swissie
-
Posts
4928 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Downloads
Posts posted by swissie
-
-
Can not see why this thread has been moved to "The war in Ukraine", as the thread of "Why are Russians fleeing to Thailand" still remains in the "pub forum". It adresses the same configuration be it in Thailand or Europe.
But I suppose that as long as Russian Tourists can support themselves, they are welcome. Once they run out of money, Thai authorities will find a way to "unload" them to Europe.
But as long as they have money to spend (as usual), everybody is welcome in Thailand. Seems to me that "ASEAN NOW" is supportive of this concept.-
1
-
-
14 minutes ago, NativeBob said:
during Exodus'22 some cities turn into temporary passages for refugees from Central and Eastern UA. Also they didn't/don't fancy each other and speak different languages.
Driving through arabesque suburbs with empty households.... what a blazing temptation!
What I heard is that within first weeks most of non-geriatric population of those regions simply vanished.PS: does it matter who actually DID looting?
In the eastern Ukraine they speak Russian, In the western Ukraine they speak Ukrainian. Just another Russian slang. Same as US southern slang compared to the slang of Boston. Still undersrtanding each other.
-
1
-
-
28 minutes ago, Sigmund said:
Europeans are fed up in seing the billions going to ukraine and the high costs spent to finance their stay in major european countries. The main point is not to give them asylum as it is for humanitarian grounds. The point is that most will not leave and also the mafias sneak in by posing as refugees etc.
As usual, it's the rich elites who flee in general, leaving the weak and the poor back home to be used as Canon meat on the front lines of combat.
America started this war in a subjective provocation for years from the wings. So up to the USA to take them in America and give them free houses, medical care etc etc. Europe is massively going to the far right groups in the forthcomming elections of the European parliament and that is neither a good thing.
Europeans (and many americans) are also getting fed up in seeing the war crimes in Gaza under total protection of America towards the concerned, while on the other hand harsh sanctions against Russia are imposed and creating global inflation.
Not to mention the hushed up scandals of embezzlement of western money in Ukraine like the missing 400 millions reported by Pulitzer price US journalist S.Hersh. As usual, those who really need help in Ukraine are the last who will receive it.
Let's remember: Before the war, the Ukraine was classified as corrupt as Russia, making it impossible to join the "EU". Just as a reminder.
-
1
-
-
9 minutes ago, Sigmund said:
And 100'000 thousand will end up staying for good, once they bring in their brothers, husbands or boyfriends ?
No magic. All very predictable.
-
22 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:
No Thanks!
PS; BTW What are your grits?
PPS; I suspect I will not either like or understand the response!
"Kiss my grits" is somewhat of an outdatet term, sometimes still used in the southern states of the US. In todays lingo it would mean something like "f+ck-up, leave me alone".
-
3 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:
What facts and what links to back them up?
Facts? Easy, government statistics. 70'000 refugees from the Ukraine in my (small) home country.
-
8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:
Kiss my grits
I woulden't go this far. But true"southern slang" warms my heart. Long live "dixie".
-
7 minutes ago, NativeBob said:
@swissieThere's very useful feature on this forum called "Ignore".
On the subject - friend ("friendly contractor") left Western Ukraine on the fifth day of that special operation to Moldova first than Romania. He is programming expert of level 1000 and found no problem with new work/job. Back home he had a house, garden, smaller house for musical instruments as a hobby, car, bike and BBQ place. It was looted almost same week he and his family left. Sad story.
Yes, where will those people return?
Yes, sad story. But to this very day, there were no Russian soldiers in the "Western Ukraine". Who did the looting? His neighbors?
PS: I would never put JT on ignore, as (on a good day), he is perfectly able to deliver good in depth analysis of a wide array of subjects.
-
3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:
This topic itself is troll city.
Judging by your past contributions you can do much better than that. Try again. Deliver pro's and con's based on facts outlined in my OP.
-
1
-
-
4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:
Putin thanks you for your anti Ukrainian propaganda.
How do you connect this to Putin and propaganda? Just comparing the faith of Ukrainian/Russian refugees.
-
1
-
1
-
-
What about the Ukrainians fleeing to Europe?
In 80% of the Ukraine, no war takes place. Most Ukrainians never felt the need to flee. Still, 10 thousands of Ukrainian refugees ended up in Europe. Less than 10% are gainfully employed in Europe and language/integration courses are not in much demand by the refugees. Preferring to live on welfare benefits. As opposed to Russian refugees in Thailand, where they have to pay for their livelyhood.
Someday the war will end. I could imagine that refugees returning to the Ukraine will not receive a warm "welcome back" by their countrymen.-
3
-
1
-
-
There is so much more to it:
For decades, Government Statistics "prove" that the average wage earners are better off than ever. Really?
My dad was the only provider, my mother never had to work. We had a good life, lacking nothing. Therefore, how come, that in todays Europe, mom and dad have to work to make ends meet? Same in Thailand. Have 2 stepdaughters, both married, having good jobs at the Bank and Industry. But mom and dad have to work, otherwise they could not afford to live in Bangkok.
If in the olden days a single provider could "carry" a family. Today it takes 2 "earners". So how do Government Statistics derive their "better off than ever" from?
Today we have to deal with "fake news". But long before we have appearantly and obviously been fed with "fake statistics". To "fine tune" and "adjust" the basket of consumer goods is paradise for government "statiscians", wanting to low ball annual inflation rates.-
2
-
-
After the recent "setback" of the markets, investors ponder once more the all important question:
- Was this just a technical correction or is the Bear knocking on the door?
My 2 cents worth: The hopes of steadily declining interest rates for the rest of the year are in question (at least concerning the US). Next weeks earnings reports by big (tech) companies better be within (high) expectations. Disappointing results may well trigger more market "correction".
This brings us back to square 1: At what point turns a "market correction" into a Bear Market?
To anyone giving me a clue, I will pay a commission of a buck and a half plus give the phone number of my ex-wife.-
1
-
-
On 4/17/2024 at 11:02 PM, lkn said:
Right, China is hardly doing this covertly.
And even without plans to invade Taiwan (and risk getting all their USD frozen, as we saw with Russia after their invasion of Ukraine), there is increasing tension between the U.S. and China, so it’s not really that surprising, that China wants less exposure to USD, and for them, gold is probably the second best thing.
All very well observed,
not to forget, that before "tensions" between the US and China arose, China parked massive amounts of their "export surplus money" in US T-Bills/US T-bonds. Financing a good part of the US budget deficits.
Absurdity total: Without the Chinese influx of "surplus money", the US defence of Taiwan would possibly have to be financed by tax increases by US citizens. No way, as no US polititian would be re- elected proposing something like that. (Another Vietnam, with a peaking inflation rate of 15 % in the middle of the 1970 ties?)
To impose sanctions agaist China? Great idea! Meaning that the Chinese will even buy less US T-Bonds, and affordable Chinese consumer goods will no more enter the shores of the US. The consumer goods that the US Industry can produce (if at all possible) will cost 30% more than the Chinese imports, further accelerating the impoverishement of the "lower-class" of Americans.
The future looks bright, unfortunately not for the US/European economical universe. -
10 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:
Yeah, you were the one that claimed (falsely) that you could get 50-50 odds playing roulette, yes? So much for mathematics.
Being the heaviest, gold is on the bottom.
Is it swissie or swishy?
It's "swissie", for better or for worse.
Question: Next to your valuables, have you locked your sense of humor in your safety deposit box as well? -
1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:
Yeah, if you're "investing" in 1 ounce of gold, just buy a necklace.
And of course, one can keep any number of other things in a safety box. I had one long before I bought any investment gold.
How are you doing with your roulette investments?
I am so disthrought. If only you would read my posts more carefully. By doing so, you would have noticed that I used "Roulette" only within the context of "mathematics". I don't do roulette, but I do "ruthless trading" far away from any roulette table on occasion. (With playing money only).
With regard to my post above: I would be interested to know what you store in your safety deposit box next to Gold. With the right "content" of your safety box, I might still want to "suck up to you". Come on, spill your guts.
To verify: Is your handle truly "yellowtail"? If "yellowsnail", I would have to reconsider my generous offer.
-
On 4/18/2024 at 5:19 AM, Yellowtail said:
Perhaps not for free, but at $2,300, a million dollars' worth of gold weighs a bit over 13.5kg, and has a volume of about 700ml, so it can fit easily in a bank safe deposit box.
My safe deposit box in the US was free, and I think it's around 2,500 a year for the one we have at Krunsri.
So, it would cost less than 0.007% to store it in Thailand.
Actually, if the box was close enough to the floor where you could drag it out, you could probably store $6M in gold in it.
What you pay for your safety deposit box at Krunsri is very reasonable. Congrats!
Of course it's all relative. If only 1 oz of Gold is stored, the carrying charge would be close to 3%.
--------------------------------
PS: In case you store 1 Mill $ worth of Gold in your safety deposit box, I would like to suck up to you. I make for a great pal, I sing and dance like Fred Astair. I tell funny jokes and sell snake oil on the side. I can mow your lawn and give professional massages to the female members of your family. We could sit together and wach the markets while sipping liberal amounts of beer. How's that?-
1
-
-
9 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:
AND???
Are you playing your cards right? = AND ???
-
1 hour ago, mfd101 said:
I transfer money from Oz every month. I figure Oz is less likely to be 'disrupted' than most countries but anything's possible.
No point in worrying too much about what could happen but probably won't, particularly if there's not much you could do about it anyway.
It's more about what the "locals" think about the happenings of the world and how it could possibly affect them. With or without the support of Farangs. History shows, that Thailand has not been affected by any colonial "power plays". Thus making it possibe to stay away from "international disturbances", as they have done successfully in the past, possibly benefitting long term Farangs, if they play their cards right.
-
The wold in turmoil. (once more).
As a long term Farang in the Isaan, how much attention you and your family pays to increasing "international disruptions"? Possibly, eventually affecting Farangs and their families in the Isaan? Especially if "international disruptions" would make it hard to transfer monthly funds to Thailand from the "old country"?
Any plan b) or other remedies in such a case?-
1
-
-
16 hours ago, Mike Lister said:
For @swissie in particular:
The link below may be behind a paywall for you, in which case, there are some work arounds so PM me.
Ambrose Evans Pritchard is the author, he's a superbly qualified economist but a bit of doom monger at times. Anyway, he picked up on the price of gold and asks the question, why and who? It's not normal buying by any means, he researched that. It's not a Western institution and it's NOT a Central Bank, it's somebody with deep pockets who is not price sensitive, Ambrose concludes it's China but doing so covertly. Why? WWIII, government deficits, over leveraging by governments, USD sinking into the sunset.....many possible answers. A good read.
Yes indeed, I was confronted with some obstacles, trying to access this site. Never heard about a Mr. Pritchard. But still interested.
Seems to me, China is publizising it's Gold purchases quite openly. To support it's currency after the mayham followed by their invasion of Taiwan? I don't think they accumulate their Gold to shoot at the Taiwanese with golden bullets.-
1
-
-
On 4/4/2024 at 12:45 PM, Skeptic7 said:
I hear ya...but been waiting since 1980. 🤣
Did sell some then. But bought a lot more for years after that, dirt cheap. Should have sold in 2011. Don't need the cash, just want to off-load it. Clearing out the clutter.
Compared to Gold, Silver is plentyful and therefore relatively cheap. Comperatively "little money" can move the price of Silver over proportionally. Always remembering the "Hunt Brothers", cornering the market with the help of the former broker "Prudential Bache".
Unless somebody new corners the market again, I can not see the price of Silver hitting 50$ per ounce again during my livetime.-
1
-
-
On 4/4/2024 at 1:11 AM, Srikcir said:
"Here's Why Gold Is At A Record High - Forbes"
"Gold has added 394% in value over the past 20 years, according to FactSet data, below the S&P 500's 522% return over the two-decade period, but still a remarkable feat considering gold is an inorganic material without the potential to return profits to shareholders as a stock would." Mar 9, 2567 BE https://www.forbes.com
Here is a problem. One can not store Gold for free, unless one stores physical Gold under the matress.
Be it futures, ETF's or other instruments, there is always a "carrying charge". Even storing Gold in a safety deposit box at the bank costs an annual fee.
Just assuming that over the last 20 years an annual "carrying charge" of a modest 3% would have applyed, with compound interest and missed interest by other investements, (missed opportunity cost) the above quoted (theoretical) 394% gain of Gold would be greatly diminished. = Warren Buffet never liked Gold.
The price of Gold doesn't follow financial/world events tick by tick. Lenghty periods of "dormancy" can be observed. Only to readjust on quick periodical strong "outbursts" on the upside. I believe such a corrective "outburst on the upside" is currently taking place. To be followed by a lenghty period of relative "dormancy" again.-
1
-
-
3 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:
Not good then? I expected not. Carry on...
Good enough. My (boring) investements produced satisfactory results over time.
What do you think about Ukrainians feeing to Europe?
in The War in Ukraine
Posted
It took centuries to form something like "Switzerland". Never having a chance to emerge as a "world power". But some mountain tribes decided that the rule of the "Habsburgs" had to end. The result was that many small "countries" joined the "Swiss Confederation". Small is beautiful, nevermind the 4 languages, still in effect and causing no problems.
Knowing that we would be too small to affect "world happenings", we decided to stay neutral. =May the "world powers" bang each others head in. We rather not partake.
What if: All countries turn "Neutral"? No interferance of other countries internal affairs? Switzerland as a shining example?