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another reason to visit s.e. asia

quakingblog — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:42:46 +0000

In case you needed another reason to come visit me, look at what was in the cover of the Bangkok Post last week:

PRESS CORPS JOIN PRIME MINISTER'S, AHEM, 'MOVEMENT'

elephantsleg — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:14:58 +0000

[caption id="attachment_70" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Samak likes the number two."][/caption]

Another day, another scatological post from the Elephant's Leg. It's coincidence, I assure you.

But how could I resist bringing to your attention this story from the Bangkok Post, of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej taking drastic, Fawlty-esque measures to escape the uncomfortable questions of the media.

In France, the press chased Princess Diana into an early grave. In Thailand, they chased him into... a public toilet. Where he stayed for over an hour. And believe me, public toilets in Thai food markets are probably the last place you'd want to spend an hour.

I've said before that Thai politics is sometimes more like high farce than current affairs, and if ever a story bore this out, it's this one.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY.

HOCKEY TRIVIA

Ron Spence — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:05:04 +0000

by Ron Spence

According to the Bangkok Post, Kazakhstan’s rout of Thailand was some sort of international record.

But, Thailand can take some consolation.

In 1924, Canada absolutely kicked two European teams.

Which countries were they?

Canada defeated Czechoslovakia 30-0 and Sweden by a 22-0 score.

Seventy years later, these teams are beating Canada at her own game.

At the past four Winter Olympics, Sweden has won twice (1994 and 2006) and the Czech Republic once (1998).

And Canada has only won once, in 2002, at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

DROPPING A LOAD... IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

elephantsleg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:46:28 +0000

Picture the scene: it's 3am, you're walking along the street, nowhere near a public toilet, and you're suddenly struck with a bout of urgent diarrhoea. What would you do?

You might do as one Chon Buri man did and find a quiet spot next to a wall in an empty bus depot. You wouldn't, however, expect what happened to him next.

I edit the Thai news in the Bangkok Post. The reporters write in English, but native English speakers are required to edit the stories. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's difficult, but considering the majority of Thai news is about politics and business, I can't often say it's fun.

But when the above-mentioned story of a man cut short by the call of nature, and what happened to him next, came to my attention, it brightened up my shift no end.

Perhaps I shouldn't laugh at the misfortune of others, but the story's premise is pure slapstick, and the way it was originally written added a certain charm to it.

I edited so it would better fit the sober nature of a broadsheet newspaper, but I have reproduced the original version below for posterity. This is not to poke fun at the non-native English writer, because I sure as hell couldn't do a better job in Thai, but just to show how difficult - and amusing - it can be translate certain biological functions.

Kampol Kulakajornpan now knows he has to be more careful next time when he needs to poo.

Last Sunday the man was seriously injured by the collapsed wall after going poo outdoor at night. The rescue team from Dharma Rasami Maneerat Foundation spent almost two hours to save his life.

Around 3am on that night, crime control inspector of the Muang district police station Pol Capt Surachai Tantaworn was informed that the wall of Nakorn Chai Air bus company's parking lot on Sukprayoon road had suddenly fallen apart due to heavy rain with one person injured.

The 33-year-old unlucky man, who lives in that area for many years, had a diarrhoea and went out for defecation next to the wall. After finishing his job, he stood up with no idea that the wall was collapsing. The limestone beam buried him and broke his ribs.

He was sent to Chon Buri Hospital.

HOW DO YOU COMPARE SAMAK TO HITLER? PIECE OF CAKE

elephantsleg — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:53:36 +0000

Much like religion, politics is something I like to keep an open mind about. Sure, I have my opinions, and it's natural that other people do too, but those who blindly follow one party usually lack perspective. In Britain, certain people only ever vote Labour or Conservative simply because they always have, and because their fathers did before them. It's automatic.

Politicians, by the very nature of what they do, have to toe the party line, and part of this is criticising their opponents. This is to be expected, but I prefer criticism to be constructive, not an automated negative response to each and every action and word, made simply because their rivals are different.

Here in Thailand, there is a current groundswell of anti-government feeling, stoked by the very loud and very visual People's Alliance for Democracy, who lambast Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet for each and every thing they do and say. And I really mean each and every thing. I swear if Mr Sundaravej said drowning puppies is bad, they'd all chant "Oh no it isn't!".

I've only been in Thailand for two and a half months, so haven't been here anywhere near long enough to form solid political opinions - and as a foreigner, I can't vote anyway - so I offer no comment on the PAD's bid to oust PM Sundaravej. But what I will say is that while politics may resemble theatre in London, or melodrama in Washington, here in Bangkok it is sometimes more like high farce.

Exhibit A is this story from the Bangkok Post, in which an MP for the opposition Democrat Party attacks PM Sundaravej for his latest deed, branding him mentally ill and likening him to Adolph Hitler - and for what?

For ordering a cake.

To quote a well-known British journalist who blindly follows one political party: "You couldn't make it up!"

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY.

THE ELEPHANT'S LEG'S FIRST STEPS

elephantsleg — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:08:50 +0000

Now I've made the commitment of writing a blog, it's hard to know where to start. I've been here for more than 10 weeks now, so it's a little late to start at the beginning. Add to this residency my three previous trips to Thailand, and I have a lot of thoughts and impressions.So, to begin with, I might as well talk about how I came to be here not as a tourist, but as an expat.

Back in 2005, I spent two months in and around Thailand and met up with Julian, a fellow writer/sub-editor based here. He is also British and I knew of him because he writes regularly for Boxing News, a magazine I have also contributed to. He works for the Bangkok Post, an English-language newspaper here, and to cut a long story short, I asked him to let me know if any editorial vacancies came up in future. He did, and so here I am.

Before leaving the UK, I spent two weeks touring the country to catch up with friends and family. Much drinking was done, peppered with promises to come and see me in Thailand. I'm labouring the point, I know, but I really hope some of them do come out here. This is mainly for my own sake, as I miss people from back home, but also for their own sake, too, as I know Thailand has a hell of a lot to offer and most of my family and friends would get a lot out of a trip here.

To employ a cliche from local newspaper reports of upcoming village events: "There is something for everybody". Thailand offers rich and exotic culture, fascinating architecture (both ancient and modern), beautiful countryside, delicious food, vibrant nightlife, world class beaches, cheap shopping and, of course (for those who are interested), certain "adult" activities for which this country is famous (or should that be infamous?). Don't just take my word for it!

Anyway, I fully anticipated I wouldn't see familiar faces for a while, so it was good to see people and have some good nights out before I left. I'm lucky to have a group of good friends with whom I go waaaaay back, and I like to think these people will always be in my life, wherever I or they may be.

After arriving in Bangkok - with my fiancee, Maki, following a few hours later - we spent most of our time househunting and preparing formalities for our jobs and visas. We also took a couple of domestic trips, and I had a week-long holiday before starting work. I'll write about these places later, but the prospect of writing about the all visa red tape strikes me as even more boring than actually cutting through it. At times it seemed as if it would never end, and I must have signed my name more times in the past two months than in my previous 31 years!

Everything has been settled now, though. Both Maki and I have started working, our paperwork is complete and we have secured a nice apartment, and it's all so far, so good.

On The Road - Day 7 (Haad Rin, Thailand)

jasonschaeffer — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:04:01 +0000

It was time to return to civilization. Making my way south, I left the nature reserve and made way along the mountain pass to the south east corner of the island of Koh Phangan.

Arriving on the beach of Haad Rin (Hat Rin Nok - Sunrise Beach), I checked in to my beach front cabana and plotted my next few days from the hammock overlooking the Gulf.

Life here was a bit hectic (relativism), with people frolicking on the beach, long boats going to and fro from the south end of the cove, etc. I was in a contemplative frame of mind. I was reading Taleb's "The Black Swan" and thinking a lot about decision making processes, my own choices over the years, and casual relationships to this point, from both a professional as well as a personal standpoint. As Pierre-Daniel Huet wrote, any event can have an infinite number of possible causes. This is all well and good, but with the desire to understand linear relationships, this line of thinking makes it very difficult to pinpoint relationships.

"Minds of the gods cannot be read by just witnessing their deeds" was a theme that was resonating with me as of late. Understanding the disconnect between cause and effect, the illusion of understanding between perception and reality combined with "retrospective distortion" (assessment with rearview mirror analysis) were notions that required some processing on a personal level.

But I digress, after a day or two of reading, writing and contemplation, I came to the stark reality that this first phase, the half moon phase of the trip, was wrapping up. As the Thai-Kadai family of languages suggests - sa bai dii!

It was time to head over to Hong Kong to take care of a little biz. Thus, I waived goodbye to a few of the friends assembled. I bid farewell to the Israelis whom had spent many an hour on the beach discussing the Palestinian and Iranian conflicts and their views on a "solution". I made hay and jumped on the catamaran and headed back to Koh Samui for a flight to HK.

A few observations on life in Thailand from the last two days:

- The people are incredibly hard working; unlike countries that border Thailand, the Thai's were often witnessed working (vs sitting around in the debilitating heat). It suggested a strong work ethic and culture and I think the future is very bright or this economy. With a GDP that grew 6% in the first quarter of 2008 and was clocking in at $596.5 billion, the rocket was continuing its ascension.

- To state the obvious, some of the most beautiful coastline in the world. With 3,200 km of coastline, 27% of the land arable, a world class reef 200m from the sandy beaches and an abundance of natural resources to enable building (tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite), it would seem there is multiple layers of value in the real estate? Buying real estate would be a very handsome investment that will payoff in the coming decade as the Singapore and chinese money continues to flow into this region for development.

- If I were a Thai entrepreneur, I would open an eye care service. Anecdotally, very few people wore eye glasses for reading? This seems probablisitically unlikely that so many of the people have 20/20 vision? It doesn't appear to be a financial/economic issue as the people have flat screens and cars in numbers? Maybe an access / health care issue? Open a lasik outpatient franchise? Or a Lenscrafters?

- Buddhist culture and lack of a colonial past (sidenote: a unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy) should continue to enable an entreprenurial spirit to thrive in this country.

- Thai's challenge seems to be the seemingly corrupt government (from my daily reading of the bangkok post, every day illuminated a plot that uncovered this or that minister guilty of pilfering the state). Certainly a cancer, but not insurmountable?

I’LL DRINK TO THAT, BUT NOT IN A BANGKOK PUBLIC PARK

thailandtaleteller — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:08:22 +0000

BANGKOK has 20 public parks and some of them are quite spectacular.

However, drinking in public isn’t going to be tolerated anymore.

The City of Bangkok has enacted a ban on the sale and consumption of all alcoholic beverages in its parks.

The penalties for violators will be stiff; those caught selling or drinking alcohol in the parks could get 6 months in jail and/or get hit with a 10 thousand baht fine.

Doing the math; a 10 thousand Baht fine converts to about 320 U.S. dollars, 160 Pounds, or 204 Euros.

I wrote about jail and prisons in Thailand in my eBook;

Bangkok: Secrets of a Seductive City

They’re not a place you want to go.

The Government will use the Alcohol Control Act to enforce the alcohol ban.

You can learn a lot more about Bangkok and decide for yourself if it’s a place to just visit or retire to.

My website is: http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com

And just click on the travel bar.

BANGKOK,THAILAND has WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE, but…

thailandtaleteller — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:51:35 +0000

It’s hard to comprehend that a city that essentially was a network of waterways for centuries is reporting water problems.

News from a Bangkok, Thailand Deputy Governor reveals that farmers in the areas of Min Buri, Klong Sam Wa, Nong Chok, and Lat Krabang have been asked to go fishing.

Not literally, but figuratively. Stop working your farms is the message. The facts show that farms around Bangkok need about 8 times as much water than the current infrastructure can provide.

Will we be importing bottled water to nourish the crops? Doubtful, especially as the rainy season moves closer. You haven’t seen rain, until you’ve been caught in an afternoon monsoon.

If you want to learn more about what really goes on in Bangkok in the daytime and the Sintime (nighttime), please visit my website;

http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com My tell-all eBook does just that; it tells ALL about this wonderful city called BANGKOK.

QROPS: A-Day, two years on

sterlingassets — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:00 +0000

Published in the Bangkok Post: 12 April 2008

Richard Colburn

QROPS regulations were introduced with the ‘A-Day' changes to UK pension rights that took effect from April 6, 2006. These included provisions that allow expats to enjoy considerably more freedom of choice and relief from tax when transferring their UK pension rights overseas.

QROPS

Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes, or QROPS, are the only overseas pension schemes that are eligible to receive transfers of UK pension rights. QROPS are approved by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, and their approved list of overseas pension schemes is available at the HMRC website.

Whilst there are no age restrictions for transferring UK pension rights overseas, the rules under which these overseas pension schemes operate prevent the drawing of pension income from a QROPS before the UK ‘Normal Minimum Pension Age'. This is currently 50 but will rise to 55 from April 6, 2010.

Pension income

Income from UK based pension arrangements is paid in British pounds and is subject to the automatic deduction of tax prior to payment. This withholding tax applies regardless of the country of residence or nationality of the recipient.

Expats cannot escape Income Tax on UK pension rights that remain in the UK.

But depending on your circumstances, the Income Tax that is automatically deducted from UK pension income can be completely avoided by transferring your pension arrangements away from the UK and into a QROPS.

At the time of writing, at the end of March 2008, the British Pound is worth around 10% less in Thai Baht than it was in January 2007, which would have wiped out the gains of most British Pound denominated ‘cautious' pension portfolios during the same period.

By making a QROPS transfer of UK pension rights, it is possible to mitigate the impact of these types of currency fluctuations.

Inheritance Tax

UK Inheritance Tax is not just a death tax levied on British citizens.

The United Kingdom levies Inheritance Tax on ALL UK based assets of deceased persons. This applies regardless of the nationality, normal country of residence or place of death of the decedent.

Some types of UK pension arrangements are subject to additional charges on top of Inheritance Tax on the death of the pension holder, which can result in an overall death tax rate of 82%!

UK pension rights that are transferred to a QROPS are no longer subject to UK Inheritance Tax.

This is of particular benefit to the many expats with UK pension rights who have foreign born spouses or civil partners and who enjoy only a GBP 55,000 exemption from UK Inheritance Tax, which is currently 40%.

Lifetime allowance charge

When the value of a person's UK pension rights exceeds the 'lifetime allowance' a charge is applied to the excess. The charge is 55% when taken as a lump sum and 25% when used to provide pension income.

This charge is separate from any Inheritance Tax that may fall due and in some cases can be levied in addition to Inheritance Tax.

Expats with UK based pension rights cannot avoid the lifetime allowance charge.

However, transferring UK pension rights to a QROPS means that future lifetime allowance charges can be legitimately avoided.

Beneficiaries

Under UK law, when someone with UK pension rights dies (regardless of their nationality or country of residence), in many cases death benefits in respect of those pension rights are only available to ‘dependants' who will generally only include the children under 23 years of age and the spouse or civil partner of the deceased pension member.

After transferring UK pension rights to a QROPS, there are no restrictions placed on the choice of beneficiaries.

More information about QROPS can be found at The QROPS Bureau.

Financial advice

Anyone wishing to transfer their UK pension rights to a QROPS is required to take professional financial advice.

The overseas transfer of UK pension rights is governed entirely by UK laws and regulations, so a professionally UK qualified financial adviser is likely to be the most appropriate provider for this type of financial planning.

QROPS schemes themselves do not give financial advice.

To ensure that you enjoy the maximum benefit from the overseas transfer of your UK pension rights, the selection of your QROPS scheme must be based on your personal circumstances including, amongst other important factors, your nationality and normal place of residence.

UK qualified financial advisers are eligible to join the UK Personal Finance Society, membership of which and therefore professional credentials can be verified directly at their website.

Richard Colburn (Cert PFS) is a UK qualified financial adviser and pensions specialist with Sterling Assets.

Questions to the author can be directed to 053 839 463 or email.

www.sterling-assets.com

SINK SWIM OR A MONEY MAKING SWIMMING OPPORTUNITY

thailandtaleteller — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:13:05 +0000

In Thailand, there are 13 million children under the age of 15 and only 16 percent of them know how to swim.

This seems odd; since Thailand is known for its islands and beach resorts.

Perhaps this is a way for you to support yourself when you move to Thailand for a while, or a long while. GIVE swimming lessons.

The Public Health Ministry wants those under the age of 15 to learn how to swim, which will reduce the number of children

who drown each year.

This, I found shocking; the ministry wants the number of children who drown each year to drop below 12 hundred by the year 2010.

That’s a lot of people… sadly most are between the ages of 5 and 9.

It’s also the number one cause of death in Thailand for those under the age of 15.

This could be an opportunity to make an income as a swimming instructor.

Keep in mind, that you can’t just move here and get a job… there are requirements and some visa hurdles.

I explain the job market and visas in my book.

If you want to learn more about Thailand, check out my website:

http://www.925-wage-slave-alternatives.com