On 8/18/2018 at 9:41 PM, persimmon said:

On my first trip in 1997 I got over 90 bt / £ .Best I could find today was 41.9 .A drop below 40 would make me think seriously about coming back.Long term I would rate Thailand as a better bet for economic growth and investment,so I don`t see The £ improving much from here.

You forgot to mention that for most of the 90's, up until June 1997 it was in the low 40s or high 30s. And that the spike after the Asian financial crisis that year was very short lived, settling back quickly to a rate in the 60s. The pound did enjoy these levels for around the next decade though. 

Like today, plenty of jobs with lousy pay and unaffordable rents.

Dont know where you lived but there were tons of jobs ,good wages ,low rents and mortgages,it was a really good time

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4 hours ago, Small Joke said:

Can't really say my heart bleeds.  Try being an expat Aussie.  Not only is the dollar a piece of toilet paper,  the arsehat government, already known worldwide for it's 'compassion',  won't even give their own expats the age pension unless they return home two long impoverishing years. And it's now about as expensive as Switzerland. With few of the benefits Swiss expats enjoy.  

 

Wot, no free chocolate?

On ‎8‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 8:50 PM, BritManToo said:

Not true,

Standard government schools are fine for intelligent kids, the pretend expensive hiso schools don't do any better. It's all image.

If you really care about your kid's education, you'll be moving back to your home country.

How many kids do you have attending Thai gov Schools? I thought so......

How many kids do you have attending Thai gov Schools? I thought so......

My boy goes to a good Thai government school and he is much more advanced in math and science than his cousins in the US.

Even his English is better than some...

18 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

How many kids do you have attending Thai gov Schools? I thought so......

I have two, one's just finished and 2nd year at uni, one's just started junior school.

On 8/17/2018 at 6:36 AM, ThaiPauly said:

People will just have to suck it up, especially if they have a wife, let alone children.

 

If they want to go back to their country of origin and take their wife then there are all the visa issues, if they are past retirement age they have to show 62,000 GBP in the bank in the UK for example, they have to show they have somewhere to live in the UK......impossible unless they are going to live with their children.

 

It just won't work.

 

So stay they must until things improve and the pound climbs which it won't until Brexit has been finalised one way or the other

 

 

If they have made a genuine good marriage the man will not be depending on his income. His wife will be working and in times of need his extended Thai family will be suporting him and his wife. If this is not the case he has a bad marriage and the exchange rate has just exposed the fault lines in the one sided relationship. 

2 hours ago, The manic said:

If they have made a genuine good marriage the man will not be depending on his income. His wife will be working and in times of need his extended Thai family will be suporting him and his wife. If this is not the case he has a bad marriage and the exchange rate has just exposed the fault lines in the one sided relationship. 

3

 

But a normal Thai person can only earn around 10k/month, and with all the expats posting they need 50k+/month to live, whatever she earns is irrelevant to changes in exchange rates. In the last 3 years, I've lost 20k/month of my income (when in Thailand) due to exchange rate fluctuations. But I guess you're one of the guys married to the mythical rich female, Chinese, educated, hiso with wealthy Bangkok families.

All the Thai girls I ever dated were lucky to be earning 10k/month as checkout girls and farming families living in mud huts maybe with an income of 2k/month.

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

 

But a normal Thai person can only earn around 10k/month, and with all the expats posting they need 50k+/month to live, whatever she earns is irrelevant to changes in exchange rates. In the last 3 years, I've lost 20k/month of my income (when in Thailand) due to exchange rate fluctuations. But I guess you're one of the guys married to the mythical rich female, Chinese, educated, hiso with wealthy Bangkok families.

All the Thai girls I ever dated were lucky to be earning 10k/month as checkout girls and farming families living in mud huts maybe with an income of 2k/month.

Totally agree, not only that most of thier money will go to their blood sucking leech relatives before a farang husband....lol

What’s wrong with a wife staying home with the kids?

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I have two, one's just finished and 2nd year at uni, one's just started junior school.

Well you shut me up good. I pay 55K bht/term for an English Program school. I feel with this school she'll have a better shot at a high paying job in Thailand.

Well you shut me up good. I pay 55K bht/term for an English Program school. I feel with this school she'll have a better shot at a high paying job in Thailand.

We pay (I think) THB 8K a term for the math/science program at Triam Udom Suksa and think he should do okay there.

On 8/22/2018 at 7:17 AM, mogandave said:

 

Guess it depends on how long before brexit. It got down to 44 for a bit in 2013...

 

I'm not sure if people have forgotten (I know, slightly before 2013) that between 1988 and the beginning of 1997 the exchange rate for GBP was between 38 and 42 baht. This was my experience anyway. Then came the crash in 1997 and everything changed.

 

Granted, the cost of living across the board has increased, but we certainly have been to the 38 baht marker before.

 
But a normal Thai person can only earn around 10k/month, and with all the expats posting they need 50k+/month to live, whatever she earns is irrelevant to changes in exchange rates. In the last 3 years, I've lost 20k/month of my income (when in Thailand) due to exchange rate fluctuations. But I guess you're one of the guys married to the mythical rich female, Chinese, educated, hiso with wealthy Bangkok families.
All the Thai girls I ever dated were lucky to be earning 10k/month as checkout girls and farming families living in mud huts maybe with an income of 2k/month.

I dont care what anyone says, and to be honest dont much care,my wife is not hi so,and her family are not super rich,but she is educated and when she works earns far more than 10k a month as does our son who had a great education here and in the UK, her parents were ordinary folk who made money from humble beginings gave their children an education and they in turn have given their children even better educations .The family are now not to badly off,have never ever asked for anything and in fact if we were in dire straights would look after us in a heartbeat, so please dont knock all Thai people as most are just the same as most of us, I am sure if in your country you married some dole blodger or low class scrounging tart,they would be the same,as those here.

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14 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

How many kids do you have attending Thai gov Schools? I thought so......

How about waiting for an answer,  the 2 I've taken care of have, 1 completed collage 1 Uni.

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

Well you shut me up good. I pay 55K bht/term for an English Program school. I feel with this school she'll have a better shot at a high paying job in Thailand.

Frankly that will depend on your daughter as many parents know.

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

How about waiting for an answer,  the 2 I've taken care of have, 1 completed collage 1 Uni.

And I'm sure they're fluent in English both reading, writing and speech. Not saying kids attending Gov schools can't succeed but having a background from a school with English is a big plus I would think. English proficiency is key in my mind. It opens up more doors. So, if one can afford it why not give the kid a one up on the others. My step son is not academically superior and plans on attending tech school.

 

But my blood daughter will be given every opportunity I can afford short of relocating to states. 

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

And I'm sure they're fluent in English both reading, writing and speech. Not saying kids attending Gov schools can't succeed but having a background from a school with English is a big plus I would think. English proficiency is key in my mind. It opens up more doors. So, if one can afford it why not give the kid a one up on the others. My step son is not academically superior and plans on attending tech school.

 

But my blood daughter will be given every opportunity I can afford short of relocating to states. 

My step Thai son and adopted Thai daughter are as fluent in English as I am in Thai,  ?  we get along OK  they are grown up now.

 

As you say " having a background from a school with English is a big plus I would think."   I agree completely all I know as a Father of 7 it depends not just a schools reputation or status it depends on the child.

You endeavoring in providing the best for your kids is good father stuff. ?

2 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Well you shut me up good. I pay 55K bht/term for an English Program school. I feel with this school she'll have a better shot at a high paying job in Thailand.

Because she's a native English speaker she's already been offered 25k/month with an international company in Chiang Mai.

(assuming her grades are still good for the next two years)

 

School was free until age 15 (a little for uniforms and books) then I paid around 2k/term for the last 3 years in a government high school, followed by 10k/term for University. I always told her to keep her mouth shut in English class, and just accept whatever nonsense the (Thai) English teachers spouted. They didn't teach her anything apart from correct spelling. I can still remember the 'home visit' by the English teacher, not one word of English, we had to speak Thai (but teacher did manage to slip me her telephone number when nobody else was looking 555)

Native English speakers send their kids to special schools to learn English?

How about let’s put the beer down long enough to pick up a book....

On ‎8‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 12:35 PM, robblok said:

Whenever I read about the pound and Brexit I imagine Mel Gibson waving his big sword and shouting BREXIT. (i know the Guy is American and the movie is about Scottish freedom). Anyway that image always comes up to mind.

 

I wonder how many of the Brexit supporters (expats) would still support Brexit at 38 to the pound.

When Sharia May is no longer PM we will be out of the corrupt EU, then the exchange rate should quickly change in our farangs favour.  We can then trade with the other 85% of the worlds markets.

On 8/17/2018 at 7:11 AM, Joinaman said:

lowest pension of 269 pounds ?

most people i know, me included, get the state pension of 164 pounds

 

Where do you get that figure from it’s even less than £164 

7 minutes ago, Box fighter said:

Where do you get that figure from it’s even less than £164 

The full new State Pension is £164.35 per week. The actual amount you get depends on your National Insurance record. The only reasons the amount can be higher are if: you have over a certain amount of Additional State Pension.

The new State Pension: What you'll get - GOV.UK

1 hour ago, Box fighter said:

Where do you get that figure from it’s even less than £164 

 

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

The full new State Pension is £164.35 per week. The actual amount you get depends on your National Insurance record. The only reasons the amount can be higher are if: you have over a certain amount of Additional State Pension.

The new State Pension: What you'll get - GOV.UK

The new rate does not apply for those on the old scheme. Check eligibility part of the link.

The thread addresses retirees currently spending most of their time in Thailand, but actually the effect of the demise of sterling is more likely to impact on those considering shifting to Thailand ie those yet to come. Any trend figures available?

12 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

The new rate does not apply for those on the old scheme. Check eligibility part of the link.

Plus in a little over a years time foreign wife allowance will be taken away from all......?

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

The full new State Pension is £164.35 per week. The actual amount you get depends on your National Insurance record. The only reasons the amount can be higher are if: you have over a certain amount of Additional State Pension.

The new State Pension: What you'll get - GOV.UK

Only those who reached age 65 after April 2016 get the rate set by the under the new scheme.

Yes it can be higher based on additional NI contributions above the new 35 year contribution level.

But £4.80 a month is also deducted for each year you may have been 'contracted' out, only paying the lesser stamp.

 

Those who retired and receive their pensions under the scheme before April 2016, continue to get the old rate + any SP2 payments.

They have no deductions taken for any years they may have contracted out.

6 minutes ago, transam said:

Plus in a little over a years time foreign wife allowance will be taken away from all...…?

Depends what allowance your talking about.

 

From April 2016 your wife (foreign or not) cannot claim a pension based on your contributions.

They cleverly changed the status of a Pension from being an 'entitlement' to a 'benefit'.

 

As far as I'm aware your foreign wife can still claim a one off 'death benefit' until next year.

The amount of benefit was significantly reduced last year, surprise, surprise.

8 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Depends what allowance your talking about.

 

From April 2016 your wife (foreign or not) cannot claim a pension based on your contributions.

They cleverly changed the status of a Pension from being an 'entitlement' to a 'benefit'.

 

As far as I'm aware your foreign wife can still claim a one off 'death benefit' until next year.

The amount of benefit was significantly reduced last year, surprise, surprise.

My point was that guys who get a payment before 2010 for a foreign wife will lose it 2020...

My point was that guys who get a payment before 2010 for a foreign wife will lose it 2020...

Unless she’s (he’s?) working it....