So I'm sat in the same guesthouse in Bangkok I started my travels in 10 weeks ago. The same attractive girl is here in the same yellow dress trying to lure people in from the entrance. But it has free wi-fi and comfortable seats. It's a nice atmosphere. I stay in the cheaper guesthouse around the corner and come here to make use of the seats and the free wi-fi ;-)
I'm in the middle of a difficult decision about where to go from here. My tax advisor has told me that I'm non-resident but going back to the uk AT ALL this year carries a small risk of losing my non-res status and having to pay uk tax on this year's income, maybe even last year's too.
How much of a gambling man am I?....
1. Fly back to the uk for 3 maybe 4 weeks, then go to spain to see my friend. Any longer in the uk would be very risky, my tax advisor has told me. I would then fly back to the emirates for work in mid-September.
2. Fly back to Europe only (I already have a flight to London booked months ago, via Kiev). I could stop in Kiev and go to Spain (see above),
3. Stay here in Thailand and do my Divemasters. Turn it into something positive. I do miss my friends and family in the UK. Life is so transient on the road, gets a bit wearing after a while.
The worst case scenario I envisage is staying here in Thailand to save my tax, being racked with anxiety and guilt for a few days but then being absorbed in my diving for a month. Following that many months in the emirates with a slight, but persistent, sense of missing my friends and family in the UK, looking ahead to May 2012 when I can visit the UK in relative security. That would be a year and 4 months without seeing my UK friends and family.
Tough decision.
With all this going on, am I in the mood to meet this incredibly hot Thai girl who wants to see me? The obvious answer would be 'YES, OF COURSE!'. However I feel a little preoccupied and, perhaps surprisingly, it's somewhat overriding my motivation to meet up with this girl. Damn Owen and his girl.... he's flying to France after being with his parents in the UK, to see this great girl he's been shagging. Everything's so simple for him, but I'm staying out here and weathering the storm for tax purposes.
This Thai girl worked in this same guesthouse when I was here 10 weeks ago. She worked behind reception, but now works in a hotel nearby. Her brother also worked here and he was trying to sell me to her while I was here (not literally, you understand ;-). One day, I deliberately came out of the shower topless and with my hair down, to hand back my towel while she was there. She was visibly turned on. NICE.
I departed that day and when I was leaving, her brother asked me if I liked her and told me she liked me. It was hard to leave. She's pretty, confident, self-assured and a great body on her. I settled for leaving her brother my business card, knowing that he would give my facebook to her. Understated.
Sure enough, a couple of weeks later she added me. I deliberately didn't contact her though. Much better when they contact you. Sure enough she eventually struck up conversation on facebook and asked me contact her when I was next in Bangkok. I said I might be here this week. She gave me her mobile number.
I have to decide tomorrow if I'm flying out of Bangkok the next day. I wish I could do everything but I can't.
