SinCityGr8One

Interesting that this article regarding the USA and it's concerns about Human Trafficking in Thailand appears the same day as the story of the two Thai drivers charged with trafficking '400' Rohingya. Coincidence or Bad Luck? I am sure some one or more at the US Embassy in Bangkok are members of TVF and keep up with all the news and report their daily findings to Washington.

Belief in Superstitions is ingrained into the Thai culture. Nothing more and nothing less. People see ghosts or a ghost has infiltrated their body some how, leading to various illnesses in that individual. My Missus is on the laptop every night reading what tomorrow may bring for Her and me. She was born in the Year of the Rabbit under a Full Moon and I was born in the year of the Tiger. So each night she reads her and my predictions for the next day. Then it somehow involves the day of the week we each were born on. Mind you, She is educated and can speak 4 Languages. I've witnessed with my own eyes how deep this is for some Thai's including the Missus. Last Year, we visited her Parents in the Home Village. She began complaining about a stomach ache. First thing her parents insisted is that some spiritual guy come over to treat her. Yep, he took an egg and began rolling it around her stomach, all the while chanting and blowing smoke on her. He did that for an hour and that did not do anything. No surprise there! The following day, Her parents insisted we visit a Powerful Shaman two villages away who could take care of whatever it was that was ailing Her. They prepared a Palm Frond structure looking like a miniature Eiffel Tower. We packed up the back of the P/U with all sorts of offerings and we all were off to see the Shaman. We arrived at the Shaman's Home and began to unload the P/U. Out comes this 100+ year old Gentlemen who was going to take away the supposed evil spirits and the Missus would be alright. The ceremony was straight out of a National Geographic show. I couldn't believe what my eyes were witnessing. Incantations, fire, smoke, a sword held to the back of the Missus neck. I was not thrilled about that sword, but I was assured nothing was going to happen to her. Well, 3 hours later and 1 Thousand Baht lighter, His assurances were correct, nothing happened to her, as She still had Her stomach ache. The following day, I took charge of the situation and brought Her to a Private Hospital where she remained for 3 days being treated for a bacterial infection in Her stomach, possible caused by food and soon recovered. Superstitions only go so far with me. However, I cannot say, I am totally not superstitious, as I my self have taken Five trips to Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom to have sacred Sak Yankt Tattoos inked on my back by one of the master artist Monks there. So in reality, who knows?

I'm pretty sure that smoke that the Shaman blew in your direction led you to taking your missus to the hospital.

Let me clarify that more. The Shaman had some kind of white powder in his hand that he threw in a direction away from the Missus. He lit this some how and it became a HUGE flame out of His mouth, like some movies where the flames come out of a Dragon's mouth. He did this about 8 times while he was chanting his Incantations during the 3 hour period we spent there. I videoed parts of this ceremony with my phone, especially the Dragon Fire! I showed the Missus parts of this ceremony with the fire, but she was, I believe slightly embarrassed about the whole thing. The following day, the video on my phone was deleted. I asked the Missus about the deletion and she feigned innocence and told me, perhaps a Ghost did it because it did not want anyone to see the ceremony that was not there! Rrrriiiggghhhtt, I replied! Smart Lady the Missus is!

Most business owners feel one of two ways about projections. Either they feel projections are worthless because they cannot predict the future, or they feel projections are a mechanism to make radically optimistic assumptions that are not grounded in reality. These attitudes lead to meaningless planning activities for the future. Projections from Government Officials are like wishful thinking, hoping in the end, the data they had analyzed and also by reviewing previous history will enable them to hit the mark or come close to it. And, if their conclusions had been somewhat satisfactory, they will hopefully remain in your employed position until the next Quarterly projection is due. Or placed in an inactive position and see their replacement waiting in the Wings! Tea leaves, crystal balls, good luck amulets, palm readings anyone!

If Zig Zags are working and the Thai motorists are aware of what they mean then it's a good thing. I hope there is not a sign like this one from America located anywhere in the Kingdom.

But we are not in Europe.

Where is the "Thainess"?

Why are we following Farang Democracy?

They are following Europeaness.

Growing up in the NY Metro area a long time ago, it was pretty common for people in the neighborhood to fire their guns on New Year's Eve Night and on the Fourth of July. My own Grandfather who always carried a .38 revolver on him, did the same thing, firing 6 shots from his revolver out of his bedroom window into the air. As far as I can remember, no one ever reported or any event made the news of someone being struck by anyone's stray bullet. My Grandfather did that every year into his 80's until my Dad went and took the .38 and a .22 rifle away from his Dad one particular Fourth of July. My Dad told my Grandfather that times had changed and my Grandfather would have to change with the times. His Dad was pi55ed at him but gave up his guns. I never knew what ever happened to the .38 revolver, but I eventually received the .22 rifle which was acquired in the Philippines during the 1930's. It is still with my family in the USA. Shooting a gun in the air for celebrating is a Dumb thing to do nowadays and just as dumb 50-60-70+ years ago. This Tourist was very lucky that the bullet had lost most of it speed and energy from traveling that great of a presumed distance.when it struck her on the top of her skull and not soft tissue such as an eyeball. She started off the New Year unlucky that She was struck, but lucky that She survived.

I see Peter Schiff has some converts on this page, poor deluded fools. Who in hell tries to catch a falling knife, wait for it to hit the floor and pick it up!

$1,600 looked nice, so did $1,400. $1,200 looks like a bargain, a grand will look like a steal.

And at $800.00, SELL......SELL.......SELL..........!

What is a "union pay credit card"?

Am I alone in finding the original post incomprehensible?

Instead of a VISA or Master Card Logo, it has a Union Pay Logo. Read Post #1 and you will get all the details regarding a Union Pay Credit Card.

What a way to get people to come and worship Buddha! Is this religious? Is this instilling religion or even practicing religion?

Sure! The leaders managed to get thousands of to come to their temple. But at what cost? The temple should be closed for sacrilege and their leaders disrobed for this farce.

Or maybe this new tactic is a sign of the times. Come practice pur religion and you will get a prize. What a joke. Now I see why my wife doesn't want to be a Buddhist except as a show for family. It is no longer a religion and instead is a lottery drawing.

This religion of superstition and luck is as much a religion as the gambler in Vegas wearing his lucky underwear is a religion.

I don't wear any lucky underwear when I holiday in Vegas. I wear my "Lucky Cap" and dark sunglasses.

No worries Mate, if YOUR Heart is NOT sure, just move on with your life. Don't wait for someone else to break it.

The final consensus was She is far too Beautiful to have had any involvement in alleged criminal activity.

I don't know buses...but who would be the likely winner and from what country?

China?

I'm guessing, as I really have no clue, but would be interested.

I worked for a Chinese coach manufacturing company. I assure you, you wouldn't want to buy a Chinese coach/bus. Materials are cheap, crash testing is non-existent, technology is 20 years old, and anything slightly new is copied (patent infringed, should I say).

As for Thailand, a Chinese source is a likely winner, however, because cheap, user unfriendly, unsafe, and crap quality matters not here. What matters, and what mattered to Volvo and Scania, are the bent takings by the offerers of bids. The undertable corruption was something the Western companies had no interest in being involved in, especially when they realised the graft was ultimately reducing, or projecting to reduce, their end sales prices.

Volvo nor Scania need Thailand as an entity or major market to compete worldwide, and so it is another loss to Thailand which keeps it years behind all the other developing countries. I think I made myself perfectly clear?

Perfectly clear. It appears that Thailand is rushing to become another "Hub". Perhaps, the Hub of underdevelopment?

vtjforyou said:

I pay for this room 24 hours and I use what I want 24h.

I also have no respect for business owners, why should have ?

I wonder if you like staying at some of these places and find being able to stay there convenient for your needs at an acceptable price? With your attitude they are likely to be out of business sooner rather than later because with guests like you operating costs may well rise towards maximum achievable income.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like a programmable 'on timer' so i could set it to come on say 20 mins before my expected return.

For those of you who are troubled by being unable to leave the A/C on all day, if you pay for a 4 or 5* hotel you may well find that you can.

Indeed it will even be switched on for you before you check in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SinCityGr8One said:

we'll go back to the cleaned room to prepare to leave for the day or whatever and slip a room card into the slot for the A/C as we are leaving

For every action, there'a a reaction

Indeed there is. Action: guest pushes operating costs up. Reaction: hotel increases room rates.

I can afford to absorb the room rate increase. Can You?

Costa Rica is probably at the top of my list. The country is stable. No military.

Education and healthcare fantastic. Woman.... beautiful.

Do some research. Preferably, live research. VERY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.

I lived in Thailand for seven years. I am married to a Thai. Currently in Australia, - but I have my eye on moving to Costa Rica ... based a on about six months of living there (before Thailand).

I am done with Thailand. We miss many things about Thailand, - but it seems to have gone down hill.

COSTA RICA. Check it out!

Chok Dee! Adios! Buena Suerte! "Home is where the Heart is", and for ME, No Thanks, I'm staying in Thailand.

I don't mean to drag this off-topic. But considering Thailand's ghastly record of road safety, which regular car is the safest most crash worthy in Thailand? Which car are you most likely to survive in?

We need to take action. May as well make this thread something other than the usual sound bites.

If you are unfortunately going to be in an accident, I believe the best vehicle for surviving it, is in a Mercedes-Benz. IMHO.

I hope you are not an American, because the Thai Embassy in Washington and the Thai Consulate in Las Angeles had NO knowledge of it's existence. I don't care if any one believes me or not, but I had experienced it personally myself awhile back. I had to walk the Staff from both the Embassy and the Consulate to the mfa.go.th website and go step by step with them regarding the VISA. I was told by the person that they were NOT aware if anyone ever applied for one and that they were also not even aware of its existence. I had to wait 48 Hours for return phone calls to get the information I needed regarding the VISA. Shocking experience which I had not expected at all.

when we are talking about investment , i don't think depositing your money in a bank is a good investment , especially with the low interest being paid currently at max 2.5% (after tax) , and when you deduct the inflation rate per year , which is also around 2.5 to 3% , you are in reality loosing on the real value of your money .

I have to agree with Attrayant post , that real-estate investment is the best choice for a long term investment . an investment in a well maintained condo in a central location with a reputable developer will never loose its value with time , can anyone in this forum give me 1 example of a well maintained condo in a central location in Bangkok loosing its value with time? in contrary a condo will generate income more than a bank and increase in value with time to beat inflation .

The OP has 4 million to invest , it is not a very big sum of money , however he can still manage to buy a small well maintained condo in a central location with a reputable developer .

The problem with Condo Ownership in Thailand is that most properties appreciate at 1% or less per year. The wishful thinking Listing price by the Seller or Seller's Agent is just that, wishful thinking and is rarely, if ever the selling price. I can bet most Condo's sell for 10%-20% less than the Listed price. Haven't you noticed all the Condo projects that have been built over the past few years? Who is buying them? Who is buying all the resales on the Market? Why are all the resales on the market to begin with? Most importantly, why haven't they sold? If it were that great, there would be lines of potential buyers standing in line waiting for the sales office to open. There are some projects that are several years old and still have units unsold and available. 4MB will get him a closet sized well maintained Condo in a central location in Bangkok. The Condo Market in Thailand is flooded everywhere. A terrible investment IMHO.

Before you invest anywhere, access Wikipedia and search for "Rule of 72". It explains what length of time your money will need to double when investing at a specific interest rate. $XXXX @ 2% Divided into 72 = 36 Years length of time for money to double. There are various financial mathematical formulas regarding interest on investments. The Rule of 72, The Rule of 70, The Rule of 69.3. There is also a simple chart that basically shows in numbers what the story says in words. Educate yourself and then decide wisely. Knowledge is power.