121Advice

Jamesons Irish Bar is showing the fight live from 9AM Sunday morning onwards. Not sure when the 'main event' starts, but I suspect around 11AM.

Hope this helps those near Pattaya Klang.

Andrew

I agree entirely wordchild and earlier on this subject I said very much the same thing concerning commission orientated advisers. There is much flawed advice available around offshore/onshore bonds and 99% of clients do not need the extra 'bolt-ons' provided by Portfolio Bonds. These are only there to 'sweeten' what is fundamentally a VERY expensive way to invest with in most cases unjustifiably high commissions. FACT!

Direct investment via the manager's unit trust, SICAV or UCITS instrument will always be cheaper - without an additional 'layer' of charges from a Life Office Portfolio Bond provider. If an investor can't access certain funds unless they use a 'middleman' you have to wonder why on earth they are selecting that type of fund when there are very good, consistent funds available to the masses? You really don't need to over cook any portfolio with 'elitist' funds - many are volatile and in my experience even the wealthiest of investors just want a steady, better than average portfolio and still be able to sleep at night!!

Ten years ago everyone was being flogged Investment Bonds in the UK, just like endowment policies - now not so. They are a dying breed and investors have woken up to better ways to invest - it is about time the offshore community did the same. This is a simple fact of 'best advice' and anyone with some time should simply do some research on the internet and READ the many excellent articles published about this very subject. They will see for themselves that what i have said is the majority opinion and it is irrelevant what my personal opinion is on different funds/risk etc - this is about the fundamental rights & wrongs of cost effective investment for UK and Expat investors.

Well, as they say.. "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid!)

And 2009 and 2010 was a good year for most of your investors too I hope!

I still see little real value in a portfolio bond over a traditional portfolio of funds (such as Unit Trusts) as 'like for like' the lower charges of unit trusts will always win. I do agree with your point about Portfolio Bonds facilitating access to a whole heap of funds not readily accessible to the 'average' investor - this is true. But in my experience most investors (including HNW ones) quite like keeping things simple and it's the adviser(s) who tend to get over excited about the weird & wonderful funds that are out there?

As we have seen repeatedly, the GOOD fund managers tend to have considerable longevity of tenure and a pedigree to match. There are only a handful of them around - most fund managers are overpaid prima donnas!

Portfolio Bonds can provided benefits relating to Inheritance Tax via trusts etc etc. But if you are talking about REAL High Net Worth clients - they can afford to invest in their OWN bespoke unit trust at a considerable saving over one 'off the shelf'..

A delicate balancing act for sure - but one would have to agree that Portfolio Bonds tend to be favoured more by the adviser than any knowledgeable investor - they tend NOT to choose this 'wrapper'.. I wonder why?

RabC is correct!

I have posted on several similar Thai Visa forums about this. If you can supply a long tern rental agreement or property deeds, or even confirmation from a hotel/accommodation provider on headed paper stating your duration of "confirmed" stay - you will be issued/reissued with a non-"o" visa via Hull or Cardiff with no problems whatsover.

Please everyone - "DONT PANIC! Mr Mannering!!"

Yes - excellent point to remember! The visa 'expiry date' (in your example 11 Jan 2012) is the date it expires, so it is not valid on that date for travel/entry - you need to arrive before midnight 00.00 on 10 January 2012..

The multi "O" visa is £100 + £8 express/special delivery, unless you personally travel to Hull/Cardiff to save £8??. It is only (as far as I am aware (legally)) available in the UK, not for applications from abroad (I know some people circumvent this, but I am not even going to bother going down that route...)

You need proof of residency (lease agreement, ownership doc or long stay letter from your accommodation provider) and sign a simple declaration that you are able to sustain yourself by your own means (no proof (currently) required).

The process is relatively straightforward and as per the previous post - In order for a quiet, stress-free life I always leave a couple of days grace prior to any visa expiring simply because of unexpected travel delays (erupting volcanoes and what not).

It might also be worth pointing out that with a multi "O" visa you can get your 90 days via a 'boarder run' (land) and will not be penalised by leaving by land rather than air (unlike tourist and other type visa's). A little point, but worth noting I thought? Enjoy

I have already posted on Thai Visa (different feed) but thought I would reiterate that I have just gone through the process of renewing my Multi "O" visa via Hull and my condo rental agreement was fine - It can be an informal rental agreement (does not need to be via a lawyer etc) but you DO need something that stipulates your name and address. A letter from a hotel is also OK, as long as it is on headed paper and stipulates you are a long stay resident of the hotel.

Previous comments are also correct in that you can arrive on the last day of a multi "O" and get 90 days, so yes - it effectively is valid for 15 Months - as long as it is in date when you arrive, it does not matter if it will expire whilst you are here. It is all about getting the 90 day 'entry stamp', upon arrival.

Hope this comforts anyone a little worried...

I totally agree with the consensus that if you can service your 'ferrang debt' at 5%pa or less, then there is scope for you to invest regularly with a little more risk. Although you 'think' that the worst is over - no one has a crystal ball and something that has NOT been mentioned is the effect of 'pound cost averaging'. As a regular (say monthly) investor it is actually BENEFICIAL to you if the markets fall, as you will be buying more 'bang for your buck'. Over the longer term (you give yourself 3-5 years) the smoothing effect of investing monthly will mitigate most of the ups/downs. Not the case if you invest a lump sum and hold your breath (and start praying!).

If your debt is costing you more than 5%pa (unlikely in most eurozone countries for the foreseeable future) then PAY IT OFF. Pedigree equity income funds with moderate risk are likely to yield no more than 5%pa growing income yield, so the risk/reward premium is just not worth it unless you are an aggressive investor.

Assuming you continue to service your 'ferrang debt' at less or equal to no more than 5%pa then you can invest quite successfully on a regular monthly basis and if markets fall BE HAPPY as your monthly investment commitment will be accumulating more units in the down times, ready for when markets improve etc etc..

I also agree with the last post that you should avoid offshore investment bonds (insurance bonds) like the plague. Costly, immobile and usually with punitive early surrender penalties in the first five years. Stick with a basket of Unit Trusts, SICAVS, Mutual Funds [or equivalent] if they qualify for the tax rebate, or Thai blue chip stocks in cash rich sectors such as telecoms, utilities & energy - usually more stable longer term etc..

Hope some of the above helps. Good luck. Andrew

In response to a message from "Jobsworth" - Yes you do now need something from your accommodation provider stipulating where you are staying and for how long. I have a 1 year condo lease agreement which I scan/copy and include with my O visa application. For anyone without such an agreement you DO need to get something from the owner/landlord where you are staying.

If you are effectively sub-lettiing from a friend and/or staying in his/her house, then a letter from them confirming you are staying there (signed by them) together with a copy of THIER lease agreement/ownership document is OK. One of my friends has just done this. He is staying with his friend and the house is being rented in the name of his friends girlfriend... As she is the one named on the lease, she provided a letter to say he was staying there, together with a copy of the lease agreement with her name on it - the two together were accepted by Hull 28.12.2010 under the new regime.

Hull require some kind of 'proof' that you have your accommodation in Thailand sorted for your stay. You do NOT need to be the official lessor or owner of said property. For hotel/guesthouse stays, anything on their headed paper confirming that you stay there is sufficient.

Everyone needs something to stipulate their proposed address whilst residing in Thailand. Hull still seem relatively relaxed about what you provide but do now insist on you providing something! I would suggest everyone arranges some type of letter/agreement (even if merely an informal written agreement from a Thai lessor/owner) and this shows Hull you have your accommodation sorted. Providing something will expedite your application and show Hull you are aware of the new rule - They're pretty cool and will not cause problems if they can avoid them.

I still think that if you have had an O visa (multi entry) in the past without problem they simply 'rubber stamp' your new one and turn everything around for you very quickly...

Andrew

It is true that 'A for ambiguity' should be at the start of the Thai alphabet for sure, but you do NOT need proof of a work permit to open a trading account in Thailand - FACT!

If someone in Thailand really doesn't like you then you can be arrested for practically anything (mentioning Burger King being disrespectful to the King?) and painting your house COULD be deemed working (property development) no matter how innocently you might be going about your general maintenance etc..

I can only repeat what I know, and that is trading on a personal account is NOT classified as working. You would only fall foul of the authorities if your gains were receipted in Thailand and not declared for taxation purposes. Outside of the Kingdom (offshore account(s)) the Thai authorities have NO legal jurisdiction whatsoever - no 'actual' trading is occurring on their soil as all transactions are via an offshore company - nothing to do with Thailand.

If however, you have a tendency to open your big mouth and tell others about how you are doing, then this could be deemed as 'providing advice' without a licence to do so - so common sense prevails as always.

All offshore trading accounts are digitally encrypted (99% anyway) so without an international warrant the offshore company is under no obligation to disclose your information unless fraud or money laundering is suspected. Highly unlikely for the majority of us etc...

Trading from you own home, for your own benefit, with no advice to others and via an offshore institution is perfectly legal in Thailand and without any work permit obligations. You are only responsible to declare profits to your country of domicile (birth/naturalisation) if THAT country requires you to do so (personal taxation rules relative to your country of domicile and variable from country to country).

Trade? yes. Pick up a paint brush? Hey, if you're any good at trading you can afford to get someone in right?

Andrew.

Day trading and/or profiteering from investments falls under personal taxation and is dependent on your residency status in your country of origin. For a UK individual deemed 'non ordinarily resident' (i.e not in the UK for more than 90 days in the fiscal year) then all gains from UK/overseas are free of capital gains tax. You are only liable for income earned/generated in the UK (irrespective of residency) Income and capital gains are taxed differently.

If you live predominantly in Thailand then 'technically' there is an obligation to declare investment gains and pay local taxation, but only if the gains are receipted into Thailand NOT if the gains are purely made via an offshore company/broker and/or offshore account. (double taxation treaties exist).

Trading does not constitute working as it is a purely personal exercise where only you stand to gain/loose.

In relation to the guy writing a monthly article, this is absolutely 100% 'working' but many do so under a 'ghost name' or without personal recognition. Whenever/wherever your [actual] name is printed then your are effectively advertising yourself and would need a permit to do so - unless of course you write the articles from abroad in advance and they are submitted whilst you are outside of the Kingdom!!

Most investors are likely to use an offshore broker not only because of the lack of good Thai institutions, but simply because they do not wish to have gains diluted by tax - it defeats the object to trade regularly only to loose some of the gain(s) via tax. This is why offshore investing in favourable territories like the Isle of Man and Luxembourg continue to be popular. You can still access the Thai market (if you so wish) but your holdings are outside Thai jurisdiction etc etc...

Offshore investing makes sense. If you were ever to fall foul of the authorities in your country of choice (Thailand, Philippines etc) and for whatever reason got deported or needed to leave the country in a hurry (medical emergency for example) then removing funds from Asia is basically an administrative nightmare. Much better to hold the majority of your funds offshore where they can be accessed globally without too much difficulty... Worth remembering!

Hope the above is of some help..

Andrew.

DON'T Panic everyone!!

I have recently renewed my non-immigrant "O" visa via Hull and they did accept my condo rental agreement - no problem whatsoever.

I also include a copy of my Thai Bank statement to prove I have funds to sustain myself (not a substantial amount!!)

I do not have any relations in Thailand, only friends. As long as you can provide a copy of your rental agreement there is NO problem whatsoever.

For those staying in hotel [type] accommodation, a letter from the hotel confirming your longer length of stay is also sufficient.

There is only a problem if you wish to stay in Thailand longer term but travel from accommodation to accommodation, but for expats/long stay tourists this is not generally how you live (far to expensive:)

Hope this helps,

Andrew

THANK YOU and THANK YOU AGAIN Heebee!!

Isn't it funny how relatively unqualified advisers seem to think they can paint (or should that be 'taint') a picture which purposefully directs people to 'their' way of thinking - How convenient!

Barstool talk is just that and your comments are refreshing.

I too am ACII, HCITB and advanced AFPC, together with 'fellow' status of CII. In a world of misrepresentation I thank you for your concise replies to the comments raised earlier.

It is all about managing risk and expectations, NOT glorifying or touting a biased opinion!!

Well done Heebee.

I fully concur, Portfolio Bonds are generally NOT the correct route to go as they are expensive and pay high commission's - maybe there's a link??

A straightforward portfolio of Unit Trusts in my humble opinion CANNOT be be bettered. Offshore Life Assurance bonds can provide some benefits vis-a-vis FX transfers at wholesale rates, but in the main they are to be avoided for sure.

Funny how many "advisers" promote the Portfolio Bond route over a traditional portfolio of funds - Hmmmmm... "£'s" spring to mind!

QROPS are highly miss sold internationally and CAUTION should be exercised. They have their place but HMRC (UK) are looking very closely at retrospective legislation as we speak due to several complaints about mis-selling. QROPS in highly regulated environments such as the UK, Singapore & Hong Kong are NOT so widely promoted as they are in Thailand. As a IFA of some 20 years experience advising UK Expats I would advise extreme caution.

Myself and my company provide advice in conjunction with full FSA authorisation, compliance and due diligence, we also form part of the largest firm of IFA's in the UK and holder of the Life & Pensions "Large IFA of the Year Award". Not to blow my own trumpet, but simply to highlight that I have commented in the FT, Money Management and Investors Chronicle back home on such subjects and one needs to recognise another mis-selling scandal when you see one!

Just because your 'best mate' has one and thinks you should too does not mean QROPS is right for you also. One of the other forum members has CORRECTLY stated that after residing abroad for in excess of 10 years it is actually quite straightforward to have your UK Pension paid to you Gross by completing a simple HMRC request. HOWEVER, having your pension paid Gross is one thing, being able to bequeath your pension 'pot' to your next of kin upon your demise is another. QROPS does facilitate this, but this facility alone does not make QROPS the answer to everything. Longevity, the size of your pension fund, health and internal benefits of the originating scheme need to be fully critiqued prior to any decision being made.

I know most of this is simple common sense - but sometimes investors leave their wits at the airport!! My website has a full QROPS guide you might wish to read, but in any event speak to a well established IFA with Passporting authorities to provide advice overseas (such as ours) either based in Thailand or back in the UK.

One final important point is that QROPS like any 'versatile' investment needs to be INVESTED and needs to be MANAGED once you have one. Who exactly are you going to get to manage your fund(s) appropriately? Most advisers have little investment expertise and simply opt for last years winners - (this years looser's). I won't bother going into fund switching and dealing charges of the QROPS or other such considerations but needless to say these are all areas that need to be addressed.

You won't hear any criticism from me - I totally agree!

I have advised clients for several years and quite simply the Thai property market is VERY inflated and when coupled with a strong Baht investment returns just don't add up. Thai's have access to cheap money and the more wealthy are the only ones buying property as second homes. Sure, if you want a place to do with exactly as you please then buying is your only real option, but too many let emotions creep in and then have several years of regret afterwards.

Build quality of all but the most exacting modern Thai developments is relatively poor by international standards and therefore after the initial euphoria has wained and (possibly) a small 'paper profit' gained, values do not maintain the plateau and secondhand value(s) fall. It is very rare for anyone to sell their property at the price 'they' think its worth.

Any half decent investment portfolio should (in the main) generate a NET income yield of around 8%pa-10%pa after charges (over the mid to long term) meaning that for every 100K GBP of capital you can rent at 8K-10K GDP in Thailand forever and a day - and THAT can rent you quite a nice property. If you were then to subsequently fall seriously ill you have retained your capital and can 'get out of jail' free!

Property developers and Real Estate Agents make money out of property in Thailand - Any purchaser should ONLY buy if it fits their lifestyle purpose and NOT for profit. It is all to easy not to see eye-to-eye with your neighbours especially when you are not in your country of natural domicile - If you rent you can always MOVE!

I am sure this has been asked several times previously, but I wonder if anyone here has fist hand experience of attending a Thai Cooking class and could possibly recommend an establishment in Pattaya that my ferrang wife could attend? She is english speaking and interested in attending such a course a few days a week on a regular basis... Any ideas?

FURTHER ABOUT TW CONDO....

As I have said, I live in TW Condo. 16th floor corner. REALLY noisy due to the 3rd bars. OK I have sooper dooper lightning fast broadband, but I still cant get to sleep at night!!

Thankfully I rent so will move soon. Do your homework. I needed the central location (I thought) but will probably return to Pratumnak but back from the beach which is also noisy at night or up to Nakula....

Great people in TW, can't fault security or cleanliness but it suffers from noise as the courtyard design out front echo's every passing bike, car and even chatter - and I'm 16 floors up!

Don't wish to be too negative - but I wouldn't recommend it [TW] and several places here have been for sale for quite some time....

I hope you haven't bought just yet!!

Forget View Talay 6. I stayed their for a month and it was VERY noisy. I was high up on the 17th floor facing the Mall but the air con extractor fans on the outside of the Mall make living in View Talay like being at the airport!

There were so many suicidal owners that the Mall installed 'snorkels' to the extractors which helped a bit but not much. I stayed there prior to the Hilton construction but even now that's finished several people who stay there (both sides) say that they do not like it at all and I get the impression it is a bit of a ghost town.

I also lived in Pratumnak for a year (until last year) and enjoyed the who 'feel' of the area, but I do agree that I felt a bit away from it all and had to walk quite a way to the Baht Bus when I didn't want to take the bike out. DO NOT buy/live anywhere near Pratumnak Beach as the Thais party their most nights/weekends and it can be alarmingly noisy!! Away from the beach is quite nice but like I have said, a bit away from everything which was great for a while but became an inconvenience.

i now live in TW Condo by Carefour. It is a great condo with good security and nice occupants. It couldn't be more convenient for shopping and/or only a short ride to the main bus depot. But BE WARNED, its central location is noisy and the Thai bars on 3rd road don't help. I would not advise central Pattaya and I will be moving when I can.

Away from the beach in Pratumnak, Jomtien which someone else has already mentioned OR (if you are attracted to the 'village' type vibe) Nakula has some lovely little places tucked away. I would recommend you have a wander around there sometime. Its only 10 minutes on a baht bus but feels like another place altogether? Tesco Pattaya (North) is close by too?

Good luck. Oh, and why buy with the exchange rate as it is? You can rent forever and a day and keep your capital...

I have several Russian & Ukrainian friends (and clients) who (even with the resources available online) have relied upon glossy travel brochures 'back home' when planning their holiday and have actually been quite shocked upon arriving in Pattaya. Seasoned travellers are fully aware of what Pattaya "is" (or has been) but prior to 1990 the eastern block countries found it very difficult to travel internationally due to exit restrictions. There is a 'learning curve' going on with many Russian tourists, many of which have been attracted to Pattaya because the package deals are far cheaper than those available in Phuket and Krabi etc. Islands are ALWAYS more pricey and unless you are a wealthy Expat you will tend to favour somewhere suburban like Pattaya.

Pattaya is what Pattaya is. The demographic of the Pattaya tourist HAS changed as has the wealth of the ASEAN. Emerging Markets HAVE EMERGED and it is wealthy Thai's that are buying second homes in Pattaya NOT Ferrang. Blame the exchange rate, blame the inflated property prices or whatever, but the fact is that Ferrang are become the underdogs and many don't like the fact that they are not the only ones with money anymore!

I have been coming to Pattaya for 20 years and run 3 successful business in Thailand and of course 'progress' comes at a price. Thai's have become 'westernised' greedier and overweight (OK, not all but I never did see a fat Thai 20 years ago?) and I guess Thailand still is the "Land of Smiles" but now - Only if you've got money!

My wife is from the Philippines and whenever I visit there although as a lazy Englishman I like the fact everything is written in English, I am ALWAYS grateful to return to Pattaya as in the main the overall cost of living and facilities/infrastructure is difficult to beat. I am not wealthy, enjoy my creature comforts and baht for baht Pattaya still scores highly as an affordable place to have as a base.

My only regret is that there is a notable aggression appearing in more and more people in Pattaya. Maybe it is just me getting a little older and a little more paranoid, but perhaps some western 'attitude' is creeping in where once the Thai's simply laughed everything off?

As a financial specialist I would say that from a professional standpoint Pattaya (and Thailand in general) has not for some time afforded particularly good value for money property wise and I fully concur with those who simply opt to rent. After all, if the neighbour from hel_l moves in next door or your view is suddenly obscured (aka View Talay 7 type building permissions!!) YOU CAN UP STICKS AND MOVE! OK, I have wandered off the point in question. Pattaya has always been a bit down market hasn't it? Not the Malls or Hiltons - just the whole foundation of what it was built on. History is what it is - I have no issue with Pattaya or its past but I do feel sorry for those who have saved all year for a dream holiday and come here expecting it to be Monte Carlo.

It is pleasing to read that the majority of forum members are aware of the importance of seeking advice from a UK FSA authorised IFA where there are greater compliance and reporting requirements and, to a certain degree a greater level of investor protection via the Financial Ombudsman if things go wrong.

Although I am an IFA (yes and proud of it I might add) I have always been shocked at the standard of advice provided in Thailand by so-called 'advisers' and the amount of complete garbage spoken in and around the bars.

I have 20 years IFA experience (at MD level) and form part of the largest IFA group in the UK. I am regularly quoted in the FT, Investors Chronicle and Money Management and have won Life & Pensions "Large IFA of the Year 2010" so we must be doing something right? I am based in Chonburi for 9 months of the year and have several UK Expat clients here in Thailand as well as UK & Thai based companies and manage the money for some UK registered charities too.

There IS access to qualified, IFA registered and authorised advice for those based in Thailand and I would like to think that dealing with a large UK PLC provides a certain degree of peace of mind? It is unusual for such an operation to be available to Thai based UK Expats, but after a few of my UK clients retired to Thailand and I came to visit them for reviews (15 years ago) I gradually started to understand the gravity of the situation when I saw first hand what advice was being provided - and shocked! Under FSA passporting rules, suitably qualified and authorised IFA's can gain permissions to advise internationally, subject to local constraints of course.

I do not need any additional clients and do not wish to actively promote what I do as I am semi-retired, but my biggest frustration has always been the quality of advice available to the increasing number of retirees and expats who face a dilemma on how best to invest their money to maintain a comfortable retirement when faced with increasing longevity and an unregulated offshore financial services environment.

The best advice I can give ANYONE is to sort out their finances/investments BEFORE they move abroad and ENSURE that they deal with an IFA [uK} who can subsequently service/visit them abroad on an ONGOING basis. Most IFA's cannot do this - so that should make the shortlist of who you deal with, well, very short! Just like buying a car. Purchasing it is one thing, maintaining it is another - and you wouldn't entrust your pride and joy with an unqualified Thai mechanic who's a distant relation of your wife's third cousin would you?

As a fully authorised IFA and regulated (FSA) based in Bangkok I totally agree with the caution expressed concerning offshore regulated financial advisers, as the level of qualification/entry requirements, solvency margins and standard of advice given can be HIGHLY dubious. QROPS can be a solution for a UK Expat, more importantly because of the fact that the pension 'pot' can be passed-on to the next generation upon your demise. However most individuals are seduced by the higher levels of cash that can be extracted and many end up eroding capital too quickly - something we didn't see before with conventional annuities. Of course with interest/annuity rates in the UK so poor (unless you are about to drop dead tomorrow) investors are wise to consider ALL the options available to them.

It is interesting to note that the majority of the larger and well respected IFA firms based in the highly regulated Singapore environment have ceased advising on QROPS, in the main due to concerns over the potential HMRC backlash which is turning into a ticking time bomb. The last blogger is 'on the money' when he mentions HMRC concerns over QROPS. If it sounds too good to be true......?

An underlying principle of HMRC legislation is the undertaking of the UK taxpayer to "enter into the spirit of the law" and QROPS undermine this [revised pension act] on several points. It would naive to think that some kind of retrospective legislation will not be imposed on ANY UK individual who, after transferring to a QROPS scheme, subsequently takes more that 25% tax free cash [lump sum].

A mute point, but anyone who transfers to QROPS and subsequently gets divorced will pay a dear price for their matrimonial 'freedom' when the courts agree the divorce settlement, as HMRC will step in and levy a 35% tax charge on any amount passed to ex from your pension 'pot'.

I do not wish to sound too negative about QROPS as like I have said, they do have their place. But they are by no means the answer to everything and too many IFA's focus on £'s.

As an IFA with in excess of 20 years experience (10 with HL as Investment Manager) I would suggest using the HL Vantage platform ONLY if you know what you are doing!!

IFA's can 'add value' when it comes to investment performance, but as the previous blogger states correctly, most do not have the expertise to do so.

The 55K portfolio size also limits the amount of activity as one must always consider the dealing charges involved when actively trading a portfolio. I would suggest looking at a straightforward mix of UK Equity Income and UK Bond funds to provide an adequate yield, perhaps with a couple of absolute return funds for added spice (depending on your appetite for risk of course). A handful of well picked funds that do not need to be actively traded all the time should do much better than most IFA's messing about from time to time and costing you dear.

An alternative would be to use a fully managed platform, such as the Portfolio Management Service. The UK MD is actually based in Bangkok and the company is the holder of Life & Pensions 'Large IFA of the Year 2010' and regularly quoted in the FT. (Yes - Me!)

Whether you trade yourself or involve a third party - ENSURE they are fully UK FSA authorised and not offshore registered where compliance, solvency and liquidity margins are limited and there is little (if any) investor protection. Even as a UK Expat you can benefit from strict UK investor protection if you make sure you deal with a FULLY authorised and registered individual (not just the firm they may represent).

I do like - Schroder Income Maximiser, M&G Optimum Income and the holy man who can walk on water that is Neil Woodford - Invesco Perpetual Income (always opt for income units with income reinvested if you can rather than accumulation units - I shan't bore you with the reasons why here..