The Fugitive

Halifax and Santander. Santander will send renewed/replacement cards to Thailand. Unfortunately, Halifax won't.

A house I owned in South America had 12 foot perimeter walls topped with broken glass. Paid a monthly contract for armed response. Never got burgled but my laptop was stolen. Suspected it was the lady we employed for cleaning/laundry. No cameras installed so could never establish who took it.

I don't know if you've used the 'View your driving licence information' https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence There is a facility to 'share' your record (they gave an example of with an employer). However, I'm fairly certain that DLT wouldn't entertain viewing electronic information and would insist upon handling a physical licence. As a way forward you could try taking a Thai person of standing (maybe a schoolteacher or other government worker) with you and ask if they could kindly make an exception? Offer a tip, of course. Alternatively, I know someone who offered DLT 2,000 for her licence (she actually paid 4,000 for both motor car and motor cycle) and both were issued without any tests.

That would have been 1973 then?

Human nature being what it is, even if their choice of travel insurance clearly offered two distinct policies; 1) No moto hiring/riding or 2) Including moto hiring/riding people would take a chance and buy the cheaper one (those who buy any travel insurance at all that is).

Tested my Thunder SIM 'on the road' yesterday (as a passenger of course). During the 60 km journey to Khon Kaen, connections were continuous! Speeds varied, as you'd expect. Reached upper 20's for downstream in places. However, in Central Khon Kaen, at ground floor level, downstream speeds dropped to 3 or 4 Mbps. All in all, satisfactory (for me at least), especially for 999 baht per annum!

I like it! Took me 4 years, however no effort or expense involved. Mrs spoke to Head of Customer Services, by chance, at a mobile blood donor session held in the hall of our Amphur (Town Hall). They already held all necessary details from our recent marriage registration but wouldn't copy them over for Yellow Book application. Head of Customer Services told them to do just that!

Agreed. My stepdaughter now has my iPhone 7 and thinks it's great!

My Mrs buys 5 year old iPhones for my birthdays. Still fully functional. At next birthday my old 'phone goes to my 23 year old university graduate stepdaughter who is extremely grateful. 35,000 baht is too much for a 17 year old. Used iPhone is the way to go IMHO.

Many thanks for your time and effort in reporting. It will help others. Wish I could get £250 out of Santander. Well done! I too had assumed that when I supply a new telephone number the old one would be deleted or, at least, marked ‘historical – do not use’. They rang my VYKE UK virtual number 3 times with no reply (don’t know why I didn’t answer). Then they sent a text to it saying ‘We’ve tried to contact you to discuss your accounts. Please contact us within 28 days or we may need to block your accounts. Please call us on 0800 032 7055’. When I telephoned (after firstly ‘phoning their regular Customer Services number to check the number supplied was genuine) they explained they are simply ensuring their records are up-to-date. The lady told me she held a ‘foreign mobile number’. That is my current and only Thai number I’d given them 6 years ago. I told her that I reside in UK but, as now retired, spend time in Thailand which is why I gave that number. She then updated my occupation status from working to retired! As sammieuk1 advised, expat bank accounts can and do get closed down. However, Santander UK are OK about it at the moment. I don’t believe there is anything we can do should that change. Repeated use of our cards abroad and transfers to Wise give the game away!

I too have a Santander UK bank account. I gave them my Thai True Tourist H pre-pay mobile number and received everything for 5 years without any problem. Last year I subscribed to VYKE and now use a virtual UK mobile number. I have supplied this number to all organisations in UK and it works perfectly for both voice calls and SMS. The advantage for the caller in the UK is that they only pay for a UK mobile call. The advantage to me is that I can receive anywhere in the World via WiFi or mobile data connection and never have to change my mobile number. I would recommend subscribing to VYKE. Costs £12 GBP per ANNUM to rent a UK mobile number. Incoming calls and SMS are free. Outgoing calls to UK cost approx. 1 ppm and SMS 4p each.

Thank you. Most informative.

It could be translation error? e.g. stopped and details taken = detained = arrested?

Thank you very much!

Appreciate your contributions! You mention you are using a pocket router. Would the signal reception be equal to, worse or better than that of an 'average quality' mobile 'phone?

Good thinking! Logically, once they are satisfied no electricity is being stolen, the next option for them would be to insist that your solar system is closed down until it has been checked over and approved from a safety point of view. You would probably have to stand the cost of that inspection. Very little (if anything) to worry about IMHO.

My Thai niece worked for one of the ISP/Mobile 'phone companies mentioned above. Two years on their call centre was more than enough. Apart from the shifts (one rotation finished at 23.30) she wasn't happy selling products knowing that the customer would never get what was advertised. Whenever I told her about interruptions in my service and slow speeds she simply gave me the number to ring!

My TOT NT Thunder was delivered on Wednesday 08/02/2566 so very early days yet. I am South of Khon Kaen, ground floor shop, one soi away from main thoroughfare. Installed it into iPhone 8 Plus. Speeds; Downstream range from 11.3 to 16.5. Upstream from 0.16 to 1.82. I am unable to obtain a signal at home (ground floor, only 980 metres from shop and also only one soi from main thoroughfare). Hope this helps you and others!

Good point! Hopefully, what they can see is limited to any alternative address field? Mobile 'phone number upon my Shopee account is mine, for delivery I gave them my Mrs's for both addresses.

Great advice!

I'll second that. A lady (presumably at the local delivery depot) 'phoned my Mrs at 09.00 am querying that I have two addresses on my Shopee account so does she go with the default address ( which I had selected for delivery), or are we at the other one now? We were actually at the other one at the time! Delivered by 'Flash' 4hrs 30mins later. I call that brilliant service.

My Mrs won't walk anywhere. Not even literally 'round the corner. Every moto journey (especially with no helmet, T Shirt etc.) involves a risk. Only last week my nephew was 'broadsided' by another moto emerging from a minor road. Fortunately, both riders suffered only minor injuries. This morning he's meeting with the police and the other rider for the third time arguing about who has to pay for what!

Unfortunately, not many people will pay 200 GBP for travel insurance viewing it as 'money down the drain'. It is unusual that someone from the UK would hold a motorcycle licence (they repeatedly mentioned 'moped' in the article although it almost certainly wouldn't have been under 50cc). Very pleased the young lady got sorted. It would have been preferable to select a policy where you don't have to pay 'up front' and then claim reimbursement but, fortunately, with help from her father she could find 20,000 GBP. Some people may have struggled to do so!

Shouldn't laugh because I've been caught out. Some of my switches are the right way up (up for off and down for on).

Thanks for the tip. After recently reading about the COD scams I prefer to pay by credit card.