 |
|
 |
| Mail Bag |
|
|
|
Watching Suthep Thaugsuban for five months
Editor;
Re: Where the baht should be pegged (PM Mailbag Friday, 25 April 2014) -
Dana, I’ve been watching Suthep Thaugsuban from AU for five long months now,
and I am satisfied that he wants Thailand to be politically,
administratively and economically reduced to a interlocking conflict ridden
shambles, with him presenting the solution of irrevocable absorption into
ASEAN.
Why irrevocable? Were the political and administrative machinery - though
fragile, to have remained un-violated - incidentally meaning that the
economy would be better than what it now is, the Thai people on entering
ASEAN and finding the resultant erosion of their sense of identity too much
to bear, would still have the political and administrative levers to pull,
to force by means of a referendum the withdrawal from ASEAN.
It is these political and administrative levers which Suthep Thaugsuban
wants to destroy, so that people have not any longer the means of formally
registering their desire to be out of ASEAN.
This is what Suthep Thaugsuban means by the never explained reforms he wants
to impose by edict on assuming dictatorial powers, with a vague maybe of
general elections two years hence, which, knowing his character from how he
tried to destroy the elections of February 2, it is certain he will not
allow elections, but rather will entrench his power by further embedding
Thailand into ASEAN.
Michael Mazur
|
|
 |
Pity about the rest of the population
Editor;
Re: Where the baht should be pegged (PM Mailbag Friday, 25 April 2014) - I
have to say, as an Englishman sending money to his Thai partner, on a
fortnightly basis, to take care of our two kids, the current exchange rate
makes me want to kick the person/persons responsible for fixing it, up and
down the street.
Bad enough that everything is now written up in Russian, on nearly every
billboard around Pattaya. Because the English speaking world, to a large
extent, has been ostracised, due to the ridiculous (and false) strengthening
of the baht.
Basically the value has been taken out of taking the long flight over to
Thailand, as most farangs money no longer stretches far enough to make the
holiday viable. Going over to the ‘land of grimaces’ with £1,000 in your
pocket, for a 2 week holiday, will no longer make you ‘a king’, as it once
did.
The country and all it has to offer is still there, but its all at a price
now, which is terribly saddening.
My own personal thought on the whole exchange rate issue, is that somebody,
somewhere (and to be fair I’m not smart enough to figure out how) is
absolutely raking it in, by keeping the baht higher in the currency markets
than it should be! I can feel it in every pore of my skin.
So congratulations to those people for lining their pockets; pity about the
rest of the population up in ‘the sticks’ being in abject poverty, though.
Happy Chappy
|
|
Disagrees - it isn’t Thais
Editor;
Re: Pattaya Beach still has problems (PM Mailbag Friday, 25 April 2014) - I
completely disagree that the trash being left on the ground is due to the
Thais. I spend several days a week on my motorbike out in the villages,
which are 95% Thai people. They are spotless. You only find the trash when
you venture into the tourist dominated areas.
The beach walk is so much nicer than before. The city did a great job. Are
there areas that need to be fixed because of poor craftsmanship? Yes. I am
sure that this will be corrected soon, and by a more professional crew. Love
the wooden viewing platforms, the new benches, and the handicap ramps.
Stolisage
Bang Sean has far more city planning
Editor;
Re: Pattaya Beach still has problems (PM Mailbag Friday, 25 April 2014) -
Glad tourists haven’t discovered Bang Sean. Far more city planning than
Pattaya. Beach promenade curbed on both sides to prevent motorbikes from
using it. Public restrooms & showers at intervals, the beach promenade
completely shaded. No ladyboys, jet ski mafia or others selling services, no
trash. Vendors selling all sorts of food on the beach, no need to order from
chair vendors. Beach Rd. 3 lanes in both directions, & drivers will allow
you to cross the street. No drunken farangs, I guess they want to keep it a
beach vacation resort for middle class Thais, as no English is spoken. Well
if it is so nice, why don’t I live there? Guess what, we have been in touch
with an agent.
Dill Pickles
British Expatriates and free National Health Service treatment in the UK
Jerry Dingley
It will come as some relief to many thousands of British expatriates
permanently living overseas that they may once again be afforded free
National Health Service treatment and prescriptions on visits to the UK.
This has previously been denied to them (with the exception of medical
emergencies and those living overseas for less than three months) despite
many having paid National Health Insurance contributions for all or some of
their working lives in Britain, as the criteria for eligibility has been
based on ‘residence’ as opposed to contributions paid.
The proposed change follows a recent in depth government consultation on the
NHS and its existing position with regard to providing services to migrants
arriving in the UK. Currently, to qualify for free treatment, all one has to
do is ‘live’ in the UK regardless of nationality, and it matters not that no
national insurance contributions have been paid previously.
This has now finally been highlighted as unfair and discriminatory towards
some of the very people that kept the NHS in business over the years -
mostly British citizens who were previously UK resident; i.e., living and
working there, but who are now living overseas.
The government paper ‘Sustaining services and ensuring fairness in the NHS’
was published in December 2013 with the consultation period ending earlier
at the end of August. The summary of the relevant consultation segment was
titled ‘Consultation on charging migrants and overseas visitors to use the
NHS and how better to identify patients who should be charged’.
Clearly there was a distinction that needed to be made, and which is now
hopefully coming to bear, between that of a British expatriate with a
history of paying UK national health insurance contributions, and a non UK
foreign national ‘health tourist’ assuming UK residence primarily to receive
free and ongoing health care.
An extract from the government website reads:
‘The response sets out initial decisions and next steps including:
• Introducing a new health surcharge for temporary migrants (including
students and workers)
• Considering how to exempt expatriates who have paid National Insurance
from being charged when visiting the UK.’
The Department of Health’s consultation and proposal paper ‘Sustaining
services and ensuring fairness’ also details the following paragraphs in its
publications on pages 6 and 55 and subtitled ‘How will different groups be
affected?’:
‘All expatriates who return to reside in the UK will resume automatic
qualification to free NHS services. Some but not all will benefit from
exemptions if they return on a visit. We intend to extend this entitlement
to any expatriate or former UK residents who have an extensive record of
National Insurance contribution, and for this to cover their full medical
needs.’
‘Expatriate UK citizens who move to reside abroad currently lose their
entitlement to free NHS treatment. They regain this if they return to live
in the UK permanently but usually not when returning to visit. In line with
the principle that everybody makes a fair contribution, we propose to
confirm the entitlement of any person who has previously paid at least seven
years of National Insurance contributions.’
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/210438/Sustaining_services
__ensuring_fairness_consultation_document.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/migrants-and-overseas-visitors-use-of-the-nhs
The minimum national insurance contribution period of seven years being the
benchmark to gain access to free NHS treatment in the proposal should cover
most expatriates, and although the precise timing for the guideline and
procedural amendment of the change is currently not known (it is technically
still a proposal), it has been slated for implementation some time in 2014.
There are thousands of British expatriates living overseas and many of them
are elderly / retired and or persons of poor health who cannot afford
private health insurance premiums (or even find a health insurance company
willing to take them on). They are thus well and truly stuck if their
country of residence does not provide free quality health care. This
proposal, if finally implemented, could be a game changer for those who are
able to travel to visit the UK for treatment.
Jerry Dingley is an expat Brit himself and a long term resident in Asia
Pacific so has a distinct self interest in this article! Email:
[email protected]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
