Eneukman

Are you sure about the price? 2.3 million baht is VERY cheap for an 82 square metre condo. If I hadn't already bought one in 2A, I'd most definitely be interested though I would prefer something on a higher floor. I paid 3.2 million baht for a 74 square metre condo and one estate agent who knows the building (not the one who sold the condo to me) said I had got a good price. Is the condo in a company name? Now, do I have a spare 2.3 million baht lying around somewhere? Alan

One question - how many of the world's top 20 players played in the event? Alan

I don't know whether it's a true conversation or not, but it's ancient. The version I have somewhere on my PC has a Canadian lighthouse. I also received another version a week or so ago involving an Irish lighthouse. Alan

A good suggestion but unfortunately, in my experience of trying to find solicitors in the UK qualified in the law of a certain country, embassies will not recommend a specific legal firm. All they will do is to send you a list of solicitors in a specific area and it's then up to you. Edit in One thought I've just had. Rather than trying to find an appropriate solicitor in Thailand, try asking the Thai Embassy in London (or getting your solicitor to ask) for a list of solicitors qualified in Thai Law operating in London. They will be more likely to have knowledge of both English and Thai law. There will probably be quite a few to choose from. Alan

I was questioning the owner's version of events where he said that a senior policeman was in the bar at the time. It runs in my mind that I had read somewhere (possibly on Secrets) that a member of the TOURIST police was in the bar at the time - NOT a senior policman. The owner has alleged that Barry was drunk. Now, I don't know either of them but the question I have yet to see answered is - if Barry was as drunk and obnoxioux as the owner claims, why was he allowed to stay in the bar? That makes it very difficult for me to believe the owner's version. I also suspect that as a journalist, Barry will have told his version to show him in the best possible light. Alan

Volsfan was talking about a totally different post about customer service being virtually non-existant - something I myself experienced a few days later. The owner has not as far as I can tell replied to these comments. I've now seen the owner's response to this particular incident. There are, however, some points I don't fully understand. If the OP was drunk as claimed by the owner of the Windmill, why wasn't HE sent packing rather than the mamasan if the OP is to be believed? Why was he allowed to stay in the bar after the alleged assault? Something doesn't add up here If a senior policeman was in the go-go, wouldn't all the girls be covered up? Where was the manager at the time of the incident? When I complained about bad customer service he was outside and when I had cause to complain again a short time later, it seemed that he had gone to the bar upstairs. IF he wasn't in the bar at the time, I would respectfully suggest that he should be spending more time inside the bar than outside. Obviously, he can't be there all the time. Interestingly, I've just seen a 3rd version of events from someone who claims to be an independent witness. It is also this person's 1st post made just 15 minutes after joining Secrets. It, however, totally contradicts both the OP's and the owner's version of events. Whilst I am always suspicious about first posts made a short time after joining a board, especially where a contentious issue such as this is at stake, it does make sense and suggests answers to my questions above. Alan

Did the owner ever come back and comment on your post? I think I followed up with comments of my own about poor customer service there. Alan

If you're still struggling with flights, send a PM to Tangent as he's Canadian. Alan

Not sure about all the items, but I have seen pickled onions, Colman's mustard (expensive), cheddar cheese (all cheese here is pricey), beef steaks (Australian - so make of that what you will ), lamb, peas, baked beans (haven't seen Heinz but I'm probably looking in the wrong places). Sausages are available but I haven't seen the specific variety you mention. Quit a few of the other items you mention will be readily available though I think pork scratchings will be a tad expensive if they can be obtained in Thailand. Edit in - At present, I eat out 99.9% of the time but that may change when I move to my new condo at the end of next month. If you like Campbell's soups, they're available here. Alan

Welcome dusters and pokland - hope you enjoy. Alan

Glad you had a good time. Alan

The referee was accused of being biased. Bias in Thailand? Never? Alan

Well spotted. Alan

The bus station in Udon Thani (there are 2, I think?) is some way from the beer bars from what I can recall. The Irish Clock http://www.irishclock.com/?p=aboutus is closer to these but a bit over 700 baht per ngiht as far as I can remember. Alan

And the other side of the coin is that by saving money when I was in my late 30's/40's enabled me to retire to Thailand to live at the age of 50 with no financial worries whatsoever. I have even managed to save money in the time that I have lived here, which will give me an even better life in the future. Alan

Not so, Steve. I got my works pension at age 50 and it is index-linked. The rule may be that you cannot take your pension unless you are within 10 years of the normal retirement age for the company you work for. In the case of the Bank, normal retirement age was 60. Back in the year 2000, the Bank offered anyone over the age of 50, a voluntary redundancy/early retirement package along the lines rawdonlad mentioned. A large number of people volunteered as it was a bloody good package. If I had been old enough, I would have jumped at the chance. Alan

My job was outsourced to a firm of accountants. So I resigned from them and approached my ex-employer about taking my pension early (10 years early). They approved my request. I had done some computations previously which would have resulted in my drawing on capital until I reached the age of 60, but subsequent computations suggested that that option would only be beneficial if I lived to at least 75 - maybe older. As it happens, my total gross income for the current tax year is likely to be only £2,000 less than the last tax year I worked full time. My income in the next tax year will be lower as I had to sell an investment to pay for my new condo, but my expenses will reduce by a larger amount. Alan

Don't switch to TOT. They are absolutely useless and their service is totally unreliable. Alan

I don't give to street beggars - for the very reasons Pete has given. Alan

There's an Iranian restaurant and bar on Pratamnak Road. No idea what it's like though. Alan

View Talay 2 are talking about putting a similar system in here. One day - maybe. # Alan

I've just phoned my bank and instructed the transfer of funds to cover my purchase of a condo. A couple of questions and a password was all that was required. Alan

Assuming he was legally married to the Thai woman (i.e. not just a Buddhist ceremony), it might not be too complicated. The first thing that has to be established is his domicile. Assuming he was born in England and that his parents were English, he will have a domicile of origin of England & Wales. He intended to live out the rest of his life in Thailand but because of ill health had decided to return to England. OK - he didn't live long enough to return, but this just could be sufficient to suggest that he had retained his domicile of origin and had failed to acquire a domicile of choice in Thailand. From what you have said previously, he has very little in the way of capital and under English laws of Intestacy, his wife will be entitled to the first £125,000 of his estate. If he owned a house (in a company name) this would, I think, be part of this £125,000. Real estate passes under the laws of the country in which the property is situated but in this case, what is owned is the share capital of the company owning the house - NOT the house itself. I'm not sure how the Canadian company becomes involved. Was this his former employer? I know that under my ex-employer's pension scheme, widows are entitled to a pension equivalent to half what their husband was receiveing at the time of death. However, where the marriage is recent and there is a substantial age difference (I think 15 years), the amount of the pension is restricted. The wife in Thailand may also be entitled to a widow's pension from the UK government (depending on her age). Alan

Surely, the banks in the USA could do what I had to do with my bank in the Isle of Man - complete a form giving full details if your Thai bank account and the password you propose using when giving transfer instructions. This allows me to transfer funds either over the internet or by telephone. Alan

Good luck to whoever is sorting out his estate. Having spent 25 years administering estates, this sounds like a total nightmare in the making. Was a Will found? Was he legally married to his wife in Thailand. Alan