connda

Like most Americans on a fixed income, the pounding the dollar is taking is scaring the heck out of me. I understand that prior to 1997 the baht was pegged at 25B to $1. Also at this time, there were no monetary requirements for a visa extension based on marriage and a retirement visa extension required something like 250,000B. Then after the collapse of the baht in 1997 the value of the dollar skyrocketed and obviously the amount needed for retirement and spouse visas increased. Now that the US government and the Federal Reserved have decided to destroy the US dollar -- pensioners, retirees, and individuals who would like to live in Thailand may have to reassess their plans. If the dollar starts to float in the 20 - 25B to $1 range (or less), and the visa requirements remain at their current levels, this isn't going to be a very attractive place to retire to.

And what's with the baht / USD conversation rate that I see at the top of the page on the Thaivisa forum. I went to Bangkok Bank two days ago and you could buy baht at around 28.11B / $1. The price at the top of the page looks more like what the bank will sell USD for, although I think their spread was higher. My guess is that the Thai Banks (along with the rest of the world) don't want to be holding US Dollars. Can't blame them considering that the US is fabricating US Dollars out of thin air. Too bad individuals like me who have worked and saved all their lives, and have paid off all their debt in order to enjoy a relatively nice retirement are the ones getting totally screwed over by our government and the banking cartel. I guess I can just eat an iPad, right?

Good luck to my fellow US expat retirees. What are your plans after our government toasts the US Dollar?

I've been in Thailand for 4 years. Never been to Phuket. And I don't think I ever will.

The European Court of Human Rights does hold that the right of marriage is inviolate. However I notice that the Asian Human Rights Commission make no mention of marriage as a right. Hummmm.

I just talked to my wife about this: Ha ha ha!!!

"We marry already. I no care. It not my business. I think too much I get headache. It not our problem."

She's right you know -- <deleted> should I care. Well, that is until they decide to annul our marriage because I'm a Farang over 50. I guess that the Thai government will have to wait until their Laos and Cambodia big brothers make the first move before that happens 'eh. With my pension, assets, and retirement saving -- man, I just hate being such a darn burden to the Thai people. Maybe it's time to move to Central American or Sri Lanka? Or hell, Malaysia would welcome me with open arms. Why am I here again?

Yeah back to reality: I'm here because I met, fell in love with, and married a beautiful, good-hearted, middle-aged Buddhist woman who shares common ideals and a common moral and religious background as I do. And it's her desire and wishes to remain in her home country. We can always move back to mine. So -- how do you legislate that?

Stupid, corrupt governments + Apathetic populations = 99% of the countries around the world (Nothing to see here. Keep walking please...)

Yes. Thailand should bring in this law to prohibit older Farangs and other foreigners from marrying very young women .

I have seen some farangs with young wives who could be their grand daughters!.

Laos and Cambodia have enacted these law: why not Thailand.

So Khun Sundaram444. What do you think about me being 57 and my Thai wife being 52. Do you think this is a just law? Do you think that just because I'm over 50 I should not have been able to marry my Thai wife who is 5 years younger then me?

You totally miss the point. A Farang over 50 can't marry anyone, including Thai women over 50.

It they want to implement an age range -- fine. I don't think think a guy ought to marry someone old enough to be their daughter (or grand-daughter) either. But this stupidity is saying that men over 50 can not marry at all. It's stupid, it's discriminatory, and borders on a human rights violation.

Amazing Thailand!

I'm over 50. So that means that I and my 52 year old Thai wife would not be able to get married. <deleted>?

I live in Issan. I look around at most married ex-pats over 50 and I see guys that are married to Thai women ranging from their own age to maybe 15 years younger. I'd say that the average farang in his 50's in married to a woman in their 40's. So this will essentially affects middle class, middle aged Thai women who are looking to marry at an acceptable status level.

It's a lose/lose situation and will gain the Thai banks and the politicians nothing. It will affect Thai families who are being supported by potential Farang suitors. If they had any sense, they would limit that age disparity, i.e., you can't marry outside of a specific age range.

Totally craziness, but not unexpected.

Suthep: "I don't respect 'farangs'. We do not have to surrender to them"

OK. Here's an idea. Compromise! No pasty white, election monitors of European ancestry. If you don't have any respect for us -- no problem. In my country, everybody hates white people anyway -- so we're pretty much use to it by now, and we no longer take offense at the name calling. Compared to "gringo", "honky", or "evil white devils" -- Farang actually has a nice sound to it! Sort of -- fruity!

So instead, why not use folk from India, Malaysia, or Lao!!! Or maybe even Africa! You know...kon kɛɛk (คนแขก). They're not "Farang"! Wadayathink? Good idea?

OR, you know, you really don't need election monitors at all. You politicians and your rich friends are just doing things on too small of a scale! Think BIG! If the politicians or your friends pay the voters directly for their votes, it sort of looks like corruption. The do-gooders of the world see that as "bad".

Instead, you should do what American does (Hold on -- only about half of us are farang nowadays, so bear with me on this): Just pass a law allowing the most powerful corporations, banks, industries, and businesses to give unlimited "campaign funds" directly to the politicians. Then you use this massive amount of money to buy the Main Stream Media. If you can pay for enough signs and publicity, you don't need to buy the votes directly from the people!!! Then it's not corruption! It's the LAW. Far out huh?

And what's even better is that you can use all those campaign funds to take your family on vacations, buy designer clothes, stay at the most expensive hotels, and drive around in chauffeur driven, body-guard protected stretch Benzs so you can show all the chaao naa ชาวนา exactly how powerful and important you are. And it's all perfectly legal, because you passed the laws to make it legal. Isn't that great!!!

Now, for a while you're going to have to pretend that you hate people in the other parties. But after the public display of mutual hate and distrust on the floor of parliament, you all go out with your Banking buddies, drink Johnney Walker Blue label and sing Karaoke together. It's all a show for the peasants anyway. And what about those pesky folk in the middle class you ask? Well, once you're in power, just pass laws that will allow most of the wealth of the country to flow directly to your Banking buddies. That way you can drive those middle class wanke_rs right back to the rice farms where they belong. Hey, Goldman-Sachs is your friend! They'll take good care of you and your family for life!!! All you have to do is take care of them, and do a little play-acting in parliament to make it look like you hate the opposition parties. Life is GOOD. And it's all legal, because you passed the laws to make it legal. Heck, what good is power if you can't use it, huh?

So see, not all farang are untrustworthy. And you still don't need to respect us. Heck, once you, your friends, and the Banks are running the show, you don't have to respect any of the little people who vote for you -- you just pretend you do just around election time. And you definitely don't need to respect foreigners. But you gotta admit, we Farang are useful for an occasional good idea -- don't you think? And it's gotta be fun to have a few of us around to insult when you get good and drunk -- or when you're giving a speech in parliament. If ya didn't, who else would you have to disrespect?

Xenophobia is alive and well in Thailand. :jap:

"Multiculturalism means never having to go overseas to find an enemy."

- Anonymous

Well -- here come's 300 baht non-domestic ATM fees just it time for a strengthening baht. I hear Cuba is a great place for a vacation...might be time to settle down in a less developed developing country. Corona anyone? Cuba cigar? San Migual Dark? ¿Habla usted español?

Al Gore will probably try to say it's " climate change" caused by our SUV's!

Right on Miami Bob!

Mr. Gore and his cartel of elites, who produced the movie on global warming called An Inconvenient Truth, would probably tell you that all of this cold weather is being caused by global warming. Yes, Mr. Gore and his friends spent a few million dollars to convince you that cold weather really means hot weather

What Mr. Gore did not tell you in his film is that he and his friends own very lucrative companies that deal in the marketing of Carbon Credits, and that they stand to make billions of dollars if they can convince you to support your government's plans to pass legislation to limit carbon emissions and to legally mandate the global, international trading of Carbon Credits. Hummm. That was just a small, inconvenient truth that was left out of the movie. Darn!

So everyone! Open up those beautiful minds of yours and connect the dots... and enjoy this wonderful cool weather we are experiencing in the middle of the hot season. 'Tis just a small proclivity of Mother Nature for your enjoyment.

"Gee Whiz! Thanks Mother Nature!!!"

Very interesting, my friend. Can you tell me where you found out this info on Gore or is it hearsay? I would like to do more research on this putz Gore, but before I condem i would like to know where the facts are obtained. Thnx 4 your input

Google these companies and terms and then look at the inter-relationships. Gore's is co-owner of the firm Generation Investment Management:

Chicago Climate Exchange

Generation Investment Management

InterContinental Exchange

Joyce Foundation

Goldman Sachs

Merrill Lynch

Lehman Brother

Carbon Credits

Carbon Offsets

Cap-and-trade

I could offer you links, but if you're on the fence, or on the other side of the fence, it would be too easy for you to simply dismiss the sources as so much malarkey: Research and draw your own conclusions. The information is out there.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. -- Lao Tzu :jap:

Al Gore will probably try to say it's " climate change" caused by our SUV's!

Right on Miami Bob!

Mr. Gore and his cartel of elites, who produced the movie on global warming called An Inconvenient Truth, would probably tell you that all of this cold weather is being caused by global warming. Yes, Mr. Gore and his friends spent a few million dollars to convince you that cold weather really means hot weather

What Mr. Gore did not tell you in his film is that he and his friends own very lucrative companies that deal in the marketing of Carbon Credits, and that they stand to make billions of dollars if they can convince you to support your government's plans to pass legislation to limit carbon emissions and to legally mandate the global, international trading of Carbon Credits. Hummm. That was just a small, inconvenient truth that was left out of the movie. Darn!

So everyone! Open up those beautiful minds of yours and connect the dots... and enjoy this wonderful cool weather we are experiencing in the middle of the hot season. 'Tis just a small proclivity of Mother Nature for your enjoyment.

"Gee Whiz! Thanks Mother Nature!!!"

Forget Al Gore and the other limousine liberals, they make me want to puke too. Regardless there is a well established scientific model that dictates the earth's carbon equilibrium is directly linked to the earth's weather. That model holds up across time. It is the reason for the ice age and it applies today also.

Global warming means human's pump way too much carbon in the atmosphere and we artificially warm the planet in an unnatural amount of time. What mother nature does to react to that is up to her. Cold weather, hot weather, no rain, too much rain, high winds, no winds, or what ever fits her fancy. In the end she will win.

Actually I don't disagree with the fact that global warming is a phenomenon that occurs on this planet. So is global cooling. The Earth has gone through significant warming and cooling cycles throughout recorded history, and there are tomes of paleoclimatological evidence that show these cycles occurring throughout the long geological history of this planet. This is nothing new. I find the various theories, pros and cons, to be fascinating – but they're theories. You can attempt to find statistical correlations and draw your conclusion as you wish, but at the end of the day, I don't think you can definitively prove the causes either way. But unlike the more impassioned folk commenting on this thread, I'm not emotional wrapped up in the issue. Man-made CO2 emissions, solar flares, buffalo farts…who really knows? In the big scheme of things, one rouge asteroid or comet and the whole issue is a moot point Most people filter their world-view through the lens of a single life-time. You need to screw on the wide-angle lens on to see the bigger picture.

But trading carbon credits? Boy I wish I had the "buy-in" money to get a piece of that scam, and then use it to help to improve the lives of those less fortunate who will be the most adversely affected by the rising costs associated with this elaborate con-job.

And for our more liberal friends who thinks that anyone who holds a view like mine is some kind of the SUV driving, hateful, right-wing nut job – I live a simple, quite life in a one room apartment, I drive a Honda 125cc motorcycle and a mountain bike, I try of find compassion for all sentient beings including Al Gore (yeah I'm Buddhist), I have the carbon footprint of a CO2 midget, and I don't fit well in anyone's right-left paradigm (which suits me just fine). So take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy this wonderful weather – whatever its cause! Hell, if man-made CO2 emissions caused this weather, I need to start eating beans and farting more!!!

Al Gore will probably try to say it's " climate change" caused by our SUV's!

Right on Miami Bob!

Mr. Gore and his cartel of elites, who produced the movie on global warming called An Inconvenient Truth, would probably tell you that all of this cold weather is being caused by global warming. Yes, Mr. Gore and his friends spent a few million dollars to convince you that cold weather really means hot weather

What Mr. Gore did not tell you in his film is that he and his friends own very lucrative companies that deal in the marketing of Carbon Credits, and that they stand to make billions of dollars if they can convince you to support your government's plans to pass legislation to limit carbon emissions and to legally mandate the global, international trading of Carbon Credits. Hummm. That was just a small, inconvenient truth that was left out of the movie. Darn!

So everyone! Open up those beautiful minds of yours and connect the dots... and enjoy this wonderful cool weather we are experiencing in the middle of the hot season. 'Tis just a small proclivity of Mother Nature for your enjoyment.

"Gee Whiz! Thanks Mother Nature!!!"

Forget Al Gore and the other limousine liberals, they make me want to puke too. Regardless there is a well established scientific model that dictates the earth's carbon equilibrium is directly linked to the earth's weather. That model holds up across time. It is the reason for the ice age and it applies today also.

Global warming means human's pump way too much carbon in the atmosphere and we artificially warm the planet in an unnatural amount of time. What mother nature does to react to that is up to her. Cold weather, hot weather, no rain, too much rain, high winds, no winds, or what ever fits her fancy. In the end she will win.

It's nothing an asteroid hit won't fix

All the American Global Warming deniers are out today, The Al Gore haters,. the gas guzzlers in their pick ups in Thailand who complain about 4 dollars a gallon in their old country, You know what , global warmer means all manner of climate changes , The scientific facts are clear. Now go and watch your fox news on TV or online to re enforce your denial.

Yep sure brings the bozoes out of the woodwork.

Emotional, aren't they? <grin>

Yep, HAARP can do this! Just what it was designed for.

But most of the population don't have a clue as to what HAARP is, and if they do they've probably drank the mass media Kool-Aid and will vehemently deny that HAARP technology can do anything like this.

Oh well, we live in interesting times

Where's the proof?

Suppressed for reasons of National Security <chuckle> Now it's time to take a walk in this wonderful, new, cool Thai weather... เดินไป!!!

Further Temperature Drop

The Meteorological Department has reported of a further temperature drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius today while rain should still be seen nationwide. Waves will continue to be high at coastal areas so small boats should remain onshore.

Another high pressure cell from China is expected to reach Thailand again on March 22-23, causing cool temperatures and rain again.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-18

More cold weather??? Way Cool!!! (pun intended) Bring it on. This Scottish, Irish, Bavarian Farang just Loves this wonderful, chilly weather. Agat Dee Maak! อากาศดีมาก

For the jetstream to drop down this far which is totally out of character for this time of year, it needs a low pressure place to go. One way that can be accomplished is by pushing the upper atmosphere up which seems to be exactly what happened, you can read it here: http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=1624 So for Somchai to say it has nothing to do with the earthquake off of Japan is totally out of line and misinformation. The HAARP technology was designed to do just this, divert jetstreams and therefore control the weather. Not a myth, not a theory, just facts you can search out for yourself there is a ton of information out there about it.

I see you've opened your mind. Not many of us out here. A few years ago my friends were calling me a crazy, paranoid survivalist because I bought a Katadyn emergency water filter and potassium iodide tablets. Right now, my friends and probably half the population of Japan would die to have my water filter and potassium iodide tablets (no pun intended).

Funny, huh?

Yep, HAARP can do this! Just what it was designed for.

But most of the population don't have a clue as to what HAARP is, and if they do they've probably drank the mass media Kool-Aid and will vehemently deny that HAARP technology can do anything like this.

Oh well, we live in interesting times

My thick furry persian cats feel right at home...

Both my American Shorthair cats have been freezing their asses off! Seriously, they have buried themselves under the blankets the last two days.

nothing worse than a cold pussy

+1

Al Gore will probably try to say it's " climate change" caused by our SUV's!

Right on Miami Bob!

Mr. Gore and his cartel of elites, who produced the movie on global warming called An Inconvenient Truth, would probably tell you that all of this cold weather is being caused by global warming. Yes, Mr. Gore and his friends spent a few million dollars to convince you that cold weather really means hot weather

What Mr. Gore did not tell you in his film is that he and his friends own very lucrative companies that deal in the marketing of Carbon Credits, and that they stand to make billions of dollars if they can convince you to support your government's plans to pass legislation to limit carbon emissions and to legally mandate the global, international trading of Carbon Credits. Hummm. That was just a small, inconvenient truth that was left out of the movie. Darn!

So everyone! Open up those beautiful minds of yours and connect the dots... and enjoy this wonderful cool weather we are experiencing in the middle of the hot season. 'Tis just a small proclivity of Mother Nature for your enjoyment.

"Gee Whiz! Thanks Mother Nature!!!"

&lt;deleted&gt;! Older Farangs will just stop going to Cambodia -- and remember -- we're the one's with most of the saved money. BTW, Central American countries will welcome you with open arms. So will Malaysia. What a bunch of losers -- no common sense at all.

What a crock of &lt;deleted&gt;. This will probably give the Thai politicians some new ideas. I married my 49 year old Thai wife when I was 56. So what's this "robbing the cradle" BS? Most of my over 50 friends are married to middle aged Thai women! Come on... And I don't know anyone in a "sham marriage"

You know what really pisses me off is if he had had a weapon in his home, and had the opportunity to defend himself, he probably would have ended in in jail for assaulting the robbers with a deadly weapon -- in his own home.

That's one thing I really miss about living in the US. If the perps had broke into my home in America, they would have exited my home horizontally.

I know...crazy, gun-loving Americans. But the fact of the matter is that no matter what country your in, their are no policemen hiding in your closet at the ready to rescue you and your loved ones from bad people who break into your home with the intent of doing you and your family bodily harm. It's just that in some countries, you're afforded the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution should you be put into the situation of having to defend yourself in your own home. Unfortunately, Thailand is not one of those countries. At least not for Farangs. So the only other option is to make you're home into a fortress for your own protection.

But I agree with one of the other posters...inside job? Perhaps family?

Connda, I agree. There are only 2 things I miss, living here; my grand kids, kids, and my small arsenal of hunting and defense weapons. You got that right too,about Gun lovin Americans! Because "an armed society is a polite society" and it works. For all the bad mouthin done about gun ownership in the US, I have noted that most comes from those whose countries have already banned or greatly restricted ownership. The law abiding Thai neighbors and friends I listen to, wish they had America's freedom to choose whether to own or not own guns. I've been here long enough to see that Thai laws restricting guns has not stopped violent crime here. It has only changed the 2 legged predators' choices of weapons, machetes and knives. Ask any surgeon which they would prefer to repair in e.r., bullet wounds in a man, or a man thats been hacked to pieces by a machete.

I truly hope the gentleman makes a full recovery, and his wife is not forever traumatized.

The rest of the Western world make Americans out as a bunch of gun-toting vigilantes. But the people I know who pack are some of the sanest, responsible people I know. Heck, look at Switzerland. The whole country is armed. Who's going to mess with them. Yeah, an armed society IS a polite society, and generally stable too.

You can have a gun here -- well you can't but you wife can. I'm still thinking. But it you light some armed thug up in your own home, you're going to jail unless you can buy your way out. And if I decide not too, the next step once I build my home is multiple security layers: fence, bars, locks, security system, and trained dogs. Probably less likely to see the inside of a cell if one of the German Shepherds does the heavy work. Hong hong.

You know what really pisses me off is if he had had a weapon in his home, and had the opportunity to defend himself, he probably would have ended in in jail for assaulting the robbers with a deadly weapon -- in his own home.

That's one thing I really miss about living in the US. If the perps had broke into my home in America, they would have exited my home horizontally.

I know...crazy, gun-loving Americans. But the fact of the matter is that no matter what country your in, their are no policemen hiding in your closet at the ready to rescue you and your loved ones from bad people who break into your home with the intent of doing you and your family bodily harm. It's just that in some countries, you're afforded the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution should you be put into the situation of having to defend yourself in your own home. Unfortunately, Thailand is not one of those countries. At least not for Farangs. So the only other option is to make you're home into a fortress for your own protection.

But I agree with one of the other posters...inside job? Perhaps family?

or get the hell out of Dodge, to someplace that does support shooting people who break into your home.

Yeah, but I like it here better than America. So you deal with the reality of the situation. Put your valuable in a bank and lock that house up at night. I like the comment about putting a "panic button" in the bedroom. That's actually a neat idea. Thailand ain't perfect, but we've chosen to make our homes here for a reason. You take the good with the bad.

You know what really pisses me off is if he had had a weapon in his home, and had the opportunity to defend himself, he probably would have ended in in jail for assaulting the robbers with a deadly weapon -- in his own home.

That's one thing I really miss about living in the US. If the perps had broke into my home in America, they would have exited my home horizontally.

I know...crazy, gun-loving Americans. But the fact of the matter is that no matter what country your in, their are no policemen hiding in your closet at the ready to rescue you and your loved ones from bad people who break into your home with the intent of doing you and your family bodily harm. It's just that in some countries, you're afforded the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution should you be put into the situation of having to defend yourself in your own home. Unfortunately, Thailand is not one of those countries. At least not for Farangs. So the only other option is to make you're home into a fortress for your own protection.

But I agree with one of the other posters...inside job? Perhaps family?

Is there any place in Thailand that can do custom dry pack canning, such as bulk canning of rice, grains, and other staple items.

Thanks

Is there any place in Chiang Mai that can do custom dry pack canning. I'd like to can some rice, grains, and other staple items.

Thanks!