KhunHeineken

The telco's have kiosks at the airports. They are all pretty much the same. Just get a pre-paid sim. If the queues are too long, Coles, Woolworths, Aldi sell them as well.

I think this thread will become redundant in the years to come. As I said some time ago, around 1992 superannuation was introduced. The whole idea was one was forced to save for their retirement, thus, no Aged Pension for them, as they would be over thresholds to claim it. This was by government design. I posted the math on this some time ago, based on the average Australian salary, and entering the workforce at 18 and retiring at 67. It showed clearly even an average worker being over today's thresholds. It means, the only people that will be on the aged pension in the future will be people who have played there Centerlink system all their life, and never worked. Eg. dole bludgers. This demographic are not your typical Aussie retiree in Thailand, thus, having any interest in this website. I have said in the past the changes to tax residency in Australia is the single biggest issue facing retired Aussie aged pensioners in decades, and I stand by that. Some have said that debate has hijacked the thread, but when it's not being discussed, the threat is dead. What else is there to discuss, portability, it's been done to death. You have to do your 2 years. Simple at that. Of course keep the thread going, don't close it, but it will eventually become obsolete due to laws and policies in Australia that targeted the next generation of retiree coming through. I can see the day when a pinned thread will be, "Australian Superannuation" which will sit at the top of this forum.

No tail between my legs, and I certainly feel no shame. You asked for "the law, the law, the law" and when someone presented Article 18 and Article 19 of the DTA between Australia and Thailand, I asked for your opinion on the "provisions" set out in Article 19 and your response was, and I quote, "forget about Article 19." Yes, that's right, forget about the law, because it now suits yourself to do so. You wanted to see the legislation, you saw the legislation, then you cheery picked from it to suit your narrative, and offered no further discussion on the matter. "Article 18 1. Subject to the provisions of Article 19, pensions and annuities paid to a resident of one of the Contracting States shall be taxable only in that State." The provisions in Article 19 haven't gone away. All you saw was, "shall only be taxable in that Sate" and declared victory over the ATO, and me. All the while, with Thailand implementing the taxing of remitted funds to foreigners inside Thailand. In any case, Australia is in the process of updating all of its DTA's and the DTA with Thailand can't be far off being updated. From memory, they were updating Sweden which was 1983, so with Thailand being 1989, it will be sooner, rather than later. I posted the DTA with Germany, which was updated not so many years ago, as to what we can possibly expect, and note the word "possibly" but you would not even consider a DTA with Thailand may look the same. I have a feeling the updating of DTA's is being timed to correspond with the proposed changes to tax residency. This is just my suspicion. I have no link or evidence. I see another member has offered subject matter worthy of debate, but you also resort to petty abuse because it dare questions your "opinions" and "interpretations" which you have admitted that's all they are, yet do not accept the different opinions and interpretations of others. Time will tell how all this plays out, but in my opinion, you have celebrated a victory too early. I will simply say, times are changes, tax laws are changing, and the ground is shifting beneath the feet of expats. One should keep an open mind, practice due diligence, seek professional advice, and be prepared to make some changes to their finances and possibly their lifestyle. The 90 year old tax residency laws in Australia will change. The 41 year old DTA with Thailand will be updated. Thailand has implemented taxing remitted funds. All of these factors are not just for guys like Paul Hogan.

Interesting argument, but the Thai government has stated that if you you are inside Thailand for 180 days or more, they will deem you to be a "resident" and by law can / will tax world wide remitted income into Thailand. I see what you are getting at with the visa status and domicile, but it appears to me the Thai government is using the word "resident" differently in this case to how it is used in the term "permanent resident" as we know it in Australia. It's only a matter of time before the proposed changes to residency are passed, which will see Australia transition to a physical presence and time based model also, just like Thailand, and many other countries. Good post.

Don't you have the right to do that in a soapy? I mean, if they don't have a girl you like in the fish bowl, they can't force you to go upstairs. You just leave after having a look. I do what you do also. I'll go in, and even if I don't like the girls or the atmosphere, I'll buy one cheap beer and get out.

If / When China stops purchasing our minerals, either due to economic conditions, competition, or as a strategic move, either for short term or long term, Australia will head towards becoming a banana republic. Our economy relies too heavily on China now, and The Chinese know it. It should never have got to this point.

Why seek out news on this forum when you live full time in Australia?

The advice I gave, and some others, was due to you saying you would like to go back to Thailand to live in the future. I wouldn't had given the advice I did, if you were going to live in Australia for the foreseeable future.

Which can have consequences. Which is interesting if you have a Thai wife. She might just see a solicitor on the side and make a will leaving YOUR two houses not to YOU, should she pass first. Perhaps you are renting the property you bought, but put in your wife's name, for cheap rent. I don't know, and I don't care, but as you said, "I tell lies" and government data bases are now chatting to each other like never before. Just for the record, are you stating what you are doing is completely legal, or not?

Which makes the AUD stronger to the Thai Baht, but not necessarily stronger in general.

The Thai government will be happy with this news. A bit more in their kick as well. Why would the Australian government seek to stop donating to a foreign government?

Yeah, I know, but you don't have to put up with bar hopping, and all the different associated bar BS and prices from different bar owners to meet up with a girl. Sometimes I couldn't be bothered and just pick up the phone.

I note the words "for me" meaning, just yourself, not everyone is the same, and "the fun I had" meaning past tense, probably before smart phones and apps. What you describe used to be fun, because it was the only show in town, pre smart phones and apps. Now, it can be quite a laborious and expensive task. We all know the tricks. The one pretty girl welcomes you to the bar and hands you off to the other staff that are either old, overweight, unattractive, or all of these. I just turn around and walk out, because even if you buy that one and only pretty girl in the bar a lady drink, it's gone in 30 seconds and she's out the front of the bar again doing the same, because that's her role in the business. Gogos the same. Buy one a drink and it's gone 30 seconds later and she says she has to get back on stage and dance again. Who says you can't chose one for the night off an app? Short time / Long time, it's available and all negotiable, just like meeting them in a bar. I always ask for their LINE ID and do a video call with them. If it goes well, we go for drinks, music, dancing, and then back to my place. We all know once you "chose a girl for the night" you get her out of her own bar. Not much different, except no lady drinks and bar fine involved. It's like a dating website, but with a guaranteed result at the end of the night, and we know how popular dating websites are around the world. I still go to bars, the odd gogo, gentleman's clubs, and occasionally Soi 6, but I now have several girls in my LINE contact list that I "chose" initially off an app, and I am happy to see about 90% of them again for another night out whenever I want. You don't have to go to their place of employment right on 6pm to pay the bar fine. Everyone is different. Some like short time, some like long time, some like what I call anonymous s*x, like you get in a soapy. That's no chit chat and drinks at all. Smart phones and the apps have just added another option for mongers. Some guys don't like the non a/c bars. Some guys don't like the loud music and style of music in many bars. Some guys don't like how pushy for drinks the bar girls can be. Some guys don't like bar hopping for hours looking for their "one for their night." Some guys have mobility issues. Not everyone using an app to get a girl is a Cheap Charlie. Sometimes I have paid more for a girl off an app than a short / long time bar girl, but the girls have been very attractive, humorous, and good company. Gradually, I have seen more attractive girls go to the apps, than to work in businesses here. Not saying that's a good or bad thing. Just saying this is what I have noticed over some time.

A lot of attractive girls are working online these days. They don't have to worry about lady drinks and bar fine quotas, and penalties for not meeting their quotas. They don't have to stand around a nightclub all night with ridiculously loud music that they don't like. They don't have to dance on a pole for hours. They don't have to sit around the bar all shift fighting over the few customers that come in. They chose when they want to work, who they want to go with, and set their own price. They can even be on a night out with their friends and have some messages come in and they leave for an hour and come back to their night out with friends. I have seen this first hand. The attractive girls have realized they are the business, not the bar, nightclub, or gogo, and they are now freelancing on the internet. The quality is not in the bars, in the clubs, or on the stages anymore. It's online. Some of their prices can be a little high, but take out lady drinks and the bar fine, and the fact you can meet them anywhere you like, there ends up being not much difference in price. Not sure what businesses here can do in order get the attractive girls, other than pay them a lot, which means drink prices, lady drink prices, and bar fine prices all increase, which then makes even more people have a look online at the apps. Bar owners will tell you guys like to go to bars to have fun with the girls, but you can take a freelancer into wherever you want, even a girly bar, and still have fun. Bars, nightclubs and gogos will still be here for years to come, but I don't think the attractive girls will be working in them, or out of them, which you can already see is happening.

Conveniently didn't mention Australia is currently updating ALL of its tax treaties with over 40 countries, some of which set out Australia,as the source country, has taxing rights on pensions, but hey, why consider the future?

Why do you say that? I could accept your comment after the May budget, but not before. Aren't we past the "scaremongering" label for the proposed changes? The current Labor government is running with them, and given it was the previous Liberal government who proposed them, who is going to vote them down? It's just a matter of time before they are passed, by either political party who puts them to parliament.

If that's the case, why are you posting on this forum?

This the unknown factor in the equation, life expectancy. Live to a ripe old age in Thailand, and the 2 years back in Australia for the pension was worth it. Die not long after the 2 years back in Australia and it wasn't worth it. That said, their is a sense of entitlement, and rightly so. Why let the government off the hook for it?

Which would be illegal, and if / when they catch up with him, not only is there the fine, but he'll have to pay it all back. Actually, for a case like this, he very well may be criminally charged with fraud.

Some may say the fools are the ones that work all their life, just to give the money to those that have never worked a day in their life.

I agree with your summary. The sad thing is, you work all of your life and pay all of that income tax, with a lot that tax revenue going to people who have never even worked day in their life, and just because your decide to live overseas, you are financially punished and lose entitlements.

Which is exactly why the residency rules will change. They are designed to exclude "everyone's circumstances" and simply will be based on physical presence and time. No ifs, not buts, no reviews, no appeals. It comes down to where were you, and for how long - that's it.

The Australian government wants you to die working. https://www.aph.gov.au/about_parliament/parliamentary_departments/parliamentary_library/pubs/rp/budgetreview201415/pensioners#:~:text=The Labor Government introduced measures,2025 until it reaches 70. "The 2014–15 Budget confirmed speculation that the qualifying age for the Age Pension will be raised to 70 by 2035. The current qualifying age is 65. The Labor Government introduced measures in 2009 to increase the pension age to 67 through gradual increases during the period July 2017 to July 2023.[1] The proposal contained in the 2014–15 Budget is to continue to increase the pension age by six months every two years from 1 July 2025 until it reaches 70. The measure does not affect this Budget and is intended to help address the impact an ageing population will have on government finances in the long term."

Oh, so you now agree the proposed changes are in the mail.

Watch it yourself. https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/centrelink-customers-claim-they-are-being-hung-up-on-as-delays-stretch-out-to-months/ffedf397-cde1-4ad6-9b08-1289671193cd#:~:text=General Manager of Services Australia,to get on the pension.&text="Look%2C age pension is a,have all the information validated."