exeter

Well 'exeter' planning may be the key depending on your personal circumstances, I say do what you can but don't sacrifice enjoying yourself while your young and able to do so.

Just an update for those who are applying for UK pension on-line from Thailand.

Telephoned them at International Pension Centre and was told my pension is already approved and a letter has been sent to me.
They still had not received the birth & marriage cert sent by EMS and did say they didn't need my birth cert but need the marriage one.

So a phone call first didn't seem to do any good about what to send.

The personal pension people say they want the birth cert,I'll ring them and ask why.

HardenedSoul, on 2012-05-09 17:39:31, said:

Given the record high price of gold, and its dramatic rise compared other assets, this would seem like a great time to sell.  Perhaps you could off-load some to Radiola.  he seems daft enough.  Or maybe Gravion is looking to invest

SC

Looking ahead. I see:
1) retirement ages keep increasing,
2) the personal allowances for pensioners being increasingly eroded, and
3) the pensions themselves losing value over time relative to earnings

I also think people have to think about and can't ignore what the implications on deferrals might be if the government simplifies the system in the future, with simplified flat rate pensions. For pensioners in Thailand with no increases anyway the impact may be less. But for those that have deferred, I see a good chance of their deferral increases being eroded over time to meet a simple level pension threshold - mechanisms to do so would need only simply to cap a particular threshold, above which no annual increase is given, whereas people taking the flat rate at the start take longer to reach a cap. Bottom line you can't trust what you get now will continue when it comes to the UK government, and don't be surprised if the rules change on your deferral amounts and how they impact your pension

BTW For people mentioning AUD rates at 7%, and having "locked them in" for say 5 years, I hope if living in Thailand you've taken alternative measures to mitigate the currency risk you're taking AUD v THB as well as repricing risk in the rate. The surprise cut in overnight rates by 0.50% by RBA, makes it increasingly likely that 7% will not be available when you fix again, and what the AUD/THB rate will be in a few years time is a bit of a lottery...

Not saying they are starting to wind up for the match in Manchester, but I do miss the British humour! From a local 'City' pub!

With many dogs, just bending down as if to pick up a stone will have them running off.
Give it a try.

exeter, on 2012-04-24 22:26:53, said:

Since so many have talked about England's anthem but nobody uploaded his rendition of it, I give below a link to what I found on the web.

I remember as a child i thought Jerry Lewis was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Rollng on the floor in pain laughing at him.

As an adult I just see a complete imbecile, screeching like a madman........I want to throw petrol bombs at him...

Maybe in 30 years time Thais will be producing their own Python / Black  Adder / Peter Kaye type humour - but I doubt it......

I was very proud to serve in the Royal Navy and it saddens me to see it become a shadow of its former self, but the memories never fade, but as successive governments have eroded our once great armed forces, they have also eroded all our great traditions and turned the country into a shell of it's former self.
Time for Singha, am thinking too much

nong38, on 2012-04-23 20:58:56, said:

Boris Johnson

BigJohnnyBKK, on 2012-04-23 11:07:07, said:

it's essentially the Loony left wing local governments - they are worried that the English flag ( which is also misused by the right wing National front ) will upset
non-English residents and incite nationalism by racists alike.
Political correctness I think they try to call it.

ps by Non-English they are referring to Muslims IMO

I wish all English folk in Thailand, in their home country, and everywhere else in the world a happy St. George's Day.

Without a doubt, the English national day is also being celebrated by the English and by anglophiles in Thailand. Post here where the action is, and upload pictures of the festivities.

WhingeingMoaners, on 2012-04-22 18:24:14, said:

Yourself for one. Well done.

Well Penkprod, it did not take long for you come out and have another dig at me did it. I think people should sign the E petition to see what happens then, probably not a lot for all the recent reasons being trotted out, but lets be sure once and for all, the last time I looked it was at about 63000 so it still has a way to go yet.
I think it is also unfair of you to question a persons patriotism, it clearly means something very different to you than  mikebell.
I am not sure what it is with you perhaps you can tell me, do you hate the UK so much that you came here ( that is the impression you give me with the way you write.) or is that you have sufficiently high pension that you take the stance you do?
I am an Englishman, I will always be an Englishman, I have come here because on balance Thailand offers me a better, more comfortable end to my innings in terms of weather, living costs, food etc. Its my choice, just about everything is a plus here. I do still have the highest regard fo our armed forces and certain British Institutions, but it is not the country I loved in former times, it has changed into a different land, one I was not so happy in.
As you know my position is the opposite to you, you trot out all the same old responses to the same old points, you wont change things either dont you see, its like you saying the epetition is waste of time so you dont sign it and then tell everyone else that things cannot change because of xy and z so  whybother to try.?
You are almost like a government spokesperson! As you promote the Whitehall line for not increasing the annual pension each year by the inflationary amount at any given opportunity.
The one good point I will agree with you about, as I have done before is that without a high profile figurehead nothing is likely change in the near future, so we should all be aware of that.
Incidently the govt are looking into the possibility of moving the age you get the bus pass from 60 to 65, lib dems dont you just love them, they are all the same, look after themselves first ( politicians ) just like here.

Dams are always a topic of controversy all over the world but they can also be beneficial in some occasions, but not usually for locals living in the actual dam area  

nong38, on 2012-04-17 18:27:22, said:

In this Brave New World, of increased-competition and scrambling-for-survival, I wish they'd consider bringing-back 'culling' the herd, starting with MPs & bankers would be a start !  

Any civilised society should be looking-after the elderly, not raising their taxes, perhaps the unemployed might care to volunteer to looke after them ('Care in the Community' is a nice snappy slogan !), in order to justify their own benefits ?  Or perhaps not  ...