From CNN
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Nothing with taxes is ever simple, even when you're getting a tax break.
An estimated 15.4 million tax filers may be getting paid more of the Making Work Pay credit than they should, according to a report from a Treasury Department inspector general publicly released Monday.
And that means they either will get less of a refund than they expected, or will actually owe money to the IRS on their 2009 taxes.
The IRS said in a written response to the report that the agency believes far fewer people than the inspector general estimates would be affected, and that the majority who might be would see less of a refund but would not have an out-of-pocket tax liability come April 15.
The taxpayers most vulnerable are those in two-earner couples; those who have dependents who earn wages; single or married filers who have more than one job at the same time; and filers who get pension payments or have a job and receive Social Security benefits.
The Making Work Pay credit, created as part of the stimulus legislation enacted in February, is equal to 6.2% of earnings up to $400 per person (or up to $800 per couples who file jointly). The full credit is paid to people making $75,000 or less ($150,000 per couple per household). A partial credit would be paid to those making above those amounts but no more than $95,000 ($190,000 for couples per household).
Bailout Tracker: Understand the rescues
For most who qualify, the 2009 credit is being paid in advance incrementally through their paychecks. And it's been automatic - meaning employers, based on what they know of a worker's income and using IRS withholding tables, automatically reduce the amount of taxes withheld from a worker's paycheck.
But an employer doesn't know the income of the worker's spouse or whether the worker is claiming a dependent who also is earning money, or whether the worker has income from other jobs.
So, for instance, two spouses might be receiving the full credit at their jobs when their joint income only qualifies them for a partial credit or none at all. Another scenario: A single person with more than one job might be receiving the full credit at each of his jobs, when in fact he's only entitled to $400 total.
You get the picture.
Such taxpayers could have increased their withholding to account for the possibility that they might receive more of the credit than they should. Indeed, when the credit was first passed, the IRS put out statements and created a calculator to help taxpayers in such situations figure out how much tax they should have withheld. But that doesn't mean that everyone did.
Those who have had too little tax withheld this year will either face a reduced refund or owe money to the IRS. The money primarily would be the amount of the credit overpaid to them. But a much smaller group might also owe a penalty if they were significantly underwithheld.
"More than 1.2 million taxpayers included in these groups may be subject to: 1) paying back some or all of the Making Work Pay Credit and 2) being assessed the estimated tax penalty or an increased estimated tax penalty as a direct result of the Making Work Pay Credit," the inspector general's report said.
The good news is that the IRS is likely to waive penalties for filers who may have to pay an estimated tax penalty or who would see their estimated penalty increased as a result of the Making Work Pay credit, according to the report.
The inspector general's report also recommended that the IRS embark on an expanded effort to publicize this issue more and specifically target the message to those tax filers most likely to be affected.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/17/pf/taxes/making_work_pay/index.htm
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Heres your free money tip for 2010 peeps....
BIG PROPS to D TOWN REDD "BGOL"
Google Adsense pays you for every click a real user makes when they are on your site. The type of ads that show up on your site depends on what you write on your site. The PAYOUT for the ad clicks depend on which types of ads show up. SO..... if your website text triggers expensive ads, your income per click goes up.
The hassle with Adsense driven websites is the amount of CONTENT (text on your site) that you need to get quality traffic. You also need to SEO (search engine optimize) your site to get traffic. Expensive CONTENT + Pain in the ASS SEO = FAIL, right?
Wrong, This Free Hustle Tip is all about REDUCING the price of both Content and Traffic so you can make BREAD in the New Year!
My Solution to CHEAP content: Instead of a blog or a regular website, use a FORUM. Peeps will post for cheap at first then as you get more peeps visiting your forum, peeps will post for FREE. Free Content = More traffic = more ad views = More money for you! That's the power of FORUMS--free user generated shit!
My Solution for CHEAP website traffic: Instead of buying your traffic or waiting for search engines to send you traffic, you install CHEAP software onto your forum software to get targeted traffic. You have to be smart in doing this shit though. See my step by step guide below.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO USING FORUMS/ONLINE MESSAGEBOARDS TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE
step 1:
Sign up for an Adsense account. This may seem easy but it's not, Google has been lagging in approving new accounts. BUT... I found a way to SPEED SHIT UP--instead of signing up for an account at adsense.com directly, go to gmail.com, create an account.
Once your shit is verified, open a BLOGGER.com account.
Create a blog on blogger.com--you don't have to do shit to it, just create one. In the OPTIONS, click monetize your blog and you'll see the ADSENSE option. Click that shit and fill out the form.
BOTTOMLINE: Applying to Adsense through Blogger saves you DAYS or, if you're really fucked, weeks of waiting for approval.
Step 2: Researching which Category of topics to cover with your forum. This is the MOST IMPORTANT stage of the game. You HAVE to give this some time or else you'll be wasting time and money down the road.
The categories that pay well are personal finance (debt consolidation / bankruptcy / credit cards), forex, etc
Here's how to FIND OUT HOW MUCH your category PAYS out
and type in your keyword/niche/category word
you will see a list of sites
click on the top site and you will see THEIR TOP PAID KEYWORDS
So thats basically how its done, i see a lot of you posting it up daily on Facebook so this should be a breeze for you, so next step is your$, laters
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Bangkok Sleazy side
Bangkok's sleazy street of shame
It's been described by both Thais and foreigners as shameful, a disgrace and embarrassing. And those are the words we can print. One of the most popular areas in Bangkok, the lower end of Sukhumvit Road undergoes a rapid transformation late every night when most of the bars and clubs are closing.
It changes from being a popular shopping and entertainment area into one of the world's biggest open air flesh markets, where everything from girls to booze and illegal drugs are openly sold until the wee hours.
"You must come to see the place, especially after 2am when it degenerates into a total mess. Please go there and write what you have seen," one disgusted Thai who owns a shop in the area told Spectrum.
Our investigation, which included interviews, pictures and videos, some taken with concealed cameras, revealed some very disturbing facts and some blatant violations of the law. This disregard for the law is happening in this area night after night, and no one appears to be making a serious effort to stop it.
Sukhumvit Road would surely hold the world record for the most illegal bars in one place. For about 500 metres on the popular road - from Soi 2 to Soi 15 - Spectrum counted 37 mobile bars, more than 204 tables and 1,180 chairs last Friday at 3am.
The second dubious world record could be for the largest number of ladyboys gathered in one place, with some serving drinks at the mobile bars, some just walking around alone, and others in groups on the footpath, shouting at passing foreigners: "I want to go with you."
Another fact that has surprised many visitors to the area is the large number of foreign prostitutes there searching for customers, as well as the local variety. The ever increasing number of foreign prostitutes do a brisk business in the nearby discotheques and coffee shops as well as on the street.
They come from about 16 countries - Africa, Asia, the Middle East or the former states of the Soviet Union - and have been joined recently by transvestites from other parts of Asia and the Middle East. This may not be a world record, but it is a first for this country.
There are also hundreds of African men in the area late at night, and they gather in many places along the lower end of Sukhumvit Road, with some offering illegal drugs to foreigners, mainly in sois 3 and 13. This type of open drug dealing on the street is unprecedented in Thailand. Many of these African men are also involved in other illegal scams, especially ones relating to the US dollar. They also fight each other regularly on the streets, usually over business conflicts or over women.
Most foreigners holidaying in Thailand with their families only see the temples, enjoy the country's natural beauty and its beaches and are in bed by midnight. But if they ventured out onto the lower end of Sukhumvit Road late at night, they would get a very different, and negative, impression of the country.
Many of the foreign men who frequent this area late at night come from countries in the Middle East, where most of what is available on the streets of Bangkok is banned, illegal, or both.
Most are on holidays and don't have to wake up for work early in the morning, so they stay up all night looking for entertainment.
And when most of the mainstream entertainment venues close at 2am, they move to the many small mobile bars that spring up after hours on Sukhumvit Road. The late night mobile bars started appearing on Sukhumvit Road after a change in the closing hours laws several years ago.
The changes, some of which involved earlier closing hours, cut the income of a lot of entertainment venues in the area.
One foreigner who has owned bars in Soi Cowboy for many years told Spectrum. "When that guy in the government [former Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun] changed the closing hours back in 2001, making us close earlier, we really suffered, and so did our staff," he said.
"When the bars had to shut earlier, we lost that important last busy hour of trading, and our profits went down. The customers headed off looking for some illegal place to drink after hours where there were girls available, and they soon found it on the footpath on Sukhumvit Road. The girls who worked in bars like mine no longer had the late night venues like the Thermae to go to in the hope of finding a customer after work.
"After they closed the bars early, the girls just took to the streets. At least when they work in bars like mine, there are some controls and regulations, like regular health checks.
"What really annoyed me and most of the other bar owners was that we had to stop selling alcohol, while the other unlicensed places that sprung up on the streets can stay open all night.
"These days it seems more relaxed and the closing time has slipped back to 2am. People used to fly from Singapore to Bangkok for the nightlife, but now it's the opposite way around. Singapore now has bars that open until the early hours.
"All the early closing and social order campaign did was to turn the lower end of Sukhumvit Road into a slum. That's what it is. Now we still have to close at a certain time, we still have to have licences and face regular checks by the police, but there's no checks or anything on these mobile bars. They wheel them out and put on the footpath on Sukhumvit late at night every night."
His comments were echoed by Thai bar and pub owners who operate businesses along the lower end of Sukhumvit Road. One man who runs a well-known night spot that has been open for 40 years near Soi 15 said: "Before, I was able sell drinks until 6am. Everyone was inside, drinking and happy. Then in 2001 the government started to impose regulations and orders. For a short time we had to close at midnight, and this made things even worse because after midnight everyone moved to the street. The problems began and continues to now, as you can see.
"We are licenced to sell alcohol, we pay taxes to the state, we don't allow under-age people to enter, we close according to the law, but we are losing money and going out of business because the mafia can sell all night on the street and undercut our prices. Their only overheads are the corruption money they pay someone. I know who it is, but won't tell you for your own good.
"If Purachai could inspect Sukhumvit at night now - something he used to enjoy - he would most probably commit suicide. It is hard to imagine that this has been going on for years without anyone in the government making some serious efforts to stop it as laws and regulations are openly violated. What is happening on the street is a real shame for this country. Someone should take some drastic action."
Pornchai, who has worked as a waiter at this well established bar, added: "I have been working here for 36 years, but now is the worst time ever. The mobile bars, all illegal, are taking our business by selling all night and cutting our prices. They can sell drinks cheaper because they only spend money on bribes to some officials. Their expenses are therefore much less than ours."
He told Spectrum about one mobile bar frequented by Africans in Soi 13 where he said drugs are sold openly and where there are fights between the African dealers almost every night. About 20 Africans, some well dressed, were drinking there at 11pm when Spectrum visited. When one photo was taken, two Thai men immediately appeared and threatened the photographer, ordering him to leave, despite his valid argument that the footpath and road are public property where anyone can take a photo.
The same problem arose when taking pictures of the mobile bars. One bar owner who was selling alcohol on the footpath opposite Nana Post Office near Soi 4 appeared extremely irritated and shouted: "I control the footpath here. I own it. Get out!"
Later that night when Spectrum went back to the bar on Soi 13, about 80 Africans were drinking there, one group of them standing on the corner, attempting to chat with passing foreigners. Several foreigners told us the Africans were offering some shady business propositions and also drugs.
''They asked me how much money I have and how much I could invest with them,'' said a man from Switzerland who did not want to be identified. Other Europeans said they were approached the same way.
One Thai vendor selling clothes near Soi 7 said: ''I have been selling here for almost 20 years but have never seen such corruption and disregard for the law as it is now. These mobile bars started to pop up a few years ago and now there are almost 40. Each pays someone 2,000 baht per day to stay open. I pay someone else only 1,000 baht for my space.
''Many Thai and foreign prostitutes frequent the area late at night, the Africans fight each other every night, especially in Soi 13. They sell marijuana, ice and cocaine. Many have no visas. They have a boss who is very powerful and controls many illegal activities, including the drug business. He knows some high-ranking Thai officials and is also well connected to his embassy.
''Not many policemen are seen here, except when the Africans fight, and then they will come. You will never see a high ranking policeman or other officials coming for an inspection. I suspect they don't know what is going on here. In the past, police would arrest prostitutes who were looking for customers on the footpath, but not any more. That's why there are so many now.
''We can't blame only foreigners for these vices, but our people who allow it as well. The press doesn't publish much about this problem. Our culture and dignity are destroyed here in front of us,'' he said.
Another vendor selling hats in the next stall added: ''All the Thai people here don't like it, but what can we do? How will this place look in the next five years? Are we going to become an African country? What are they coming here for? How can they stay here for a long time?''
This last question was partially answered by two Africans who approached the Spectrum team outside one mobile bar in Soi 3. One, who spoke perfect English, claimed to be a former pirate from Somalia who made a lot of money and came here to start a business. The other said he came from Sudan. He claimed to have been associated with terrorists in Sudan and said he had to leave.
''We do everything, except drugs,'' the Somali said, with his Sudanese friend agreeing at the start of our 10-minute conversation. However, at the end of our chat, and after all their business propositions were rejected, they claimed to know someone who sells drugs, for either personal use or wholesale.
The Somali said they had to be careful after the police arrested several Africans at a small lane called ''Double White Hourse'' off Soi 3 on Dec 12. He was referring to a raid made by the Narcotic Suppression Bureau and other agencies.
A visit to the lane, which is usually crowded with Africans after 10pm, found it almost deserted.
Several high-ranking officials from various embassies who live near the soi told Spectrum that while walking in the area at night they had been approached by African men who, after a short conversation, offered them drugs. This approach shocked many of the long-term embassy staff, as this had never happened in the past.
Back on Sukhumvit, the many foreign prostitutes, mainly from the former Soviet Union, were doing a brisk business, with dozens parading in provocative clothing from about 11.30pm on outside the coffee shop of a big hotel on Soi 3, which is their starting point before they move on to discos and other late night entertainment venues.
Several taxis were parked outside this hotel and often after the driver received a phone call, he would enter the coffee shop and get one or two of the foreign working girls and drive them to customers who stay in some of the big hotels in the district.
One taxi driver said the foreign girls charge 2,000-3,000 baht for a short time and 5,000-10,000 baht for an all night session. The taxi driver said he had an agreement with the staff of several big hotels, who call him when a guest wants ''company''. He and the hotel staff receive 500 baht each in commission.
During a conversation with several foreign working girls at the coffee shop, they revealed how they can stay in Thailand for many months, some even years.
They pay 5,000 baht each to a nearby travel agency which organises visa runs to Vientiane in Laos. One woman who had just returned from such a trip said the agency provided four vans which carried about 40 women. ''They collected our passports after arriving in Vientiane, where we spent one night in a cheap hotel, and returned them the next day with a Thai tourist visa. We can't get these visas in Penang
[Malaysia] or in Phnom Penh
[Cambodia],'' she said.
A ladyboy who was serving drinks at a mobile bar near Soi 11 said she and some of the other girls did not get paid to work at the bar, but used it to find customers to sleep with. However, several local prostitutes claimed that most of the ladyboys only pick up customers to steal their money.
The mobile bar business is well organised. The bars, chairs and tables are stored in many places along Sukhumvit Road during the day. The owners decorate the bars with colourful lights and have speakers blaring music. Bottles of alcohol are openly displayed. It takes only a few minutes to set one up.
However, some bars deliberately switch off the lights over the tables where their customers are drinking. Most of these bars move into their places after the street vendors leave about midnight. They become the second shift on the street.
As for hygiene, there is none. There are no public toilets in the area. Some customers relieve themselves where ever possible, making the whole area dirty and smelly. One enterprising local businessman in Soi 13 uses a pick-up truck with a mobile toilet on the back and charges five baht per person.
One friendly policeman from the local station who has been working in the area for many years was reluctant to say anything at first, but later opened up: ''Ten years ago it was very hard to open a bar, but now they are everywhere, not only the mobile ones.'' He admitted that they are all illegal, but said his job was only to look after the traffic.
The policeman also mentioned that the punishment for selling liquor without a licence _ exactly what these mobile bars do every night _ is only a small fine not exceeding 500 baht for those selling local brews and not more than 2,000 baht for those selling imported brands.
''In case the bar gets raided again, the penalty would be same. Maybe if the punishment was higher, the bars might disappear. In a paradox, the ones who do possess a liquor licence and sell alcohol after midnight, when arrested, could face up to two years in jail or a fine not exceeding 4,000 baht or both, and their liquor licence could be suspended,'' the policeman said.
''Considering the workload that the police have every night with more serious crimes, there's really no time to tackle this type of offence,'' he said.
After paying a fine, the bar can reopen, and if they are arrested again, even on same night, the penalty is the same.
''Maybe if the punishment was harsher, the bars might disappear,'' he said.
From: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/30100/bangkok-sleazy-street-of-shame
It's been described by both Thais and foreigners as shameful, a disgrace and embarrassing. And those are the words we can print. One of the most popular areas in Bangkok, the lower end of Sukhumvit Road undergoes a rapid transformation late every night when most of the bars and clubs are closing.
It changes from being a popular shopping and entertainment area into one of the world's biggest open air flesh markets, where everything from girls to booze and illegal drugs are openly sold until the wee hours.
"You must come to see the place, especially after 2am when it degenerates into a total mess. Please go there and write what you have seen," one disgusted Thai who owns a shop in the area told Spectrum.
Our investigation, which included interviews, pictures and videos, some taken with concealed cameras, revealed some very disturbing facts and some blatant violations of the law. This disregard for the law is happening in this area night after night, and no one appears to be making a serious effort to stop it.
Sukhumvit Road would surely hold the world record for the most illegal bars in one place. For about 500 metres on the popular road - from Soi 2 to Soi 15 - Spectrum counted 37 mobile bars, more than 204 tables and 1,180 chairs last Friday at 3am.
The second dubious world record could be for the largest number of ladyboys gathered in one place, with some serving drinks at the mobile bars, some just walking around alone, and others in groups on the footpath, shouting at passing foreigners: "I want to go with you."
Another fact that has surprised many visitors to the area is the large number of foreign prostitutes there searching for customers, as well as the local variety. The ever increasing number of foreign prostitutes do a brisk business in the nearby discotheques and coffee shops as well as on the street.
They come from about 16 countries - Africa, Asia, the Middle East or the former states of the Soviet Union - and have been joined recently by transvestites from other parts of Asia and the Middle East. This may not be a world record, but it is a first for this country.
There are also hundreds of African men in the area late at night, and they gather in many places along the lower end of Sukhumvit Road, with some offering illegal drugs to foreigners, mainly in sois 3 and 13. This type of open drug dealing on the street is unprecedented in Thailand. Many of these African men are also involved in other illegal scams, especially ones relating to the US dollar. They also fight each other regularly on the streets, usually over business conflicts or over women.
Most foreigners holidaying in Thailand with their families only see the temples, enjoy the country's natural beauty and its beaches and are in bed by midnight. But if they ventured out onto the lower end of Sukhumvit Road late at night, they would get a very different, and negative, impression of the country.
Many of the foreign men who frequent this area late at night come from countries in the Middle East, where most of what is available on the streets of Bangkok is banned, illegal, or both.
Most are on holidays and don't have to wake up for work early in the morning, so they stay up all night looking for entertainment.
And when most of the mainstream entertainment venues close at 2am, they move to the many small mobile bars that spring up after hours on Sukhumvit Road. The late night mobile bars started appearing on Sukhumvit Road after a change in the closing hours laws several years ago.
The changes, some of which involved earlier closing hours, cut the income of a lot of entertainment venues in the area.
One foreigner who has owned bars in Soi Cowboy for many years told Spectrum. "When that guy in the government [former Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun] changed the closing hours back in 2001, making us close earlier, we really suffered, and so did our staff," he said.
"When the bars had to shut earlier, we lost that important last busy hour of trading, and our profits went down. The customers headed off looking for some illegal place to drink after hours where there were girls available, and they soon found it on the footpath on Sukhumvit Road. The girls who worked in bars like mine no longer had the late night venues like the Thermae to go to in the hope of finding a customer after work.
"After they closed the bars early, the girls just took to the streets. At least when they work in bars like mine, there are some controls and regulations, like regular health checks.
"What really annoyed me and most of the other bar owners was that we had to stop selling alcohol, while the other unlicensed places that sprung up on the streets can stay open all night.
"These days it seems more relaxed and the closing time has slipped back to 2am. People used to fly from Singapore to Bangkok for the nightlife, but now it's the opposite way around. Singapore now has bars that open until the early hours.
"All the early closing and social order campaign did was to turn the lower end of Sukhumvit Road into a slum. That's what it is. Now we still have to close at a certain time, we still have to have licences and face regular checks by the police, but there's no checks or anything on these mobile bars. They wheel them out and put on the footpath on Sukhumvit late at night every night."
His comments were echoed by Thai bar and pub owners who operate businesses along the lower end of Sukhumvit Road. One man who runs a well-known night spot that has been open for 40 years near Soi 15 said: "Before, I was able sell drinks until 6am. Everyone was inside, drinking and happy. Then in 2001 the government started to impose regulations and orders. For a short time we had to close at midnight, and this made things even worse because after midnight everyone moved to the street. The problems began and continues to now, as you can see.
"We are licenced to sell alcohol, we pay taxes to the state, we don't allow under-age people to enter, we close according to the law, but we are losing money and going out of business because the mafia can sell all night on the street and undercut our prices. Their only overheads are the corruption money they pay someone. I know who it is, but won't tell you for your own good.
"If Purachai could inspect Sukhumvit at night now - something he used to enjoy - he would most probably commit suicide. It is hard to imagine that this has been going on for years without anyone in the government making some serious efforts to stop it as laws and regulations are openly violated. What is happening on the street is a real shame for this country. Someone should take some drastic action."
Pornchai, who has worked as a waiter at this well established bar, added: "I have been working here for 36 years, but now is the worst time ever. The mobile bars, all illegal, are taking our business by selling all night and cutting our prices. They can sell drinks cheaper because they only spend money on bribes to some officials. Their expenses are therefore much less than ours."
He told Spectrum about one mobile bar frequented by Africans in Soi 13 where he said drugs are sold openly and where there are fights between the African dealers almost every night. About 20 Africans, some well dressed, were drinking there at 11pm when Spectrum visited. When one photo was taken, two Thai men immediately appeared and threatened the photographer, ordering him to leave, despite his valid argument that the footpath and road are public property where anyone can take a photo.
The same problem arose when taking pictures of the mobile bars. One bar owner who was selling alcohol on the footpath opposite Nana Post Office near Soi 4 appeared extremely irritated and shouted: "I control the footpath here. I own it. Get out!"
Later that night when Spectrum went back to the bar on Soi 13, about 80 Africans were drinking there, one group of them standing on the corner, attempting to chat with passing foreigners. Several foreigners told us the Africans were offering some shady business propositions and also drugs.
''They asked me how much money I have and how much I could invest with them,'' said a man from Switzerland who did not want to be identified. Other Europeans said they were approached the same way.
One Thai vendor selling clothes near Soi 7 said: ''I have been selling here for almost 20 years but have never seen such corruption and disregard for the law as it is now. These mobile bars started to pop up a few years ago and now there are almost 40. Each pays someone 2,000 baht per day to stay open. I pay someone else only 1,000 baht for my space.
''Many Thai and foreign prostitutes frequent the area late at night, the Africans fight each other every night, especially in Soi 13. They sell marijuana, ice and cocaine. Many have no visas. They have a boss who is very powerful and controls many illegal activities, including the drug business. He knows some high-ranking Thai officials and is also well connected to his embassy.
''Not many policemen are seen here, except when the Africans fight, and then they will come. You will never see a high ranking policeman or other officials coming for an inspection. I suspect they don't know what is going on here. In the past, police would arrest prostitutes who were looking for customers on the footpath, but not any more. That's why there are so many now.
''We can't blame only foreigners for these vices, but our people who allow it as well. The press doesn't publish much about this problem. Our culture and dignity are destroyed here in front of us,'' he said.
Another vendor selling hats in the next stall added: ''All the Thai people here don't like it, but what can we do? How will this place look in the next five years? Are we going to become an African country? What are they coming here for? How can they stay here for a long time?''
This last question was partially answered by two Africans who approached the Spectrum team outside one mobile bar in Soi 3. One, who spoke perfect English, claimed to be a former pirate from Somalia who made a lot of money and came here to start a business. The other said he came from Sudan. He claimed to have been associated with terrorists in Sudan and said he had to leave.
''We do everything, except drugs,'' the Somali said, with his Sudanese friend agreeing at the start of our 10-minute conversation. However, at the end of our chat, and after all their business propositions were rejected, they claimed to know someone who sells drugs, for either personal use or wholesale.
The Somali said they had to be careful after the police arrested several Africans at a small lane called ''Double White Hourse'' off Soi 3 on Dec 12. He was referring to a raid made by the Narcotic Suppression Bureau and other agencies.
A visit to the lane, which is usually crowded with Africans after 10pm, found it almost deserted.
Several high-ranking officials from various embassies who live near the soi told Spectrum that while walking in the area at night they had been approached by African men who, after a short conversation, offered them drugs. This approach shocked many of the long-term embassy staff, as this had never happened in the past.
Back on Sukhumvit, the many foreign prostitutes, mainly from the former Soviet Union, were doing a brisk business, with dozens parading in provocative clothing from about 11.30pm on outside the coffee shop of a big hotel on Soi 3, which is their starting point before they move on to discos and other late night entertainment venues.
Several taxis were parked outside this hotel and often after the driver received a phone call, he would enter the coffee shop and get one or two of the foreign working girls and drive them to customers who stay in some of the big hotels in the district.
One taxi driver said the foreign girls charge 2,000-3,000 baht for a short time and 5,000-10,000 baht for an all night session. The taxi driver said he had an agreement with the staff of several big hotels, who call him when a guest wants ''company''. He and the hotel staff receive 500 baht each in commission.
During a conversation with several foreign working girls at the coffee shop, they revealed how they can stay in Thailand for many months, some even years.
They pay 5,000 baht each to a nearby travel agency which organises visa runs to Vientiane in Laos. One woman who had just returned from such a trip said the agency provided four vans which carried about 40 women. ''They collected our passports after arriving in Vientiane, where we spent one night in a cheap hotel, and returned them the next day with a Thai tourist visa. We can't get these visas in Penang
[Malaysia] or in Phnom Penh
[Cambodia],'' she said.
A ladyboy who was serving drinks at a mobile bar near Soi 11 said she and some of the other girls did not get paid to work at the bar, but used it to find customers to sleep with. However, several local prostitutes claimed that most of the ladyboys only pick up customers to steal their money.
The mobile bar business is well organised. The bars, chairs and tables are stored in many places along Sukhumvit Road during the day. The owners decorate the bars with colourful lights and have speakers blaring music. Bottles of alcohol are openly displayed. It takes only a few minutes to set one up.
However, some bars deliberately switch off the lights over the tables where their customers are drinking. Most of these bars move into their places after the street vendors leave about midnight. They become the second shift on the street.
As for hygiene, there is none. There are no public toilets in the area. Some customers relieve themselves where ever possible, making the whole area dirty and smelly. One enterprising local businessman in Soi 13 uses a pick-up truck with a mobile toilet on the back and charges five baht per person.
One friendly policeman from the local station who has been working in the area for many years was reluctant to say anything at first, but later opened up: ''Ten years ago it was very hard to open a bar, but now they are everywhere, not only the mobile ones.'' He admitted that they are all illegal, but said his job was only to look after the traffic.
The policeman also mentioned that the punishment for selling liquor without a licence _ exactly what these mobile bars do every night _ is only a small fine not exceeding 500 baht for those selling local brews and not more than 2,000 baht for those selling imported brands.
''In case the bar gets raided again, the penalty would be same. Maybe if the punishment was higher, the bars might disappear. In a paradox, the ones who do possess a liquor licence and sell alcohol after midnight, when arrested, could face up to two years in jail or a fine not exceeding 4,000 baht or both, and their liquor licence could be suspended,'' the policeman said.
''Considering the workload that the police have every night with more serious crimes, there's really no time to tackle this type of offence,'' he said.
After paying a fine, the bar can reopen, and if they are arrested again, even on same night, the penalty is the same.
''Maybe if the punishment was harsher, the bars might disappear,'' he said.
From: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/30100/bangkok-sleazy-street-of-shame
Lower your credit card rate
From CNN:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Tired of your old credit card rate? Skyrocketing fees and shrinking credit limits? In the first of our series on Financial Resolutions -- here's how you can find the best terms.
It's been a rough year
If you're fed up with your credit card, you have every right to be.
Credit card issuers, on average, have raised rates up to 15% since January, according to billshrink.com. The average American is likely have paid about $110 more in credit card interest fees since the beginning of the year, or $10 billion for Americans as a whole. The worst offenders here: Capital One (COF, Fortune 500), Citi (C, Fortune 500) and Discover (DFS, Fortune 500) according to Billshrink.com. Their cardholders were socked with an average 32% rate increase since January.
Fortunately, the end of arbitrary rate hikes is coming very soon. The House voted to enforce tougher credit card rules with the CARD Act by February 22, 2010, although not in time for the holidays when credit-card purchases skyrocket.
So, the big question is how can you find a card that best fits your needs and your wallet?
Get new plastic
First -- try a different bank. Local community banks typically have rates that are 1-2 percentage points lower that big bank cards.
If you do decide to switch to a new card, here are some things you should ask for before signing up. You should be getting an interest rate below 10%, if you have good credit. Make sure that fees are capped and that you have a grace period of 25 days to get your payments to the right place.
The top picks
We consulted with Curtis Arnold of Cardratings.com for his best picks this year. Here's the list:
- Pentagon Federal Low Rate Visa Gold- 12.49% APR, low balance transfer fees
- Simmons First VISA Platinum-7.25% APR, no balance transfer fees
- IberiaBank Visa Classic - 25 day grace period, low balance transfer fee
-- CNN's Jen Haley contributed to this article.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/28/pf/saving/credit_card_rates/index.htm
Monday, December 28, 2009
Mortgage rescue: Credit score killer
From CNN read up people:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Most troubled homeowners view President Obama's foreclosure rescue plan as a way out of their financial troubles.
But many don't realize that entering a trial mortgage modification can actually hurt their credit.
CNNMoney recently received a flood of e-mails from readers complaining about the impact of trial modifications on their credit reports.
To be sure, many people who apply for the president's plan are already delinquent in their mortgage payments, which wrecks their credit backgrounds. And obtaining a trial modification should affect borrowers' scores because it shows they cannot meet their original obligation, experts said.
But being in a months-long trial period may only add to the pain.
Jason Axelrod learned that the hard way.
Axelrod, a municipal employee who lives outside Chicago, entered a trial mortgage modification program this spring.
He had not fallen behind in his mortgage, but he was finding it harder to make ends meet after his overtime was cut and his property taxes skyrocketed. Told it would not hurt his coveted 750 score, Axelrod secured a $565 reduction in his monthly payments.
Eight months later, Axelrod is still stuck in the trial modification, trying to satisfy his loan servicer's endless requests for documents.
And to his horror, his credit score has plummeted to 644.
"It's completely destroyed my credit," said Axelrod. "If I had known it would affect my score, I would have never entered the program."
Representatives at JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), which services Axelrod's loan, are instructed to tell applicants that entering a modification could impact their credit histories, a bank spokeswoman said.
Despite his weakened credit score, there is at least some good news for Axelrod: After being contacted by CNNMoney.com, JPMorgan Chase said his permanent modification had been approved.
Credit reporting guidelines
Under the president's plan, troubled borrowers can have their monthly mortgage payments reduced to 31% of their pre-tax income.
Homeowners are first put in a trial modification for several months to prove they can handle the new commitment and to give the bank time to collect the necessary income and hardship verification documents.
During this period, industry guidelines call for loan servicing companies to report borrowers to the credit bureaus according to their status before they entered the modification - either current or the number of days delinquent.
However, borrowers' accounts are also designated with a code indicating they are in a partial payment plan.
The coding alone can impact credit scores, which measure a consumer's financial health and range from 300 to 850 under the FICO system. The severity depends on how many payments the borrower missed before entering the program. Those who were current in their mortgages could see their scores fall up to 100 points, according to the Treasury Department.
Just what banks are reporting to the credit bureaus remains a matter of some debate. Some servicers have been inconsistent in following the guidelines, according to a Treasury official. Also, they don't always report that their current borrowers have entered modification plans.
Some 24,000 trial modifications were given to those still current with their payments, as of early September. A total of 366,000 trial modifications were in effect at that time. The total number has since risen to just under 700,000, as of the end of November.
JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), which are among the nation's largest servicers, declined to be interviewed for this article. A Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) spokeswoman said the bank follows industry guidelines.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, an industry group, servicers are required to report all information about their clients, including whether they are in modification plans. For seriously delinquent borrowers, this may improve their status somewhat since they will start making payments again.
"If you are in the trial period, over that three month period, you are going to improve your situation in most cases," said Vicki Vidal, the group's associate vice president for government affairs.
Once borrowers receive a permanent modification, their payment status is listed as current. However, the delinquency remains on their credit reports for up to seven years.
On top of that, the longer homeowners are listed as delinquent, the greater the impact on their credit score. That's one reason why servicers should be quicker to convert borrowers from trial modifications to permanent adjustments, said Jan Jones, a housing counselor in Alaska.
Financial institutions have come under fire in recent weeks for dragging their feet in evaluating borrowers for permanent adjustments.
"What's making people upset is the length of time lenders are taking to consider these workout plans," said Jones, who works for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Alaska.
Axelrod is already feeling the impact of his lower credit score. He ordered a new car this summer, believing it would come with a lower monthly payment. It arrived in mid-December.
But because of his newly blemished credit background, his two credit unions turned him down for a car loan. His dealership told him the best he could get is a 12% rate, a hefty hike from the 4.7% he was paying before.
"This is the biggest nightmare," he said. "My credit is completely uselesshttp://money.cnn.com/2009/12/28/news/economy/loan_modifications_credit_history/index.htm
ณืะำพำหะรืเ
เมื่อวันที่ 28 ธ.ค. นายโสภณ ซารัมย์ รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคม เปิดเผยถึงขั้นตอนของการเลื่อนระดับชั้นของที่นั่งบนเครื่องบิน (อัพเกรด) ของบริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) ว่า การเลื่อนระดับชั้นที่นั่ง ตามระเบียบได้มีการกำหนดไว้อยู่แล้ว ซึ่งผู้โดยสารที่ซื้อตั๋วโดยสารหากจะขออัพเกรดจะต้องมีการดำเนินการทำเรื่อง เสนอให้กรรมการผู้อำนวยการใหญ่ การบินไทย และ รองกรรมการผู้อำนวยการใหญ่ ฝ่ายการพาณิชย์ เป็นผู้เห็นชอบและอนุมัติ รวมทั้งจะต้องเสนอเรื่องเพื่อขออนุมัติก่อนการเดินทาง 72 ชั่วโมง ส่วน กรณีที่มีข่าวว่านายกรณ์ จาติกวณิช รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการคลัง ได้จองบัตรโดยสารชั้นประหยัดเพื่อนำภรรยาและลูกเดินทางไปประเทศอังกฤษ แต่ได้มีการอัพเกรดที่นั่งทุกครั้งไปยังชั้นบิสสิเนสคลาส ว่า เรื่องดังกล่าวตนยังไม่ได้รับรายงาน แต่ให้เป็นหน้าที่ของฝ่ายบริหารการบินไทย จะเป็นผู้ดำเนินการตรวจสอบในเรื่องนี้ ยืนยันว่าเรื่องดังกล่าวไม่ได้เป็นเรื่องการเมืองอย่างเด็ดขาด ผู้ สื่อข่าวรายงานจากบริษัท การบินไทย กล่าวว่า ในการอัพเกรดตั่วโดยสาร หรือบัตรโดยสารนั้นจะมี 2 ช่องทาง คือ 1. โดยทั่วไปเมื่อมีการจองตั๋วแล้ว และอยากอัพเกรดจะต้องมีการทำเรื่องของอนุมัติจากทางกรรมการผู้อำนวยการใหญ่ (ดีดี) และหรือ รองกรรมการผู้อำนวยการใหญ่ ฝ่ายการพาณิชย์ (ดีเอ็น) รวมทั้งฝ่ายภาคพื้น (ดีเค) ก็ได้ หากพบว่ามีที่นั่งในชั้นที่ต้องการอัพนั้นไม่เต็ม โดยการทำเรื่องดังกล่าวจะต้องทำเรื่องขออนุมัติล่วงหน้า ซึ่งในส่วนนี้จะต้องทำเรื่องก่อนล่วงหน้า 72 ชั่วโมง และคนที่มีสิทธิขออัพเกรดได้ จะต้องเป็นสมาชิกรอยัล ออคิดพลัส และมีไมล์เที่ยวบินสะสมครบตามเกณฑ์ที่กำหนด คือ มีไมล์สะสมมากกว่า 100,000 ไมล์ ขึ้นไป 2. ในช่วงที่กำลังจะขึ้นเครื่องบิน หรือหน้าเคาน์เตอร์เช็คอิน คนทำหน้าที่อนุมัติคือ ดีเค หรือฝ่ายภาคพื้น ซึ่งการขออนุมัติต้องมีเหตุผล เช่น ที่นั่งในชั้นประหยัดเต็ม แต่ชั้นธุรกิจยังไม่เต็ม ก็ขอเลื่อนขึ้นมาได้ โดยส่วนนี้จะให้สิทธิ์กับสมาชิกบัตรรอยัลออคิดพลัส หรือสมาชิกสะสมไมล์ก่อน รองลงมาคือ พนักงาน ส่วนผู้ใหญ่ของบ้านเมือง หรือคนใหญ่คนโตนั้น ไม่สามารถมาขอที่หน้าเคาน์เตอร์ได้ ยกเว้นบุคคลเหล่านั้นจะโทรศัพท์ไปขออนุมัติจากผู้บริหารโดยตรง สำหรับ สมาชิกบัตรทองนั้น ตามสิทธิจะไม่สามารถซื้อตั๋วโดยสารชั้นประหยัด แล้วขออัพเกรด ได้เลย นอกจากจะต้องมีไมล์สะสมมากกว่า 100,000 ไมล์ขึ้นไปก่อน ซึ่งสิทธิประโยชน์จริงๆ ของผู้ถือบัตรทอง คือ การได้เข้าไปเช็คอินในเคาน์เตอร์ ชั้นเฟิร์สคลาส และเลาจน์ ของการบินไทย และพันธมิตรในกลุ่มสตาร์อัลไลแอนซ์ เท่านั้น.
http://www.thairath.co.th/content/eco/55657
http://www.thairath.co.th/content/eco/55657
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Nokia E71x
This is my first "Smart Phone" had it for close to 3 months now $50.00 after rebate with At&t.
The Nokia E71x offers a long list of features, including 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera, I have not used the GPS but the other features work great, my only qerp is they could have made a better power on/off button thats at the top. Its not a touch screen for those interested in that, but i like the style of the phone and sleek black color, its the best phone i have had to date. Glad to see Nokia is bring is latest line to the USA since there mostly in other countries.
The Nokia E71x offers a long list of features, including 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera, I have not used the GPS but the other features work great, my only qerp is they could have made a better power on/off button thats at the top. Its not a touch screen for those interested in that, but i like the style of the phone and sleek black color, its the best phone i have had to date. Glad to see Nokia is bring is latest line to the USA since there mostly in other countries.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tax Time
Most of us are getting that last pay check for the year, you can enter that info into turbo tax(turbotax.com) now to get an idea now of how much you might get ( or owe ) and yes its free to do that on turbotax they only charge when you file the return... I will post a follow up or some new tax new rules/changes for those that do there own taxes or just want to know soon.
Gift Card Tips
Good info below on Gift Cards, i know a lot of us do not read the fine print...
Now that the stockings are unstuffed and packages ripped open, it's time to barrel back into the shopping mayhem to start in on returns, exchanges and gift card spending.
Shoppers toting an estimated $23.6 billion in gift cards will return to stores this weekend to scoop up discounted holiday leftovers and new regular-price goods. But spending is expected to be smaller as the retail industry braces for its second consecutive holiday season of gift card declines.
For one thing, the recession has stolen gift cards' steam. Frugal shoppers are focusing on deeply discounted items to stretch their budgets. And many New Yorkers, given the 10% unemployment rate and uncertain work security, decided to make homemade gifts instead.
"In this economy, I have to be a little more aware," said Cindee Weiss of Manhattan, who works in magazine publishing. Weiss, 41, decided to bake cookies and brownies for four friends instead of spending $100 on gift cards at the Gap or Anthropologie.
But for shoppers with gift cards in their hot hands, here are a few street-smart recommendations to get the shopping over with wisely:
• Dive in on a Tuesday because it's the slowest shopping day of the week. "All of the chaos that ensues over the weekend is cleaned up on Monday, and the shelves are restocked by then," said WalletPop's retail expert, Laura Heller.
• When it comes to gift cards, be wary of expiration dates, especially after activation, Heller said.
That said, if you slip up and miss a redemption date, chances are retailers will make an exception. "They want you to be pleased and come back and create customer loyalty," Heller said.
• Since the economy is still rough, be aware of stores that might go belly up, said Chris Spagnuolo, a spokesman for Bankrate, Inc.
• A safe bet is an American Express or Visa gift card, which can be used anywhere. But these cards generally have a "valid through" date that's printed on the card.
"Your card won't work in stores after that date so you'll have to call the credit issuer and request a replacement in order to keep using it," Spagnuolo said.
• There are also fees. Credit issuer gift cards often charge monthly maintenance fees after a year of activity.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Costa Rica
For those of you thinking about going to Costa Rica, check out this very informative site.
http://www.therealcostarica.com/
http://www.therealcostarica.com/
Credit Card changes:
So whos getting those letters in the mail there credit card company is changing the APR (higher of course) or reducing the amount of points you accumulate for there free gifts,
Which one is better nowadays ( Chase Bank?, Discover card? Wachovia? Bank of
From the little research I did it seems like it’s the American Express Blue card, no annual fee and different tiers on cash back with a apr that’s lower than my others cards I had cancelled because they where too high and or charging yearly fees or reducing some other perk I use to have with them
Anybody got different opinions or know a better lower rate card?
https://www217.americanexpress.com/cards/home.do?source=cmhp_inav-personalcards#CARDS/77/0/0/-1
Sony Cyber-shot® Digital Camera T90
First time purchasing a Sony for me, i think it was the sale they had that made me get it since i usually buy the Olympus brand, anyway they take good pictures and video, the only problem i had is that it takes blur pictures if someone moves even a little, tried using the many settings including auto and beach mode and it still does a blur, i hear they have another model type of this brand coming soon so maybe it corrects that - but if everyone one is still and not moving around in a drunken state :) it takes very good pictures especially at night and on the beach. The battery life seems to last a lot longer than the 110 minutes or whatever it is listed, this is my first time using a "touch" screen which is easier to use than i thought it would be and i've had it for 3 months now and no scratches on the screen and touch features are still working, good camera i recommend it dispute that blur quirk i talked about and ladies one of the colors they have it in is pink I ordered mines online at Sonys website which offered free engraving on that camera which was cool. thats my post on it hope its helpfull info
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