tmd5855

Mate had one of those in 1972 while I had a BSA250 C15. His Ducati were kept in the house, coalbunker put outside Nostalgia not same these days. Now 70 have a 2017 modded Ninja650 past 5+ years, all 1lt bikes gone, too heavy too twitchy and much to fast..

Not winning.......... Jeez...... I thought he won the election, the popular vote and won the legal right to rule.... Or is this the twilight zone! Asking for a friend.

Agree, mind you could be an assembly line worker from Bologna!!! So a friend told me. Your avatar is that a 250cc

Whenever I see garishly dressed, overweight, biker jacket wearing individuals with spectrum defying hair tint and nail varnish, quickly dial 999 for the fashion police to sort out a scene of "Public disquiet"

Many a true word said in jest. Odds on he comes from Rotheram or Basildon.

Pay UK taxes on my pension Pay Thai taxes on behalf of the Thai company that owns the land my house is built on which cannot be offset against UK tax. I have tried. Making a general/catch all statement may cover 80%+ of expats here. But, many of us living here (20+yrs) do not have general/run of the mill applicable to all circumstances.

In the same boat as him, took my UK OAP in 2021 aged 66. But, more fortunate than him, have a Merchant Navy Officers pension (38yrs) were contracted out of SERP's so received a lower OAP even though had paid 'Class 1 NI' for 42years, receive 139.65p a week, but, tax at 20% is taken since my MNOPF pension is over 12,570GBP (Personal tax free allowance) so receive in my hand 111.72p a week for paying 'Class 1' all my working life. Went back the UK for my sons wedding informed DWP, pension jumped up 16.35p to 156GBP, but after tax the increase 13 pounds. What gets me is the amount of money we paid into National Insurance that increased as your years and salary increased. Yet, you live in the wrong country your entitlement (You paid in) is frozen. Morally it is wrong, I am okay since the OAP is a bonus, but!!!! To many folk it is their sole lifeline, lifebelt and life jacket. Those pensioners are not using public services like the Health Service. Reform party scares me a little knowing history of popular/reactionary parties, but if Reform said: When in power OAP will not be taxed and the tax basic allowance will be raised as if never frozen by the Tories. They would get my postal vote? PS. If he were a banker?? How many years?? Should have a good private pension.

Ditto Retired past 10 years and 70 in August. My 50's were a brilliant time back being a single man working offshore. One snake bite and one bike crash later makes you realise how precious 100% pain-free mobility is.

Lived in Newbury, Berkshire, after privatisation all the old council/public land were fenced off, local fishing ponds private property. Dividends to shareholders near reflect the losses made by the company, but, the share price and dividends generated bonuses for the board. The old gravel extraction pits visible from the M4 in the 90's/2000's all filled in with water (to resemble lakes), premium priced houses built all around the waterfronts. How much did Thames Water get for that land with the obvious nod/wink to planning permission. Just last April 2024, published accounts for Thames Water showed it were insolvent. Water bills for my son is controlled by an escalator only going up and the occasional smelly tap water is hazard free. Selling off state controlled utilities such as gas/electric/water and rail has brought higher prices and poorer services. There is a financial and moral case for Thames as a bankrupt firm to be taken back into public hands. I am 70 retired at 59 after working short of 40 years in the Merchant Navy and Oil & Gas, benefitted from Thatcher's actions, but, sadly my children and the UK are poorer off

Been here 21 years, first 10 working offshore where I spent 30 minutes every evening learning phrases 'phonetically' moved up to my retirement home (Built 2012) in 2015 whose land is owned by a Thai company. Spending 38 years working overseas with various foreign nationals always learnt some phrases from the locals I worked amongst. Retired from work 2014 aged 59 and can go builders merchants and with drawings and pigeon Thai always get what I need. Police stop me on my bikes, smile and joke with them using Thai, 9 times out of 10 they let me off for speeding after they see my Thai bike licence. Always good manners to understand the local lingo, helped me a lot since retiring in a village and meeting a lady who became wife 2 years later. You want to learn the language, but, not go school!! Have phrase books at home and a little pocketbook to write down phrases 'Phonetically' Best of luck.

38 years at sea and offshore at times for 7 month stretch, my room were not any bigger. You make your own routine.

My youngest took drugs, then started selling drugs, a drug crazed mind allows demons to come inside, sadly to chase them out he took his own life 29th December 2016 aged 27. Taking drugs never end well, first the family gets broken, then jail, and in 90% of cases death. Drugs bring heartache not happiness. Poor guy thought he were having fun, now life as he knew it is over, even if he survives.

Married last 9 years, lived in village last 11 years. Pattaya 2004 to 2015 while working offshore. First visit Bangkok on a cargo boat 1980, thirty eight years spent at sea on boats and oil rigs . Have 8 dogs, fruit trees, Koi in fishpond, couple of bikes, wife has 2 bikes and an SUV. Maintaining my home and garden, reading books from my schooldays, stripping bike engines down in my workshop and cosmetically changing how the sports bikes look. At dusk shower and sit down around 8pm watch you tube and documentaries then in bed 11pm and up at 6am to start feeding the dogs. Every two three weeks go out for an afternoon session on the Leo beer at many Mom & Pops wooden shops. Every 4-5 months visit Pattaya for 4, Sam Mig fueled nights in GoGos and GC 70 years of age, less mobile owing to a damaged left calf muscle (snake bite) but, this is my village scooter Life at sea were regimented, retire here get a hobby, get dogs, get books get something or you die before your time

4 years ago a friend married to a Thai Lady in the UK decided to bring Mum, himself and wife with her grandchildren. He took out cover that included medical flight back to the UK after mum had tests/passed a test. While out here mum suffered a stroke (Blamed on heat), no airline would fly her as a passenger, so insurance cover stepped in flown home on a small plane, wife flew back with children, he were allowed to accompany mum who were awake. A lot of these guys/girls backpacking/travelling do not look poor, maybe spending another couple of hundred pounds on cover and not designer shades. Lived Thailand since 2004 working offshore. First visit via Merchant Navy 1983 and I got travel insurance even though company had me in BUPA. Very little sympathy, play with petrol and matches......................................

Sierra Leone after the fighting in 2012 armed guards in the minibuses to stop the minibus being stolen and us kidnapped. "Location allowance" (Danger money) added to wages 25%