Postponement Of November Get Together

Due to the current weather conditions on Koh Samui it has been decided to pospone todays get together and reschedule for Tuesday the 2nd December at The Red Fox in Lamai.

Hope to see everybody at the Red Fox next week.

Cheers

Samui Ex-Servicemen’s Get Together November 2008

Firstly thanks to everybody who came along to the October get together at Big Joes. I must say Joe Did us proud with a selection on anti pasta followed by minestrone soup and then spaghetti and meatballs. Thanks to Big Joe for his hospitality.

The next time we will see each other is this Tuesday 25^th November at the Red Fox in Lamai, 4:30 pm.

Hope every body can make it and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

If you are in receipt of you old age pension or due to be paid soon this may not be too good news for you:

AT least half a million British pensioners who have retired overseas have had their hopes of seeing an upgrade to their state pensions dashed.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this morning that the Government is not obliged to pay annual inflation-linked state pension increases to expatriates. It rejected an appeal by 13 expats led by Annette Carson, who moved to South Africa in 1989, that they were being discriminated against by the British Government.

The group claimed discrimination on the grounds that pensioners are treated differently depending on their country of residence. Pensioners retiring anywhere in the European Union, America and countries such as Israel and Barbados have their state pension increased each year in line with prices, just like a pensioner who stays in Britain.

Those living in most Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, do not. Their state pension is frozen at the moment they retire, or when they leave Britain if they have already retired. Over time, that results in a pension that falls further and further behind the uprated version, and their purchasing power steadily declines.

Ms Carson's pension is frozen at £67.50 a week, the going rate when she retired. But if she still lived in Britain, or any of the countries where state pensions are uprated, she would now be receiving £90.70 a week, the rate for the tax year that has just begun.Some expatriate pensioners in their 80s receive less than £10 a week. Victory in the case could have increased annual payments by hundreds of pounds.

The ECHR rejected the appeal by six votes to one. It said: "While there was some force in the applicants’ argument, echoed by Age Concern, that an elderly person’s decision to move abroad might be driven by a number of factors, including the desire to be close to family members, place of residence was nonetheless a matter of choice.

"The Court therefore agreed with the Government and the national courts that, in that context, the same high level of protection against differences of treatment was not needed as in differences based on gender or racial or ethnic origin.

"Moreover, the State had taken steps, in a series of leaflets which had referred to the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2001, to inform United Kingdom residents moving abroad about the absence of index linking for pensions in certain countries."

The Department for Work & Pensions said: "We do not plan to make any changes to the current arrangements regarding the freezing of UK State Pensions. We will, nonetheless, study the terms of the judgement carefully to ensure that we continue to comply with our obligations under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights."

Only one member of the court, Judge Garlicki from Poland, supported the pensioners' view. She said: "To my regret, I cannot subscribe to the Chamber's finding of no violation. In my opinion ... the difference in treatment has no objective and reasonable justification."

This was echoed by Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, who said: “The ruling means that older people will continue to be penalised for wanting to retire abroad. We supported the action because it is hugely unfair that these pensioners have made their National Insurance contributions but are not getting their fair share in return.”

Three years ago, Ms Carson had a similar appeal rejected by the House of Lords

Reference: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/pensions/article5079275.ece

Samui Ex-Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen October Get Together

A quick reminder that on Tuesday 28th October 4:30 pm will see the next Samui Ex-Servicemen get together at Big Joes, located on the Ring Road, Chaweng.

All Ex-Servicemen living on Samui, visiting ex-servicemen or serving members of Her Majesty's armed forces are welcome to come along.

Hope to see you there.

Samui Ex-Servicemen

September Samui Ex Servicemen’s Get Together at Le Chablis

Once again a good turn out for our September get together at Le Chablis Resort in Chaweng, Koh Samui. A few new faces and some of the regulars enjoyed an evening of banter and an excellent Fish and Chip supper provided by Joe at Le Chablis. Thanks to Joe for his hospitality and all who came along.

October’s meet up will be at Big Joes, located in Chaweng on the ring road, at 5:00 pm on the 28th October.

The Poppy appeal boxes are being distributed around Koh Samui in the next few days, if you see one it would be appreciated if you could contribute to this worthy charity.

Looking forward to seeing everybody on the 28th. Any serving members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces or Ex-Servicemen visiting the Koh Samui are welcome to come along.

Samui Ex-Servicemen

September Get Together of the Samui Ex-Servicemen

This Tuesday the 30th September at Le Chablis in Chaweng 4:30 pm we will be having our monthly get together. If you are unsure where to find Le Chablis e-mail me at samuiexservicemen@gmail.com for directions.

As mentioned previously if anyone is interested in obtaining a veterans lapel badge and is unsure how to apply for one when we meet this time bring along the following details:

National Insurance Number:
Date of Birth:
HM Forces Service or Unit:
Service No.:
Periods of Service if known:

I can then apply on your behalf and hopefully have them for you by the October meet up.

Look forward to seeing everybody on the 30th September.

Samui Ex-Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen At Full Moon Bungalows In August

A good time was had by all I hope at Full Moon Bungalows in Bangrak thanks to the hospitality of Paul and Big Joes food. Thanks to everybody who came along, again a good turnout.

The next time we all meet will be the 30th September at Le Chablis in Chaweng 4:30 pm as usual. If you are unsure where to find Le Chablis e-mail me at samuiexservicemen@gmail.com for directions.

If anyone is interested in obtaining a veterans lapel badge and is unsure how to apply for one when we meet in September bring along the following details:

National Insurance Number:
Date of Birth:
HM Forces Service or Unit:
Service No.:
Periods of Service if known:

I can then apply on your behalf and hopefully have them for you by the October meet up.

If you want a laugh click Here for some funny pictures, military style!

Look forward to seeing everybody on the 30th September.

Samui Ex-Servicemen

August Get Together of the Samui Ex-Servicemen

Tuesday the 26th August, 4:30 pm at The Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak will see the next get together of the Samui Ex-Servicemen. Following on from the excellent turnout at the last meet up lets all make an effort to support the Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak. If you need directions please contact me on samuiexservicemen@gmail.com

Walt Alert:

Members are advised that a 6’ Australian claiming to be 47 but looking much younger has surfaced on the Island claiming to have been seconded to the SAS (12 tours of iraq/stan!). He was immediately rumbled by several of our members & subsequently failed their Walt-Detector test(s). We’ll need to devise new lyrics for walting matilda in case he shows up at our next meeting.

UK Armed Forces Veterans Lapel Badge

For generations our Armed Forces have served their country across the world in many roles from war fighting, peacekeeping and reconstruction to home defence. In so doing, they have defended our country, our way of life and our cherished values. A large number of our veterans are young and active and now use the skills, the discipline and the leadership qualities they learned in the Armed Forces to benefit their civilian employers and the wider community. The Ministry of Defence Strategy for Veterans highlights that because of all this it is important to focus on supporting veterans of all ages, by celebrating, and raising public awareness of, their achievements and their contribution to society. To promote recognition of veterans by the wider British public the unique and unifying symbol of the HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge was introduced.

The UK Armed Forces Veterans’ Lapel Badge was launched in May 2004 by the Minister of Veterans, to raise the profile of veterans by assisting the wider public to recognise them. The first veterans badge was issued to Lord Healy, a veteran of the Battle for Monte Cassino, on 10 May 2004, which initiated the roll out of the badge to the Second World War veteran generation. Since then eligibility to apply for the badge has been extended in sequential phases to all veterans. This has now closed the gap between those who apply for their badge and those who receive it automatically on leaving the Services.

The badge is an enamelled, engraved, and pinned, lapel badge featuring the words “HM Armed Forces – Veteran”, which encompass the Tri-Service, Anchor, Crossed Swords and Eagle motif. Its symbolism is intended to unite all veterans in recognising the commonality of their service, to encourage a sense of unity and community between surviving veterans and to ignite public recognition of current veterans and their continuing contribution to society.

Eligibility

Criteria
All those who have served in HM Armed Forces.

Exceptions
Veterans who served in Armed Forces of other Countries and those who served alongside HM Armed Forces are not eligible (e. g. Canadian Navy or Royal Australian Air Force).

Posthumous requests
The badge is a survivors badge and therefore is not issued posthumously.
The only exceptions are War Widows and Widowers who are in receipt of a War Widows/Widowers Pension paid by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. This is in recognition of the fact that their death was due to their military service.
DQ Graham to provide word around the term survivors

How to apply

You can apply by any of the following methods:
Click on one of the links below to access the application form.

Application Forms

• Acrobat Reader Version

Please ensure you complete the form as fully as possible.

You may post or fax your completed form to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.

Another option is to download the form, complete it electronically, save the form and return to the
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency by email.

If you wish, you may call the Freephone number to apply. Please ensure you have to hand all the details asked for on the application form.

Postal address:

Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys,
Lancashire,
FY5 3WP

Fax:
01253 330561(UK Only)
+44 1253 330561 (Overseas)

Email: lapelbadge.team@spva.gsi.gov.uk

Freephone Helpline
Free: 0800 169 2277 (UK only)
Free: 0800 169 3458 (Minicom UK only)
+44 1253 866043 (Overseas)

Ref: http://www.veterans-uk.info/new_badge/badge.html

Samui Ex-Servicemen

Samui Ex-Servicemen July Get Together

An excellent turn out at the Elephant and Castle in Bang Rak, nearly all our friends were there and a few new Samui Ex-Servicemen came out of the wood work.

A good evening was had by all I hope and thank you to the Elephant and Castle for their hospitality, the Oxtail Stew was just like my Mum's.

The Next time we meet will be on Tuesday the 26th August, 4:30 pm at The Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak.

Hope everybody can come along and make it a successful evening.

This petition has been brought to my attention and I am sure is worthy of our support:

The present arrangements for dealing with wounded servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are, frankly, dire.

Some background: '2 Para' alone have, on their current tour, sent back over 50 casualties to the UK, and even that many cannot be accommodated at Selly Oak Hospital. So, when all of the casualties from other battle groups are added to this figure, how is ONE ward in ONE NHS hospital going to cope? It cannot, and as a result the individual troops are either sent to other hospitals or, worse, sent home to recover, relying on NHS visiting services which themselves are over committed.

We need a dedicated military hospital if servicemen and servicewomen, who have been committed to hostilities and injured, are to get the medical care they rightly deserve.

5000 names are needed for this petition to survive, and quite cynically, Downing Street has put a time limit of one month - during the summer holidays - for this to be achieved. So far the number is over 30,000 signatures. Please support it - please copy the link below to confirm your signature on the petition.

To sign up please click Here

Also if you could forward this link to as many people as you know it would be appreciated.

Hope to see you all on the 26th

Samui Ex Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen's July Get Together

Tuesday, July the 29th at 4:30 pm will see the next get together of the Samui Ex-Servicemen. We will be meeting at the Elephant & Castle Restaurant and Bar in Bang Rak on Koh Samui. Any Ex-Servicemen or currently serving members of Her Majesty's Services are welcome to come along, have a few drinks, something to eat and chat about days gone by and what is happening now.

Hope to see you there.

Samui Ex-Servicemen

Work Permit Update

Here is some information for all who are working on Koh Samui regarding work permits. Hope it is of assistance.

Understanding the new work permit law

TILLEKE & GIBBINS

Most foreigners working in Thailand are well aware that they need a visa and work permit to stay and work in the country. Yet, they find the law and regulations rather complicated and difficult to comprehend, especially with immigration rules dramatically evolving in the past few years and posing a challenge to the status of many expatriates. Unfortunate expats who either lacked knowledge or failed to keep track of developments in immigration and labour laws and practices have paid a price for their oversight or negligence.

On Feb 23, 2008, the law governing work permits (Working of Aliens Act) generated much attention when it emerged to replace its 30-year-old predecessor. Although the implementation of the major part of this new law has been delayed pending the issuing of several ministerial regulations, it would be prudent for working aliens to familiarise themselves with some key changes.

The greatest point of interest is the punishment imposed on both employer and employee for an employee working without a work permit. The new Act imposes a heavy fine ranging from 2,000 to 100,000 baht upon a violating [alien] employee, significantly increased from 5,000 baht, and/or a five-year term of imprisonment, increased from three years. An employer hiring an alien without a work permit will face high fine of 10,000 to 100,000 baht, although the former three-year imprisonment has been eliminated. Labour officials are now empowered to arrest (without a warrant) any alien suspected of working without a work permit.

Depending on one's point of view, the penalties seem to be harsher for employees and lighter for employers. The new law will allow any alien worker who pleads guilty and voluntarily leaves Thailand within 30 days to be fined without a trial.

Under the new law, a work permit of up to two years may be granted instead of one year under the old law. The most welcome change is that a work permit will no longer be tied to the duration of stay that is stamped on an alien's passport. In other words, work permit holders who do not have a one-year duration of stay will not need to keep extending their work permits by leaving and returning to Thailand on a "visa run" to get a new duration of stay. Nevertheless, work permit holders will still have the duty under immigration laws to maintain a valid duration of stay while in Thailand. This new development awaits implementation in the near future.

The new work permit fee is 20,000 baht. Renewal will cost the same price. In addition, an employer applying to hire alien employees who are not deemed skilled or expert will be charged a 10,000-baht fee per alien. The Department of Employment has not applied these new fee rates as yet.

Employers or employees are no longer obligated to report to the Department of Employment and return a work permit when employment has ended. Under the old law, those who failed to comply would have to pay a fine of 1,000 baht at a police station, which was quite unnecessary and inconvenient.

Nonetheless, labour officials still encourage both parties to report the cessation of employment, otherwise their system would not permit the employee to get a new permit with another employer or the old employer to fill the vacant position.

The Immigration Bureau has reacted to this development. The usual seven-day period of stay after the cessation of work will no longer be automatic but will be granted upon request and payment of 1,900 baht. Most importantly, a further temporary stay while a new work permit application is under consideration will not be given anymore. As a result, aliens switching jobs would be compelled to process their new work permit within seven days or leave Thailand to get a new business visa from a Thai consulate.

Several provisions dedicated to a fund for sending aliens out of the Kingdom have been added. In addition to the existing personal income tax and social security withholdings, the employer will soon be obligated to contribute to the fund by withholding a certain amount from the income paid to work permit holders. The criteria and conditions relating to the contribution are to be set forth later. The fund is intended to relieve the government of the high cost of deporting guilty working aliens and illegal immigrants.

In general, the major changes in this law seem to be positive and more liberal. It is hoped that they will help resolve the enduring problems that have troubled both aliens and the Thai government in the past.

Written by Kobkit Thienpreecha, Attorney, Commercial Department, Tilleke & Gibbins International Ltd. Please send comments or suggestions to Marilyn Tinnakul at marilyn.t@tillekeandgibbins.com

Reference the Bankok Post : http://www.bangkokpost.com/180708_Business/18Jul2008_biz42.php

Samui Ex-Servicemen June Meet Up

Hope all who attended the June Samui Ex-Servicemen meet up at The Red Fox in Lamai had an enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to Alan our host for the excellent stew, a real taste of home. As usual a few topics were discussed and a few beers consumed.

If you are ever in Hong Kong, a recommendation for a cheap pint, was the Mariners Club just over the road from the Star Ferry terminal.

For July's get together it was decided to return to our original venue The Elephant and Castle in Bang Rak on the 29th July at 4:30 pm. Hope to see everybody there.

Here is some information that may be of interest to some of us:

Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced changes to the personal allowance in a bid to defuse the 10p tax row.

The move was intended to compensate the 5.3 million households who lost out when the 10p tax rate was abolished.

It will mean more money for several million people paying the basic tax rate, but administrative work for some businesses.

So how will it affect you?

How did this come about?

A series of tax changes came in at the start of the financial year, on 6 April. They had been announced in Gordon Brown's final Budget as chancellor in 2007 and in the later pre-Budget report.

The changes saw the 10% starter rate of income tax abolished, except on savings income for people who are low paid. The basic tax rate came down to 20% from 22%.

When 5.3 million people realised this meant less money in their pocket, many spoke out leading to a backbench rebellion by Labour MPs.

What changes have now been announced by the chancellor?

Alistair Darling said he wanted to compensate the people who lost out.

He is borrowing £2.7bn to raise personal tax allowance by £600 to £6,035.

This means anyone earning up to about £40,835 will gain £120 this year.

Mr Darling said 4.2 million of those households which lost out previously will receive as much or more than they lost when the 10p starting rate of tax was axed, and the remaining 1.1m households will see their loss at least halved.

The biggest losers, experts say, would be some of the very lowest earners who do not have families and do not work enough hours to claim tax credits.

What is my personal allowance?

The personal allowance means you earn a certain amount of income without paying any tax at all. Income tax starts being paid on earnings above this amount.

Personal allowances are amended each year in the Budget, and usually they go up with inflation.

In the current tax year 2008/2009 the basic personal allowance was set at £5,435 (up from £5,225 the previous year) but has now gone up by £600, a rise backdated until 6 April.

People can expect a £60 lump sum in September pay packets, followed by a £10 monthly increase until the end of the year.

The chancellor's announcement was extremely unusual as it made changes to the tax system after the Budget - a move not seen by a chancellor for around 15 years.

Won't the better off gain too?

Around 17 million middle-income earners, who did not lose out when the 10p rate was axed, will gain from what the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) described as a "simple and expensive option".

Extra money for these people makes up around £2bn of the £2.7bn handout, the IFS says.

Mr Darling said he would lower the starting point at which the 40p tax band is paid by £600 to £40,835, so the most well-off would not gain more.

This will push 150,000 people into the higher 40p tax rate but the Treasury said that these people would still benefit from the extra £120 this year.

It remains to be seen what will happen next year, as all these changes are for this year only.

It also remains to be seen whether this move - which will give millions of people a little more spending power - will cut the chances of a fall in interest rates in the coming months.

What does it mean for people running small businesses?

While many low and middle income earners will gain, there are some issues to deal with for those who pay them.

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at the Association of Chartered Accountants, said businesses systems and processes will have to be updated halfway through the tax year in September.

"SMEs represent over 99% of UK businesses, and they will have to change their PAYE codes and tax systems," he said.

Ref: BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7399105.stm

Samui Ex-Servicemen June Get Together

24th June, 4:30 pm, The Red Fox, Lamai, Koh Samui will see the 6th Samui Ex Serviceman's get together.

All ex servicemen and serving members of the armed forces are welcome to come along and enjoy the company of like minded people.

So if you are free on Tuesday afternoon we look forward to seeing you in Lamai at The Red Fox.

Samui Ex Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen May Get Together

Thanks to everybody for coming along to the May get together and a special thank you to Big Joe for providing refreshments and a most delicious selection of cold cuts, fresh bread and savoury foods followed by a few glasses of wine accompanied with some excellent cheese.

If you are in the area why not call in on Big Joe and see what homemade food he has on offer. Big Joes is opposite the PTT station on the Chaweng ring road, he is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

At May's get together we had a couple of guests who are currently serving in Her Majesty's armed forces, who were on the Koh Samui, come to say hello and one new face living on the Island.

June's venue will be The Red Fox in Lamai on Tuesday the 24th at 4:30 pm.

Hope to see you at The Red Fox

Samui Ex Servicemens May Meeting

If you are an ex-serviceman on Koh Samui why not come along to our next get together at Big Joes, purveyor of fine pies and all things good to eat, located on the Chaweng Ring Road opposite the petrol station.

We will be meeting at 6:00 pm on Tuesday the 27th May 2008 for a few drinks and some good food.

See you there.

Samui Ex Servicemen

Stephen Hendry 7 Times World Snooker Champion to Visit Koh Samui

Stephen Hendry 7 times World Snooker Champion and ranked 7th in the world of snooker is in Koh Samui as a guest of Fluid Asia Pacific, distributors of John Smith's Bitter and Strongbow Draught Cider, represented by Bob the Towel on Wednesday 21st May 2008.

If you would like the opportunity to get Stephen Hendry's signature, have a chat or possibly see Stephen Hendry shoot some pool he will be at the following venues:

5:00 pm The Elephant and Castle
6:30 pm The Islander
8:00 pm Tropical Murphy's
9:30 pm The PFC Bar

If any further encouragement were needed to come along, special priced John Smiths Bitter or Strongbow Draught Cider will be available at each venue!

Visit To Koh Samui by Head of Passport Section British Embassy Postponed

The passport visit for 16^th has been postponed.

The Honary Consul can arrange for the head of passport section to call any of our members if they send him their details.

Samui Ex-Servicemen April Get Together at Le Chablis

The April get together was at Le Chablis in Chaweng where our hosts provided an excellent curry accompanied by some substantial samosas and condiments. Thank you to Le Chablis, if you are ever visiting Koh Samui this is a nice resort with very comfortable and moderately priced rooms at the north end of Chaweng Beach. We had new members this time around and as usual a few beers were consumed as the sand bags were pulled up and stories of days gone by related.

Next time we get together will be on Tuesday the 27^th May, 4:30 pm at Big Joes purveyor of pies and all food that is British. Located on the Chaweng ring road opposite the petrol station.

Below is some information that may be of interest to you click on the links to contact the Honary Consul.

Visit To Koh Samui by Head of Passport Section British Embassy

The head of passport section will visit Samui on Fri 16 May. If sufficient interest exists it will be possible to arrange appointments for individuals/families to discuss the following:

• Passport renewal procedure, inc proposed changes to current biometric passports expected later this year.
• All aspects relating to children.
• The British nationality act.

Notes:

1. Time & venue has yet to be established but will be in Bang Rak or Choeng Mon late afternoon or evening.
2. Interviews will be by appointment through the Honary Consul. This is primarily aimed at those with Thai spouses & dual national children or Brit couples with children.
3. Immigration matters (ie visas for UK or visas for ‘farangs’ in Thailand) are a separate entity and will NOT be on the agenda.

What to do next:

Interested parties should email the Honary Consul with questions (between 01 & 09 May) & to ask for an appointment. The Honary Consul will allocate appointments on 10^th May.

April Samui Ex-Servicemen Get Together

A quick reminder 29th April 2008, 4:30 pm at Le Chablis in Chaweng, see the link in the left hand column of this blog for their website, Samui Ex-Servicemen get together for a few social drinks and a chat.

Also 23rd April St Georges day celebrations at the Elephant and Castle in Bang Rak, Free BBQ and Cut Price John Smiths Beer and Strongbow Cider on offer, sponsored by Bob the Towel and Fluid Asia Pacific.

Hope to See You There.

April The 23rd St George's Day

This month on the 23rd April sees St. George's day come around once more, the patron Saint of England, here on Samui, last year, the Elephant and Castle in Bang Rak, pub and restaurant, put on a splendid afternoon of all things English, yard of ale and all that and will be repeating the experience once again this year for all us Englishmen. Sponsored by Bob Keen and Fluid Asia Pacific suppliers of fine English Ale to Koh Samui and Thailand there will be plenty of activities all afternoon and evening so if you like a good English day out get down to the Elephant and Castle and enjoy the company of your fellow Englishmen and enjoy St. George's day.

St. George's Day in England

St. George wood carving.

St. George's Day is not celebrated as much in England as other National Days are around the world. The celebration of St. George's Day was once a major feast in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century. However, this tradition had waned by the end of the 18th century. In recent years the popularity of St. George's Day appears to be increasing gradually. BBC Radio 3 had a full programme of St. George's Day events in 2006, and Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford, has been putting his argument forward in the House of Commons to try to make St. George's Day a public holiday.

A traditional custom at this time was to wear a red rose in one's lapel, though with changes in fashion this is not as widely done. Another custom is to fly or adorn the St. George's Cross flag in some way: pubs in particular can be seen on April 23 festooned with garlands of St. George's crosses. However, the modern association of the St. George's Cross with sports such as football, cricket and rugby means that this tradition too is losing popularity with people who do not associate themselves with those sports. It is customary for the hymn Jerusalem to be sung in cathedrals, churches and chapels on St. George's Day, or on the Sunday closest to it.

There is a growing reaction to the recent indifference to St. George's Day. Organizations such as the Royal Society of Saint George (a non-political English national society founded in 1894) have been joined by the more prominent St. George's Day Events company (founded in 2002), with the specific aim of encouraging celebrations. They seem to be having some effect. On the other hand, there have also been calls to replace St. George as patron saint of England, on the grounds that he was an obscure figure who had no direct connection with the country. However there is no obvious consensus as to whom to replace him with, though names suggested include St. Edmund, ^[2] St. Cuthbert, or St. Alban, with the latter having topped a BBC Radio 4 poll on the subject.^[3]

St. George is also the patron saint of the Scouting movement. Many Scout troops in the United Kingdom take part in a St. George's Day Parade on the nearest Sunday to April 23. A message from the Chief Scout is read out and the Scout Hymn is sung. A "renewal of promise" then takes place where the Scouts renew the Scout's Promise made at joining and at all Scout meetings. Many schools around the UK do allow students to wear their scouting uniforms in replace of their school uniforms for that one day.

St. George's Day is traditionally the occasion when the Queen announces new appointments to the Order of the Garter.

In 2007, Independent writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown condemned St. George’s Day celebrations for being too Anglo-Saxon and demanded that the day should celebrate the multicultural aspects of England today.^[4]

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Day

Want to know what the weather is like on Koh Samui whilst you are away why not click here: Camille's Samui Weather Blogfor daily updates from a resident of Koh Samui.

Samui Ex Servicemen Update

At the last get together of Samui Ex-Servicemen, not only did we have a good time, but Steve Ryder of Ensure Asia paid us a visit. He discussed the pros and cons of various health insurance options in an open forum. Any body interested in contacting Steve click here: info@ensureasia.com to receive more personalized information.

News For those receiving War Pensions

War Pension payments will increase by 3.9% from 07 April 2008. From that date those on 100% can expect £145.10 per week, an increase of £5.40.

If you think you may be entitled to a War Pension click here for information: War Pensions Information or come along to our next get together at Le Chablis, Chaweng on the 29^th April at 4:30 pm and pick the brains of our resident expert.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Samui Ex Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen March Get Together at Full Moon Bungalows

Tuesday the 25th of March saw the get together of Samui Ex Servicemen at the Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak.

Our thanks go to Paul the owner of the Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak on Koh Samui for his hospitality and Big Joes Food for providing some great Ribs and Sausages.

This month we had representatives from the Army, Air Force and for the first time a couple of new faces from the Navy helping to complete the group.

Much beer was consumed and stories told about times gone by and I believe many of the Ex Servicemen suffered the next day!!

We shall be meeting again on Tuesday the 29th April, 4:30pm at Le Chablis Resort in Chaweng. If you are an Ex Serviceman living on Koh Samui or a visiting member of the services please call in and enjoy the banter.

Hope to see you there.

Samui Ex Servicemen.

March Get Together Notice

To anybody who stumbles across this blog, is a ex servicemen or serving member of the armed forces you are welcome to call by the Full Moon Bugalows in Bang Rack on Koh Samui, Tuesday 25th March 2008 at 4:30 pm for a chat and a few sherberts.

Hope to see you then.

Samui Ex Servicemen

Samui Ex Servicemen Social Afternoons

Initially conceived by Bob Keen the distributor of the finest ales on Koh Samui was the idea of ex servicemen getting together once a month for a social afternoon.

After speaking to a few ex servicemen on the Island a get together was arranged at the Elephant & Castle in Bang Rak on Tuesday the 29th of January 2008 at 4:30 pm.

In all five people met at The Elephant & Castle, who did us proud with a fine selection of Bar Snacks. We had a discussion and decided that although it was not the greatest turn out it was a start and we should arrange to meet the last Tuesday of February, 4:30 pm at The Red Fox located on Walking Street in Lamai. We then convened at the Bar and consumed some fine Ale.

One Month later on, the 26th February at 4:30 pm, we had a turnout of eleven ex servicemen at The Red Fox Bar in Lamai, also the home of H3 on Koh Samui. The new arrivals were welcomed and introduced and it was agreed that in general this was a good idea. We were treated to some fine broth supplied by The Red Fox Bar, Thank you.

So the next get together was arranged for Tuesday the 25th March 2008 at the Full Moon Bungalows in Bang Rak. (Note this is a revised venue) There will be a presentation regarding health insurance at this get together. All ex servicemen are welcome to come along, chew the fat and drink some beer or whatever is your poison.

See you then.