If All Foreigners Would Leave This Country...

[Max2010]

Regardless of many things, Thailand has name recognition and it has a reputation for being a holiday destination. In the business world, it has a reputation for stability--at least relative to other countries in the region.

For the foreseeable future, I think that Thailand will be the destination of travel and money. People may make a foray to neighboring countries, but their base will most likely be Thailand.

I completely agree with you Scott. Investors have enough confidence to put in about $8 billion dollars worth of FDI in Thailand in 2010 (www.boi.go.th/english) . Obviously, political and economic climate change and investors take a risk in any country, developing or developed ones. People adapt to changes very fast. Ask the American homeowners who not only lost their homes but also their life savings, jobs and medical benefits but somehow they cope with it. There are many middle class Africans, Russians and Middle Eastern people who look up to Thailand now for their shopping, cheap but modern medical treatments, business opportunities, safe heaven for their savings, international education for their children and visa-free vacation. They will continue to provide employment to Thai Immigration officers, hotel workers, contruction workers, teachers, and other Thais working in tourism sectors. The rest will adopt to new jobs or go overseas to work as they have always done so especially in the Middle East. Thai economy might shrink just like the current economies of many developed nations but they too will survive and adopt to new realities as they present themselves. Life will go on.

Max2010

[Naam]

There are many middle class Africans, Russians and Middle Eastern people who look up to Thailand now for their shopping, cheap but modern medical treatments, business opportunities, safe heaven for their savings, international education for their children and visa-free vacation.

shopping crap quality? safe haven for their savings with an anachronistic banking system? business opportunities without having a say in the company? international education for their children?

[Max2010]

There are many middle class Africans, Russians and Middle Eastern people who look up to Thailand now for their shopping, cheap but modern medical treatments, business opportunities, safe heaven for their savings, international education for their children and visa-free vacation.

shopping crap quality? safe haven for their savings with an anachronistic banking system? business opportunities without having a say in the company? international education for their children?

Maybe the quality was crap for you Naam, but my Japanese wife finds the products in Bangkok malls as good as any in Tokyo. I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo. Foreigners invested $8 billion dollars in Thai economy in 2010, if the economy was unsophisticated and investors have no business say as you claim, there would not be international banks and other cmpanies opening shop in Thailand. It would not make any business sense. Japan alone invested $3 billion and they are one of the hardest people to attact in foreign countries. I highly doubt they have no business say with their investments.

People who belong to middle class in Russia is about 15 million, 40 million in Africa and about 300 million in China. They do not work for McDonald's, Walmart or work multiple jobs to pay their bills every month. They can afford the products and services they desire. They send their kids to international schools and take their vacations in exotic countries including Thailand. I was born in one of the poorest countries in Tanzania, east Africa and the education system is very bad there. However, my parents could afford an international education for me in International School of Tanganyika. In a poor underdeveloped country like mine, 10-15% of my school's graduates get 100% academic scholarships to Ivy league schools in America. So, living in a poor country doesn't mean you have no access to quality education as long long as you are wealthy. They might chose Thailand because it is relatively safer than their home countries and know that the quality education they receive will prepare their kids to be admitted in good universities around the world.

List of major international banks in Thailand

http://www.inntron.co.th/bank_thc.html

List of quality International Schools in Thailand

http://www.thaiconsulatechicago.org/clate/interschl.html

List of modern shopping malls in Bangkok

http://www.bangkok.com/shopping-mall/

[JurgenG]

Russians are hitting a new low, they are now buying American houses

Russian Billionaire Buys Most Expensive US Home Ever

The U.S. housing market may be struggling to regain its footing, but the $100 million sale of a single-family home in the heart of Silicon Valley shows that luxury properties are still in demand. Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, a big investor in Facebook, daily deal website Groupon and "Farmville" game maker Zynga, bought the lavish, 25,500-square-foot mansion in Los Altos Hills, Calif. The sale is believed to be one of the largest in U.S. history for a single-family home.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/31/yuri-milner-house-russian_n_843182.html

[scotbeve]

Russians are hitting a new low, they are now buying American houses

Russian Billionaire Buys Most Expensive US Home Ever

The U.S. housing market may be struggling to regain its footing, but the $100 million sale of a single-family home in the heart of Silicon Valley shows that luxury properties are still in demand. Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, a big investor in Facebook, daily deal website Groupon and "Farmville" game maker Zynga, bought the lavish, 25,500-square-foot mansion in Los Altos Hills, Calif. The sale is believed to be one of the largest in U.S. history for a single-family home.

http://www.huffingto...n_n_843182.html

[dmax]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

[a51mas]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

Perhaps due to your sh*ty attitude, no?

[MrsMills]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

What would your advice be to a man that was living in such a country by choice ?

1. Leave and go elsewhere ?

2, Join ThaiVisa and tap out meaningless posts of complaint on an anonymous forum ?

3. Kill yourself.

4. Learn to adapt and realize that you're not a victim after all, Thais get ripped off too ?

5. Whip yourself nightly with scented bootlaces and try to convince the wife that you're doing it for your love of Thailand ?

Edited April 7, 2011 by MrsMills

[StreetCowboy]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

What would your advice be to a man that was living in such a country by choice ?

1. Leave and go elsewhere ?

2, Join ThaiVisa and tap out meaningless posts of complaint on an anonymous forum ?

3. Kill yourself.

4. Learn to adapt and realize that you're not a victim after all, Thais get ripped off too ?

5. Whip yourself nightly with scented bootlaces and try to convince the wife that you're doing it for your love of Thailand ?

What a great five-step programme!

I'm tempted to embark upon it straight away!

SC

[MrsMills]

What a great five-step programme!

I'm tempted to embark upon it straight away!

SC

I went in reverse order and started on number 5, I never left that level.

[StreetCowboy]

What a great five-step programme!

I'm tempted to embark upon it straight away!

SC

I went in reverse order and started on number 5, I never left that level.

So what have you got to look forward to?

How can you motivate yourself to get up in the morning (oo err, missus)

SC

WHich country do you think would be most affected if all the foreigners left?

[MrsMills]

What a great five-step programme!

I'm tempted to embark upon it straight away!

SC

I went in reverse order and started on number 5, I never left that level.

So what have you got to look forward to?

How can you motivate yourself to get up in the morning (oo err, missus)

SC

WHich country do you think would be most affected if all the foreigners left?

No countries really, just individuals from various countries that would have to go back to Mrs Thumb and her Four Lovely Daughters.

Edited April 7, 2011 by MrsMills

[IanForbes]

I left Thailand about a week ago and so far I haven't seen any decline in the Thai economy, But the e-mails I received today from my 3 Thai ladies mentioned they were missing my funding. They even went so far as to send me their bank account number.

[Tonto21]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai’s, they don’t give a shit about farang….Most don’t give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there’s…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won’t be the people who make the policy’s that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

[IanForbes]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai's, they don't give a shit about farang….Most don't give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there's…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won't be the people who make the policy's that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

From my observations and analysis over the past 15 years of coming to Thailand I would guess you are correct, Tonto. The wealthy Thais DON'T care about the poor in the country and actually DO try to keep them ignorant, uneducated and poor. It all starts at the top and I don't see any change for the future.

[dmax]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai's, they don't give a shit about farang….Most don't give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there's…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won't be the people who make the policy's that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

From my observations and analysis over the past 15 years of coming to Thailand I would guess you are correct, Tonto. The wealthy Thais DON'T care about the poor in the country and actually DO try to keep them ignorant, uneducated and poor. It all starts at the top and I don't see any change for the future.

so if they treat their fellow countrymen like this what really do they think about us farang ? i rest my case

[dmax]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

Perhaps due to your sh*ty attitude, no?

get a life shi**y attitude? if thais treat other poor thais like sh*t then what do they really think about us farangs, talk sense or dont talk at all.

Edited April 7, 2011 by dmax

[SteeleJoe]

Don't think I'll comment on your shi**y attitude (especially when you've got the sort of skills that allow you to come up with razor sharp and original retorts like "get a life"). And I certainly won't get into a pointless effort to argue that Thais don't treat me or most people I know badly. Or even mention how one might consider who one is hanging out with and/or how one treats them. And I'm certainly not going to get into the oversimplification and excessive generalization attutudes of elite Thais (especially since it is admittedly largely accurate)

But I will point out one basic flaw in your logic: due the nature of the societal hierarchy, it not at all unusual that an elite Thai would view a falang in far better terms than those Thais of the lower ends of the social strata.

ya know?

[Naam]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Naam

[Naam]

havent we farang supported their economy for years now and we are still treated like ( sh*t ) second class citizens

Perhaps due to your sh*ty attitude, no?

get a life shi**y attitude? if thais treat other poor thais like sh*t then what do they really think about us farangs, talk sense or dont talk at all.

looking back at a quarter century as tourist and living in Thailand for more than 6 years i don't recall that me or my wife have been ever treated shitty by Thais. but Farangs did try to treat us in a shitty way and cheat us. personally i care a flying fart what Thais or whoever think about me.

[IanForbes]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai's, they don't give a shit about farang….Most don't give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there's…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won't be the people who make the policy's that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

From my observations and analysis over the past 15 years of coming to Thailand I would guess you are correct, Tonto. The wealthy Thais DON'T care about the poor in the country and actually DO try to keep them ignorant, uneducated and poor. It all starts at the top and I don't see any change for the future.

so if they treat their fellow countrymen like this what really do they think about us farang ? i rest my case

You can rest your case all you want. I really don't CARE how the wealthy Thais treat me... just as I don't care how the wealthy Canadians treat me. I EXPECT to be treated like crap by bankers, lawyers, politicians, police, customs officials and anyone else with a uniform and a badge, or anyone else who has the power to stick it to me. It goes with the territory. I don't have any respect for any one of them, unless a specific individual proves otherwise. I'll just keep doing what I enjoy and without hurting anyone else. I don't NEED a bunch of phoney, two sided laws to tell me right from wrong. Nor do I need some hypocritical religious fanatic to tell me right from wrong.

[StreetCowboy]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

Now there's an offer you can't refuse!

SC

[zzaa09]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai's, they don't give a shit about farang….Most don't give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there's…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won't be the people who make the policy's that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

From my observations and analysis over the past 15 years of coming to Thailand I would guess you are correct, Tonto. The wealthy Thais DON'T care about the poor in the country and actually DO try to keep them ignorant, uneducated and poor. It all starts at the top and I don't see any change for the future.

so if they treat their fellow countrymen like this what really do they think about us farang ? i rest my case

So what this thread really amounts to is Farang self-importance and self-delusion, yes?

[SteeleJoe]

As for if all farang leaving Thailand making a difference, all depends on which segment of Thai society we are talking about. Hi-so Thai's, they don't give a shit about farang….Most don't give a toss about their own, just so long as they get there's…..and keep it!

Thai society is designed to keep the poor stupid and……..poor, the rich….er….rich! We as westerner, I feel, make no impression on the Thai way of doing things. At the end of the day if ALL farang left Thailand who in Thai society is going to suffer, it won't be the people who make the policy's that eventually force the hand of the ex-pat to leave.

Anyone who thinks we, (farang) make the powers to be careful about how they treat the ex-pat community is deluding them selves.

From my observations and analysis over the past 15 years of coming to Thailand I would guess you are correct, Tonto. The wealthy Thais DON'T care about the poor in the country and actually DO try to keep them ignorant, uneducated and poor. It all starts at the top and I don't see any change for the future.

so if they treat their fellow countrymen like this what really do they think about us farang ? i rest my case

So what this thread really amounts to is Farang self-importance and self-delusion, yes?

Uhmmm...yeah, pretty much I reckon. (Like quite a lot of TV, in fact.)

[Max2010]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

I do not have a business need for such sophisticated transactions. All I want from my Thai bank is to change my Yen to Baht and they do it efficiently and in a timely manner. Also, I don’t speculate on foreign currency movements in either Thailand or Japan. I am aware that it is difficult to do such trades in both individually. Anti-laundering laws might be the reason why they might not send your money to a well known tax haven, for example. American, Canadian and German governments are aggressively going after people who do just that. Besides, it is much cheaper to do all your fancy transactions online via fxdd.com, customhouse or any other online forex trading sites if you are an innocent forex speculator and declaring all your loot to the government/s.

Max2010

[Thakkar]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

My Bangkok Bank manager once ordered some som tam for us, had it served on nice plates accompanied by iced Thai coffee and discussed politics while we waited on some paperwork. Suck on THAT, sophisticated international banks!

[mark45y]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

Mark calls his bank.

Khun Mark, nice you call me.

Lek, please break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31. 2011

Khun Mark your girlfriend in town today?

Lek, sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current.

Khun Mark new shushi restaurant in mall I think you like very much.

Lek, switch all NZD from current account into SGD.

Khun Mark I think you like new restaurant very much after we eat go home and see my kitty. You know kitty miss you very much.

Lek, did you understand what I said?

Not really, Khun Mark what time you pick me up tonight?

7:00 OK.

OK, khun Mark you want I do banking thing for you?

No, that's OK Lek, I'll cass Singapore ANZ.

OK Khun Mark see you 7:00.

[Max2010]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

Mark calls his bank.

Khun Mark, nice you call me.

Lek, please break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31. 2011

Khun Mark your girlfriend in town today?

Lek, sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current.

Khun Mark new shushi restaurant in mall I think you like very much.

Lek, switch all NZD from current account into SGD.

Khun Mark I think you like new restaurant very much after we eat go home and see my kitty. You know kitty miss you very much.

Lek, did you understand what I said?

Not really, Khun Mark what time you pick me up tonight?

7:00 OK.

OK, khun Mark you want I do banking thing for you?

No, that's OK Lek, I'll cass Singapore ANZ.

OK Khun Mark see you 7:00.

LMAF

Max2010

[Max2010]

Max2010: I have banked with Thai banks for a decade now and can do all my international transactions as easily as in any Japanese banks in Tokyo.

the last time i had a japanese bank account was many rainy seasons ago, i'm therefore not familiar with their system.

question: can you call your Thai bank, issue by phone these instructions and expect that your instructions are carried out and confirmed by call-back within max 60 minutes?

-break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31, 2011 and sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current

-switch all NZD from current account into SGD

-buy OTC ISIN DE000A1ALVC5 nominal €UR 200k @ 109.75 or better

-transfer €UR 45,500 to my account in Luxembourg (look up file)

-e-mail confirmation for transfer is on its way.

if you attempt to tell me that a Thai bank will carry out a single one of these instructions i will not bother to discuss anything connected to banks or investments with you.

Mark calls his bank.

Khun Mark, nice you call me.

Lek, please break AUD fixed deposit mat oct 31. 2011

Khun Mark your girlfriend in town today?

Lek, sell 350k vs. €UR forward aug 26, 2011, keep rest in cash current.

Khun Mark new shushi restaurant in mall I think you like very much.

Lek, switch all NZD from current account into SGD.

Khun Mark I think you like new restaurant very much after we eat go home and see my kitty. You know kitty miss you very much.

Lek, did you understand what I said?

Not really, Khun Mark what time you pick me up tonight?

7:00 OK.

OK, khun Mark you want I do banking thing for you?

No, that's OK Lek, I'll cass Singapore ANZ.

OK Khun Mark see you 7:00.

LMAO

Max2010

[Naam]

All I want from my Thai bank is to change my Yen to Baht

that's neither an "international transaction" nor related to "investments". and as you call my examples of instructions "sophisticated" let me tell you that all of them are very basic and simple ones like having breakfast in the morning and supper in the evening.

Anti-laundering laws might be the reason why they might not send your money to a well known tax haven

there is no such thing like anti-laundering laws preventing to send any amount to any financial institutions anywhere in the world if the sources are documented and that applies to Thai banks too. the problem with them is that one needs a shitload of paperwork to make a simple transfer to anywhere abroad plus they do not accept any phone or e-mail instructions to handle even the most rudimentary investment instructions (which they are also not able to carry out if you turn up personally). in that and other ways Thai banks are restricting your access to your own hard earned money.

I don’t speculate on foreign currency movements in either Thailand or Japan

what you call "speculation" is the bread and butter of an investor who does not only think in ¥EN and Baht but protects his investments by spreading them into different currencies. especially the last five years have proved to expats living in Thailand and paying for their living expenses by foreign income can lead into a sh*tty situation with the appreciation of the Baht respectively the depreciation of the currency he is invested in.

Besides, it is much cheaper to do all your fancy transactions...

it is always amusing when a blind man tries to explain the colours and the brushstroke of an old master's painting to someone who has proper eyesight.