mommysboy

Actually, it started a long time before that with under-investment in key infrastucture, training, etc, which worsened under the previous government. That is the main reason. Add to that placing the financial burden of Covid 19 on the individual and failure to stimulate the economy, and that mostly explains the situation today. Thailand is a less attractive place to produce goods, export them, or indeed sell within Thailand. We must place all this within the context of a global downturn of course.

Well think of it as a huge ship: if you switch off the engines it actually won't slow down for a while. Only some time later does it reach standstill.

The repercussions of poor economic management are felt years and decades later. Thailand is experiencing the effects of low investment over the past decade, and will continue to do so for a long time yet. Armies don't grow economies.

Pensioners (66 and over at the current time) get free health care as a matter of policy if not actual law.

Really hot again in Surat Thani, however.

The most recent test case happened a few years ago. I believe the explanation was that the Government wasn't obliged to do it, that it would cost way too much at a time of austerity. and that it was money not spent within the UK so was not contributing to the nation's GDP. The Government didn't want to do it, most UK residents didn't want it - to the contrary there were millions of blood thirsty sorts who didn't want to give the pension at all to expats. Moreover the Court ruled that the Government was acting within the law, in that only the stated amount at time of retirement was legally mandatory. I suggest that if further petitions are made then they be done in a less confrontational manner, without self righteousness, and be more realistic in their demands. Personally, I'm convinced that the last claim failed because of the demand for backdated payments. Had the petitioners simply asked for an uprated pension then I feel it would have happened. Beware of belligerent old war horses- why do us oldsters always believe we are in the right? Boomers even more so. 🙂

That is correct.

Have just one, presumably!

The temperature has gone back up in Surat Thani (37-39) so the chickens won't like that either.

But they always blow it with a schoolboy error. Makes me wonder if they just aren't one of those single issue parties that doesn't know how to truly win.

Yes, I will probably do just that. It's very difficult to get correct information regarding uprating, etc, but deferment it seems to me is not the same as the annual increase. I am destined it seems to carry on working well into retirement anyway, but it will be nice to see an extra 11k or so coming in for however long it lasts. Logically, the pension will have to be reduced at some point for the boomer generation- my guess would be 25%, or national insurance increased significantly- possibly some combination of both. I expect the burden of old age to shift from the state to the family once again.

I may do Eddie - it's an option. The pension would start 5.8% higher for one year, and so on. It really depends on my financial circumstances and overall health. The temptation is to just draw asap though, and that could be the best option. Depressingly the average person only has 7 or 8 good years of health after retirement, so I don't want to waste time working.

I was never contracted out. No, there was no specific message that said I needed to make any more contributions. What I got was a pension forecast in big bold numbers, and by clicking I was able to access a long list of yearly records. From my own memory, I remember pension forecasts are calculated on what you will get based on current contributions applied to the latest yearly rate. Actually, it seems I have 36 'full years'. I will call HMRC Pensions to clarify the situation but it looks like everything is exactly as it should be, and there is no hurry. It makes sense to be absolutely sure, but I have 4 years before I start drawing. Depending on continued good health, I may actually defer 2 or 3 years.

They have been a boon for me and millions of others hardened smokers. I am healthier, fitter, and stronger and have been for years now. My lungs feel are clear as a bell. I dare say some of the reported bad news stories about youngsters are true. Kids will admit to vaping, but that's only half the story imo.

I don't think they were spendthrift last time, if anything the last dozen years or so have been awful. TBH, I worry more about a European war, that would be a real downer all round.