disgruntled

Thanks everybody for the speedy information.

I also asked a question in the business section about cashing US savings bonds overseas if you know anything about that. Maybe I should have put that here.

Is it possible to register to vote for the Nov US election here in Thailand? I don't have an address inthe US from which I have ever voted or which I 'used' to live at? My sister has been getting my mail for about 5 years but I have never lived at her house. The house I used to live at in the US has been sold and now there are new people living there. Is it possible to register from Thailand as a homeless expat or something like that?

Just curious if it is possible to cash some old US savings bonds here in Thailand? I have no idea where it would be done if it were possible. I'll do it in the US sometime inthe future if necessary. Anyone know about this? The bonds are just for a thousand bucks or so each.

Stepping outside, he kissed the ground for the cameras and then turned away and coughed up a big slimey mucus ball which he spit out on an air hostess' shoe. Then with a smile, he winked at Samak who handed him a handkerchief.

Well there are a lot of people here who don't like dogs. If your dogs ran around just once as a pack and harrassed someone that person might want revenge. One day at my old school five people besides myself were bitten by a bunch of dogs a teacher was raising. The dogs were okay at home but when they got out of the yard and were around strangers they went wild. Everyone had to get rabies shots. I felt like poisoning them at that time but that was after the attack. You don't know how it feels until you are being attacked. Every owner says it wasn't my dog etc etc but the newspapers tell the truth with so many dog attacks each year leading to the deaths of small children and even some adults. If a dog hurt my child, I would go for the dog and the owner. It's as simple as that. know where your dogs are.

Anyways, I'm sincerely sorry for your loss. I would watch out for a potential break in as the others suggested too. You never know.

Lots of poor people up there in Roi Et. No one cares in this country. Could even be the forestry people who took the stuff. Sorry for you. You can plant cashews but someone may steal them too. I used to live in Chantaburi a big durian growing area. Out there I always heard of people coming with pickups and cleaning out the orchards at night. The only way to have security here is to live onthe land or have your relative live on it.

The effect of higher pork prices has resulted in the small shops, which have their already cooked food displayed in metal trays, using chicken to replace the pork. So when I go out to my usual place often they do not have the stir-fried basil with pork as usual, but they do have the same dish with chicken. One of Thailand's most popular morning and lunch dishes is PadGraPaow or the stirfried basil with meat as I mentioned. A Thai friend whose family has a small daytime restaurant says 70% of her orders are for that dish.

One thing that surprises me is that today the US markets are closed but I can't see any notes about this on the sites I regularly view. Just strange.

There are a lot of crumbling rock formations on the road from Chantaburi to BuriRam. But you know if you just ask some people in Surin I'm sure that it's avaiable somewhere there and they would rather see your cash staying in Surin than going to some other province. Southern Surin must have some.

This week should be interesting for news.

I have to say that despite inflation being high in LOS the shoppers are still filling the malls. In fact, people in the malls seem to be on a buying spree still. The inflation news is out across asia but still hasn't seemed to have kicked in with the masses. With Samak going nuts over people criticising his ignorance, I see some investors loosing further confidence in LOS. Samak may be one of those 3 month PMs indeed.

The US seems to be in a news lull at the moment. That's why I think this week should bring out some new economic news. Right now it seems to be all about merger talks. Yahoo talking to Murdock is much more sickening than a tie-up with Microsoft. The airlines all seem to be running for partners. I wonder if the mergers will go through. I see the successful combos with so much coverage doing something Thai Airways has done with its Nok air service. Continental and Continental 'Breeze' low cost service or something like that. Who knows?

Spread the wealth and opportunity- marry a poor girl.

How much do those go for? Do you need to have a Mac to use it?

Good point. And it doesn't just happen in Thailand. People are judged all over the world this way. Money means much more than people are willing to admit.

On a similar note right now there are people kissing the azzes of the wealthy all around the world. Everyone does it. They do it at investment companies, banks, real estate offices, restaurants, shopping centers, hair salons, care dealerships, resorts etc. Shoe shine, Mister? Or is it Master?

Where did they find all the stuff for the Angkor temples? There must be some around Surin. Maybe you could get some near the border with Cambodia.

You know, you really look like Hannibal the Cannibal in that getup.

I thought your were supposed to drink the blood fresh out of a duck for events like this.

It's freaky Friday! I think yesterdays news has yet to sink in with US investors. Lets see what happens tonight. The rollercoaster is just starting to pick up speed.

Try checking with the Khmers they used to own the place. I bet you will find an older name over there.

It's funny how there are plenty of Leuk kreungs on Thai TV but very few white parents of them.

One more thing that came to mind is big cities tend to get bigger and the people who migrate to them seeking riches tend to make the people who own the land in those cities richer. Ex. bangkok, New York etc. now apply this idea which seems to be true worldwide to countries that allow massive migration. the countries which allow the most people to come and live and work there should benefit. So the US and other societies which allow people in should see more wealth.

Another point: America needs fat people.

One thing America does produce is food. If everyone in the US decided to eat less a lot of business would be lost. Keeping people fat and keeping them trying new exercise equipment and programs etc means money moving around the economy. Fast food will do the same for all countries around the world unless governments take away people's freedom to eat. We ban alcohol but would we ban other foods in the same way? Don't see that coming with equal force.

You guys really seem to know something about something as your know all the jargon. I take the negative side on what's happening. I just hear too much bad news and analyists, brokers giving wishwashy answers - they are sure but then they won't commit. I really would like all their statements inthe media to be recorded and verified somewhere so they can be labelled as BS men or not. As I said I'm a little nobody, who doesn't just sees things from the perspective of someone without a lot of experience in this. In fact, I got a D+ in Macro Economics or was it micro economics well, anyways i should have done better. I went to Lotus the other day and wow! prices are up! I found out its cheaper to buy those cooked hotdogs from 7Eleven than it is to buy them at a discount supermarket like lotus! It's crazy. My friend told me that a package of butter that used to be 37 baht is now 47 baht! that's 20% inflation or something like that! 7Eleven said it would raise prices on 500 items about three months back. I just see inflation going nuts here. It may not impact the rich but it sure will make the little people think about what they want to spend their money on.

I was thinking about another golden rule of life for the world we live in: Generally the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. IF you believe this then apply it to your view of investing in companies. The rich big companies tend to get bigger and the little ones linger on. Okay its not perfect by why wouldn't it prove true for companies. When the markets go up it seems that very few S+P companies are moving. Is there any truth to this idea for companies in the markets? Oh, of course some rich companies will screw up and lose their wealth. this would be the same as the son who squanders his daddy's fortune on hookers and whiskey. It happens but its not the standard.

The quality of air in Thailand is horrible! What you see is in your lungs! Why do people accept this? We drink 'clean' water from bottles yet we breath in endless numbers of pollutants when we breath. It's silly. The FDA should just lower the standards for bottled water to that of the air. If the air is fit for inhaling then those same particles surely should be allowed in bottled water. It's all a big stinkin' joke. We and our children are going to suffer from this.

Sounds like the US dollar will remain weak for the next decade or so unless of course we enter into world war 3 or something drastic happens. No real info to support this other than Bloomberg interviewees. I have dolalrs and I am not getting my hopes up. There's no reason to support the dollar as those at the top are completely free to put their money anywhere in the world. It's the average Joe who doesn't know or have the time to manage moving their money who will suffer. The world is being raped by people in finance and the people whose money they manage. How can you compete with someone who has people managing their money 24 hours a day moving it all over the world. Laundering money was a good way in the past for those in illegal businesses to hide it. Now, the idea of moving money is making the wealthiest even richer. I guess its something like day trading on speed. But who knows maybe I am completely wrong about this.

One of my students said she had a job cold calling people in Western countries. I asked her if she had heard of the movie Boiler Room. She had. I'm not getting into it. She's a student in one of Thailand's top universities. If this country cared about anything they could easily develop etc. The people in charge, in power, and the elite know exactly what's going on here. 2008 will be another year of prosperity - for them.

I use public transport in the greater BKK metropolis. Almost everytime we head into town the drivers go between 140 - 160 kms per hour. I like to sit in the front seat so I watch their speedometers. One day we were doing 130 about a meter from the car into front of us. I guess you don't need to be responsible as a driver here in Thailand. Most van and bus accidents in Los involved poor people dying.

What are your opinions on the hotels on Sukumvit Soi 8.

I used to stay there quite often but not so often lately. One place I used to like was the Promenade hotel. I thought it was okay but two weeks ago when I went there with my wife I was disappointed with the lack of upkeep. The rugs were horribly dirty, the bathroom ceiling looked miserable from water leakage from the room above. One electrical socket was falling out of the wall too. I guess it's on it's way out or something. The final thing that blew my top was when the cook who brought food for room service came into the room after I took the tray she had at the door. It seemed she wanted to take a peek to see what kind of action was going on in the room! I think she was a bit jealous of the girls who she must see coming in and out all day long with foreigners. I wanted to smack her for that! Well, For 1,200 baht that's it with the Promenade for me. They need to get their act together.

I also used to stay at a hotel near the intesection with Sukumvit. I can't remember it's old name. Now. it's been redone into a new place called 'Siam' something. I guess it's clean and has bigger TVs. It's 1,200 baht a night too I guess. When I stay down there again I will try that one or some other one so long as I don't have to wlak a mile to get onto the skytrain.

Does anyone have any information about the hotels on that Soi and their prices? Oh, and if the hotels are in a bit do they offer the free tuk tuk ride to the entrance. Also what is the full name of that new hotel that I mentioned?