prodriver

Kwasaki, on 2012-05-15 14:13:30, said:

When I applied for my UK State Pension last year, I noticed that there were two claim forms available but the claim form "IPC BR1" for Brits living abroad required you, amongst other things, to send your birth certificate with your application. It also asked you to tell them about anytime you spent in the UK and required you to give them a full work history including dates. Having worked for many employers in the UK from the time I left school at 16, I had great difficulty in fulfilling that request datewise. But I noticed that the 'other' form "BR1" did not require you to send in your birth certificate nor did it require you to give a work history so that was the form I sent in to the International Pensions people in Newcastle. The form was accepted and the claim went through successfully.

In other words the "BR1" form seemed to be more appropriate for someone who had spent the majority of their working life in the UK and the "IPCBR1" form for those that had spent little time in the UK.
Maybe worth noting?

Dear 'fredob43'  Shortly after Hell Fire Pass Museum was opened back in 1998 I do remember reading on one of the information panels a reference to Thais dying during the construction of the railway....an inaccuracy that I pointed out at the time but with the panels already completed, I can understand why nothing was done about it.

You may be interested to know that there was an agreement between the Japanese and the Thais for the Thais to construct the rail bed from Nong Pladuck to Kanchanaburi and a truck road from Kanchanaburi towards the Three Pagodas but due to the 'procrastination' of the Thais the Japanese decided to take over the whole construction project. So technically Thais did work on a section of the railway, albeit briefly but it was an easy section compared to what lay ahead up country. If any Thais died whilst on that easy section they were more likely to have overdone it on the som tam and rice whisky

I must admit though that in the 17 years of living in Kanchanaburi I'm still learning new facts about the railway all the time. For instance, I've only just learnt that the Asian workers were not brought into Thailand until the "speedo" started in March 1943 (I had been under the impression that they were brought in from the very start of construction). I'll also let you into a little secret here. You may recall seeing the rail car supposedly used for taking away the spoil down at the cutting on the light gauge railway. Rod found that wagon up at the Burmese border at an old mine. We brought it down to Hell Fire in two pieces on the back of his pick-up truck. Although it's not from the actual site, Rod reckoned that it was similar to the sort of wagon that was used at the pass and gave visitors a good idea of how it was at the time. (I wonder if Bill, the current manager at Hell Fire knows that? ) Anyway, a secret no longer!!

fredob43, on 2012-04-25 11:14:33, said:

I'm afraid you are wrong but don't take my word for it although I did double check the accuracy of my statements before posting. I suggest you contact Mr Rod Beattie who is one of the most knowledgeable people regarding the railway if you want the truth confirmed. I posted his email address in post 2.

FYI Rod Beattie is the curator of the two war cemeteries in Kanchanaburi and the founder of the Thailand - Burma Railway Centre.

imaderbyfan, on 2012-03-11 18:27:03, said:

Strange, I also use the Kanchanaburi office to do my yearly extensions. I haven't been asked to provide a medical certificate for many years.

I will agree with you 'IMA_FARANG', much of what the guys on here are posting is simply wrong....including yourself, I'm afraid.

I was surprised to read what you said about the local 'volunteers' not being able to grow food. I had to check first with THE expert (Rod Beattie)  before I wrote this reply but I wasn't surprised to learn that there was no way the Japanese could interfere with the domestic situation in Thailand and prevent them from growing food. I don't know where you got that info from.

Regarding Thais working on the railway, there was an agreement between the Thais and the Japanese for the Thais to construct the rail bed from Nong Pladuk to Kanchanaburi and a truck road from Kanchanaburi towards the Three Pagodas but due to the Thai's procrastination the Japanese took over the whole construction project.

By the way, during the construction of the two bridges and the adjacent section of railway nine POWs died. There were 1,500 British and 1,000 Dutch POWs plus Japanese engineers involved in the bridge construction. However, in May 1943 the Tha Makham Camp became a large hospital camp for men being shipped back down the line and many more died at that time.


Hope this helps towards putting the record straight.