When Our Money Dies

[ericbj]

1 hour ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

A major effort by @ericbj.

Or perhaps by an astute A.I. bot.

I can't really tell.

But I thank you for taking the time to post all that.

 

As the OP here, I just wish you'd read the opening post more carefully and thought more thoroughly before you went off on that tangent about gold, silver and uranium.

(In fairness, you have a lot, really a lot, of company on that tangent on this thread.)

 

I now wish I'd started the opening post something like this:

• "Imagine that you've saved and saved and acquired a healthy amount of gold, silver, whatever.  And then comes the day the money dies.  All money.  Everywhere.  You've got your gold, silver, whatever, but nobody wants it.  Nobody will trade you anything for it.  Nothing!!  Because it's no good to them.  Your "stash" won't/can't buy anything.
• And add to that you are an expat living in Thailand, where foreigners are prohibited from doing almost any job, or operating almost any business.  What will you do??

 

Back over to you @ericbj for any further thoughts, but without any gold, silver, or uranium.

 

 

My opinion, which you may well disagree with.

 

Yes, the day may come when people will have no desire to acquire scrap paper in the form of promissory notes that effectively promise nothing.  Not even by the barrow-load as with Weimar Republic Germans purchasing their groceries.

 

However, it is my belief that they will still accept gold and silver, especially if in a form that is recognisable as guaranteeing purity.

 

Gold, for obvious reasons I shall not go into, will be the more valuable of the two metals as it always has been.  Perhaps in the old relationship of about 1:15, ounce to ounce.  Not as at present about 1:80.

 

More practical than barter.  Or cowrie shells and the like.  Although barter will likely become more common.

 

On a local scale we may see the widespread development of Local Exchange Trading Systems [LETS] using hand-filled paper tokens whose details are then entered into a digital accounting system.

 

Just over thirty years ago I became one of the earliest members [#121] of the first LETS to be formed in France, the SEL [Système d'Echange Locale] des Pyrénées, where we traded in "graines de sel" [grains of salt].  Such a system works on a local basis, owing to the trust that can develop between people who can get to know one another.  SEL markets were held from time to time in different towns.

 

The SEL covered mostly the Ariège and, at that time, part of the Aude Deparments.  Later the Aude developed its own SEL.

 

When last in France, in 2019, a local currency was being developed for the Haute Vallée of the Aude.  But I was not involved so can tell you nothing about that.  A local currency was already in use in Toulouse.

 

[MarkyM3]

Lots of posts about the rise of BRICS in this thread. My view on the countries involved...

 

Brazil - stock market has gone nowhere for the last 10+ years. Currently run by someone previously in jail for corruption. Say no more.

 

Russia - run by a despot and can't even win a war in Ukraine. The sanctioned economy is overheating due to shortages of skills and resources. 

 

China - in the middle of a major housing and financial crisis that's been dragging on for several years, with no coherent plan on how to exit it. Again, look at the market returns. Hang Seng Index until recently was trading lower than in 1997! Factor in inflation and it's even worse. They don't get on with India. 

 

India - the real challenger with favourable demographics but infrastructure is still under developed, education system is poor with blatant cheating an accepted feature. But, English speaking and relatively open, this is the real challenger to Western economies. They don't get on with China.

 

South Africa - a basket case, look at Eskom for example - rolling power cuts. They have a coalition govt for now which has seen an upturn but talk to most white South Africans and they've either left or want to if they can. 

 

The new BRICS joiners are mainly a rag tag of competing interests. India itself wants to keep on the right side of the West considering its export markets while gaining advantage from cheap Russian oil and arms. China currently rely heavily on exporting to the West too, while trying to advance its interests globally. 

 

I've invested in emerging markets and follow what goes on pretty closely. To me, the reality is the majority of BRICS countries have not performed well at all over a prolonged period, except for India. So, imo it's wishful thinking to believe BRICS is going to supersede the West with a new global reserve currency or alternative to SWIFT anytime soon. They simply aren't a cohesive entity, as compared to the G7 for example.

 

It's also worth considering where the real talent in countries like India want to work, as well - generally not in their own country with wages a fraction of what they can earn in the West as software developers or the like. 

[HighPriority]

6 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

A major effort by @ericbj.

Or perhaps by an astute A.I. bot.

I can't really tell.

But I thank you for taking the time to post all that.

 

As the OP here, I just wish you'd read the opening post more carefully and thought more thoroughly before you went off on that tangent about gold, silver and uranium.

(In fairness, you have a lot, really a lot, of company on that tangent on this thread.)

 

I now wish I'd started the opening post something like this:

• "Imagine that you've saved and saved and acquired a healthy amount of gold, silver, whatever.  And then comes the day the money dies.  All money.  Everywhere.  You've got your gold, silver, whatever, but nobody wants it.  Nobody will trade you anything for it.  Nothing!!  Because it's no good to them.  Your "stash" won't/can't buy anything.
• And add to that you are an expat living in Thailand, where foreigners are prohibited from doing almost any job, or operating almost any business.  What will you do??

 

Back over to you @ericbj for any further thoughts, but without any gold, silver, or uranium.

 

In the world that’s in your head where society has followed cash into collapse farang can do any job they want because there will be no immigration, no police…

Your “job” will be to raise and protect some crops and maybe animals with your family, work permit will be the last on you to do list.

 

ps

ive left a spelling mistake so you can block me… 🙄

[sandyf]

On 10/27/2024 at 4:40 PM, Old Curmudgeon said:

What my original post suggests is that all Western currencies, everywhere in the world, and going to zero value.

Never going to happen, there is always the option of redenomination.

Currency will always have a value. A few years back Turkey turned 1 million lira into 1 lira overnight.

[Old Curmudgeon]

11 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

If you have gold in hand, it will retain its value

 

@soi3eddie, this question, if I may:

When that gold in hand is confiscated by the local government,

or taken by local robbers, then what is your plan??

 

Even if you are successful at hiding that gold,

but anyone who trades anything for any gold is subject to severe punishment, your gold will be good for what?

 

And you are an expat in Thailand yes?

 

 

[Old Curmudgeon]

8 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

Lots of posts about the rise of BRICS in this thread. My view on the countries involved...

 

Yes, lots of post about BRICS, but this thread is NOT about BRICS.

Not about other countries.

Not about "emerging markets" either.

 

This thread asks what will you -- as an expat in Thailand -- do when money dies in every currency, everywhere in the world.

 

So, @MarkyM3, on topic if you will.

What will you do??

 

And I assume you are an expat in Thailand.

[Old Curmudgeon]

10 hours ago, ericbj said:

Yes, the day may come when people will have no desire to acquire scrap paper in the form of promissory notes that effectively promise nothing. 

 

Thank you, @ericbj for thoughtful comments.

 

I assume you are an expat in Thailand.

If any money you have coming into Thailand from your investments or your home country becomes worthless, what will you do?

You can't work here, not as an expat on retirement extension of visa.

Similarly, can't do any business here, not even informal business.

Very much frowned on.

 

So, even though local communities in Thailand follow the examples in France and create their own "grains of salt" trading currencies, what will you do to acquire some of that salt??

 

Looking forward to your further comments.

[Old Curmudgeon]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

Never going to happen, there is always the option of redenomination.

 

 

@sandyf, when you make that prediction, I can't help but wonder if you are aware of the situation in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe over the past 20 years.

Inflation rate as high as 89.7 sextillion percent (8.97 × 10^23) per month.

("Sextillion" is a real number ... I didn't make that up.)

 

And I hope your explanation is interesting, because even today nobody in Zimbabwe wants their national currency, not for anything.

They use the US Dollar and the SA Rand.

 

If something similar happens in this part of the world, and you are (I assume) an expat living here, what will you do?

[Peterphuket]

7 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

@sandyf, when you make that prediction, I can't help but wonder if you are aware of the situation in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe over the past 20 years.

Inflation rate as high as 89.7 sextillion percent (8.97 × 10^23) per month.

("Sextillion" is a real number ... I didn't make that up.)

 

And I hope your explanation is interesting, because even today nobody in Zimbabwe wants their national currency, not for anything.

They use the US Dollar and the SA Rand.

 

If something similar happens in this part of the world, and you are (I assume) an expat living here, what will you do?

Well in one of your premessages you said this item is not about the BRICS countries, but  Thailand is nominated to become a member of the BRICS countries.

For that reason I still believe that it is important to know what will happen to the currency in this country.

However, I also believe that gold provides a great deal of security, and that I'm certainly not going to worry about confiscations or some burgler  who could come to steal my gold.

 

BTW Can you imagine especially in Thailand where everybody owning a little bit or a little bit more gold that the government would dare to confiscate that?

You don't believe that yourself.

[cdemundo]

On 10/27/2024 at 2:45 PM, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

It IS the right way !!

Took a bit of effort to make it like that.

Think about it.

If still un-clear, ask here.

I or someone else will explain to you.

Okay, so it was meant to be illegible and incomprehensible.

Got it.

[Scott Tracy]

On 10/29/2024 at 11:44 AM, BritManToo said:

Depends what you're buying!

How much would a 75" TV have cost in1924?

Or movies or a music collection in your home?

 

And why worry about the money value, isn't the real value in the number of hours you need to work in order to buy something? If you're considering the working hours required, most of us are billionaires compared to people living 100 years ago.

Are we? Compared to 1924's comparative 2024 value of £1250 per month... for a team driver... According to Hansard. 76 shillings a week, £3 8s 0d. 

[ericbj]

3 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

@sandyf, when you make that prediction, I can't help but wonder if you are aware of the situation in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe over the past 20 years.

Inflation rate as high as 89.7 sextillion percent (8.97 × 10^23) per month.

("Sextillion" is a real number ... I didn't make that up.)

 

And I hope your explanation is interesting, because even today nobody in Zimbabwe wants their national currency, not for anything.

They use the US Dollar and the SA Rand.

 

If something similar happens in this part of the world, and you are (I assume) an expat living here, what will you do?

 

Am reluctant to publicise in detail my life.

 

But briefly:

 

First visited Thailand for about a fortnight in April 1967. Bangkok & environs, bridge over the Kwai (which my step-father unwillingly helped build), train to Singapore.  Bangkok a VERY different place in those days.  Returning to TPNG from my first leave in the UK.  Worked in the New Guinea bush as a native affairs officer from '64 to '69.

 

February 2000, shocked to learn of the betrayal of the Karen by the British govt. in the aftermath of the '39-45 War.  Became active in trying to spread info in France about what was happening in Burma and garnering signatures to boycott TotalFinaElf (as it then was).  Illegal to call for a boycott, but not much risk because Total wished and was succeeding in sweeping news about the Yadana pipeline under the carpet.

What little news there was about Burma in the French media concerned merely DASSK and the NLD.  A diversion from harsh realities.

 

Became active on Burma-centred yahoogroups.  Initially on "freeBurma" where I crossed swords with some Burmans, obvious stooges of Burmese M.I., who clearly sought to create antagonism and mistrust between ethnic groups, especially between Burman and non-Burman.  Later, on "Democracy4Burma", when it was launched by Henry Soe Win in Perth, W.A., and where, upon request, I drafted a petition condemning the Depayin Massacre which was rapidly approved and put on line, on I think 2nd June 2003.

 

In March 2001, launched my own web-site about the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma.  Stopped updating it about nine years later.  And took it down some years later still, as it was costing money in annual fees and was way out-of-date.

 

Came out to Thailand for the second time in my life in November 2001, as an unpaid volunteer teacher of English to refugees from Burma.  Quite a shock to see the changes in Bangkok.  Was taking classes for roughly half of each year for about eleven years, at which moment volunteering to teach English on the border became popular with recently qualified Western school-teachers who "fought one another" to get classes, so I heard.  I dropped out of teaching, except occasionally helping to improve the English of someone's younger brother, daughter, or adopted son, and to assist a young Karen woman obtain her Australian Open University degree.

 

I continued coming to the border every year for roughly the same period, to see old friends, and to avoid Europe's colder seasons.  And so it was that I arrived on the 31st October 2019, and was due to leave on the 14th May 2020.  But owing to the coronavirus scare, travelling decreased and British Airways cancelled one of flights back and invited me to book another.  This I did.  But several weeks later they cancelled that flight.  I booked a third flight, departing Suvarnabhumi on 30th June 2020.  But later that too was cancelled.  And from the following day, 1st July, all international passenger flights were banned.  And the borders were closed.

 

I thought to myself "OK, I go back next year."  But in 2021 travel restrictions were still in place.  And to make matters worse, from January of that year my health took a major turn for the worse with the development of painfully incapacitating ankle ulcers.  This health problem has continued despite numerous hospital visits including a major operation.  None of which is covered by my accident-only, in-patient-only medical insurance whose premiums eat up four months of my UK State Pension towards which I fortunately made about 20 years of voluntary contributions while living in France, after discovering I could do so.  The UK Pensions Service considers me to now be expatriated to Thailand.  So for several years there has been none of the annual increment to which I was entitled in France.

 

Consequently, urgent that I get back to France, despite huge difficulties on getting there.  Too numerous to enumerate.  But one hopeful factor is I am still an EU citizen, as holder of an Irish, as well as British, passport.  My father, whom I never knew (1/RUR, kia Deauville 22/08/44) was from Co.Down.  My birth certificate, his birth certificate, and my parents' marriage certificate sufficed to obtain the passport.

 

Maybe not the info you were counting on.  But gets it off my chest, and gives you something to read. 🙂

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Scott Tracy said:

Are we? Compared to 1924's comparative 2024 value of £1250 per month... for a team driver... According to Hansard. 76 shillings a week, £3 8s 0d. 

Yes, servants wages in the west have gone through the roof, but we don't really need them anymore.

[Hawaiian]

13 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

Lots of posts about the rise of BRICS in this thread. My view on the countries involved...

 

Brazil - stock market has gone nowhere for the last 10+ years. Currently run by someone previously in jail for corruption. Say no more.

 

Russia - run by a despot and can't even win a war in Ukraine. The sanctioned economy is overheating due to shortages of skills and resources. 

 

China - in the middle of a major housing and financial crisis that's been dragging on for several years, with no coherent plan on how to exit it. Again, look at the market returns. Hang Seng Index until recently was trading lower than in 1997! Factor in inflation and it's even worse. They don't get on with India. 

 

India - the real challenger with favourable demographics but infrastructure is still under developed, education system is poor with blatant cheating an accepted feature. But, English speaking and relatively open, this is the real challenger to Western economies. They don't get on with China.

 

South Africa - a basket case, look at Eskom for example - rolling power cuts. They have a coalition govt for now which has seen an upturn but talk to most white South Africans and they've either left or want to if they can. 

 

The new BRICS joiners are mainly a rag tag of competing interests. India itself wants to keep on the right side of the West considering its export markets while gaining advantage from cheap Russian oil and arms. China currently rely heavily on exporting to the West too, while trying to advance its interests globally. 

 

I've invested in emerging markets and follow what goes on pretty closely. To me, the reality is the majority of BRICS countries have not performed well at all over a prolonged period, except for India. So, imo it's wishful thinking to believe BRICS is going to supersede the West with a new global reserve currency or alternative to SWIFT anytime soon. They simply aren't a cohesive entity, as compared to the G7 for example.

 

It's also worth considering where the real talent in countries like India want to work, as well - generally not in their own country with wages a fraction of what they can earn in the West as software developers or the like. 

I agree that BRICS is a futile attempt by losers trying to take down the U.S. and its allies.  As for G7, democratic governments have always triumphed over autocratic ones. 

 

[Hawaiian]

5 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

Yes, lots of post about BRICS, but this thread is NOT about BRICS.

Not about other countries.

Not about "emerging markets" either.

 

This thread asks what will you -- as an expat in Thailand -- do when money dies in every currency, everywhere in the world.

 

So, @MarkyM3, on topic if you will.

What will you do??

 

And I assume you are an expat in Thailand.

This thread is about you and your fantasies.  Don't invite comments if you don't mean it.

[MarkyM3]

6 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

Yes, lots of post about BRICS, but this thread is NOT about BRICS.

Not about other countries.

Not about "emerging markets" either.

 

This thread asks what will you -- as an expat in Thailand -- do when money dies in every currency, everywhere in the world.

 

So, @MarkyM3, on topic if you will.

What will you do??

 

And I assume you are an expat in Thailand.

If you look at my sig, I split my time between the UK and Thailand. So no, I'm not a full-time expat, I spend around 60% of time in Thailand. 

 

I don't buy into your doomsday predictions. The fortunes of countries may rise and fall in future and some countries are no doubt accumulating precipitous amounts of national debt but predicting the global collapse of every currency in the world is way off the mark. Are we going to go back to bartering, or have crypto (a ponzi scheme imo) takeover? I don't think so. We've seen some major financial crises in the last 100 years and none has brought about a financial apocalypse. Major shocks, such as the 2008-10 financial crisis but humans seem to be more resilient economically than given credit for. 

 

Personally, I feel I've got enough assets to see me through the rest of my time on earth (I'm 53). I keep them in a mixture of pensions, various stock & bond investments and cash. I'm more worried about rogue leaders deciding to use nuclear weapons or invade countries by force, which could in turn have major economic consequences. But I don't believe all currencies will collapse, far from it. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

I agree that BRICS is a futile attempt by losers trying to take down the U.S. and its allies.  As for G7, democratic governments have always triumphed over autocratic ones. 

 

Losers ... nah, quite the opposite.   Not trying to take down the USA, just don't want to cower & comply to their silliness. 

 

BRICS members are 45% of the world population.  China, manufacturer of the world, can feed itself.  Other have oil & gas resources, strong militaries.

 

Wish TH would join, and they've thought about it, although already have great relationship with China, and don't really need anything or anyone else.

 

USA, (and lapdogs) EU, UK, NATO ... what a joke 😎

[ericbj]

10 hours ago, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

Thank you, @ericbj for thoughtful comments.

 

I assume you are an expat in Thailand.

If any money you have coming into Thailand from your investments or your home country becomes worthless, what will you do?

You can't work here, not as an expat on retirement extension of visa.

Similarly, can't do any business here, not even informal business.

Very much frowned on.

 

So, even though local communities in Thailand follow the examples in France and create their own "grains of salt" trading currencies, what will you do to acquire some of that salt??

 

Looking forward to your further comments.

 

Having established, I hope, that I am an expatriate here in Thailand by force of circumstance rather than design, I seek to address your other questions.

 

I do not believe that precious metals will become valueless.  They might well be seized by governments, once they have abolished cash (as they intend to do) in favour of CBDCs.  I.e. as a necessary stage in the establishment of the neo-feudal society.  When the ordinary citizen "will own nothing and be happy".

 

Ask yourself
"Who will own everything?"

 

Retain only a minimum value of p.m.s at home in your country of origin or of residence.  Choose a country that is as neutral as possible and with a reputation for probity in financial matters.  And ideally fairly accessible from where you are living.  A storage facility of repute with regular independent audits.  And your p.m.s should be allocated and segregated, i.e. they belong to you, you do not have a claim on something that belongs to someone else.

 

I do not believe that food will become valueless.

Produce your own if you can, and produce a surplus to meet the needs of others.  And if you cannot, invest in the schemes of those that can and do.

 

Energy has never been valueless in any of its constantly developing forms.

 

Raw materials, the technologies needed to utilize them, and technical know-how, all have intrinsic value.  Of course there will always be ups and downs.  Economic cycles have always existed.

 

One problem with our present global civilisation has been the constant intervention of governments to annihilate cyclical economic downturns, which correct excesses.

 

We are just beginning to see the results of misguided policies.  Misguided, that is, for the ordinary citizen.  The mega-financiers have got wealthier with each successive crisis.  [Check out the figures]

How?  They use their hoards of fiat currencies to invest in hard assets.  Real assets.  All the more so when a crisis is in full swing and there are "fire sales".

 

I think this answers the question "Who will own everything?"  [i.e. if we sit around and do nothing]

 

Do we really have government of the people, by the people, for the people?  I have my doubts.

 

Civilisations are built upon food production, energy, and synergy.  Not upon diktats, control-freaks, and warfare.

 

When the balloon goes up, a person's ability to survive on informal work may depend upon their degree of integration into the local community.  A question of mutual advantage.  Admittedly not so easy for a westerner living in an Asian country.  And I make no claims to qualifying.

 

P.S.  Regarding the SEL des Pyrénées, the French authorities hated it.  The Social Security people [the "charges sociales" in France are a killer of employment opportunities] took a number of members to court for doing "black work", i.e. undeclared work, for another member on whose house they had done some work.  The accused maintained that what they were doing was in the tradition of rural society in France: helping out a neighbour on a mutual-help basis.  The court upheld their claim and dismissed the case.  We all breathed a sigh of relief.  I, for instance, made and installed a window-sash in someone else's house, and a flue for a wood-burning stove in yet another house.

 

[Scott Tracy]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Yes, servants wages in the west have gone through the roof, but we don't really need them anymore.

We are all servants of someone else...

[HighPriority]

Sorry, can someone knowledgeable in these matters please remind me which ones are the shape shifting lizard people and who’s got the keys to the underground tunnels where the pedophiled children are being fed pizza…?

CoOkErS 🤦🏼‍♂️

[fredwiggy]

On 10/28/2024 at 9:56 AM, spidermike007 said:

I am in the US right now, and the prices and inflation are mind blowing. The cheapest lunch we have found was $30 for two. Junky good. That is 1,000 baht, anytime you want something basic. A bag of groceries is 3,000 baht.

 

 A friend of mine is looking for an apartment to move to in LA, and really small, simple places are 70,000 baht per month and up. Nice two bedrooms are closer to 100,000 baht. Decent homes start at 125,000 baht per month. The cost of nearly everything has gone up dramatically. Runaway inflation? 

 

Thailand is still reasonable. It used to be cheap. Has not been cheap for a long time. But, it is still reasonable. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2000-3800 a month. That is 120,000 baht!

 

I had my motorbike seat recently redone on my scooter. 400 baht. A friend of mine had similar work done in the US. $275.

 

I recently had a guy come over and insulate my ceiling. I bought the insulation and paid him 2000 baht for labor. In the US? $500 and up.

 

I recently had an electrician do some work on the house. Nearly a full day of work for two men. Paid him 2000 baht. In the US? $800 and up.

 

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

 

When I travel here I stay in nice four star hotels in Bangkok. Usually 1800-2000 baht. In the US? $130 for a crappy motel. $250 and up for a nice room.

 

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 150-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip.

 

I visit the emergency room here to visit a specialist, and with x-rays I am out the door for 2000 baht, at a private hospital. In the US? $300-2000.

 

An anecdote on this subject. A good friend of mine got in a bad motorcycle accident some time ago. He almost lost his leg. He got his first of 11 operations at Bangkok Hospital Samui. It costs him over a million baht. They wanted to do a second procedure. They quoted him 1,400,000 baht. He decided to transfer to Bangkok. He was quoted 460,000 baht for the same procedure, at a top private hospital there. The surgeon told him that he worked at a public hospital too, and could do the same operation there, for alot less money. He told him he would get him a quote. In the interim, my friend called a good friend of his, in San Diego, who is an orthopedic surgeon. Since my friend is a retired chiropractor, he knew all the terminology, and explained what he needed, and asked for the best price. His friend called him back the next day, and quoted him $960,000, with cash discounts! The local surgeon here got back to him, and told him he could do it for 46,000 baht. He transferred, and they did all the rest of his procedures. So, 1,400,000 at Bangkok Hospital, 460,000 at Vejthani Hospital, and 46,000 at the public hospital, with an excellent surgeon. VS. 31,000,000 baht in the US. Again, no complaints from this peanut gallery.

 

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2500 baht. In the US? $800 an hour now for a beauty, with alot of attitude.

 

I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada. 

 

 

When I visited there last year, I ate lunch for less than $9 every day for a month, various places and different types of food. I'll be moving there as soon as I can , and have houses, rent to owns, coming daily to my email, that ae from $970-$1200 a month, so they aren't that high unless you're looking in the centers of large cities. You pay less here for electrical and mechanical labor, but it pales by comparison to the same back home. It's shoddy, thrown together work and often dangerous, as far as electrical. Not all of course but much of what I've seen and experienced. You can eat street food here cheap, but Thailand has many episodes of food poisoning and stomach ailments from dirty water and rancid oil. You don't hear about this but if you live here and talk to people, you do. I never had any stomach trouble until I moved here.Health care is less, and that's something the US has to change to free like Canada. remember, you pay more there but you make much more working, so it balances out, and it's much safer to drive there and schools are top flight. Here they're as bad as they come. You can get an oil change for $35 in every city, so that price you quoted was way too high. If you want hookers, that's your deal. They're cheaper here but you can pick up an STD anywhere and it might be cheaper to date many normal women, unless you haven't the skills.

[Old Curmudgeon]

6 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

When I visited there last year, I ate lunch for less than $9 every day for a month

 

@fredwiggy, would you kindly explain to me how your post is on-topic?

Or even near the topic?

 

Thank you.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Old Curmudgeon said:

 

@fredwiggy, would you kindly explain to me how your post is on-topic?

Or even near the topic?

 

Thank you.

I was responding to spidermike's reply. It's all about having less money, or not enough to get by and live a certain lifestyle.

[Old Curmudgeon]

14 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

Personally, I feel ... I don't believe all currencies will collapse

 

Regardless of personal feelings and beliefs, that upside-down chart in the opening post on this topic shows what is actually happening.

 

Who was it who wrote, "You can ignore reality, but you can not ignore the consequences of ignoring reality."

 

This thread is an attempt to look carefully at reality of expat life in Thailand if the international currency system implodes.

 

 

[spidermike007]

40 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

When I visited there last year, I ate lunch for less than $9 every day for a month, various places and different types of food. I'll be moving there as soon as I can , and have houses, rent to owns, coming daily to my email, that ae from $970-$1200 a month, so they aren't that high unless you're looking in the centers of large cities. You pay less here for electrical and mechanical labor, but it pales by comparison to the same back home. It's shoddy, thrown together work and often dangerous, as far as electrical. Not all of course but much of what I've seen and experienced. You can eat street food here cheap, but Thailand has many episodes of food poisoning and stomach ailments from dirty water and rancid oil. You don't hear about this but if you live here and talk to people, you do. I never had any stomach trouble until I moved here.Health care is less, and that's something the US has to change to free like Canada. remember, you pay more there but you make much more working, so it balances out, and it's much safer to drive there and schools are top flight. Here they're as bad as they come. You can get an oil change for $35 in every city, so that price you quoted was way too high. If you want hookers, that's your deal. They're cheaper here but you can pick up an STD anywhere and it might be cheaper to date many normal women, unless you haven't the skills.

For certain, it sounds like it is a good time for you to move on. For sure, the magic is gone, for you. 

[fredwiggy]

Just now, spidermike007 said:

For certain, it sounds like it is a good time for you to move on. For sure, the magic is gone, for you. 

No magic here whatsoever. It's a very boring place to live, especially in the country areas, and not a good place for women to grow up. It's a good place for people who have little outdoor hobbies,  and a place to retire that's quiet (in the country), and where you can find a younger wife, although it takes money to keep that around, more than the average local has. The beaches are nice I agree, but the rest is all the same. And it's going to get worse here as far as crime, corruption and unsafe driving.

[spidermike007]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

No magic here whatsoever. It's a very boring place to live, especially in the country areas, and not a good place for women to grow up. It's a good place for people who have little outdoor hobbies,  and a place to retire that's quiet (in the country), and where you can find a younger wife, although it takes money to keep that around, more than the average local has. The beaches are nice I agree, but the rest is all the same. And it's going to get worse here as far as crime, corruption and unsafe driving.

Going back to the US is not an option for me. I would not want to live there now, unless I was being paid over a million dollars a year, and then I would only do it for 3 years, and then leave. For me, it is about quality of life, and my level of fulfillment on a daily basis, which I seem to have here in abundance. A big factor here, is the relatively light hearted attitude of the people. You just do not find that in the US, where most seem bitter, disenchanted, unfulfilled, and heavy hearted. I love it here. Everyday here is a good day. 

 

We all have our own reality. 

 

[fredwiggy]

Just now, spidermike007 said:

Going back to the US is not an option for me. I would not want to live there now, unless I was being paid over a million dollars a year, and then I would only do it for 3 years, and then leave. For me, it is about quality of life, and my level of fulfillment on a daily basis, which I seem to have here in abundance. A big factor here, is the relatively light hearted attitude of the people. You just do not find that in the US, where most seem bitter, disenchanted, unfulfilled, and heavy hearted. I love it here. Everyday here is a good day. 

 

We all have our own reality. 

 

I've had the opposite experience living in the US. I see many people happy and having fun, although the economy is in trouble. People here are suppressed, and they can't speak their minds without fear. being controlled isn't freedom, and that's what the US has, along with everything else on earth you could want on one continent. You at first said ...."I am in the US right now, and the prices and inflation are mind blowing.".......Now you said........"Going back to the US is not an option for me. I would not want to live there now,", so now I'm wondering where you are, although it doesn't really matter. If you like it here, that's okay.I'm seeing how this place will be over the next decade or so, and it's not a good thought.

[owl sees all]

Buy into something that will allow life to continue in relative harmony if money ceases to exist.

 

The first thing to get hold of is gold. Forget all the fancy stuff and one kilo bricks. Better is one gramme pieces or a plain necklace that can easily dismantled into small links. Then you can go shopping with confidence that you have what it takes to feed the family.

 

Secondly; get hold of some land and grow yer own food. Start up a community where everyone can get some of the action. Like allotments in the UK.

 

Bitcoin. ?? Works of art; forget them. Flashy cars; waste of yer time.

 

Silver hoarding is good in some countries, but in Thailand it is not so well thought of. Gold is better.

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

I've had the opposite experience living in the US. I see many people happy and having fun, although the economy is in trouble. People here are suppressed, and they can't speak their minds without fear. being controlled isn't freedom, and that's what the US has, along with everything else on earth you could want on one continent. You at first said ...."I am in the US right now, and the prices and inflation are mind blowing.".......Now you said........"Going back to the US is not an option for me. I would not want to live there now,", so now I'm wondering where you are, although it doesn't really matter. If you like it here, that's okay.I'm seeing how this place will be over the next decade or so, and it's not a good thought.

I live here but I go to back to the US 2 to 5 times a year for work-related endeavors, and family visits, so I am here most of the year. However I spend enough time in the US to realize just how joyless the place is, and just how ridiculously overpriced nearly everything is. The vast majority of my friends and family who live there feel the same way about inflation and the degree to which everything is overpriced these days.

 

Monaco and London are now cheaper than most major cities in the US.