a particular aversion to posters who think they are something better than others, for the sole reason that the board's language is their mother tongue, coincidentally....

Never thought of that point of view ..... but I am better than the sods on TV though