Back in the UK after 10 years in Thailand

[Jip99]

3 hours ago, phetphet said:

I was also back in the UK (London) recently. Amazing how many shops are going cashless and only accept cards. Even the coffee shop chains.

 

 

21st century........................... and cash is expensive, time consuming and potentially risky.

[sanemax]

My Mum now has a small device that lets her know how much gas and electric she has used  , gives a current running update , you can see how much it costs to boil a kettle of water .

   That info is sent straight to the electric/gas board and the money is deducted from her bank account 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Not in your choice of location though , if you get offered accommodation, you HAVE to accept the first offer and it could be an apartment on a council estate ten miles outside Carlisle 

Reminds me of my visits to a factory in Botcherby ( just outside Carlisle) had to drive through a council estate .



Compare this to the two photos, from the uk, posted earlier !!

[Antonymous]

On 8/11/2019 at 11:54 PM, White Christmas13 said:

why would you leave a country side as beautiful as this and no I am not Brit

 

Hey! That's my house on the left!

 

Bloody miserable place. You see the church tower in the background? At 6am every morning the bells would ring for 5 mins and then the vicar gets on the tannoy and informs everyone within a mile what's going down in the parish that day. He drones on for ten minutes and then the bleedin bells peal again. Worse when someone dies in the village, he asks for donations and then later in the day reads out everyone's names and how much they donated. Goes on for half an hour. Church festival time? Don't get me started...

 

Had to leave and came to Thailand for some peace and quiet.

[nontabury]

On 8/13/2019 at 10:05 AM, BritManToo said:

it's always the housing that's the big problem.

Having 2 kids with you gets you free housing.

Not true, I returned to the U.K last year with two children, found it very difficult, and nearly impossible to even rent a property, due to having no credit history. Social housing, we were down at band D, so no chance in 100yrs. Finally managed to repatriate enough money to purchase a house. 

Unfortunately not all returning Brits have that financial backing.

 

[tso310]

On 8/13/2019 at 7:57 AM, sanemax said:

I have noticed that British people arent as fat anymore , most under 30's are quite lean with no belly at all .

  Over weigh people are quite rare now a days 

The war on sugar is certainly helping on that aspect. There's a better understanding in the UK these days about living and eating healthier but it has taken quite a few years. Thailand now has a serious problem with type-2 diabetes but the over whelmed heatlh service justs doles out the metformin like smarties. No attempt to curb the use of sugar.

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, tso310 said:

The war on sugar is certainly helping on that aspect. There's a better understanding in the UK these days about living and eating healthier but it has taken quite a few years. Thailand now has a serious problem with type-2 diabetes but the over whelmed heatlh service justs doles out the metformin like smarties. No attempt to curb the use of sugar.

The latest research suggests that the cause of many of later-life diseases - diabetes and Alzheimer's are two - is the same bacteria that causes gum disease - https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132152-800-alzheimers-bacterial-link-reiterates-the-importance-of-our-microbiome/

[simon43]

On 8/10/2019 at 12:04 PM, sanemax said:

5 Quid , 185 Baht , from a London cafe today

I'm sure your heart and arteries will love that ????

[sanemax]

9 hours ago, simon43 said:

I'm sure your heart and arteries will love that ????

My stomach did...............and my stomach takes preference over my arteries 

[tso310]

Where's the Black Pudding and thats toast not fried bread in other words a healthy breakfast. One day I'll give a Belfast Breakfast a try. 

[sanemax]

Loving the cold weather (20-25 Degrees) and the fresh breathable air, can go out anytime without needing to avoid the heat/sun .

  Dont feel drousy or tired , which the heat of Thailand causes , can think straight .

  Loving the supermarkets and the plentiful and cheap food , 6 Mr Kiplins Vienamese whirls for 37 Baht .

  Need to very careful on the roads , cannot just walk across the road , only cross at red lights

[wgdanson]

On 8/16/2019 at 2:40 PM, Antonymous said:

 

Hey! That's my house on the left!

 

Bloody miserable place. You see the church tower in the background? At 6am every morning the bells would ring for 5 mins and then the vicar gets on the tannoy and informs everyone within a mile what's going down in the parish that day. He drones on for ten minutes and then the bleedin bells peal again. Worse when someone dies in the village, he asks for donations and then later in the day reads out everyone's names and how much they donated. Goes on for half an hour. Church festival time? Don't get me started...

 

Had to leave and came to Thailand for some peace and quiet.

Here in my village the headman comes on Tannoy at 7am every morning telling the yokels who has died and we must all contribute to the funeral, then the family put miserable music on at 5am for the next 3 mornings til they burn him.

[Mavideol]

27 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Here in my village the headman comes on Tannoy at 7am every morning telling the yokels who has died and we must all contribute to the funeral, then the family put miserable music on at 5am for the next 3 mornings til they burn him.

and we know you went there for the music  555

[wgdanson]

Just now, Mavideol said:

and we know you went there for the music  555

Headphones on with Classic FM sorts it out. Or BBC Midnight News.

[wgdanson]

On 8/17/2019 at 5:44 AM, simon43 said:

I'm sure your heart and arteries will love that ????

Especially with a Diet Coke.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

Especially with a Diet Coke.

90 P a can , not had any fizzy drinks since I been here , barring the 37 Baht cans of Stella 

[Mavideol]

3 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Headphones on with Classic FM sorts it out. Or BBC Midnight News.

Attaboy, good for you

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, Mavideol said:

Attaboy, good for you

Bose Noise Cancelling Bluetooth. Great. Got 'em free from First Direct Bank for swapping. Went back to Nationwide after 4 months, but kept the phones. !   LOL

[Mavideol]

Just now, wgdanson said:

Bose Noise Cancelling Bluetooth. Great. Got 'em free from First Direct Bank for swapping. Went back to Nationwide after 4 months, but kept the phones. !   LOL

well done than, hope they won't come asking for their return 555

[Jip99]

On 8/16/2019 at 1:40 PM, sanemax said:

"Someone" doesnt refuse cash payments though , the personless till just doesnt give a cash option to pay 

 

 

Yes it does, in the self service tills in supermarkets, WH Smith etc.

[Jip99]

On 8/13/2019 at 1:57 PM, sanemax said:

I have noticed that British people arent as fat anymore , most under 30's are quite lean with no belly at all .

  Over weigh people are quite rare now a days 

 

 

Those lean, under 30, white people are probably Polish or Czech ........... they are quite fit.

[sanemax]

Just now, Jip99 said:

 

 

Yes it does, in the self service tills in supermarkets, WH Smith etc.

Those are machines though and not a person and therefore not "someone" and yes , some machines do give the "pay cash" option , but some dont 

[sanemax]

10 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Those lean, under 30, white people are probably Polish or Czech ........... they are quite fit.

No need to mention race or nationality ,I didnt mention anything about Race or Nationality , all under 30's seem to be slim , fit and lean nowadays regardless of their heritage , skin colour or nationality and its rather discriminatory/racist of you to suggest that White British people are overweight and Eastern Europeans are not 

[Jip99]

51 minutes ago, sanemax said:

No need to mention race or nationality ,I didnt mention anything about Race or Nationality , all under 30's seem to be slim , fit and lean nowadays regardless of their heritage , skin colour or nationality and its rather discriminatory/racist of you to suggest that White British people are overweight and Eastern Europeans are not 

 

 

You mentioned British, I disagree with you from observations of my time in the UK over the last couple of years.

 

Obesity is clearly more prevalent in Brits than their European counterparts residing in the UK....nothing discriminatory/racist about that - don’t try playing a race card where none exists.

[jayboy]

31 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

You mentioned British, I disagree with you from observations of my time in the UK over the last couple of years.

 

Obesity is clearly more prevalent in Brits than their European counterparts residing in the UK....nothing discriminatory/racist about that - don’t try playing a race card where none exists.

Depends where you live.Wealthier parts of the South East are generally slim while the lower income economic groups and the MIdlands/North tend to be fatter. It's very striking in London how fat people are in some of the less wealthy areas.Actually it's noticeable throughout the West eg Manhattan full of thin people while the poorer parts of NY have lots of fatties.Well off people don't like being fat and have the willpower/ money that others often don't have (and maybe better genes).They wouldn't dream of eating take aways and other crap.

[soalbundy]

On 8/10/2019 at 3:30 PM, johng said:

C'mon its not freezing for 10 months...its nice to have 4 seasons  and not feel like your in a sauna 24/7 all year round,

admittedly its not so nice getting up to go to work in the dark  and it again being dark  when you get home.

 

when it snows...make a "snowman"

It's not nice to go to work anywhere.

[soalbundy]

13 hours ago, sanemax said:

No need to mention race or nationality ,I didnt mention anything about Race or Nationality , all under 30's seem to be slim , fit and lean nowadays regardless of their heritage , skin colour or nationality and its rather discriminatory/racist of you to suggest that White British people are overweight and Eastern Europeans are not 

Oh dear the PC racist card again. Fact is that even a lot of children in the UK are overweight and diabetic, and yes they are the most overweight people in Europe.

[thasoss]

So OP...is it good to be home after 10 years?......how did you relate to society back home and the folk in it?

 

I ask cos i returned to australia after 12 years in thailand and that was the hardest for me "relating to western society again and the people".I felt like a fish out of water.Now i'm back in thailand and the happier for it.

[Joe Mcseismic]

On 8/13/2019 at 11:19 AM, Essex Reject said:

How about a sense of belonging, amongst many?

Over-rated IMO.

[Joe Mcseismic]

On 8/13/2019 at 11:30 AM, Somtamnication said:

5.5 gbp - Newmarket.

 

Prices of fruit at the local Tescos....(compare these to Thailand).

 

 

And something that really surprised me:

All temperate fruits.

How much for papaya, mangoes, pineapple and mangosteens?