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prakhonchai nick
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Posts posted by prakhonchai nick
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If you are not working (retired?) but not yet 65 and still not reached the magic 30 years of NI contributions
Is it really only 30 years?
I thought it was 40 to get a full pension??
If you reach 65 on or after 6th April 2010, then you will only require 30 NI contributions for full state pension. However if you reach 65 before then, 44 contributions are required for 100% pension.
If you have made voluntary contributions, believing 44 would be required, you cannot claim them back
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For what it is worth I have a letter from HM Revenue & Customs dated 12 June 2007. In it are the following quotes:
''You can claim a dependant wife increase when you reach age 65 regardless of your wife's age and residence status. You will need to send the pensions office a copy of your marriage certificate at the time you make your claim".
She further added that they would need a notarized copy and translation of the marriage certificate plus my wife's birth certificate in order to obtain a National Insurance number and consequently receive the additional pension allowance. (My wife doesn't have a birth certificate. Anyone know the system in this country for obtaining one?).
I have 18 month to go till I am eligible for UK state pension. I have researched most avenues over recent years, and have had much correspondence with HM Revenue and Customs and the former DHSS.
Basically I have been assured that I can claim the dependents allowance for my wife (much younger than me), and that only my wife's birth certificate and our marriage certificate need to be sent in (originals and they will translate themselves and return). Like so many other Thai's my wife has not got a birth certificate. Whilst this can be obtained from the local Amphur, "at a cost", with the help of the village headman, it is unnecessary.
A letter from Pension Service last July stated "Any original document that shows your wife's date of birth will be sufficient to verify her date of birth. If the birth certificate is not to hand we need two other original documents.
If originals are not available you can send copies but only if they have been notarised to say the original has been seen.
There is no need for you to translate any documents as we can do them for you.. "
I have also been assured that when I go to see Buddha, if I have children under 16, my wife will receive Bereavement benefit (equivalent to the single persons retirement pension) £90.70 from next April, subject to a 100% contribution record from ME. There is no additional allowance for children, as this is now dealt with by Child Tax Credits and is only available to both claimants and children who are permanently in the UK. She will also receive the one off Bereavement allowance of £2000.
Bereavement benefit ceases when the child is 16 , and then the wife receives nothing until she is at least 60 (65 from 2020 and increasing to 68 some 20 years later. Then based on your contributions, she will receive state pension at the rate applicable at the time.
With all the info I have and the various letters which I have kept, I am quietly confident that my claim for myself and wife will proceed smoothly.
Hope this helps
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Twikits still has good choices as well, but with all the alterations made maybe there will be a sell off as mentioned before to say TESCO lets wait and see
Cannot really see Tesco opening in Buriram. They will be aware of the problems they have in Surin, and there just is not room for 3 superstores in Buriram for the forseeable future. There are rumours and Police confirmation (but no confirmation from Tesco -for confidentiality reasons) that they are to open in Prakhonchai. This would make more sense, and they would have a big captive area.
The only thing going for Tiwikit in the long term is the cinema which appeals to the youngsters
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Visited this morning for the first time. Slightly disappointed. 10.15am and no fresh bread., except for the French sticks, which looked old but were as hard as a rock. Enquired and told another half hour. Went into the fast food area - excellent, except that there were no glasses for the free water. Asked the staff twice to no avail.By 10.30 they were pouring in by the truckload - whole extended families. Finished my Buriram trip in Makro. Just a handful of people -nice shopping conditions. Will wait until schools re-open before going again.
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A farang named JOSEF, living some 10kms on the Prasat side of Prakhonchai does bacon and smoked ham. He is doing some for me commencing tomorrow. Time required 11 days. Tel No 084 959 5094
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Can anyone advise what type of Tesco store has been opened in Det udon (ie hypermarket, Value, Talat -Market or Express) The Tesco website has not been updated.
It seems that a Tesco is to be built soon in Prakhonchai, and it would seem likely that the store will be the same as at Det Udon
Is there an in-shop bakery?
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How does the Moneycorp information compare with VISA exchange rates, which for the past 3 days have been unavailable. http://corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_serv...HB&rate=0.0
If you are able to use a Nationwide debit card, the exchange rate is usually up to 10 satang MORE than the telex transfer rate available from Kasikorn bank for the £, but some 15-20 satang less than the VISA quoted rate
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There is a newly opened German restaurant in Prakhonchai, (at the commencement of the road that goes to Phanom Rung). He sells bacon sausages liver sausage and a whole bunch of things that he prepares and smokes on the premises. Also fresh bread and rolls daily. Closed Mondays
Hope this helps
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Shop run by a New Zealander and his wife.
Apple and apple and blueberry pie excellent
Meat pies all at 40bt very good.
Hi Fibre bread at 50 bt excellent also
Without our support he will not survive. Get yourselves over there and have a look. Best to go early as he bakes only small quantities
He also does breakfasts and other meals.
Highly recommended
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I used to use Barclays for transfers in £ sterling to Kasikorn Thai. Their fee was £20 for normal transfers and £35 for priority. Basically if you requested a transfer before 2pm UK time and paid £35, the money would be transferred same day, and would ALWAYS be in Kasikorn the following morning around 11am.. Kasikorn charged a 0,25% commission (max 500) + a 0.1% charge for something else, + a 20bt fee for transferring the money from their HO in Bangkok to your account.
I believe the fees are still the same, but now I use Nationwide Flex account -maximum withdrawal £300 a day (appx 20,000bt)
As you say the rate is always better than the Kasikorn telex transfer rate, by around 20/30 stang
With wild fluctuations of the baht, if using a telex transfer, it has mostly proved beneficial to pay the £35 priority servce and get the money the next day. The standard service for £20 would take 3 days (request the money on Monday in the UK and receive it on Thursday)
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LOTUS in Prakhonchai??
A large plot of land is being cleared in Prakhonchai just west of the traffic lights on the Khorat road. Local rumour is that it will be a Tesco-Lotus.
This would make sense. There is clearly no room for a Tesco in Buriram, and yet there is a void between Surin and Khorat. They are shortly to open a branch in Det Udom (an insignificant town), obviously to capture the surrounding market. Prakhonchai would do the same capturing shoppers from Ban Kruat, Nang Rong, Nongki, Prasat and also Buriram itself.
Just hope that if they do open they will have learned from their mistakes at Surin, and open a full hypermarket, complete with bakery.
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I have had a resident permit for the past 14 years.
No real benefits, other than not having to consider visa runs, yearly visas etc. I still have to register at the local Police station every 5 years with a new updated photograph. Useful though for gaining admittance to national parks at the Thai price, although sometimes staff need much persuasion. I don't work so no need for work permit.
I only paid 25000bt, but now considerably more expensive
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My wife was smart enough to read the sign that is only in Thai at that Makro (but English and Thai at Big C) stating how you in fact can purchase 2 cases or more of alcohol during the "dry" time periods. I can not purchase a single bottle of wine, but 2 cases or more of whatever alcohol no problem.
The alcohol rule is not with regard to the number of cases but the quantity.
The requirement is a minimum of 10 litres, which would be 2 cases of large beers (1 bottle beer 630/640cc). But if whisky, Mekhong or Sang Som, each large bottle being 70/75cc, then sufficient cases to reach 10 litres would be required. Once you have your 10 litres you can have individual botles of anything else you want.
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And one must note that the elections in 2001 and 2005 were the most corrupt free in Thai history, according to Transparency International.
Transparency International clearly never set foot in Isan. The vast majority of TRT voters came from this area, and voted TRT simply because they were in receipt of 300bt/500bt per head to do so. I know -I live here! Most have not the slightest interest in politics -only money! Money for cards, money for lao cow and money for the underground lottery!
If vote buying had been stopped (and it could have been with prosecutions and heavy penalties) we would never have been in the position we are today. TRT would never have had an overall majority .
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I live just 30kms up the road from you in prakhonchai, so costs are likely to be similar
Until 6 months ago my wife and I raised pigs, but we got out just in time when the prices fell from 50bt/kilo to around 30/35bt.
A 100kg pig is the optimum weight, and this usually takes 5/6 months.For the first 5/6 weeks they suckle the mother. then they need to be fed.
For the first 3 months, we fed them twice a day and the cost was about 15bt/pig/day. Once over about 70kg, price dropped to nearer 11/12bt/day with 1 feed a day, and less specialised pig food. We bought rice dust from the rice wholesaler.
We also gave them a big bag of "pak boong" and other grasses every day which they enjoyed eating.10bt to a local who went and cut it for us
With the cost of buying a piglet at 1000bt/1300bt + food for 5 months total outlay is around 3000bt. Must also factor in possible sickness and medicines. To make it worthwhjile you need to be able to sell minimum 100kg pig at 45bt.
If she tells you it costs significantly more, she is milking you
best of luck
Nick
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Martin,
Never met you and never been to your bar, but will put that right later today. In the meantime Happy Birthday. 60 is not the end of the world! I've been there and there is still light at the end of the tunnell!
Nick
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New Hardware Store in Buriram. Ruengsuk (Construction) Korsang.
Many thanks for the info. I will take a look in there shortly and compare prices with IQ in Surin. Has anyone noticed that since they opened last year. IQ have brought in many more cheaper items. previously they were very up-market.
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A few weeks ago someone said that the new IQ store in Buriram was about to open. Can anyone confirm whether it has yet opened. When I asked staff in IQ Surin last week, nobody was even aware that they were building a store in Buriram!
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INVITATION TO SURIN BBQ Party
You are cordially invited to the ThaiVisa BBQ party at The Farang Connection, Surin, on Saturday, 19 May 2007 at 7.00pm until late.
For your eating and drinking pleasure, we have:
- Buckwheats famous Mesquite smoked BBQ Ribs and a variety of snacks.
- Free local Beer
- Thaivisa T-shirt lucky draw
Come and enjoy some BBQ and "meet the faces" behind the avatars!
Please sign up here as soon as possible so we get a good idea of the numbers of attendees for catering purposes.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Welcome!
Thaivisa.com Administration @ The Farang Connection
PS!
It's also Martin at Farang Connections 95th Birthday!!
Come and offer condolences to him!
(It's also FA Cup Final on Big Screen for the football fanatics).
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PS2:
Thaivisa recommends the following hotels in Surin:
I will be delighted to accept your invite.
Will journey over from Prakhonchai next saturday
Thank you
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Big C, Makro Buriram- What else?
Have just returned home from a morning in Buriram, and was delighted to see Big C and Makro abuilding. Who will win the race, and will it be before New Year?
However, on my return to Prakhonchai, I turned left at the lights after passing the 2 new stores, and about halfway from the first lights to the next set on the Buriram - Prakhonchai road, there is further construction taking place, This is a huge site, (looks bigger than either Makro or Big C), and the main building is set further back from the road than the other 2 stores. Could this be Lotus, Carrefour of something else?
As an aside, can anyone in the Buriram area advise whether there are any farang get-togethers on a regular basis in Buriram. There is a monday meeting in Ban Kruat and every friday a few farangs meet in the market at Prakhonchai. Anything else on offer?
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It sems the accident was at 3pm when the bus was out of control and overturned and caught fire immediately. this followed a stop for brake problems.
With Songkran looming on the horizon, it is high time steps were taken to enforce bus speed limits especially. and to enforce all other traffic laws with top priority to motorcycles and the thousands of children let loose on them.
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[quote name=topfield' date='2007-03-17 19:18:33'
I'd give my right arm were Nationwide UK to introduce such a service.
You can always check the likely nationwide withdrawal rate each day, by checking the Visa web site.
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I had a stone 2 years ago. Was taken to a private hospital in Buriram. where a correct diagnosis was made, and I was kept in for several days, before they decided I needed to see a urologist (a kidney stone expert).
After a days delay they told me the Urologist who worked occasionally at the government hospital would not visit me so I was discharged and told to visit him. The reason given was that their hospital did not have the equipment to operate on me (no suggestion of ultrasound or laser)
I duly visited the government hospital only to find 50 people (yes 50) waiting to see him in the hour that he was there.
Decided I would not entrust my health to a Doctor who could give me only a minute of his time
Took myself off to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, was seen immediately, and one look at the x rays I had taken with me confirmed it was only a small stone that would pass on its own. Doctors fee with some medicine only 500bt.
Uk Pension For Brits Married To Thai Women
in General Topics
Posted
Just as important as to one's eligibility to state pension, the number of contributions made and other factors is the amount we will receive at the end of the day.
From April 2008, assuming 100% NI contributions (44 years) the basic state pension is increased to £90.70 and the dependents allowance is increased to £54.35...per week
To obtain dependents allowance it is not necessary to be married, only to be able to satisfactorily prove that someone (of either sex) is dependent on you effectively meaning a live in partner. Alternatively it can be claimed for someone who is looking after your children. However I envisage problems trying to prove one has a live in partner.
Pensions and all income derived from the UK is subject to tax, For those 65 and older, and including those who will be 65 at some time during the tax year commencing 6th April 2008, the personal allowance (i.e the amount one can "earn" before paying tax) is being increased by a massive £1,480 to £9,030. Any income above this amount will be taxed at 20%
Anybody requiring to top up national Insurance contributions, particularly those who will be 65 before April 2010 can pay voluntary Class 3 national Insurance contributions. These are currently £7.55 per week increasing to £7.85 from next April. You can normally pay backdated contributions for 6 years, but in addition it is possible to pay contributions for the years 1996-2002 (6 years total) at fixed rates of between £309 and £351 - provided payments are made before 5th April 2009 After this date contributions cannot be accepted for these earlier years. Well worth doing for those who have a shortfall.
Anyone who needs to make so many additional payments can increase pension by approx 30%. The cost involved is likely to repaid in higher pension within 2 years.