Recently laid off from your buldge bracket bank because the buyout business has dried up? Well Bangkok may be where you want to be. Beside the obvious benefits--cheap domestic help and bespoke clothing--the land of smiles may be poised for an M&A boom.
Firms here cannot use tax losses on the books of acquired companies to offset profits of the combined entity. But that may be changing thanks to a newly announced government plan to boost investment.
The tax laws now in place discourage deal making because mergers erase value by eliminating carried tax losses. The change couild unleash value now trapped inside firms, making deals much more attractive. Firms with tax losses on the books will suddenly have a valuable asset.
This is probably somehow related to rice or Buddhism but I've probably said enough on that for now.
--John Carney is "on assignment" in Thailand.
Posted by NomadTrader , Apr 25, 2008 3:44PM
Somewhere in that opium den JC inhabits, the rest of the crowd must be doubled over in giggles watching these posts. Bess, get the guy laid so my brain stops thinking about Thailand.
Posted by ep , Apr 25, 2008 3:47PM
Don't worry. He's moved to Cambodia now. Expect a change in subject from rice in Thailand: Rice in Cambodia.
Posted by guest , Apr 25, 2008 3:48PM
That's sick - and only allowable in parts of Arkansas and most of Mississippi.
Posted by man , Apr 25, 2008 4:24PM
be careful of those bangkok prosties; most are trannies
Posted by Lowly Assistant , Apr 25, 2008 5:07PM
I can totally imagine John strutting the streets of Cambodia, blasting Dead Kennedys in his Ipod, getting super psyched as Biafra snarls, "Pol Pot! Pol Pot!"
He's a lawyer, which likely means he was once an idealist.