DarloKnight

I'm a women never been pm and also think its because I have a minging photo of me on my profile

So whats Mohi-uddin at UBS's view then?- contrairian poo poo too I suspect.

Hung parliaments??, giv me a break

A fair point but I'm not sure it's apples and apples. Mr newbie wrote that, "U.K. unemployment claims rose the least in a year in June", unfortunately he missed the fact that very shortly after he wrote his piece the UK Government announced that latest figures showed an, "Increase of 281,000 in the three months to May takes jobless total to 2.38 million". Sooo, breaks are due where?

Out of the 2.38 million unemployed I wonder how many are actually British? We have had such a large influx of migrant EU workers who will also be included in these figures!!

The Migrant workers have soon caught on to the benefits system I know this first hand having worked for a company that employs them. Also they claim child benefit for their children that are not even living in this country.

Anothor point with the migrant workers is at the end of the UK tax year they like to claim back the tax they have paid over the 12 months of working, I don't understand how they get away with this and them claiming their tax back meens less money going back into the system.

I think this is also a contribution factor to the effects of the economy.

If migrants claim back tax it is because they have overpaid in the tax year. You could do the same. there are not different rules for migrants.

Think you mis understood what I meant they have NOT over paid in tax they just claim back all the tax they have paid, I know they have not overpaid in the tax they have earned as I do payroll and have been doing it for long enough to know what tax to deduct, they just do not want to pay it.

So whats Mohi-uddin at UBS's view then?- contrairian poo poo too I suspect.

Hung parliaments??, giv me a break

A fair point but I'm not sure it's apples and apples. Mr newbie wrote that, "U.K. unemployment claims rose the least in a year in June", unfortunately he missed the fact that very shortly after he wrote his piece the UK Government announced that latest figures showed an, "Increase of 281,000 in the three months to May takes jobless total to 2.38 million". Sooo, breaks are due where?

Out of the 2.38 million unemployed I wonder how many are actually British? We have had such a large influx of migrant EU workers who will also be included in these figures!!

The Migrant workers have soon caught on to the benefits system I know this first hand having worked for a company that employs them. Also they claim child benefit for their children that are not even living in this country.

Anothor point with the migrant workers is at the end of the UK tax year they like to claim back the tax they have paid over the 12 months of working, I don't understand how they get away with this and them claiming their tax back meens less money going back into the system.

I think this is also a contribution factor to the effects of the economy.

I think it is wise that people should carry round the anti-bacterial hand wash with them, you can use it like hand lotion you don not need water, when you go on the childrens ward and they even have it at the side of patients beds in the hospital in the UK you have to use this on your hands before entering the ward. You can buy it in Boots and I would even consider buying a tube and putting it in my childs school bag.

Thanks for you replys. I was kind of hoping Heathrow would be quiet Christmas Day due to no public transport and hoping everyone would be at home eating Christmas Dinner

Take a look at a website called www.ukge.co.uk they have it for sale it may give you some idea's.

I saw some amber in the Dominican Republic in a museum and they were selling it with bugs in it was quite popular.

We have booked and are flying Christmas day LHR to BKK with Eva, as anyone flewn Christmas day? Is it just like any other day as far as airlines are concerned? Do you think the flight will be full? Just curious

Just like to let you know that on my way to work this morning I was listening to the radio in the car (local raidio station) On the news it is reported that local business say they are now getting out of the recession and business looks good, so someone please explain that?? I have stated in a previous post how we have more than doubled our work force in the last 3 months. My personal opinion is that alot of expats from the UK would love to see the Country they were born in go under if I'm wrong I'm sure you will let me know

Ok great...

Being a bricklayer, i can get my very large and extensive contacts book out with excitement and confidence of obtaining some work then.....?

Shall i hold my breath

Talk is cheap and <deleted> on radios talking shit dont pay the bills....

Work is there if you look for it!!! We are setting on at the minute for packers not bricklayers but a job is a job , I would clean public toilets has long as I had a wage coming in and I am a accountant!!! Some people either want work or not. You have to look for it it ain't going to come knocking on your door!!

So please get off you high horse and look for a bloody job instead of wasting your time on the internet while you could be looking.

I think I have hit a raw nerve. I would clean toilets if it ment my family eating and paying the mortgage.

As for my grammer I never claimed to have a high education as I stated in my very first post on this thread.

Just like to let you know that on my way to work this morning I was listening to the radio in the car (local raidio station) On the news it is reported that local business say they are now getting out of the recession and business looks good, so someone please explain that?? I have stated in a previous post how we have more than doubled our work force in the last 3 months. My personal opinion is that alot of expats from the UK would love to see the Country they were born in go under if I'm wrong I'm sure you will let me know

Ok great...

Being a bricklayer, i can get my very large and extensive contacts book out with excitement and confidence of obtaining some work then.....?

Shall i hold my breath

Talk is cheap and <deleted> on radios talking shit dont pay the bills....

Work is there if you look for it!!! We are setting on at the minute for packers not bricklayers but a job is a job , I would clean public toilets has long as I had a wage coming in and I am a accountant!!! Some people either want work or not. You have to look for it it ain't going to come knocking on your door!!

So please get off you high horse and look for a bloody job instead of wasting your time on the internet while you could be looking.

One of the unique features of this recession is the degree to which the media is being used in various "hearts and minds" campaigns by all manner of people. Given that consumer confidence is one of the main keys to recovery it's not surprising that we've seen a whole host of positive spin reports from vested interest groups and doubtless various governments have used this tool also. When the FTSE was at 3,500 Anthony Bolton called bottom and said buy, was he right, I don't know. But his role as President of investments for Fidelity makes me somewhat suspicious although history has now shown that was a good call. Jim Rodgers on the other hand called GBP "toast" at 1.40 and as an ex partner in the Soros Quantum fund he must know a few tricks - history shows however that was not a good call. Hearts and Minds, vested interest or knowledgeable informed source, can't really tell!

On the other hand we have the Motley Fools, Finance Guru, HousePriceCrash Forum and a whole host of others who would like to believe that they have a scoop and are publishing the "real truth" about what's happening in various market segments or indeed over all. Some of them are actually pretty good and point to their track record of being right on this that and the other which often makes them more credible. One chap that I read has an outstanding track record and has been spot on with most of his major calls and he doesn't seem to want to sell me anything or indeed to have any vested interest other than to be right, highly commendable I reckon.

Trying therefore to assess the true state of play at any point in time so that individuals can make informed judgments is really difficult - should I take the Central Banks, OECD or IMF report at face value or should I listen to what's being said elsewhere? Difficult to know who or what to believe! It therefore comes as no surprise that there is a such a diversity of opinion on the subject of GBP recovery or not - great reports from some people in the UK say business is booming, others suggest the situation is dire, perhaps both are true and correct based on location. But for most folks in Thailand, trying to make sense of GBP futures will almost certainly come down to one simple truth, who and what do you read on this subject. Unfortunately, too many posters don't read much at all on the subject and simply pick up a headline or sound bite and run with that thought as a direction. That's not a criticism since TV is designed for such things but for those readers trying to find serious answers to the question of futures, best not to take much of what's said here too seriously and better just to treat it as yet another information feed, one of hopefully many.

Wow!! Very good post.

As you have pointed out it depends on the area of the UK I'm based in Yorkshire and it is all very positive where I am. Also I know things can change as they have done in the past 3 months. Only time will tell.

Just like to let you know that on my way to work this morning I was listening to the radio in the car (local raidio station) On the news it is reported that local business say they are now getting out of the recession and business looks good, so someone please explain that?? I have stated in a previous post how we have more than doubled our work force in the last 3 months. My personal opinion is that alot of expats from the UK would love to see the Country they were born in go under if I'm wrong I'm sure you will let me know

I have got to admit I remember during the miners strike that more shops struggled in the area I live in and a lot of local business closed then, everyone suffered in the town I lived in has the miners not working and not spending had a knock on effect to everyone. I also remember kids in my class at school lost there houses. Also my dad was a lorry driver and he had now work as they moved coal. So I remember things being alot worse than they are now.

I think the "doom and gloom" is in the press so much just to slow us all down on our spending and to scare us in to spending less.

I went to the York races Friday the tickets for the area we were in were £150 + vat the area was packed and this was only one of the lounges, people are still spending!

But in the last year England has had less new homes built then in anytime since the 2nd world war ... im too lazy to find a link to this but it was said in the last 2 weeks.

There were about 30,000 mortgage products at the height of the boom there are now only 3000 approx many of these you need a deposit of 30-40%, furthermore unemployment is rising rapidly, taxes are about to rise, i just cant see how there could be private property getting built on a scale even close to whats happened in the last 12 years, and it is still way overvalued in comparison to people wages hence its unaffordable.

I don't dispute what you are saying all I said was that developers where I live have started to build again, also I have noticed houses that have been on the market for sometime have now got sold signs on, a property next door to my friends sold within a week of being on the market, it looks like property is selling again maybe because people are being more realistic with the asking price? And as I also said iit will take the housing market some years to get back to how it was. Don't know if you saw the News on Friday but Nationwide are actually offering and advertising a 125% mortgage and as it happens alot of banks are offering this but as they quoted these were "under the counter" offers that the other banks are selling.

I was also talking about the "doom & gloom" with a friend yesterday, we were reflecting on the fact neither of us had managed to park in a very full shopping centre and were having problems trying to find somewhere to eat because restaurant queues were too long. Recession...what recession ? Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that two swallows don't make a summer and there is a long way to go, maybe those queues won't be so long when the tax hikes start, there will be a lot less foreign holidays...but i think there is a begrudging acceptance that's going to happen. I still think that the institutions and the fundamentals are strong and transparent and we will weather this, I also think the majority of foreign investors feel the same and that there will be buyers for sterling, I don't see a run or even a slide, just a few bumps along the way.

I think that the SS Great Britain will keep afloat, I prefer the accommodation and decor on the Thaitanic but less sure about its navigational ability.

I agree Roamer, we still do have a long way to go but like you say we will have to suffer a few bumps on the way

I have found this thread a really intersting read. I am not educated enough to be able to comment on the worlds economies but I can tell you what I am seeing living here in the Uk. In February I was on Holiday in Thailand and did not know if I was going home to a job but what a difference 3 months can make the company I worked for had less than 100 employees back in Feb, we have nearly 300 now we have so much work and I have never known us be as busy other people who I speak to say they can't believe how things have turned around. Also I bought a brand new house a1 1/2 years ago and the developer stopped building on the site around 10 months ago because of the housing market but now they are starting building again on our site and the houses on here are not little apartments they are big 4/5 bed detached. I can't understand all the doom and gloom that is being written because it does look like things are starting to pick back up. Like I said I am not an expert

Very encouraging words and view!

What business/work are you in if I may ask ? A rise of 300%, from 100 to 300 people, in workforce is mind boggling.

LaoPo

I work in the glass industry, the Company employs contract packers they check glass containers that may have faults and then send them to customer to be filled, we work for all the large glass manufacturer's and things were really quiet across all of the glass industry at the begging of the year but the market as turned round and in the 5 years I have worked for the Comapany (I am the accountant) I have never known us be as busy. I know people who work in the window business and they say they are really busy as builders are starting to build again. Friends who work in supermarkets say sales are the same as last year they have not dipped. My borther-in-law owns a Hydraulic engineering firm and the same again. This is why I find it hard to undestand what some people are saying. I think we can see light at the end of the tunnel, I know house prices will never be the same not for a long time.

I have found this thread a really intersting read. I am not educated enough to be able to comment on the worlds economies but I can tell you what I am seeing living here in the Uk. In February I was on Holiday in Thailand and did not know if I was going home to a job but what a difference 3 months can make the company I worked for had less than 100 employees back in Feb, we have nearly 300 now we have so much work and I have never known us be as busy other people who I speak to say they can't believe how things have turned around. Also I bought a brand new house a1 1/2 years ago and the developer stopped building on the site around 10 months ago because of the housing market but now they are starting building again on our site and the houses on here are not little apartments they are big 4/5 bed detached. I can't understand all the doom and gloom that is being written because it does look like things are starting to pick back up. Like I said I am not an expert

I would also advice when you get your cheapest quote go back to one of the other sites ring them up and tell them the cheapest price you have been quoted and tell them you will book with them if they can beat the price, more likely they will lower it so that you will book with them (not by much £10 or so).

Hi Razz

I have searched every site for flights and could not get Thai Airways for that price for xmas day, I have to admit I have travelled with 4 different airlines to Thailand and Thai would not be the top of my list the only advantage with them is that they are direct, I flew with them in Janauary and I was dissapointed with the quality, no screens in back of seats, staff not very friendly and I tried to book champagne for hubbys 40th before we flew and they not interested in taking my money! Have flewn with Gulf air and I know we had a stop over but they were really family friendly they have a sky nannny on board to entertain kids which is great when you are travelling for that length of time it gives you a break. Qatar were 1st class but once again you have a stop over.

You have to call to get that price. Not sure if it's available over Christmas.

http://www.thaiairways.co.uk/promotions/index.html

Some flights have newer planes with seat back TV's.

Travelling Christmas day you're going to be struggling to get a cheap flight!

RAZZ

Booked on Thursday to fly out xmas day got it for £1466 for 3 of us with Eva it cost me less than it did when I flew in January with Thai I could not even get a indirect price for this!! Think I was very lucky

Hi Razz

I have searched every site for flights and could not get Thai Airways for that price for xmas day, I have to admit I have travelled with 4 different airlines to Thailand and Thai would not be the top of my list the only advantage with them is that they are direct, I flew with them in Janauary and I was dissapointed with the quality, no screens in back of seats, staff not very friendly and I tried to book champagne for hubbys 40th before we flew and they not interested in taking my money! Have flewn with Gulf air and I know we had a stop over but they were really family friendly they have a sky nannny on board to entertain kids which is great when you are travelling for that length of time it gives you a break. Qatar were 1st class but once again you have a stop over.

Darloknight, that is also a v good price.

Well done. It looks like a few seats were released ansd we were there at the right time. Have a look at the Accor hotels website as they are also cheap until 29th June if you need a place to stay.(novotel, Ibis etc.) Good hotels - no slums.

Last week I was trying to book at room at the Airport Hotel and it was approx £80 per night, today I booked 2 nights inc. ABF for £56.00!!! Bargain and it is top notch.

I also wanted to stay athe Ibis in Pattaya which for a family room was coming up at 1900bt per night with no breakfast.

I just booked 13 nights there with ABF and inc, tax for 1350 per night - bargain again - it is modern, nice and clean and a nice pool. A good week for deals. i'll put this week in my diary for next year also!!!!

Where ar you on the UK?

Yyeeaahhaahhhhh

Yes I think it was a week for bargains!!! Not sure where we are going to stay yet in Thailand we tend to go to Hua Hin as we have friends there but would like to go to somwhere different this time, going to check out the hotel you mentioned, thanks for the info

Iam from Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Booked today via Netflights to fly LHR - BKK return xmas day for 2 weeks with Eva I have been watching flight prices every day for months we got it for £1466 for 2 adults and 11 year old I feel like I have a bargain the same flight as now gone up to well over £2100. The price I bought is the cheapest I have seen in all the months I have been watching them also Eva is one of the best airlines I have travelled with

I live in the UK and holiday in Thailand, I feel more safe in Thailand with my 10 year old daughter than I do at home. We have had loads of comments and our daughter being touched (my daughter is big for her age) The Thai's have patted her stomache and have said to me "your daughter is fat" I have not taken this as a insult as I know nothing mean was meant by this, they have touched her and said she is beautiful I have not got worried by this. If this happened back in the Uk I would be horrified has this is not the western way. My daughter was also sick one day at the beach we were sat at a bar and one of the old Thai ladies working at the bar came up and gave her a tablet and said it would make her feel better and let her lie down she really helped us with our daughter.

I just wish that in the UK we were more family and child orientated the Thai have some values we can learn from.

Do they do AAT this course is available in most countries around the world and it is recognised in most countries. This is Association of Accounting Technichians.

I would recommend Pimsleurs Thai, it is an all audio course, so you will be able to speak, but not read or write.

If you want to read and write, you can order "Teach yourself Thai" from WH Smiths, RRP£30, but I think they sell it for £20, thats how much I got it for. I bought it just so I could learn to read/write and it is excellent also, but it also comes with an audio cd so you can listen and practice speaking, although I cannot comment on that because I have not tried it!

edit: where abouts in the UK do you live?

Hi thanks for the info will look into that, I live in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Just come back from Thailand our 4th visit and would have loved to have been able to speak Thai as we stayed in a small Thai hotel this time and the staff were great espcially with my daughter and they tried to teach us some of the language and my daughter loved it.