somluck

It seems to me housing loans are very hard to get?

My gf is thinking of buying a condo but getting a loan is proving to be quite hard. According to her, for new developments (newly launch condos) its easy to get loans but for older condos unless you plonk down more than 30-50% of downpayment its impossible. Another way i have heard is to spend some bribe money to get in touch with a bank's loan manager. And the 'commission' due is relative to the amount of the loan. And the rate it seems starts at 20K.

Currently we are looking at the condos in town-in-town area price is between 1-2 million. I this a fact? My gf is from upcountry so not savvy to such things.

This is a step in the right direction if/when it happens. Next they can legalize gambling and have casinos, that will sure bring in the tourist dollars

Always enjoyed his shows especially the reruns where he looked so much younger.

RIP Keith

I was with a friend when she did hers in Hatyai. Was with her throughout the ordeal. No prior visit to the hospital/doctor and no follow up visits need after. Day surgery, flew in flew out, rested a day in the hotel. Total cost less than 50K

I believe after puppet master Prem is gone (i give him a few more years) then Thaksin will return to his rightful position as PM and save the Thai people.

Is this just a rumour? Did not see this being posted in the newspaper clippings

Months ago, bingobongo predicted that thousands of yellow and red shirts would die fight for their cause. Thus far, only a handful have died, but the year is still young.

To have civil war on a full scale, those with guns need to get invloved. The army is putting up an united front and dun seems to be spilt. So unless the police are willing to fight them.....

Whom?

the longest-serving democratically-elected Prime Minister of Thailand

The first Prime Minister of Thailand to complete a full term in office.

The firstt Prime Minister to win elections by landslides.

What do you think? In any case what the south is experiencing is already a small civil war

I am not aware of any kind of retirement visa for Singapore. They want expats to work. You might consider Malaysia, similar food anyway, and they have a formal retirement visa that provides alot more security than Thailands; however the application process is more onerous.

I checked into it a little bit because I am working in Singapore now and getting to be old enough to start thinking about retirement. If you are over 50 years old, a foreign national can retire to Singapore if you are prepared to invest S$1,000,000 in the country. If you are less than 50, there's an additonal option in the sense that it's pretty easy to get an Employment Pass to work in Singapore, and after working there for awhile you can apply to become a Permananet Resident. The PR needs to be granted before you are 50 though. It looks as if once you have PR status, you could quite your job if you wanted to and still remain in Singapore without needing to in invest S$1M.

My husband works at singapore. He ha been working there for two years.

Now he had applied for PR.If we get PR for my son (He is now 3 months

old.)and give up PR after 6 years without commiting for National Service!

If we return to our motherland after 6 years for his secondary education.

Shall getting PR for my son will affect his future? Kindly make a good advice

I do not think kids on Singapore PR are liable for National Service - only citizens.

Under the Enlistment Act, all male citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible for national service when they reach 16½ years old. The length of national service is 2 or 2½ years of full-time service (NSF), and upon completion they are required to serve 40 days a year as an Operationally Ready National Serviceman (NS) until they reach 50 (officers) or 40 years old (other ranks).

If you are a first generation PR under the Professional, Technical Personnel, Skilled Workers Scheme or the Economic Benefits Scheme, you are exempted from NS. Your male child will be eligible for NS upon reaching 16½ years old.

For more information, contact:

Central Manpower Base

3 Depot Road

#03-07

Singapore 109680

The idea of tontines was first established in the mid-1600's by an Italian banker, so they're certainly nothing new (and definitely not Thai). However, with its "last survivor gets it all" nature, I don't think I'd want to get involved in one anywhere, especially in Thailand.

Yes I googled that. But the thai version doesn't have to do with anyone actually dying before the payout...there is an 'expiry' date. It's more like a cheap loan for those who needs it and a interests generating investment for others.

Thailand has really lost its way on this. There was once a time when the country was a model for HIV education and programs to combat the spread of the disease.

Yes it seems the good effort of Dr Meechai has gone down the drain...SAD

I find most thais i know especially all the ladies like to partake in this tontine scheme. There seems to be one going on everywhere at anyone time....between families, friends, at the office etc. Some even see it as a form of savings/investments. Is this unique only to thailand?

But without weapons Thais are pretty weak fighters. They don't dominate free fighting matches or stuff like that. Asians are just not as strong in general and if you get the best of the best foreigner wise and the best of the best thai wise the thai will always loose.

Yes, all those Olympic martial arts medals were purchased with "tea money"... I think that you have never been up against a "pound for pound" Thai boxing champ, otherwise the ass beating you received would have stuck with you...

Not to mention that Thai fighters feature regularly in K1 max fights.

I have attended dinners organized by the local army barracks, almost everytime someone would get drunk and whip out a gun and that's when most people like me will duck under the table.

The second point is on the election system - changing from a large constituency to a single-MP system with new rules for proportionate MPs, from 80 MPs representing eight zones to 100 party-list MPs from across the country

This is a very unfair way of representation

Maybe he ought to listen to all of thai society, via an election , not just his master, thai hi-so.

Who is Abhisit's master?

Prem the puppet master

Oh yes! The champion of the poor!

Private jet

Premier league football club

Diamond mine

Private Mediterranean island

Billions in cash and assets (and I don't mean Mickey Mouse currency) hoarded away; some frozen

Thousands of rai of prime land

What have I overlooked?

Why can't a rich tycoon be a champion of the poor? Thaksin was/is one of the richest man in Thailand but that is still far from being the richest in the world

IMHO Singapore is an expensive place to live as compared to its neighbouring countries.

Reproduced a factual report here about the pros and cons (mostly cons) of living in Singapore for expats

Things you might not like about Singapore

Singapore is a wonderful city to live in. It is clean, green, extremely efficient, and is home to very friendly and hard-working people. However, there are certain aspects of the country that remain unpopular with expats living in Singapore.

Rule-bound

The first criticism against Singapore is its strict rule-bound culture. There is a penalty or fine for even the smallest offences, considered harmless in most other countries. This has led to labelling Singapore as a "fine city". In fact a t-shirt souvenir sporting this slogan on the front and pictures of the penalties and offences on the back is very popular among tourists. There are fines imposed on littering, jaywalking, smoking in most public places, failing to flush a public toilet after use, urinating in elevators, accidental breeding of mosquitoes, carrying durians (a tropical fruit with a strong odour) on trains and buses, eating or drinking in trains or buses or even on the platforms, possession of pornography, indecent exposure and unnatural sex, and chewing gum!

There are posters and signs at every juncture - public transport, parks, office buildings, elevators, shopping malls, libraries, residential apartment complexes - which are hard hitting, prominent and difficult to miss. Asians find it easier to accept these strict enforcements of rules. However, this culture can leave others feeling perpetually policed in a sterile environment with the feeling that their personal freedom is being infringed upon.

Hot and humid weather

If you are relocating from a country where you enjoy the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter), then the weather in Singapore is going to take some getting used to. It is hot, humid and sticky most of the time with sudden and unpredictable rain-spells. Day-time temperatures hover around 32 degrees Celsius and humidity level at around 84%. Most expats find the humidity hard to bear and prefer staying indoors in air-conditioned comfort. The city is often described as a ' giant sauna ' ..

Small country

One of the disadvantages of Singapore is that it is a country, state and city all rolled in one.. It has an area of 692.7 sq km and is slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington DC .. Singapore is unlike other countries, where you would have the option of inter-state or inter-city travel and you could explore the region during weekend getaways or holidays. People who re-locate from Australia, Europe, America and other parts of Asia miss having the option of driving down to the nearest town or city for a short break - because there is no other city to drive to! The only option is to drive across the causeway link to Johor Bahru in Malaysia or to explore the nearby islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Uniformity

One of the stark features of Singapore is its uniformity. The public housing estates consist of tall and wide blocks closely packed to one another and have the same elevation and facade in every single locality. The city greenery, which includes trees and shrubs that line the roads and avenues are all pruned to the same level and planted at equal distances. As you drive through the city the uniformity is bleak and gives you a sense of artificiality. This uniformity can sometimes get boring and unnatural. In fairness, some of the new residential buildings have adopted more modern and experimental architecture which is a welcome change.

Limited access to entertainment and adventure activities

It is easy to exhaust most of the entertainment and recreation options in Singapore . Once you have explored Sentosa Island , the Zoo, Bird Park and Night Safari, there is little else to do except to ' wine and dine ' and ' shop till you drop ' . It is no wonder that shopping and dining are the national pastimes here. Many expats from Australia and America miss their outdoor activities - such as bush walking, cherry picking, weekend theme-based festivals, parades etc. Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Chijmes, Holland Village and Orchard Road are the popular dining and shopping hubs. After a point, these too can get boring and repetitive.

The BBQ experience at the BBQ pits found within the compounds of condos comes nowhere close to the experience of a natural BBQ outdoors. Although Sentosa Island boasts of three beaches, it can be quite a let down if you are looking for the typical beach experience. These beaches have an artificial feel and are reclaimed using imported sand from neighbouring countries. Even the palm trees are said to be purposefully planted to give it a natural look.. These beaches do not have waves and expats who are used to surfing, resort to alternative beach activities (beach volley-ball, roller blading). The water is murky and people usually refrain from taking a dip and avoid snorkeling. Due to the dearth of natural rock climbing sites, wall climbing has become more popular in Singapore.

Decoding Singlish

English is widely spoken in Singapore . However, you will find Singaporeans ' speech peppered with Singlish. Singlish is a portmanteau word made from Singapore English. Singlish borrows terms from the Chinese, Malay and Tamil languages. There are certain expressions like ' lah ' , ' leh ' , ' ah ' , ' meh ' , ' lor ' used to punctuate sentences. Sentences are not complete and are more like phrases, without prepositions and are spoken quickly with a distinct Singaporean accent. Singaporeans also often use the word "can" in place of "yes".

It can be frustrating for an expat to understand what is being communicated but it eventually grows on you. The government has launched an aggressive ' Speak Good English Movement ' , strongly discouraging the use of Singlish. It is not used in everyday formal business interactions, presentations, meetings and job interviews, but if the population is largely comprised of locals, Singlish may be used to build rapport and inject humour. You cannot escape it when you interact with taxi drivers, hawkers and shop keepers.

Materialistic culture

Singapore is infamous for its materialistic culture. Increasing number of brands are making their way to Singapore to woo this brand conscious nation. Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Cartier , Mont Blanc and other luxury brands never go out of business. You will often find long winding queues of eager customers outside their doors. Materialism rules the roost and has led to a society of arrogance, selfishness and greed.

The society is highly individualistic and people are impatient to get rich. Most work-place conversations among colleagues centre around property, shares and higher salaries. It is a society that operates on the "time is money" principle and so everything is fast pace - walking fast, eating fast and increasing the speed of all activities. According to a study conducted by the British Council, Singaporeans are the world ' s fastest walkers, which is also indicative of the pace of life in the city. The Singapore materialistic dream is summed up in the 5 C ' s - cash, car, condo, credit-card and country club.

In an article published by the International Herald Tribune as early as 1994: Rise in Materialism Prompts Worry about a Moral Decline: With more Money Fewer Values?, there are some interesting insights by international sociologists on Singapore ' s rampant materialism. J.A.C. Mac kie, an Australian political scientist said that Singapore had become "the quintessence of consumerism and materialism." Although Australia has a reputation for hedonism, contemporary Singapore , he said, "makes Australia look rather spiritual." According to Kanwaljit Soin, a nominated member of Singapore ' s Parliament from 1992 to 1996, "in the quest for material gains, there is a tendency to believe that nothing succeeds like excess." Singaporeans will go all out to live the good life - lavish dinners; branded clothing, footwear and accessories; sporty cars, expensive WIFI phones, exotic holidays, playing golf, the list goes on. Its all about the ' been there done that ' life, which appears shallow and meaningless to non-Singaporeans.

Singaporean Attitude

Most expats find it difficult to forge friendships with the locals. The general perception is that Singaporeans are too focused on their personal goals to care about anything else. A common criticism is that Singaporeans often find it difficult to hold conversations on a topic or issue that has nothing to do with Singapore and that they hold a limited world-view. Moreover, the political climate and rule-bound culture makes them submissive and non-questioning. They are also considered a pampered lot who never seem satisfied with what they have. Most expats give up on trying to understand the locals, as nearly all conversations would only end up being a list of complaints against the government or how difficult life is or the 5 C ' s and 4-D (4-D is the 4 Digit lottery where people bet on a 4 Digit number).

There is also a general lack of warmth among the people. This is especially felt by Indian and Australian expats as they come from a warm, outgoing and friendly society. Singaporeans hardly smile to anyone in public and are quite to-the-point in everyday interactions. It signals a mechanical, robotic and an unpleasant spirit.. Recognizing this Singaporean trait, the government in 1979 launched the ' National Courtesy Campaign ' in an effort to make fellow Singaporeans more polite, friendly and thoughtful towards one another. This culminated into the ' Singapore Kindness Movement ' in 2001. Despite these efforts Singapore still fails to exude warmth and spontaneous smiles. Singapore ranked amongst the bottom 10 out of a total of 35 countries included in the Readers Digest ' s Global Courtesy Test 2006.

Work Culture Differences

Certain aspects of the work culture in Singapore may be alien to expats and at times these may be difficult to adjust to. Expats from Europe and America often miss the convenience of flexible-work hours. The focus in these nations is on getting the job done, not on how many hours you have spent at work. However, in Singapore people tend to work beyond office hours, irrespective of their actual productivity.

Singapore ' s work culture can at best be defined as "Asian". This often means, respect for seniority and authority, and employing non verbal means of communication. Unlike Western societies, employees usually agree with the boss and prefer not to challenge their views or ideas regarding business related issues. Most Singaporeans believe in exhibiting a calm demeanour and speaking softly rather than being outspoken, loud and aggressive. This non-questioning attitude may come as a cultural shock to Westerners, who are often direct and explicit in their communication.

Personal relationships play an important role in business and these relationships often take time to develop. Another contrast that most Westerners encounter, is that Singaporeans need very specific instructions to carry out a task and most of their knowledge is book based.

Rising cost of living

Expats are often envied by the locals as it is assumed that being on an "expat package" naturally means a better standard of living. While this is largely true, the situation is fast changing in Singapore with rising costs of living. While costs have soared, salaries have remained flat. In recent times many expats have considered returning to their home country due to increased cost of living.

According to a report published on Forbes.com , Singapore is the fifth most expensive city to live in Asia . The report said that a two bedroom apartment costs 3359 US dollars a month; 200 US dollars more than the cost of a similar apartment in Paris . Domestic cleaning help, estimated at 8.50 dollars an hour, is comparable to that of Seoul ' s, which was ranked as the second most expensive Asian city. A good-table-quality bottle of wine will approximately cost 26.90 US dollars as compared to 13.99 US dollars in Tokyo.

The Goods and Services Tax has risen from 5% to 7%. Transportation costs have gone up. Inflation rose by 7.6% in April of 2008. Fuel costs have increased by 13% and rents have risen sharply in the 2007/2008. This along with the strengthening Singapore dollar, is causing some amount of unhappiness in the expat community here.

On a final note

After all is said and done, despite these complaints, Singapore is still considered a top destination for expats. Singapore was recently ranked as the ‘Happiest country in Asia’ in a study reported by ABC News. The city has a lot to offer - security and safety being its unique advantage. The city is clean and green, with fairly acceptable pollution levels. The government through its big-brotherly policies has ensured housing for all and encourages its residents to maintain a work-life balance. Residents live harmoniously despite their varied ethnic backgrounds.

I dun know what you are trying to infer but most Thais have at least some Chinese ethnicity in their bloodlines. The very first king of Thailand was of Chinese ancestry and even the present King has chinese blood

I don't know, but according to the CIA World Fact book:

"About 75% of the population is ethnically Thai, 14% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay;^[3]"

I guess it depends how far back you want to go, 50,000 years or more?

Not that far back, around 1000 years ago

History of Thailand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The history of Thailand begins with the migration of the Thais from their ancestral home in southern China into mainland southeast Asia around the 10th century AD.

It's Sanskrit. Celebrities like Beckham and Rihanna all have one.

This website could help you but requires payment

https://www.appliedlanguage.com/personal_tr...ranslation.aspx

The business side of football. Credit to his sharp eye for identifying and started the ball rolling for turning Man City into one of the richest club in the EPL now in serious contention for trophies. Anyway you spin it you cannot deny Khun Thaksin is a shrew business and marketing guru

If he was a real guru he wouldn't have been kicked out from "his" club and all memories of his reign removed from club grounds.

If was really shrewd he would have been running one of the biggest conglomerates in South East Asia by now instead of hopping from one wretched corner of the world to another looking for investment opportunities in some diamond mines. What next? Small arms trafficking?

That "shrewd" businessmen invested in oil and Dubai real estate when their prices were at their historic highs and suffered huge, huge losses just in a few months.

Well you can't have your cake and eat it right? He still came up tops on the deal financially....sold to the highest bidder and walked off with huge profit.

Shin Corp is/was one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand before he became PM so you can say Khun Thaksin has been there done that. Diamonds are as big as business as any...no concrete evidence of his huge losses but the guy is still travelling in style and luxury so the losses couldn't have been that huge if any

History will vindicate Khun Thaksin...time will tell

Bloody hel_l.

All he ever really did of note was to sack Sven and now he is a football guru.

The business side of football. Credit to his sharp eye for identifying and started the ball rolling for turning Man City into one of the richest club in the EPL now in serious contention for trophies. Anyway you spin it you cannot deny Khun Thaksin is a shrew business and marketing guru

Purely by chance.

He bought city and then had to get rid to the highest bidder because he could not get his assets un-frozen. What happened was not a "plan" of his.

Nobody becomes a billionaire and PM of Thailand by chance. For becoming Thailand PM by chance perhaps only Abhisit can claim that dubious honour, much earlier we had Narong Wongwan who was almost the 'by chance' PM

Traveling in Africa to look at diamond mines? Why do they keep wasting time, I'm sure they could easily find a crew of ex-special forces to take him out somewhere during his journey. I mean, hey, all they would need to 30 baht from everybody that DOESN'T like Thaksin and that would pay for it ++++.

Extra-judicial killing? Political Assassination? I thought you Thaksin haters like to rationalise your hatred by falsely accusing him of these crimes.

'his' diamond mine?

Can you really imagine that the African country concerned here would allow total ownership of such a valubale resource by a foreigner?

Reminds me of when he bought a stake in AirAsia. He didn't hesitate to say things about 'his' airline.

Well if he is a major shareholder it is not exactly incorrect to be proclaim as 'owner'. Why the nitpicking?

I think she will be given a royal pardon at sometime, however giving someone a pardon is making a mockery of the law unless an injustice has been done.

If pardons are handed out nilly-willy then there will be further disregard because they know they will get out of jail after spending only a short time there.

Personally unless an injustice has been done , all of those who break the law should be kept under lock and key if the punishment is serious enough to warrent it .

lest majeste cases are usually followed by pardons