Molson Hart

Thailand has % caps on how much stock foreigners can own. But they've never stolen the equity. I've thought of buying a couple companies, but I can't do it with my US broker account so it's not worth the effort. I understand the incentives in Thailand and would invest here.

Same for where I live (Colombia) (and I have invested here). Overly simplistic thinking that all EMs want to screw foreigners and - sadly - is part of why countries with better governance aren't adequately rewarded.

Templeton did very well investing worldwide. And looking at these valuations I can see why.

Colombia's leading bank was selling for less than 7x earnings at the bottom in 2016. GDP still growing at 2%. No significant bad loans. Continuous dividend hikes back to 2002. If you make it through 2008 healthy, was 2016 really going to blow you up? $CIB

Yet many people I talked to about it wouldn't even look at it due to country risk - despite its economy scoring ahead of much of the EU on economic freedom. And why would the government loot a bank that is tied to the country's elite?

Im just saying there are risks. How much of their deposits are drug money? Maybe the us gets a stick up it’s ass about that and hits them with a fine. FARC is fucked but could it come back...etc etc

That's fair - and actually even more so in that they have significant market share in Panama as well so the Panama Papers/offshore stuff could have been problematic.

I do think a country like Colombia with 50+ years of not defaulting on its debt and decades of center-right neoliberal government has earned a higher credit/trust rating than say Russia though. Still, speaking the local language certainly helps. I don't touch Russia personally.