UncleFrank

300,000?!

Somebody thinks you are stupid and is taking you for a ride.

Typical, I may add.

As long as Thailand has great food, cheap hotels, cheap booze, cheap "companions" and huge amounts of sunshine there will be tourists to enjoy them... Its the law of supply and demand.

Not if those foreigners are unemployed!

Or now subject to pay freezes grrrrr.

Not if their retirement nest-egg has been obliterated!

Long way off from retirement but I certainly lost a chunk of change until I moved out of the stock market last year at the start of the meltdown. Locked in my retirement savings for a year at 5% and I am giving thanks daily. I have been planning to retire by the time I was 50, but I have a hunch I will have to work until I am 55 to be able to live the life of farang luxury I need. (You know 2 ply import toilet tissue, proper English biscuits, a bottle of french wine, not the overpriced Australian plonk, and some American processed food. )

Not if their currency as depreciated by 10 to 20%!

Or more.

Not if their job might be on the line!

Yup, I'm surprised I was let go last round of layoffs. Even Pfizer is letting go some of its R&D people, something like 1000, shedding tens of millions of $$ in salary.

Travelling or travelling to LOS --in that case-- is no longer cheap or wise!

The airfares have gone up. Compared to the year before I paid 20%more on my flights in Oct & Nov., 10% more in Dec. & Jan. and am having leaking bowels looking at the costs for March and April.

If costs have come down, how come I am looking at crazy assed prices for a short term rentals in Phuket for my family that's coming to visit for Feb and March?

Phuket has become one big rip off. Scam the visitor is the theme.

A friend was recently planning a trip there.

The hotel wanted 950 thb to pick them up at the Airport.

To be honest, they don't appreciate the tourists they do get.

Tourists are being harassed and cheated in record numbers and making reports back home.

The word is Thailand is becoming the Land of Scams. A lawless place where foreigners have zero rights.

Travel agents are now telling people to stay away

Saw this on the Stickman site a while ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/

The Tourist Police could stop allot of this if they wanted but they are corrupt too.

Thousands and thousands of properties to look at, that's for sure.

If you need a place to live for the next 10 years, then, it might be a good idea to buy a place.

You are divorced.

Anybody interested in your case can look it up in the Court records.

Next.

Do the family a big favor and just die.

That's what they are waiting for.

How much does it cost to build a high-rise condo these days?

I heard something like 65,000/ meter.

Typical.

Just another scam.

I even hear they have been selling fake city tours at a tour office in the airport.

The company sells you a 'city tour' and they take you to gem shops, ripoff tailors and generally scam everybody.

No temples as they are "closed" today!

Try calling the Tourist Police or TAT and you will be disappointed with their response.

Thai double pricing visitors?

I'm all for it.

You see, I never go to the tourist attractions so it doesn't effect me.

In fact, I'm pleased it is happening. Thousands of tourists are going back home and telling their friends that Thailand is a ripoff.

Too many tourists around here anyway.

Here is what travelers are saying about Thailand.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari...-8&oe=UTF-8

In a few more years, I'll have the place all to myself.

Next time, get the place in order before the inspection.

I'm sick of hearing about renters wanting their deposit back when they leave a mess.

Nail polish on the sofa? Candlewax on the bed....

The perfect storm. A building boom, a financial crisis, and a Government/people that chase away the investors.

Also, I notice an increase of rude behavior and blatant scamming going on. That turns off buyers.

Take Sukhumvit Soi 11. There are quite a few of high end condos down there.

I walked that Soi the other day. Had to pass 20 or 30 scammers blocking the sidewalk, hanging out harrassing every farang they see. Dozens of Taxies or Tuk Tuks that will not take you. They are there for one purpose..to scam a new arrival.

It's turing into a rotten scene. Why are all these people allowed to hang out and do this to our visitors? Who would want to invest in a place like that?

Starting to see new ghost buildings on the skyline.

Should be some property auctions on the calendar soon.

50,000 / meter was the going rate for grade A, 10 years ago.

I recommend the Nikon D90 and the 50mm 1.8 lens. Add the SB400 flash if you have the means.

That is a great setup.

I'll take another look.

Thanks.

Where to buy filo dough?

The guy was dumb to marry a bargirl but give him a break.

This situation is fairly typical.

I had married a Thai girl from a respectable family. Ended up crazier than this bitc-h.

Get her back to Thailand and report her death threats to the Embassy.

Good luck.

A unit in my building sold for 85,000/meter last year.

Nice building and top location.

More details on your place please.

I recently read there are 22,000 empty units available within 2km of the Skytrain.

Prices are dropping like a rock and some projects are now being abandoned.

Thailand is less attractive these days. Coups, mobs, terrorism, tsunamis, scams, corruption, lousy police force, factories closings, the TIT factor, are all taking it's toll.

If you are under 50 and unmarried, you cannot even stay here long term. No investment VISAs.

hel_l, if you read what the PAD are saying, they would like to get rid of foreigners.

A 10% discount doesn't sound very exciting at this stage to be honest.

Prices in my home town are down at least 30%.

Thailand is about to feel the pain too I'm afraid.

Tell him the bill should be sent to your book keeper.

Next.

You know what the fine is for scamming a tourist?

1,000thb.

This is old news. The Thai Gov. investigated itself and found no wrong doing.

Case closed.

Members of Thai Hi Society were photographed wearing the jewels.

I have been told the huge, blue diamond now belongs to the son of the unmentionable one.

An investigation led to the seizure of the stolen jewels by Thai police, but when the items were returned to Saudi Arabia many turned out to be fakes, including the returned Blue Diamond.

A senior Thai police officer was found guilty of murdering the wife and son of a Thai jeweler deemed connected with the case, but the stolen items have never been retrieved.

Shortly after the case Saudi Arabia banned Thai labourers and prohibited its nationals from visiting Thailand as tourists, depriving the kingdom of millions of dollars in lost income.

As I recall, that cop tied up the wife and kid of the jeweler and put them on the road, at a curve, had them run down by traffic.

Are the AOT Limo Touts still misleading arrivals in the baggage area with signs posted in the baggage area "warning"(scaring) passengers...suggesting regular taxies cannot be trusted?

The AOT limo service gets 900 thb for a trip into Bangkok vs a Taxi Meter for under 300. Multiply that by 30,000 arrivals and you can see the huge potential.

It's been a game by airport management since the place opened.

Misleading "warning" signs and AOT "sales agents" in the baggage claim

Allowing a mob of touts to harass arrivals.

Lack of signs, pointing to the taxis.

Hiding the taxies on a different floor from arrivals.

Attempts to overcharge visitors that do find the taxies.

People in uniform cheating and lying to arrivals.

Security blocking passengers from accessing taxis on the departure level.

Along with all the other ripoffs a tuorist encounters, it must be leaving a bad impresion on visitors.

I thought Thailand needed tourism? Shouldn't tourists be be nurtured instead of being abused?

looks like they are mothballing this project.

The best access is from Soi 11 I submit.

Many hotels at reasonable prices too.

A variety of restaurants and a decent supermarket over there.

The pre sliced commercial wheat bread I buy for sandwiches is at the Villa. Comes with a green wrapper.

Toasted up, it's pretty tasty.

Earlier, I recommended the J.W. Marriot Bakery for bread and sandwiches.

Same same for the pizza.

Some of the best I ever had I tell you.