rickudon

Sheryl, the Government Pension in the UK is called the State Pension, Everyone (well most) automatically get about 11% deducted from their Pay, called National Insurance. It is used to fund the State Pension and the NHS (although it doesn't fully cover the cost). You have to have 35 years of contributions to get the maximum - it doesn't depend on how much you paid, but how long. It is about 160 GBP a week (or was a year or 2 ago) if you have the 35 years ... BUT it is reduced if you have another pension (Company, Private or 'Government') which are all dependent on how much you contribute. The 'Government' Pension is a pension paid to retired Government employees. And under Thailand's double taxation agreement, that pension is not liable to Thai income tax. All other pensions, including State, could be taxed in Thailand. Hope that helps!

You have to have a minimum of 10 years to get anything. Look to see if you can back pay NI contributions for 4-5 years, to get to the minimum. First get a pension forecast from the government website. Need 35 years to get maximum.

Yes, i got some free days at a hotel in Bangkok, but i was told it had expired, so returned to Udon. Did get a couple of days there as well later on.

Hmm, maybe i could sue them for my unrecoverable losses i suffered after being stuck at the airport and then in Thailand for an extra 10 days due to this protest. Of course, i would be long dead before they paid up!

Yes, spend a little more. What he doesn't say is what arrangements he has made so his wife can access the money after he dies. Probate can take 3 months or more, He needs to have a will, and ideally his wife should have her own account with about 3 months expenses in it in case of difficulty in accessing the money. The OP may have already done this, but if not, start thinking about that now.

Just informed yesterday by VFS that new passport is back in Thailand. 18 days after application.

Budgeted for the next 7 years, until state pension kicked in. Now just about break even, still have half a million savings in Baht left.

Depends on what Israel's real aims are. Genocide, Ethnic cleansing? Always achievable.

So much disinformation and hatred on this thread. Yes, the Hamas massacre is absolutely shocking and yes, It would be best if Hamas was totally destroyed. But you have to ask yourself, what are the underlying causes of this act? Israel has been very good in the past as promoting itself as the good guy. The real truths seldom make it to the everyday media. People shouldn't just post their gut feelings WITHOUT researching the background and causes of the conflict. The west was quick to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and highlight all the human rights abuses, or complain about ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabak. israeli human rights abuses and ethnic cleansing have been going on for years, just done at a low tempo so it doesn't get much publicity. When you keep pushing, eventually you push back, even though you know you cannot win. The alternative is just give up and die. Some prefer to die fighting. Find out what has been happening for the last 120 years (or even start 2,000 years ago), and then post.

Looks like a bumper crop of rice here around Udon Thani. Just a speculator who wants to push up prices.

I have lived in Udon Thani for 13 years, and it has everything i need. Airport on the edge of town, lots of flights, railway station, a couple of bus stations and quite a few hospitals. I find the Udon General acceptable if a bit lacking in english signage. Not many people seem to upsticks and leave.

The financial markets understood how good an idea Brexit was - they devalued the GBP by 15%. Obviously most effects didn't kick in until we actually left , and then Covid added to the chaos. All we can say, is that probably 95% of the UK population are worse off - go on, name a success story. Sometimes i despair about democracy. Most voters are sheep, lead by judas goats.

In upper Isaan have had a lovely 3 day DRY period for once.

Cherm Chim was started by a chap called John. He sold it on after a couple of years, new owner died about a year after. Stayed derelict for years. John is on his 3rd or 4th business now since then (quite successful, but sells if a good offer is made).

There is free childcare - our daughter went to a government nursery school, free. We did try a private nursery, but daughter was abused because she wouldn't sleep. Government nursery was much better.

The wet season Starts earlier in the North. In Udon Thani (NE), the wet season starts in May to June, at its peak July to September, and usually ends in October. So when you say it has just started, we say it is just ending!

I didn't watch the video, but i do not like big cities. Too crowded, too polluted and often more expensive. I was brought up in outer suburbia and then lived in small towns, villages and work camps for the next 45 years. And i can count the number of nights i have spent in Bangkok in the past 13 years on my hands - usually because my kids visited and wanted to look around it. Only value to me is the international airport - and leave it ASAP - even if it means taking a night bus.

Got made redundant at 55, tried to find another job and no luck. Decided to move to Thailand while i still had some left. Only had 3 million baht and a small pension when i left UK at 58. Not a problem

I live in Udon Thani, and it was the first place i ever stayed in Thailand. i was talking to a girl on the internet while in the UK, because divorce pending and just made redundant. She lived in Udon Thani, so i researched it. Found excellent local forum which provided me with all i needed to know. As a result first visit to Thailand it was straight off the plane and catch a train to Udon. Never did meet that girl..... but within 3 days i had been offered a cracking waitress as a wife by the hotel owner! Unfortunately was only there for 10 days, and did the decent thing and turned her down (which i now regret!). Back in those days (2008) a single farang male in Udon didn't last long before you were caught. My mistake was going to a fishing park where the manager was a young woman..... the rest is history. Still here 15 years later. Hate big cities, like Bangkok. Only ever visit when i have to. Was Udon a good choice? Yes and no. Loving loyal wife, my own fish ponds, grow veggies in winter. BUT climate change definitely an issue, now too hot half the year to enjoy outside, Khun LA complained about the air quality, but he lived in town. i lived just outside and the only air quality problems were jai burning leaves every week (now stopped). i did buy a air purifier after a few smoky days one year, but rarely use it. We have plenty of good restaurants, fast food, farang foods, only thing missing food wise is Indian - Hobsons choice in Udon. Want for very little. OH sorry, Udon is terrible! Do not come! Yiu might spoil it!

Wet season in Udon Thani was a bit slow to start with between May and July, but plenty enough for rice. Last 2 months exceptionally wet - possibly most in the last 4 years. Roads in and out of the village have been flooded numerous times this last month. Should end soon, hopefully, then i can get the veggies growing.

What i would like to know, is what the GDP would be if we take out inflation. Surely if you measure GDP purely as the total value of production, it will go up when inflation is high. As can be seen in this link, UK is STILL below 2019 GDP. https://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/gdp-per-capita-ppp#:~:text=GDP per Capita PPP in,of 30867.17 USD in 1991.

Unemployment - Nephew and his girlfriend both graduated from Rajahabat in last few years, supposedly with qualifications good for government jobs - jobs promised but never fulfilled. He now kills chickens and she is going to return to her home to work in family shop (he may follow if business can accommodate him). That's the problem, lack of good jobs. Many of the workers laid off from tourism during Covid came back home to Udon and set up small roadside businesses, most are still here. For many Thais, no future, just living from day to day, month to month. In our extended family, 3 retired, 2 teachers, 2 retail employees, 6 self employed in selling things in markets or home shops.

Actually, i think the issue with the Fukishima releases is more about Tritium. Most other radioactive elements can be removed using ion exchange filters, and i believe that has happened to most of the waste water. But tritium is just Hydrogen, so cannot be removed easily. Even so, you could probably dump the entire contents of all the reactors into the Pacific and after dilution would still be below danger levels.

For most of us, will not break the bank even if taxation applied to ALL income. I did the tax assessment on the link posted earlier, and on an income of 55,000 baht a month i would pay 19,000 a year. As most of my pension IS covered by the UK/Thailand taxation treaty (ex-government employee) probably very little or nothing. Being married with children helps a bit.....

Not as severe as Loei, but here just outside Udon Thani, for the first time in 2 weeks the garden is no longer flooded and only one of 3 routes out of the village is still under water. Ponds have been overflowing also. Overall, just as wet as last year (and maybe not finished yet). Meanwhile, in Central Thailand supposedly still suffering from a lack of water.... wish i owned a pipeline for exporting water!