TorquayFan

Warrima - that's unhelpful. Theory - ? SWM thanks.

Last night a Friend told the Wife that she too had lost B7000 to this scam. She recalled then two people chatting at the other end of the phone, (which made it all sound relaxed I suppose), when it happened. Also heard of victims details being used to approach other contacts for a personal loan for some reason - she is going to tell her Friends if that request appears, it won't be her. One more question please - is it advisable for her to close the existing Bank a/c and reopen a new one - the thought being that the Scammer already has her details? As I say, lesson learned ! ATB

Calmer this morning, the Wife now remembers being asked to click an Icon and her phone then went 'wrong' for a while. So that explains it - that was the App downloaded ! She's off to the Police Station this morning to register the event, then the Bank, (Govt Savings Bank), will trace it from there. Lesson learned here on that one. Thanks again Guys for all helpful comments, (I'm not high tech myself). ATB

Yes I know M8 and I'll find out more tomorrow. ATM she's chatting to a market friend who has also been 'done'. ATB

Spam they had the VAT artwork and said they were the VAT thus the questions . . . FF will ask about the OTP and FF about an 'App' too. She's asleep now. Thanks Guys. ATB

Neer thanks and yes you can block - OR CUT THE CALL! Myran - yes I wonder and asked her several times, but she was quite traumatised by the event and maybe we'll learn more later. What shocked me was the Bank report that this was happening often! Thanks Guys

Thanks everybody. Helpful answers and it's a shame. I try to tell her, 'look on the brightside, it wasn't B54K' and also, that I once lost B30K on a flight ticket scam. She was very upset when she came in I thought she'd crashed the car ! We'll go to the Bank (what's their security?) and the Police tomorrow. BTW I didn't listen to the call at all and don't speak Thai. I do remember her saying, it's the VAT and my phone has gone funny. Mai pen lai. I told her if you get a call again, END IT ! Thanks again. A pork steak has cheered her up !

Hi. Earlier this PM, my Wife had a call from a purported 'VAT' person . . . . He asked 'I understand you sell in the market ?' (yes ) 'How much do you sell ?' (not much) 'Do you have a Shop or rent a space ?' (rent a space occasionally). 'How much p.a. - is it B150K ?' (nowhere near that). Then he asked her to hold on. Later Wife went to the ATM and B4300 had gone from her current account - leaving NIL as she had lent her Daughter B50,000 last week. Phew ! Wife says she didn't give any banking details to the caller . . . . at all. Wife went to the Bank and they said it's happening and sometimes large sums have been taken. ******************** We intend to close the existing Bank accounts and start a new one. She is worried about the phone - can that access be repeated on a call to her or even without a call ? Can she bar the caller. Are we still at risk ? She visited the Bank and they said they've had people lose big sums. ********************* Any advice at all would be appreciated Guys. Thank you.

Finicky - Camry is a saloon the others are UV 'utility vehicles' (of a different shape). Surely that's your first decision and after that, any Toyota or Honda is spot on. My next vehicle purchase I expect to be in the UK and I will be buying an 'Estate' which suits me. The Camry is lovely IMO. ATB

Hello Bbas. I am a heart Patient too. Regarding a 'GP' I understand your wish for that. But why not find a Heart Doctor you can see every 6 months for a check up and to review your drugs regularly? The needs can change. I found at BKK Korat and Chantaburi, really good heart Doctors who spoke English and were very sympathetic and encouraging. A review every 6 months should reassure you and when they prescribe, you don't have to buy at the BKK pharmacy where the prices are double. It's a few thousand baht every 6 months . . You can probably find some of the same Doctors at the Public Hospital, if you prefer. ATB

THANK YOU GUDERIAN - your post was just what I was looking for, being a stranger to Pattaya and visiting for Christmas. I hope you have a good time yourself, ATB

2 years ago I bought an ASUS ExpertBook (Ryzen 3). It came with Windows 10 now updated to 11. It's brilliant and works very hard ! I paid THB 12,000

Hello Taxout - I really can't thank you enough for this discussion which has really helped clear my mind. We have concluded that 'gifting and bequest' is the route to take - hoping the regs don't change in the next 12 months or so. I've been able to transfer shares to 2 Sons in the UK and now cater in my Will to equalise for the Son in the USA in my will atm and to be gifted cash when the SP goes up. (This may all seem bizarre but have a look at Scancell on UK AIM market) ATB

Degruber - you refer to 2nd generation vaxes but although many are being researched, none are available yet. I know of Scancell's 'Covidity' which has been trialed in RSA and results expected within a month. This is a DNA based vaccine with needless dosing (Pharmajet) the point being it addresses the nucleosid of the protein and mutates rarely but slowly - use as an annual booster is likely if it is approved. Returning to topic, myself I've had 4, Pfizer3 and 50% Moderna. I'm not really thinking of a 5th BUT will assess it when I am next in the UK in May next. I have been concerned in reading about excess deaths particularly in the under 40's. It looks worrying but I've made no conclusions. So no 5th for me atm but that may change with circumstances, or the arrival of a 2nd Generation vax.

From Nigel Forbes - "" . . . . why not go back to the UK for a couple of years and make the uplift permanent? I did that in 2018 after being away for 16 years, four months later I was regarded as UK resident.....I subsequently returned to live here once again."' When I came to Thailand first, I rang the 'Pensions' to tell them I didn't need the 'Winter Fuel Allowance' and thus informed, my OAP was frozen . . . it was one simple phone call and I was DONE!! Perhaps when I next return to the UK I should make another simple phone call and tell them - "I'm back". Would my pension etc. then be fully uplifted after 10 years? I wonder. I would surely be forced to abscond again shortly after, being unable to afford the shockingly high level of UK rents. Mmmmmm - so would my pension etc. be simply frozen again at 2023 level OR returned to the previous 2013 level? Food for thought for next year . . . .

There's a point to be made re. the UK Govt's freezing our pensions - insofaras, although Expats here probably still pay income tax on income arising in the UK, we are not paying VAT and all the other taxes that UK pensioners are. But that's a point for them to make. The freeze has a quite brutal effect on OAP's who have been away for a long time . . .

It's good to see some MP's are supporting 'End Frozen Pensions' but it's hard to believe Govt. largesse will stretch to this - (but it's OK to waste billions if it suits - as Baroness Mone can testify). "Some pensioners living abroad will not see their state pension payments increase in line with inflation. The government has been urged to bring a halt to an "unfair postcode lottery" that means almost 500,000 Britons living abroad have had their state pension frozen. Under the pensions triple lock, UK pensions rise annually by either inflation, 2.5% or average wage growth, whichever is highest. Inflation was 10.1% in the qualifying month of 2022/2023, meaning most state pensions will see a large increase. The pensions of British citizens living in countries such as Australia and Canada are frozen at the level they were at when they left the UK. However, 492,000 Britons overseas miss out on annual state pension rises. The pensions of those in countries such as Australia and Canada are frozen at the level they were at when they left the UK. Dozens of MPs have now backed a campaign group's call to end the policy. On Monday, SNP MP Dave Doogan tweeted: "Half a million people have had their pensions frozen because they live in countries without an annual uprating agreement with the UK. "The UK government must end frozen pensions and ensure people get the uprated pensions they deserve." Campaign group End Frozen Pensions has written to the government to end the policy. The group says: "We are writing to urge you to end the injustice felt by half a million British pensioners living overseas, excluded from annual state pension uprating by the UK government's frozen pensions policy simply because they live in the 'wrong' country." The campaign group pointed out that pensioners in countries with agreements, such as the US, do receive fully uprated pensions, but those in countries such as Australia, Canada and parts of the Caribbean, do not. An estimated 48 Commonwealth countries are excluded, End Frozen Pensions said. The Canadian government has previously requested making a deal with the UK to solve the problem for some 127,000 British pensioners living there, but a resolution has not been found. End Frozen Pensions said: "This unfair postcode lottery has to stop - we believe that all UK pensioners deserve their full state pension no matter where they happen to live and urge you to end this longstanding injustice." Campaigners and pensioners staged a protest outside the department for work and pensions in London last week. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “It seems very unfair that ex-pats who live in certain countries outside of the UK and EU miss out on having their state pension uprated each year. "Over time this means they can be deprived of tens of thousands of pounds that really should be theirs, leaving some in dire financial straits. It’s high time this long-standing injustice was remedied for every older UK citizen who chooses to live in another country in retirement. "Every one of these pensioners has already spent years paying into the system through National Insurance contributions or credits and deserves to receive the same income boost as everyone else, regardless of where they live.” A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “We understand that people move abroad for many reasons and that this can impact on their finances. There is information on gov.uk about what the effect of going abroad will be on entitlement to the UK state pension. “The government’s policy on the uprating of the UK state pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one of more than 70 years and we continue to uprate state pensions overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so.” " https://uk.yahoo.com/news/unfair-postcode-lottery-anger-over-500000-british-pensioners-missing-out-on-triple-lock-162441549.html

Hello Taxout - sorry for the late reply - I have been travelling . . . Re. your para 1 - OK then giving him the shares is not on at all. Original and current SP is say 20 pence but in the next 12 months I expect then to be say GBP4. The 'inherit' route sounds good - is there a value limit on how much value in shares I can give him ? Then to be taxed on a subsequent increase later will not be a problem for him. Re. your para 2 - OK I'll rule out the foreign 'tax sheltered account for him. Re. your para 3 - yes any gift won't be in excess of $100,000 but the inheritance is likely to be that or more. To explain - in the UK I can give my 2 other Sons up to GBP6,000 p.a. and they they hold the shares in an ISA OK. I want to do the same for the youngest in Florida. Many thanks for the pointers - all thoughts appreciated.

Thank you taxout - may I reply to that later. VERY interesting and I appreciate your reply. ATB

I am a Brit, living in Thailand, wanting to 'gift' GBP6K (p.a.) of UK shares to my Son, a UK/US National, now living in Florida. Please, does anyone have any idea how this can be done without involving my Son, unless necessarily so, in US tax liabilities ? The easiest way we first thought of is that he should hold a UK Share Dealing a/c and put the shares in an ISA. But are there any US tax implications of doing that ? It's a bit technical but does anyone have any ideas please OR have suggestions for sources for advice at reasonable cost. Thanks.

Scott that's surprising - I'd thought that Trump had engineered a Supreme Court to favour him ? "There were no noted dissents" - it appears that his Nominees turned against him ?

Hi Jay, I buy new DKNY frames on Ebay about GBP30 and get very high prescription high quality 'Hoya' (Japan) lenses fitted for about THB 1,800. Top quality glasses for a low price. Re. an eye test, why not try Bangkok Hospital or similar. An exhaustive eye examination is a good investment IMO Good luck.

Here's a challenge. Has anyone seen in the Media, any suggestion at all, that the Personal Allowance for Expats, is being discussed at all or is about to be abolished ? If not, as this thread will be worrying some People quite a lot, why not leave too much further discussion, in the lack of some clear indication that this is being discussed, until Thursday, when we will know? Some will be 'bricking it' as they say - it IS an alarming prospect. Links please, ATB

Re. this - "George Osborne was about to introduce it several years ago, but it was stopped by the EU" - thanks OJAS for providing a link. Whilst all things are possible - myself I'd be staggered if such a brazen injustice was put forward again. Relax - ain't gonna happen. The Personal Allowance will be maintained for Expats. 100% AIMHO

TOG - I'll never be dragged into that one, unfortunately. Well that is, not unless I live to be 150 LOL