Thailand's Real Economic Sector Begins To Feel Effects Of Us Crisis

[Jingthing]

Oh come on, the US market is a totally different real estate market than Thailand. They are not related. Yes, the US market is severely depressed right now. In the LA area, 45 percent of the homes on the market are foreclosures, so people think you are a sucker to buy a regular home at a regular price. This is a temporary phenom that will work itself out probably after some years, but Thailand does not have a similar foreclosure problem. I don't see how houses being cheaper in the US now it follows that houses in Thailand should be cheaper.

[Enduro]

Reading this thread made my eyes bleed...new members that flame to their hearts delight, people posting in all caps, nested quoting to 10 levels or more...

I am in absolute agreement with you! The amount of flaming of other members posts on Thai Visa seems to be getting out of control. I'm not a fan of forums anyway hence after many years of living here I am still only on a handful of posts but hardly surprising as it seems Thai Visa has gone from an informative resource to a verbal bashing ground!

Maybe a good indicator of a situation in Thailand as far as foreign residents are concerned could be conducted quite easily by Thai Visa? Simply log all posts from the doomsday gang who, wherever a critical situation in the kingdom comes around they post the old favourite such as " Time to leave Thailand for me" or "I am currently looking for pastures greener" etc and after one year contact these member to find out where they now reside? If the majority have left Thailand like rats from a sinking ship this could indicate a downturn in foreign sentiment however, I feel the majority would be in the same place with the only thing to have changed would be the subject they are moaning about.

[BAKABAS]

Euh, first of all no belly here, and second of all greener pastures does not particularly mean my own country.

Suffering a bit of monovision there are we ?

man you crack me up. :D Stick it to em mate.

[zl1vette]

".......the government must attempt every possible concrete measure to drive the economy ahead in the remaining two months of this year."

That could well make matters worse.

If I am driving in 2-wheel drive down a little 'fair-weather short cut' unpaved track ( such as we have around her), and the heavens open and it pisses down like a cow onto a flat rock (as happens round here) and then I see a puddly patch ahead, I do not drive ahead. I stop and engage 4-wheel drive and move into the puddly patch carefully. Then, if it starts getting worse, I back out and leave the short cut and take the long, tarmacced way round.

This is not going to be a temporary recession. America is not going to be back to importing things it doesn't need (like more Isuzu pickups, built in Thailand) in a couple of quarters. So it is no time to "attempt every possible concrete measure to drive the economy ahead..............."

This is a time when the Government should retrench. Cut back on public spending and stop any new costly developments.

Closed firms pay no profit taxes. Workers whose jobs have become redundant pay no income tax. The Government's income is on the way down.

What a government might do when going into a short recession of the variety that we have previously seen in our lifetimes would be the wrong response to what is coming now.

Cut taxes, lower interest rates, make it easier for business to grow. After all, jobs are created and maintained by those with the means to do so.

If Barry Hussein gets elected President in the U.S., the whole world could be in for trouble. He is a Marxist and will utterly destroy our economy. Jimmy Carter was a blithering idiot whose administration created the worst U.S. economy since the depresion, but he was not a Marxist. BHO could take it to the next level. Pray that he doesn't get in.

[Jingthing]

He is a Marxist

Not according to his opponent, Johnboy:

KING: You don't believe Barack Obama is a socialist, do you?

MCCAIN: No

[peter48]

The FT one of the UK's leading international papers ran an article on Tuesday which claimed Thailand was in serious trouble. This was because international investors and normal big spending tourists are hanging back because of the conflict in Bangkok ; the article claimed the present regime of course seems unable to stop the current PAD led troubles led by a disgrundled middle class & possibly supported by part of the elite/ establishment; this means deadlock and so prevents Thailand from focusing on its growing economic troubles which it has has caught like the rest of the world.

Most democracies by now would have had those trouble-makers out of the streets so that proper government could continue especially during the greatest economic down turn for 70 years or so.

[roamer]

Thailand forigen reserve is just under $37 billion not 100

That is unless they just happened to make some $63 billion in the last 6 months

Oh my god.. after exports and agriculture... here is the latest lunacy of the day.

And I do not refer to Wikipedia.

You want to know the detailed amount of the foreign currency reserves of Thailand ?

Ask the... BANK OF THAILAND

http://www.bot.or.th/English/Statistics/Ec...alReserves.aspx

As of october 24

-100,8 billions USD

-plus a net forward position of 8,9 billions USD

Okay khrap ?

Khrap or crap ? Its one of the things that worries me, there are lies, dammed lies and then there are statistics. When I look at BOT figures it appears to be one of the worlds best managed economies and that really worries me.

[auserb]

Thailand forigen reserve is just under $37 billion not 100

That is unless they just happened to make some $63 billion in the last 6 months

Oh my god.. after exports and agriculture... here is the latest lunacy of the day.

And I do not refer to Wikipedia.

You want to know the detailed amount of the foreign currency reserves of Thailand ?

Ask the... BANK OF THAILAND

http://www.bot.or.th/English/Statistics/Ec...alReserves.aspx

I wonder which of these is corect khrap, krap or krab??

As of october 24

-100,8 billions USD

-plus a net forward position of 8,9 billions USD

Okay khrap ?

Khrap or crap ? Its one of the things that worries me, there are lies, dammed lies and then there are statistics. When I look at BOT figures it appears to be one of the worlds best managed economies and that really worries me.

[Seneque]

Thailand is at risk as anyone else , there is no immunity and that is good that officialdom starts to wake up to this fact ... when u know about it, you may react to it.

90% of moneys is actually electronic (digital)

10% is real (manufacturing, services, commodities, etc...)

1% of investors (at most) take actual delivery of equities ...

So, the dysfunction of the financial system is for real and perhaps now is the time to really address the problem and get back to fundamentals ... but, i agree, greed and vested interests will unfortately prevent any correction soon...

I guess we have to learn to live with the fact that one's gain is someone else's loss.... and the contrary .... but of course everyone want to gain ... at the same time !

[mich]

as us farangs ... we do not own houses or land because this LOL-evely (sarcasm on lovely) country does not allow us to do so ... so what do we care if economy drops or not ?

this is not true, based on their rules about how i can engage in business, banking and real estate in this country, i absolutely care about how the thai economy performs. as a consumer, i want the economy to tank! the baht will crash and my money will be in much higher demand by businesses.

Hear, hear. The Baht most certainly needs to crash, as at the moment my sterling is worth a lot less now

[warmwater7]

isn't this too much of doomsday thinking ?

my main money is still in europe and there it is protected, not like many thai banks here

protected in the way if the bank goes bancrupt, the governement will pay back the saving deposit up to 100.000 euro per account

as us farangs ... we do not own houses or land because this LOL-evely (sarcasm on lovely) country does not allow us to do so ... so what do we care if economy drops or not ?

i don't, that is for sure ...

i am more concerned why my lovely euro is worth 6-8 baht less in conversion according to a few months ago !!!

Dear Sir: In Thailand( and indo-china) there is a philosophy called " Buddhism". It is practiced by many of the thai nationals. It is possible this is one of the reasons you have decided to spend

your beloved euro here. The product of practice is evident in day to day life here.

One of the fundamentals of this practice is called "COMPASSION". It would seem as this is new to you.

In between bar fines, if you have a moment, and not displaying your true intentions,( be advised you are not as clever as you might fancy yourself, and i assure you the bar girls no doubt have you figured out, ( they have brains that size up a" CUSTOMER " AT A SPEED THAT MAKES A SUPER COMPUTER SEEM SLOW AND OUT DATED )and are playing you like a guitar, sucking tens of thousands of baht out of you for " sick father") ,

when not counting your beloved euro, have a look or read. speak with a monk.you really...really....really....really......really......really......really..... NEED IT!!!!!!!.

Sadly it appears you truly are a fool. You have no concept of how bad you look to:

A) the expats who must tolerate you, ( and by the way you are a liability to us.) the thais who gladly profit from you,( and by the way , believe it or not you are a liability to them as well, all while observing a vulgar,ignorant, drunk, selfish,smelly,hairy, fat, fool, inducing self inflicted great loss of face). mai pen rai, plenty money.

HANDSOM MAN! YOU BUY ME DRINK OK? ding dong..............falang

I feel bad for your ignorance, the boyfriend ( coming off a nice paint thinner high) of one of your yings , may just eliminate one extra soul from this overcrowded paradise, one to many " long time".

Just calli'n um as i see um folks.................................

A second fundamental of the practice is called " KARMA". I expect you will learn of this sooner or later. THE HARD WAY.

PLEASE.PLEASE......take care. it's not to late...................... do something good. really good. this is called " making merit" please try it, with really good intention. Again I know this is new....start small.

P.S. all portfolios are devaluating 10 -30 percent. world wide. NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you might want to get off the piss for a short time and contact your financial planner.............. that 3-4 bht might be dinner

Be advised if you have a brain,an accountant,and a lawyer, people buy realestate all day long in los .

Nothing lasts forever, including you, and your euro.

sorry for the spellin, i'm stupid.

regards.

[BlackJack]

What the article suggests is correct.

It's time for Thailand to get over the political squabbles and unite for the sake of the economy.

A recession will only further destabilize the country and increase the divide.

Thailand is still lucky.

It seems like the banking sector learned its lessons from the crisis in '97 and are in good shape.

Finances on a national level are also quite healthy. The foreign reserve is now greater than $100 billion, among the largest per capita in the world.

Much of Thailand's exports are in commodities like food. Demands for these are unlikely to go down in a global downturn. People still need to eat, and food is not where their spending will be cut.

Oil prices are going down, which will help save the tourism sector from expensive air tickets.

What is needed now is to get some large projects started to make up for the lower export revenues. These investments will stimulate the economy in the short run and enhance growth in the long run.

does that 100 billion in reserves include Taxins (Ex PM) frozen 78 billion if so then the countries doing well

[Naam]

You must be a lovely human being, thaibkk, not to give a rats for anyone else but yourself.

why should he? does anybody care about him, you or me?

[Naam]

does that 100 billion in reserves include Taxins (Ex PM) frozen 78 billion if so then the countries doing well

mixing up US-Dollars and Thai Baht could be a sign of too much "Elephant" (Chang).

p.s. i love your avatar and have used it quite often in a financial forum to express my thoughts. hope you are not charging royalties

[Naam]

isn't this too much of doomsday thinking ?

my main money is still in europe and there it is protected, not like many thai banks here

protected in the way if the bank goes bancrupt, the governement will pay back the saving deposit up to 100.000 euro per account

as us farangs ... we do not own houses or land because this LOL-evely (sarcasm on lovely) country does not allow us to do so ... so what do we care if economy drops or not ?

i don't, that is for sure ...

i am more concerned why my lovely euro is worth 6-8 baht less in conversion according to a few months ago !!!

Dear Sir: In Thailand( and indo-china) there is a philosophy called " Buddhism". It is practiced by many of the thai nationals. It is possible this is one of the reasons you have decided to spend

your beloved euro here. The product of practice is evident in day to day life here.

One of the fundamentals of this practice is called "COMPASSION". It would seem as this is new to you.

In between bar fines, if you have a moment, and not displaying your true intentions,( be advised you are not as clever as you might fancy yourself, and i assure you the bar girls no doubt have you figured out, ( they have brains that size up a" CUSTOMER " AT A SPEED THAT MAKES A SUPER COMPUTER SEEM SLOW AND OUT DATED )and are playing you like a guitar, sucking tens of thousands of baht out of you for " sick father") ,

when not counting your beloved euro, have a look or read. speak with a monk.you really...really....really....really......really......really......really..... NEED IT!!!!!!!.

Sadly it appears you truly are a fool. You have no concept of how bad you look to:

A) the expats who must tolerate you, ( and by the way you are a liability to us.) the thais who gladly profit from you,( and by the way , believe it or not you are a liability to them as well, all while observing a vulgar,ignorant, drunk, selfish,smelly,hairy, fat, fool, inducing self inflicted great loss of face). mai pen rai, plenty money.

HANDSOM MAN! YOU BUY ME DRINK OK? ding dong..............falang

I feel bad for your ignorance, the boyfriend ( coming off a nice paint thinner high) of one of your yings , may just eliminate one extra soul from this overcrowded paradise, one to many " long time".

Just calli'n um as i see um folks.................................

A second fundamental of the practice is called " KARMA". I expect you will learn of this sooner or later. THE HARD WAY.

PLEASE.PLEASE......take care. it's not to late...................... do something good. really good. this is called " making merit" please try it, with really good intention. Again I know this is new....start small.

P.S. all portfolios are devaluating 10 -30 percent. world wide. NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you might want to get off the piss for a short time and contact your financial planner.............. that 3-4 bht might be dinner

Be advised if you have a brain,an accountant,and a lawyer, people buy realestate all day long in los .

Nothing lasts forever, including you, and your euro.

sorry for the spellin, i'm stupid.

regards.

i don't dare to contradict you

[BlackJack]

does that 100 billion in reserves include Taxins (Ex PM) frozen 78 billion if so then the countries doing well

mixing up US-Dollars and Thai Baht could be a sign of too much "Elephant" (Chang).

p.s. i love your avatar and have used it quite often in a financial forum to express my thoughts. hope you are not charging royalties

No royalties

cant drink Chang as it gives me a headache and the shyts

Can u point me to the financial forum (is it online) as i have a few questions and tips ( number 8 black - cant lose)

thanks

[exexpat]

I love how you can divide farang into 2 camps, the ones who "appease" the Thai and the ones that see the light. One group feels sorry or compassionate for the Thai, another blames them. It's clearly evident in all postings here. Sure there are good and bad Thai people. But you realize, its not the average Thai who want this system. It's the ruling class who keeps everyone addicted to Farang so they can be milked, and average Thai addicted to entertainment and work averse so they themselves can be milked of Farang money. In the end, your donation for food or whatever ends up, supporting the rich, and the system that made things this way. So in effect, those Farang who "appease" the Thai way are not helping the average Thai at all, but supporting the continuation of this classist addictive society. Even taking a Thai out of here and "educating" that person in the West, or living together with them in a house is seemingly bad, the effect on other Thais who see one of them going out or living in a decently clean home makes another 100 madly crazy to join a bar.

Maybe thats the point. I bet there are a lot of Farang here who would have a heart attack if one day, all the bars were closed. Many of you are here precisely because its isn't a "proper" country.

Edited November 1, 2008 by exexpat

[BarryM]

I love how you can divide farang into 2 camps, the ones who "appease" the Thai and the ones that see the light. One group feels sorry or compassionate for the Thai, another blames them. It's clearly evident in all postings here. Sure there are good and bad Thai people. But you realize, its not the average Thai who want this system. It's the ruling class who keeps everyone addicted to Farang so they can be milked, and average Thai addicted to entertainment and work averse so they themselves can be milked of Farang money. In the end, your donation for food or whatever ends up, supporting the rich, and the system that made things this way. So in effect, those Farang who "appease" the Thai way are not helping the average Thai at all, but supporting the continuation of this classist addictive society. Even taking a Thai out of here and "educating" that person in the West, or living together with them in a house is seemingly bad, the effect on other Thais who see one of them going out or living in a decently clean home makes another 100 madly crazy to join a bar.

Maybe thats the point. I bet there are a lot of Farang here who would have a heart attack if one day, all the bars were closed. Many of you are here precisely because its isn't a "proper" country.

One of the most lucid interpretations of contemporary Thai "culture" I've read.

[Jingthing]

In the end, your donation for food or whatever ends up, supporting the rich

This sounds like most countries in the world I am aware of, the only difference being the extremity of the concentration of wealth and the size of the wealthy class. Maybe you are saying Thailand is one of those extreme cases. I would agree.

[Screws]

".......the government must attempt every possible concrete measure to drive the economy ahead in the remaining two months of this year."

That could well make matters worse.

This is a time when the Government should retrench. Cut back on public spending and stop any new costly developments.

Closed firms pay no profit taxes. Workers whose jobs have become redundant pay no income tax. The Government's income is on the way down.

What a government might do when going into a short recession of the variety that we have previously seen in our lifetimes would be the wrong response to what is coming now.

I don't agree. The gov't should be making long term investments in infrastructure and quality of life megaprojects (partic. public transport) to reduce fossil fuel usage. It doesn't matter what the price of oil is if you are not using any -

Of course 'new costly developments' that are a complete wank should be cancelled - but MRT lines, etc, - NO.

[roamer]

".......the government must attempt every possible concrete measure to drive the economy ahead in the remaining two months of this year."

That could well make matters worse.

This is a time when the Government should retrench. Cut back on public spending and stop any new costly developments.

Closed firms pay no profit taxes. Workers whose jobs have become redundant pay no income tax. The Government's income is on the way down.

What a government might do when going into a short recession of the variety that we have previously seen in our lifetimes would be the wrong response to what is coming now.

I don't agree. The gov't should be making long term investments in infrastructure and quality of life megaprojects (partic. public transport) to reduce fossil fuel usage. It doesn't matter what the price of oil is if you are not using any -

Of course 'new costly developments' that are a complete wank should be cancelled - but MRT lines, etc, - NO.

Of course it also helps that unlike in the West you don't have to make any welfare payments of note to those who no longer have a job....

[Martin]

'roamer' said, in post #111,:

"...it also helps that unlike in the West you don't have to make any welfare payments of note to those who no longer have a job.... "

Very true.

The promises that have been made, such as Medicaire in the USA and Unemployment Benefits in the UK, do tend to propel those Governments to simply print money when their tax take goes down during recession.

Some years ago, two respected sociologists (Phongphaichit(sp?) and Baker) wrote a book: 'Thailand's Boom and Bust'. That bust was very different from this one as it was confined to Asia and happened when the West's economies were going strong and provided markets for Thailand's manufactures. However, one of those sociologists' observations is still very relevant to today. It was: "The villages are the Social Security System of Thailand". What they meant was that Thais in trouble will be taken in by their relatives up country, invited to 'kin khao', given a mat to sleep on, and work will be found for them in the growing of food.

I echo the thoughts of 'ray23 and others on this thread. The best help that we farangs can give is to put make work for villagers and also support the village economy through the village's temple. The really needy are best helped via the monks.

Basically, apart from one problem area, the the prospects for the Thais' well-being are quite good. A return to their grandparents' (and my grandparents') outlook, of not chasing after owning things that you don't need, and the continuance of the village ways of having fun without having to expend cash, will see them through.

The one problem area? Bangkok.

The three-part political impasse where any two parts can (and are pre-disposed to) frustrate the ambitions of the third is a recipe for political gridlock.

At the moment, it is the business bloc (TRT/PP) being frustrated by the middle-class bloc (Protesters Against Democracy) and the Old Power bloc (elites and their bureaucracy). But one of the other two permutations will hold, if the present situation changes.

Beyond this financial crisis, there is still the emerging energy-depletion crisis for all (but particularly disruptive for the longer-industrialised nations).

That probably means that the manufacture-for-export that underpins so much of the Bangkok economy is a busted flush.

A Chinaman must have passed by and given us his good wishes that we should 'live in interesting times".

He would have meant it neither as a blessing nor as a curse, since what we make of 'interesting times' is up to us.

I am remembering what I used to hear the dour folk in the Upper Aire Valley say when I used to visit my grandparents and their extended family: "Learn how to make capital out of adversity-----for you'll find bugger-all else around here to make any from".

[venturalaw]

Exactly after 13 years here I am seriously considering of finding greener pastures.

Just out of curiosity, where would you consider moving?

[venturalaw]

Perhaps now the Thai ' authorities ' will finally realise that to have a really vibrant economy they have to attract foreign investment that can control the companies that it buys/invests in. Not just 49% of them. Perhaps they will allow foriegn purchase of land by foreigners for foreigners, that could be controlled by leglislation as to one plot per farang of only to 2 rai, anything more would have to be controlled by a company. Lets us invest in the country we want to live in, Thai's can do it in Europe, why can't we do it here.

Why can't we do it here? You really don't know? It is because the Thais fear that they will lose their culture and identity if there is an increase in foreign ownership of Thai land.

What is ironic about this phobia is that the Thai race, and therefore culture, is being diluted by Thais marrying/forming relationships with foreigners and procreating/populating the country with half foreign, half Thai children. And these children are generally revered by Thais as being more attractive (a concept that is really strange to me) than children that are 100% Thai. Hence, the pure Thai race, so to speak, as with most cultures throughout the world, is diminishing.

[SNGLIFE]

Perhaps now the Thai ' authorities ' will finally realise that to have a really vibrant economy they have to attract foreign investment that can control the companies that it buys/invests in. Not just 49% of them. Perhaps they will allow foriegn purchase of land by foreigners for foreigners, that could be controlled by leglislation as to one plot per farang of only to 2 rai, anything more would have to be controlled by a company. Lets us invest in the country we want to live in, Thai's can do it in Europe, why can't we do it here.

Why can't we do it here? You really don't know? It is because the Thais fear that they will lose their culture and identity if there is an increase in foreign ownership of Thai land.

What is ironic about this phobia is that the Thai race, and therefore culture, is being diluted by Thais marrying/forming relationships with foreigners and procreating/populating the country with half foreign, half Thai children. And these children are generally revered by Thais as being more attractive (a concept that is really strange to me) than children that are 100% Thai. Hence, the pure Thai race, so to speak, as with most cultures throughout the world, is diminishing.

OMFG! It is so refreshing to hear someone besides myself realizes this is happening. Most Thais are adamantly and ignorantly clueless - even if you prove it. For example (for those non-observers and said Thais), in a given day, count how many references to white (khao) or black (dahm) skin color you hear or see just going about your daily routine - include the number of women and children wearing white powder as if it will be absorbed and make their skin whiter(!!!). Try finding even 1 Thai doll baby in any Lotus, Big C, etc. Next, go to the cosmetics section and try to find 1 box with a picture that represents the dozens or hundreds of women currently shopping in said store. Good Luck!

As for what would happen if Farangs were allowed to own land in Thailand en masse and mixed relationship trends continues, see Hawaii and the plight of the indigenous Hawaiians. Hint #1: Most can't even afford to live in most of Hawaii! It's already clearly happening in Thailand's resort towns with most average Thais unable to afford housing and forced to live on the fringes or in flop houses/apartments (we call it living "Thai-style"). Hint #2: Try finding a pure-blood Hawaiian these days. Good luck! Thailand is, like Hawaii was during the early 20th century, just 2 or so generations away from mass extinction of pure Thai traits which they themselves now consider undesirable (!!!).

Cheers!

Edited November 2, 2008 by SNGLIFE

[LaoPo]

Perhaps now the Thai ' authorities ' will finally realise that to have a really vibrant economy they have to attract foreign investment that can control the companies that it buys/invests in. Not just 49% of them. Perhaps they will allow foriegn purchase of land by foreigners for foreigners, that could be controlled by leglislation as to one plot per farang of only to 2 rai, anything more would have to be controlled by a company. Lets us invest in the country we want to live in, Thai's can do it in Europe, why can't we do it here.

Why can't we do it here? You really don't know? It is because the Thais fear that they will lose their culture and identity if there is an increase in foreign ownership of Thai land.

What is ironic about this phobia is that the Thai race, and therefore culture, is being diluted by Thais marrying/forming relationships with foreigners and procreating/populating the country with half foreign, half Thai children. And these children are generally revered by Thais as being more attractive (a concept that is really strange to me) than children that are 100% Thai. Hence, the pure Thai race, so to speak, as with most cultures throughout the world, is diminishing.

OMFG! It is so refreshing to hear someone besides myself realizes this is happening. Most Thais are adamantly and ignorantly clueless - even if you prove it. For example (for those non-observers and said Thais), in a given day, count how many references to white (khao) or black (dahm) skin color you hear or see just going about your daily routine - include the number of women and children wearing white powder as if it will be absorbed and make their skin whiter(!!!). Try finding even 1 Thai doll baby in any Lotus, Big C, etc. Next, go to the cosmetics section and try to find 1 box with a picture that represents the dozens or hundreds of women currently shopping in said store. Good Luck!

As for what would happen if Farangs were allowed to own land in Thailand en masse and mixed relationships continue, see Hawaii and the plight of the indigenous Hawaiians. Hint #1: Most can't even afford to live in most of Hawaii! It's already clearly happening in Thailand's resort towns with most average Thais unable to afford housing and forced to live on the fringes or in flop houses/apartments (we call it living "Thai-style"). Hint #2: Try finding a pure-blood Hawaiian. Good luck!

Cheers!

1. Pure Thai race diminishing....culture being diluted, because of interracial marriages...?? What a nonsense. I suggest to study Thai- and world cultures a bit more. Maybe 1, 2 or 3% of the total Thai population is in one way or another related to an interracial marriage, not necessarily white (could be Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese. Singaporean) And, so what ?

Even in the case one would talk about 5% of the Thai population of 63 Million, you're talking 3.150.000 Thai married to a foreigner....?..hmmmm...you think so ?

2. What about the millions and millions of interracial marriages/relationships in the US, France, UK, Holland, Spain, Africa, Australia ? Is the PURE white/black/yellow or green race also diluted ?

What a nonsense !

3. White powder on the faces: it's not necessarily meant for looking white®; it's to cool the faces in hot times. Apart from that, looking pale or white in Asia is nothing new but thousands of years old.

Look it up in culture and history during the centuries in Asia. Looking (more) white than the workers in the fields/farmers was considered more beautiful than a darker skin.

It's a simple fact and I'm not judging if it's good or not.

4. Farang, allowed to own/buy land/house.

It's a complete misconception that it would be bad for the country, on the contrary. It would give the economy of Thailand (and other countries) an enormous boost. It's nonsense to compare Hawaii with Thailand, Hawaii consists of a couple of island where land/space is limited; not so in Thailand.

In size, Thailand is a little larger than Spain (for instance); yet Spain has a mere 45 million people whilst Thailand has 63 million.

Yet, Spain has 2 million foreign house-owners; houses bought/built mostly during the past 4 to 5 decades. Next to that Spain has some 60 Million tourists per year and most of them come in a short 4 to 5 month period in the summer. 90% of those tourists stay close to the Mediterranean waters on the mainland or islands.

Thailand has some 13/14 million tourists. When I came to Thailand for the first time, it had a mere 1,5 million tourists.

Thailand will not lose it's purity more than any other country in the world. Some seem to forget that we live in a global world nowadays, not in a border-limited smaller or larger country anymore.

That time has gone; try to think global and don't limit it to the so called purity of Thailand. WHAT purity ?

Thailand is depending on the economy of the fellow world countries and it's citizens; it can't survive on it's own anymore as it did 200 or more years ago.

LaoPo

[ray23]

Lighter colored skin is the goal man they sell all kinds of junk for making the skin whiote, same in the P.I. they want white we want be Tan, nothing racial about it. Just how we each see beauty and never being happy with what we are.

Me I'm moving to Issan OOPPSSS that is where I'm at.

You know stay away from the news as most farmers around here do and yuo won'tt even notice the silliness goign on.

What changed Thailand time just like everywhere else.

The only problem that I have with Thai people is the politness routine, they talk it but don't walk it when dealing with us. But yet we are supposed to. I don't like that. The only answer for me i to show respect for those who earn it and ignore the rest. Seems to work well.

Man am I off topic, sorry stopping instanly

[Thai at Heart]

Perhaps now the Thai ' authorities ' will finally realise that to have a really vibrant economy they have to attract foreign investment that can control the companies that it buys/invests in. Not just 49% of them. Perhaps they will allow foriegn purchase of land by foreigners for foreigners, that could be controlled by leglislation as to one plot per farang of only to 2 rai, anything more would have to be controlled by a company. Lets us invest in the country we want to live in, Thai's can do it in Europe, why can't we do it here.

Why can't we do it here? You really don't know? It is because the Thais fear that they will lose their culture and identity if there is an increase in foreign ownership of Thai land.

What is ironic about this phobia is that the Thai race, and therefore culture, is being diluted by Thais marrying/forming relationships with foreigners and procreating/populating the country with half foreign, half Thai children. And these children are generally revered by Thais as being more attractive (a concept that is really strange to me) than children that are 100% Thai. Hence, the pure Thai race, so to speak, as with most cultures throughout the world, is diminishing.

I think you have really missed the point about whether the population dilution is of any importance at all. 70% (probably a conservative estimate) of the wealth of the country is in the hands of another immigrant group that appears to have slipped completely under your radar as they hoped they would. Just look at the list of "prohibited" industries and see which people populate these industries in Thailand in their droves.

These are the people who are continuously writing laws to inhibit so called "western" influence in business. Majority company ownership and land ownership by "farangs" has nothing to do with logical business practice and is simply a sop to the country to keep many inefficient local businesses from facing proper competition.

And yes, loog kreung are becoming a bigger part of Thai society everyday, and it will continue to be that way forever. Fortunately, Thai culture is strong enough that I believe a very large percentage of them are brought up as Thai with a dose of western influence and not the other way around.

[venturalaw]

And yes, loog kreung are becoming a bigger part of Thai society everyday, and it will continue to be that way forever. Fortunately, Thai culture is strong enough that I believe a very large percentage of them are brought up as Thai with a dose of western influence and not the other way around.

I hope that you are correct. I know that my son (half Thai) will certainly be raised as Thai, with a a 'dose of western influence' as you said. I appreciate the Thai culture - after all, if I didn't, it would be foolish for me to live here.

[Thai at Heart]

quote name='venturalaw' date='2008-11-03 03:10:43' post='2309675']

And yes, loog kreung are becoming a bigger part of Thai society everyday, and it will continue to be that way forever. Fortunately, Thai culture is strong enough that I believe a very large percentage of them are brought up as Thai with a dose of western influence and not the other way around.

I hope that you are correct. I know that my son (half Thai) will certainly be raised as Thai, with a a 'dose of western influence' as you said. I appreciate the Thai culture - after all, if I didn't, it would be foolish for me to live here.

Well mine and just about every other kid that I know of in their schools and other look kreung children of friends that I know of are demonstrably well adapted to Thai culture and language. Having one western parent surrounded by an entire culture and friends and family logically means that they obtain more than their fair share of Thainess. This is particularly true if you understand the central role that a Thai mother is supposed to have in a household.

Taking the best from both available cultures is a very beneficial thing.

Edited November 3, 2008 by Thai at Heart