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Missing years can also get confusing when you think that you have paid the full 35 yrs, but do not receive the full pension - This is what I received as an explanation in a letter, even after paying for 35 years national insurance "Your State Pension is less than the maximum rate because you were contracted-out of the State scheme for a period. Whilst you were contracted-out, you paid a lower rate of National Insurance contribution and your State Pension has to be reduced accordingly." Simply put, there is not straight forward calculation for identifying the decrease in the state pension amount i.e sometimes it might be a full year benefit loss or part of the year. Each calculation is depending on the terms for every private pension when dealing with the contracted out part of the state pension. The point is that each private pension decrease when contracted out is calculated individually and this becomes something of a black box.

You can get either from the Gov gateway or by post your missing years, however paying for missing years does not automatically guarantee that you get the benefit from the payment for extra pension paid. You can only pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year, so you have until 5 April 2031 to make up gaps for the tax year 2024 to 2025. You may have previously been able to pay for gaps going back more than 6 years, but option and the deadline to pay this was 5 April 2025. I am not sure of you specific circumstances, but the first thing to find out is not only which years are available for voluntary contributions, but if these contributions would increase your pension paid out. Simply request this and call (0800 731 0469) - "I want to know what options I have for paying voluntary contributions and the extra pension benefit this would give me". This will be calculated by a dedicated department and this would give you all the information that you need. For example the letter that I received said: "Although the years xxxx to yyyy are non qualifying years for state pension purposes, payment of these years would not improve your state pension" "Non-qualifying years" for a UK State Pension refer to years where you haven't met the minimum requirements for a year to count towards your State Pension entitlement. This typically means you didn't pay enough National Insurance contributions or receive enough credits in that year. Every circumstance is different, but if you have been overseas for the periods you are asking to pay the voluntary contributions then you should get the increase in extra state pension from making voluntary contributions. Making the payment can be done on a phone call or online or even by bank transfer using sort code 08 32 20. account number 12001004. account name "HMRC NIC Receipts" However this option is only available if sent from a UK bank account.

Ahhh - Great news - Thanks. Yup gora be careful with the fakes. I got caught out with memory purchased.

I am currently buying a lot of Tech Mini Pc, Screen portable Display and a new Mobile phone. Normally the 7% is not an issue, but does add up with multiple single different orders. I can see that many of the suppliers have both Aliexpress and Lazada stores and the price does vary, surprisingly sometimes a little more expensive on Lazada and sometimes Aliexpress from the same company and the same product item. Having contacted a number of the vendors on their Aliexpress and Lazada stores asking for advice if the 7% will generally be charged on small packages such as mini PC and mobile phone. I thought maybe it would normally be paid on the items when bought on Aliepress, but I can not work it out for Lazada Thailand if 7% Vat will be added when it says 'shipped from overseas'. The responses from the vendors did not help and did not answer the question. Does anyone have first hand experience of receiving smallish light parcels when bought from Chinese stores on Aliexpress or Lazada and if VAT needs to be added to the published price on delivery. I am not buying multiple items from the same vendor, they are all single item purchases

72% Thai Tariff: Likely is inaccurate or misinterpreted. It’s not supported by Thailand’s known tariff structure and seems to be a U.S. construct for justifying the 36% reciprocal tariff. Verification is impossible without the actual source or White House methodology, which remains opaque. Trade Figures: Mostly verifiable from U.S. (BEA/Census) and Thai (Commerce Ministry) records. The $45.6 billion deficit, $63.3 billion imports, and 36% tariff are solid; the $35.4 billion surplus is credible but varies from U.S. data due to reporting differences, but contain only a minor difference. In short, the trade stats are grounded in official data with high confidence, while the 72% tariff claim is dubious and likely oversimplified or exaggerated for policy purposes. The trade stats even while grounded in official data with high confidence, its not that simple to work out what is reasonable and fair until you identify what are the actual goods or services that are being counted in the deficit balance of $35.4 billion if most of this deficit is a very low number. For example WTO acceptance remains a foundation of most countries import duty methods all countries agreeing that some imports are categorised to be within a "common Industrial integration" and is an accepted principle that will benefit world growth and can never be a zero sum game for any single country. Hence low duties of between 0% to 2.7% has been agreed to be accepted practice between trading partners, average being 1%. There is no figure for this sector in the US calculation and might account for a large proportion of the Thailand export trade deficit to the USA and if so the $35.4 billion might be close to irrelevant since the duty is so small. Other considerations exist in many areas that complicate the argument. For example anyone that brings into Thailand USD this value has been reported from sources in the White house as being counted as in the import trade deficit rather than a balance of payment deficit which should have been the case. If this is the case there is no 72% taxation on US citizens bringing their USD into Thailand. Or a different way of looking at this for Thailand to reduce the deficit it could refuse US citizens bringing USD into Thailand or patriotic US citizens could be encouraged in returning to the USA., but obviously neither of these would be a realistic solution. VAT has been stated being used as consideration as an import tax, but whether any goods or service originated from the home country or was on an imported goods or service from the USA in each situation this would be subject to the same VAT and hence this is not discriminatory to the USA. The bottom line is that sometimes the figures quoted are just a way to justify an unpopular action, but really in in the pragmatic world these headline figures might need better consideration for what is reasonable. The problem right now there is no breakdown of how the 72% import duty was calculated nor what products and services are contained in $35.4 billion deficit. If the deficit in the $35.4 billion is mostly at a very low percentage then imposing the 36% retaliation duty is unfair or at least difficult to justify. The new tariffs could have been imposed without a justifying argument, but the decision was to attempt to justify the import tariffs. To really to make a compelling argument or at least open up the argument to reasonable discussion, full transparency could have been made available of all the input figures used in reaching each of these headline conclusions. Until full transparency occurs, it is mostly irrelevant what headline figure is being used to justify tariffs imposed and more importantly also difficult for adults to have a meaningful dialogue.

Anyone who lives in Thailand for more than 180 days in a single tax year will be considered a resident - Tax residents of Thailand who derive assessable income derived from outside Thailand would only be subject to tax if the income is earned in any tax year starting from 1 January 2024 onwards and is remitted to Thailand in the same or a later tax year. Also the remitted amount is greater than the Personal Income Tax (PIT) threshold of 150,001 THB. Assessable income is the basis for calculating your tax liability and this is any income including social security, but subject to social security program and any applicable Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) that identify how these payments are made and the agreement to tax within Thailand. Once you determine your assessable income, you can deduct any allowable expenses or allowances to arrive at your taxable income. This taxable income is then subject to the progressive personal income tax rates in Thailand. Anyone who is considered as Thailand Tax resident then a tax return will be required even if no tax will be eventually paid. Many countries have a dual taxation agreement with Thailand to prevent double taxation occurring in both countries. However if what the op says is correct and his DT covers his social security payment then the question being asked is really what is the process for an expat in terms for the order for getting taxation managed and reconciled. Credit Method: Often, the credit method is used. This generally means you would initially calculate your Thai tax liability. Then, when filing your return, you would claim a tax credit for the taxes paid (or payable) in your home country on that same income. The credit would offset your Thai tax liability. The credit amount is usually limited to the lower of the tax paid in your home country or the Thai tax due on that income. So, you might end up paying some Thai tax if the tax rate in Thailand is higher. Practical Application in the First Year: Because it's your first year, gathering the necessary documentation to prove your foreign tax liability might take time. It's possible that you might need to make an estimated payment initially and then adjust it later when you have all the supporting documents for the tax credit. Pre-payment vs. Reconciliation: Whether you pre-pay and reconcile later, or if you can reconcile at the point of filing, will depend on the specific DTA provisions and how efficiently you can gather your own income / Tax / DTA documentation. If you have a consistent income stream and readily available tax information from your home country, you might be able to reconcile at the time of filing. The op needs to contact his home country Tax office and provide the appropriate DTA information to the Thailand tax office to at least educate them (they currently will be unclear of all the DTA's worldwide initially especially when being processed by an administrator who is simply reading a memo that is supposed to cover this, but falls short). However the bottom line is If the DTA covers the op then there will not be any tax to pay, but may need to wait for this decision or may be asked to pre-pay before being reconciled. Any prepayment is likely going to be down to the efficiency of the local Thailand Tax office dealing with an ex-Pat tax affairs and hence it would help the efficiency if the op provides the proof of income with its basis of Tax and the DTA for the Thailand Tax office - By providing this at the same time as the tax return. The key issue for all ex-pats in this same situation is to do the work - Identify their own DTA, understand what has been taxed in their own country from their remittance and if they can show as much saving as possible that has been taxed in a previous tax year and hence is not subject to tax in Thailand if this was in your account before Jan 1st 2024. Unfortunately it will likely come down to each tax return owner to educate the administrator with facts and be in control of the process, rather than expecting the admin tax person to be able to advise you of what you are allowed.

Thanks for providing an alternative, but "if you just want to remit funds on your own terms rather than the terms imposed using O Visa extension." is the freedom from either the deposit or the monthly remitting of income / funds that holds the greater appeal for me - Others might see value in either the income remit or the deposit as a greater value because we all do differ - Thanks for your contribution.

Mnnnn - Interesting - I didn't know that Olmate - Thanks.

I stopped using O-A just after the insurance mandate was required. Currently I am currently considering using an agent so as to keep my funds outside of Thailand, the costs quoted have been between 15-20k Thb. The O-A insurance quoted has been between 15-20k Thb. Obviously with O-A I would need to exit and return for the second year and return to the UK every second year, but I do get some form of health cover and while this cover is minimum it provides some cover greater than no cover. So for the same cost as the O Visa extension (based upon retirement) if prepared to exit every year and return home every second year there is some value in considering the OA Visa, especially if you just want to remit funds on your own terms rather than the terms imposed using O Visa extension.

Thanks for the response. Yup I should have inferred from the "walk" mentioned, but I once tried to walk in and then get a train back to Bangkok (since they seem less particular at the train station immigration). I aim to take the train on my next (3rd) back to back VE and only stay one night in Arau, then catch the 45 Special Express train to Bangkok going through the train station immigration. It will be interesting to see if there is any better experience doing it this way.

I did a same day border bounce Padang Besar 10 days ago - posted here

Which IO told you had to stay 2 nights i.e was it the Malaysian or Thai I/O - Also which immigration office did you use for the entry / exit border since there are two options 1). Train station 2). immigration near the road, where the bus to Hat Yai stops. I did the same border run 20th Jan (10 days ago) - Entered by train stamped out of Thailand and stamped into Malaysia then walked over the bridge to the other immigration office by the road entry - When exiting Malaysian I/O pushed my passport across the desk to senior I/O and then pointed to the date, the senior officer just nodded and the other I/O stamped me out. When I got to the Thailand immigration the I/O refused me entry and said I need to spend one night in Malaysia I asked if I could return early since I was unaware of the rules 60 days visa exempt since it was so new, she then asked me for flight out of Thailand and then asked for accommodation booking in Thailand which I had neither a booking for accommodation nor a flight until the middle of May. She then told me to make a hotel booking in Thailand for that night. I went away made a booking and went back with the confirmation email on my mobile phone, which she ignored and just stamped me back into Thailand immediately on my return back to her desk and told me to make sure next time to stay one night in Malaysia. It is not clear if the requirement is one night or two and since it is down to the discretion of each individual I/O and hence it could in theory be any amount of nights.

There was a report a few weeks ago identifying no issues for same day in / out Vientiane

The last link doesn't seem to want to resolve as a clickable link - Here goes again https://shorturl.at/ebxO2 or copy paste the text below https://asq.in.th/question/can-i-get-a-60-day-visa-after-a-same-day-land-border-run-to-vientiane-from-udon-thani

I am seeing one and two night stays on the Lao border via Huay Xai is no longer possible from the sources below, but the rules at Vientiane seem a little less certain if this policy is being implemented. https://asq.in.th/question/can-i-get-a-60-day-visa-after-a-same-day-land-border-run-to-vientiane-from-udon-thani