sandyf

That is not strictly true. A widow is entitled to inherit a percentage of additional state pension. However it is a complicated and discriminatory arrangement but discrimination has no place in the UK governments vocabulary.

People really ought to wake up and take note of what is happening the world before whinging. Over 40 countries have had tourist tax for many years. I have just been on holiday to Morocco, we were about £3.50 a night tourist tax. Both Scotland and Wales are looking to introduce tourist taxes. Be thankful that Thailand is not looking to follow other countries and put it on accommodation based on passport and collected at check in. The 300 baht would pale into insignificance for many of us.

That is very easy to say for those that can get it and repeat my very first sentence. "We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't." Like the guy concerned I wasn't able to get insurance either, and have lived here for 17 years. Faced with the same situation I would just pull the plug, but I don't have a family that is likely to go in a different direction. Hopefully when I get back to Thailand next week situation will be a bit clearer.

He has now been moved to a government hospital. When he first arrived I warned him against the private hospitals but having a few bob in the bank shrugged it off. I think there was a mistaken assumption that he could be flown back to the UK, but that is a non starter in the immediate future.

There are always the clever dicks. I have known the guy over 20 years and salt of the earth, it is the family in the UK that has started the fund, doubt he had anything to do with it. I was asked to help and did what I could. He met and married his Thai wife in the UK nearly 20 years ago, brought up her children and when they were old enough to leave the nest he decided to retire here. Still in his 50s and unable to get insurance he took what steps he could. There is a difference between assets and liqudity and time can be a handicap to the latter. People are entitled to their opinions but should refrain from speculative assumptions.

Exactly. Rainy season = Low season, and always has done. These days there is always someone trying to put another theory forward.

Doesn't democracy require leaders to act like adults. Unlike beauty, democracy is not in the eye of the beholder.

We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't. A good friend of mine has ended up in intensive care up in P'lok and in need of some help. He came here came a few years back thinking he could cope with what came up. His wife persuaded him to put quite a bit of money into growing rice and that is just starting to show returns. Unfortunately he has contracted a blood infection and now in need of open heart surgery. His family has started a go fund me and I just want to put it out there. I am fully aware of what many will think but nothing ventured nothing gained. s As they say, up to you. https://gofund.me/0b2d27a8

Feel free to say the same thing differently.

You are free to make up anything you want, but at the end of the day every foreigner in Thailand has a visa status.

Quite. The overseas application is by a form so diificult to see how should be any difference, but who really knows the ins and outs. Just glad I had no problems.

Before HSBC sold the retail business it was a Thai bank for personal accounts, and still is to a certain extent for business, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. HQ moved to London and renamed as HSBC Holdings when Hong Kong returned to China in 1997.

Quite. A couple of weeks ago there was a headline news article in the UK about a woman that died from rabies having contracted it in Morocco back in Feb. Apparently she was the second to die from the disease in the last 7 years, both having contracted it abroad. Reported that she never sought medical treatment following a scratch from a puppy. With Morocco averaging about 18 cases a year I didn't bother with the vaccine.

Only a certain mentality would think that every country has the same economy of scale. Many western countries use domestic consumers, without their consent, to fund sales in overseas markets.

We can live in hope that you will refrain from starting a post in the same way.