Pattaya Farewells the British Ambassador

PATTAYA:-- HE Asif Ahmad had initially appeared an unlikely choice for the British Ambassador to Thailand, and had been drafted in at short notice, but has ended his two year tenure as probably one of the more popular in the position.

With three weeks to go before he left Thailand, he addressed a dinner held in his honor at the Holiday Inn and as always, charmed the guests with his verbal eloquence and humorous delivery.

He brought up the major bone of contention between British pensioner ex-pats and the British government - the freezing of their state pensions, particularly as there are countries where the British pensioner does get the indexed pension, as opposed to Thailand. HE Asif did say that the cost of raising pensions world-wide would be 655 million pounds, and if the payment was back-dated the global cost would be 5 billion pounds. Appearing as an ‘excuse’ he said that Ministers are not going to give overseas Britons priority over what they see as more pressing needs at home. Of course overseas pensioners will point to their own “pressing needs”, and it could be argued that the back-dated 5 billion pounds represents not a saving for the UK, but a pinching from the pockets of its pensioners.

Full story:http://www.pattayama...mbassador-15273

-- Pattaya Mail 2012-08-04

I would like to see the ambassador's reaction if he found out that his own civil service and old age pensions were going to be frozen because the British government wants to save money and doesn't approve of his choice of retirement home.

The policy is totally indefensible, given that the overseas pensioners have paid exactly the same contributions as the domestic ones and that the government chooses to pay the inflation increments to some overseas pensioners and not others, excluding those that live in British commonwealth countries but including those that live in the US - why?

Ultimately they will get more pensioners having to come back to the UK and claim pension supplements and renew their entitlement to the NHS. The policy is also a strong incentive to cheat the system by pretending to be still resident in the UK and also claim heating allowances etc. They need to throw in the equation what they save by having so many pensioners living overseas and giving up entitlements to NHS treatment and other benefits.

Edited August 4, 201213 yr by Arkady

the English in this article is a bit non-coherent.

also: why would his farewell dinner be in Pattaya? surely most governmental people, diplomats and press would all be based in Bangkok.

- so I guess that it was a farewell with added extras around the corner!

and what has state pensions got to do with his farewell dinner?

is this the same guy responsible for the total lack of courtesy from the UK Embassy Staff (in Bangkok) ?

how is it that when you go to the Swedish embassy they are so nice and helpful and polite to you.. (my ex is Swedish) The Swedish Embassy staff make you feel like you are part of a family. But when you go to the British Embassy you are made to feel like you are something they can't be bothered with.

Edited August 4, 201213 yr by easybullet3

the English in this article is a bit non-coherent.

Very bad English.

Farewell is a noun, not a verb

Pattaya bids farewell.....

would be much better

also: why would his farewell dinner be in Pattaya?

Why not?

I am sure there will be several dinners at various locations to wish him well

and what has state pensions got to do with his farewell dinner?

The lack of indexing for UK State pensions of Brits living in Thailand is a very sore point

and does not apply to government pensions.

Popular with who? I've met him several times, and seemingly a nice personable guy. Has he achieved anything in 2 years?

I couldn't find a 'Quote' button so I've copied the sentence below from a post by 'Rimmer'.

Appearing as an ‘excuse’ he said that Ministers are not going to give overseas Britons priority over what they see as more pressing needs at home.

I've been led to believe that UK pensioners living in the EU are eligible for the annual inflation rise - surely that counts as overseas! It hasn't been explained to us why UK pensioners in qualifying European countries qualify and the likes of us in Thailand don't.

I couldn't find a 'Quote' button so I've copied the sentence below from a post by 'Rimmer'.

Appearing as an ‘excuse’ he said that Ministers are not going to give overseas Britons priority over what they see as more pressing needs at home.

I've been led to believe that UK pensioners living in the EU are eligible for the annual inflation rise - surely that counts as overseas! It hasn't been explained to us why UK pensioners in qualifying European countries qualify and the likes of us in Thailand don't.

errrm,.. would that be because Thailand isn't an EU member country yet?

This is not a UK pensions topic.

Kindly restrict further comments on UK pensions to the UK pensions topic.

.....The Swedish Embassy staff make you feel like you are part of a family. But when you go to the British Embassy you are made to feel like you are something they can't be bothered with.

Because, unless you are offering them something, you are something they can't be bothered with.

It hasn't been explained to us why UK pensioners in qualifying European countries qualify and the likes of us in Thailand don't.

Because there isn't an explanation that would hold water. It is discrimination pure and simple.

Popular with who? I've met him several times, and seemingly a nice personable guy. Has he achieved anything in 2 years?

Less than his predecessor who managed to achieve a job at beer Chang!