Regular features from December 2003 96th Issue

The Digital Doctor - Still havent found what you're looking for?

Without probably realizing it we all have access to the greatest source of information on the planet. No longer can there be the excuse that you can't do something because you don't know how. Using the internet to find out just about anything is becoming one of the most important aspects of computing today. If you have a question then the answer lies out there in cyber space somewhere, you just have to find it.
Websites have moved on from the days of static pages of photos and text. With server side coding becoming ever more popular you can now get access to online databases, forums, chat rooms, and many more forms of information storage and communication. With all this extra information and expansion, finding what you want quickly may not be as easy as it sounds. Unless you have a favourites list longer than the Mekong River with every category of website available to you then chances are you're going to be looking for a search engine to use.
A search engine is basically a tool that searches databases of indexed webpages for key words or phrases that you request. You can use this to find roughly what you want but not always exactly. Regardless of what anyone says the most popular search engine today is Google which indexes over 3 billion URLs. Although some of you may prefer Excite or Yahoo, the fact remains that Google is more likely to turn up what you want, quicker. Many of the lesser search engines are being 'powered by' Google to produce more accurate and relevant searches by using a technology called PageRankƒ. PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important." Important, high-quality sites receive a higher PageRank, which Google remembers each time it conducts a search. Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines all aspects of the page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it's a good match for your query.
You can make searching easier by using different methods, instead of simply typing in the key words such as hua hin (which returns over 500,000 pages), be more specific and input something closer to what you're looking for such as hua hin sports clubs. You can also try an exact phrase search which requires you surrounding the search phrase with quotation marks such as "how to cure a hangover". The search engine will only return exactly what is within the quotation marks and not each key word. With this now you can get a bit closer to finding your answers. There are a number of other tricks you can ask Google to do for you. Want to find out how many people are linking to your website? Then type link:www.yoursite.com and hit search (note. Google only indexes text links so anyone with your banners or graphics linking back wont show up). Using inurl: allows you to search for a word that appears in a URL eg. inurl:huahin will return a list of websites with huahin in the URL, intitle:huahin works the same with titles of sites. You can also search for files on Google by using the filetype: command but this generally doesn't have that many applications, example: filetype:pdf "hua hin" will return a list of Adobe Acrobat files featuring the phrase "hua hin".
Besides search engines you can use forums, discussion boards and newsgroups to find what you're looking for. I am a great fan of forums as they bring together people with an interest in a common topic, all with varying experience and knowledge. A question posted on a forum can return you an answer within minutes (depending on how popular and busy the forum is) so finding a good one is a valuable resource. Most forums require registration which involves filling in an online form with your name, nickname and email address, any other information you provide is voluntary. If you want everyone else to know how old you are and that you have a cold custard fetish then go ahead and fill it all in. You are then free to make and reply to posts. I would have a read of what's already been posted to get a feel of the board and have a look if someone else has already posted up your question. Many forums have an in built search facility so give that a go also. There are forums on pretty much everything now days so what ever your interest be it classic motorcycles, scuba diving or even naked bungee jumping there's bound to be something out there for you. You'll meet like minded people who share your enthusiasm for your hobby or interest and have access to a wealth of new knowledge. A popular forum for Hua Hin can be found here: http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum there are several Bangkok ones with ranging content so decide what's best for you.
Storing pages offline for viewing later is also good practice as is building a comprehensive favourites or bookmarks list. In IE, click File > Save As to keep a web page for offline viewing. You are then presented with four saving type options; 'webpage complete' will store the page and all the graphics (in a separate folder), 'web archive' will store the page and graphics in the same file, 'webpage HTML' will only store the text on the page, and 'text file' will save a standard txt file with no formatting. So when you find that magic hangover cure, be sure to save the page so you can refer to it again later! If you have any questions on this months or any computer or web issues you can call the Doc on 01-1911742, mjy@digitalmetrix.net www.digitalmetrix.net

Retiring in Thailand

For most people their first visit to Thailand is usually quickly followed by their second. Increasingly it is the retirement destination of choice for those of even modest means because of the quality of life Thailand affords. In the first of two articles on the subject, I would like to set out some thoughts on issues that should be considered to ensure a "shock-free" stay. Next month I will develop this with a detailed look at providing income from investments and protecting against the inflationary risk.
HEALTH
Contrary to popular belief the private healthcare available in Thailand is as good as that in most developed economies. It is essential though to keep in force good private medical insurance (PMI) such as that provided by BUPA Thailand so that the right care and treatment is available when needed without worry In addition to PMI which meets the cost of medical bills many clients also maintain critical illness insurance (CIC) This type of insurance will pay a lump sum on diagnosis of a range of illnesses and is often called "living insurance" because you do not have to die to get the payout. On diagnosis of cancer, stroke or a heart attack and many other major illnesses, where a long period of recuperation is envisaged the payout can alleviate financial problems and ensure the best possible aftercare. Some clients will choose to self insure and have the resources do this.
Property
For many ex-pats the key question is whether to commit to purchasing a property rather than rent. I personally have bought mainly because I hate investing in a bottomless pit like rent with no possible return. Even buying during the financial crisis in Thailand I turned a profit of 20% on the sale of my first property. Luckily every body has a different view but please consult a good local lawyer if you decide to buy.
MONEY
The most burning issue facing anyone in retirement is cash. When you choose to retire abroad though this becomes more complex because of the currency miss-match between income and expenditure. Most of my clients are reluctant to commit significant funds to a Thai bank because of the perceived risk and past experience. The currency devaluation in 1997 would have notionally cost US$ investors some 40% although this would have been offset to some extent by high interest rates at the time (14-15%). It is certainly a difficult question for an advisor whose training is centered around reducing risk, not increasing exposure by recommending investing in one currency whilst a client is spending in another. The answer of course is that a balanced portfolio is the right approach with sufficient assets held in Baht to meet immediate income needs over several months without recourse to offshore investments when the exchange rate may be unfavourable. One of the difficult decisions remains, which non Thai currency do you use for these investments? This decision will be influenced by many factors such as the asset class to be held, (cash, bonds or equities) or the investor protection afforded by the regulatory regime where investments are domiciled Usually the choice is myriad and as I said we will consider this question in more detail next month.
TAXATION
Taxation could of course be an issue although the impact can be negligible if investments are structured correctly in the first instance. Remember you may want to return to your original country five years down the line so it is vital to structure your portfolio with this possibility in mind and to minimize your tax liability in your home country on return.
In any event the "tax-tail" should never wag the "Investment dog"; too many clients in the past have held securities they should have sold just to avoid capital taxes in their country of domicile.
For further information on this article or any area of personal finance contact
Jerry McMenamin at jerry@swissinvestcenter.net

Wildlife Rescue Centre

BEARS MOVE INTO NEW ENCLOSURE
The 11th of November was very special day for the four resident Malayan sun bears at the center when they moved from their cages into their spacious new open-air enclosure. Pooh, PhiMai, Poppy and Peanuts have spent their first few days busy exploring their new home, climbing the trees, playing in the grass, swimming in their pool and relaxing in the shade of the specially built tunnels. All four bears were rescued from terrible conditions and it is wonderful to see them now with the freedom to roam around their spacious natural surroundings and enjoying each other's company. The design of the enclosure means that the bears no longer have to see the world through wire mesh and can look into the forest all around them and sleep under the open sky. This enclosure is large enough to house more bears so we can now help more of those in need of rescue. In the future we wish to provide enclosures like this one for many of the other animals at the center.
Special thanks go to all the volunteers who worked so hard to get the enclosure ready. We are also very grateful to (Helmut's father) who provided a generous donation that allowed the completion of this project and to Mr.David Pestridge whose generous donation enabled us to build indoor sleeping/holding quarters as an extension to the original enclosure.
ELEPHANTS ARRIVE AT THE RESCUE CENTER
On November the 7th the first two elephants arrived at the new Elephant Refuge and Educational Center at Kao Lookchang. These are the first of a total of seven elephants to be permanently housed at this new project. The project aims to take elephants from the city streets and places where they are exploited for tourism where they lead a miserable existence and offer them permanent sanctuary in a forest setting and provide them and their owners an alternative way of life. The Educational Center will inform both local people and international visitors about the plight of many captive elephants and the need to conserve Thailand's remaining wild elephant population.
The bigger of the two elephants, a forty-year old female called Phang Somwhang ("Chestnut") has been begging on the streets of Samut Prakam on the outskirts of Bangkok for over two years. The smaller elephant, a six year old female called Eung Luang, has been working in elephant shows and used as a tourist attraction on the beach of Cha-am.
CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE IN THAILAND
The past few weeks have seen a widespread crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade in Thailand and enforcement of existing wildlife protection laws. Raids at various locations by both the Forestry police and the National Parks Department have resulted in the confiscation of many illegally held wild animals and led to the arrests of many individuals involved in the illegal wildlife trade. There have also been large quantities of animal skins, medicines and other products made from wild animal parts seized in raids.
The Wildlife Friends have cooperated with the authorities in this crackdown and offered our full support. As the Forestry Department centers are already overcrowded with confiscated animals we have offered to take in as many animals that we can. We expect that in the coming weeks and months we will have many animals given up to the center by people who have not registered them and do not want to face prosecution.
NEW ARRIVALS
On November the 6th we were called to pick up a box with "an animal in it". Upon arrival at an arranged meeting place we found a small cage wrapped in plastic bags containing a small four month old Malayan sun bear. We expect that the owner of the bear was keeping her illegally and did not want to be identified due to the recent enforcement of wildlife protection laws. Pumpkin, as we have named her, is now safely at the rescue center where she is receiving medical treatment for a skin problem and dental treatment. Once healthy and after her quarantine period she will join the other young bears in their new enclosure.
Two long-tailed macaques, are other new arrivals. Phon was found tied up on a rubbish dump in Bangkok, constantly teased by people and fed junk food. Both are settling in well and will join other macaques after their quarantine period.
Visitors are welcome to view the animals at the Wildlife Rescue Centre at Kao Lookchang near Cha Am. For more information call 032 458 135 or check the website www.wfft.org, e-mail info@wfft.org

Rotary Clubs Aid Flood Victims

The Rotary Club of Hua Hin joined with six other Rotary Clubs, from Samut Songkram, Hmark Kang, Udon Thanee, Kumpawapee, Baan Cheang, and Sipapcom, to collect and hand out food, blankets and other necessary items to help ease the plight of flood victims in the area. This year’s floods were the worst for 25 years and many people were in serious need of assistance. In all 400 packs were handed out.

Joy and Anthony proudly show off baby Amy

Oe enjoying her birthday with the mad hatters at London Lounge

Very Sabai for Noi on her birthday

Magic true to his name as he transforms himself into a lady at Lazy Daisy

U Turn gang in celebration mode

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