Coup D' Etat In Thailand

So Much for Thailand Triumph parts!
Martial Law declared by Muslim Thai General. This makes it 5 or 6 countries at war with Muslim's,.....you know,....the religion of peace.


http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-09-19T173504Z_01_BKK255937_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND-1.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Thunder Thaiumph

Hondax said:

So Much for Thailand Triumph parts!
Martial Law declared by Muslim Thai General. This makes it 5 or 6 countries at war with Muslim's,.....you know,....the religion of peace.

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Hondax:

Just discussed at length on the Bonneville website.

This could be a good and a bad thing. Bloor has a big investment in the Thai factories which are already making many parts for the Triumph range including parts on the R3. Disruption of those parts shipments could adversely affect Triumph and their bottom line not to mention the possible occupation of Bloor's capital investment by whatever Thai gummit obtains power.
GOOD: No Thaiumps for the forseeable future.
BAD: Triumph takies a financial hit.
REALLY BAD: Triumph goes tits up.

Out-sourcing to "low cost " countries?

The pet project of many multinational employers, 2 to 3 years ago. Hell, everything COULD go, so consultants were saying with Power Point presentations showing 92. 27% forward annualized savings: manufacturing and assembly work, of course, component re-sourcing as a side benefit, info sytems to follow, pricing and invoicing to be next in line, human resources admin. as a "bold goal", etc.

With in-house " process optimization" opportunities thrown in for good measure, if not a corporate image boost, in terms of BOTH shareholder "value" and third world economic advancement (am NOT making that BS up)

The pet is growing up, turning a bit... restless. And may bite back .

Jamie..question.

Jamie:

The very countries that have the exodus of manufacturing to third world countries are the countries that ultimately buy those goods. With the loss of jobs and a negative economic climate....duh, who buys the goods in the first place??

You think for a second that a Thai citizen is going to buy a Triumph....not.

That's my whole rub with Bloors thinking and corporate thinking in general. I have no qualms about buying hard goods from contries with like economies to ours (USA), but I have a big problem buying goods produced in third world hovels and sold in the free, industrialized world. Honestly, If I could, I'd divorice myself from those goods entirely but I can't. Instead, I limit my consumption as much as possible.

Sidecar Flip said:

Jamie:
Instead, I limit my consumption as much as possible.

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Agree. We, the so-called "consumers" have to be a bit more discerning. Down the road, what's the point of paying a lot less for out-sourced goods and services if we or our children end up jobless or, at least, with lousy jobs and paychecks, as a result of all that "global" out-sourcing mania ... and can't even afford those low-cost marvels no more .

The other widespread fallacy is to believe that only "blue collar"-type jobs are earmarked for outsourcing, as if the real important, "white collar" or "value adding" stuff, engineering, marketing, strategizing, pricing, communicating, etc. were OURS to keep. I have two issues with that:

1. White collars alone cannot drive local prosperity, let alone employment.
2. More importantly, at least IMO, the countries we merrily outsource to are NOT going to settle for unskilled jobs and starvation-avoidance salaries for long. They (Former Eastern European countries, India for sure, Thailand probably, once political unrest calms down, VietNam one of these days...) are going to go for/claim the WHOLE labor chain act, INcluding that "white collar" or "value adding" portion.

Hey, what do I care? Am 57 and officially retired . Jamie

I do have issues with the situation at hand.In the modern scheme of things you could say it started with the end of WWII.Giving the enemies of our shores favored trade status to get them back on their feet.Nixon with opening China and that awakened giant that is bitting us now.It's simple economics and the bottom line that rules.Politics is the risk of doing business in these 3rd worlds or emerging markets.I don't like it,but thats how it is.Thialand seemed stable but who really knows what is going to happen now.

57 & retired, right on.

Jamie:

I'm there too, but not retired. I work a day job and farm and ride the bike(s) and play in my machine shop and I don't feel like retiring yet. I've done quite a bit of soul searching and I'm not ready to play at farming (that's what farmers here do), play in my shop and ride, ride, ride, not just yet. Maybe in 5 years. Besides, I still have a large "toy" list.

Sidecar Flip said:

Jamie:

I'm there too, but not retired.

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Ooops!!! It looks like I am no longer retired . I have just (last Friday) landed a job as Independent Consultant in the "retirement pension management " arena (my former forte ). Best. Jamie

Jamie said:

Ooops!!! It looks like I am no longer retired . I have just (last Friday) landed a job as Independent Consultant in the "retirement pension management " arena (my former forte ). Best. Jamie

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Congrats,....I guess. How many hours a week? Can you set your own work time somewhat?

Make Hay While The Sun Shines

Jamie....... If you are like a few friends of mine, the concept of coming back into your chosen field as a consultant is a good thing. All of them are now making several times the money they made when they retired, are working less and enjoying it more. Let's hope your situation warrants the same type of parameters.

My rule has always been ...... " If they spell your name wrong on the paycheck, endorse it that way and if you can, cash it at the bank from which it was drawn ".