Bredbury Blue

Never seen in my garden before the last 3 days, and we've lived in this house for +20 years, is a pair of, I assume pied starlings (?). Had the grass cut short and they go around the lawn digging. Very nervy birds so these are the best pictures I could get, hiding in the kitchen.

On your route in Non Bua ... Wat Tham Erawan is a must. Steps up to massive cave. Walk through cave (easy), up steps at back of cave to amazing view. On leaving Udon... Red Lotus Lake Kumphawapi ทะเลบัวแดง กุมภวาปี Get up early to be there by 9am latest. Then continue travel on to Sakon Nakhon. Slight detour off Udon to Sakon Nakhon road, but Wat Phu Tok in Bueng Kan province is well worth it. Don't believe the numpties saying there's nothing in Isaan, simply not true, and as place to visit or live as a farlang, it's definitely improved. +30 years ago visiting the wife's village near Sakon Nakhon was a bit of a chore, but the past 10 years has seen big supermarkets open, coffe shops, more decent places to stay, so now I love going. Enjoy your trip, looks a great route.

Not sure what an FTD account is, but if I understand correctly you have 2 accounts and your wife is co signature to both. How does that work? Always thought that the farlang had to have the B400k or B800k in one's own private account. Can you have a private account with a co signature? Would certainly help, if possible, on one's demise to permit the spouse access to the funds.

Any fruit we don't want we put out for the birds. Papaya, bananas, watermelon, etc. This bird found the source of the unpicked Papaya...the initial hole in the papaya made by one of our garden's resident squirrels. 20250607_094103.mp4 20250607_095526.mp4

The wife says: อะโวคาโด ไม่เอาเละ เอาเเข็งๆ Literal translation = avocados, not want soft, want hard เละ - means soft, used for fruit vegetables Google translates the wife's translation as Avocado, no, not hard ones.

My two are in their early 20s and I still provide their birth certificates IDs and they're in my photos. If one or both was unavailable for any reason and couldn't be in my photos I guess I might have to explain to the IO.

Problem visiting Neil's is parking is rubbish.

Very definitely a matter of personal prefence. I used to have mountain bike and now considering whether a road bike might be better for a bit of touring.

What kind of bike have you got? What's the spec? I ask as I'm thinking of taking up cycling again.

My choice for when I fancy steak, on the outskirts of Bkk, is Chopkeeper Bangna (close to Megabangna) or Chopkeeper Butcher & Tap Pattanakarn Excellent food, not expensive like some of those mentioned, always get a table, just nice restaurants.

People often go on about the Koel being annoying, the noisiest bird, but personally i love their sound - the sound of Southeast Asia for me. I get Koels in my garden, but the noisiest (not in decibels but persistence) for me is the common tailorbird, they never shut up morning till night.

No feedback on the health package, but the wife and I between us have had 3 surgeries in recent years at Bangkok Christian and it's a very decent hospital with excellent doctors.

I very much doubt that text about approving/signing by Employer would be seen by the Labour court as a reason not to accept your resignation so long as you gave your notice to them as stated in the contract; it's more of their administrative reason than a legal requirement. Not a nice situation to be in when your employer is difficult or threatening. If they continue to be difficult, and as you are leaving anyway, the best thing to do is advise them if they continue to be obstructive, you will go to the labour department and file a complaint against them. My experience of the labour department when I filed a complaint is that they are very pro-employee. In my case I went to file my complaint at an office which was on Rama 4 near Hualampong (don't know if its still there). My wife explained in thai my complaint (I possibly showed them my contract). I had to file a statement on a form (the official dictated to my wife in thai what to write and my wife wrote for me). I got my day in court a few months later (success).

Could you post the actual clause in YOUR contract. I'm sure it won't stand up to scrutiny. They have a clause where my notice needs to be approved by them

Bet it was hopping around and not flying.

After seeing the bird above, we drove to the Thai-Cambodian border, and just past Thailand’s narrowest point, where there's a mountain range/jungle one side of the road and the coast on the other, had a pair of toucans fly right in front of the car. Made my day! In my 4th decade here, been to many national parks, and NEVER seen toucans before. The wife (thai) had also never seen before.

Poor picture i know, but is it Indochinese roller or Indian roller. Beautiful blue under it's wings in flight. Banchuen beach, Trat.

Never obtained reentry permit at Swampy. Can you remind where exactly is the airport desk(s)?

Had the same problem in 2006. Foreign company I worked for terminated me on the spot (took them to the labour court and won compensation). I therefore had to quickly transition from their WP/Non-O to a Non-O (support thai wife). As it was complicated I used a law firm (friend's firm). Worked well, so if you can afford it employ the services of a lawyer. Costs, but takes the stress out of it and will be done properly.

Question for anyone: Can he only apply for re-entry at CW or at the airport, or can he apply at any Imm office (like Samut Prakarn, which is quieter that CW)?

See my response to Britmantoo.

I received a letter from the pensions lot telling me exactly how much to pay for each year with a gap. The years were from 2008 to 2023. Each year paid counts as one of your 35 years. It wasn't alot to pay so I paid it. It was very easy, the only problem is, with the 05 April 2025 deadline, the NIC/Pensions offices are swamped and can't cope.

Another storm in a teacup. I must have been here too long as I'm always referring to other whities as farlang.

Interesting development. Until recently my NIC page on the HRMC website, showed (i) i had 16 years of gaps, showed (ii) my "Current estimate based on NI record up to 5 April 2024" and (ii) "Forecast if your contribute NI until 5 April 2025" pension amounts i would receive were £30.10 and £23.87 respectively less than the the full new State Pension amount for 2024. The backdated payment for those 16 years of gaps i made in January 2025 (for the cheaper Class 2 contributions) still hasn't been credited to my account according to the website, but, the website today now shows: (i) that 4 of those 16 years that were gaps are now full years, (ii) my "Current estimate based on NI record up to 5 April 2024" is now only £5.11 less than the the full new State Pension amount, and, (iii) my "Forecast if your contribute another year before 5 April 2025" is now showing the full new State Pension amount - very confusing! It could be that the payment i made for 16 years Class 2 has been credited to the 4 years at Class 3, but that does work as the amount i paid would be insufficient to pay 4 years at Class 3. Looks like i'll have to do another call to Future Pension Centre (+44 191 218 3600).

I did. I received a State Pension statement letter from PT Operations North East England, BXG 1AN, UK in Sept 2024 which itemised the 'Class 2 NICs shortfall rates' i should pay for the 16 years of gaps. I paid that amount in January. When i phoned +44 191 218 3600 and spoke to a lady in Glasgow in February, i gave her the letter reference, explained the total amount for the exact 16 year period.