6 hours ago, nontabury said:

But, that’s the point. There has been no true negotiations with the E.u by the U.K.government, which is led by a remainer.

 

What leavers refuse to accept is that negotiations were to be held in 2 parts, withdrawal agreement and 'everything else'.

Only the withdrawal agreement is required under Art 50 and from the start that was laid down as financial settlement, citizens rights and Irish border. That must be concluded before 'anything else' can proceed.

From day one TM has tried to circumvent, nothing new there, the EU regulations and having failed is now trying to blame the EU for that failing. Time to wake up to reality.

16 hours ago, nontabury said:

 Come 2016, did we know everything, off course not. However thanks to the benifits of social media, we were far better informed. And that led to the British people Democratically voting to leave this so called union.

 

Maybe you can show us the white paper or agreement that provided the information, or just the hearsay and misconceptions rampant on social media.

Referring to one of the other 2 national referendums held nearly 40 years ago hardly supports any point of view.

You can argue the toss over democracy all day long but at the end of the day in a parliamentary democracy people do not make decisions. That is the responsibility of parliament and in doing so would need to consider all relevant factors, including any doubts over the legitimacy of the referendum result.

When it comes to unions, there is no more "so called union" than the UK.

1 hour ago, melvinmelvin said:

re this OBE guy, it appears that OBEs are handed out without much due diligence - cheap stuff

 

I think that newspaper articles like that have the opposite effect of what the fear monger want to achieve.

Several normal Brits will read this and think

what the boomboom I am sick and tired of shit like this, I want out NOW

 

 

It is irrelevant what you, I or the people think about the author or the content.

The ones that will be sitting up and taking notice are those that may well be held to account.

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

quote "I am not in favour of national referendums in the first place, in the UK they are nothing more than a government sponsored opinion poll, only ever been 3 so all this talk about again and again is garbage."

 

But a second referendum is what many Remainers are asking for. Is this garbage as well?

 

If the Remainers win the second referendum, even though first is not yet completed, does that not give the Leavers the right to demand another referendum? And so on ad finitum.

That is stretching things a bit far. The whole concept of people knew what they were voting for does not hold water, nobody knew what the vote actually meant as there was no white paper published on how the withdrawal would be implemented.

If you agree to buy a house and the surveyor tells you it is sinking and the cost is beyond your means, you revoke your original agreement, happens regularly.

Now there is a detailed agreement on the table and if parliament finds it unacceptable, what should be the next move, keep asking parliament ad finitum?

I will admit that my preference would be that parliament just revoke Art 50 but I accept that in all fairness it ought to go back to the public and in the light of what they now know if the result is the same so be it.

46 minutes ago, skatewash said:

In the world of Bangkok Bank transaction codes BTN [sic] stands for BAHTNET (Bank of Thailand Automated High-value Transfer Network).

 

-- https://www.bot.or.th/English/PaymentSystems/PSServices/bahtnet/Pages/default.aspx

 

I would imagine that Kasikorn's BTN stands for the same thing as in the case of Bangkok Bank's BTN.  This is not particularly good news because it basically means that a domestic (not international) transfer has taken place between one Thai bank and another Thai bank.  This may not be recognized by your bank as an international transfer and it, in fact, seems to be a domestic transfer using the Thai BAHTNET network.

It's not clear from what you say what you are using exactly to transfer the money from the UK to Thailand.  SWIFT?  TransferWise?  If you were using TransferWise then yes opening and using an account at Bangkok Bank would show the correct FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer) transaction code you want (because Bangkok Bank is the bank TW uses in Thailand -- at least at the moment).  However, if you're using SWIFT to make the transfer than that may indicate a specific problem with Kasikorn Bank and you would be best advised to talk with them directly.

When I had my UK state pension paid direct from DWP to my Thai bank account it came via Bahtnet, usually about an hour after it came on line.

6 hours ago, aright said:

 

My original statement on this, taken from the Euro Parliaments own document said

“A Member of the European Parliament, working in one of the parliamentary committees, draws up a report on a proposal for a ‘legislative text’ presented by the European Commission, the only institution empowered to initiate legislation. "  
 

And the European Commission is directed by the European Council.

We realise it is in the leavers interest to convince people that the Commission is not working under direction from above.

11 hours ago, billd766 said:

The government has said that there will be no second referendum, the Labour party has said there will be no second referendum, so why all of a sudden, do the "people" want a second referendum?

 

I am not in favour of national referendums in the first place, in the UK they are nothing more than a government sponsored opinion poll, only ever been 3 so all this talk about again and again is garbage. Parliament must make the decision and no politician can preempt what parliament will decide so DC was out of order in saying what he did.

A referendum got us into this mess and without a strong consensus in parliament another may be the only way out. You have to bear in mind that if the government lose the vote parliament take control so it will no longer be up to the government what happens next.

What has been said today may well make the vote even more contentious.

A leading human rights lawyer has warned a no-deal Brexit would be be illegal because of the “real and immediate risk to life”.

Jonathan Cooper, who was awarded an OBE for his work in 2007, says the government would be knowingly putting the British public in danger if the UK crashes out of the EU without an agreement.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/no-deal-brexit-illegal-risk-life-human-rights-lawyer-jonathan-cooper-a8715841.html

10 hours ago, aright said:

 

What distraction are you referring to. I give you the manufacturing statistics and my opinion on a country which I visit on business and socially at least once a year to visit companies I deal with, and 2 opinionated British civil servant friends who live there and you counter with the product experience of yourself and a young girl and a bad battery. When did you last take a business trip to China ? The China you describe existed three or four decades ago.

 

Explain how companies sell their products at ridiculously low prices. It’s called brand establishment and low prices are used to cajole the customer in to buying the product in the hope they will like and repeat purchase. When I made the decision to sell into Europe I did it on the basis of lower cost than existing alternatives......what other reasons would they have to purchase, their specifications and trade terms were established. Product was sold at a significantly lower margin than I was happy with but that was a cost I was prepared to pay to get into the market. It costs money to develop a brand and you can’t develop it until you have a foothold in the market. The point you miss is, once established in the market, and you have had a positive response to the value of your product the chances are you can over time give the product value plus and incrementally raise prices to give you your required margin, or if as you say distance is a problem, move production to effect savings. Many Companies Mercedes, Air Bus etc are already doing it. Sales volumes will soon tell you if your prices are too high. As for recovering these costs by increasing the costs to domestic customers that is ridiculous a...…your competitors would take advantage of your high charges and b UK industry is not cartelized. These costs are financed by a development budget in most companies.

 

It is in my business interest and the interests of UK consumers that exporters do business with the rest of the world; EU, Asia, USA, RSA, SA, etc....that means Brexit.

I run two businesses and neither one is run for the benefit of the man in the street I leave that to Oxfam, the Salvation Army etc. although it’s arguable they follow your policy; that’s a business concept I and all the businesses I know don’t embrace and I make no apology for it. If you want businesses to operate on the benefit to man principle, I can’t advise you where to move to; the USSR was defunct many years ago.

 

China still has advantages that cheaper countries don't: tight and well-sourced supply chains, efficient transportation logistics, modern ports, and an enormous domestic market that, if all goes according to their plan, will start buying a lot more of the goods that China produces. Let's hope Chinese businesses and the man in the street develops a taste for UK products as well.

They are by no means perfect but they are the future and we deny them at our peril.

 

I will bow to your superior knowledge, you are obviously quite right that the UK consumers will be more than happy to accept rising prices so that far flung nations can enjoy the same products at a much lower price.

It is companies with that attitude that have caused this problem, pushing up prices and then blaming the EU.

On 1/6/2019 at 4:42 AM, phannam31 said:

Thank you... yes those two areas I’ve friends who have visited for a few months at a time and love them but different living there? Hence as per my other note was going to get some beach type/ coast options and research and then choose maybe 3/4 areas to take a physical look at and see how feel in each... or have too many options and never get around all and spend time in each to get a feel..
yes ubon a lot rate highly it seems.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You should have a look at Bang Saen. Plenty of decent accommodation at reasonable prices, good hospital on the doorstep and a variety of large shops nearby. Good transport facilities and Pattaya, Bangkok and the airport not that far away.

11 hours ago, billd766 said:

But how can you have a second referendum until the first referendum has been completed?

 

Are you suggesting that appeals should be heard after the execution?

It is normal practice to correct potential mistakes before damage results, not after. It really comes down to what people consider more important, the will of the people nearly 3 years ago or the will of the people now.

14 hours ago, aright said:

Cheap and nasty rubbish? China manufactures 1.1 billion mobile phones;

 

You can bring in any distraction you want. My niece has been at uni in China for nearly 6 years and during that time has brought home a variety of gadgets and the like, none of which lasted any time, even a mobile phone for my wife, battery lasted about 6 months. All she ever brought that was any good was the food items. I have had potato crisps from the UK, caviar and cheese items from Russia and various fish/seafood items from Denmark. She can buy these products in China at a fraction of the price that they would be sold in the country of origin, wonderful tool Google. Maybe you can explain how companies selling their products at ridiculously low prices can be good business for anyone other than the Chinese.

What many people do not understand is that companies are prepared to "buy" business in a large cheap economy to get the turnover and then try and recover profit from the domestic market with increased prices. It is not only the food sector, a company I worked for making capital equipment did it. It is fairly obvious that distance makes a product less competitive unless something gives.

It is in the interests of UK consumers that exporters do business with Europe rather than in the Asian markets. These trade deals all around the world may benefit some but certainly not the man in the street.

15 hours ago, vinny41 said:

Leave Lies? Remainers Need To Look In The Mirror

The UK gives the EU a gross contribution of £350 million a week. This is not a lie, and it is an amount which could be spent on the NHS if the UK Government so wished. These are usually touted as lies, but this stems from 'Remain' campaigners being unable to tell the difference between the words 'gross' and 'net' as well as the difference between the words 'could' and 'will'.

 Remainers did suggest there would be an immediate Brexit recession. No recession to date

3 million people in the UK will lose their jobs was the fictitious figure banded about. However, in July the claimant count fell by 8,600 to 763,600, despite an expected rise of 9,500. Another lie.

"A dangerous fantasy" is how Nick Clegg described Nigel Farage's claim of EU plans to create an army. Barely three months on from the Referendum, Juncker has proposed an EU Army. I'm looking forward to Nick Clegg's next apology video like the one he made after his last whopper.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/matthew-ellery/leave-lies-remainers-need_b_12191462.html

EU loophole could see 77 MILLION Turks head to Britain, warn Farage and Johnson

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/661387/Migrant-crisis-Nigel-Farage-Turkey-EU-visa-free-travel

12 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Proof of payment of a Govt or as good as pension into a Thai bank a/c calculated to a yearly amount i.e Bt500,000 and the balance in cash in a Thai bank a/c which you can beg steal or borrow to make the amount required Bt800,000...OK for Aussies, the Aus gov will pay your pension into a Thai Bank a/c of your choosing 13 x 4 weekly payments per year by request if living in Thailand.

I must have missed that in the OP.

15 hours ago, aright said:

The EU trades with China under a set of global trade rules which govern international trade, established by the World Trade Organisation …….. the rules define the deal for over 160 countries.. It would be true to say, however, the EU does not trade with China under a free trade deal/arrangement which is different.

 

Since as you say the EU started free trade negotiations with China in 2013, it would appear, after 6 years, the EU  can't show China how a free trade deal can be negotiated either.

 

The Chinese government are quite happy with the WTO arrangement with importers and exporters shouldering the responsibility. The government can continue to avoid progress on its responsibilities. They also have a particular dislike of the EU regulations on product marking, counterfeit goods, product dumping, to name a few. One can only assume that the leavers would be quite happy to have the UK market flooded with cheap and nasty rubbish.

The UK is already in trouble with the EU over fraud regarding Chinese goods.

The European Commission today warned the U.K. for the second time to recover €2.7 billion in lost EU revenue stemming from the country's failure to stop a massive fraud network that allowed cheap Chinese goods to flood into Europe.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-warns-uk-again-to-recoup-e2-7-billion-china-fraud-bill/

27 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Updated requirements for the income option only.

The amendment does not include the money in the bank or combination options because it has not been changed.

Surely the combination option must change. How does one deal with the income portion if embassy letters are no longer available.

5 hours ago, nontabury said:

That the people’s vote is sovereign. It’s called Democracy, the alternative is :- 

It doesn't really matter what you believe to be sovereign, the UK is a parliamentary democracy and not a people's democratic republic.

5 hours ago, aright said:

This is completely at odds with what the European Commission says. The trade deal is conducted under WTO rules.

The EU trades with China but there is no trade deal, China is listed under "Being negotiated".

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-and-agreements/#_being-negotiated

Negotiations started in 2013 but got nowhere, in 2016 a new strategy was published, key elements:

This Communication proposes that the EU should:

 Seize new openings to strengthen its relations with China.

 Engage China in its reform process in practical ways which result in mutual benefits for our relations in economic, trade and investment, social, environmental and other areas.

 Promote reciprocity, a level playing field and fair competition across all areas of cooperation.

 Push for the timely completion of negotiations on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment and an ambitious approach to opening up new market opportunities.

 Drive forward infrastructure, trading, digital and people-to-people connectivity between Europe and China based on an open rules-based platform with benefits for all the countries along the proposed routes.

 Promote global public goods, sustainable development and international security in line with our respective UN and G20 responsibilities.

http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/china/docs/joint_communication_to_the_european_parliament_and_the_council_-_elements_for_a_new_eu_strategy_on_china.pdf

There is little doubt that the leavers believe that the UK can show the EU how a trade deal should be negotiated.

On 1/3/2019 at 11:05 PM, bomber said:

a proper rogues gallery of nations waiting to rip the UK off if ever i saw it,also what can we possibly sell them? not much and they wont pay if they can help it,the ex corrupt president of SA owes my partners deceased farther a small fortune,say's it all,the UK wont find anything better than the EU to trade with the sooner folks realise this the better

The EU hasn't done a trade deal with China because the Chinese are not prepared to abide by EU regulations.

What is the UK planning to do, change the regulations to suit the Chinese, the same regulations that the UK citizens expect to keep them safe.

On 1/2/2019 at 7:40 PM, NanLaew said:

My experience with 6 rentals out of Aberdeen, London and Manchester is there is no mark-up for having a foreign license.

 

My experience on my first rental out of Manchester and (logically) offering my UKDL was a request for a back-up credit card to the one I planned using to pay for the rental. When I balked at this, she asked if I had a utility bill or a bank or credit card statement all of which have to be in the same name/address as the UKDL and the primary credit card. Since it was getting on for 11 P.M. and we were getting nowhere, she asked where I had flown in from and after saying Thailand, she said if I had a Thai (or other full, foreign license), I could get by with just the passport, Thai DL and credit card, no address matching required. After that wee epiphany, I was on the road in about 15 minutes.

 

Subsequent checks with car rental brokers and rental companies indicated that the extra proof palaver for a UKDL is standard practise. Somewhere in the last 3 years, they have tacked on the need to get the DVLA involved so they can check your UKDL for points. They cannot access the DVLA database unless you apply for a PIN from DVLA that you give to the rental clerk so they can check your (and only your) DL status.

 

Use the Thai DL.

On a recent visit I got a quote in my name with UK license and then again in my wife's name with Thai license and the price came up about 10% higher for my wife, that was Budget and Europcar. When I checked my name again with Thai license it came up the same as my wife.

You have to bear in mind there is a difference between online rates and desk rates. I went in one time to try and get a car straight away but they had nothing available. I asked if I could book for the following morning, she said no problem but it would be cheaper to go home and do it online.

Over the years I have only ever used my UK license and you are right it has become a lot more difficult, particularly since they got rid of the paper part of the license. I have not found the additional requirements a problem but could see it may be for many. I have only been the once since they dropped the paper and although I had the DVLA authorisation they didn't ask for it, even got a free upgrade, not just one level but two.

All things being considered I may consider using the Thai license next time even though it may cost a bit more.

13 hours ago, evadgib said:

Whatever occurred did so in Brazil. HMG will no doubt publish fine detail on 29 March. Whether Russia are anywhere near it remains to be seen but I doubt it.

It is over 2 years since Fox went to Brazil and wouldn't be in a position to secure any deal. Apart from anything else BRICS is an alliance, not a trading bloc.

All that has ever been said is the BRICS nations would be targeted.

Because of the comparative ease of trading with the EU, British business have perhaps been slower than some other countries in seeing the huge potential of Brazil, Russia, India, China and, notably, South Africa. But Britain outside the EU will be free to pursue its own trade deals; and the BRIC Nations will be a key target.

https://southafricanchamber.co.uk/brics-and-the-brexit-effect-why-the-uk-will-be-giving-south-african-trade-priority-post-brexit/

3 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

No deal brexit (once it was obvious that the eu had no intention of genuinely negotiating) is easy to "grasp" - but uk politicians have no intention of doing so - IMO.

John McEnroe would have summed that up quite well.

10 hours ago, evadgib said:

...& take it again afterwards if they fail?

A fairly predictable outcome when you pose a question before the solution has been analysed, something that many seem unable to grasp.

12 hours ago, LucysDad said:

 

 

A chalk and cheese argument.

 

You cannot compare life and death with politics.

 

 

What would you like - the best of 3 at every general election just because you couldn't trust (didn't like) the first result.

Are you really trying to tell people that general elections and leaving the EU are not chalk and cheese?

Leaving the EU will be a life changing event for many and only the emotionally paranoid would not recognise the need in the light of better understanding to reconfirm that change, but you probably think it would be better for students to take the exam before they do the course.