GuestHouse

I think its sad sometimes that people don't see the gap between what a great life they have and what a poor life others have

Moreover, they are perhaps unaware of exactly how close their own lives are to that of beggers.

"No Not Me Never"

For some mental illness, or just illness, and for many financial ruin that may or may not be of their own making.

It's an easy slip and a long fall.

And for those who insist it could not happen to them, take a look at some of the archeive film from Europe and the US in the 30s - The soup kitchen is not so far off for any of us.

ThaiPauly,

I think you have been missinformed.

With respect to Thailand, your state pension will be frozen and remain at the value it is from the day you leave the country. There is no mechanism to pay GBP100 to secure a full indexed linked pension.

With respect to 33 years contribution, there is no answer until the White Paper has been debated in parliament and the laws on pensions changed.

But do not hold your breath: As I say above, I fully expect the laws to change the regulations on what constitutes a year you need to pay and a year you need not. I expect that to be based on childcare or care of a sick/old relative.

Before stopping NI Payments you should contact the Department of Work and Pensions and get a pension forcast.

My view is that I shall continue to pay NI until I see black and white regulations that say I have paid enough to get my full pension.

Meanwhile I frequently write to my MP and the press to protest the feazing of overseas pensions.

I know a number of expat couples (where both are foreigners) who live/are retired in Thailand, they seem happy enough. A great many live in Bangkok and tend to be in the Pro-expat society, working with or retired from multinationals with branches in Thailand.

My guess is they made a joint decision to move to Thailand/stay after and assignment, worked it out together - That would be the advice I'd give the OP.

The advice I would give any foreign woman moving to Thailand with her foreign husband would be the same I give foreign men making the same move.

Leave your capital back in Farang Land where it is under control of farang land laws..... The same advice, but doubly so.

Very sound advice from GaryA

No you cannot legally by Vallium over the counter in Thailand.

It must be wonderful to find someone to pick on.

I either give money to beggers, or I do not.

I seldom have the time or the inclination to consider, much less pass a judgement on why they are begging.

But like I say, it must be wonderful to find some one to to pick on, to feel better than.

Sad you have to go so low to find him.

Pschef.

I don't think it works like that.

Firstly, the new regulations have not been ageed in Parliament nor has the law been changed yet. As I say above, I'll bet my bottom dollar that there is some catch to what constitutes a year you are exempt from paying. I'm betting it will be tied to claiming child care allowance or carer's allowance. The change is aimed at women, so I expect it to be tied to some measure of the things that hold women out of the job market.

There are also regulations with respect to how many back years you can pay, contact the Department of Work and Pensions and get a Pensions Forcast. They are extremely helpful and will tell you exactly how much you can pay and what benefit that will bring.

From my discussions with the DWP it would seem that under the current regulations you are only going to get the very basic state pension (a little over £25/week). The reason is, you are required to pay for 44 years, you can take 5 years off paying without detriment, but you loose pension for every year you do not pay between Year 6 and Year 11. If you haven't paid for more than 11 years you get the basic pension £25-ish.

Contact the Department of Work and Pensions, they can help you out.

I've been an expat for almost 20 years, over half of that time in Thailand, but other places too, I'm currently working in Rome.

I pay national insurance premiums for both me and my wife while overseas and will continue to do so.

To clarify what Prem has said regarding the changes to 30 years of payments, yes this is correct and yes it will be phased in, but we do not yet know how they count years that you must pay and years that you do not.

The crisis is not enough people are paying in, so I do not believe that there will be a reduction across the board in years paid. Also the move is being touted as being specifically to help women.

I suspect the change will be made such that years spent at home raising children will count as free years while all years in which we work will remain as pay years.

As I say I pay my contributions from overseas and will continue to do so, I believe they are a bargain.

I believe this is a problem and have said as much, but I have yet to hear a response.

In response to the recent enforcement of Foreign Ownership laws, let us surpose I want to close a 49/51% Thai Limited Company that owns property and move to a Lease or simply give the property to my Thai wife.

At the point of disposing of the company assets (the house and land), what is to stop the 51% Thai shareholders from demanding 51% of the company assets (51% of the House and land)?

I'd do a quick google search first, search on universities, courses etc Go to the University websites and look what information they have.

Contact the British Council, see what information they have.

Get yourself over to Thailand for three months. Find somewhere to live (at whatever price you can) and then try to live for three months on the budget you have given yourself.

See how that goes, then see how much money you have left over for:

Visa Runs

School Fees

Medical Insurance

Minor medical expenses not covered by insurance

Cable TV

Internet Access and Phone

Clothes

Add all the costs of living

Then go back to how much you need and how much you have.

Read what monochaser is saying in Post No.17 above. He's giving you good advice.

I'd add to it, you should be working out what is best for you AND your child.

$1000~2500/month is not a lot of money, how much are you paying maintenance for your child, how much does that leave to live on, to save for the future, to have available for your next family when it comes along (as it inevitably will)?

Oh and here's a downside. Skip maintenance for your child and your ex wife can apply to have your passport revoked.

As for Bush, he's on his last term.

Doctorate Scholarships in the UK are awarded by University Departments (usually in June and July) so you need to get your skates on.

The award is on Achademic merit, the inclusion of a nationality requirement as a prequalification is illegal (this being the civilized world we are talking about).

The award would be on condition of the applicant obtaining the necessary visa, visa and scholarship do not come in one package.

I recently sponsored (gave references etc) for a Thai applicant for an engineering scholarship in the UK.

It would seem from a recent poll here on TV that this issue only affects 14% of us.

MEANWHILE

Those property salesmen have gone a bit quiet all of a sudden - It would seem that is at least one blessing to be taken from all of this.

Isn't borrowing money to buy in Thailand an indication that you are investing money in Thailand you don't have, and hence can't afford to loose.

Better still, I think to invest in the UK market, make your money there and then decide later how much you can afford to spend in Thailand.

I say this in the light of the current pannic over what is happening in the Thai property market.

Starting with a belief, hope or need and trying to think up justifications why someone who holds all the cards should act to enable you to meet your belief, hope or need is not addressing the problem, it is merely convincing yourself that things are the way you would like them to be.

Nevermind who owns Thailand, before anyone here sets about changing their house ownership from Company route to Lease Route, or even giving it to the Mrs, find out who actually owns your house

If you are 49% shareholder in the company that owns your house (albeit a 95% vote owner) 51% of the collatoral in the company (51% of your house) is owned by the 7 Thais you got to be your silent share holders.

Now, you can vote to sell the house, but the collatoral belongs to the share holders, they are quite within their rights to take 51% of the money released in the sale.

This is the point when you realize why the guys who did all that legal work for you were so very helpful at finding silent share holders for you.

The fact of the matter is, these rules have always existed, perhaps not always been applied but nevertheless they've been there for all to read.

The existance of those rules was always/will always raise the risks with respect to investing in Thai property.

So it all boils down to the old standard piece of advice.

"Do not invest more money in Thailand than you can afford to loose".

Meanwhile there is no denying, that companies and individuals glossed over this detail in their eagerness to sell risky investments in propoerty to people who perhaps might not have understood the full implications of the laws.

Keep that in mind the next time we hear news of great deals and professional services.

wake up...look at the big picture. please !!!!

The OP has posted evidence that the government policy is changing. The laws prohibitting the foreign ownership of land through front companies are being applied.

That's the big picture.

Incidentaly, I confirm I do not work in or derirve an income from property companies in Thailand.

Perhaps we should all declare such interests when posting on these topics.

O.K. Sunbelt Asia.

What's the scoop?

It's a fare question!

I've been asked by my boss if I'll go work in Saudi for a year.... I don't see many people queuing up for a share of the sh1t.

Why should they get the candy?

I'd better not wear my watch then, and I'll ask the Mrs not to wear the ring I bought her... or the pearls.

Is there any more senior member of the family you can talk to? Perhaps a grandparent or perhaps and aunt/uncle who may be able to intercede, or at least give an insight into what is going on.

If so try that aproach and try to get others to lay pressure on the lad to come to terms with his mother. At least try to get the father involved and help him to understand that you and the mother are willing to support the lad through college etc.

If things continue along this path of non communication I'd then take a pragmatic outlook and consider where you stand if things do get worse. I always take the view that if push comes to shove then the family will pull together - outsiders are always outsiders.

I've oftne posted on the question of what happens when the Thai wife of a foreigner has a child from a previous Thai marriage, there are significant issues relating to child care, child raising, education and not least of all inheritance.

So, I'd go with two prongs - One try to get the family to help you, your wife, her son and her ex address the problems while at the same time consider making moves to protect yourself if all else fails.

In my twenties I was a professional cyclist, I put that asside to move into my current carreer as an engineer. I plat to put that asside to do other things in my life.

I just see it as another stage of life. I enjoyed my youth, I am enjoying my middle years and I plan to enjoy my old age.

Retirement for me means having the financial security to do what I want with my time. That might be enjoying hobbies or even working now and again, but the emphasis will be on doing what I want to do when I want to do it.

I thoroughly enjoy my career and have no plans to chuk it all in anytime soon, but I am planning to have the choice to do so at anytime in my fifities - Why, because I have watched other people, including my parents, and I know for most people our prioirities change.

Financial security in retirement for me means never having to go back to work because I need the money.

To explain some background.

Prior to our marriage, my wife applied for and received two (2) visitor visas to the UK, on both occasions she left before the visa expired.

We then married and she has since received a UK settlement visa, which expires in July.

We are currently living in Italy and do not plan to return to the UK to make an application for indefinite leave to remain. If we return to the UK we shall make a second application for a settlement visa - I understand that my wife is entitled to a Family Permit under the Treaty of Rome, but my employers pay for the visas so – hang the expense.

However, we may not return to the UK for some time yet, so my wife needs yet another visitor visa for holiday visits hence the following question.

What criteria does she need to meet to be eligible for a long term visitor visa? – I note here that Visitor Visa can have a validity of up to 10 years. (Although no one visit shall exceed 6 months).

I’ll add that I work for an international corporation and that all our reasons for traveling to and from the UK are legitimate, my wife holds fully legal residence status wherever we go, supported by my employers under the terms of my employment/work permits etc

By 'legitimate' I mean we are not seeking to obtain residence via long term visitor visas, rather my work requires we both travel and do not settle in one place.

We would be applying here in Rome.

The first question is still, why does it take 2 months of this to reach the Press?