gigman

My advice to anyone with a Thai partner dealing with Centrelink is to declare yourself single. There is absolutely no benefit to you from declaring a foreign national as your partner, and you will open a can of worms you will wish you had never touched. All sorts of details will be required, some of which you may not have, and it is likely your SINGLE benefit will be reduced because of partner's income (they must be earning something, right? even if it's in another country?).

I was asked to send a C/L form to my wife in English as Thai not available, have her sign it, despite her being able to read English, and send it back for me to fill out. Yeah sure.

At one stage my payment was stopped because they didn't have HER tax file number, despite her having never been an Oz resident. Took a full day at the local office to sort out.

Thanks mate .. you saved my life in my future plans.

However, I am in Poland and only 11 months before my Australian retirement money but currently I'm trying to fight Polish Embassy in Bkk to grant short tourist visa to stay with me in Poland for just vacations.

Recently my G/f was refused with such visa even I am financing everything under suspicion that she will not return to Thailand....

My second thoughts was to go there and get married then bring her for vacation to Poland but it could be a huge mistake if Aussie got news that I am married with younger person under age of pension...

Probably Poland do not mind such relationship but because they are in agreement with Australia it may leak one day to them in case I will receive my age pension from Australia.

I think everyone should learn about it this days where we are became a "Modern Slaves"

Although I am a couple of years away from the OAP I asked Centerlink the same question in November. I was told that they are happy to pay an OAP into an Australian a/c and that it did not matter where I was overseas. The 13 week time frame seems to be for those with Centerlink payments such as Disability, unemployment....etc.

Having said this...those of you who know Centerlink know that different answers come from different offices for the same question...

That's correct.

Law is Law but justice is now on his side...

Soon will be compulsory everywhere in the world...that's for sure..

Give your freedom for "safety"

Bye bye happy days ..time to find another place ..maybe Vietnam ?

Buddism in Los became a business. ...

Catholicism became a business everywhere...

What about paying taxes if this is the business? ??

Maybe finally some people wake up and start asking questions. ...

Sorry but to many bad things happens in this country.

It is still modern but barbaric country

Just LOS......

What is going on over there in Thailand? I'm not sure whether it's more diligent reporting or if there truly is more violence occurring. It's time the Thai authorities started asking themselves the hard questions: Why are the youth acting like this? Where does this murderous and violent mindset stem from? Is it drug abuse? Alcohol abuse? A lack of direction? Poor schooling? No hope for a decent future? Absentee parents? A lack of fear of serious retribution? What's up with the gang mentality? Why do things get so quickly out of control? What is going on? I first went to Thailand about 20 years ago and it didn't seem to have the horrifying violence among the male youth then as it appears to now. If this is the case, why? What has happened to make them feel so disenfranchised they'll murder for an absolutely senseless reason. It doesn't seem to have spread across to the Laos side of the river yet, thankfully.

Just because Government and their law needs serious adjustment....

Another think is media this days showing so much violence and those small "imagine themself Big" guys are like kids which never grow.I also remember Thailand 20 years ago and it was different .

Tree years ago I started seeing bad influence and my warnings was so much criticized here on TV.

And how I was wrong ????

But there will be more and more bad things happen just watch it......

I hope these punks rot in prison and then hell.

Someone should made them cripple before jail.....

“TAT would like to assure international travellers that this was an isolated incident, not targeted on any group of foreign tourists in particular. The situation was exacerbated by alcohol.”

That is another bull...t

Simply , those thugs was looking for blood and under influence whole nature is coming out towards foreigners... far to often just because this weird kind of law has this country allowing such bandits to skip real punishment .

I just wander if those bandits appeared in local Thai news ?????....probably NOT because they don't like dark truth about themselfs.

I have seen in my over 60 years of existence many bad situations but never see kicked old woman in the face specially when she was already punched and on the ground.

Just look how many locals was defending them .....?????

Someone want's to tell me that Thai have respect for old people.....??????????????

ironically more and more weird rules are implemented against foreign tourist in Thailand this days.....instead they should look closely to own people .

Shame shame shame.....Thailand.

Every similar incident is going to the world and this image of land of smile is just loosing this image drastically just because law in this country is on their own side.

I can bet that those bandits will be not properly punished as always before......

Police explanation in this and similar cases is just same stupid like those bandits act.

That's new profession ! Bravo brainless ones who try to implement it.

1. OK. I want to be a beggar ! but now how much it will cost me to get a license in LOS as expat ???

2. That's new opportunity for corrupted police .... hence how big cut they will be looking for ? if I will not get a license and still want to work in new industry ?

3. How much tax will be on licensed beggar ?

But looking from other perspective this idea is good for the rest of the world.

Because of world growing problem with retired people which governments starting to have shortage of money this new idea could be applied to anyone and we could apply for beggar licenses

I think it's better to be prepared..... maybe this stupid idea is not that stupid????

And many still deny that LOS is NOT so friendly to us..... (except our money if we still have available if not...?? )

I think to many good stories about LOS was spread to the rest the world where freedom quickly disappear ....

Unfortunately those where old good times in LOS which never come back like in the rest of the world.

And LOS is following those world changes in every aspect.

We all still having a dream of freedom but this is just a history.

Money and position has priority (. )

I was counting on this part of Asia region that will be hard to change the culture but unfortunately I was wrong.

It's all bull...t ...

Do you believe your government care about you and your smoking ....

For those still believe in it ....

ask yourself ; why if this subject is so bad for society does not close all tobacco factories ???

And maybe it is something bigger they do not want you to focus on ??? very big and huge when comes to responsibility for so many weird diseases never has been here on this world before....

And what if all this mess comes from unhealthy and modified food we should start to be looking for causes...

Just imagine if we could start asking serious questions and demand compensations ....????? from those who are really killing us

That's why some smart ones came with this idea of focusing us on smoking ..... Unfortunately more people are naive and affraid of asking questions this days

I do not blame many on this world because we do not have time or ability to use own brain and ask questions...more inconvenient for those who just want's us to watch media and believe in everything they say......

Anyway , are they really wants you to live longer ....

Every government in the world is starting having huge problem with retirement payments...

Stop and use your own brain but anyway it is to late to change anything in this world of lies .

Regards from non smoker

It's same with drink driving and caught ...taxi would be much cheaper.

In this case it's same ... why to take photos if you have tons of waiting just be paid a little money for it...

But some police members are just stupid as a drunker sitting behind the wheel...

Just bunch of idiots not able to adjust to the rest of normal world

They have no face to say ..."we loosing money"

But "guys" you badly wanted those tourists and now you start having them .....

Ohhhh. what about your own modified vehicles in your country everywhere....for eg. motorbikes carry concrete mixers, veggies food etc.. are they safer then RV's ????.

Ohhh. just bunch of greedy idiots.

.

Sooner or later it can happen to anyone in many many places in Thailand.

Authorities have no time to apply any rules to protect own citizen and tourists.

So, if someone will finally goes to jail as responsible for this then maybe and I say maybe some changes will occur.

I'm sick and tired of having Thai misinformation to the subject who and when tourists or expats should carry their passports ...

Maybe those post should more useful having them on other world forums then maybe ...just said maybe those lawless country officials could get their message that their methods just stupid and world war II gone long time ago and SS and gestapo methods are no good to advertise tourism .

Why they just check ID's outside on the streets ....??? (if they must do it)..

I did traveling around world and never has been checked for my ID by the police even in most suspected places for contraband or similar...

I hope some of those idiots who do not know how to to honor own regulations about this matter will have opportunity to read our opinions......(if they able to read anyway..)

I have visited many countries in the world but do not remember that I could expect a police checking my ID....and specially in tourist places......

Step by step news about Thai ideas are spread around the world....

Nothing good in it for Thailand if they still want to vacation destination country.

Should I be worry now if I forget my passport ?

I know that I do not have to carry it except a copy of it....BUT they change their ideas all the time and I feel very uncomfortable now seeing a police man.

If I am coming to have a rest and relax to this country then last thing I need to be stressed....for my spent money over there.

I think Vietnam is better for me now.

Thailand is great for retirement if you are prepared to live in a bubble. Live your own little life cheaply and happily and ignore what's going on around you. Things that are not likely to affect you much, like the blatant day to day corruption that permeates Thai society from top to bottom. The injustices of the legal system. Better not venture out onto the roads. Don't care about te Thais that live around you, you know the ones that struggle to live on 300 baht a day (if they're luck), ignore the 'slave labourers' from Burma on the building sites. Oh yes I'm all right Jack.

I wonder -how deep the research these articles by so called 'travel experts' go. Have they ever experienced 'trying to get things done' satisfactorily in Thailand. Have they ever had to jump through hoops at the whim of some surly Immigration Officer, and I'll bet they've never had to pay themselves for private hospital treatment in this Country.

My wife and I and family live happily in the bubble outside a small town in northern Thailand.

We live comfortably but economically whilst not showing off to our Thai neighbors and locals.

Corruption can be found in any country if you look hard enough. It doesn't affect us on a day to day basis.

Not involved in the legal system. Hope not to be, ever.

That's normal status for any peace loving retiree .

That's very good news for Mount Isa little town.

At least they will have some clear air for some time .

Probably train was heading to smelter in Mt. Isa .

I was there working on the contract 10 km near Mt. Isa.....When the smelter works then cloud is covering whole town and surrounding areas on many kilometers.

That's a combination of smoke and steam of acid gasses when inhaled you can't take a breath without pain in lungs....

They stop smelter only when wind blows directly to the center of town .

Center of the town is just less then 1 km from mine and smelter...... and on top of the story just imagine that most of the year temperature in this region is 35 up to 50 deg.

Officials said 2 years ago that this chimney will be fixed in 3-5 years time but everyone knows that this mine will be close in the same time ...hence just they taking side of mine not local people.

Another thing is that if mine will be close or even partly close then simply not much business for local people ...

That's a little story about clean air in Australia where only money is important ... not the people .

They need another 20 years of no corruption to make me to believe ....in such statement

As usual...

Wold is fed with lie and those who are trying to fight it are fighting against each other....

Just greedy world in every level...

Adain and again.....

Who is trying to feed me with something I just flushed out in my toilet.....

World is beautiful and day after day more ridiculous and funny...

Is someone idiots are trying to kill me with laughing...?????

It looks like Paris tragedy is overturning to stories to make us lough....

I think it is inadequate ......and sad.

But I'm no wander anymore....

That's our thinking and world today. (not mine.... I'm still old fashioned and my brain ...I think is intact... and functioning to the human standard)

Just wonderful world.......

Are we are getting insane......?

One world , short life and we are using are brains to pleased greedy ones with our acceptance\....????

Bravo1 humanity ....you just flush out your brains in the toilet.