philstone

Who knows what tomorrow (or next year) may bring?

who or what exactly is the "SET"? a lot of people talk about him/her/it. even on television the "SET" is sometimes mentioned. is it perhaps a "set" menue in a michelin 3-star restaurant somewhere in Asia? please enlighten me, i don't want to die completely ignorant

http://www.set.or.th/en/index.html

The Set is a index to measure the Thai Stock Market. It is like the USA Dow index or the German GDax index or the English FSTE 100 index

Well, showing my hand: I have been invested in the SET (and other markets) for many years.

At the present, even though I don't look at the SET weekly, let alone daily, I am still investing once a month into it. Frankly, if I can buy companies that I believe are good cash generators, with good management, at prices that I was buying them at 4 or more years ago, well, I am happy.

If the SET goes up 20% tomorrow, I'm not fazed. If it goes down 20% tomorrow....I'm not fazed. I don't need the money now or in the foreseeable future so its simply diversification of assets...and that, IMHO is never a bad thing.

Who knows what tomorrow (or next year) may bring?

Having you been investing since the hi of 1650 in 1994? If you had you would of been selling short the TTF index fund trade on NYSE. I would love to match my profits with yours.

I wrote the above to educate not to make fun of you.

Wish you luck with your investments.

I've called the other bank (halifax) it seems that, save an extraordinary BACs recall (usually only used against moneylaundered and organised crime) my money should arrive from its escape pod tomorrow.

The guy started offering savings accounts there and then! The fly travels from one spiders web to another it seems!

I was listening to the Iceland PM and he was very pissd off with EU countries, but he reiterated that the Nordic countries were helping him greatly, but the none-norse countries were very disappointing.

Whether he classes the UK as a 'Nordic' country is debatable but when a pressman asked him if the UK 'helped' Iceland he said he wouldn't name individual countries.

Why would someone put money in Iceland this must be a joke. Please put you money in America no depositor has ever lost money.

I'm sure the Brits (Downing St. 10) will step in and help; they won't let the three biggest banks go to the toilet without toiletpaper to clean their @rses...

BUT: it becomes more interesting by the hour:

Iceland Central Bank Receives 4 Billion Euro Loan From Russia

By Tasneem Brogger

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Russia agreed to lend Iceland's central bank 4 billion euros ($5.43 billion) to inject liquidity into the financial system, the bank said.

The loan will run over three to four years and cost as much as 50 basis points, or 0.5 of a percentage point, more than Libor.

Russia's central bank declined to comment immediately.

Iceland's Financial Supervisory Authority said today that it had taken control of Landsbanki Islands hf, the country's second-largest lender. Kaupthing Bank hf, the largest bank, said the central bank had agreed to lend it 500 million euros.

--Bloomberg

Note: Wasn't there an Icelandic bank handing high deposit percentages ?

LaoPo

I have to admit you known much more than me but how come I have money a lot of money lately betting against the pound and euro does this mean that the money is flowing once again to the America banks? It looks the pound goes 155 to dollars by xmas of this year.

All of us have to pray for peace

You with you own words have explain to us why you do not understand America. I suggest you go there for at least 2 years before you pass judgment.

Sir, I built my own businesses in the Americas, both in Canada/Alberta; Edmonton and the USA/California; San Francisco to be precise, with my own money, NOT for a Bossy.

I assure you that it is not easy to create/build a business, 12 hours flying (and a time difference of -9 hours) away from where one lives...but...I did it.

Next to that I created, founded and owned business(es) in most western European countries, Thailand, Hong Kong and China and while I'm writing I'm in the middle of founding another -very exciting- business in a country with 1.3 Billion people...China, rolling it out into 3 European languages/countries, within the next 2 months

Now, if you would be so kind to inform me about your business experiences ? I am all ears since I'm never too old to learn something new from others.

Another cookie with your in the meantime perhaps ?

In the meantime it's a BLOOD BATH in Europe*** on the various stock markets, whilst at the same time, as I write, the Futures on Wall Street show there will be a RED opening...

Have a nice day, wherever you are.

*** as it was in Asia

LaoPo

I am glad to hear you are very successful. I was lucky my family was in the steel business and I received huge amount of US Steel and with that I own a Coal Company. I was lucky others dig the coal and I deposit the profits nothing could be sweeter and easier At age of 74 just rich and stupid I guess.

LaoPo

The reason I ask is because for NON-Europeans it's quite easy to talk about Europe, not realizing at the same time there is an EXTREMELY COMPLICATED demography in Europe, not just qua Population - Currencies - Economy - Banking system - Languages etc. etc. but also regarding Mentality.

You with you own words have explain to us why you do not understand America. I suggest you go there for at least 2 years before you pass judgment.

LaoPo

The reason I ask is because for NON-Europeans it's quite easy to talk about Europe, not realizing at the same time there is an EXTREMELY COMPLICATED demography in Europe, not just qua Population - Currencies - Economy - Banking system - Languages etc. etc. but also regarding Mentality.

Thanks

I agreed the European Banks are twice as stupid as America Banks Also who would want to live in Europe another reason real estate is more overpriced

Phil,

Come on, I asked you in the other global correction thread to stop over indulging on the booze before posting. Appreciate the contrarian views, but no one is going to take you seriously.

I have your advice and stopped drinking and joking around Please remember this post of mine

The only thing more predictable than European glee at American economic trouble is how quickly it fades amid Europe's own problems. So no sooner did Der Spiegel publish its latest eulogy for American power last week ("The Price of Hubris") than European banks had to be rescued one after another. The euro's recent fall of about 5% against the dollar is further proof that the credit mania was a global phenomenon and its aftermath requires global responses.

In contrast to the U.S., Europe has no lender of last resort. The European Central Bank was created to manage the supply of euros, not to rescue failing institutions. It can provide short-term liquidity against collateral -- which it has done admirably so far. But it can't ease a solvency crisis. ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet can provide intellectual leadership, but in Europe there are 27 separate national purses and no central treasury.

The ECB's limitations aren't necessarily bad. The Federal Reserve has been stretching its powers to the limit, if not the breaking point. One goal of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson's plan is to put the burden of injecting capital into the U.S. banking system where it belongs -- on the political authorities in the Treasury and Congress. Europe should be wary of damaging its central bank by loading it up with new, fundamentally political, powers.

That doesn't mean Europe's leaders can't step to the fore with public capital and the power to resolve failing banks before they become systemic threats. Last weekend the governments of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg agreed to inject €11.2 billion into Fortis. On Tuesday, the French and Belgian governments bailed out Dexia bank.

National capitals have also acted alone. The U.K. seized Bradford & Bingley and sold the mortgage lender's retail branches and deposits to the Spanish bank Santander. In Germany, a consortium of private banks, backed by state guarantees, stepped in with a €35 billion credit to Hypo Real Estate, one of Europe's largest real estate, project finance and local government lenders. That rescue looked in doubt yesterday, amid friction between the government and other banks over who would pay.

Meanwhile, governments have been acting on their own to guarantee bank deposits, starting with Ireland which guaranteed for two years all deposits, bonds, senior debt and lower Tier-II debt of six Irish financial institutions. That drew the ire of other governments, as British and other depositors flocked to the Irish banks to take advantage. This is one of the drawbacks of separate national responses: It creates "depository arbitrage" and gives some banks a competitive advantage. Berlin gave in yesterday, and said that it too would guarantee all private bank deposits.

The rescues of Fortis and Dexia show that ad hoc cooperation in cross-border cases can work. An advantage of these spontaneous responses is that they don't require new legislation or new institutions, which the EU usually requires years to draw up. French President Nicolas Sarkozy hosted a weekend summit to discuss the crisis, but it produced little but promises "to do whatever is necessary," as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown put it.

An alternative would be to establish a temporary Continental resolution authority, with enough power and capital to put out fires across the Continent. The European Investment Bank could act as such an authority. Its board of governors is made up of the finance ministers of all EU member states. As a public agency that issues publicly guaranteed bonds, it could set up the rescue fund relatively quickly.

However Europe responds, at least we can look forward to less gloating about America's predicament. Global cooperation is essential in what has become a global panic.

My hunch is that the costs of the European banking crisis will surpass the US in the next 6 months.

Unlike the US, European banks are going to get hit from two directions. The banks are going to have huge losses in their US mtg investments and also experience losses in domestic real estate investments.

European real estate as a whole is more over valued than the US. The common opinion is that the loans are more solid than the US, but decreasing real estate values will erase the safety. If in doubt, take a look at what is happening now in the US. The US loans were solid before values dropped.

I'm amazed how many are amazed that US banks didn't see this catastrophe with signs aplenty. I'm even more amazed European banks didn't see the crisis. Why were they investing in US mtg securities when it was so obvious they were a mess, and why were they ignoring the domestic real estate bubbles?

I agreed the European Banks are twice as stupid as America Banks Also who would want to live in Europe another reason real estate is more overpriced

"the basic mortgage industry situation in Europe is BY FAR not so bad as in the U.S." I have a funny feeling that I will be refering back to this post a few months from now

The Europeans are very good at blaming America and keeping their head in the sand WW I, WW II come to mind. Their banks are more screw up then America however their leading are better lairs The Europeans will be betting America for help soon. Also they are ripe to a Russia take over when Obama becomes President. Europe Wake Up

Your passport can NOT be blocked. The embassy can get you a new passport. You should however report this to the embassy that this particular shop owner is blackmailing you for you passport and threatening to sell it on the black market. The US will be very interested in their dealings. The US embassy works closely with the Thai police, and when the US government requests something it is carried through. It is known as politics.

Go to America Embassy claim he took it from you with asking to write the passport number. His word against your.

Iam wanting to buy townhuse in Thailand just out of Bangkok, What are my legal rights if i want to have the townhouse in myname? Also anyone know of good website which has townhouses for sale? Thanks.. Tinytot

You can buy no problem but it has to be in someone else name. The Problem is they can sell it and kept the money not you. No problem I brought 28 homes in my wife and her brothers name. As long as I kept buying they will not be selling. Being I am short the world stock market and is very very very rich no problem. Hope I helped you.

Einstein said "It is better to be gennerally right, than precisely wrong."

No, a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand.

For the very few who find a way, congratulations to them.

Stop this BS

I had no troble buying land in Thailand I have just brought 450 Rai of land in wife name and her brothers name what is your problem just trust your wife and her wonderful family

Governments around the world have actively demonstrated that they are willing to take the steps necessary to protect depositors cash, we've seen that in a range of countries as banks have been nationalized, taken over and subsidized - we've also seen some countries go to extreme measures to provide/increase deposit insurance.

The Royal Bank of Nigeria will always have enough to pay the savers as they get their money from swindling foreigns. I get 20 per cent a year guarantee by the Nigeria Government what more is their to say. Check with Ali Ben Ali.

Thailand will have no trouble as the Farangs will just have to send money to the family . And remember many on this board have be taken care of by rich Thai families is money food and most of all value land in Isan to build they huge house now they will just pay them back

Poison in Cadbury chocolate is really going to far, is nothing sacred.

Its beyond the pale, mate.

Having worked with some Chinese companies though, its not unusual for them to try to get an advantage whatever the stakes. Safety or health comes a distant second behind profit margins.

They also seem unable to produce safe goods in any sort of consistency. I think they have assembly lines in some of the factories over there that actually add child's-throat-sized bits to toys, that are dipped in toxic waste for added measure before boxing and shipping.

First Iraq and now China I Known what country is behind this just think about it.

I heard on the news this morning that some Canadians have found out that the Chinese have been moitoring Skype...looking for politically sensitive ords such as "bomb" or "tibet"...............

well it occurred to me that if every Skype user was to add the word "Tibet" to their message, name or phone call it would probably overload their systems....worth a try??

We are so important that have nothing to do but listen to our calls. Even America would not waste their time on your calls wake up stop dreaming.

The answer is with the consumer , do not purchase ANYTHING in the line of food or edible goods that have ANYTHING to do with China .One cannot always be sure of products because it is not always on the packaging , but read the whole package , any lettering etc with an inference of China , do not put it in your shopping basket .

I thought the United States had cut down on agricultural products , even to the extent of paying farmers NOT to produce , could be mistaken , any one with a few FACTS on this ?

The USA does not pay milk farmers not to produce for 40 years. The USA want free trade. Check the tax for milk products from America and from China. Milk products are taxes as much as wine.

I am absolutely astonished that more isn't being done about this situation. I wonder how long this has been going on before it came to anyone's attention. The Chinese are a SICK country, with a SICK population and if they want to poison themselves, then so be it. I just don't know why they have to export their poison and stupidity.

i just want to know why some sick countries and sick companies are importing chinese poison and stupidity. do you have an answer for that?

Its about time these countries buy milk and from United States and not thinking cheaper is better.

This will happen for yes to come. Buy farm goods from the country that feed Europe after World War II

How soon the fools forgot.

Come on now...

I'm retired, 54, married to a NON-BG ( family has twice the money I could ever hope to have) and ready to take on the world...

I live here because it is just that much better than elsewhere..for right now.

Some of us retiree's just might surprise ya!

Sorry to say PM me your in the laws electric bill ( I bet free electric) and yours I already send copy of mine which you can see is 17,600 baht for last month.

My in laws are richer then yours because my wife and I gave them money. My wife was a *****. So there

It's about time that this now inane thread be shut down. Really, the prices of electricity since the thread started compared to the current prices, are not the same.

Don't people have better things to do with there time than add current comments to a very old poll? The poll results are virtually worthless.

Most claim vast wealth huge homes farms offshores accounts made futures shorting the market and dollars made billions investing in china big real estates bigger lawyers and married to Hi So Women.

Be thinks you are all very poor and it hurts to spent 5,000 baht

I use Anglo Irish and believe me have been trying to get to the bottom of it.My Money is in the Isle of Man and is safe under the Irish Governments 2 year thing.Guess that means offshore.

EPG.

Never check these banks are fakes you will be crying soon.

They are all owned by New York Bankers

So, have you got a work permit?

I have a freind that just sold his bar for 4 million the only problem is it costed him 9 million.

The milk can be reduced to powder form - used in all sorts of products.

The main problems are that the melamine protein is not digested by the human body - thus it is deposited in the various cleansing organs such as kidneys and liver - there it can form kidney stones and damage liver, spleen and so on.

As in China this is not limited to one commercial company but goes back to the collectors of milk from the farms who deliver to many different milk processing plants, then it is best to avoid all milk / milk derivative products in SE Asia at this time.

What do all you China lovers say now?

This maybe a silly question ,but can a farang get a mortgage ?.

i'm looking at buying and renovating some apartments that have been offered to me .

any advise welcome .

Their are many bank in the United States that will lend you money to buy property in Thailand even with no money down some even have no interest you have to be Congress Person to get one.