I'm finding the Thalan almost unplayable because of money. Even with a slow-mo planet rush and as luck would have it two 20+ planets to start I haven't been able to keep it up. I've saved the game on first turn and will keep playing it until I figure out the trick. Assuming that there is one. I hope so, Thalan have always been by favorite race.

Tricks for the Thalans, early game.

1) Don't drop that 16 research/16 industry/ 8 food building on your homeworld. That will boost the max population to 24 billion, and make morale impossible to manage on your homeworld.

2) Get your embassy (it comes pretty quickly) and don't put any further buildings up.

3) Look for a +300% research tile, and then drop that 16 res/16 ind/ 8 food building on it. If you can't find one quickly, a 100% research tile will do. Putting it on an industry bonus tile is a mistake, because your research speed directly governs when you can get a handle on your economy, and the more you build early on, the more is drained from a weak starting economy.

4) Don't build colony ships continuously. Keep an eye on your income in the domestic tab. When you have enough population that you are bringing in about 30bc a month, build a new colony ship.

5) Other than 3, don't build anything but a starport and an embassy on new worlds, unless you need morale. Keep your taxes as high as you can balance with the 25% morale building (which should be your next target after the embassy.)

6) After you get the morale building, aim for the econ buildings.

7) Hold off on researching your own labs/factories. Trade with your neighbors for theirs. When you do start to research your own, get them all in 1 rush, and don't actually build any of the lower ones. (well, 2 rushes is ok, if you want to gain the labs, then the factories later, or vice versa...just don't go building the L1 or L2 versions or the upkeep with eat you alive)