prakhonchai nick

Dave

I will be coming with Chaimai

Count me in too please

Nick

I have never been to Harleys, but many friends have, and I have been considering a visit.

However having just looked at their website -harleysprasat.com - it says Closed for re-construction!

Nobody has mentioned this. Is it the bar that is being re-constructed or the web-site?

On more than one occasion, using my Nationwide flex card in a GSB ATM, the withdrawal was aborted by the machine before giving me the requested cash a minute or two later after re-entering the details

On checking my Nationwide account online later I have found each time 2 withdrawals and 1 credit to balance things off.

If the Widow has a child/children under 20 completing secondary education then she can claim Bereaved parents Allowance which is currently around £95 a week.

You make a point of stating 'completing secondary education'.

Is it only applicable if the child is in secondary education or also applicable if a child is in pimary education?

Yes you are correct. It would also apply to pre-school children.

The point I was trying to convey was that it it did not apply when studying at University. This is however a moot point. In the UK one studies for A level exams before going to University (and A levels are considered secondary education) Here in Thailand the equivalent of A levels are studied during the first 2 years of university.

This very point is being taken up with the pension people in connection with a claim I have submitted on behalf of a local widow. I think the pension people will eventually see the light of day.

Doesnt this widows pension for the widows of expats incertain countries end soon for new claimants.......April 2010?

And for all claimants by 2020?

I take it new claimants means those who reach retirement age on or before April 2010, and all claimants means the scheme gets stopped for all, even those claiming previously.

Penkoprod

Don't confuse widows pension with dependents allowance,

The dependents allowance is claimable until 5th April 2010, and will be paid for 10 years (or less if the dependent reaches pensionable age before). Anyone reaching retirement age after 5th april 2010 cannot claim dependents allowance. The allowance is currently £57 a week for those that have paid the full "stamp"

A Widows pension is payable for only 1 year following the husbands death, but the widow is eligible to claim state pension based on her former husbands NI contributions when she reaches retirement age (soemwhere between 60 and 66 currenty)

All payments/allowances are available in all countries, It is just that in some including Thailand it will be frozen at the rate given upon commencement

If the Widow has a child/children under 20 completing secondary education then she can claim Bereaved parents Allowance which is currently around £95 a week.

You need to have made National Insurance contributions in the UK for 39 years to get the full benefit for your surviving spouse, but I seem to recall that the £2,000 lump sum benefit is much easier to qualify for.

Bereavement benefits are worth having. I wonder how many ex-pats properly brief their Thia wives about how to collect benefit when they peg-it!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBen...C&cre=Money

Actually its 44 years for full benefit, if you are a man and 39 for women, if you reach retirement age before 5th April 2010. After that date its 30 years for everyone.

I agree entirely that the Bereavement benefits are worth having. £2000 lump sum + 1 years pension currently at £57 a week. And if there are children, it can be as much as £95 a week until the youngest is 20.

Unfortunately most widows are unaware of this, and nobody tells them. It is necessary to claim the £2000 within a year, and the other benefits cannot be backdated for more than 3 months.

I suggest all farangs make a note of this and keep it with their main financial assets. It won't take the widows too long to come across it!

The UK SS told me that when I die my wife will be entitled to Breavement Benefit which is a one off paymnet currently 2k Quids and when she reaches retirement age then she can have my pension entitlement.

No requirement for residence in UK.

Bereavement benefit is correct

The bereavement benefit is a £2000 0ne off payment.

In addition his surviving thai wife (if under 60) and no dependent children will be entitled to 1 years Widows pension -currently £57 a week if NI stamps paid in full by the late husband.

If the surviving wife has dependent children (need not be the husbands) then she is entitled to bereaved parents allowance whilst the child/children are in SECONDARY education (not university) up to age 20.

This allowance is currently worth around £95 a week.

Once the widow reaches 60 (or maybe slightly more depending on her present age, she will be entitled to a pension in her own right providing she neither remarries nor cohabits.

Trust this helps

PM me for more info if you wish

How did you get the car back???...if it was pawned in Cambodia....You obviously dont know this lady very well as you dont even know the nationality of her husband, and if you know her then you must know where she works/lives so go and get your money back. Take some guarantee in the future, passport, I.D card etc

Went to Chong Chom to pick it up. We had a copy of her i/d card and 500baht deposit. We do trust people, although it seems Thai people are only honest when people are watching. Although then again I can't imagine a Thai man carrying out this scam. It seems only the women are theives and liars.

I'm curious

How did you find out it was in Cambodia? Surely she didn't contact you and tell you!

You have a copy of her ID with presumably her home address on it. Send the lads down to sort her out!

Ate Thai food there last week - excellent. Pizza unfortunately repeats on me.

The bread is highly recommended and the garlic butter! He does a good range of cakes too.

Shop run by a nice Guy -from Holland.

I'm back from Nong Khai. Picked up the tail end of the festivities - very enjoyable. Can highly recommend Nong Khai Resort - out near the train station.

Heard many reports of fireballs being seen some 30kms+ east of Nong Khai, but none locally.

I believe there is some connection between fireballs and Sang Som!

I'm going there today for a few days - albeit after the event. It's a big tourist attraction but I don't believe the myths. methane gas maybe -no idea what else it might be, but serpents, mythical gods - NO WAY!

If I find one in my bed I'll let you all know!

I believe it is true that if the Thai wife goes first, then the farang husband loses out, with children, parents, siblings all in line for a handout. BUT that only applies if she dies intestate.

If the wife can be persuaded to write a will, leaving everything to the husband upon her death then there should be no problem. She could even leave everything to her children or family, with a proviso that the husband be permitted to occupy/use the property during the remainder of his lifetime.

Strangely I don't see Pattaya mentioned -only Chonburi

My next door neighbor just got back from Korat Immigration and was told they are moving to Chok Chai on Oct 1st. Here a copy of the map they gave him of the new location. Can't for the life of me figure out ehy they are moving to Chok Chai??

If that is the case it will be much easier for all out here. Some 25kms this side of Korat. Driving time from Prakhonchai just 1 hour 10 minutes or less!

Thanks for that! I got more help from your website, than you

I was more interested in your comments about helpful girlies meet n greeting you?

Not just idle curosity, a group of guys I know, are looking for a happy place to stay

Dave

If the meeting arrangements are as good as Martin indicated, I would imagine the group of guys seeking accommodation will expand to a possy of perves!

Help wanted please

I have GPRS/EDGE through a Nokia telephone. Once connected the bytes roll in thick and fast, but web sites fail to open. It is only when I disconnect (through sheer frustration) that the web sites open.

Any ideas how to correct this please

Unless he maes the crust with lard, they're crud.

Kindly enlarge upon the above in plain English!

I can assure everyone that it is not sufficient to just say sorry and pay back a token amount, You will be forced to pay it all back, even if it was an accidental error. If it was FRAUD, then there will be a severe penalty.

Slightly off-topic I was awarded Child tax Credits for 6 months (they knew I lived in Thailand) Eventually they decided I was not entitled and must pay everything back, Appeals to the Adjudicator and the Ombudsman got me nowhere. So now they are charging me £70 a month for the next umpteen years to recoup all their money.

Re the talk of £90 a week. Yes the single persons pension is somewhere in that area and as others have said it is usually more due to GRP, SERPS and other benefits. But do those of you already in receipt of pension know that you are entitled to claim a Dependants allowance of £57 a week (basically for wives and not for children) Its a benefit which is being phased out from next April, but those already in receipt will continue to receive it (frozen of course!) until 5th April 2020.

I was restricted to 10,000bt last week on both of my Nationwide cards at the GSB ATM but that may have been because they could only dispense 500bt notes and 20 notes is the maximum they can dispense.

However when I re-entered the cards for another 5000bt I was refused. Straight round to the GSB bank branch where they have another ATM, and this time no problem.

In Buriram BIG C 2 weeks ago, both Aeon and GSB refused me money. I reluctantly tried the K bank ATM which would accept my card but politely informed me that they only had 500bt notes (therefore max 10,000bt for my 150bt fee) Across the way I had exactly the same result from SCB. Eventually it was Bangkok Bank ATM that was able to dispense 15000bt

If it really can be paid directly into a Thai bank account, one has to hope it is sent in £ sterling and not converted into baht before being sent.

Having read some of the above posts it appears that despite living in Thailand some people are not advising the pension people that they have left the UK and are therefore receiving annual increases. The pension claim form goes into much detail as to where claimants live and for what periods they have been outside the UK. There is also a requirement to advise when things change.

Whilst I am totally against the freezing of pensions, I am sure it is only a matter of time before they find out where you live and then you will be in very severe trouble. It won't just be a matter of paying back the excess pensions you have received, but could mean instant arrest and even imprisonment if you should ever set foot in the UK again.

For the measly increases expected over the coming years, with very low or even negative inflation, it just isn't worth it. Simply put you are committing FRAUD, and in the UK that is puished severely!

This topic seems to have been quiet for some time now,

News that does not seem to have been mentioned is that a further appeal is to be heard by the Court of Human Rights next week on 2nd September. Whether they will actually make a decision on that date I do not know. And even if they decide against the UK government, I believe the government do not have to abide by the ruling, although the pressure to do so will increase substantially.

Below a few points of confirmation.

1) If you live in Thailand "permanently" the pension is frozen from the day you first receive it, Normally 65, but could be later if you defer. Permanently normally means that you are outside the UK for more than 6 months of any year.

2) If you give false answers on the pension claim form as to where you reside, more than likely, over time, they will find out. DON'T DO IT

3) If you have a Thai wife or indeed permanent partner (may need to be a registered partnership) and he/she does not work, you can claim a dependents allowance for them worth currently up to £57 a week (this depends on your contribution record). This allowance will cease to be claimable after 5th April next year, but for those already receiving it, it will continue to be paid untill 5th April 2020 It is not necessary to have children to claim this allowance, and in fact children alone are not eligible.

4) During any visits to the UK (or I believe any country where the pension is not frozen) you are entitled to receive current unfrozen pension for the duration of the visit. Upon return to Thailand, the pension reverts to the previous frozen one.

5) Widows pension has basically ceased. Upon death, your widow will receive up to 1 years basic pension, then no more until she can claim in her own right at age 65+. If there are young children, then she will receive a widowed mothers allowance of max £95 a week until the youngest child is 16 (or in some circumstances 19). In addition a death grant of £2000 is usually payable.

If it really can be paid directly into a Thai bank account, one has to hope it is sent in £ sterling and not converted into baht before being sent.

Having read some of the above posts it appears that despite living in Thailand some people are not advising the pension people that they have left the UK and are therefore receiving annual increases. The pension claim form goes into much detail as to where claimants live and for what periods they have been outside the UK. There is also a requirement to advise when things change.

Whilst I am totally against the freezing of pensions, I am sure it is only a matter of time before they find out where you live and then you will be in very severe trouble. It won't just be a matter of paying back the excess pensions you have received, but could mean instant arrest and even imprisonment if you should ever set foot in the UK again.

For the measly increases expected over the coming years, with very low or even negative inflation, it just isn't worth it. Simply put you are committing FRAUD, and in the UK that is puished severely!

Has anyone any experience of dealing with a deceased Brit's estate in the UK on behalf of his Thai wife? I am particularly wanting to know details of obtaining a Power of Attorney on behalf of the widow, and whether this would be acceptable in the UK.

PR is for life, unless it is withdrawn for reasons detailed above.

I have had PR for 18 years. and also divorced from a Thai since then. No problem. The Alien registration Booklet which is issued along with PR has to be updated every 5 years at your local police station with a new picture, No questions are asked about your marital status.

Hope this helps

Just to complete this issue in the wrong forum, Gary was contacted this morning by Rayban and confirms its business as normal. He advised that there is a shuttered unit close by that is for sale.