hobobo

On 1/10/2021 at 9:22 AM, Liverpoolfan said:

for me I was a backpacker.

Thailand was my first solo backpacking adventure at the tender age of 19.

After a summer working in the Mediterranean I was looking for somewhere a bit rough and ready to see out the winter months.

Thailand seemed to fit the bill perfectly so I booked my flight as soon as I landed back in gloomy England.

 

I landed on the Khaosan road at about 3 in the morning in the middle of January,

all rooms on the road were full so ended up walking to soi rambutri and got myself a double room with fan and private bathroom for 120 baht.

after about 3/4 days (once recovered from the jet lag) I travelled north to chiang mai, did some trekking in the mountains in Pai, experimented with the 'medicines' up there then headed south for the islands.

Met a few women along the way, both thai and farang who made my trip all the more magical.

I fell in love with the country at that point and decided to find a job and haven't really looked back since..

 

All the magic has has since gone though,

around 2013/14 things started to change for the worse.

I am hoping those once magical & spontaneous days will return after covid is over but I'm not so sure.

 

So that is why I first came to Thailand.

I was a young kid in search of adventure and I found it.

Those first 2 months in Thailand were amazing and I wouldn't change that decision for anything.

 

Why did you lot come to Thailand?

Is your story similar to mine?

 

Hope you are having a great weekend ???? 

Pretty similar story to yours, Liverpoolfan. Having done the Holy Grail from the UK to Nepal by both the Magic Bus and hitchhiking back in late 1960s, decided to see what's beyond the forbidden "no overland" route. First trip to Chiang Mai and the north in 1973, returned in 1977 to Samui and the south, and there couldn't have been more than 5 years thereafter when Thailand would have been "skipped" or "ignored" altogether. 

The last 10 years, well, you've said it all, but I'm not ready yet to pack up.

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Nope, stopping over at a gogo dancers place because I was too drunk to drive home didn't wash with my first wife either.

Is the current one more understanding, or have you given up drinking?  

17 hours ago, internationalism said:

$17 per shot is quite much

Of course it's expensive, very expensive in fact, but think of all the savings they'll make by using their Lunar spaceship for distribution! ????

On 12/16/2020 at 1:12 PM, PatOngo said:

I believe you can buy love for around 1000 baht an hour on Walking Street!

On Soi Buakhao I can get about 8 hours for that (and that's a danger zone for some)

13 hours ago, Jimbo53 said:

Why would you register for Thai tax,if your not earning here? Any funds brought in from another would not be liable for Thai taxation.

It was "circumstantial". A good few years back my family were scattered all over the world (except in the UK!), and at the time I didn't have any reliable enough friends in the UK to forward my credit/debit cards to Thailand. My bank (HSBC) assured me that the only secure way to send the cards to Thailand was to make an official change of address. Little did I know that they were obliged by law to inform various other government departments, and in next to no time I received a notice from the Inland Revenue informing me that I was now a UK citizen, "not ordinarily resident for the tax purposes", or some such grandiose title. Getting rid of this new title proved a lot harder than inheriting it! 

On 11/15/2020 at 9:57 PM, swissie said:

Sophisticated Farangs have always been drinking on the steps of a 7/11.

Problem is there are 9 7-Elevens in my Soi....

14 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Interesting you did a form, i never bothered and am not recognised as a resident, nor Dom status these days, and that has occurred over time (12 or so years).

Thanks Jenkins9039. It was a series of minor but most annoying factors which led me to that stupid decision of mine. My UK bank had always refused to send my credit & debit cards abroad, but for years my relatives or friends would collect the cards and send them on.  But at one point there was a very long period when there was nobody I knew and trusted. The bank suggested that if I changed my address officially they could send the cards to me directly to Thailand, all I needed to do was to sign this "resident form". By law the banks have to inform Inland Revenue and a myriad of other departments, amongst them the good old NHS, and before I am entitled to all usual services/benefits, I have to sign a new document to confirm that I am returning permanently and re-instating my Resident status. As I said, one quick move without thinking of possible consequences resulted in years of unnecessary worries.

17 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Did you read the pinned topic at the top of this forum ? Useful info and links.

 

 

 

I did indeed, CharlieH, though I hope that I won't need some of the "Down and Out". But one never knows, so... Thank you again

20 hours ago, lungbing said:

Don't forget to let the pensions people at Newcastle know so that your full pension is payable immediately and that you get the updates in future.  (assuming you're a pensioner that is)

Thanks lungbing. Yes to all of the above points.

32 minutes ago, blackcab said:

In terms of the NHS only, I have attached a document to this post that deals with whether you are ordinarily resident in the UK or not. In the document there is a list of actual questions that you might be asked, and I am sure there may be one or two you might not have expected.

 

As other people have mentioned though, you are not obliged to volunteer the fact that you have been out of the country, and in my opinion I would keep my mouth firmly shut about it unless I was directly asked. There have been a couple of cases in the press where returnees have been chatting away to the nurses and the next thing they know they have a rather large bill to pay.

 

As I stated, this is for the NHS only. The Department for Work & Pensions might have a different criteria, and it would be worth researching that as much as possible in advance.

 

I'm sorry that circumstances have put you in this position and I wish you well for the future. This forum can be a good resource, and I hope you will use it to sound out your options and to find advice.

 

Many members have walked down the same road you are facing, and I hope some of them will be able to offer you some advice based on their own experiences.

UK Department of Health Ordinary Residence Tool (December 2020).pdf 261.81 kB · 3 downloads

Thanks for your informative reply blackcab. I received a fair amount of answers, and my mind is a lot clearer than it was 24 hours ago. You are right in saying that this forum can be a very useful resource, and I will certainly remain in touch during my absence from the LOS. At present my plan is to return to Thailand in 2022, but we all know what can happen to the most thought out plans... Thanks again, and all the best.

1 hour ago, Muzzique said:

 

That's wrong. You just have to show that is move is to make the UK your home again. It's called the Habitual Residency Test.

 

I had one when returning after many years living in the USA. I just showed them my new apartment rental contract and it was closed.

 

You are entitled to all pensions, benefits and the NHS immediately on your return.

 

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs25_returning_from_abroad_fcs.pdf

Thanks for your reply Muzzique. It appears that you are absolutely right, and I was listening too much to uninformed opinions and raising my blood pressure through unnecessary worries. Maybe I won't need the NHS so urgently after all!

On 12/5/2020 at 12:25 PM, Pilotman said:

Feeling rather guilty again about the amount of help I request and need from my kids back in UK, that I never anticipated.  They don't mind at all, but I do.  Makes me feel that I can't manage my own affairs from here, but companies based in UK, and probably in many other of our Home Countries,  don't make it easy to contact them from Thailand.  Amazon is a prime  example ( sorry about the pun).  Want to cancel Prime, can't do it from here.  Want to sort of my ISA, can't do it from here.  Want to tell of a change of phone number, very difficult., deal with government departments from here, not at all easy.  Getting replacement credit and debit cards forwarded on, a pain. The kids are a valuable resource in doing all this stuff for their dear old Dad,  but I don't think they expected it to be so much. Goodness knows how expats manage who don' t have those resources in their home country.   

Thanks for your reply, Pilotman. I totally sympathize with you about the guilt we can burden ourselves with! Fortunately I didn't have to ask my kids for much more than help with the mail, collecting and forwarding credit & debit cards, etc. It was one of the reasons why I changed my status to "Resident in Thailand" - one of the worst decisions I've made, and I regretted it from the day it was granted. It looks, though, that I can revert back to UK Resident with a bit of admin moves here and there

6 minutes ago, polpott said:

And all you have to do to prove that you are returning permanently is say that you are. End of. You also need a UK address. If you are staying with a friend or family member, they may need to attend the GP's surgery with you, with documentary proof that they live there and vouch for you.

Thank you polpott. This is turning out to be the most frequent response. The relevant emphasis must be on "permanently" and, as you say, End of! My sincere (and only) intention. What 2022 will bring is anyone's guess?

19 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

This is definitely wrong. You're entitled to treatment from the day you arrive providing you can prove that you've returned permanently. See:

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-nhs-when-you-return-to-live-in-the-uk

Thank you Moonlover. I am slowly getting there, though the coronavirus made most gov.uk sites an incredible maze with the usual "Was this page useful?" popping up after every paragraph - at least it seems so!

13 minutes ago, sapson said:

I thought it was infact the first 3 months you could be denied options other than emergency treatment.

 

However I believe if you show a clear intention to permanently now reside in the Uk you are entitled to all benefits from day one.

 

Im sure a more informed member can give concrete advice of the situation.

Thank you sapson! I am also trying to obtain information from gov.uk, but due to coronavirus their sites are unbelievably complicated

2 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

You might run into problems when you try to register with a GP....they might query where your records are? Where have you been?

 

I had a similar problem returning from Germany after 25 years and it took a while to get sorted.

Thank you Surelynot. I am aware that it will not be easy (though, interestingly, I still have a GP whom I visited on average once every five years or so during my occasional trips to the UK). I asked for information primarily as I've only heard some widely different and unsubstantiated rumours.

(Please put this in the correct forum)

After almost 35 years of living overseas I am forced by circumstances to return to the UK. Some 10 years ago I changed my resident status for the UK authorities to "Resident in Thailand" (I think the official blurb on the form called me a "UK citizen, not ordinarily resident for tax purposes" or some such grand title). I am told that for the first six months after return I will have no rights generally available to UK nationals, especially as far as the NHS treatment, certain welfare rights or state pension are concerned. Is this correct information. I would be most grateful for any relevant information, or the link to appropriate websites. Thank you.

11 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

only 60 baht per day. Nothing that us elites will worry about.
A pack of peanuts.

Your calculator must be be a 5G one; my figure is well over 25 times your bag of peanuts

13 hours ago, madmitch said:

So does this imply that foreign "dignitaries" are exempt from quarantine and just have to take a test?

 

 

 

 

So, are you thinking of becoming a foreign dignitary? Go for it: you're foreign, so you're half-way there!  

What happens if the farang does not have the funds to pay for the care, and there is no embassy or consular presence? Does he/she get quietly culled? Just curious... so that reciprocal measures can be recommended to the FCO.

More like Nigerian English, judging by the teachers' and lecturers' nationalities (at least in Issan)

12 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Once again a man child has a hissy fit and throws a tantrum when told that he can not do what he wants, and to wear a mask.  Sometimes, one has to believe that if parents would be held responsible as to the wrongs there offspring commit, even at a later age, because the parents did not kick there rear ends and teach them the difference between right and wrong and respect, but instead believed in this FACE issue to much, if that would change anything.  OK, with that being written now I will put the inside voice away and go slap myself because after reading what I wrote I know it would never occur and is laughable.

 

Yes it is sarcasm

OK, did it hurt when you slapped yourself? It didn't? You've obviously had a prefect FACE training!

It's sarcasm, too

4 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

> Proof of health and accident insurance policy, which should cover the entire period of stay in Thailand, with insurance for medical expenses in case of outpatient treatment of not less than Bt40,000 and in case of inpatient treatment of not less than Bt400,000.

 

So no 100.000 USD special Corona insurance needed now? New rules every day in this country!

What about having to arrive by a charter flight / private plane?