MJP

Thais call them Takab, and are also very afraid of them.

One of my university students who lives alone in a ground-floor dormitory unit was bitten on the neck when sleeping and couldn't move for three days because of the excruciating pain. After laying in agony for that amount of time, he finally gained strength to crawl to the nearest clinic (across the street) for treatment.

Enough of a story to earn my respect for these creepy-crawlies.

Cough mixture. Drink that. Apparently that works. Dunno why . . .

To call any copuntry hel_l on earth and call thailand heaven on earth in comparison to it is a big insult to any country. Thailand is no where near and never will be heaven on earth.

As some else has said. The locals in the Phililppines are alot more freindly than the locals in Thailand. Out side the tourist area's in Thailand the locals are ok. Alot of them do still say bad things about farangs when they think you cant understand them ( i know i speak thai ) . But in the tourist area's the some of the thing i have heard said about farangs is awful. Vene the the tourists are stood right infront of them spending there money in a shop. Many thais can still only sad bad things about farang and laugh to eachother about them.

My advice to Farangs who live here and like it, and also think the local thai's like them. Is DONT ever learn the thai language. If you do you will quickly understand you are not really welcome here even if you are spending money

Honest.

I hold the opposite view, that if you don't learn to speak, read and understand Thai well, you will never feel at home here. I do and feel perfectly welcome.

You might want to seek therapy for your sense of paranoia.

As always, YMMV

I think that's fair comment.

So, are there any money makers out there?

I've not spoken to every Farang out there but the ones I have spoken to have never made anything worth

shouting about. At least thats what they say.

I think you have your answer. I might live out here. But I never forget that my money to do so comes from,

a. The West.

b. My profession/trade.

I know Westerners that have sort of 'made it' out here, but they've been established a very long time and their incomes are still not that great. I also know that in truth, they feel trapped and a little paranoid. Not that happy.

This is a great place to be based (on external income) or to visit for long periods of time.

Its not the sex, its the lie that emotions exist that is dangerous and leads to many of the horror stories we read about daily. Some guys are stone cold and dont care, but lots deep down want the girl to feed the illusion of true positive emotions and feelings that simply dont exist. Paying for sex is one thing, paying for a lie you so desperately want to believe is sad and pathetic and leads to nothing but heartbreak and trouble.

A quite brilliant post.

Not really 'what a Thai girl can do' but what my girl does

for me, one of the sexiest things is when she just casually pats the back of my head while I'm driving (this can often lead to quite a vicious ear tug and a declaration of 'man kieow') or, when we're walking around hand in hand, puts my hand on top of her head (yeah i know it's a little weird!) or when I catch her looking at me with a kind of half-smile. The playful stuff that isn't particularly Thai or pertaining to any culture just normal playful stuff.

Also, given the language issues (mine and hers) the depth of conversation and emotions we are still able to express.

And just being able to have a laugh and a joke and lazily enjoy each other. I find that incredibly satisfying.

Now if I could get her into a 7-11 uniform as well....

I agree entirely, but could you change the 7-11 uniform to one of those gals at DTAC... They are HOT!

Ever seen the Tiger beer girls? Blimey! Can't tell if that dress is body paint, there's only so many ways you can look at your watch.

I've already said no.

If it were to be a money maker then it would more than likely be put in my wifes name.

Good choice.

You can get time unlimited usufruct and of course a lease on land, this I recommend. Also if you have children, put in their names, its all about the kids anyway.

Where I live the going rate is 1k a year, and land costs between 20-35k per rai to buy.

Yes, I second that, same here.

Bought 8 rai for 200k, cane sugar in 2008.

MJP, Stick to your ride on lawn mower!

I've only got a little electric push mower. The wheels keep falling off.

It's making a funny noise now too.

How many other countries in Europe have been helped by Goldman & Co ?

Wall Street helped dig Europe's debt

"Wall Street tactics like the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in the U.S. have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece by enabling European governments to hide their mounting debts.

As worries over Greece rattle world markets, records and interviews show that with Wall Street's help, the nation engaged in a decadelong effort to skirt European debt limits. One deal created by Goldman Sachs helped obscure billions in debt from the European Union budget overseers in Brussels.

Even as the crisis was nearing the flashpoint, banks were searching for ways to help Greece forestall the day of reckoning.

In early November – three months before Athens became the epicenter of global financial anxiety – a team from Goldman Sachs arrived in the city with a proposition for a government struggling to pay its bills, say two people who were briefed on the meeting.

The bankers, led by Goldman's president, Gary Cohn, held out a financing instrument that would have pushed debt from Greece's health care system far into the future, much as when strapped homeowners take out second mortgages to pay off their credit cards."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...n2.4c5ae02.html

goldman faces special audit and possible ban in Europe

http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2...es-special.html

Last thing I heard was GS were 'doing God's work'.

Some cheek innit?

I commend this post to the house.

If you're going to drive in, take one of these.

But will I be able to get it insured?

It weighs 80 tonnes and is armour plated . . . insurance in itself.

It's a good idea. I've lived in apartment buildings in the past and break-ins were rather common.

It has little to do with how you look, what you have, or some of the other remarks. Thieves target places and farangs are good targets. A security door is a good deterrent.

Sister has them fitted to her rental apartments. Brutal looking things.

Also, think about the padlock. I recommend one like this, difficult to smash off.

Tell that to the Australian that was killed there recently over $2 in his pocket even though he had lived there for 2 years

Cambodia, anywhere outside the main tourist areas are a crapshoot

You should already know that and it is not risk of losing a vehicle

You could be killed and no one would give a dam_n or even know where you were, while they drive off in your truck

If that is a risk you want to take, good luck

I commend this post to the house.

If you're going to drive in, take one of these.

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that if you are that worried about security you should find another apartment. By placing the security gate over the door you are advertising the fact that you have something worth stealing (as you note), second it probably won't make you too popular with the neighbors. Instead of investing in all that why not find a more secure place for a few baht more?

As for the cost, not sure what kind of door was installed for 10,000 Baht. If that was the kind that stores use, the roll up, roll down that might be a good price, I don't know. But for reference, I had a wall of one inch square steel tubing welded together, with vertical bars spaced about 6 inches apart and then short horizontal bars connecting those at intervals of about one foot. That was about 2 meter high by 5 meters wide, and contained a large door of the same type. This was to front a large open air lanai or porch area. The entire structure with mfg., painting, and installation was something like 6,500. A single door like that what you need would probably cost less than 2000 B. Every neighborhood has welding shops that construct that kind of stuff so you could tell them what you want and get an estimate.

I paid 2200 Baht for my back gate here. It's 1.4m wide by 1.8m high, but it's not like one of those security ones.

Reckon on about 5k.

I get those in my bathroom had 2 in last week. I pour cleaner on them and they die. They seem to live behind the tiles. I kill them as soon as I see them. I saw one come out from between the tiles in the grout .

Might be time to get the tilers in.

I had one, the other day, on the front patio. Also one giant mutha of a scorpion about 8 months ago. That's been it.

I've found a new tourist attraction for round here.

The potholes are now so big, you could build hotels and gift shops round them, have viewing platforms and helicopter tours.

Here's a picture of one of them, just round the corner as you head into the next village.

Cheeky b@stards.

I think these little beggars can sting ya.

We sometimes get them coming up our drains into the bathroom, but I'm in the sticks, it's expected.

Give him the cheap coffee then maybe he will move on.

A nasty does of Nescafe original should sort him out.

Oh, on a similar note. A mate from NY who lives round the corner found that sweetener (you know, that sugar alternative 'orrible stuff) kills ants. Don't need that much of it either (very expensive). Just pour a few sachets around the nest . . . gone!

That was like 30 years ago and then some. Population explosion, development of Chindia . . . come on now, it's changed, consumption is huge now.

I still think all this, Gold's Up!, USD's collapsing!, Markets are going to tank on Monday! stuff, is just light entertainment . . . when clearly there is no ambition to change from the model of needless over-consumption, primarily to satisfy the imaginary numbers of a handful of evil men.

It's no more consequential than watching X-Factor.

I don't by the way. The fiat money value bit.

Your making an argument about the peak oil theory. That is a different subject, it has nothing to do with money and credit.

There is no possible way, 0% chance for the same amount of consumption to continue, it is all a function of low interest rates. All low interest rates and debt does is squeeze longer periods of production into shorter time frames. Excessive debt causes (X)amount years of economic activity to be squeezed into less years because all if the final payments on the activity was deferred by (X) amount of years. That is why a boom has to be followed by a bust, its as predictable as gravity. That is why during booms(low interest rates), there is unusually low amounts of unemployment and during busts there is unusually high amounts of unemployment.

Very good, actually the best ever explanation I've read about boom and bust. Shame you weren't the UK's Chancellor for the past decade or so.

I'm glad you mention it can never return to the old massive levels of consumption. Consumption equals production, and if you weren't a welfare state dependent slacker, although you thought you were making money before, you were being worked to death. To no real end, other than have no employment at all in the bust stage. I'm having this out on another forum right now.

The thing I'm getting at, is all this jiggery-pokery simply BS until the oil runs out? Is there any pressure to change? Any motivation, as long as the jiggery-pokery side show rolls on?

Can it change? Does it need to change? In what time frame? Is it already too late?

Maybe I'm not making any sense at all.

The current cycle has run its course, its not the end of the world though, things will bust and reset just like they did during the Asian financial crisis in 1997. All the mumbo jumbo that you hear of is just people trying to figure out what the best way to profit from the bust is.

I'm not so sure about 'profit' rather than 'protect', what they already have. Well, for most folks.

Naked shorts accepted.

Yes, what I find is people have no clue as to timescales. I find many think it will reset by this year, whereas I can see this rolling on for 5 years (?), minimum.

Who knows?

It's no more consequential than watching X-Factor.

It really is hard to believe there is anything more important than X-Factor although Brad and Angelina's relationship is obviously a cause for concern.

That made me chuckle.

Do you get it though? I mean am I right in saying this? All this relentless UP DOWN UP DOWN stuff . . . . it makes no odds in the long run as the whole shabang is based on something that's going to run out sooner or later.

I dunno . . . guess I'm just trying to reconcile what I think is the real big picture.

Branson warning about the 'oil crunch' the other day. Well, if so, it's over. All this FX, CDS, MBS, CDO, AAA, BBB, that's all it is . . . letters.

Nope, your totally wrong. Because of low interest rates all over the world, we probably burned 20 years worth of oil in 10 years so when the system busts, we will have way too much oil infrastructure and capacity then we need for the following bust years.

I guess you're right, it all depends on peak oil. It all depends on geology.

One thing is . . . I might have a few more refineries to knock down and dig up. Sadly.

That was like 30 years ago and then some. Population explosion, development of Chindia . . . come on now, it's changed, consumption is huge now.

I still think all this, Gold's Up!, USD's collapsing!, Markets are going to tank on Monday! stuff, is just light entertainment . . . when clearly there is no ambition to change from the model of needless over-consumption, primarily to satisfy the imaginary numbers of a handful of evil men.

It's no more consequential than watching X-Factor.

I don't by the way. The fiat money value bit.

Your making an argument about the peak oil theory. That is a different subject, it has nothing to do with money and credit.

There is no possible way, 0% chance for the same amount of consumption to continue, it is all a function of low interest rates. All low interest rates and debt does is squeeze longer periods of production into shorter time frames. Excessive debt causes (X)amount years of economic activity to be squeezed into less years because all if the final payments on the activity was deferred by (X) amount of years. That is why a boom has to be followed by a bust, its as predictable as gravity. That is why during booms(low interest rates), there is unusually low amounts of unemployment and during busts there is unusually high amounts of unemployment.

Very good, actually the best ever explanation I've read about boom and bust. Shame you weren't the UK's Chancellor for the past decade or so.

I'm glad you mention it can never return to the old massive levels of consumption. Consumption equals production, and if you weren't a welfare state dependent slacker, although you thought you were making money before, you were being worked to death. To no real end, other than have no employment at all in the bust stage. I'm having this out on another forum right now.

The thing I'm getting at, is all this jiggery-pokery simply BS until the oil runs out? Is there any pressure to change? Any motivation, as long as the jiggery-pokery side show rolls on?

Can it change? Does it need to change? In what time frame? Is it already too late?

Maybe I'm not making any sense at all.

It's no more consequential than watching X-Factor.

It really is hard to believe there is anything more important than X-Factor although Brad and Angelina's relationship is obviously a cause for concern.

That made me chuckle.

Do you get it though? I mean am I right in saying this? All this relentless UP DOWN UP DOWN stuff . . . . it makes no odds in the long run as the whole shabang is based on something that's going to run out sooner or later.

I dunno . . . guess I'm just trying to reconcile what I think is the real big picture.

Branson warning about the 'oil crunch' the other day. Well, if so, it's over. All this FX, CDS, MBS, CDO, AAA, BBB, that's all it is . . . letters.

I agree,markets are dumb and the CDS imformation is less useful than absolute debt to income levels. Still, though dated, those were some pretty extreme debt/income percentages Abrak posted, if accurate.

I think that you have to be careful attributing pension and social security liabilities to public debt. These are the liabilities if pension schemes, as is, remain in place. The reason they werent on the balance sheet before is because it was argued that the Government doesnt have to pay them - they can simply cancel pensions. I dont think for one minute any of these Governments are going to honor these commitments. But this wouldnt actually be a default.

I would guess the numbers are fairly accurate (although they are subject to assumptions like GDP growth.) As I mentioned the ECB said the average pension and social security liability for Euroland was 330% of GDP (actually that was just pension fund liability)(and that was based on optimistic assumptions.)

What I do find rather pathetic is that given the future liabilities that all these countries have due to an ageing population (it is not as though you can cancel health care) there is not the slightest attempt by anyone to actually balance their budget now.

Do these budgets mean anything? Is economics little more than a theory and an incorrect one at that?

I think the whole thing is one giant fiddle . . . until the oil/cheap energy runs out. Then it's all over.

That is what people where brain washed with in the 70s. The Fed lost control of the money supply and covered it up by saying that oil was running out when really the only thing running out was the value of the USD.

That was like 30 years ago and then some. Population explosion, development of Chindia . . . come on now, it's changed, consumption is huge now.

I still think all this, Gold's Up!, USD's collapsing!, Markets are going to tank on Monday! stuff, is just light entertainment . . . when clearly there is no ambition to change from the model of needless over-consumption, primarily to satisfy the imaginary numbers of a handful of evil men.

It's no more consequential than watching X-Factor.

I don't by the way. The fiat money value bit.

6000 to 8000 Baht for a Burmese Baby Elephant.

That's cheaper than a Honda C50!

What mpg can you get out of them?

So would you like and roam Bangkok's streets with these unfortunate creatures? Even being considered as holy animals by many Thais, treatment is not appropriate. One has no idea of how much pain it causes for an Elephant to walk on hot concrete, asphalt amidst pollution.

No I live in the countryside. Got a great big paddock too.

There is a great big one [elephant] in the village and everyone turns out to say hello when he's out and about.

Fantastic creatures.

6000 to 8000 Baht for a Burmese Baby Elephant.

That's cheaper than a Honda C50!

What mpg can you get out of them?

How much is an elephant?

I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons of either a new moped . . . or a elephant . . . for local personal transportation purposes.

Do they come in silver?

I rode one in BKK (the bigger one) when they first came out (and before the large one was released here) ... It was FUN! It needed the seat recushioned for it to have ever been comfy for my fatass!

I did meet a chap in Phnom Penh with one, it's a very interesting 'device'. He loved it, but he'd never ridden bikes before so I guess had no other reference point by which to judge the thing.

It does look ideal for 'rownd these yer' parts'.