Expat Insider 2023 Survey Reveals: The Best & Worst Destinations for Living and Working Abroad, Thailand is 6th

 Thailand

InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4.8 million members, has published the latest results of its annual Expat Insider survey. This year also marks the survey’s 10th anniversary. With more than 12,000 respondents, Expat Insider is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad. It provides insights into expat life in 53 destinations, offering in-depth information on the respondents’ satisfaction with their respective countries in these five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the Expat Essentials Index.

Expats Enjoy an Affordable Life in Thailand 

Thailand ranks 6th out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey. Cost-conscious ex-pats appreciate Thailand for its readily available and affordable housing (1st), as well as the affordable lifestyle it generally offers. The country ranks 4th in the Personal Finance Index. However, there is still room for improvement regarding Work Culture & Satisfaction (46th) and Safety & Security (45th). All in all, 86% say they are happy with their life in Thailand, compared to a global average of 72%. 

The Best & Worst Destinations for Expats in 2023

Out of 53 destinations in the Expat Insider 2023 survey, Mexico (1st), Spain, Panama, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Portugal (10th) are the best places for expats in 2023. On the other hand, expats consider Kuwait (53rd), Norway, Türkiye, South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, and Japan (44th) as the worst destinations for expats.

Source - Pattaya News

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#Bangkok tops list of trending Airbnb destinations this year

Thailand’s capital topped a list of trending Airbnb destinations in 2022. Based on searches made in the first to third quarters of the year for check-ins, Bangkok was the #1 most trending destination for Airbnb guests across the globe.

The entire list is as follows: 

Bangkok, Thailand

Sydney, Australia

Málaga, Spain

Seoul, South Korea

Melbourne, Australia

Itapema, Brazil

Angra dos Reis, Brazil

Capão da Canoa, Brazil

Auckland, New Zealand

Brisbane, Australia

In searches for future check-ins in 2023, Bangkok was #5, Nation Thailand reported. The list of top trending travels spots for Airbnb in 2023 were:

Málaga, Spain

Sydney, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Auckland, New Zealand

Bangkok, Thailand

Airbnb’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj, said…

“The reopening of more countries this year also unlocked pent-up demand from international travellers eager to reconnect with loved ones or visit their favourite destinations once more.”

Earlier this year, there was a major jump in searches for Airbnb accommodation in Thailand, according to Airbnb data. The data shows that between January and March this year, the number of searches for Airbnb accommodation in the kingdom shot up by 180% compared to the same time frame last year.

Both Thai and international travellers especially searched for Airbnb accommodations in hotspots including Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui.

In September, however, Airbnb said tourists in Thailand were opting for ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destinations, benefiting the environment and local economies.

According to Airbnb, more tourists are venturing out of these hubs and into “lesser-known” destinations such as Koh Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-Am.

But based on the recent list of trending Airbnb destinations, it appears that Bangkok is still at the top.

Between January 1 and December 20, Thailand welcomed 10.9 million tourists from around the world, the governor said this morning. 

Tourist arrivals in Thailand could hit the 11 million mark before the year is through, according to the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Yuthasak Supaporn.

With High Season in full swing, Yuthasak said he expects tourist arrivals to reach 11.5 million before the year’s end.

Source - The Thaiger

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Global food prices heading to record high

Global food costs jumped last month, extending a march toward a record and piling more inflationary pressure on consumers and governments.
A United Nations index tracking staples from wheat to vegetable oils climbed 3% to a fresh decade high in October, threatening even higher grocery bills for households that have already been strained by the pandemic.

That could also add to central banks’ inflation worries and risks worsening global hunger that’s at a multiyear high.

Bad weather hit harvests around the world this year, freight costs soared and labor shortages have roiled the food supply chain from farms to supermarkets.

An energy crisis has also proved a headache, forcing vegetable greenhouses to go dark and causing a knock-on risk of bigger fertilizer bills for farmers.

“The issue with the inputs and fertilizers and its implications for next year’s crop is a concern,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. “By now, the market has factored in most of the supply and demand issues. But the market has by no means factored in next year’s prospects in production.”

Some regions will likely continue to face food-security challenges. The UN on Thursday raised its outlook for global wheat trade to a record as purchases climb in Middle Eastern nations from Iran to Afghanistan. Droughts there slashed crops, boosting dependency on imported grain at a time when prices are soaring.

“This came at the worst time for those countries because world prices are just so high,” Abbassian said. “We cannot afford a bad year in 2022 for important crops.”

The price gains are stirring memories of spikes in 2008 and 2011 that contributed to global food crises. While it takes time for commodity costs to trickle to grocery shelves, officials in areas like North Africa and Turkey are already facing difficulties shielding shoppers from the blow.

Bigger expenses for farmers could also curb Northern Hemisphere plantings now underway, according to the FAO.

October’s food-price gains were mostly driven by higher costs for grains and vegetable oils, the FAO said in a report.

Still, there are signs of stabilizing prices for some foods, with with meat and sugar falling last month, Abbassian said. Global grain and oilseed supplies are proving sufficient to meet demand, and prices for rice — one of the world’s vital staples — remain subdued, he said.

“On the demand side, we’re beginning to get a better hold of what we actually need, so that uncertainty is perhaps diminishing,” he said. – Bloomberg

Source - BangkokJack

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Global aviation in acute crisis

“…by the end of May 2020 most airlines in the world will be bankrupt.”

Global aviation has been battered and commercial scheduled air traffic remains mostly grounded as countries enforce their lockdowns and travel restrictions. There are few signs that the end is in sight. For the largest of carriers like IAG (British Airways), United, American Airlines, Emirates Lufthansa and many more all have been forced to seek help from their governments (see summary below).

The vital travel and tourism industry – which has often be the driver to a country’s economic recovery following past crises, is keen to see international air travel resume ASAP. The business of tourism which generates 10.3 percent of global GNP is anxious to restart travel.

A post-corona airline industry is going to look very different. Those that survive will have evolved into smaller leaner and debt laden businesses and probably bailed out by governments. Some aviation analysts are predicting that Covid-19 will leave the industry decimated and by the end of May 2020 most airlines in the world will be bankrupt. CAPA analysts have also reported the same, most of the world’s airlines could be bankrupt by the end of May if the situation does not turn around quickly.

One potential solution they propose would be to rescind national ownership rules and allow the industry to merge into global brands.

The post-corona chaos offers a rare opportunity to reset the building blocks of a global airline industry.

Emerging from the crisis will be like entering a battlefield littered with casualties. The field is open for lawmakers and financial markets to make their own demands on an industry that already has a long list – wish lists of ways they should treat customers better, reduce their carbon footprint and adopt more sustainable business practices.

As the impact of the corona virus slashes through our world, many airlines have already been driven into technical bankruptcy. We see cash reserves are running down quickly as fleets are grounded. Forward bookings far outweigh cancellations and each time there is a new government recommendation it is to discourage flying and travel.

“The new normal has not yet arrived at the airport.”

The International Air Transport Association most recent prediction is that European airlines will see demand drop by 55 percent in 2020 compared to 2019 and potential revenue losses will total $89 billion. The association revised its loss prediction of $76 billion made in March as the impact of the corona virus global pandemic on the airline industry continues to hit unprecedented levels.

There has been a 90% drop in regional demand in the last several weeks and IATA has cited the introduction of travel restrictions around the world limiting movement only to essential travel and repatriation of citizens to their home countries as having “a greater impact than previously expected.”

A significant number of European airlines have suspended passenger operations with two of the region’s largest carriers, easyJet and Ryanair, not expecting flights to operate until June.

Airlines will be hoping for corporate travel to bounce back quickly, business travellers probably pay four to five times the average fare on a typical flight – having them quickly back on airplanes is vitally important.

Even if the economy begins to recover in the third quarter of this year, as many economists predict, corona virus fears could lead to a slow recovery as travel struggles to regain its pre-crisis levels.

It could take months for an airline to come back to life. Also if second waves of the disease go around the world and possible hot-spot flare up these may reduce passenger confidence to travel. And while essential maintenance is still happening daily on parked planes, they will all need to be brought back into flying condition before being put back into service.

Demand is drying up in ways that are completely unprecedented. The new normal has not yet arrived at the airport.

The crisis list…

✈️ The US government agreed a $61 billion bailout for the US airline industry as the corona virus pandemic brings travel to a virtual standstill. The grants to major airlines including American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue and United will probably come with strings attached.

On the 14 April 2020 the International Air Transport Association released updated analysis showing that the Covid-19 crisis will see airline passenger revenues drop by $314 billion in 2020, a 55% decline compared to 2019.

Earlier, on the 24 March IATA had estimated $252 billion in lost revenues (-44% vs. 2019) in a scenario with severe travel restrictions lasting three months. The updated figures reflect a significant deepening of the crisis since then, and reflect:

1- Severe domestic restrictions lasting three months

2- Some restrictions on international travel extending beyond the initial three months

3- Worldwide severe impact, including Africa and Latin America (which had a small presence of the disease and were expected to be less impacted in the March analysis).

Full-year passenger demand (domestic and international) is expected to be down 48% compared to 2019.

✈️ Virgin Australia went into voluntary administration on April 21 due to crippling debts exacerbated by the corona virus lockdowns. At least 10,000 jobs would be at stake if the airline folds. Virgin is carrying about AUS$5 billion (US$ 3.2 billion) in debt and had sought federal help to keep operating but the Morrison government rejected a $1.4 billion bailout.

✈️ Thai Airways similarly to Virgin Australia is seeking a US$1.8 billion restructuring loan from the government. The loan is unpopular as many believe that in its existing state it is doomed to fail. Trust of its management and directors has reached new lows with the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and the public. Thai Airways must submit a rehabilitation plan by the end of the month if it wants the government to consider a rescue package. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob set the deadline amid this rising public sentiment against a state-backed loan.

✈️ IAG (British Airways’ parent company) the group announced in March moves to protect capital and reduce costs.

“We have seen a substantial decline in bookings across our airlines and global network over the past few weeks and we expect demand to remain weak until well into the summer,” CEO Walsh said. “We are therefore making significant reductions to our flying schedules. We will continue to monitor demand levels and we have the flexibility to make further cuts if necessary. We are also taking actions to reduce operating expenses and improve cash flow at each of our airlines. IAG is resilient with a strong balance sheet and substantial cash liquidity.”

Capacity for April and May will be cut by at least 75% compared to the same period in 2019. The group will also ground surplus aircraft, reduce and defer capital spending, cut non-essential and non-cyber related IT spend, and discretionary spending. The company also plans to reduce labour costs by freezing recruitment, implementing voluntary leave options, temporarily suspending employment contracts, and reducing working hours.

✈️ Air Mauritius goes into Voluntary Administration.

✈️ South African Airways Bankrupt. On 5 December 2019, the Government of South Africa announced that SAA would enter into bankruptcy protection, as the airline has not turned a profit since 2011 and ran out of money.

✈️ Finnair returns 12 planes and lays off 2,400 people.

✈️ YOU grounds 22 planes and fires 4,100 people.

✈️ Ryanair grounds 113 planes and gets rid of 900 pilots for the moment, 450 more in the coming months.

✈️ Norwegian completely stops its long-haul activity!!! The 787s are returned to the lessors.

✈️ SAS returns 14 planes and fires 520 pilots… The Scandinavian states are studying a plan to liquidate Norwegian and SAS to rebuild a new company from their ashes.

✈️ IAG (British Airways) grounds 34 planes. Everyone over 58 to retire.

✈️ Ethiad cancels 18 orders for A350, grounds 10 A380 and 10 Boeing 787. Lays off 720 staff.

✈️ Emirates grounds 38 A380s and cancels all orders for the Boeing 777x (150 aircraft, the largest order for this type). They “invite” all employees over 56 to retire

✈️ Wizzair returns 32 A320s and lays off 1,200 people, including 200 pilots, another wave of 430 layoffs planned in the coming months. Remaining employees will see their wages reduced by 30%.

✈️ IAG (Iberia) grounds 56 planes.

✈️ Luxair reduces its fleet by 50% (and associated redundancies)

✈️ CSA abolishes its long-haul sector and keeps only 5 medium-haul aircraft.

✈️ Eurowings goes into Bankruptcy

✈️ Brussels Airline reduces its fleet by 50% (and associated redundancies).

✈️ Lufthansa, the German federal government agreed on a €9 billion ($9.74billion) rescue package and plans to ground 72 aircraft.

✈️ Air France KLM Chief Executive Ben Smith said that voluntary redundancies would be part of the airline’s initial cost-cutting plans, and that costs at its ‘HOP’ arm were not viable as things stood. In an interview just hours after Air France KLM secured 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in French government aid, he also said that it could take two years, or possibly “even a bit longer,” before things returned to normal in the aviation and airline industry.

Global aviation in acute crisis | Source - News by The Thaiger

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Here are the top 10 best places in the world for backpackers

Those considering a backpacking trip might want to take a look at a recent report by UK-based travel website Globehunters. 

Combining current reports related to global happiness scores, safety levels, inclusive internet index and cost of living, Globehunters has come up with a list of the "world's best backpacking destinations".

The list was dominated by Scandinavian countries, with Finland being recognized as the top destination. 

The United Arab Emirates is the only middle eastern country to make it into the top 10, while Singapore in 10^th place was the only representation from Southeast Asia.

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Additionally, as reported by the Evening Standard (https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/best-place-to-backpack-in-world-a4221801.html), the report suggested Pakistan, Tunisia and India for those on a very low budget. Meanwhile, backpackers who prioritize safety should consider exploring Singapore, Switzerland and Japan.

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    1/ Finland
    2/ Denmark
    3/ Canada
    4/ Czech Republic
    5/ Sweden
    6/ Netherlands
    7/ Austria
    8/ United Arab Emirates
    9/ Australia
    10/ Singapore
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Source - TheJakartaPost

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#Paypal

PayPal for money transfer

But how to use ?

 

You must first know PayPal use standard American Dollar.

 

PayPal is not the cheapest online banking system, but is trustful and easy to use.

 

But it's good to inform your customers how the pay you.

 

The best way your customers pay you in Dollars.

 

Example:

 

You live in Thailand and someone want to pay you, inform the pay you in Dollars.

 

An American want pay you, inform him NOT to pay in Thai Baht.

 

Why ?

 

When someone pay you in Thai Baht, Paypal change it automatic in their standard payment system.

 

The change your payment automatic in their Dollars, and charge fees and give you the the lowest rates.

 

You want transfer your money from Paypal to your Thai Bank

 

Ok, But transfer your money to your Thai Bank in Dollars

 

PayPal charge you only fees for the Transfer, and your Thai bank change your payment automatic in Thai Baht and not charge any fees or cost. 

  

   

We wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year

We wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year
Wij wensen u allen een gelukkig en gezond Nieuwjaar
Wir wünschen Ihnen allen ein frohes und gesundes neues Jahr
Kami berharap Anda semua Happy dan Sehat Tahun Baru
Nais ka naming isang Happy at Healthy New Year lahat
Nous vous souhaitons à tous une bonne et heureuse année
Kami mengucapkan selamat Tahun Baru dan Sihat
เราหวังว่าทุกท่านสวัสดีปีใหม่และมีสุขภาพดี (Sawadee Pi Mai)
Мы желаем вам всем счастливого и здорового Нового года
យើងសូមឱ្យអ្នកទាំងអស់គ្នាសប្បាយចិត្តនិងមានសុខភាពល្អឆ្នាំថ្មីមួយ
우리는 모두 행복하고 건강한 새해 소원

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IMF approves China's yuan as elite reserve currency

Chinese Yuan

The International Monetary Fund welcomed China's yuan into its elite reserve currency basket Monday, recognizing the ascendance of the Asian power in the global economy.

 The yuan, also known as the renminbi, will join the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen and British pound next year in the basket of currencies the IMF uses as an international reserve asset.

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde called the decision "an important milestone in the integration of the Chinese economy into the global financial system."

"It is also a recognition of the progress that the Chinese authorities have made in the past years in reforming China’s monetary and financial systems," she added.

The decision by the IMF executive board solidifies China’s ambition to see the government-controlled yuan achieve global status as one of the world’s top currencies alongside the United States, Europe and Japan.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, asked last year for the yuan to be added to the Fund’s Special Drawing Rights basket.

But, while already meeting the SDR criteria for being widely used, as recently as August the Fund considered the currency too tightly controlled to qualify.

However, IMF staff experts in early November said that Beijing had taken the steps necessary for the yuan to be called "freely usable", opening the way for Monday’s decision.

 Lagarde said the yuan’s inclusion in the basket was expected to help China open up further to the world economy.

"The continuation and deepening of these efforts will bring about a more robust international monetary and financial system, which in turn will support the growth and stability of China and the global economy," she said.

The unexpected devaluation of the yuan last August received good marks from the IMF as it expanded the currency’s movements based on market forces.

In addition, Beijing announced last week that an initial group of foreign central banks has been allowed to enter the Chinese currency market, which likely will promote further internationalization of the yuan in global trading.

IMF members can use the Special Drawing Rights basket to obtain currencies to meet balance-of-payments needs. The Fund also issues its crisis loans -- crucial to struggling economies like Greece -- valued in SDRs.

The yuan’s entry into the basket takes effect on October 1, 2016.

- Chinese challenges -

======================

China’s central bank welcomed the decision.

"The joining of RMB in the SDR basket also means the international community has greater expectations on China to play an active role in the world economic and financial arena," it said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency.

It puts the Bank of China under pressure to provide more transparency in line with its peers, such as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.

"If part of their policy is to gradually liberalize the capital account and the financial sector, this is setting in motion a process of opening up that cannot be reversed," Angel Udibe, a financial markets expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told AFP.

"It really make the case at home that they need to continue with the process of liberalization."

The composition and weightings of the SDRs basket are reviewed every five years. The last time the currencies in the basket were changed was in 2000, when the euro replaced the German deutsche mark and the French franc.

The value of the SDR is based on a weighted average of the currencies in the basket. With the inclusion of the yuan, the dollar’s weight in the new basket will be little changed from its current 41.7 percent. The euro will be 30.9 percent, the yuan 10.9 percent, the yen 8.3 percent, and the pound 8.1 percent.

The inclusion of the yuan came with the support of the United States, the IMF’s largest shareholder.

Until recently Washington accused China of keeping the yuan artificially low to gain a trade advantage. But in October the US Treasury Department softened its tone, saying that after Beijing’s moves to loosen controls, the yuan "remains below its appropriate medium-term valuation."

Still, the IMF decision risks angering some lawmakers in the US Congress amid fierce maneuvering for the 2016 presidential election.

"With this decision, the IMF is choosing to reward China’s currency manipulation instead of combating it," said Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and longtime China critic.

"This decision is an affront to the millions of US workers who have lost their jobs at the hands of China’s rapacious trading practices, and sends a terrible signal to the rest of the world that currency manipulation is acceptable behavior in the eyes of the IMF."

Source: The Nation

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Popular Top 10 Pinterest Destinations

Pinterest often offers us a wonderful perspective on travel destinations. To do some of this magic places to dream, the site gives a top 10 of the most inspiring locations in the world. 

Positano, Italy 

 Musha Cay, Bahamas

Hanoi, Vietnam

Havasu Falls, USA

Petrohue Falls, Chile

  Jarlshof, Scotland

 Kyoto, Japan

 Port Fairy, Australia

 Glacier National Park, USA

 Tulum, Mexico

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