Mike Teavee

23 hours ago, varun said:

Paid fast track services have been discontinued

Only available by default (free) to holders of BOI extension-of-stays, diplomatic visas and some other categories

You can get a 1 year membership to TLM (Thailand Longstay Management) for 20,000 THB per year which gives you unlimited in-&-Out Fast Track at Swampy (BKK).

Obviously only worth it if you're a frequent traveller (I used it approx 40 times last year so worked out around 500THB a time). 

To the OP: BKK was really quiet when I passed through going out on Feb 4th & coming back on Feb 19th... Can only think it's got even quieter since then

Reading between the lines a little here but by your statement, the "800,000 bahts not peanuts but not a show stopper", I'm going to assume you're on a Non-O/A (No money in the Bank) and your wife is on a Non-O dependant (800K in the Bank) as if you were on a Non-O I believe you would need 1.6Million (800K each) in the Bank. 

Did you get the Visa in the UK? & Did you get it before October last year?

Did the IO mention Medical Insurance or give any indications as to why she wanted to refuse entry? Normally if they have a problem with you they will take you to a desk at the side where an officer will do a more in depth interview, did that reveal any clues?

Also, did your Wife have any problems with the IO (I think most guys let their Wives/GFs go 1st, was she already through when you stepped up)? 

Which airport was it BTW? I've been in & out of Swampy (BKK) on a Non-O 2-3x a month for the past 18 months & never had a question from any of the IOs, so you've been really unlucky, unless it was about Medical Insurance for a Non-O/A, in which case you're very lucky to get stamped back in for the Visa/Extension validity & not just 30 days while you sort your insurance out. 

Legally the address on your UK driving license should be your permanent residence address and this has to be in the UK, so technically your friend cannot renew his UK license.

The correct thing to do is to convert the UK license to a Thai license and use that when driving in the UK, but most people use a friends/relatives address & complete the application online then either get the forms posted to them, sign the forms when they're next in the UK or simply get a friend to forge their signature.

Technically if your friend were to have an accident or get pulled over by the police and it was discovered that the address on his license was invalid then this would be an offence & his insurance company may well not pay out. 

FWIW my license expired December 2013 & I chose not to lie to a government agency whilst arguing with another government agency that I was no longer resident in the UK (for Tax reasons), as I was living in Singapore at that time (& now in Bangkok) there was no need for a car/license, but now I'm looking to move somewhere where a car might come in handy, I'll be going down the Thai driving license route (this has the additional benefit of being a valid ID you can use instead of your passport in some scenarios). 

P.S. If you're friend has been living in Thailand for 12 years then he must have renewed his UK license before as they're only valid for 10 years, what did he do last time? 

On 2/13/2020 at 9:24 PM, gk10002000 said:

What exactly does "reside in Thailand" mean?  would a short weekend hop over to Cambodia matter?  How many days would one be allowed to not be in the country before they "Un reside" you?  

Typically it means has spent at least 183 days in country.

For Tax purposes, Thailand counts travel days as being in Country so a Fri-Sun trip to Cambodia would only see you out of the Country for 1 day (Saturday), I see no reason why the Insurance companies wouldn't follow the same logic.

For Tax it's days spent in the Tax year (Which in Thailand coincides with the calendar year but in the UK for example would be April 6th 2019 - April 5th 2020) for insurance it's day's spent since the Policy start date (so yes if you took out a policy 2 months before arriving, you would not have meet the 6 month criteria until the 8th month) 

On 2/20/2020 at 2:02 PM, Peter Denis said:

Hi Pedrogaz,

What is the IO where you applied for your 1-year extension of stay?

At CW it is not required anymore as confirmed by many posts on the Forum.

 

I also PM-ed you a step-by-step instruction on how to register on the IO TM30 website and file the required TM30s on-line.

 

Hi @Peter Denis,

I've been trying to register for the online TM30 reporting for some time, could you please PM me a copy of your guide.

Many Thanks

MTV

Does anybody ever bother to click on the link associated with the article, the article & picture came from the Daily Mirror, they're the ones that pixelated his face (Possibly on legal grounds) not the Thai Police 

[If you do click on the link, don't bother clicking on Naomi Campbell topless pic]... 

2 hours ago, WorriedNoodle said:

Lol, took me a while to get that one but once I did I couldn't stop laughing ???? 

On 2/17/2020 at 10:14 AM, WorriedNoodle said:

My favourite Frankie Boyle joke... 

(At a dinner party)... There is a vegetarian option... You can <deleted> off home... 

1 hour ago, tropo said:

The first time I heard of Duterte was just after Typhoon Yolanda destroyed Tacloban, in Leyte, killing over 6000 people, in November 2013. This is only 50 km (as the crow flies) from our house in Leyte, which was hit by the eye of this typhoon and had its roof torn off.

I drove through Compostela Valley (on a road trip Kapalong to Surigao to visit ex-GF's grandparents) the week after one of the "Super Typhoon's" hit & it was unreal... Literally a major highway sized road scythed through the forest.

But what stuck in my memory the most was the fact that despite the devastation, the 1st thing that was being rebuilt was the church...

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

You have made multiple assumptions as to the popularity of Duterte. Filipinos are notorious for telling people what they they think they want to hear, not necessarily what they truthfully feel. As you are no doubt an expert on the the local culture you know that already, right? 

I had a house in Kapalong (about 2 hours north of Davao City) for 8 years (would visit 8-10 times a year) & can tell you that the people everywhere I went to in Mindanao worshiped D30 (They'd have lifesize cardboard cutouts of him outside their stores), to the point where his daughter took over from him as mayor when he moved on.

Filipino friends I worked with in Singapore tell me how much they agree with D30's policy on drugs (though not the way it's enforced) & his approval rating was (probably still is) > 80% (care to guess at Trump's or Johnson's approval ratings)?

Maybe you'd like to share your credentials as to what makes you "An Expert"... 

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's a difference between momentary pleasure and overall worth of one's life.

 

Back on topic, voluntary contribution only really make a difference for years after the new pension scheme started. Generally it's now pointless to buy years prior to 2016, buying years after @700 pounds gets you 4.25 GBP/week per year. I might buy some more years just before my state pension starts, depends on how many years it looks like I have left.

As I learnt after the fact, I paid £955+ to catch up on 7 years (they gave me the extra year as I applied in February but didn't get to pay until May) & 6 of those apparently didn't count a bean... 

Next time I'm in the UK I'll be getting the monies back, but at £159 pa (Class 2) it's a no brainer to continue to pay until I have the full 35 years (I'm targeting 36 just to be on the safe side) 

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's a difference between momentary pleasure and overall worth of one's life.

True, but both are what makes life worth living 

IIRC you have 4 kids, that must give you more pleasure than most people will ever have, so why wouldn't you want to savour every moment, if you did "End" 15 years ago, how much would you have missed & how much do you have to look forward to??? 

Think we've gone OT enough, maybe a new topic is required ???? ... after you BM2...

7 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

Ref catching up missing years for a UK State Pension:

The figure calculated to catch up missing years is far higher that voluntary contributions and the figure depends on your current age, the figures are calculated by the DSS.  Contracting out has no effect under the latest pension calculations for a UK State pension, it is purely 35 years NI contributions for a UK State pension in full.

 

See:   https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines

 

See: https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated

 

 

 

Ref Australian State Age Claim Pension and currently living overseas at time of a proposed claim

You must be an Australian resident to make a claim for the State Age Pension.

If you are currently living overseas you have to return to Australia to claim the State Age Claim Pension.

The process can take several months and you may not be granted an Age Pension depending on your income and assetts.

Your claim for an Age Pension will also be subject to an asset test and should you exceed the asset disqualification limit, you will not receive an State Age Claim Pension.

 

There are certain exemptions from the asset test, such as your main residence if owned.

The current asset disqualification limits for a single, full State Age Pension applicant are $258,500 for a homeowner and $465,500 for a non-homeowner.

 

Should you be granted an State Age Claim Pension, you have to remain in Australia for two years, otherwise your Pension will be cancelled.

 

When you move overseas after the two years, your Age Pension will be paid at the ‘outside of Australia’ rate and will be subject to the work-life residency rule.

 

This means that if you have lived in Australia for less than 35 years between the ages of 16 and 65, you will be paid a pro rata rate.

The only thing that matters when calculating UK Pension entitlement is years NI paid (Trust me, due to a calculation error I was 50p short one year & it didn't count until I rectified it).

Again, Aussies have access to their pension if they meet the criteria (one of which is being resident in Australia when they claim it in no way does this mean that they can't have a pension if they live overseas).

Oh & your statement about Pensions being frozen if you live outside of the UK is wrong... I won't bother listing all of the counties where reciprocal social security benefits apply, I'll just throw in the Philippines as one example of where your UK pension will still get the yearly uplifts... 

21 minutes ago, Jare said:

I just don't see the point in it really. People in the UK strain themselves so hard for so little, and in the end, being a pensioner is not a great experience. I'd rather spend it whilst I'm still young-ish, and leave enough for a pistol when the money runs out. All that paperwork and call-centre stuff seems hardly worth it.

lol... Let's see if you're still saying the same when you hit 66 (or 45 for that matter) & realise the abyss that you're staring into. 

7 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

It can cost nearly £800 a year to top up, you have to work out if it’s worth it.

https://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2019-01-15‌‌/top-your-state-pension-now-avoid-contribution-cost-hike-april

If you're working Overseas you can top up at Class 2 rates which is £159 this year... 

NB, there is some debate about whether it's worth backpaying before April 2015 as they re-baselined everybody's entitlement at that date and back payments for years before then may not make a difference (Mine don't seem to have so I'll be taking it up with them on my next trip to UK) 

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Just about anything beats living in the UK mate.

I miss living in the UK... Then I go back for a 2 week visit & can't wait to escape again !!!

Joking aside, there is a lot to miss about the UK, really miss hiking in the Lakes. shopping for decent gear (clothes) & even a simple Pub Lunch with a decent pint... 

Oh & Mum's cooking obviously (That's the real reason I go back 3 times a year ????) 

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

I have enough points to upgrade for a Qatar Europe flight but I didn't know that you could switch the points over. between Qatar and Finnair?

 

I have silver Qatar membership but they say any upgrade flights must be taken with Qatar air or so I read? Is that wrong?

 

I will bear in mind what you say about the Swampy programme because if this business deal comes off in the UK for me, it will be well worth it.

You can't transfer the points as such, but if you're flying Qatar you can choose to have the accrued points added to your Finnair membership.

You should be able to book any of the One World carriers with your Qatar points, here's a link to a guide for how best to go about it... https://upgradedpoints.com/searching-oneworld-award-availability/

5 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

My wife and I flew with Oman, BKK to LHR at Christmas.. No complaints whatsoever and I have just booked with them again for a trip in May.

Quick check in, fast track immigration, nice new lounge at Swampy, great seat layout with aisle access from all, amazing food, comfy sleep, adds up to a stress free trip ????

 

Business fare, return to London @ 72k baht.... That's a good deal

If you have Priority Pass lounge access, you can use the Oman lounge at Swampy.

I like it though the food selection isn't great (AF/KLM is much better) but has better wine selection than the other lounges.

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 Finn air are due to open a brand new configured economy premium this year, or so I have read and that could be the clincher for me moving to them. Qatar, unless a prmo is on, is starting to get well above Emirates and Etihad in economy class.

 

Another business cheapo is Oman air but I have heard poor comeback about them.

Good thing with Qatar & Finnair is you can claim your points on either airlines frequent flyer scheme (I put the points from my Qatar flights onto my Finnair account).

Lounge in Helsinki is decent as well & once you're a Silver Member you get priority lane access in Helsinki & Manchester (Not sure about Bangkok as I flew in economy from Singapore & Business from BKK but I doubt it knowing how strict they are there with Fast Track access nowadays).

If you do fly a lot from Swampy & want Fast Track access, Thailand Longstay Management do a package for 20,000 THB pa you get Fast Track in & out (only covers Swampy), I've been using it for 14 months now & it's been flawless (Met at the gate on arrival & check-in desks on departure). 

5 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Agree on most of it but you can't beat traveling in a good business class such as Qatar for the whole experience. I am just looking at biz flights now for Manchester at around 68,000 baht.

Same here, lowest price I've seen has been 65,550 (again via matrix.itasoftware.com)

Finnair (not as good) were showing 60,350 a few days back but is now at 72,500... 

On 2/10/2020 at 5:27 PM, Spaniel said:

Around September my (Thai) wife and I are planning to visit the USA and as this could be my last trip there so  thought  we would try business or economy deluxe.  We will be flying Bkk to Dulles     Price will be a big consideration  and any airline is ok.    I have checked Kayak .    Any suggestions appreciated.

use matrix.itasoftware.com, it allows you to search for a range of durations (e.g. 14-21 days) over a 1 month period & search nearby airports at the same time. 

23 minutes ago, YorkshireLad88 said:

How would i get a job in thailand i aint got a trade all i know is how to kill people 

I thought the army would have taught you a trade as well as how to kill people, but if they didn't, pick something you want to do & set about learning how to do it (If you're "Retired" you have all the time in the world to learn a new skill ???? ) 

The obvious example is English teacher, but you need a degree to do that (I'm assuming that you didn't go to Uni before joining the army which would mean a lengthy commitment before you get (minimal) rewards). 

A better alternative is to become a digital nomad & find something you can do online that will generate you enough cash (This could be anything from writing ebooks/reviews/blogs etc... Website/Social Media development/maintenance, paid for coding gigs or just selling stuff on eBay/Drop shipping).

Or, contact Brian Flowers (Owns the Pattaya Addicts site & a large chunk of the Nightwish group of bars) and ask him if he has any bar manager vacancies (He was advertising for someone a few months back, I'll try to dig out the thread & PM it to you.