Madgee

My neighbour swapped his 2010 Vios with 240k km, for a 2011 Captiva with 110k km, which has turned out to be a lemon. Things keep breaking on it, the seat adjuster, tailgate lock mechanism, door mirror adjuster etc. Ordering parts has been a nightmare for him. 10 weeks wait for an oil seal, something to do with a transmission rebuild following an oil leak. (It's still got a slight oil leak!) Now it's in for starter motor problems after a breakdown, 3 weeks and counting. All the work is being done by an authorised Chevvy garage. I picked him up last time it was towed there and the adjacent field was full of older Chevvies (many Captivas) apparently waiting for parts. Just saying .......

Another one where it's all about money! Duh.

^^^^^ Op, ignore the naysayers, they're the same negative lot that always has nothing useful to say. You do what you think is right for you. AFAIK, Your ex doesn't come into this. You have legit divorce papers from the UK which is what is wanted by the UK embassy to get an affirmation to say you are free to marry. Your girlfriend also needs her divorce papers (if previously married). Read the link: Where do you want to get married? - Getting married abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Everything can be done in a day if you are fully prepared!

You keep harping on about 'Most of your charging is done at home overnight' ...... My neighbour desperately wants an EV (stupid man) mainly because he thinks they are fashionable but cannot charge it at home as his car would be parked on the road away from his house. How about those living in condo blocks with very few chargers or even not allowed in the car parks? Respectfully, you use this point over and over again, that's your situation so sometimes start seeing it from another perspective. I'm not doubting the (at present) attractiveness of owning an EV for some but an EV certainly is not suitable for me and many others.

The cost of a new UK 54-page passport is about 6250 baht if applying from Thailand. I believe that the MyThaiVisa agency (used by many) charges 12000 baht incl, all done by post. I will be using this service later in the year. Considering it would cost me a flight to BKK, an overnight stay and travel in BKK, and then again to pick the passport up, far cheaper and much less hassle!

Any income above the personal allowance of £12,570 is subject to tax. I'm afraid that includes income from a private pension.

Err, I'm not quite old enough to receive my UK state pension yet so stop your wild assumptions about people's state of finances. Cornflakes for brekkie eh..... Go on, you'll be telling me they're Kellogg's next! Enjoy your (cold) day.

Good idea that you stay where you are. One of the reasons I came to Thailand was to get away from people like you!

You can inform the DWP that you are in the UK and you will receive the latest pension increase up to the date you leave, it then reverts to what it was before you entered the country, that is provided you tell them you are leaving (back to Thailand)! As a previous poster stated, they do call you periodically to check if you are still in the UK. Remember that because of the increase you might be liable for more tax.

Some of you don't get it, do you? I don't care if you falsify documents, say you live in Timbuktu or use a mail forwarding company etc. as a way to claim your pension increases along with the various other benefits: You commit benefit fraud by claiming benefits you’re not entitled to on purpose. It's that simple. just because you believe it's wrong for the Gov. to freeze pensions (as I also do) it doesn't mean you have the automatic right to commit fraud. As I've stated many times before, UP 2 YOU. Over and out.

Yes, there is, stop using a fraudulent address! You are committing fraud, pure and simple so stop trying to justify it as a right. As I have said before on many occasions, it's up to the individual to decide to do what they think fit. The same as many, I firmly believe that everyone who is entitled to the UK state pension should be treated the same, regardless of where they live, so the frozen pension stipulation is wrong and should be rectified. That doesn't give a valid reason to blatantly commit fraud but obviously, it does to some. Thailand doesn't have a social security agreement with the UK so it is what it is. Will anything ever happen to those who commit benefit fraud in this way? I very much doubt it! I know of none so although the legalities are there, they are not enforced .... at present. I do know of one person (my next-door neighbour) who inadvertently gave his Thai address on a tax form and was asked to pay back the overpaid amount totalling a few thousand pounds at an agreed £20 a week which was deducted from his private pension amount at source. His state pension remained at the amount when he was discovered to be living abroad and not frozen at the time he first resided in Thailand 5 years previous. He was not threatened with legal action. Maybe he would have been had he not voluntarily agreed to some payback, who knows!

For those who say it's not benefit fraud to claim the state pension increases (which is classified as a benefit) or scumbags that fraudulently claim the heating allowance, please note and digest the first few lines of the link given: You commit benefit fraud by claiming benefits you’re not entitled to on purpose. For example by: not reporting a change in your circumstances providing false information https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/outlines/benefit-fraud/ https://www.claims.co.uk/knowledge-base/personal-finance/benefit-fraud A person who knowingly gives false information about your residency at their address is also committing fraud and is likely to be prosecuted more heavily than the non-resident. Those who insist that the UK state pension cannot be reduced or stopped once given are correct but........AFAIK it can be suspended while being investigated. With the new powers that the DWP & HMRC have regarding people's bank accounts and personal information which can be shared between departments, I can visualise many more cheats being discovered over time, especially if reported! Off with their heads!

I can understand why people feel aggrieved about pensions being frozen and commit fraud by declaring a UK resident address, up to them. Openly admitting to taking the heating allowance.... Scumbags.

I've got to disagree with you on that one. A 4-page application form of which a fair chunk is non-applicable for renewal. It even includes 'Get It Right' help boxes for each section!

85k ???

I contacted the International Pensions Centre last week to inform them that I wished to claim the UK state pension as of late April 2024. They informed me that the easiest way was to prepare for the questions that would be asked by gathering the information required via the application form they immediately emailed me and phone them back at my convenience. I have a choice of doing it via snail mail or simply calling them. As I am residing abroad, it cannot be done online. According to the lady I spoke to, the timeframe is about 2 weeks if claiming by calling for approval and payment dates. +44 (0) 191 218 7777 The lady was extremely helpful, polite and courteous, she even called me back because she had problems hearing me. She also informed me that the data on the HMRC app is not linked to the IPS so therefore it might not correctly reflect the correct amount of pension to be received. As my pension will be approved and dealt with by the IPC, I should not complain to them if the HMRC app does not reflect my correct payments or information. As it stands, both departments reflect the same so all is good!

Great photo ..... Now how about one of the dog?

Like the many other threads about this subject, it's going around in circles. So many forumites needlessly pooing their pants about this.

If I'm reading correctly: The armed forces are a service of the Gov. hence Article 19, 2a applies of the DTA.

Regarding the DTA between the UK & Thailand: AFAIK: Article 19 confirms that people who receive a UK Gov. services pension are exempt from income tax on the amount received. As regards the UK state pension which is regarded as income. Does this imply that the UK personal allowance for tax purposes (£12,570.00 approx. ฿550,000) is not liable for Thai tax but any amount over this is subject to tax, even though it will be taxed at source in the UK?

On further 'interrogation' of my friend, he disclosed that this new form was in poor English and poorly copied so I'm now under the impression that it is a local thing unless others come across it elsewhere .... But why? Roi-Et IO is firm but fair and helpful. They did have a rogue officer for a while but after so many complaints against him, he got transferred.

I was of the understanding that they were asking, by way of this form, about the amounts being transferred to Thailand, I presume the source would be in the embassy letter. Not me, I use a different method. I have never seen an income letter from an embassy but I'm sure it provides the source and the total amount of income available, I'll have to ask him. I do know he doesn't make a transfer every month and he certainly transfers well under the amount per year that is required for the monthly income method. Some people do, that's why I made the effort to post about it. Roi-et IO nearly always gives a copy of each plus the TM7 for use the following year.

This morning (25th Dec), a Canadian friend of mine successfully did his yearly retirement extension using the embassy letter method. He had to redo the STM2 form as the form he downloaded from the immigration website had changed. He had to redo the Overstay acknowledgement form as that had also changed. On both forms, they now have an immigration signature box on the bottom left which was not there before, also some of the wording in both documents has been slightly altered. Also, he had to fill in a new form concerning his Thai bank details with how much he transfers to Thailand every month. I'm not sure if this is just our particular IO or if it's going to be a general thing. Interesting to see if it's just a local criteria. Roi-Et Immigration Office

I said similar on another thread many moons ago, only to be slagged off as being irresponsible for letting my dog (ex-soi dog) which was poisoned along with many others, wander the soi where he was liked by all. I agree that, in this case, the dogs should have been humanely put down for the safety of others, regardless of ownership.

Favs as a kid: Flintstones Thunderbirds Stingray Joe 90 Captain Scarlet (& the Mysterons) Crackerjack Remember going to the 'minors' cinema on a Saturday morning: Casey Jones The Lone Ranger Wacky Races Looney Tunes cartoons I then got interested in girls so the TV got ditched!