Recent trip to UK with Qatar air- A very sad, heartbreaking visit.

[connda]

13 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

10 of the best universities in the world are in the UK

Where you can get a PhD in gender studies. 

[youreavinalaff]

10 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

That's an unrealistic assumption .

 

Of course people carry cash.

 

Or are you saying what I saw with my own eyes didn't happen?

 

Beggars are everywhere in the towns and cities, especially by ATM machines and supermarket entrances.

How long did you stay in UK?

 

It seems you traveled to every town, city and so many supermarkets. In fact, it seems you literally traveled "everywhere". 

[Stocky]

19 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Of course people carry cash.

I didn't, the whole 3 weeks, I paid everything contactless with debit or credit card. 

[brewsterbudgen]

1 minute ago, Stocky said:

I didn't, the whole 3 weeks, I paid everything contactless with debit or credit card. 

Yeah, a big change!  I found it very difficult to find anywhere that would take cash.  Mind you, the contactless system works superbly.  

[samtam]

15 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I left Thailand, and I am on retirement extension, but left using the e gates without a hitch.

 

I was actually on a free flight this time using Avios points with Qatar and able to choose seats free of charge, due to Gold membership.

 

Just curious about use of e gate: I presume you hold a UK passport, but were able to utilise the e gate with that and it correctly read your EoS Non O visa? Also, were you in Fast Track because you're a Qatar Airways Gold card holder, or were you travelling in Business Class?

 

Thanks.

[youreavinalaff]

12 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Yeah, a big change!  I found it very difficult to find anywhere that would take cash.  Mind you, the contactless system works superbly.  

Clearly you are joking, right?

 

I can't say I've ever had a problem using cash, whenever I've wanted to.

[brewsterbudgen]

Just now, youreavinalaff said:

Clearly you are joking, right?

 

I can't say I've ever had a problem using cash, whenever I've wanted to.

Why would I be joking?  I'm just reporting what I found in London and Sussex.   Try using cash on a London bus!

[youreavinalaff]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why would I be joking?  I'm just reporting what I found in London and Sussex.   Try using cash on a London bus!

You said you found it "difficult to find anywhere that would take cash". Now, it's on London Buses. I wouldn't want to use cash on a bus anyway. Travel cards are much cheaper.

[brewsterbudgen]

7 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

You said you found it "difficult to find anywhere that would take cash". Now, it's on London Buses. I wouldn't want to use cash on a bus anyway. Travel cards are much cheaper.

We were tourists so didn't have travel cards.  Thankfully, contactless payments worked well.

 

Would you like me to list all the places we went to that wouldn't take cash?  It was a shock at first, but easy enough to get used to.  I guess it's progress.

[Magictoad]

15 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I arrived in Bangkok from Isaarn the day before and stayed at Novotel Sukhumvit 4 area of Nana. Good hotel, but it's still Nana plaza, and no getting away from that.

 

Plush rooms, but I think I will revert to Nana hotel in the future, as I say, you can't escape the area.

 

I left Thailand, and I am on retirement extension, but left using the e gates without a hitch.

 

I was actually on a free flight this time using Avios points with Qatar and able to choose seats free of charge, due to Gold membership.

 

Not only that, but I was on the A380 as far as Doha and opted for the front seat 40A downstairs with loads of legroom. I was then on the A350, Doha to Manchester, again a decent seat with good legroom.

 

I was travelling alone as my other half chose not to come even though she has a 10-year tourist visa (more later).

 

Both flights were very good, great attentive staff and decent planes. I was a bit worried as Qatar have been in the news lately for not so good reviews. I found everything to be great, to be honest.

 

The weather in the UK for my three weeks was amazing, and I was very fortunate to have caught a good spring.

 

Now the bad stuff.

 

Supermarket prices have gone through the roof since my visit last year, and prices were very noticeable and much higher than previous visits. Drinking in decent places, unless you want to spend three weeks in Wetherspoon's, which I didn't, you don't get much change from a fiver for a pint.

 

Outside the supermarkets, I visited about three different store brands from Tesco to Asda during my time there, plenty of beggars asking for change, These were white British people, many on drugs. It was like rough areas of the USA we see on TV.

 

I drove past and saw queues outside food banks. I was told by my son, that many were not desperate, they were begging food then selling it cheap to buy drugs,

 

We drove through an area where I was brought up as a child, which has now become a Pakistani stronghold, and they have built a large mosque. It was unrecognizable. Litter everywhere on the streets, as well as discarded sofas, fridges, just dumped anywhere and everywhere. It was like a filthy slum. There were rats scurrying around and these were visible in the daytime. Overflowing rubbish bins from takeaway shops, the towns are full of them, not sealed and food waste on the floor.

 

The town centres and city centres have been overrun by drug addicts aggressively asking people for money in the streets and not a policeman in sight.

 

I was also stopped by shoplifters selling everything from cheap perfume to bulk packs of washing powder.

 

There were groups of East Europeans on street corners, leering at passers-by. They were obviously up to no good.

 

The city centres, I visited a few, are now full of vape shops or alleged '  TURKISH BARBER SHOPS '  which are not Turkish, they are Pakistani money laundering shops that only take cash.

 

All the shops of yesteryear are gone. Everybody buys online. Town and city centres are no longer family friendly.

 

I saw women in the towns with children and babies, holding and waving bottles of booze and drunk at 11am in the morning.

 

A couple of what used to be good hotels in the centre are now fully occupied with migrants.

 

I was told the government is offering HMO owners, (houses for multiple occupancy) 50 GBP per room per night to house migrants on a 5-year contract.

 

I did take a trip out and up to North Yorkshire, and I was in the England of old, and it was refreshing. Those people are living in a different universe. Horse riders out for a canter, lovely food based pubs with staff with impeccable manners and clean streets and no migrants.

 

I must state I was there for business reasons, but I have never been as happy to get on a plane back to Thailand.

 

Now, do you wonder why my other half said she didn't want to go and thought it better I went alone, and she would look after the farmstead and her mother. I don't blame her, nor can I understand any Thai wanting to visit the UK. 

 

The trip was heartbreaking.

 

However, Kier Starmer and his millionaire lefties cabinet colleagues are not seeing any of this. They are living far away in leafy suburbs, driving around in police convoys with armed bodyguards, oblivious as to what is going on in the North of England.

Please don't malign ALL THE NORTH of England because that would be wrong. Plenty of places are stunningly beautiful as you can see from this photo taken last week in the North of England. 

[youreavinalaff]

5 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

We were tourists so didn't have travel cards.  Thankfully, contactless payments worked well.

 

Would you like me to list all the places we went to that wouldn't take cash?  It was a shock at first, but easy enough to get used to.  I guess it's progress.

I was a tourist last time I was in London. I had a travel card. They are easily obtainable. Advertised at bus stops, on trains, underground, etc.

 

List away. For every place you list, I'm confident I can list a place, and more,that does take cash.

[Jimjim1]

50 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

drove up the M5 recently. A decent journey. A bit busy but a good drive.

What were you on?

And where can I get some please? I have to go back up to Wigan again soon so some floaty substance will obviously make the uncomfortable journey less noticeable 

[youreavinalaff]

Just now, Jimjim1 said:

What were you on?

And where can I get some please? I have to go back up to Wigan again soon so some floaty substance will obviously make the uncomfortable journey less noticeable 

I'm on reality. I guess you need some. It's easily obtainable.

[Jimjim1]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

I'm on reality. I guess you need some. It's easily obtainable.

No thanks my reality is entirely based on truth not fantasy so you can keep your own version of it.

[youreavinalaff]

Just now, Jimjim1 said:

No thanks my reality is entirely based on truth not fantasy so you can keep your own version of it.

Why would I not tell the truth? There's no point in that, is there? I've merely pointed out I had no issues with potholes on the M5. Journey time same as previous trips.

[jayboy]

14 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Free health care through taxation. ......... Compare that to Americans who require insurance and lose everything if they leave.

 

Let's not compare our health care system to that of the Americans,

 

Let's compare it  much more relevantlyto our European neighbors who enjoy, on the whole, much better facilities and outcomes than we do.Our performance on cancer, strokes, heart attacks and longevity compares very badly.Yet any criticism of "our NHS" is regarded as treacherous.

[Yellowtail]

1 minute ago, jayboy said:

 

Let's not compare our health care system to that of the Americans,

 

Let's compare it  much more relevantlyto our European neighbors who enjoy, on the whole, much better facilities and outcomes than we do.Our performance on cancer, strokes, heart attacks and longevity compares very badly.Yet any criticism of "our NHS" is regarded as treacherous.

And if you are going to compare it to the American health care system, please try to learn just a tiny bit about the system other than the nonsense Europeans here are constantly regurgitating. 

 

[jayboy]

14 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

And if you are going to compare it to the American health care system, please try to learn just a tiny bit about the system other than the nonsense Europeans here are constantly regurgitating. 

 

The U.S. system excels in innovation and specialized care but struggles with coverage gaps, affecting millions uninsured or underinsured. European systems prioritize equity and preventive care, though they may face challenges like longer wait times for non-emergency procedures. Overall, the average American faces greater financial barriers to health care compared to their Western European counterparts.

[Jimjim1]

5 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Why would I not tell the truth? There's no point in that, is there? I've merely pointed out I had no issues with potholes on the M5. Journey time same as previous trips.

Obviously you were not travelling in the slow lane, you know it’s the one where the trucks travel.

Also try the M5 around Birmingham and if you really want to find out what it is like miss the M6 M5 turning and travel towards London, unless you are completely out of it you will notice exactly what I am talking about.

I will admit that the M5 north and south is relatively good up to Bristol but after that it gets progressively worse but the real point here is that road conditions in the UK are bad and getting worse everyday so much so that as drivers we are forced to swerve away from ruts and potholes to protect our suspensions whilst the revenue generating industry namely the police are all too ready to hand out a fine and points for dangerous driving.

In truth the words of scouse123 are very correct and if you cannot see it you must obviously be happy with it, but I am not.

[Yellowtail]

2 minutes ago, jayboy said:

The U.S. system excels in innovation and specialized care but struggles with coverage gaps, affecting millions uninsured or underinsured. European systems prioritize equity and preventive care, though they may face challenges like longer wait times for non-emergency procedures. Overall, the average American faces greater financial barriers to health care compared to their Western European counterparts.

Virtually everyone that does not have health coverage through their job, is covered by a government plan. Almost 20% of the population is covered but Medicaid (welfare), and about another 20% are covered by Medicare (Social Security), that leaves about 60%. About 54% of people have heath insurance through their employer, so how many does that leave? 

 

The problem is that the government has made private health insurance unaffordable. The people that get hammered, are people with money and assets, that are self-employed, and do not buy insurance. These people are the ones that go bankrupt. But even then, you have to be provided medical care. And you can not have your primary residence or vehicle taken from you to cover medical bills. 

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Jimjim1 said:

Oh yes it is.

I have first hand knowledge of this because I am a retired landlord of student accommodation and I was hounded to hand over my property to the government under exactly the same conditions and with a guarantee that after the five years my properties would be fully renovated to the high standard that they were already in.

I turned it down because I was more than happy with students and the “A” grading on my properties from the university.

There are many multi millionaires in the UK made that way by the government much too willing to hand out vast sums of tax payers money to people who have no right to be here and should be sent back to the last country they came from but no politician has the balls to stand up and do it.

 

  Can you provide something to back it up with ?

A link or your own personal offer or something ?

[youreavinalaff]

4 minutes ago, Jimjim1 said:

Obviously you were not travelling in the slow lane, you know it’s the one where the trucks travel.

Also try the M5 around Birmingham and if you really want to find out what it is like miss the M6 M5 turning and travel towards London, unless you are completely out of it you will notice exactly what I am talking about.

I will admit that the M5 north and south is relatively good up to Bristol but after that it gets progressively worse but the real point here is that road conditions in the UK are bad and getting worse everyday so much so that as drivers we are forced to swerve away from ruts and potholes to protect our suspensions whilst the revenue generating industry namely the police are all too ready to hand out a fine and points for dangerous driving.

In truth the words of scouse123 are very correct and if you cannot see it you must obviously be happy with it, but I am not.

So, when you said "where mile after mile is full of potholes and broken roads", you didn't really mean it. As I thought.

 

Like I said, the OP's words are quite possibly correct, for where he went. I agree there are some neglected areas in UK, there have been for decades.  However, use of words like "everywhere" are incorrect.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

 

That's an unrealistic assumption 

Of course people carry cash.

Or are you saying what I saw with my own eyes didn't happen?

Beggars are everywhere in the towns and cities, especially by ATM machines and supermarket entrances.

 

  You are talking about your home town, I have never been there so I wouldn't know .

   Beggars are not everywhere in towns and cities .

There are less beggars around than previously because not many people carry money these days 

[Cameroni]

 

 

An up to date window into the UK

 

Gypsy family prepares a pig in the middle of the street in Liverpool England.

 

 

[falangUK]

8 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Similar to how I felt back jn 2017 when I closed the door on the UK for the last time.

 

The place I knew , grew up in etc, and of course great memories too, all consigned to history.

 

The funny part about doing that, closing it, it made my attitude and subsequent years and life in Thailand so much better by letting go and finally settling to this is where you are now.Your life is here.

Last time I was back in the UK, I barely recognised my old area. Honestly thought I'd gotten off at East Ham by mistake. The place just didn’t feel the same, felt like a completely different town. Not trying to be offensive, but there used to be more of a balance. It was once a very typically British town, and now it feels totally changed.

 

There was even a transgender Romanian rough sleeper who was helping out at the local library. That kind of thing would’ve been unthinkable back in the day.

 

Didn’t notice much of a difference in prices, but to be fair, I’ve never really paid attention to that stuff anyway. Just found the shift in the social and cultural atmosphere pretty shocking

[GanDoonToonPet]

3 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   That is quite surprising because very few people carry money with them these days , all payments are done by card .

   Its uncommon to see beggars these days , I assume because no one has cash to give them .

   Very  few people carry cash these days 

 

Still need a pound coin for shopping trollies in supermarkets in the UK. Lots of cash machines near the entrances which are beggars' prime locations. Plus, still a few places with coin-op parking meters.

[stubuzz]

I am currently at my family home in Birmingham. It is not the same place I grew up in. The local police station is now a mosque and Asians are everywhere. Prices for beer and essential services are out of control. Crime is also rampant.

[Nick Carter icp]

8 minutes ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

 

Still need a pound coin for shopping trollies in supermarkets in the UK. Lots of cash machines near the entrances which are beggars' prime locations. Plus, still a few places with coin-op parking meters.

 

  When was the last tum that you were in the UK ?

[Keeps]

3 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   That is quite surprising because very few people carry money with them these days , all payments are done by card .

   Its uncommon to see beggars these days , I assume because no one has cash to give them .

   Very  few people carry cash these days 

Complete and utter rubbish. 

[youreavinalaff]

7 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

I am currently at my family home in Birmingham. It is not the same place I grew up in. The local police station is now a mosque and Asians are everywhere. Prices for beer and essential services are out of control. Crime is also rampant.

There have been Asians in Birmingham for decades. I remember being there in 1990s. Lots of Asians. 

 

I love the irony of an Expat complaining about Asians on a forum called Asean Now.🤣🤣