Downsize the army, cancel all military procurement contracts.  These folks will be swimming in food.

31 minutes ago, madmitch said:

So am I! We had many stay with us and we know exactly how they work. It was very good extra business for a few years; tour groups at the five star, guides at the local guesthouse. They all have their official licences but they're mainly interested in commission, and at the official rate of pay and a non-tipping mentality, who can blame them!

Perhaps it's slightly different in the South, I'm told that commissions are far and few between at places in the North unless tourists specifically want to go shopping or want to go to known tourist attractions.

2 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

Downsize the army, cancel all military procurement contracts.  These folks will be swimming in food.

Downsize the army and there will be another 245,000 people in the workforce looking for jobs!

41 minutes ago, Vigilante said:

Most are repo'd cars.

Thais buy w/o having a clue how they will pay the monthly installments

Just hope for the best case senario

Glory today....tomollow is a million years away.

 

 

Too funny, you think banks sell repo's to dealers and take an even bigger loss? Repo-d cars get sold at tent auctions, very common in the North at least.

5 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

Like you, I am very interested to know if they will go back up ..
and what will they do for work?

Most of the farmers in my province have taken it upon themselves to buy farm tractors which they pay for with great difficulty;
Will these new arrivals replace the tractors?

All of this is a vicious circle; if they replace the machines, they will be taken back by the dealers who will not know what to do with them because it is very rare for a Thai to buy a used vehicle ...
Snowball effect guaranteed; Thailand will soon find itself in recession with millions of unemployed to feed

Lots of second hand tractors for sale in Ban Dung. I was looking for one myself but they had all been snapped up.

58 minutes ago, EricTh said:

The median salary level is much lower than western countries so how much can they save?

 

Because you think in France or Germany you can eat for the equivalent of 40 baht?
Or that we can rent an accommodation for the equivalent of 3,000 baht?

Low wages in Western Europe are higher than in Thailand, BUT expenses, food, housing, health insurance, are also much higher.

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

Lots of second hand tractors for sale in Ban Dung. I was looking for one myself but they had all been snapped up.

You are really unlucky; come to Sawang Daen Din at Kubota's house on the road 22; you will find dozens of all the powers

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

Ohh the poor dears, no tourists to screw over, so no money, what a shame.

People like them never think about the future, today only, then when things are a bit tight, go bleating to the government,  you have to feed us, tough.

You cranky old <deleted>, you have a heart of steel. Look at the poor blighters, just think who's going to pay for their mobile top ups and accessories.

1 hour ago, saengd said:

She saved over 200k whilst earning less than 500 per day, I'm sorry but I don't believe you.

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

 

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

10 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

 

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

20,000 a month and definitely not 60,000 a month is not 500 a day! 

 

500 x 26 days per month = 13,000. Saving 200k on that salary at 2k per month would take over eight years, that's saving every month. Again I'm very sorry but there's part of that story that is incomplete or false. And leave it alone with the bar girl inuendo, it's passe and childish.

2 hours ago, saengd said:

She saved over 200k whilst earning less than 500 per day, I'm sorry but I don't believe you.

She was 29 when I met her, her salary was less than 500 a  day she had 2  jobs, she started when she was 14 left Loei came to BKK worked in shoe factories gluing on soles to expensive shoes on piece work...believe what you want I couldnt care  less.

38 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

 

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

No she doesnt it  took her years to save up that  money.

Perhaps get back on track rather than personalize this....

 

What that exchange has demonstrated is that it takes a person earning 500 baht a day, way above the typical salary for unskilled workers, a seriously long time to save money for a rainy day. Yes it can be done I'm sure but unlikely if the person is say early twenties and earning only minimum wage.

43 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

 

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

Its  not  just bar girls, many Thais are  irresponsible + its "never their  fault"

The  Wifes  biggest driver was being raised in Loei with no Father they had almost  no  money, they used to eat bats Frogs  rats anything they could, she didnt want the rest of her life like that so she left at 14 to BKK

Do you agree she is very much the exception when it comes to saving money?

1 minute ago, saengd said:

Perhaps get back on track rather than personalize this....

 

What that exchange has demonstrated is that it takes a person earning 500 baht a day, way above the typical salary for unskilled workers, a seriously long time to save money for a rainy day. Yes it can be done I'm sure but unlikely if the person is say early twenties and earning only minimum wage.

Whats to personalise? many people lack the  will power to control their stupid spending, its as  simple as that.

When I was a kid if I wanted it I saved for it, whatever, motorbike,  car, house often working long  hard  hours numerous  different jobs, UK supermarkets at 14 yrs  old, they were  long days 6 am to 10pm at  night on a Saturday, I used to shovel snow in the winter knocking door  to door to clear peoples paths in winter.

500  baht you can save with some discipline and self control,  many totally  lack it.

Thais often used to share a  room  with 4  other  people ,wonder if they still do that now? or again maybe all want a nice  new 1 million studio that they cant afford to go with their I  phone  and car/bike all on tick.

All it takes is  time, start young, by the time you get to your 30's your'e ok.

Retired at 48 now 56

Is it easy? no, is it worth it later yep!

Diversify 

30,000 tour guides lose jobs as tourist numbers dive

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

At least 30,000 tour guides nationwide have lost their jobs after the number of tourists nosedived by 80-90 per cent amid concern over the Covid-19 coronavirus, Tourism Council of Thailand president Jarupol Rueangket said after a 2020 Annual General Meeting. The effects of the Covid-19 outbreak will further slow down tourism in the country, he warned.

 

Some countries have cautioned tourists to be careful when travelling to Thailand, while a few have prohibited visits to the kingdom, Jarupol said.

 

Most tour guides do not have other jobs, making their life difficult as they bear day-to-day expenses, and most don’t have any backup plan either, he added.

 

Jarupol said the council will compile proposals for the government to help solve problems and find a source of low-interest loans for tourist guides.

 

He admitted that in 40 years of being a tour guide, this year after the Covid-19 outbreak has witnessed the most impact on the profession.

 

He believes that if the coronavirus situation does not improve after 3-6 months, almost all tour guides will find themselves jobless.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383158

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-02

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

3 minutes ago, saengd said:

Do you agree she is very much the exception when it comes to saving money?

Yes I already mentioned her 10 other siblings, but it does  not mean it cant be done  especially by those whinging tour guides, its  pretty  simple ..look for another  job, I had to do it many a time  and  no need to say its  not easy because when I went for an interview back in the late 70''s early 80's (UK depression) there were thousands out of work, youd  go for an interview cleaning and there could be 500 people  waiting, lost count of the amount of interviews I went to.

What I didnt  do was whinge and cry like a girl and ask the govt for anything.

Eventually started my own business and earnt more at weekends than my week  job doing it so  quit.

11 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

30,000 tour guides lose jobs as tourist numbers dive

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

At least 30,000 tour guides nationwide have lost their jobs after the number of tourists nosedived by 80-90 per cent amid concern over the Covid-19 coronavirus, Tourism Council of Thailand president Jarupol Rueangket said after a 2020 Annual General Meeting. The effects of the Covid-19 outbreak will further slow down tourism in the country, he warned.

 

 

 

 

Don't look like tour guides

1 hour ago, Pravda said:

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

I am sure many married responsible bargirls too. Just sayin'

29 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Yes I already mentioned her 10 other siblings, but it does  not mean it cant be done  especially by those whinging tour guides, its  pretty  simple ..look for another  job, I had to do it many a time  and  no need to say its  not easy because when I went for an interview back in the late 70''s early 80's (UK depression) there were thousands out of work, youd  go for an interview cleaning and there could be 500 people  waiting, lost count of the amount of interviews I went to.

What I didnt  do was whinge and cry like a girl and ask the govt for anything.

Eventually started my own business and earnt more at weekends than my week  job doing it so  quit.

Jeeze guy, you talk about what you did 50 years ago when you were young, in another country, this is about here and now in Thailand which is a totally different proposition from what you're talking about.

Well since they can speak languages they can come to the malls around Siam and replace the staff there who can only speak thai.

35 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

47 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

30,000 tour guides lose jobs as tourist numbers dive

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

At least 30,000 tour guides nationwide have lost their jobs after the number of tourists nosedived by 80-90 per cent amid concern over the Covid-19 coronavirus, Tourism Council of Thailand president Jarupol Rueangket said after a 2020 Annual General Meeting. The effects of the Covid-19 outbreak will further slow down tourism in the country, he warned.

Don't look like tour guides

The one on the right is a Lilliput tour guide, specialising in small group tours.

And in a few months time, Thailand will still be reporting 0.000008% unemployment rate and a 3000% increase in tourism.

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

His wife makes 20,000 a month. My ex wife works for Siemens and makes almost 60,000, so 3 times that amount and she has over 3 million saved plus a paid off house.

 

Not everyone married an irresponsible bar-girl. Just sayin' 

Know a quite a few so-called “good girls” that financially are much worse off and way less responsible, than many bar-girls I have known. Just sayin’

9 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

With all the credits they have to repay, the end of the month when they work is already very difficult.
It'll teach them not to have eyes bigger than their stomachs.

You can't teach old dogs new tricks. This is a fundamental problem here and isn't going to be solved by logic. 

What happened to yesterdays figure of 10,000 unemployed guides wanting government handouts? They found 20,000 more cousins?

6 minutes ago, legend49 said:

What happened to yesterdays figure of 10,000 unemployed guides wanting government handouts? They found 20,000 more cousins?

Yes, I too noticed those same two figures as well.

38 minutes ago, legend49 said:

What happened to yesterdays figure of 10,000 unemployed guides wanting government handouts? They found 20,000 more cousins?

It started with massage parlors, internet cafes, then motorcycle rentals, then coffee shops that sell home baked cakes...tour guiding was the next "earn lots of money" bandwagon that everyone climbed on. I'm not sure but coin operated laundries may be in there somewhere.