bangkokburning

Our rent here in Huay Kwang is B2700. Flat is small and cramped but the location is good (MRT). Bldg is new-ish and very clean w/ security.

I would not want to live near Silom personally (unless it was back near the embassies) -pollution/noise.

You can find a great flat for B4-5000 but you have to look about. Take security seriously.

Save your money, you are a young man.

Philippines...better rethink that one.

WHY is the THB so strong? Tight money supply? Can't be foreign reserves, would that not weaken as the reserves US/EU weaken? Last time I heard they only were holding about 18 billion in reserve. The economy is ok. Inflation is on the move.

Is there a trading window that the BOT will disallow the THB from moving out of forcibly wthout propping it up on the open market (a real loser startegy)?

What is outlook next five years?!

I think it's a political move. The nation is very unstable and the last thing a nation wants is a downward trend in the currency. The difficult part is that it will ravage tourism along with all the bad news these last years.

Switch to spirits. Scotch you can drink w/ water or soda. I stay away from beer as I can and I love it. Precisely the reason.

Pretty Thai women like fat farang about as much as farang women do - not all all. Don't kid yourself. When I found out how much they are really down on it, I lost another few kg.

Not healthy either!!!

My experience is that the tests are 500-650.

IMPORTANT: THE TEST WILL NOT SHOW INFECTION UP TO THE LAST 90 (possibly 60) days. A bar girl has slept with DOZENS of men in the last 90 days.

The notion of you having sex with a Thai prostitute without condom is shocking. You really need to rethink that. I now have a gf of six months. DEF not a sex worker. She has though had sex w/o a condom with her former Thai boyfriends (last about >2yrs ago). We have both had tests ( when I was a player, I used to test every 4 mos). I have had multiple tests in last 2 yrs and 100% pos I am not infected. She is pretty much sexually inactive last few yrs so for me, one is ok and we have been monogamous for last six months. ONLY NOW does the condom come off.

Then as other have mentioned - do you have a hepB vaccine? what about all the other strains? Were you aware that Gonorrhea is many cases is now vitually incurable? Then there are warts (common) and HSV2. Chlamydia is a disease so many girls carry around that you are virtually guaranteed of getting it and this can be transmitted by a blowjob sans condom.

The girls, never test. NEVER. She may not even want to or not show last minute.

Really bad, bad idea.HIV is rife out here, no one talks about it. I'd put my estimate at about 15-20% of active working girls.

Bangkok Dental Hospital -I am a patient 8+ years. Dr. Chitsuda is great for fillings and such work. Suk 49 Thong Lor

You sort of know what ails you but don't draw conclusions until the situation is assessed.

Stay away from clinics! You never know about the work and sterilization.

Someone stated you can live on us300 a month. Not and have any sort of life, and I'm pretty kee niew and been here a long time. Best I ever did was about US400 when the THB was around 42. Its down 25% from there.

Some also stated this (may be) is a once in a lifetime oppty - you want to take a trip, eat something special, do something crazy. You sure should not miss Angkor Wat next door, that would be a crime. Flying is now so cheap there is also North Lao and North Vietnam as well as Bali. All good for a noob.

get a map. You can walk to the city center. You dont need a tuk tuk. lok on travelfish to get an idea for rooms. Enjoy!

TC's are a hassle and there is the tax stamp lowering the rate. If you go this route, bring big TC's AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE AMEX.

I've moved to debit cards over the years, but for two weeks and assuming your plan on spending about B1000 a day, I'd take it in large bills. I'd carry one back up debt card (use this and its B150 a pull!). Carry all valuables on you at all times! NEVER EVER trust room safes! Especially in Pattaya!

Farce, promotion!

Samui, Lanta <deleted>!!!!!!!!

I hope they mean the tiny islands surrounding Khao Lak

Parts of Kradan are nice but too rustic for anyone who is reading that tourist promo trash for sure.

Pha Ngan perhaps is your best bet - the internet thing is a show stopper. BEWARE AND CARRY AL YOUR VALUABLES DO NOT LEAVE ELECTRONICS N YOUR ROOM>

Providing they are allowed on the flight!

Option: buy a ticket on AA to PNH bus to Siem Reap (the most stunning temples anywhere in Asia!), re-enter Thailand (for speed) and bus to VNE, heard north in Lao up to Luang Prabang and points north

Check the train schedules online. The only Thai train that runs down there now is AC, The fans stop in HY. So, your worry is to get back up to HY relatively quickly. Waiting in that station would be a bit dire me thinks.

Another option is to take a mb to the border from the station (b55) and a bus back (b40). That's the way I'd been doing it in recent years.

I think I can give you some decent advice here. First, this is an endless debate on this board. I will drill it down to your specific question based upon my years in Asia. YOu first should know that I only eat Thai food. I love the stuff. If you fancy a pizza - add b200+ a crack. McDonalds B125. I only use fans to cool my flat. You may not be able to tolerate this in April/May. Transport, where are you going? If you are going to and from on MRT/BTS this can be anywhere from B40 to B150 a day. Need a Taxi...?

Another factor is the that you are new here, it's not that you are going to get ripped off, but it will take time (money) for you to find out how (and to speak some Thai) and where to get the best prices. You have factored in ZERO incidentals.

How much for just food (including water), clothing, and electricity/transportation?

Food - B105-140 minimum. Oats/fruit in your room (god for cholesterol, heart and fiber. B15. two meals "lat khao" B60-85 (in a market as low as 20-30per for ready made), fruit B20 (2) and a snack/sweet B20. Water can be had per liter out of machines B1-B1.5

Clothes, bring your own. The clothes here are not farang size and poor quality, often funky styles/colors. Clothes last a long time.

DTAC has good per min prices 1/2B and now promo for Internet

Buy a computer abroad. I recommend the new Asus line of Netbooks.

Unless you have a one year visa and have no plans to travel abroad you must factor this in as well

My total expenditure is B25K. Includes: All living expenses, visa runs, some medical, all dental, transport, toiletries, medicines, transport, misc, alcohol (I only go out 1-2 times per month but drink 1L of modest scotch a week). As well as small trips and paying for my girlfriend as well (backpacking/camping).

When I was a hardcore backpacker, I could squeeze by on about B18k per month living on the road with no sacrifice to lifestyle or alcohol consumption :-).

Power, B6 is about standard, if you pay more you are getting ripped, your mgt pays about B3.5. Up to you what you use. An old fridge is a killer for sucking power. AC uses ABOUT B6 an hour.

You need to ask us exactly the items yo wish to know in regard to budget. Think hard because yove missed a bunch! restaurant with a pretty girl/boy (or movie), Trip to the beach (or BKK)...

Thailand is no longer cheap, esp if you fancy a farang lifestyle.

You sure you want to be in the market now??

How much are you charging for that unsolicited anonymous advice on the internet?

Maybe the OP wants to buy leveraged short ETF's.

Merely by asking the question my hunch is he doesn't even know what a short is and shorting what are essentially mutual funds (85%)?

But it sounds from your comment you also sense a bear is in the air (shorting).

Scott Trade and Fidelity also hae us8 trades now. I'd go w/ Fidelity. During the crises, they had no issues come to fore.

Yeah, the device is meant to be displayed in plain view, that way it is a visual reminder to turn "it" off

I have to laugh. In 17 years of traveling in Asia. many, many years in Thailand I have never taken a domestic flight. The buses and trains are fast and cheap.

The notion I private company, especially ones that get nothing but grief from th e govt need subsidize Thailand's expensive hotel industry and package business has me OTGLMAO.

Much of the price of a plane s getting it off the ground. Others prices are fixed same for dom/intl. So about the only other variable is volume. Why don't they cry about insane airport taxes?

Take a bus!

Jimi, you fly China Air as well? Hope to west coast. Mine is to east and the flight is DIRE

Dude, its nowhere near the meter. and I don't see how this simple device could pick out 'our' meter - what am I missing?

If you come in on China Airlines you may not be asked for a visa. Another ploy might be to purchase a ow to say...Manila on Air Asia. But that is as exxy as a ticket out.

Visas are said to be free so you can get a double for <us40 for the mailers. Why bother with all these complications. That potentially can be extended to six mos.

People raise this how many time can I border jump thing. It's a red herring:

You WILL get hassled at the border eventually. Like ...FAST. They are under no obligation to let you in.

You will need a visa to neighboring country us20 Cambodia minimum, us35(?) Lao minimum.

Even if you go to Malaysia, from anywhere north of Chumpon you have some serious time and transport fees. Then you need to deal with logistics of coming back from Padang Besar and it may very well require overnight in HY and the train north may be full so you'll have to pay more and go to the mafia bus station and get a miserable bus north.

All this ....for TWO WEEKS?

CHEAPEST IS: US36 for mailers and free visas, 3800 for extensions = 6mos OR BETTER ...go to Lao visa run, do not extend. Trip up/back, food, etc... and visas (free) about <5000 ..that is TEN MONTHS for B6250+/-

Hey Sanook - Last year I do recall it is was indeed a whopping B1300. If the airport is charging an addl four that's criminal.

It is def nationality dependent but most of us pay same. There is a chart where you submit your app.

NADTATIDA1 : I often have a full backpack (33L), packed with electronics and camping gear :-). But I agree about the walk, esp if you have only an overnight bag. It is not far. But, taking a tuk tuk may put you ahead of the game. Walking surely will not and the train is often late (always). Sorry about the bold type

BRING USD and you will pay MUCH less! DO NOT CRY ABOUT THE XCH RATE - youve been warned. Same goes for Cambodia.

Thanks Tod. I will look at the Becker books. I will reconsider learning the alphabet and all that goes with that.

Numbers are a breeze

Thanks for the links.I'll have a look. I can't really do online - DTAC connection.

I can't thank you enough, its always a pleasure to read your posts - you really have a through grasp of paroperty and the BKK market.

That Suk address is to far out for her sure.

i wish her to look at something about 800-1m with 15% down. So that is good to know, she will need to put thirty.

This is tough because I want her to take a 15yr mortgage. So she has some thinking - holidays or condo. :-)

Just remember that in the end - the BASIC check up is pretty standard. A qualified Doctor looks at you physically and the lab work. This is all pretty much the same although obviously Bumrungrad willhave some of the best and Drs in Nakon Nowhere the worst. Good equipment is a deciding factor (ie the EKG machine, et..).

But lab work is lab work

Thanks all and thanks for the link but I think we have deduced it's junk. There is a wavelength sticker on the front, most likely for show. As I had stated, nothing can plug into it.

OH it also has a 5yo wty sticker!

Made by BHX - cannot find company w/ a google search

Thanks

Maybe he wishes to have his own company? Outside being contracted to an international company, I dont see this happening for him.

OP elaborate pls..