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2015 - Annus (Horribilis Or Mirabilis) Or Nowt?


panadolsandwich
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What is it with oil and gas industry workers earning shitloads of money but often being broke? Admittedly, I don't know that many guys who work in the industry but if there is one commonality amongst those I do know it is that they make a lot of money - tends to average out at close to $200,000 per year...but they never seem to have money and it's not like they're asset rich either. A couple of mentioned to me what you say here - that contracts are much harder to come by and the contracts they do take up don't pay anything like they used to. One mate used to earn $1,000 a day and now earns $600 per day. I'd be delighted with that sort of money and if I earned anywhere near that I'd have gazillions stashed away....but some these guys seem to never be more than 3 months away from being totally broke. What gives?

 

 

There are now unprecedented lay offs amongst contact staff, the Likes of SHELL and BP have put numerous multi billion dollar projects on hold.

 

30 months ago I chose to take a drop on income and ride out the recession in Vietnam, at the time my co-workers thought I was insane, but even this year I have received 10 emails from ex co-workers begging for a job over here, nice guys etc but it is a dog eat dog world and I am the meanest pup of them all, som nam na fuck them.

 

This will have a knock on effect in Thailand, due to my line of work the majority of people I know in Thailand rely on O&G work and once the work dries up many of them will be skint and will have to return to their home countries

 

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What gives?

 

Good Question Stick.

 

There is big money to be made in O&G WHEN work is available, but unfortunately availability of good contracts is rather transient, very volatile always has been, but then again one choses one bed and lies in it.

 

Also do to the remote locations of majority of O&G Projects most guys go on "Single Status" in a relationship of same ethnic background this could put a strain on such, on a cross cultural relationship the strain goes deeper, it is not uncommon for guys in the industry to have more ex wives than offspring, divorce costs money.

 

Furthermore numerous O&G workers (I wouldn't even have a guess at the percentage) do the "Bad Days" in remote locations and "Good Times" on R'nR with a pocket full of Baht and go mad or even worse "Meet the One" and get married, basically some little asian woman they can control and have a live in storage area for all their shit in SE Asia, not just Thailand, there are probably more in Philippines and Indonesia.

 

Cavanami's point is questionable, maybe the ones he meets out and about have been on the gravy train for too long and have never saved, where as the ones who do save for rainy days are lesser spotted out and about, Cav in the past 3 years we (me and my wife, yourself and your partner) have only met each other socially on one occasion, a Sunday Brunch in a semi-respectable western pub, my days of hedonism ended when I turned 40 and that was over a decade ago now.

 

Stick

 

It is (Hum)MAN (Nat)URE Majority of Farang / Thai relationships one reads about online are the tales of failure, where as the guys who have a decent life don't bother posting, like whom wants to read about success it does not drive web traffic, same as O&G workers or other contracting Industries, one only tends to hear from the "Bar Flies" always complaining. FFS I am not rich, far from it, keep my head down mouth shut and make a few $ along the way. Asset rich? Well Chanoot and Tabien Baan (Yellow) are both in my name fully paid for, probably the same I would expect of myself in my home country or anyone else should aim for to be honest, who needs repayments on home loans when past 50? Not me thats for sure.

 

I hear what you are saying about your mate, 6 months ago I was offered work back in Madrid at 60% of the rate I was on in 2010 "But Mr M THEY NEED YOU" well excuse me I am not a charity, I have been in my current position for 27 months now and it may have a lot more, in my 35 years in this game 48 months was my longest contract and that was when I was an apprentice.

 

I chose to work in a country adjacent to Thailand, somewhere I had never previously considered, but to be honest I am thoroughly enjoying the experience, the wife is Happy here and that is the main thing, if the boss is OK it's a damn site easier for me.

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Mr Stick , hail to thee

 

The only oil I understand anything about is olive oil , although I wish to say that somebody paying somebody elso 1000 a day does certainly have a reason to do so . Possibly horrible work conditions , possibly a genius at work , possibly something else . Which means the man who receives it has either to offer something extraordinary or pay a high personal price .

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There were a solid core of O & G workers that used to be around the Square as well as Soi Cowboy, etc. They

were fun to be around and did not go crazy when they were on R&R. I figure they have a pile stashed away. Most of

them have returned to the USA to live out the rest of their days and good on them!

 

There was also the group that would blow into Bangkok and Pattaya and money was no object. I would see them

bar fine a dozen ladies after a night of heavy drinking and buying plenty of ladies' drinks.

They were fun to be around and watch their antics.

This bunch mostly likely are in the poor house about now, but they certainly lived the life!

 

Kong and myself are mostly low key these days. We both live good and still sock away a bit for the rainy days.

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  • 2 weeks later...

What is it with oil and gas industry workers earning shitloads of money but often being broke? Admittedly, I don't know that many guys who work in the industry but if there is one commonality amongst those I do know it is that they make a lot of money - tends to average out at close to $200,000 per year...but they never seem to have money and it's not like they're asset rich either. A couple of mentioned to me what you say here - that contracts are much harder to come by and the contracts they do take up don't pay anything like they used to. One mate used to earn $1,000 a day and now earns $600 per day. I'd be delighted with that sort of money and if I earned anywhere near that I'd have gazillions stashed away....but some these guys seem to never be more than 3 months away from being totally broke. What gives?

 

The honest answer is that no matter how much I earn, it all gets frittered away. I don't regret it. I spent six months in Cambodia hooked on whores and ice. Do I regret one moment of it - I really honestly can't say i do. The heartbreaking thing was having to get another contract for $1000 a day and leave my little harem behind. I personally probably caused a small recession in Sanoukville. It was heartbreaking.

 

I read this novel ( a really turgid novel) where this hippie whore compares her alcoholic boyfriends fall from grace with her never having any money save for the price she can sell her arse for. I did say it was turgid. Don't really know why I mentioned it really.

 

Stash it away - don't make me laugh - there is nothing left to stash away for...

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  • 5 months later...

Okay - it's been well over six months since I looked 2016 in the eye - and demanded it have a factgasm. At the time she bent over and now she's delivered!

 

Rather then revisit that old post - I'll do a blow by blow of what has been happening with regard to that post. And then, I'll shoot forward and predict the next six months.

 

 

The Claim: 'Turkey will certainly implode in some way next year'. Outcome: TRUE.

Well, as Mekong so rightly says 'Rebel, Rebel'. The latest coup attempt (ordered by whom?) is a simple fact. Turkey has imploded. We await further developments as the Russians are still sniffing about - and the Yanks are mopping the egg off their face. Don't so much watch this space, but expect the global media to make you feel so afraid you won't ever be reasonable again.

 

 

 

The Claim: 'There will be fifty mass gun shootings in the USA'. Outcome: OVERWHELMINGLY TRUE

My fault here - I hadn't looked at the figures, but it was inevitable they would increase. It's looking like it will be more like *500* . 252 at the mo. , but there's no reason to expect the generally increasing trend to be abated with inadequate gun laws. Yes USA, you're looking at over 500 mass shootings in 2016. An incredible shame.

 

The Claim: ' Oil will drop to $20'. Outcome: TRUE

 

The Claim: ' TRUMP POTUS'. Outcome: PENDING

 

Well all the claims so far have become true. I feel hesitant at this point. Let me make this clear: I didn't want them to become true. I fervently hoped they wouldn't be. But they have. This does not look good for any of us. You'll see.

 

Perhaps in another post I'll forecast the next six months...

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  • 4 months later...

i'm a on a roll here:

 

The Claim: ' TRUMP POTUS'. Outcome: PENDING TRUE

 

The Claim: 'Mad Elephant and Candy Prince, invisible hand'. Outcome: TRUE

 

i'm busy working on 2017 at the moment, but it's looking like a right CRACKER of a year. Still trying to work out what's going on with gold and the other commodities, but if the modelling I've done proves correct - then we are in for a - well best not spoil the surprise, besides I haven't made my mind up yet.

 

Promise to include a wrap up of Thai TV as well, along with general affairs. Ha! there's a lot of spicy tidbits to tell.

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  • 2 years later...

Well I predicted Trump and Russians sniffing about.  The Turkey problem.  The oil fiasco.  So don't mind me.  I didn't have anything to do with it.  I'm just well informed. 

 

I'm going to predict what happens in the next period between now and 2021.  Hang on to your seats, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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