Forums > Living in Kunming > Transferring money into China Six blasts in all. Seventh was an unexploded ordnance. If I recall, similar bomb scare occurred several years back. Coup-prone Thai Kingdom is not without political vulnerabilities..
Unlike Spring City, another downside is Bangkok's scorching humidity in the summertime as Peter chimed in on. Sir, next time turn off the a/c when you leave the house. The planet is hot as it is. May help reduce your electric bill. Oh and you left out high property management fees.
At least 7/11 slurpees & thai ice tea are widely accessible to compensate the backdraft. Not to mention mouth-watering Krispy Kreme. Mmmm... donuts.
The diverse, international restaurant scene in Bangkok is my Achilles' heel. Also the budget eateries inside food courts and ubiquitous fresh fruits. Yummy.
Here, mixian at every corner, day and night. And the occasional Sal.
Not sure about "swamp," but Bangkok indeed has traffic congestion issues. To remedy, or at least alleviate, Thai government has been adding eight or nine more metro/bts lines. Many lines will be operational next year and in '21.
These potential stations have attracted a gluttony of residential developments, widely distributed across the map. Outlier projects soon to be connected by rail links will be joining the monopoly board game. For them, I'm speculating higher growth opportunities than for more maturated CBD counterparts.
In Kunming, Dongfeng Square will likely be the designated future CBD. The tallest building in the city, Spring 66 (Tower One), is nearly complete. The Central World-like shopping complex below will officially open in 20 days on the 23rd of August.
Hong Kong based developer, Hang Lung Properties, has quite the positive market outlook. Utterly confident the value of Spring 66's triple MRT commercial real estate will rise that right now they aren't even selling. Only leasing at the moment.
Meaning, Hang Lung is not cash-strapped. But rather, incubating their golden eggs in anticipation of higher returns when property prices increase as adjacent three skyscrapers are developed.
As vetimo alluded to, prime CBD locations dictate rentability, as would narrow the asking price and selling price gap, if and when Hang Lung enters escrow. By then, prices mostly absorbed by deep-pocketed foreign investors. And hopefully, trickle across to rest of the city to lift general housing prices.
Video: Lugu Lake: Where Women Hold Sway
发布者First, an offhand comment. Now, a backhanded compliment. Abrasive dialogues expected with cloudtrapezer.
Video: Lugu Lake: Where Women Hold Sway
发布者Allow me to elaborate.
The gradual easing of VPN restrictions starting with "foreign firms" to "attract more foreign investments," as mentioned...
which "may" possibly trickle down to expats "one day," as mentioned.
I did not mention anything about Chinese civilians. Nor did I imply this gradual easing would suddenly free up the internet for all, as you offhandedly concluded.
First of all from a legal perspective, this going against the grain first step creates policy transparency for foreigners conducting business in the Mainland,
For instance, Apple Inc. satellite R&D offices in several Chinese cities are prone to ramifications for something trivial like accessing their Facebook page via VPN if central government decided to retaliate against the U.S.-led Huawei ban. Currently AAPL is at the mercy & whim of tit for tat retribution.
With this official VPN permittance from Beijing, coming into effect in a few months, such murky political maneuvers are relegated back to aforementioned "dark ages,"
Of course this transparency chess move is meant to dissuade HQ of foreign firms from exodus to competitors in SE Asia, Yet from hindsight, laying out building blocks of transparent regulatory norms in trial cities such as the 1st tier Beijing or Shanghai, eventually spread across the map to other provincial capitals of secondary tiered cities. Particularly Kunming, which Beijing has designated as BRI investment gateway to SE Asia and beyond. It is a step in the right direction. Silver lining so to speak.
Video: Lugu Lake: Where Women Hold Sway
发布者dolphin, perhaps Jordan Porter's target audiences are foreigners looking in.... to plant seeds of interest in those who have yet to visit China, let alone Yunnan.
As for us expats living inside the murky fish bowl, the silver lining is big brother's gradual easing of VPN restrictions in a bid to lift barriers to attract more foreign investments.
By end of this year, foreign firms will be permitted to invest in VPN services in designated trial zones in Beijing:
sg.news.yahoo.com/[...]
Though Jordan's "Destination China" channel will continue to be blocked, VPN usage to bypass the GFW may one day be officially legalized in cities like Kunming. Expats won't need to look over one's shoulders with so much dread.
Yunnan reaches out to Cambodia with children's health initiative
发布者No, America's mass shootings are another beast.
Brutality by Cambodia's corrupt military police is disturbing. The shooting in Sihanoukville village earlier this year comes to mind.
They've also begun the national drug war campaign in '17, though not to the extreme extent of the Philippines under Duterte.
Yunnan reaches out to Cambodia with children's health initiative
发布者Not mentioned in above article is the China-Cambodia arms deal. Pray those Chinese firearms sold to Cambodia don't fall into wrong hands, injuring innocent victims of crossfire.