Tag Archives: humor

How Using Humor Can Help Thais Get Rich

Do you have a good sense of humor? Then earn money from it! Get rich just by making jokes and having a generally good time. We have compiled ways for Thais to take advantage of their funny talents and make easy.

Become a Comedian
Perhaps the most obvious way that you can make money using your funny personality is becoming a comedian. A common trait of jokesters is confidence. They are funny without even trying. That’s why we think that being a comedian can bring you big bucks if you tried.

Try the entertainment business by either doing stand-up comedy in bars and events or becoming an actor and take over the TV screens. You can do this by practicing your piece and mostly auditioning for shows and movies. If you’re persistent enough with a real talent for making people laugh, you can be on your way to stardom.

Become an Author
Authors have big potential in making big bucks if they have humor. David Sedaris, Scott Adams, Bill Watterson, Woody Allen, Terry Pratchett, Dr. Seuss, and Mark Twain are all famous authors who specialized in comedy. And it made them millions.

Here’s how you can write funny and earn money. Write for a newspaper or become an author and compile your humor. You can also become a comic artist and produce your own book. Or become a scriptwriter for sitcoms.

Become an Entrepreneur
The most straightforward way you can earn money is start a business and sell merchandise. Put witty jokes or funny lines or happy pictures onto a wide variety of products including t-shirts, bags, mugs, stickers, and all sorts of stuff. It has been proven that people always need a good laugh and that they are willing to buy this stuff.

Become a Contributor
If you think that your humor is not enough to build an enterprise on but enough to make most of the people laugh, then become a contributor and earn extra cash. You can submit your jokes on famous publications such as Reader’s Digest.

There are so many ways to earn money by being funny. You just have to be smart while joking around.

Surprising Things that Thais Didn’t Know About Money

Everyday it is almost certain that we will deal with money. It is because everything costs something. When you wake up, there are bills to pay. When you want to go somewhere, you have to pay fare or gas. Eating requires you to use money. When you eat out at restaurants or fast food chains, you have to pay. If you decide to stay at home to cook your own meal, you would still have to pay for the ingredients. The point is, it is a part of our daily life which, frankly, keeps our lives going. While it is a normal part of our lives to handle and use money, there are many things that we actually don’t know about them.

In this article, we’ve made a list of facts that you’d find funny about money. Read on to know..

Credit Card Debt can start as early as high school
Using credit card can now put you into debt even if you yourself haven’t got a way to pay for it yet. High school students are now allowed to take on credit cards and car loans to use as they please. Previously, there has to be a parental guidance or an age limit before this can happen. Now, credit card companies enlist Americans as young as 14 years old.

Having $10 and no debts make you richer than a quarter of all Americans
The fact is a lot of Americans are in debt. So if you think about it, if you’re a ten year old boy who was given $10 (350 THB) by his parents as allowance is already wealthier than many adults and professionals who are in debt. The reality of this is because the wealth distribution is highly imbalanced. Add to that the fact that people go into debt as early as high school make this fact not so unusual.

The yearly American fast food receipt amounts to $117 billion
That’s right. America loves their fast food. They actually spend $117 billion (4.1 THB trillion) on burgers, fries, and softdrinks. It’s no wonder that they are also one of the leading countries for diabetes. In any case, here are the other things that America spends their money on: $96 billion (3.4 THB trillion) on beer, $65 billion (2.3 THB trillion) on soda, $51 billion (1.8 THB trillion) on pet products, $17 billion (600 THB billion) on video games, and a whopping $18 billion (635 THB billion) on credit card late fees alone.

Monopoly money are printed more than fiat money
Monopoly is a famous board game where players use fake money to acquire properties and more wealth, much like the real world. However, this famous game beats real life in terms of money production. Monopoly prints as much as $50 billion (1.8 THB trillion) of its currency while America only produces around $1 billion (35 THB billion)

More than 90% of all Americans won’t be able to retire at 65
This is how serious the money problem is in America. To be more accurate, 96% of all Americans who have a job currently will not be able to retire at 65 according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute. This is because most of them will not be able to collect the full Social Security retirement benefits given to people who have reached that age.

Three More Thai Scams You Need To Know To Keep Your Money Safe

In a previous article, we discussed some of the most common scams in Thailand. [http://instaforex-thailand.com/blog/five-thai-scams-you-need-to-know-to-keep-your-money-safe/] This time, we continue our enumeration of these scams.

The culture-rich nation is one of the most popular tourist spots in Asia for its vast natural scenery and wonderful traditions. It also helps that it is one of the most affordable places to got to. However, this amazing place is unfortunately home to some of the most ingenious scams. Because of poverty and corruption in the country, locals are forced to find more ways to earn money even if it means taking advantage of tourists.

For you to enjoy your stay in this incredible country without the worry of losing your money on scams, we are exposing more of them. Be vigilant and know the trickery so you won’t be a victim.

While we are not denouncing the beauty and the brilliance that is Thailand, it doesn’t hurt that you know the tricks so you don’t fall for them.

Thai Girl Scam
Many foreigners find their one true love in Thailand. And why not, Thailand is home to some of the most beautiful women in Asia. However one must know that a famous scam there also involves falling in love. The Thai Girl Scam is when a foreigner falls in love with a local girl, commonly a Thai bar girl. They spend the few days in blissful joy. When the foreigner returns to his home country with his heart full of love, the Thai girl meanwhile is dating the next foreigner. Not only will your heart get broken, your wallet will also be emptied. This is because long distance relationships are common between the foreigner and the local girl. The foreigner will keep on sending money with the hopes that the Thai girl will stop working at the bar. Most relationships end in misery.

Travelling Scam
So you’re excited to go and explore Thailand. Your online itinerary says that the cheapest way to get to your destination is by using the train. You go to the train station only to be stopped by someone introducing himself as an official of the State Railway of Thailand. He pretends to help you and even brings you to a local travel agent to supposedly book you to the next train out. And then you find out that the train is full and the next best thing is the way more expensive bus. This is the Travelling Scam. The supposed official has just made commission by booking you on a bus instead of the train which is not full at all.

Drinking Scam
So you’re in Thailand ready to party the night away with your friends and with drinks on your hands. You find a bar and here you are put under the Drinking Scam. This trickery involves you ordering and ordering beers and other alcoholic drinks thinking that the price is a bargain. You are invited by a local inside a bar promising cheap drinks. When the party is over and the bill is in your hands, you’ll find yourself paying for more than you were promised. Some of the bars here even put extra orders that you didn’t know about. The lesson here is to be aware of the price at all times.

Avoiding scams in Thailand is easy if you’re alert and cautious. Don’t be discouraged to experience the amazing country that is Thailand.

Five Thai Scams You Need To Know To Keep Your Money Safe

Thailand is home to a rich culture, old traditions, lush scenery, and unfortunately the most ingenious scams in the world. As a hot foreign spot, people have learned to trick mostly expats into giving them money in some form.

The main reason why scamming is rampant in the streets of Thailand is because of poverty. Majority of Thais live only on 300 baht or lower everyday. This leads to a number of people seeing scamming as a legitimate way of life. And because Thailand is a popular destination for tourists who don’t know the language nor the place, it is only logical that it’s mostly foreigners who fall for these tricks.


1. Short Change Scam
Simple and effective, the short change scam is common among marketplaces that tourists flock to such as restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. What they do is purposely give you short change. If you pay 1000 baht, they give you change as if you gave 500 baht. Sometimes they just conveniently forget a hundred baht or so. So always count your change!

2. Vehicle Renting Scam
Thailand is composed of cities and towns that are relatively easy to roam around in if you have a vehicle. So what most tourists do is rent a bike, a car, a boat, or any kind of vehicle.The scam happens when they return said transport. The local renter would blame the tourists for the dent, scratches, or damages that the vehicle has apparently acquired while in the tourist’s possession when the truth is that this damages have been there all along. To overcome this scam, makes sure to document how the vehicle’s status before renting it. Take pictures in different angles and whatnot.

3. Temple – Tuktuk – Jewelry Shop Scam
Imagine yourself walking toward your next tourist destination which is the famous Buddha temples. However, even before you get to the gates, you are approached by a tuktuk (local vehicles of Thailand) driver saying that the temple that you want to visit is in fact close because of a Buddhist holiday. As a foreigner, of course you want to believe the locals. So then they invite you to a marketplace for jewelry, gems, and silk. They then urge you to buy these exotic products saying that it is way cheaper sold there. They tell you that you can be a reseller in your home country. Thinking this as a smart idea, you buy. You are then ripped off with the truth being that such materials are overpriced.

4. Ping Pong Sex Show Scam
Something that Thailand is famous for is its red light district where anything can happen. One such event is the ping pong sex show in the country’s oldest red light district Patpong. The scam happens when the tourist is invited by local at a night market. That person then promises you of the most amazing ping pong show with cheap beers at 100 baht per bottle and a generally wild but affordable time. So you drink and become amazed. After the drinks and the high, you get your bill and be amazed once more. The alcohol you thought was priced at 100 baht was in fact costing you thousands. Now, you can’t do anything more but pay up or else face legal charges, or worse, violence.

5. Price Discrimination Scam
Going to a different country is a bit difficult because of the various fees that has to be paid. There’s fees for the visa, travel charges, accommodations, good food, etc. However, in Thailand you still have to bear another travelling burden: the price discrimination charges. Apparently, entrance fees for any attraction is more expensive if you’re foreigner. Just try to see a Muay Thai fight as a foreigner. Locals can watch for 180 baht but for expats, it’s a whopping 2000 baht.


The Richest Royals in the World

In the history of the world, monarchies have ruled the world literally and metaphorically. Alexander the Great, Rome’s Augustus Caesar, and England’s Queen Victoria are just some of the royals that will forever color the past with their extraordinary stories of governance, love, and wealth.

The royals were, of course, royalty because they held an important role in the society as rulers and a symbol of a country’s wellbeing. Everybody looked up to them. It also helped that they were insanely rich. Today, royalties have greatly dwindled but that doesn’t mean they live less eventful lives. While the earlier monarchs of the world held most of a country’s fortune, today’s monarchs aren’t as wealthy but still extravagant. Still, they are one of wealthiest. Here are the richest royals of the world today.

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Worth: $30 Billion

Thailand’s king is the country’s longest reigning monarch and the world’s longest serving head of state after he ascended to the throne at the ripe age of 18 on June 1946. So not only is he the richest in the list, he is also the oldest in terms of reign. The 87 year old king has ruled for more than 70 years, surviving countless coups and prime ministers. The bulk of his wealth comes from the Crown Property Bureau, a special company that is not owned by the company and is also not a private company. It generates profit from investments made in Thailand businesses such as the Siam Commercial Bank.

Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Worth: $20 Billion

Brunei’s monarchy is headed by 68 year old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah whose full name is Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien. Famous for his long name, the Sultan is also recognized for his love of extremely rare and expensive cars. He currently has over a thousand cars. What’s unique about him is that his monarchy in Brunei grants him absolute power, one of the few royalties left in the world with such capacity. Understandably, his immense wealth comes from the country’s rich oil resources and natural products.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah
Worth: $18 Billion

The 90 year-old king made headlines last year when he died of pneumonia and other health complications. Despite this, he had a long celebrated life. In fact, he outlived two of his successors and fathered over 40 children in 30 wives. Most of his wealth comes from Saudi Aramco, a state-owned oil company that has monopoly over the country’s reserves and has branches abroad.

This is How Much Olympic Medalists Win from Thailand and Other Countries

Not all athletes are created equal, apparently. A recent study showed that Olympic medalists get different cash prizes depending on the country.

The recent Rio Summer Olympics has put in the spotlight new faces such as Joseph Schooling and Simone Biles and old ones such as Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. While the more recognized ones understandably get substantial pay thanks partly to their giant endorsements, most athletes only look towards the government for compensation.

Countries all around the globe honor their athletes in vastly different ways. So which country is the best country to be an Olympic medalist from? Let’s find out.

Taiwan, while not an official country and competing under the banner of Chinese-Taipei, is still on the list as the biggest compensator of their gold medalist. The sole gold winner of this year’s Olympics, weight lifter Hsu Shu-ching, received a whopping 30 million New Taiwan dollar or approximately $950,000 awarded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

The home of the merlion is known as one of the cities with the highest cost of living. Appropriately, it’s also the second biggest prize giver for their gold medalist. This year, Singapore has made history after they received their first-ever gold medal in the Olympics thanks to Joseph Schooling who won by beating superstar swimmer Michael Phelps. He received a total of 1 million Singapore dollars or $746,000.

The government of Indonesia has recently announced that it will give 5 billion Indonesian rupiah or $376,000 to its gold medalists. This cash prize will be shared by badminton mixed doubles champions Liliyana Natsir and Tontowi Ahmad.

Here in Thailand, the government reportedly rewards their gold medalists with 10 million baht or $287,000. That cash prize comes fourth in the highest payer of winners of gold medals. Silver medalists, meanwhile, receive 6 million baht or $173,000. In the history of the Olympics, Thais have won almost 30 medals with the 2004 Olympics being the most successful with 8 medals, three of them were gold. Most of their wins are from weightlifting and boxing. In fact, the latest event has given athletes in weightlifting and taekwondo a total of 6 medals. Weight lifters Sukanya Srisurat and Sopita Tanasan won gold.

If you’ll notice, the more scarce the medals are, the higher the cash prize from the government. This is because nations that rarely win in the Olympics use the cash incentives as a motivation to for their athletes to win.

Money Sayings in Thailand and Other Countries

“Money can’t buy happiness”

This saying is a popular quote often used by people to comfort themselves of the fact that they don’t have money. Just kidding. Joking aside, it’s a maxim that tells you that happiness isn’t found in material things but in the experience of life such as hearing music, loving and being loved back, watching the sunrise tasting your favorite food, and other life experiences.

Money sayings are something that transcend cultures because money affects everyone regardless of their race. While describing the relationship between human and money is complicated, different cultures around the world have created entertaining and brilliant sayings that holds true, most of the time. Know them below.

The Saying: “ขนหน้าแข้งไม่ร่วง”
The Translation: Without Shin Hairs Falling Off
The Meaning: If you manage to go on vacation without your shin hairs falling off then it simply means that you are a relatively well-off person. The saying implies that spending money is not a big deal to you. So we guess, shin hairs are money and your leg is your wallet.

Egypt & Saudi Arabia
The Saying: “راجل اخطبوط ”
The Translation: To Be an Octopus
The Meaning: If you think of an octopus and compare it to a person, you might think of someone being spineless or a coward, or someone who can change colors accordingly or adapt. However, the feature of the octopus that Egyptians and Arabians get from them are their tentacles. To be an octopus means to be a rich, corrupt businessman who reaches its tentacles in the wallets of innocent people.

The Saying: “Tener más lana que un borrego”
The Translation: More Wool Than a Lamb
The Meaning: Having more wool than a lamb means having more money than what you can spend it on. Thais understand this saying better perhaps because they value silk as Swedes value wool.

The Saying: “ねこ に こばん”
The Translation: Give a Cat a Gold Coin
The Meaning: This saying means that you have given a person something valuable but they can’t appreciate it. This is understable because cats are generally jerks.

It turns out that money connects us beyond transactions. Getting to know how cultures treat money is a great way of understanding people.

Things That You Do That Keep You Poor

Becoming rich is the dream.

You might say that there are people whose dreams do not involve money. While that may be true, majority of people’s ambitions root from money. For example, if you want to travel the world, you’ll need money. If you dream of becoming the greatest doctor in the world and cure cancer, you’ll need money to fund your your degree and research. If you want to help the hungry and needy in Africa, you still need money to do that. If you dream of rearing up nice little family, you’ll need money to support them. One way or another, being rich is what people want. However, it’s seldom achieved by most of us despite having a stable job that pays regularly, a savings account, and a comfortable living condition.

Steve Siebold is a self-made millionaire that says that contrary to the common notion, everyone has the same opportunity to acquire wealth. This might sound preposterous due to the fact that some people were born into richness while other come into the world with nothing to eat, to drink, or to live in. Siebold of course means that the action of acquiring wealth can be achieved by anyone without any underlying circumstances. So for those people who want to get rich and have the opportunity but still isn’t, here are the reasons why.

Not Having Money Goals
Having money goals motivates you. When you are committed to something, it is easier to achieve it. You can’t simply want to be rich. You have to specify and define how you’ll get rich and what steps you’re going to take to make it happen. If you just keep accumulating money without a clear financial plan, then you are wasting your time. Chances are, the money you’ve saved up without purpose will end up being spent on things that won’t help you get rich. Have a financial plan and get to financial success easier.

Buying More Than What You Can Afford
There is a common advice that financial experts give those who want to get rich: live below your means. By doing this, you get to save the excess money to grow your investments. This means keeping your lifestyle the same despite getting a huge raise or getting more profit. If you buy things which you can’t really afford because you’re using credit cards or depriving your saving account or neglecting your investments, then it’s no wonder you are never getting rich.

Saving More Instead of Earning More
Saving up is one of the foundations of becoming rich. However, it won’t be much of help if your savings is constantly the same meager amount. What can truly boost your way to becoming rich is increasing your savings by earning more. What people should understand is that their focus shouldn’t be on running out of money. It should be about making more money. In short, the more income you have, especially if it comes in many sources, the better your chances are of becoming rich.

Not Investing Right Now
Experts agree that one of the best ways to become rich is to have investments as early as now. The younger you are, the bigger your earnings are because of compound interest. This is called making your money work for you because while you make money by just simply setting aside a portion of your money. If you have no investments yet, start today. You can opt to begin with the IRA or 401(k) for your retirement. From there, you can add more and expound your investments.

Poop and Profit: How Your Waste Can Earn You Thousands of Dollars

If I tell you that you that your poop can make you $13,000 and a hero, would you believe me?

For a long time, people have donated blood, sperm, egg cells, and whole lot of other body fluids and solids for money, or for bragging rights, or for free. Well, your waste is now one of those human by products that you can cash on. While it seems absolutely disgusting and entirely pointless, because, come on, what can you get from the human body’s waste, it is actually a life saver. Human waste, it turns out, is not actually waste, but a goldmine for healthy bacteria which can cure certain diseases.

OpenBiome is a non-profit organization that has been operating since 2013. Their official slogan, “Save your stool, save the world” embodies the research institution’s mission to defeat Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) for good. What is C. difficile and why does it have to be beaten, you ask? Well, C. difficile is a bacteria that causes infections leading to sickness in thousands of people. According to statistics, the bacteria causes an average of 14,000 deaths and 250,000 hospitalization every year. Some effects of the bacteria include fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, blood or pus in stool, severe abdominal pain, and extreme gastrointestinal distress that can render the patient in a seriously weak state.

At first, doctors administered antibiotics which helped but only if the patient is in continuous medication. This means that the patient will never fully recover and will always need antibiotics for the rest of their lives. However, researchers found an alternate solution: a healthy stool. Research showed that by incorporating healthy stool in a patient’s body, c. difficile can be cured for good. If you’re curious, the incorporation of the stool comes in the form of nasal tubes, endoscopy, and oral capsules.

Now you may be thinking, why is there a need for poop donations? Can’t OpenBiome produce their own? The answer is yes and no. Yes because, of course they can produce their own supply and daily at that. However, there is not enough supply of stools to supply the need. That’s why they are accepting donations and even paying people to poop for them. Apparently, healthy stools are hard to come by. That’s why OpenBiome is willing to pay you to poop healthy at the incredible rate of $40 per sample. It also comes with a bonus of $50 is you can produce daily, consecutively in a week. Which means you have $250 weekly and a total of $13,000 a year. Imagine that. It’s like pooping gold!

Of course, to be granted this opportunity, aspirants must first pass a strict screening process. Your poop must have the potential to save lives. This means, you must not only be healthy, you must be exceptionally healthy. The screening process is quite expensive, costing up to $5000. So with approximately 1000 aspirants over the course of two years, only 4% have passed. Most of them are gym buffs.
So if you want your waste to become gold, be healthy. And maybe you too, can poop money. Be a poop donor today and be rich!

4 Things You Didn’t Know Were Taxable


This statement has turned out to be exceptionally true as you are about to find out. Diego-based tax attorney Sam Brotman says, “”Technically, under Internal Revenue Code Section 62, the IRS can find a way to tax almost every way of receiving money … Even finding $20 on the street would be considered taxable, and the IRS would want their fair share of the money that you receive,”This basically means that any kind of money that arrives to you may be taxable according to him.

Of course most people won’t bother reporting that found $20 bill and the IRS won’t bother coming after them because “the reality of the situation also is that the IRS does not have enough enforcement resources to come after people who forget to declare little items on their return. It would cost them more to come after those people than they would get in tax revenue for the government.”

Despite this, there are still many things that the IRS gets a hold of. Read on and see for yourself.

1) Canceled Debt
Talk about bad news! While you’re struggling financially you’ll find out that achieving something as simple as cancelled debt will already be taxed by the IRS.

According to a Florida-based certified financial planner with Palisades Hudson Financial Group, Anthony Criscuolo, “If you are in financial trouble and are able to negotiate a cancellation of all or a portion of your debt, whether it is a mortgage, credit card or other personal loan (from a friend or family), the amount canceled is considered income to you.”

This means that you’ll have to consult with a tax professional especially if the involved money is significant in the eyes of the law which is approximately any amount exceeding $14,000. Meanwhile, the person who forgave you, if it’s a personal loan, would have to file a gift tax return.

2) Lawsuit Winnings
Let’s say you unfortunately had to go to court for suing someone. You could have settled and won the case giving you lawsuit winnings. This money will be taxed by the IRS. So you won but still you’d have to pay the state.

Tax accountant, Michael Eckstein, who is based in Huntington, New York says, “Unbeknownst to most, legal settlements and awards can be taxable. Their taxability is usually complicated and often depends on the details of a particular case. To oversimplify things, the taxability of compensatory damages depends on what loss the award was meant to make whole, whereas punitive damages are generally taxable.”

3) Gambling Prizes
Winning the lottery, as in the Powerball, is subject to taxes as most of us know. However, all other betting games are taxed as well, even the smallest ones.

Chicago tax attorney with Arnstein & Lehr, Bob McKenzie, says, “”Any gambling wins, including lottery and fantasy sports, are income [however there is a silver lining because] You can deduct your gambling losses against winnings.”

4) Work Rewards
Most of the time having the title of “Employee of the Month” or “Sales Agent of the Year” or “Best Worker of the Decade” entails monetary compensation other than the bragging rights. But you didn’t know is that seemingly virtuous awarding ceremony is also subject to taxes.

Tax and benefits attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in the District of Columbia, Robin Solomon asserts, “”Rewarded for doing good work? Cash awards or bonuses from your employer are taxable. So are vacation trips for meeting sales goals.” But don’t lose hope yet, Solomon also declares, “”An exception applies for non-cash employee achievement awards – such as a gold watch or iPod shuffle – presented for your length of service or safety achievement. These are generally not taxable if valued below $400.”