Returning to U.K. after 11 years

[ResandePohm]

James this is my experience.

I lived abroad for 20 years prior to returning to the UK. I had a business into which I have put all my money but unfortunately it went belly up. This meant that I lost my income and subsequently my home because I couldn’t pay the mortgage so I decided to return to the UK. I went to the Job Centre to apply for benefits to help me get back on my feet only to be told that I was not entitled to any help until I had first worked in the UK for at least 6 months. The fact that I had worked and paid taxes for many years prior to going abroad counted for nothing. If I had been a non British immigrant I would have received all manner of help (free house, furniture and a monthly income). Anyway so off I trot to get a job. Not easy as an expat and made worse by me being over 50. Ended up in a dead end job way below my qualifications and experience level.

I found that the attitude of the people had changed significantly. When I lived there before people helped each other, now they just want to sue each other. The young generation have no manners; will not stand up for elderly, infirm or pregnant women on busses or trains. They turn to aggression either physical or verbal if you catch them doing wrong. They have no respect for the elderly or anyone else for that matter. Finally Brexit was the last straw for me and I took myself and what money I had accumulated and relocated to LOS. Brexit will mean that jobs are hard to come by and the pound is still plummeting. It has dropped more than 20% since the referendum so keep any savings you have outside the UK.

My advice is not to return to the UK until the chaos of Brexit is settled. If you want to return to a European lifestyle I would recommend you move to any other country in Europe perhaps Scandinavia where I am sure they will welcome you with open arms after the influx of Muslim refugees.

[chiang mai]

For every person who regrets returning there's a t least one who will say it was the best thing they ever did, it's different strokes for different folks! There was a thread quite recently about a Brit who returned with his Thai wife and kids, almost solely in order to get the kids a decent education, if I recall that man was 70 years old and his stories about making the transition make excellent reading, one of the best TVF threads ever. That man said it wasn't easy but he was really glad he made the move and eventually things do settle down and a normal life resumes.

[maingmoom]

On 1/22/2017 at 6:24 AM, chiang mai said:

 

Scunny....salt of the earth mate, Gods country and Gods people, not like those southern woofters.

Hey watch it. I'm a southerner and I'm not a woofter,just a nice boy.

[sandgroper2]

Expect to be considerded a pedo by some small minded morons when they find out you have lived in SE Asia.

[Destiny1990]

Curious whay makes u go back? And which country did u like the most for staying and wich the least?

[Stardust314]

if you not comback for money problem... i bet my one pint to -you will back to asia until one year ,for another long period )))  good luck 

[sandgroper2]

49 minutes ago, Stardust314 said:

if you not comback for money problem... i bet my one pint to -you will back to asia until one year ,for another long period )))  good luck 

My business associate has sevral cozy, easy to keep warm, 17sq m bed sits available in Redcar if your interested, only 250 pounds a week. PM if interested. (ocean views)

[Sooo Upto Me]

On 22/01/2017 at 5:30 AM, james24 said:

Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated 

 

The only concern is that I will not have an address, apart from a hostel until I can work.. .

 

Will be interesting to see how things go but tbh I am looking forward to it.

 

I'm from London, been here in Thailand since 2008. Only been bac UK once for 2wks. Not missed it. 

Not much has changed apart from obvious traffic worse, fares up, more immigrants. an still crap weather. 

Anyway as long as u hav ur NI number u should fit bac in no prob. Rent out a room for 3 mths contract get ur self bank acc & an easy to apply job like courier or delivery driver & u should fit bac in system no prob.

Oh & from wherever ur going bac to, visit Southend or Blackpool then u know ur be missing Thailand. ?

Good Luck.

[steve187]

29 minutes ago, sandgroper2 said:

My business associate has sevral cozy, easy to keep warm, 17sq m bed sits available in Redcar if your interested, only 250 pounds a week. PM if interested. (ocean views)

must be an exclusive area for that price, can rent a 3 bed detached house in Lincoln for £200 a week, should be able to rent a room in a nice place for up to £100 per week, no bills

[nickmondo]

On 1/22/2017 at 2:23 AM, 15Henlee said:

Hi. Depends on where your from in UK I guess but I recently returned and there are the obvious differences such as the aesthetics, whole blocks n rows of house (some old friends) gone-totally re developed and making it easy to get lost less than a few hundred yards from your old home. You'll probably find the 'ease of access' we easily take for granted here in UK and after a week or two, be whizzing around thriving off these truly missed luxuries. The safety on the roads is such a big plus. You will definitely feel that you've got more chance of survival on these roads and transportation. The customer service aspect took a while to kick back in for me but I just think I may have been unlucky to only have dealt with moody unprofessional staff (not naming companies)BUT after a few weeks u soon appreciate the 'service levels' and shortly remember just how much we Brits moan about everything!I've learnt ; be thankful for what you've got. And finally there's the 'other' side of returning home after so long...if you've seen the movie 'The Beach' then you'll have an idea. A side that could make you easily sad and low (if you've been having numbers of affairs /girls on tap) etc. I can see how brutal the realisation could be as that's one thing that is very different back home-one could say the opposite. BUT if you were 'keeping it real' and weren't living too crazy a life, well I think you will fit back in in no time. My tip:if you have a small friend base or have lost touch with many of your old friends etc (a lot happens in 11 years) I would make sure you got a couple to be there to bounce off of for your initial re location. Good luck and welcome back mate. P.S. Yes the weathers still shit.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

easy mate.  dont blooming go there.  change your mind.  fast.  before its too late.  i have just returned to Thailand after two months in UK and wont be going back.  it has changed so much.  but you will find out soon enough if you go.  good luck 

[Slain]

Biggest shock when I returned was the price of car insurance.  I had no record of driving at all for years so I went straight back to paying full insurance with  no claims bonus discount.  Ouch.

 

On the other, hand when I did start driving again I realized how undisciplined I was for UK conditions.  i.e. look out for traffic lights & complicated junctions etc.

 

If you qualify, be sure to apply for a free bus pass as soon as..

 

The massive plus points are easy communication and lack of feeling you are being ripped off all the time.

 

Also, just chatting casually in a queue, I found surprisingly nice to do. 

Edited January 24, 2017 by Slain
further info

[Globaleyes]

James24,  

I moved back to the UK twice after living in Thailand for several years each time, and here are some of my experiences.  Various posters have also mentioned some of them. I last returned to the UK mid 2014 and am still here.

 

Firstly, get an address and get bona fide proof of address - everything hinges on that  - benefits, job, bank accounts, doctors registration, NHS number...

Having been out of the country, you might have a problem renting a place, so assuming you have some money left, you will have to stump up 6 months rent in advance on a place, unless you have a friend. Clearly you will not have a recent reference that they will accept/understand.  
House rent agencies have become Satan's Spawn since you last lived here. There may well be a £100 - £200  'administration fee' just for the privilege of paying them money each month.

 

You may have a problem with benefits because you have been out of the country for more than two years and therefore are not 'habitually Resident'.  I didn't find a way around that but, you can still get your NI stamp paid - you just wont get any money.  That might change as soon as you get a job and start paying NI - it did for me.

Similarly, unless you can find a way to lie / hide the fact, you might be considered 'not habitually resident' for the NHS.  I found they didn't CHECK, but they did ASK me. I lied and had no further problem, a clear English accent and a local address seemed to be sufficient for me.

 

Prepare for a shock regarding car insurance as you will have no no-claims bonus.

 

Finally, enjoy your first REAL kebab, and a bottle of drinkable wine for less than a tenner!  :)

 

 

 

 

[sandgroper2]

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

must be an exclusive area for that price, can rent a 3 bed detached house in Lincoln for £200 a week, should be able to rent a room in a nice place for up to £100 per week, no bills

Complete and utter rubbish. 3 bed, 200 a week. 20 years ago maby.

[chiang mai]

20 minutes ago, sandgroper2 said:

Complete and utter rubbish. 3 bed, 200 a week. 20 years ago maby.

 

I think you must be confusing weeks and months as well as Lincoln and London, easily done!

 

Loads and loads of house rentals to be had in Lincoln at well under 200 per week, in fact, I couldn't find one that high, but there is 19 pages of house rentals that are cheaper:

 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?searchType=RENT&locationIdentifier=REGION^804&insId=1&radius=0.0&minPrice=&maxPrice=900&minBedrooms=&maxBedrooms=&displayPropertyType=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&sortByPriceDescending=&_includeLetAgreed=on&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&letType=&letFurnishType=&houseFlatShare=false

Edited January 24, 2017 by chiang mai

[mark131v]

9 hours ago, hottrader77 said:

you also forgot to mention that after a few months of ignorant people you come into contact with you will be ready to book your flight straight back out of uk , also the usual stigma and blindfolded view that people there have in conversation with them, such as when they say to you , "oh ! you have been living in thailand have you how many ladyboys you been with " they will try to embarrass you with this because they saw a one sided blindfolded view of thailand on tv and they have never been so dont understand the laid back lifestyle here, Also they will try to embarrass you  in conversation with , " and how many little underage girls have you been hanging around with abroad " ? because they are in their tiny little one view world controlled by the BBC oh and dont forget you still have to pay your TV license (nonesense)  also scraping the ice off your car , paying the extremley expensive council tax and gas and electric bills , after 2 months you will be wishing you had never gone back hearing the one sided news drummed down your neck every night , and down at the local you will get sick of been told , " your a dirty old man for fancying a 20 year old girl at the local and better watch envious and jealous husbands who are under the thumb looking at you when you chat to the 21 year old student bargirl .  and mentioning to his also under the thumb mates that the dirty old mnan is at it again. also the amount of times you will be ripped off with car garage bills , insurance , petrol the list of rip offs is endless over there yes you will be wishing you had never gone back and miss those lazy days in the sun with your mates and the usual 21 year old girl you meet for fun times together every few days and also talking to 20 year old girls without any sterio types about telling you your a dirty old man , yes it wont be long before your at the international airport ready to fly out of the  dark, expensive, narrow minded , freezing cold fridge we call home the UK .

Bloody hell mate you do sound like a truly bitter and twisted individual but it does sound like LoS is ideal for you if it is all about the young bargirls

 

OP we moved back last year and have none of the problems this fella has had and in general it has been very positive. Some things are more expensive but you get a lot more for it and you have the opportunity  to work and earn a wage

 

The difference in the way people speak to you and behave is night and day different but in a positive way plus you have a rule of law and you aint seen as nothing but a cash cow to be exploited by all and sundry...

[steve187]

52 minutes ago, sandgroper2 said:

Complete and utter rubbish. 3 bed, 200 a week. 20 years ago maby.

read , think, research before you let the keyboard control your life.

 

in fact i was being over cautious with the prices, just so your mates prices didn't seem to be ..........well to be honest a complete rip off. In Lincoln which is the county town of where the op is thinking of living, rental prices for houses start at around the £450 a month + bills, so a 4mx4m studio at £1071 the more i think about it sounds more and more like a rip off to be honest, that's B & B prices

[khomlong1]

11 hours ago, hottrader77 said:

you also forgot to mention that after a few months of ignorant people you come into contact with you will be ready to book your flight straight back out of uk , also the usual stigma and blindfolded view that people there have in conversation with them, such as when they say to you , "oh ! you have been living in thailand have you how many ladyboys you been with " they will try to embarrass you with this because they saw a one sided blindfolded view of thailand on tv and they have never been so dont understand the laid back lifestyle here, Also they will try to embarrass you  in conversation with , " and how many little underage girls have you been hanging around with abroad " ? because they are in their tiny little one view world controlled by the BBC oh and dont forget you still have to pay your TV license (nonesense)  also scraping the ice off your car , paying the extremley expensive council tax and gas and electric bills , after 2 months you will be wishing you had never gone back hearing the one sided news drummed down your neck every night , and down at the local you will get sick of been told , " your a dirty old man for fancying a 20 year old girl at the local and better watch envious and jealous husbands who are under the thumb looking at you when you chat to the 21 year old student bargirl .  and mentioning to his also under the thumb mates that the dirty old mnan is at it again. also the amount of times you will be ripped off with car garage bills , insurance , petrol the list of rip offs is endless over there yes you will be wishing you had never gone back and miss those lazy days in the sun with your mates and the usual 21 year old girl you meet for fun times together every few days and also talking to 20 year old girls without any sterio types about telling you your a dirty old man , yes it wont be long before your at the international airport ready to fly out of the  dark, expensive, narrow minded , freezing cold fridge we call home the UK .

Yeah, after 13 years, my only visit to the U.K was in 2007 for my mothers funeral.

Never felt so depressed. Sitting in the departure lounge returning home to Thailand, I was as happy as a sand boy ...all the way back to here in Lopburi!

 

 

[elliss]

On 1/22/2017 at 5:30 AM, james24 said:

 

 

The only concern is that I will not have an address, apart from a hostel until I can work.. .

 

 

              No address ,   Hostel , little money

               UK  has  changed  so much , do you really  have to go back there ?.

Edited January 24, 2017 by elliss

[james24]

Bloody hell lol, I'm terrified!

 

to be honest I've been living between Mexico and Thailand for the last few years with a quick stint in OZ. The main reason for going back is that my nan has just turned 97 and has started to show certain signs she didn't before so I'd rather just spend some time with her. While I'm there I would like to get some stuff done on the NHS, however the move probably won't be be forever, who knows though.

 

As for running out of money, that is a concern. Even though my job here is ok, once you hit the ground over there it quickly goes so yes that is something I've got to consider.

 

Up north is a lot cheaper that down south.

 

UK is a slog, I agree and it can be bloomin freezing in more ways than one but it's something want to do, at least until October.

 

Finally the type of work I'll be looking for eventually is in education. I've been an English teacher for a while however the last few years been more involved in the advocacy/admin side of higher ed. However I'm pretty much up for some hard-graft when I get back, whatever that is. Used to be in demo many years ago.

 

cheers for all the feedback guys, lots to help out.

[ThaiPauly]

17 hours ago, chiang mai said:

For every person who regrets returning there's a t least one who will say it was the best thing they ever did, it's different strokes for different folks! There was a thread quite recently about a Brit who returned with his Thai wife and kids, almost solely in order to get the kids a decent education, if I recall that man was 70 years old and his stories about making the transition make excellent reading, one of the best TVF threads ever. That man said it wasn't easy but he was really glad he made the move and eventually things do settle down and a normal life resumes.

Do you have a link for that thread CM?

[SheungWan]

40 minutes ago, james24 said:

Bloody hell lol, I'm terrified!

 

to be honest I've been living between Mexico and Thailand for the last few years with a quick stint in OZ. The main reason for going back is that my nan has just turned 97 and has started to show certain signs she didn't before so I'd rather just spend some time with her. While I'm there I would like to get some stuff done on the NHS, however the move probably won't be be forever, who knows though.

 

As for running out of money, that is a concern. Even though my job here is ok, once you hit the ground over there it quickly goes so yes that is something I've got to consider.

 

Up north is a lot cheaper that down south.

 

UK is a slog, I agree and it can be bloomin freezing in more ways than one but it's something want to do, at least until October.

 

Finally the type of work I'll be looking for eventually is in education. I've been an English teacher for a while however the last few years been more involved in the advocacy/admin side of higher ed. However I'm pretty much up for some hard-graft when I get back, whatever that is. Used to be in demo many years ago.

 

cheers for all the feedback guys, lots to help out.

Degree and Cert Ed will help. First stop might be supply teaching,

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, james24 said:

Bloody hell lol, I'm terrified!

 

to be honest I've been living between Mexico and Thailand for the last few years with a quick stint in OZ. The main reason for going back is that my nan has just turned 97 and has started to show certain signs she didn't before so I'd rather just spend some time with her. While I'm there I would like to get some stuff done on the NHS, however the move probably won't be be forever, who knows though.

 

As for running out of money, that is a concern. Even though my job here is ok, once you hit the ground over there it quickly goes so yes that is something I've got to consider.

 

Up north is a lot cheaper that down south.

 

UK is a slog, I agree and it can be bloomin freezing in more ways than one but it's something want to do, at least until October.

 

Finally the type of work I'll be looking for eventually is in education. I've been an English teacher for a while however the last few years been more involved in the advocacy/admin side of higher ed. However I'm pretty much up for some hard-graft when I get back, whatever that is. Used to be in demo many years ago.

 

cheers for all the feedback guys, lots to help out.

You will be fine mate especially if you have a trade and skills to fall back on

 

We went back to UK a year ago primarily for the sprogs education and have no regrets at all

 

Still have a lovely house pick up and bikes in LoS and we went back for 2 weeks in the summer and that just cemented that in our case at the moment the UK was the right choice for my family

 

The UK has many more pro's than cons in my experience though I dare say they are probably the wrong type of pro's for some on here....

 

 

Edited January 24, 2017 by mark131v
spelling

[chiang mai]

2 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

Do you have a link for that thread CM?

 

See the link below:

 

What I think is so truly great about this thread is the OP's attitude. He made his decision to return for the reasons he stated and he saw it through, though thick and thin (a lot of which must not have been easy or pleasant). And he happily shares it all in detail in a very calm, balanced and at times eloquent manner, despite a couple of would be trolls trying to change the spirit of it all.

Edited January 25, 2017 by chiang mai

[hottrader77]

13 hours ago, mark131v said:

Bloody hell mate you do sound like a truly bitter and twisted individual but it does sound like LoS is ideal for you if it is all about the young bargirls

 

OP we moved back last year and have none of the problems this fella has had and in general it has been very positive. Some things are more expensive but you get a lot more for it and you have the opportunity  to work and earn a wage

 

The difference in the way people speak to you and behave is night and day different but in a positive way plus you have a rule of law and you aint seen as nothing but a cash cow to be exploited by all and sundry...

bloody hell mate you seem bitter and twisted about thailand i have none of the problems you have and i have been coming here 21 years and lived here for a 2 year stretch , you say you moved back to uk , can you tell us why you moved out of the uk in the first place bet it was 1 or more of what i was saying although you could make up any story , it seems strange you would move out of the uk for an undisclosed reason and then move back there and then say all is well there when you left there in the first place.  lets see what you say in 10 years time of taking that crap over in the UK 

[daveAustin]

Ignore the bickering and bias views op. You might come across that type of carry-on if you associate with the lower classes, esp in work -- and I have in the past, it ain't pretty -- but in general I found most people to be decent. I think the main thing to make a go of it is to avoid constantly comparing it with life over here (and it will keep popping up, from having to wait two weeks to see the GP to sitting in very orderly traffic ) and just get on with it.

 

Yes, we should have all absconded and left Blighty to the bread thieves in the 18th century, but we're stuck with it. The positives outweigh the negatives and it'll be so much easier than if you had a family to worry about too. Stuff like pricier fuel is put into perspective when you're earning multiple times what you were here, groceries as said is same or cheaper (and choice/quality vastly superior), and lots of menial paperwork stuff can be sorted online.

 

It is a grind, I know, but if it's just a short time, it's a means to an end and you can have one eye focused on the out to keep you sane. I'll just leave you with this: what would we do if we didn't have the luxury of the backup of the UK?

[sandgroper2]

17 hours ago, steve187 said:

read , think, research before you let the keyboard control your life.

 

in fact i was being over cautious with the prices, just so your mates prices didn't seem to be ..........well to be honest a complete rip off. In Lincoln which is the county town of where the op is thinking of living, rental prices for houses start at around the £450 a month + bills, so a 4mx4m studio at £1071 the more i think about it sounds more and more like a rip off to be honest, that's B & B prices

Last time I was in Lincoln, was woken in the early hours ever day by chanting over loud speakers on every street corner.

[mark131v]

9 hours ago, hottrader77 said:

bloody hell mate you seem bitter and twisted about thailand i have none of the problems you have and i have been coming here 21 years and lived here for a 2 year stretch , you say you moved back to uk , can you tell us why you moved out of the uk in the first place bet it was 1 or more of what i was saying although you could make up any story , it seems strange you would move out of the uk for an undisclosed reason and then move back there and then say all is well there when you left there in the first place.  lets see what you say in 10 years time of taking that crap over in the UK 

Not bitter and twisted at all, just realistic and yes I am sure your reason for being in LoS is completely different to my reasons I already get that loud and clear!

 

I moved to LoS after leaving the RM and starting to work offshore because with a military pension  I could and it was tax free, could have chosen anywhere but I had been going to Thailand with the mates several times a year since about 2002 so knew it well

 

We still have the house, cars and stuff in LoS and can visit whenever and already had a couple of weeks in summer so I have no rose tinted specs for either place but unlike you it appears I have options 

 

Lived from 2010 to 2016 there and would never move back full time as it is becoming a basket case but fair to say you can probably still get your 20 year bar girls if that is your main priority....

 

 

 

[zorro1]

Not bitter and twisted at all, just realistic and yes I am sure your reason for being in LoS is completely different to my reasons I already get that loud and clear!

 

I moved to LoS after leaving the RM and starting to work offshore because with a military pension  I could and it was tax free, could have chosen anywhere but I had been going to Thailand with the mates several times a year since about 2002 so knew it well

 

We still have the house, cars and stuff in LoS and can visit whenever and already had a couple of weeks in summer so I have no rose tinted specs for either place but unlike you it appears I have options 

 

Lived from 2010 to 2016 there and would never move back full time as it is becoming a basket case but fair to say you can probably still get your 20 year bar girls if that is your main priority....

 

 

 

Thailand always end up being a basket case for farang with money issues.

Nothing has changed for me

Biggest problem for most is getting married with new mouths to feed and wives demanding cash for extended family

Bloody sad how blokes get themselves in such a mess [emoji30]

And then... Wait for it

... BREXIT fiasco kicks in.. Bad timing

..... Sterling crushed [emoji46]

And those running home with tail between legs think thailand is a basket case? Talk about denial!

UK IS the world leader in basket cases!!!

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, zorro1 said:

Thailand always end up being a basket case for farang with money issues.

Nothing has changed for me

Biggest problem for most is getting married with new mouths to feed and wives demanding cash for extended family

Bloody sad how blokes get themselves in such a mess

And then... Wait for it

... BREXIT fiasco kicks in.. Bad timing

..... Sterling crushed

And those running home with tail between legs think thailand is a basket case? Talk about denial!

UK IS the world leader in basket cases!!!

No denial here mate and certainly no money worries, still have a house on a rai and a half 3 motorbikes and a ford ranger....

 

I was married with child before moving to LoS and doing very well thanks very much

 

Seems to me sterling is doing ok and I am not at all worried about Brexit, much prefer to be in a place where there is a rule of law

 

Personally I am not willing to bury my head in the sand and accept the Thai way of doing things, always had principles always will but each to his own....

 

UK leader in basket cases? you are deluded fella but never mind there is probably a pill you can take for that

[zorro1]

No denial here mate and certainly no money worries, still have a house on a rai and a half 3 motorbikes and a ford ranger....
 
I was married with child before moving to LoS and doing very well thanks very much
 
Seems to me sterling is doing ok and I am not at all worried about Brexit, much prefer to be in a place where there is a rule of law
 
Personally I am not willing to bury my head in the sand and accept the Thai way of doing things, always had principles always will but each to his own....
 
UK leader in basket cases? you are deluded fella but never mind there is probably a pill you can take for that

Nah your a busted ass. No other reason to return with tail stuck between legs.
You failed man and now it's the blame game for you , blaming thailand just makes you look weak and there is no pill for that!