loppylugs1

The three lines of attack which will put the UK government's knickers in a twist are -

1) Article 1 Protocol 1 of the ECHR (right to property), and Article 8 (right to a family life). If you argue that your pension entitlement is de facto property - perhaps only possible if you actually paid the NI contributions, rather than being credited with them through being unemployed - then the courts and the government should view your pension in a way most consistent with your convention right. That, you'd think, would mean paying it uprated wherever you are.

2) You've a right to a family life. Should this be considered on the basis that you're a citizen, resident, or whichever of these is best consistent with your convention rights? Well, it's whichever: the Foreign Office's consular arrangements, for example, will be consistent, as are many other things. So - again - if the maintenance of your actual relationships, or your right to pursue or sustain relationships, is better sustained by uprating your pension then it should be. Inequality of treatment is less favourable to your convention rights.

3) Article 14 guarantees equal treatment. Treatment can't be arbitrary - differential treatment in comparable circumstances. Given that the government have already admitted that the reciprocal arrangements were established with certain countries and not others for no other reason than a civil servant tried to guess which countries people might retire to, you could argue that the continuation of rules based on this reckoning is arbitrary, and inconsistent with the convention.

Get legal - it really frightens them

NHS care for the over 70s by recent proposal being heavily restricted,which undoubtedly will be accepted if not already. The unblocking of frozen pensions will never happen

That is inevitable. The elderly consume by far the most money in the NHS ( referring only to patients ). If nothing changes the NHS will fail or cost far too much.

....and being starved of funds that will help alleviate medical problems as and when they arrive, just condemned to a slow and miserable demise

The three lines of attack which will put the UK government's knickers in a twist are -

1) Article 1 Protocol 1 of the ECHR (right to property), and Article 8 (right to a family life). If you argue that your pension entitlement is de facto property - perhaps only possible if you actually paid the NI contributions, rather than being credited with them through being unemployed - then the courts and the government should view your pension in a way most consistent with your convention right. That, you'd think, would mean paying it uprated wherever you are.

2) You've a right to a family life. Should this be considered on the basis that you're a citizen, resident, or whichever of these is best consistent with your convention rights? Well, it's whichever: the Foreign Office's consular arrangements, for example, will be consistent, as are many other things. So - again - if the maintenance of your actual relationships, or your right to pursue or sustain relationships, is better sustained by uprating your pension then it should be. Inequality of treatment is less favourable to your convention rights.

3) Article 14 guarantees equal treatment. Treatment can't be arbitrary - differential treatment in comparable circumstances. Given that the government have already admitted that the reciprocal arrangements were established with certain countries and not others for no other reason than a civil servant tried to guess which countries people might retire to, you could argue that the continuation of rules based on this reckoning is arbitrary, and inconsistent with the convention.

Get legal - it really frightens them

NHS care for the over 70s by recent proposal being heavily restricted,which undoubtedly will be accepted if not already. The unblocking of frozen pensions will never happen

Is there a place in Patts or anywhere that deals in Kindle books? share the cost of downloading Star books wherever that is perhaps

Not interested in fiction /novels,but factual Martin Middlebrook etc is possible to extract DRM and is that source I'm looking for,but wary if.Kindle themselves take a hand

Bought another e reader from Alibaba to keep official and unofficial apart.

For interest Calibre do free eBooks that cost a packet too from E publishers as well as daily newspapers

Jip99, I think that if you returned to the UK for a year telling DWP you intented to stay, and had your pension brought up to the level current at that time as a result, then if you chose to go back to Thailand after that year then you would keep the uprated pension even if you told them you were going back. You would of course lose further increases as at present. It wouldn't be worth doing for a few quid a month increase, but there must be a cutoff point where it does become financially viable even allowing for the cost of living in the UK for that year.

I think the DWP rules are that if you return to the UK, whilst in receipt of a frozen pension, you are immediately uprated to receive the current UK pension. Should you then later (1/2/3 years or whatever) return to a "frozen pension" country, I believe your pension would be reduced to that which you initially received, and not re-frozen at the level currently being received..

If you return to the UK your pension is updated from that day. Should you return to Thailand within 2yrs your pension will revert to the amount you received before you entered the UK. However if you return to Thailand after two years and you are silly enough to inform them, then your pension will then be frozen at the amount you are then receiving at the date of your departure.

Does not have to be UK,anywhere that is not frozen.

Do not forget though to claim and submit form IPC SU 309 12/13. Last time I flew out of South Bend ,Texas,

USA there it was waiting on departure desk awaiting completion

One ignoramus cow on the fruit /veg counter this morning,the attitude of this cow stank. Could not be bothered,served (mainly Thais) out of order,totally indiffernt

Played her at her own game,waited eventually for service,went to get a load more for weighing and pricing...then left her with it all...hope she remembers me(think it is a girl,that fat maybe a man)

I'm more than probably going to get this done ,this time around. About 3 years ago it was borderline,now most defiantly past the point,but not in Thailand but Goa in India Eye Multi Specialty hospital Mapusa,state of the art equipment and surgery techniques.

Throw in a few more procedures while there bowel cancer, prostate screening,heart echo tested etc. good job done,way below Thailand pricing

MOVED to Home Country

I feel the same way about the "income" letter @ 2500 baht each year, for just a template print-out. Scandalous.

This maybe the case. I did indeed experiment with a templete type letter ;last time 300 baht and sailed through

Not Pattaya,but the engine swap place ( Used Engines,big sign) just after the Bangkok Post printing place as approaching Bang Na,would be worth a shot

I remember Vietnam few years ago ,lying there,promise of payment,trying like fury to make me cum,4 of them in the end,could not cum,but then again always had good control, fact is had my cock slapped for not cumming quick enough a few times

I remember Vietnam few years ago ,lying there,promise of payment,trying like fury to make me cum,4 of them in the end,could not cum,but then again always had good control, fact is had my cock slapped for not cumming quick enough a few times

Bound to get a reaction,write with photo to US or UK newspapers with pic,dog meat trade looming or something like,somebody somewhere will take both of these mutts on,guaranteed.

Again I'm full,dogs waiting in line for me to take them on

Jip99, I think that if you returned to the UK for a year telling DWP you intented to stay, and had your pension brought up to the level current at that time as a result, then if you chose to go back to Thailand after that year then you would keep the uprated pension even if you told them you were going back. You would of course lose further increases as at present. It wouldn't be worth doing for a few quid a month increase, but there must be a cutoff point where it does become financially viable even allowing for the cost of living in the UK for that year.

Often I wonder at the mindset of some people,here you are 65 plus ,frightened to death at something that has never happened/or will.

Get a bloody one way ticket from Paris,Lisbon ,Brussels,anywhere near the UK ,print it off (£23 last time I looked) send it to DWP with UK address,that is it,you have arrived,uprated.

For departure fly via Anywhere

But, Jip99, what if you only stayed in the UK for say, one year, meanwhile telling the authorities you intended to relocate to the UK. Your pension is uprated and then after a year you decide to give Thailand another try, taking your uprated pension with you..

You do not have to go back to get an uprated pension.

They (DWP) are not interested in what or where an OAP is, the last furlong of life and people crapping themselves, pathetic They are disability and credits etc though and also if you are still alive

The retriever I would look at getting it adopted abroad . Cheap flights for dogs £40 on Norwegian Soi Dogs may give a pointer

If have to be abandoned,take to either soi 6/1 or 6 off Suk highway north Pattaya,many abandoned dogs there. They have a good life,away from the traffic,and all seem well fed. Need to take them a couple of times to get them used to surroundings and other dogs to accept them.

Probably even better the turning before 6/1 might be better (no sign) stall on the right,ask the lady manning the stall to keep dog with her for few hours,give her a few baht

Good news #2:

I just checked my UK bank account - this month's pension is back to the old, non-uprated level, i.e. about 6 quid less. So they must have received my letter telling them where I live. So will they take off the extra 6 quid they gave me last month, or is that some kind of gift for being honest from these warm hearted lovely people in the UK?

Now, if only they would send me some kind of acknowledgement that they have actually received my letter, like an email or even a letter. That would be nice. Is that too much to ask?

I suppose I will have just as much luck receiving an acknowledgement as I did receiving my General Election voting papers, i.e. nil, zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Yes thrilled to bits no doubt.

It is not the £6,this is only for this year,wait until year 7 or so,£85 light friend of mine,not worth staying here is his verdict

Really ?

Someone would return to the UK for the sake of an £85 p.m. pension increase ?

They can't be very happy in Thailand

That £85 is an increasing amount,try again in another 3 years well over £120

Think Cameron has shot himself in the foot with guarantee of 2.6 % increase through the next 5 years of OAP ,that sort of increase ,especially for someone on massive SERPs and additional pension is a hefty increase over a public sector increase (was it 1.4%) or something like and now CPI not RPI adjustment,sort of twice the amount over half the amount of sectored pension.

Yes they have no clue in the world where you are ,tell 'em,then they act

0897068929 On Suk close to Klang,need to speak Thai 2 and a half thousand baht

2500 Baht is a bargain (for a car with immobilizer).

....but the guy above charges 1 and a half thousand chipped

Not far off Penang,cheaper there. I go to India but if a Brit the visas are a problem price wise MRI on knee$50...op cheap and good

Good news #2:

I just checked my UK bank account - this month's pension is back to the old, non-uprated level, i.e. about 6 quid less. So they must have received my letter telling them where I live. So will they take off the extra 6 quid they gave me last month, or is that some kind of gift for being honest from these warm hearted lovely people in the UK?

Now, if only they would send me some kind of acknowledgement that they have actually received my letter, like an email or even a letter. That would be nice. Is that too much to ask?

I suppose I will have just as much luck receiving an acknowledgement as I did receiving my General Election voting papers, i.e. nil, zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Yes thrilled to bits no doubt.

It is not the £6,this is only for this year,wait until year 7 or so,£85 light friend of mine,not worth staying here is his verdict

0897068929 On Suk close to Klang,need to speak Thai 2 and a half thousand baht

Some potentially very bad news on pensions for many - including me

Article in the Telegraph today http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/11608210/The-new-flat-rate-pension-where-everybody-gets-different-amounts.html

Basically if you were contracted out of SERPS at any time an amount based on old GMP values gets deducted from whatever you thought you were due........

Apologies if this has already been posted but is news to me.

Lucky those who recently retired.

If Cameron does not mention frozen pensions in the forthcoming Queens speech I think all is lost, Not exactly a vote winner,but something he could do as he is aware of the issue

After that finest of fine condos Suan Suwarm took a dive a few years ago it was definably a pointer to the future,face it all condos being built in Pattaya are absolute crap,try selling anything now,buy to the hearts content though.

Not far off massive projects started a while ago,started to slow after the initial burst of activity now just a holding exercise,never get completed. Better places I suspect that people have found out about to toss their hat into

First of a few flights for me too into Portugal soon,go look see the adobes on offer

Selling them off at Tesco north couple of months ago about 40b

Do you pay into the Thai social insurance scheme?...

No I dont personally but presumably you know how to though so could you furnish me with any details or application process so that I can take advantage of the "Thai social insurance scheme"

I dont mind paying a reasonable premium

On the basis that you know about the "Thai social insurance scheme" could you tell me a little more for instance , what proportion of the Thai population pay into this "scheme"

No farang is going to get on the 30 baht scheme. Go to any of the 3 private hospitals in Pattaya and you are looking at being soaked,the 2 others nearby will be cheaper,then there is the state hospital.

Other alternatives Penang Island hospitals are way cheaper,India is excellent too for pre-planned medical care

Many ex pat Brits would not vote, as the government would know they are in Thailand, but claiming winter allowance, sick benefit etc etc

I think you over-estimate the abilities of the UK government.

I received an email from the local council acknowledging my address in Thailand after I requested the ability to vote by post. They also sent me another email after I told them of an error in my address that they quoted in the first email. So they know exactly where I am.

Last month my pension was uprated.

I have tried very hard to tell the people at the Department of Work and Pensions, The Pensions Service and Winter Fuel Allowance Team that I am living in Thailand. I enclosed a self-address envelope to both the DWP and WFA. The HMRC emailed me to say my NI No. does not correspond to the no. on their records. This is the same no. that my pension refers to.

The DWP and WFA have not acknowledged either of my letters even though I enclosed a self-addressed envelope to both of them.

My pension has just been uprated. If they give me half of my dad's winter fuel allowance, like they did last year, I can expect another irate email from him demanding the 100 quid back!

IMHO they are a useless bunch of waxxsters.

If anyone knows how to tell these morons your address in Thailand, please let me know.

I once attempted to inform them too,was told to F O. you gormless c.unt