Jumbo1968

HMRC will be aware how much State Pension you receive, your tax allowance means you should not pay tax on it albeit I don’t know where you stand if you live in Thailand permanently.

If you are over 70 years of age you can use the Fast Track lanes at the airport.

The whole sale gas price is at the same level or less than before the Ukraine conflict, I appreciate it takes time to filter through, will the price come down when it does.

I agree, haircuts went from 80 to 100 now 150, businesses have to make money but that’s a big percentage increase.

Why, are people paying an agent to arrange a Driving Test when you can do itself for free ?

Do you mean an agent to ‘obtain’ a licence with out taking the test ?

Crossed 3rd Road in Pattaya, earlier, lights in my favour, motor bikes ignored the red light then again how can you deduct points from a licence when the driver doesn’t have a licence ?

If a driver of any motor vehicle/motor cycle etc is stopped the afore should be impounded and only be returned when the owner shows a valid driving licence.. Same with some not wearing a crash hat, they are driving illegally therefore the bike should be impounded. In the U.K. when a vehicle is impounded there is set time to recover it, if not it’s crushed.

The business is currently still trading, the manager who did most of the leg work is running the business, she has been there 15 years.

For some reason I am not receiving by email the daily newsletter from ASEAN Now, anyone else having an issue ?

I had already booked Saturday and Sunday night at a hotel on Koh Larn a few months ago, This week I thought about adding Friday night, I contacted the hotel on Thursday, the hotel said they were full. I enquired with Agoda, yes there was a room 8000฿ for the night !

You can introduce as many laws as you like but if they are never enforced what’s the point, 100% wearing of crash hats is never enforced as is mandatory insurance and driving licences. My taxi driver got hit by a scooter, substantial damage, scooter driver not insured therefore she has to claim from her own insurance company.

So you would not stop and possibly run some one over, do have the same philosophy at traffic lights ?

Same here bikes ignore the policeman and teachers, sniper to take out their tyres.

Soi Buakhao should be closed as it will be used as a rat run because Beach Road is closed.

Same here on 3rd Road the other day, some cars stop some don’t same as motorbikes, one problem is the lights are situated above the drivers eye line at high level. Thee are 2 outside Arunotai school no lights though, the teachers take their lives in their hands when the school opens in the morning and afternoon stopping the traffic to allow the kids to cross, some just ignore the teachers and drive on.

We were ‘stuck’ in the U.K. for 18 months due to Covid travel restrictions on movement, our son attended a U.K. school and I applied and received Child Benefit which I immediately cancelled on our return to Thailand. The problem with the benefits system is they do not have enough staff to chase fraudsters and I am sure the people from Poland are not entitled to Child Benefit as their child is not resident in the U.K..

The biggest problem with the benefits system in the U.K. is 40% of people on benefits actually work, they work the minimum number of hours required to receive benefits but the employers also exploit the situation because they pay little or no tax or N.I to the government for part time workers. I am not sure if imported EU labour are entitled to similar benefits ?

No not press ganged but used as cheap labour, the good point was their home countries had to increase their salaries in-line with the U.K. salaries because they themselves started to suffer from labour shortages.

I would say it was exploitation of the EU workers, the worst thing that was introduced in the U.K. was the minimum wage, employers know that’s all they legally have to pay to anyone.

On construction sites in the U.K., foreigners were not in general being paid the recognised rates of pay, they were being used as cheap labour and in some cases foreign companies were able to compete for projects bringing their own labour at reduced rates which the U.K. companies couldn’t compete with all of which was allowed under EU Law. There were numerous protests mostly in the north of England where local labour couldn’t get a job because of the influx of labour from the E.U. , the rates were in general 50% of the recognised rates and the EU. Labour were being packed into Guest Houses or rented property. None of their earnings was subject to U.K. tax etc meaning a loss of revenue. There is a skill shortage, I have no problem of labour coming from where ever as long as they are being paid the going rate. Employers were more than happy to import cheap labour rather than pay to train U.K. staff. The U.K. economy is suffering now because not only do we have a skill shortage but a shortage of workers in the Health Care and hospitality industry as people who voted were very short sighted,we actually need migration.

Theresa May and Johnson ?

Economically we couldn’t be in a worse state, the Ukraine has created a surge in food and energy prices, Covid we wouldn’t have wasted billions on a failed track and trace system and faulty PPE supplied but friends of friends in the government.

If there was no Covid or Ukraine conflict the issues with brexit would have been revealed before, both provided a smokescreen.