45 minutes ago, Foxx said:

 

I bank with Nationwide who will release up to £50,000 based upon a death certificate and copy of the will, no questions asked and no need for probate.

Wow that does surprise me but good news 

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

What's so ridiculous about sparing State Pensioners here in LOS from the ordeals of the ritual which DWP insist on inflicting on us every couple of years or so in just about the most cumbersome and awkward manner imaginable to mankind, merely to prove that we are still in the land of the living?

 

Why should you be any different to pensioners who still reside in GB? If you think that once within a 5 year period is inflicting a ritual upon you, maybe you are better off dead, no hassles then.

6 hours ago, billd766 said:

If the embassy does not keep records (they must because they knew this was my wife's second application) and they don't do confirmation letters, issue passports and visa's or help the majority of their citizens who have a problem, what do they do?

 

Simple answer, copy and paste this into Google "what are embassies for?" , then you will realise your petty whinges are pointless.

3 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

 

Simple answer, copy and paste this into Google "what are embassies for?" , then you will realise your petty whinges are pointless.

I know what embassies are meant to be but the UK embassy in Thailand, and from experience, the embassy in Angola are not what they are meant to be any more. Perhaps it is the fault of the FCO in the UK, but even when I was in New Zealand, the Thai embassy was far more helpful.

 

BTW if you think that these are petty whinges, why do you even bother to read them and even reply to them?

8 hours ago, billd766 said:

I know what embassies are meant to be but the UK embassy in Thailand, and from experience, the embassy in Angola are not what they are meant to be any more

 

They do exactly what they are meant to, fostering relations between 2 countries, not mollycoddling people who expect everything to be done for them.

On 7/4/2024 at 6:32 AM, bigt3116 said:

They do exactly what they are meant to, fostering relations between 2 countries

 

.. which as far as we expat retirees are concerned appears to amount to little more than liaising closely with various parts of the UK (FCDO, HMPO, HMRC and DWP) and Thai (Immigration Bureau, MOFA, MOPH and now TRD) governments in developing and implementing measures which are solely aimed at making our lives here in LOS just as difficult and awkward as they humanly can be.

9 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

.. which as far as we expat retirees are concerned appears to amount to little more than liaising closely with various parts of the UK (FCDO, HMPO, HMRC and DWP) and Thai (Immigration Bureau, MOFA, MOPH and now TRD) governments in developing and implementing measures which are solely aimed at making our lives here in LOS just as difficult and awkward as they humanly can be.

 

Jeez, ok, the embassy does not tuck you up in bed at night, get over it! Don't like the fact that they do their job, (not what you want them to do), f'in move! (But whichever country you decide has a better British embassy, be aware, it will be exactly the same!).

 

2 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

 

Jeez, ok, the embassy does not tuck you up in bed at night, get over it! Don't like the fact that they do their job, (not what you want them to do), f'in move! (But whichever country you decide has a better British embassy, be aware, it will be exactly the same!).

 

I can only agree with you.  My limited encounters with the embassy in Bangkok have been for minor administrative things and have passed without much issue, however I was seriously let down in the only other embassy encounter I have had, that being a garden reception at the embassy in Tehran. It was summer, they had fine food a plenty, every (alcoholic) drink you could wish for but............no ICE!  Warm G&T never really cuts it.