halloween

12 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Which credit union are you using? Generally credit unions cannot do overseas transfers (that is what mine told me) only banks.

 

Edit: misread your post. Credit unions can do withdrawals. I'd still be interested to know which one does it without fees  - mine charges like the proverbial.

MMPCU now trading as Unity Bank. I am looking at a phone app crew called Currencies Direct who are quoting exchange rate ~B0.8 better than UB with no fees. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks good.

2 minutes ago, David Walden said:

That exact figure is not important and you are likely correct,but presently you only need to be resident in Aus 25 years and 6 or 9 months...not 35 years that will be required in 2035.

It's bloody well important to me, and anybody else close to eligibility. The thought of having to spend another 3 months there, well into winter, was not pleasant at all and had me rapidly.searching websites. AFAIK there never has been a 65y9m eligibility age, it increases 6 months every 2 years.

26 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Yes but not yet.  The introduction of the 35 year requirement to get a pension will not take effect till 2034/35.  At present you need only be  65 years and 9 month to and have lived in Australia for 25 years and 9 months to be granted a pension, almost automatic,  each year the granting date is extended 3 months.  2015 to 2035  that is 20 times of 3 months.  The bit about living in Australia for the 2 years preceding your application is something you need to plan for before for some years previous.  You can often still be resident in Australia but having lengthy holidays out of the country if you plan things well. 

Better check your figures David. I am eligible for OAP at 65y6m next May. the next step up is for those born after 1/1/54 to 66y eligibility.

7 minutes ago, wakeupplease said:

The UK government defends and helps the world my friend with a lot less troops on the payroll, this lot can't even win a pow wow with next door.

 

As for Generals even the US has less.

Yes top heavy, didn't you see that? What has the number of troops got to do with anything, or that Thailand doesn't try to be the world's policeman's deputy? You are happy to criticise military spending here, and every social problem gets a submarine comment, but it considerably less by percentage GDP than your own country. Don't they have problems that need sorting?

Do you approve the UK spending 6 billion quid on subs?

2 minutes ago, JAG said:

 

I think that you are just trying to pick a fight.

Trolling.

Just pointing how you are happy to link social problems here with military purchases but don't do the same for your own country.

2 minutes ago, sceadugenga said:

This actually works, just show that wifey has no income of her own.

 

2.2.5.50 Discretion to Treat a Person as Not Being a Member of a Couple for a Special Reason

 

http://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-law/2/2/5/50

Again. doesn't apply to me. Other half of 13+ years doesn't want the hassle of marriage and she doesn't exist as far as C/Link is concerned. Good there is a way around it, but quite happy i don't have the problem.

1 minute ago, moojar said:

These are the posts most valuable to people - recent actual real world experiences.  Thank you.  

 

I spoke to the International C/L office this year or last year - posted about it here.  They were vague about how one goes about retaining residency in the lead up to pension age.  They did say having a Thai wife counts against me, and spending two or three weeks per year in Oz is not enough - in her words "that's just a visit".   

'Thai wife' - wash your mouth out with soap and sew your lips together! NEVER utter those words to C/Link.

10 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

 

Now that you mentioned, spending 6 B on submarines and long list of other purchases and the salaries to maintain 1,500 generals are indeed wasteful when education, skill and training to meet economic expectation are sorely lacking. This problem UK don't have after spending and planning wisely. Not so for Thailand but the military got to have their toys Halloween and some into their greasy hands. 

Sorry I was just pointing out a bit of hypocrisy, but any man that claims Suthep for a credible source (when it suits him) knows all about it.

3 minutes ago, moojar said:

As long as you qualify, you'll get something straight away.  If you're a citizen you're eligible for the pension.  

 

It's just going back overseas is the sticking point - to qualify for 'portability' some say you must spend two years in Oz without leaving for even a day (in which case you'd reset the clock), others say you can make short trips - days, not months - overseas in the two years.  It's a grey area.  

Discussion point, not personal circumstances. I am on my to Oz now, will work until May when my OAP starts. Though I spent a lot of time o/s will have spent 4 years working >6 months/year and have been told will have portability immediately.

BUT will not claim portability immediately, tell them I am off for another 6 months as usual and back to work November. Have to put tax return in and will do a few weeks work while there without losing pension. Intend to keep nominal Oz residence as long as possible for Medicare.

What happens if somebody heads back to oz, straight to CL and tells them they are homeless and broke?

8 minutes ago, JAG said:

To be frank, although I am a member of a forum dedicated to the British Army ("Army Rumour Service "or "ARRSE" ) I rarely post.

 

Mind you, The British Army does not make a habit of staging coups to prevent the "wrong side" winning elections...

It's just as well the UK doesn't have any social problems that require additional funding oter wise you might be complaining about spending 6 billion quid on submarines, along with a long list of new purchases.

4 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Taxing Thai farmers for water. That's a novel idea but why stop there. As well as taxing them for rain that falls from the sky why not tax them for the sunlight from above as well. That all helps grow their products and they could impose a fee for say a nominal 8 hours per day. What about those farmers who have a windmill for pumping well water. Why not tax them for the wind they use?

I can't understand why the military deep thinkers haven't thought of this before. Money for old rope!

Rain that falls from the sky is not taxed, but it is rarely sufficient. Rain that falls elsewhere has to be collected, stored and distributed, which costs money. Is asking those with larger farms to contribute too much?

18 hours ago, JAG said:

The waste is the money spent on the bloated, untrained and largely unusable army. It could be cut by 2/3 with no appreciable effect on the security of the nation. 

A smaller military would not have the same influence, which would allow elected governments to govern. Then over time the voters could demand and insist on meaningful measures to tackle the corruption which blights the country...

 

 

While certainly top heavy, Thai military spending (1.4% GDP) is quite modest compared to most countries, including yours. (UK 1.9% GDP). Do you post on UK forums similar to here?

10 minutes ago, DjSiN said:

I really dislike talking about politics, but didn't she STEAL money from poor rice farmers,? (Not "lost billions")!?

 

im actually a bit confused on this topic now, cos the majority here think she is being wronged. 

From my understanding she used her power to gain very lucrative financial rewards, (like most politicians) and fkd over a lot of farmers etc,? Or is there not one OUNCE of evidence?

It went both ways. There were a lot costs involved for storage and transportation, but if you are buying millions of tons of rice for B23/kg and selling some of it for B15, you are obviously going to make a loss. And there was not a lot of accounting going on, all this was hidden from parliament.

OTOH in one revealed deal, there was a genuine G2G sale to Indonesia of 300,000t. In a closed door deal, a rice trader was involved, who bought the rice from Thailand @ B12/kg and sold it to Indonesia for B15. So he made B900 million on a total loss of B3.3 billion. Where was the need for a trader in a G2G deal? The man involved Apichart is close to her brother and was her preferred agent despite having outstanding debts to the country and banks of billions of baht. He is currently incarcerated for fraud.

Just now, sjaak327 said:

It does not matter, they have no right to make any investment, they don't represent the people of Thailand in any way shape or form. 

 

Whether or not billions of baht are currently being paid to cronies and wasted, we cannot know, as transparancy and checks and balances are completely absent. If history is any guidance, the amount of wasted money will most likely dwarf the rice scheme. But for that, one needs to study history. Not just one side of the history but all sides. Come back when you finally mastered that. 

And you persist with the ridiculous statement " they have no right to make any investment, they don't represent the people of Thailand in any way shape or form."

They are the government, your disapproval is totally irrelevant, get over it.

1 minute ago, sjaak327 said:

Is it ? Did you forget how they came to power, and did you forget that there are no checks and balances whatsoever. Meanwhile any hint of corruption undertaken by them is crushed by arrest and attitude adjustments. If they are so good and true to the cause as you claim, why is there even an amnesty needed for future crimes ? The answer to that question will set you free eventually.

 

I made no outlandish claims, that they are above the law is enshrined into the interim constitution they themselves drafted. The deficit has been published by numerous Thai newspapers. God only knows how big the deficit is right now, but reports about their reserves being depleted does not bode well. 

 

Let's also not forget that the corruption index for Thailand has worsened under the Junta watch. What we do see is purely window dressing. They are not here to stop corruption, they are here to prevent democracy from meddling with their paymasters interests. The "approved" consitution which is still being worked on, is the best proof of this. It simply cannot be denied that it will give extraordinairy powers to a senate, of which no members are actually elected. 

 

Elections in 2018 or whenever don't really matter. That is what they have done. I hope they won't get away with it, but am afraid it will take blood to rectify. 

 

It saddens me that seemingly educated westerners are falling for this bullshit, you should know better. Educated in how democracy should work, yet you seem to be ok with what these people are doing. 

 

I know that the Shinawatras are crooks, but I also know these people are a few notches worse, and I rather have a crooked PM that can be voted out, than this lot. 

So ignore the infrastructure investment, rather than hundreds of billions of baht being paid to cronies and wasted, which will help the nation in the long run? Base your argument on a perception index, which you don't bother to link, and keep making claims of corruption with absolutely no backing.

What you won't refer to is the lack of popular discontent.

1 minute ago, sjaak327 said:

What outlandish claims are we talking about. The amnesty of the Junta ? Read the interim charter, it is in black and white. The only claims we see on a daily basis are your claims, claims for which precious little evidence actually exists. 

In the last few posts, i see any number of them, all highly biased opinion. What I don't see is links, or anything to support your biased views.

While it your right to not like the junta government, it is a fact they are the government of this country and have been for some time. Claiming that every action they undertake lacks legitimacy, especially in the counter corruption endeavours is ridiculous. They have certainly uncovered and prosecuted far more corruption during their term than Yingluk's highly publicised non-effort, even though it irks you that much of it was by elected officials and their cronies.

6 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

I am waiting for you to provide yet a single piece of evidence that Yingluck benefitted from corruption. There has not been anything brought to the table at her trial. Meanwhile the Junta, whom seized power illegally ran a deficit in the first 6 months alone, that was higher than the alleged costs of the rice scheme. No mandate, no accountability and no chance they ever going to face trial. If Thailand is going towards an economic disaster, you should look at Prayuth and not to Yingluck. 

Why would anyone bother supplying you with evidence when you make outlandish claims without any support and claim they are gospel?

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

The coup plotting came right after she won the election in 2010. Your favourite politician said that himself. Then after he set up the scene with the Bangkok Shutdown and use provocateurs and paid mercenaries to intensify the situation. Up step the General declaring to Suthep that he must be tired and let the military take over. All documented and yet you date twist the facts. Desperate ain't you. 

Quoting Suthep as a credible source? Oh, I see, you're not actually mentioning his name now after being called on it elsewhere. But really, Suthep said so it must be true?

Would it be rude of the UK to enquire as to the source of her wealth and proof of tax paid?

1 hour ago, Proboscis said:

I hate to break your bubble but extradition only works when the offence in question also exists in the country from which the defendent is being sought.

Hate to tell you this, but the UK does have a law regarding negligence in office. IIRC last used unsuccessfully against a Minister of Health some 60 years ago.

4 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

In a police state created by a military regime, who else would be responsible for the performance of the police?

"In a police state created by a military regime"?   What have you been smoking? If there is news that the RTA and RTP have suddenly formed a close association why haven't we heard about it?

5 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

I will but I observe your ears, eyes and mind are closed to any intrusion of truth, justice and 'out of the box' thinking. 

 

I don't know why this is so but can only surmise that you are just a 'hater' of 'Shins' (as you call them) and so it infests your thinking on everything and, wrongly, spews over into thinking anything opposed to the Military Junta must support the 'Shins' which has become code, in your world, for everything evil in Thailand.

 

Why would I support the 'Shins'?  I don't vote, I don't know them and have never supported Thaksin returning nor said that Yingluck was in any way a great PM. My stance is that the Junta has turned her into a martyr and that free and fair elections should take priority in ANY countries and ALL of us (and that includes haters like yourself) should accept the result.

 

I would not accept any rulings from any country ruled by any Army as being 'safe convictions' and neither should you. It's not about the 'Shins' at all, it's about the unelected Junta.  Have a think but I doubt your entrenched view is likely to change but at least try to RESPECT alternate views?

You forgot to answer the question.

Perhaps the toddler brought the gun. Does the child care facility have a metal detector at the door and a security guard to check all bags?

4 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

You even challenge whether letting her flee is INCOMPETENCE?  what is it then?  the house was surrounded, listening devices tuned in.

 

Your ability to remain detached matches Donald Duck's ability to speak in comprehensible English. Who are the 'Shin sycophants'? are you attacking posters again?  why not stick to defending your Junta rather than insults?  who is angry and bitter?  If you refer to me I am no Shin Sycophant it matters not to me who is in power as long as Thai citizens get the chance to choose who THEY want. A right you seek to deny them.

 

Everyone knows that a system run by the unelected, in any country, cannot be trusted to deliver justice (obviously).

Riiight, you're not a Shin sycophant.  Explain to me where the junta fits into the known scenario of corrupt politician uses corrupt police to skip bail and leave the country?