By Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

it sounds like another area where they have inefficient processes which do absolutely nothing useful.

Any idiot can get a Thai driving license - and I'm sure you have observed more times than you can count - many do . . .

[Gaybutton]

Not being from the UK myself, I don't understand why it works this way. Seems extremely unfair to me. My own pension gets a guaranteed 3% increase annually. So far that's worked out just fine for me, despite fluctuations in the exchange rates.
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Big increases in UK state pensions infuriate frozen expats in Thailand

By Barry Kenyon

September 15, 2023

The news that Britain’s old age pensioners are scheduled to receive an 8.5 percent increase next April, on top of 10.2 percent this year, has staggered foreign expats. Many had their entitlement frozen from the date ceased to be “ordinarily resident” in UK. There are about 500,000 British expats living abroad who are denied annual increases, mostly living in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. But the rule applies to Thailand too.

The good news for British-based seniors only is based on the triple lock policy which means that the annual increase in the state pension is the highest of average earnings, inflation or 2.5 percent. Since the decline of Covid, there have been substantial worker settlements in Britain to counter inflation which have resulted in a higher-than-expected average wage. For those receiving the new flat-rate pension, going to those who reached retirement age after April 2016, the total for the year is fast approaching 12,000 pounds.

It is well known that there are no rational grounds for uprating the state pensions of those expats caught in the freezing process. They paid national insurance in their working lives and should be covered. Although the British government sometimes talks about “reciprocal agreements” there is no sensible rationale why British pensioners living in Turkey or Serbia or parts of the Caribbean should receive increases when those in Thailand do not. The stark reality is a postal lottery pure and simple.

The British Department of Work and Pensions in July 2023 published data which likely explain the political resistance and indifference. The report claims that the cost of uprating the state pension in frozen countries-rate countries is around 4,590 million pounds in the five-year time slot 2023 to 2028. Whilst this is not in fact a huge sum in overall pension expenditure terms, it is designed to be the definitive “sorry folks” argument. Meanwhile, there is a division in the Conservative government whether even the trip-lock should continue as Britain lurches in its post-Brexit financial agony.

The main lobby group in Thailand is End Frozen Pensions Asia (Thailand Branch) which is easily found on Facebook and has a useful chat describing members’ campaigning activities. Local Brits feeling aggrieved by the lack of political will in UK to resolve the blatant discrimination should support this non-profitmaking pressure group. And yes, it’s likely to be a long haul.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... and-440723

[Dodger]

Sounds like Barry is pissed off and doing a bit of axe grinding.

I have no idea how the Brits handle state-sponsored retirement pensions but it sounds like if they've retired in Thailand they're getting the short end of the stick.

In the past two years American expats residing in Thailand have received a combined 14% increase from U.S. Social Security due to the inflation impacting the U.S with another 3% coming in Jan of 2024 - where the cost-of-living in Thailand has had minimal impact on most expats personal budgets. I'm not gloating...just very grateful. Hopefully something can be done in the future to assist the Brits in getting a fair shake.

[Gaybutton]

Sounds like Barry is pissed off

I'm sure he is and I don't blame him. He's getting shafted by this too. It's as if it is some sort of crime for UK citizens to be expats.

Another problem is this may cause UK citizens who were seriously considering retiring in Thailand, or becoming expats anywhere, to change their minds. I feel badly if that happens with any UK citizens reading this board, but it certainly would be understandable.

[Jun]

Another problem is this may cause UK citizens who were seriously considering retiring in Thailand, or becoming expats anywhere, to change their minds. I feel badly if that happens with any UK citizens reading this board, but it certainly would be understandable.

Any UK citizens reading this board should know of the rule and plan for it long before they retire.

The state pension doesn't figure particularly highly in my planning. I retired almost 5 years ago and won't be old enough to claim the state pension for another 11 years.

[Gaybutton]

Any UK citizens reading this board should know of the rule and plan for it long before they retire.

Do you know the rationale for this rule? It doesn't make much sense to me, but not being from the UK maybe I just don't understand.

[Jun]

This provides some kind of explanation: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/re ... s/sn01457/

I don't think it entirely makes sense, but it is what it is & people should plan for it.
Using every means possible for legal tax avoidance is one logical response, since I want to accumulate money for my own benefit, rather than contribute to some socialist scheme that will not pay out in full if I choose to live abroad.

Also, it's all a matter of priorities.
Some people choose to spend £400 a month to keep a brand new car on their drive.
If I write my used car off tomorrow, it has cost me £27 per month in depreciation. In practice, that figure is likely to be far lower by the time I have to write it off.
£400 per month over 45 years is over £200k. If we include compounded investment returns of 5% above inflation, that amounts to £766k after 45 years. That's before we consider any other saving. (I've chosen 45 years for comparison with the state pension, which pays out from the age of 67)

It's possible for the middle class to save up quite significant sums if they choose to.

[Gaybutton]

Sexy Soi 6 and the Old Queen

By Barry Kenyon

September 17, 2023

There are more pubs named after Queen Victoria than any other monarch. Over 220 in the UK alone. But one of the most famous and successful is located in Pattaya where it shares street space with around 70 girlie bars where you might not want your grandmother to venture. The Queen Victoria Inn here has been run by Jane and Vic King since 2001. It’s a 33-room hotel with a large restaurant area fashioned after a traditional English pub. It has been described as “an oasis of calm” in an otherwise hectic environment.

Vic, who is a Londoner, said, “Soi 6 in 2001 was very different from today. It was far more cosmopolitan and diversified with two red furniture shops, an antiques center, tailor shops, travel agents and even a pest control business.” But the street became a virtual bar zone as the numbers of European visitors, especially Brits, peaked around 20 years ago. The Queen Vic, which promotes itself as guest friendly, benefitted from the growing popularity of the street, but the downside was that families and married couples tended to steer clear.

Although the street has recovered to some extent from the covid era, when Pattaya became a ghost city, the number of customers is smaller than even 10 years ago. The Brits tended to be big drinkers and generous spenders, but their numbers have steadily declined. The Thai authorities are pushing for increased tourist numbers from China, India, Russia but these visitors have different priorities. For example, most visitors to Pattaya’s Walking Street these days are Asians and, increasingly, the bars, clubs and restaurants there are gearing up to new markets.

The fact that the Queen Vic has survived owes much to the managerial skills of Jane and Vic King. Some of the staff, including the chef Sompit, have worked there for 20 years plus: the permanence of staff always reveals a lot about successful businesses. The international and Thai menu is updated regularly in the light of changing tastes, whilst the Sunday buffet featuring four meats with all the trimmings is popular with local expats who are not lured by the neighboring bars. There is even a food challenge: eat the three foot long hot dog in its entirety and you don’t pay the 500 baht. So far, only three individuals have succeeded.

As evening approaches, the bars prepare for business and cars must proceed slowly as beckoning ladies throng the street. The names are seductive: Repent, Baby Cool, Flirt amid dozens of others. Prices are still reasonable with a beer usually around 100 baht, or less, and lady drinks well under 200 baht. Some bars have ensuite bathrooms in upstairs rooms, others are strictly for drinking or playing pool. The local police make occasional raids to remind everyone they are ultimately in charge, but mostly the street runs itself and controls any abhorrent behaviour without outside intervention.

Sexy Soi Sex in some ways is a reminder of what Pattaya used to be like. It is well known that the government and the local authority want to discourage the sex industry over the long term. Pattaya mayor Poramet Ngamphichet just last week gave a speech to immigration officers emphasizing the city’s evolution towards “neo” or new Pattaya: sports, wellness, family entertainment, conferences and exhibitions. But it’s a peaceful revolution. As long as there’s an international market for soi 6 and Thais are willing to work there, old Pattaya will co-exist with the new. But once profits can no longer be made, that’s another story altogether.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... een-440924

[Gaybutton]

Not long ago I wrote that once the toothpaste is squeezed out of the tube, it's awfully hard to put it back in again. I'm not sure why the Prime Minister would want to try to re-criminalize marijuana. I don't recall reading more than a couple isolated news items saying marijuana was a factor involved with whatever the incident was.

People who want to smoke marijuana are going to find ways to do it whether legal or not. Even if marijuana becomes illegal for recreational use again, I don't foresee the police spending much time trying to enforce it.

I see nothing to indicate that the now legal marijuana is causing any kinds of problems. In my opinion, re criminalizing it would be another case of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - and if anything would cause marijuana to become a problem, that would be it. And no, I do not smoke marijuana - but I have no objection to people who do.
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Thailand’s 6,000 ganja shops could now be under threat

By Barry Kenyon

September 22, 2023

In a surprise move, The Thai prime minister revealed in an interview in New York that smoking pot for leisure needs to be outlawed once again. Srettha Thavisin told Bloomberg Television that the law needs to be rewritten to regulate ganja for medical use only. “There can’t be a middle ground for recreational use,” he concluded.

Following the declassification of marijuana as a narcotic last year, around 6,000 “dispensaries” have opened nationwide with most of them not bothering to hide their sales to the smoke-for-leisure Thai and foreign population. The retail outlets are supposed to restrict to 0.2 percent the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol which is what gives inhalers the “high” sensation. But the whole ganja industry in Thailand has a great deal of latitude as there is no comprehensive law in place describing what is legal and what is not.

However, many commentators are skeptical that pot leisure smoking will again attract criminal penalties. “Off” Boonchert, who owns several retail outlets in Pattaya, said, “There isn’t a sharp dividing line between medical use and leisure. A man with cancer might also enjoy the puff. One solution might be for customers to sign a paper prior to purchase indicating what illness they have.” He added that the police would not want a return to the bad old days when the weed was sold underground which made it hard to control.

Another ambiguity is whether all the groups in the current eleven party coalition will agree on a common policy. The declassification last year was the achievement of health minister Anutin Charnvirakul whose Bhumjaithai party is still in the new government. Anutin has spoken favourably about new rules governing cannabis, but is also on record stating he disagrees the drug could become a narcotic once again. The popularity of Bhumjaithai in last May’s general election was partly due to a pro-weed stance.

It will likely take up to a year for a new law to appear in the statute book. The expected clauses will emphasize protection of children and will likely detail new rules for Thai farmers growing cannabis for sale after registration. There will likely too be a ban on smoking cafes and promotional slogans such as “Have a high time here” or “Come to the stars with us”. But it is still far from clear that the selling, purchase and use of cannabis by the public at large will once again automatically attract a prison sentence.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... eat-441239

[Jun]

Even if marijuana becomes illegal for recreational use again, I don't foresee the police spending much time trying to enforce it.

I foresee them collecting tea money.

Barry Kenyon "But it is still far from clear that the selling, purchase and use of cannabis by the public at large will once again automatically attract a prison sentence"
Going all the way from legal to prison sentences isn't credible.