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I was reading a menu, but I wasn’t in a restaurant. Liposuction: $625 Tummy Tuck: $1,250 Breast Enlargement: $1,125 Sex change operation: $1,625 I did a double take. Yep, that wasn’t a misprint. Thailand is renowned for a lot of things– beautiful beaches, crazy nightlife, political instability, etc. One of the things it
Please begrudge me the quote from V for Vendetta, but I’m really starting to worry about what’s going on in the United Kingdom. On Wednesday I wrote about the UK’s “Interception Modernisation Programme.” New rules under the program require wireless companies and internet service providers to archive phone records, web history, and emails
It was with great irony and despicable deceit that UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was commemorating the fall of communism in Berlin on Monday. In his remarks, he insisted that the tide of history was moving towards our “best hopes,” and praised the people who helped end tyranny and bring down the
First of all, thanks to all the well-wishers (especially Dusty) after my accident… your concern is much appreciated, and I’m feeling a lot better. Today I want to talk about real estate in Thailand, and particularly here in Pattaya. I’ve spent the last few days scouting property, and talking to agents, developers, and
Amazingly enough, Hugo Chavez is giving us a gift. Allow me to explain. World leaders are gathered today in Berlin, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. What would have been the greatest armed conflict in the history of the world was successfully avoided… peace prevailed. Meanwhile, thousands of
I’m actually reporting tonight from bed-side in my hotel room; I managed to crash my $3/day motorcycle rental this afternoon, and between the cracked rib and other pleasantries, I’ve decided to call it an early evening. Fortunately for me, Thailand has some of the best healthcare in the world, at least if you’re
The air smelled of sweat and blood, and I could barely hear my friends talking to me over the screaming crowd. With each blow, bookmakers were shifting odds and taking bets with such a frenzy that the arena may as well have been the New York Stock Exchange on Black Monday. This was
November 4, 2009 Thailand I arrived into Thailand at 3am this morning from Shenzhen, and instantly I felt a bit happier. China is undoubtedly a booming colossus full of opportunity, but culturally it can be a bit grating after a while. After a month on the mainland, I needed a break, and Thailand
Here’s the scene… you’ve just landed and are making your way through immigration. Bleary-eyed and a bit disoriented, the portly fellow behind the desk singles you out for ‘secondary screening,’ and you are whisked away to the catacombs of the Customs service. At this point, it really doesn’t matter what country you’re arrived
I spend a great deal of my time on the road, traveling around the world in search of opportunity. I put boots on the ground while I’m on the hunt and end up screening a tremendous amount of both business and investment ideas. Some of these ideas make the cut, and we take
What if they held a bond auction and nobody came? This is exactly what happened in Latvia a few weeks ago, as the country failed to receive a single bid for $16 million of debt, maturing in April 2010. In other words, investors were not willing to loan what amounts to international finance
I spent the better part of my day today at a small conference attended by many of Shanghai’s wealthy, plus their lawyers and accountants. Considering the subject material is highly frowned upon by the government, I was surprised that so many were in attendance. So what was the topic of discussion at
It had to happen eventually. Nothing moves in a straight line in either direction, up or down… and when it does, there’s clearly room for a correction. In this case, I’m talking about the dollar, which has surged in the last week. What a roller coaster ride– we watched it continually slide for
Dubai is looking something like Rocky Balboa late in his first fight with Apollo…bruised, battered, struggling to his feet– but still fighting. Of course, if you remember the movie, Rocky didn’t win that fight. He was all heart, no belt. I think the analogy fits. To be clear, I think Dubai is great…
He has ruled through 12 US Presidents, a string of military dictatorships, several coups, and a historic transition to democracy. At 81 years of age, King Bhumibol of Thailand has really seen it all. Despite his essentially ceremonial position, King Bhumibol is revered, almost worshiped, by his people– not like other constitutional monarchies
