“Speculation” sounds simple but is never easy. Recently, a debate arose on social media after someone shared about a major life investment of over 850,000 baht by speculating on more than 300 concert tickets, each costing over 2,600 baht. He said he initially expected to profit 50 to 100 baht per ticket, believing the tickets would be scarce in the market and that not buying now might mean missing out on expected gains.
However, on the event day, concert tickets flooded the market, forcing him to sell at a loss—from 2,600 baht per ticket down to 200 baht—and still struggled to sell them all. Worse, the investment money came from pawning gold and personal belongings. Many have seen similar cases or trends where chasing opportunities is natural, but how can we manage or plan so that major investments do not disrupt our lives?
Losses from concert ticket speculation serve as a case study worth noting because it began with last year’s information that tickets were scarce or supply was less than demand. Seeing the opportunity, the investor rushed to buy tickets early to hold onto them.
This is the key factor triggering FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)—the anxiety of missing a chance to make significant profit.
Similar lessons have repeatedly occurred, such as extreme volatility in cryptocurrencies, meme coins, and small-cap stock price manipulation. Most often, these arise from rumors suggesting a coin or stock will surge, prompting rushed buying without thorough research, which risks losses.
Losses from concert tickets, cryptocurrencies, or stocks sometimes result from supply far exceeding demand, causing steep price drops, turning once-valuable assets into liabilities.
In this case, pawning gold and mortgaging a personal car to raise funds for a large investment could jeopardize one’s life if the investment fails.
Every opportunity comes with risk. Therefore, before investing, one must deeply study whether the expenditure is worthwhile and what profits can be gained. More importantly, financial and life planning before investing can help avoid undue hardship.
1. Your own money: Plan before spending
Emergency fund first: Start building an "Emergency Fund" sufficient for 6–12 months of expenses, reserved for unforeseen or essential needs such as illness or accidents. This fund should never be invested in high-risk ventures and must be easily accessible, for example, kept in a savings account.
Invest with "cold money": Use funds you are confident losing will not affect your livelihood to invest in high-risk assets. Mortgaging your home or car to finance risky investments jeopardizes your basic living foundation.
2. Diversify risks with multiple options
When investing a large amount, consider whether your “life portfolio” or your available money is diversified enough. For example, wanting to invest 800,000 baht in high-risk assets while having 5 million baht but borrowing to invest could trigger financial and personal disaster.
Initially, if you want to invest in high-risk assets, allocate about 5–20% of your cold money to limit potential losses during crises. If fully prepared for maximum risk, invest as much cold money as you can handle.
3. Consider the "loss" scenario first
When investing a large sum, carefully determine your cut-loss point (Stop Loss) and plan exit strategies beforehand. This is especially important for stocks or perishable assets, where you should decide in advance when to reduce prices or run promotions before values drop further.
This lesson serves as a reminder that "investment cannot rely on hope alone." Comprehensive financial planning is essential to handle any situation, so you can restart, stand firm, and live the life you want regardless of outcome.
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