Nurseynutcase

I use the confirmation letter of proof of income from the British Embassy.  i send original copies of my P60s and house rental agreement.  The cost of transferring funds on a monthly basis would be astronomical as i have 5 different pension providers, plus the house rental.  Also i need to leave funds in the UK to cover any costs associated with my house.

i do not have any savings so where would that put me next year?  Do i take along all my bank statements?  Would the local IO really be bothered to wade through so much paperwork?  I do not think so.

Might move to another country but after 4 years here I really do not want to.

I do not think I will be alone with this sort of problem.

18 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Nonetheless an interesting topic.

 

Like most of us who have lived here for a few years, I suspect that we will haggle at times when in a 'haggling' environment.

 

Which is why I gave up markets to buy my veg. and the like - once it became too obvious that a few were more than happy to 'rip me off'...

 

Their loss,- as I would have preferred to give my money to the small guys, but turned to superrmarkets who had written prices ☹️.

When i first came to Thailand I bought my vegetables in the local market - then I found out I was paying a much higher price than the locals would.  However I persisted and over the weeks the price came down and down again.  I now pay the right price.  Sometimes persistence pays off.  Having said that, the hairdresser I used to go to put her prices up each time I visited - I am talking about 100 baht at time - so i gave up on her and went somewhere else - the price is still a little higher than the locals but significantly less than the first lady.

I will haggle on the clothes stalls, sometimes I succeed sometimes not.  Sometimes when I go to pay the asking price I get an unasked for discount.  As someone earlier said - it is always good to be polite.

Just my thoughts and views I know others may disagree.

It became policy in Goa(India) to kill all the snakes as they frightened the tourists.  The upshot was a massive increase in the rat population and now snakes aren't killed anymore - just put into a remote area where they can survive.

We had a snake underneath the house - apparently it was a cobra - it was left alone, all the doors/windows closed and a few hours later it slithered off to the woods behind the house.

Also - forgot to add, there is a poster on here whose name is;

I am a Farang.

On 4/29/2018 at 11:01 AM, oilinki said:

Visa and work permit issues is the biggest drawback for me and makes me wish to move to EU, where those can be avoided. 

 

Perhaps Thailand could adapt visa / permission of stay style from Hong Kong, where the extension to stay time increases the longer one has been in the country. That would let foreigners to think Thailand as a new permanent home country, rather than just a place to visit for an while. 

 

For example, visas could be granted:

First 1 year then 3 years, 5 years and finally permanent residency. 

 

 

Oh if only, if only this were to happen.  Brilliant idea.  Don't think it will happen in my lifetime though!!!!

Here in Phuket we have to provide a photograph of ourselves outside the house showing the number.

I have read all of these postings.  My observations are;

Being brought up in a sh1thole I take pride in keeping our house spotless.

Having money and a huge house does not always= clean.  A friend in the UK whose house is worth over £1 - all paid for is an absoltute sh1thole - infested with mice etc

Another friend also in the Uk has a house valued at £500,000 is living in a pit.

We have a young Thai girl who lives with us and she had a very steep learning curve to cope with when she moved in.  Her room is immaculate and cleaned and polished every week.  To give you an idea of how rough her life was she left school at 13 to work on the rice farm in Issan, slept on the floor, cold showers, one room for the extended family.  A few months ago i asked her  if she was going back to see her grandmother(who brought her up) - she said she wanted to but did not want to stay there as the place was so very dirty and not staying there would upset her grandmother.  The girl is screwed up about what to do.

It does not seem to matter about upbringing, amount of money available or time - some people live in a sty and some do not.  I think it is the same in alot of countries.

40 minutes ago, gamini said:

English food?? The poster must be joking. Especially when he talks about bread. They overcook all their meat and their vegetables are tasteless. In fact, you'll find better English food in Thailand. I have met a few who make such claims. But they like bland food. The only food I miss is Kippers, and salmon, but they are from Scotland!

You can get salmon steaks in Macro, also smoked salmon at Villa Mart - same price as in the UK.  From Norway I think.

Lovely with asparagus, hollandaise sauce and a nice bit of garlic bread.  Yum, Yum.

I did not care which country I moved to - it just had to be warm, all year round.  My boyfriend chose this place.

I have been here over 3 years now and love it.  Do miss work though.

Still have house in England - no plans to go back permanently -------- yet.

I have seen too many people move to another country, something happens and they want to return to the UK but find house prices have risen since they left and have to move to a smaller place or go north.  I lived on the south coast where prices for a small 2 bed-roomed place are extortionate.

Re rolling tobacco - 50g for 400baht golden virginia imported. Decent rolling papers very expensive here so I get a years supply when I visit the UK.  5packs rizla £1 here the costs 50baht - a big difference!!!!

Tried the local tobacco - once was enough!!!

23 minutes ago, faraday said:

Don't forget to bring some Branston Pickle.

 

I bought some Branston pickle in Macro.  UK friends stunned that I got it here!!!

Reading through your loooooooooooong post I think that you are already aware of the inevitable answer.

RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!!!!

I didn't see the programme, however my friends in the UK did.

It has persauded them to come here for a holiday - something I have not managed to do in three years of living here.

Good for the Beeb in getting my friends to come and see me.

Dear VBF 

I regularly bring tobacco into Thailand.  I buy in Dubai - they will only let you buy 250g anyway - it is about one eighth of the UK price - do not buy it in a UK airport - too expensive.

I keep mine in the plastic carrier bag they give you in Dubai and sling it on top of my carry on lugage and walk through the green corridor in customs.

Of course it does depend on what else you are bringing in what chanel you go through.

cheers and enjoy your holiday here.

For me the glass is always half full.  For others it will remain eternally half empty.

Having been financially compromised in the past - debts etc, the simple pleasure of paying the electricity without worrying about it is wonderful - my hard work and effort of the past 44 years has paid off at last.

I do not know and cannot begin to understand why people - especially those ex-pats that live here appear to moan all the time.  As ex-pats living here I feel that we have two options - put-up and shut-up or return to our home country.

As an aside though I do like to moan about the weather - but there is nothing anyone can do about that.  Also the visa situation which seems incredibly complicated.

However, hope springs eternal and maybe, just maybe the grumpy we meet in life will begin to appreciate the pleasures that can be found in life.

Yup - boring boxing day.  We were both sick yesterday and my boyfriend has a severe case of intestinal hurry, so no going out!!!  Bah

For those who are unaware what boxing day is, it is from a time when the poorer people used to visit the grand houses with a box to collect money in for services rendered over the past year.

On 12/17/2017 at 7:00 PM, CeeGee said:

The NHS works the same way, my ex wife was a nurse, was going for a promotion and one particular qualification was required.She did not have this, but had a higher qualification which carried the ability to teach and award the required qualification.

NHS said no, she had to have the exact qualification!(It was suggested by someone that she could infact sit the exam, mark the paper herself, and award herself the required qualification).In the end it took over nine months, with union intervention for the NHS to accept her qualification and give her the promotion.

I too underwent a similar sort of thing.  I had my City and Guilds qualification in further education - took one year part-time to complete.  In doing some work for the University School of Nursing I was told I needed a 5 day course in order to be able to teach student nurses.  My C&G qualification was of a far higher standard than that required.  I refused to do the lower course.  In the end common sense eventually prevailed but it was a long and unnecessary battle.

On 12/7/2017 at 9:51 AM, Scott said:

Sorry, but Moderators and Admin are not eligible.   richard_smith237 I believe is OK.  

 

OH thats a shame - was going to nominate Ubonjoe for his answers to visa problems - very detailed and useful.

Or Crossey for his detailed electrical knowledge

OK. newspapers, cardboard and any sort of paper in one bag,

Plastic bottles and cans, in another bag.

Glass bottles and jars in another bag.

Beer bottles in their boxes.

All stored under the house - left to mount up for a few weeks and our lady recycler comes and picks it all up.

The money she gets for it goes towards her kids schooling.

Any metal or other items left on top of this pile which she also takes.

Yiny bag of non-recyclable waste is put out each night for the rubbish/trash/garbage (call it what you like) truck.

Lamb chops - can't remember when I last had them.

Lamb shanks - two weeks ago.

Got Indian lamb curry in the freezer also kleftiko.

I make them myself from frozen lamb from Makro.

Lovely - think I'll use the kleftiko tomorrow.

Somebody beat me to it!!!!  Went yesterday for my retirement extension and had to fill this form in.  Never had to do this before.

BTW it was in a folder marked TM2!!!!  On the back of the printed form was someones entry stamps so they are still recycling paperwork

As someone said - a bit of a pain when you think you have done everything.

I did not have to provide a copy of my ATM card but my boyfriend did.

I have always found the volunteers at Phuket immigration extremely helpful.  Had some problems earlier this month and they very helpfully sorted it out.

By the way - the volunteers at Phuket do have training before being put behind the desk.

Went to KL five months ago - very friendly and efficient - also free of charge.  Go one day and pick up the next.

Went to Phnom Penh 2 months ago - unhelpful, rude and took two days to get passport - charged for and needed to prove exit ticket to leave Thailand.

From the Embassy - no agent used