David Cameron'S Thai Christmas Getaway

[Boater]

How will David Cameron spend his first Christmas since moving to Downing Street? Friends of the Prime Minister say he plans to take his family to Thailand, where he will enjoy the hospitality of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Vejjajiva, 46, was a contemporary of both Cameron, 44, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, 46, at Eton and Oxford, where he was known to chums as ‘Mark Vej’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1320616/David-Camerons-Thai-Christmas-getaway.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz12U03HpOt

[geriatrickid]

The fellow is allowed to have a vacation. Considering the long hours worked and the lack of a family life, his family deserves some time away from the hustle and bustle of the UK with the paparazzi intrusions. However, surely, Mr. Cameron could have picked somewhere less controversial. Perhaps, the Carribean.

This trip will be a PR nightmare. The man's not thinking straight.

[Ricardo]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

[mrtoad]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

With any luck he'll end up in a wardrobe, with an orange stuck in his mouth and totally tied up.

He went to Cornwall last summer, probbably trying to drum up votes (not welcome), now he's in Thailand looking for the expat vote

Shouldn't be difficult to find him, leaves a trail like a slug.

Edited October 16, 2010 by mrtoad

[ukrules]

The fellow is allowed to have a vacation. Considering the long hours worked and the lack of a family life, his family deserves some time away from the hustle and bustle of the UK with the paparazzi intrusions. However, surely, Mr. Cameron could have picked somewhere less controversial. Perhaps, the Carribean.

This trip will be a PR nightmare. The man's not thinking straight.

I don't see where the PR problems will come from. President Bush came here a few years ago and that visit passed without incident.

I wonder how many other presidents / prime ministers Cameron also went to school with.

[random]

hopefully the dems will have been disbanded by xmas and abhisit serving out his 5 year ban, then that would really be a PR nightmare

[somchai69]

.....where he was known to chums as ‘Mark Vej’

And what was the Thai PM called.......

[SergeiY]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

[Loz]

er, cos they paid for it! i feel sorry for people who's governments deprive them of the fruits of their taxed labour. i knew guy all set up to live here only to find out his australian pension could not leave the country. gutted.

[jackr]

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Stupidest post of the day award.

... and Toad, why all the harsh language?

[rgs2001uk]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

With any luck he'll end up in a wardrobe, with an orange stuck in his mouth and totally tied up.

He went to Cornwall last summer, probbably trying to drum up votes (not welcome), now he's in Thailand looking for the expat vote

Shouldn't be difficult to find him, leaves a trail like a slug.

Giving your age away there K Toad, wasnt the same <deleted> also found wearing womans underwear at the time of his sad demise?

[ukrules]

Giving your age away there K Toad, wasnt the same <deleted> also found wearing womans underwear at the time of his sad demise?

Milligan, 16 years ago : http://www.newsmedianews.com/milligan.shtml

[Ricardo]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Because I paid into the scheme, for 31 years, perhaps ?

Edited October 16, 2010 by Ricardo

[SergeiY]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Because I paid into the scheme, for 31 years, perhaps ?

You paid all these 31 years for the other old people of that time.

And now you would still get your pension if you would stay back 'home', right? With spending your pension money over there, it circulates in the UK economy.

[SergeiY]

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Stupidest post of the day award.

... and Toad, why all the harsh language?

Stupid would it be to trust and rely on the silly hope that "my government' would "sponsor" me a living abroad.

And see the government is not doing it, now you can get angry over a chang beer about it and call all and everything stupid because your 'pension is frozen'. tragic and sad maybe for one individual case of stupid pensioner, but for the overall economic system it makes sense.

And i doubt with some chang beer in your hand and shouting angry phrases you will get much of a lobby back home in the UK who would support your case.

So what - who is the loser and who is the stupid here?

[Ricardo]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Because I paid into the scheme, for 31 years, perhaps ?

You paid all these 31 years for the other old people of that time.

And now you would still get your pension if you would stay back 'home', right? With spending your pension money over there, it circulates in the UK economy.

Wrong, I'm afraid, SergeiY.

I paid the contributions, but the people I paid it to (the government of the time) used the funds to pay for other old people without my knowledge or permission, instead of investing it on my behalf, 'up to them'. Not my problem. What's known as a ponzi-scheme or pyramid-scheme or fraud, and quite illegal, were it done by a private company instead of a government.

Now I still will get my pension, once I'm old enough, which is another whole 'can of worms', since they keep changing the terms of the scheme unilaterally (the vesting-date or age-of-retirement), even although I'm fully paid-up.

What I won't get, living in a country they don't have a reciprocal-agreement with, is the annual-increases to compensate for inflation. Which I would get if I lived anywhere inside the EEC.

And where I chose to spend my money is my business, nobody else's, but in fact I still spend money in the UK too, which does circulate in the UK economy. I could make a counter-arguement that, although I worked overseas for several years and earned money outside the UK-economy, I still took it back to the UK & spent it there, to the benefit of the UK-economy.

But this is basically about freedom, where I spend my hard-earned money, and indeed what I spend it on, is nobody's business but my own, as long as I spend it legally.

[inmysights]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

With any luck he'll end up in a wardrobe, with an orange stuck in his mouth and totally tied up.

He went to Cornwall last summer, probbably trying to drum up votes (not welcome), now he's in Thailand looking for the expat vote

Shouldn't be difficult to find him, leaves a trail like a slug.

:lol:

[SergeiY]

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Stupidest post of the day award.

... and Toad, why all the harsh language?

Stupid would it be to trust and rely on the silly hope that "my government' would "sponsor" me a living abroad.

And see the government is not doing it, now you can get angry over a chang beer about it and call all and everything stupid because your 'pension is frozen'. tragic and sad maybe for one individual case of stupid pensioner, but for the overall economic system it makes sense.

And i doubt with some chang beer in your hand and shouting angry phrases you will get much of a lobby back home in the UK who would support your case.

So what - who is the loser and who is the stupid here?

Strange remark, ' Who is stupid here ', when the pensioner watches billions of pounds sent abroad to bolster other countries that have done sod all in their existence to move forward, when an immigrant can be accepted in the UK and get benefits far in excess of a pensioners pension, even housing paid for by the tax payer and never paid a penny into the system.

How many come up with the story ' Oh, l will get knocked about if l go back, who gives a shit, not me, their country, go back and make it better, same as the UK citizens have had to struggle to do.

Further to your comment, pensioners in UK can get huge rent and council tax rebates, free health care, dentistry, prescriptions, legal aid etc etc payed by the tax payer, those that leave the shores forfeit all of that and save the tax payer millions of pounds and free up resources, in fact the tiny increase in pension will be nothing compared to the cost of supporting a pensioner in the UK. So who's stupid.

har, har, har.

Now ranting about immigrants ... well, how stupid is that?

[ThaiPauly]

This thread is starting to go WAY off topic.

Lets try to get it back ON topic please.

It's a pity if he's coming to Thailand I can't do a "home swap" over Christmas with him. Won't be possible though if he is staying with "Mark"

He has a house in the constituency where he is an MP , which also happens to be where I hail from.

[mca]

The way things are going in LOS Mark had better be looking for the army camp that serves the best grub.

I can imagine him, Prem and David playing charades on Chrimbo afternoon.

" It's a film.... 4 words.... First word The.... Last word I....."

Edited October 17, 2010 by mca

[stander]

I will buy him a drink if he comes to Hua Hin.

[jackr]

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Stupidest post of the day award.

... and Toad, why all the harsh language?

Stupid would it be to trust and rely on the silly hope that "my government' would "sponsor" me a living abroad.

And see the government is not doing it, now you can get angry over a chang beer about it and call all and everything stupid because your 'pension is frozen'. tragic and sad maybe for one individual case of stupid pensioner, but for the overall economic system it makes sense.

And i doubt with some chang beer in your hand and shouting angry phrases you will get much of a lobby back home in the UK who would support your case.

So what - who is the loser and who is the stupid here?

Sorry, but I'm neither a pensioner nor do I drink Chang. And we're talking about pensioners here that have paid their dues, ie - paid money to the government for umpteen years into a thing called the National Insurance, which in-turn pays you back [a pittance] when you reach retirement age. There is no 'sponsor' about it, what a daft thing to say. That word suggests one is getting something for nothing.

So, I reiterate, 'stupid post of the day' award as you're either just that or are trolling... I smell a bit of both.

[MAJIC]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Because I left school at 15 and started work for the next 40 years,whilst doing so I paid NI contributions and UK taxes,

Good enough reason? or have you done better?

[Pierre2501]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

You can be happy to get a pension at all, but why should a 'state pension' paid for people living abroad?

Because I left school at 15 and started work for the next 40 years,whilst doing so I paid NI contributions and UK taxes,

Good enough reason? or have you done better?

All British state pensioners pay into the National Insurance fund under exactly the same rules.

All British state pensioners qualify for their state pension under exactly the same rules.

When it comes time to pay out the pension, different rules are applied depending on the country of residence.

Britannia Waives the Rules!

The Philippines uprated - Thailand frozen. USA uprated - Australia frozen. Switzerland uprated - Canada frozen. Israel uprated - South Africa frozen. The list goes on and on.

Over 40 countries in the world have their pensions uprated each year just as if they were living in the UK. The rest including most of the Commonwealth countries have their pensions frozen.

[theoldgit]

If any Brits spot him in a bar, they might perhaps care to 'bend his ear' over a Chang, about the iniquity of the UK-Pension being frozen, for those of us who dare to chose to live in this wonderful country ?

Let's see what happens in the CSR first, might even get worse.

[timekeeper]

edit : bad layout

Edited October 18, 2010 by timekeeper

[samran]

I find it incredibly interesting these UK related posts and the way they degenerate.

1) Innocent posting about something vaugely related to Thailand

2) Someone has a government related gripe (pensions, immigrants, dodgy politicians)

3) The UK inevitiably is going down hill (all Labours fault!!)

4) The immigrant in Thailand blames the immigrant back in the UK

5) 5555555555

6) thread fizzles out till next time.

[stander]

I find it incredibly interesting these UK related posts and the way they degenerate.

1) Innocent posting about something vaugely related to Thailand

2) Someone has a government related gripe (pensions, immigrants, dodgy politicians)

3) The UK inevitiably is going down hill (all Labours fault!!)

4) The immigrant in Thailand blames the immigrant back in the UK

5) 5555555555

6) thread fizzles out till next time.

Yep it is quite funny in a pathetic sort of a way, to listen to them whine.

[stander]

I think that all the British retirees here whose only source of income is the state pension need to take a long hard look at themselves.

If you did not have the foresight to plan additional incomes then really you only have yourself to blame and probably your best bet is to return to the motherland and get sucking on that welfare tit.

Nothing sucks like socialism.

[samran]

I find it incredibly interesting these UK related posts and the way they degenerate.

1) Innocent posting about something vaugely related to Thailand

2) Someone has a government related gripe (pensions, immigrants, dodgy politicians)

3) The UK inevitiably is going down hill (all Labours fault!!)

4) The immigrant in Thailand blames the immigrant back in the UK

5) 5555555555

6) thread fizzles out till next time.

Yep it is quite funny in a pathetic sort of a way, to listen to them whine.

Is it whining or is it discussion for discussion sake as this is a discussion forum.

As for no.4, We are not immigrants in LOS as we can be sent back home at the drop of a hat, and that risk is there for life, which is very different to the UK where once you are in it's hard to get you out and you CAN become part of society for life which you cannot in LOS.

How is that difficult in Thailand? I mean really, you make an effort, it isn't too hard.

And risk for life... I mean, come on. Proof?

Edited October 18, 2010 by samran