GanDoonToonPet

7 working days before expiry I believe. Also, unless things have changed, 60 day VE are extended at the much more convenient IT Square, Laksi. It's literally next door to the MRT station.

I spent continuous 7 months here last year, on a mixture on 30 / 60 day VE plus extensions, then 6 months in the UK and arrived at BKK last week. I didn't have an onward / return ticket and Emirates at NCL didn't ask for one. At the immigration desk, the lady (no comment) asked if I had a return ticket. After a short discussion about me going back to work in China soon, she let me through with the words 'You can't keep doing this without a visa'. She was very calm and polite about it so I'll take it as friendly advice. 😊 Interestingly, she knew that I 'stay with Thai lady' which I had disclosed when I got pulled aside last year after my final VE...so they do keep tabs.

The Evergrande property crisis leading to low investment, 17% youth unemployment and a population bomb with a very short fuse...not the best time to lose your best 375 million customers.

I've also just returned and staying for a few months this time. I ordered the AIS Zeed sim from Lazada for 50B. You get 2GB 5G + unlimited WIFI for the first month plus a load of stuff for kids which I don't need. From months 2-12 you have to pay 150B p/m to keep it active. Who knows, maybe I'll just bin the package and get a top-up package like 50B p/m for 300MB. I rarely go out so won't use it much. 🤔 EDIT: I'll probably only use packages while I'm here then just pay to keep the service going till I get back. Main reason I'm getting it is because I need a permanent number for banking apps.

The Chinese leaders can bluster all they like but the 100 million members of the CCP aren't too happy about losing their biggest customer. Also, don't forget the 'peasants revolt' when Omicron hit China and their strict testing / lockdown regime became unworkable.

ECHR is enshrined in the UK Human Rights Act so not needed any more. Our owns courts can apply it! Look at the Rwanda Bill shambles. It passed through the UK High Court, Appeals Court, and Supreme Court but was bazooka'd by an 'emergency stop' applied by the ECHR. This decision was taken in private without UK representation. We don't need a 'star chamber' to oversee our courts' interpretation of human rights law!

Why not include dolphins? They're one of the most persecuted genders on the planet with high rates of suicide and self-harm. ...or are you denying Dolphins right to exist?

Love him or hate him, he's driving technology forward. He's making the great technological leaps that wouldn't have happened in his absense.

4. Credit card and ATM rejected because his wife took all the money 🤪 Yes...he went there...sorry

Ridiculous, uninformed rant! The vapes sold in Thailand are the same ones that are sold in western countries. Their production is heavily regulated. The ingredients are well known and are regularly tested for by independent government agencies. The ingredients are VG, PG, water, nicotine (optional) and industry standard food-grade flavourings and colourings. As to the 'lung damage', the only evidence for this is from black market cannabis vapes which used non-water soluble vitamin E acetate as the base. Both VG and PG are water soluble and were not found in the lungs during the autopsies of the 50 EVALI patients but high levels of vitamin E acetate and THC were. What next? Ban all alcohol because of the recent methanol poisonings in Laos? Ban seafood because someone got food poisoning from dodgy prawns bought at the market? Pearl-clutching to the max 🤔

Very strange. I just received a letter from HMRC asking me to pay outstanding class 2 NIC but the amount owed is zero! There's a giro cheque attached to it, also showing zero, which I'm supposed to take to the bank 🤔

Actually I think you're right as your forecast is based on contributions paid up until 2023-2024. That part is missing on my forecast and what's shown on my second pic is presumably missing from yours...looks like you can relax! Easy way to check is to view your forecast after 5 April next year to see if it goes down.

His main point in the video was that people erroneously conflate African and black. The soldiers at Hadrian's Wall were likely light-skinned Berbers or Phoenicians, not 'black' as we understand it today.

I worked in Mainland China until recently and was surprised that even the most westernised Chinese people still believed that the virus originated in a lab in Dallas, Texas, USA. You can only imagine the level of racism we experienced over there during that period 😟

Pure Audits We've all surely heard of Auditors by now, along with the kings of UK auditors like AB, PTTP, Focus Pocus, and DJ Audits but this lesser known guy is my favourite. Often nicknamed the 'Frank Spencer' of auditors...it takes a wise man to play the fool 🤔

Sabine Hossenfelder. An interesting, often humourous, take on the state of modern physics and how it intersects with modern culture.

Erm...yes they are 🤣

Me too, at the end of last year. That included registering with a new GP at the new medical centre just down the road from my parents' house. I had to wait 2 months to get a (free) consultation with a surgeon though 😊

You should've done it by post. Mine only took 2 days 🤪

...or the more chronic illnesses you have, the more vaccines you get? 🤔

I wonder how much vaping-related car accidents cost them last year 🤔

Yes that's a very small increase for 16 years of contributions. It could be that some of those years don't actually increase your pension. Did you call FP to check before paying? Good news is you paid the cheaper class 2, so didn't waste much, and you're on course for the full pension. 😊

OK then...guess we'll both have to wait until next year to see our NI record updated 😟

Surely the tax year 2026 to 2027 won't add anything to his pension as it won't be a full tax year? I think he still needs to contribute for the years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 to receive the full pension as his forecast states that it is based on his 'National Insurance record up to 5 April 2024'

Based on that and my corresponding sections above, your forecast is the amount you receive 'if you contribute until [retirement date]'. As long as you pay for the next 2 years you should get the full pension. Obviously those can't shown on your NI record yet. Are the shortfall years you paid showing as full on your NI record?