Well I've made the decision.
Having just paid the 199 baht( over 4 GBP's) for a can of shaving foam at Big C I have booked my plane back to the UK. Yes, people will say I'll be sorry, but I'm just fed with being ripped off and living here with all the hassle of Visa regulations and the ridiculous exchange rate for my pound.
I still own a cosy little house in England and my little Corsa is still in good shape. I don't mind the cold weather and it'll probably be a relief. My pension will be enough for me and I'll still be able to send money back to Thailand and retain my house. Of course there are some things I'll miss and I shall be returning but only if and when things improve for us Expats.
For all those people who may be happy to see or rather hear the back of me I still will contribute sometimes to the Forum. At least my internet in the UK works far better than here.
Bye for now

I am really sorry you have to return here. As someone who hopes to retire there in next two years, it is a pause for thought. I won't have a house to return to for instance. Anyway it isn't all bad here in England, no really! There's, well, cheap shaving foam for a start. And, Primark now with t shirts £2, jackets £8, jeans a fiver. The pound shops are packed out. Tesco and all supermarkets battling for customers cheaper and cheaper. And, NHS, 999 if you're ill. The weather is, well, its sort of getting, sort of better. The Corsa has cheaper car tax now too! What else. Pubs? And you've a cosy little house. Thai hotels cheap from here now too for return trips for now. I really hope it all goes well for you, good luck for now, and i'm sure things will improve in Thailand in the future if you choose to return!

its not surprising you returning , the hassles in LOS these days are getting too bad to tolerate .
better to do the frequent trips thing then you love LOS longtime . a few other mates are also planning to return so i hear from them ,they are just fed up to the back teeth with the ripoffs and scamming and all the rest of the crap you have to tolerate .
Teaching at AUA is starting to look shaky with branches being closed down and teachers being laid off.
so a few english teachers will have to return soon unless they can find another poor paying job to scrape by on ... that will impact on the shortimers in soi4

Wetherspoons still does a pint for 99p Green King IPA

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/

i totally understand, wot hes saying as ive just come over from the uk to thailand ( udon ) & value for money is better in the uk now, tescos or any major stores are offering so much to get custom , but here NOT.... & i do mean everything from pubs, restaurants, shopping, just everyday items you need.... in bigC & tesco lotus there are offers but wot 5% off (WOW).... in the uk your getting 50% & more, its not just the gdp£ exchange rate either, the thais still think we have BIG money, 4 fcuk sake

I have a great deal of sympathy with your view Lepidoptra. I am probably a relative newcomer to LOS, having visited Udon and travelled around for the last 7 years with my TW who is from Udon. On arriving this year, I lost 50,000 baht on the exchange rate alone (compared to last year). Not a good start, but probably temporary in the great scheme of things. Driving from Bangkok to Udon I got stopped 3 times and 'fined' 200 baht for 'speeding'. Back in Bangkok, I walked from Sukhumvit Soi 2 onto the main drag and pinched out a cigarette, I still had the filter in my hand. I was accosted by a 'policeman' and fined 2000 baht for littering. Walking back up Sukhumvit half an hour later the officer was looking at goods being sold on the steet market. My money perchance?? Within 3 years of marrying my TW she had a British passport. If I want to stay in LOS I have to jump through numerous hoops for a visa for the privelege of spending my hard-earned there. I have been made to feel (by anyone with any authority) about as welcome as a turd in a sandpit. At the outset, I had seriously considered retiring to Udon. Unless there are dramatic changes, that will definitely not happen. I am totally p****d off with being ripped off by anyone wearing a uniform of any kind. Yep, there's an awful lot wrong back here at home, but at least I get treated like a decent human being, unless I really deserve to get my arse kicked.

Still owning your house and car,plus accepting the weather,makes a big difference!For many visits to Thailand are more enjoyable as there is something to be said for contrast.Good Luck,I hope life improves for you !

As Jack Nicholson said in 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' - 'I tried goddamit,at least i tried' but then his other saying for the rest of us staying is 'are you all nuts or what'.
Best of luck and the next can of shaving cream is on me should you return.

Lepidoptra, I'm genuinely sorry to hear that. I didn't realise things were getting to you/affecting to that extent.

Good Luck

bill , i too am sorry to hear you are returning to the land of long faces . i feel that as soon as you reach heathrow you will regret your decision , and will be back within 3 months . if this is the case ,before you leave buy a good badger hair shaving brush so you can save on the anger at getting ripped off for shaving foam . best of luck , your going to need it .

good luck on your return to UK I am sure it was not just the shaving creme that got you to go
I wished you would have taken a look at Vietnam before you made your decision
the exchange rate is far superior there for you buck then here and the immigration
rules are not as strict IMO Vietnam is going to be the new gateway to S/E Asia
Now please it only my opinion and I have been wrong more times than right
once again GOOD LUCK

Regarding the price of shaving foam, you could do as I do when I am away from home and don't have any with me, - I put the moisturiser on first and then use that as the shaving foam (lubricant).

It's the price of Gillette Sensor Excel replacement razor blades that get to me, - now up to 283 baht for five - circa £6). So I've switched to a Tesco's own razor 127 baht which includes (only) two replacement shaver heads.

Do you really want to go back to the UK? You'll have to start learning a new (Eastern European) language!

Yes, hope to see you soon and your return visit.

PS. You could grow a beard!!

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post of course there are things that I will miss and as I've said I will return when circumstances are right (sounds like Gordon Brown before he decides to join the Euro). Anyway thanks again I will let you all known what's happening and will continue to use the site
Kind Regards

arjay wrote:Regarding the price of shaving foam, you could do as I do when I am away from home and don't have any with me, - I put the moisturiser on first and then use that as the shaving foam (lubricant).

It's the price of Gillette Sensor Excel replacement razor blades that get to me, - now up to 283 baht for five - circa £6). So I've switched to a Tesco's own razor 127 baht which includes (only) two replacement shaver heads.

Do you really want to go back to the UK? You'll have to start learning a new (Eastern European) language!

Yes, hope to see you soon and your return visit.

PS. You could grow a beard!!

Arjay,I bought a pack of 4 Gillette Sensor excel blades,in The UK ( In a DISCOUNT STORE ) BEFORE i CAME BACK HERE AT THE BEGINING of December,and the cost was 4.95p,So THEY are not that much different in price.......BTW I am STILL Using my 1st Blade,Although it's a little blunt at the moment !!!

same blades are about A$10 in Perth Australia - we are as overcharged here as you are there (UK and LOS) - Gilette have no competition so they charge what they like.

Grow a beard and save a fortune