lamyai3

2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

My history of retirement extensions must have spurred the IO into requesting a 12 month statement for the reasons stated previously, maybe wouldn’t have happened in a different Immigration Office but c’est la vie .

I also never got asked for a 12 month statement on my Non O-A extensions in previous years, though looking at my bank book I see it does have interest and tax entries listed for every month since opening the account, in spite of no other activity and not updating the book during the year between extensions.

When I had to update it recently for the Non O conversion, the full monthly history was printed with no consolidated entries shown. I have my Non O extension coming in a couple of months, so hopefully this would be accepted in the event of a 12 month statement being required? 

2 hours ago, coralia said:

But visa required?

UK passport, 15 days visa exemption given. 

On 11/1/2022 at 8:00 AM, Mike Teavee said:

For some people it does & for others it doesn't, I can't say that I fully understand it all (especially as I was "Contracted Out" for most of my career) but I decided to err on the side of caution & bought the missing years anyway (cost me £955 for 7 years in 2017) & have been paying (Class 2) AVCs each year since (I think I hit 35 years this year so will be stopping after April). 

Anyone who worked in the SERPS era was more than likely contracted out of the state scheme, which will change the number of qualifying years required. The Future Pension Centre told me that the number of years for a person to hit maximum could be anything between 35 and 47 years - in my case 38 full years would be needed.

The new state pension figures are much easier to calculate, each year buys currently £.5.29 pw (1/35 of £185.15). Pre 2016 amounts depend on how many contracted out years you had, in my case each pre 2016 year bought around £4.73 pw, requiring an extra 3 qualifying years to max things out.

Obviously it's worth calculating all the years that can be paid between 2016 and retirement age first and then making up any shortfall from the pre 2016 ones. Class 3 payments are well worth the money, and you got an absolute bargain with the class 2's.

Just reentered on a 45 day visa exempt entry which I will soon convert to a non-o on basis of retirement. I'm trying to complete the TM30 via the app and I'm confused about what visa class to put from the list. Is it TOWV45? Also what to put for expiry date of stay?

Thanks. 

On 10/29/2022 at 3:48 PM, DrJack54 said:

I often mention Vietnam as prior to covid flew there every month for years.

Do you know if AirAsia at HCMC airport accept a screenshot of an onward flight booking, or do they need a printout?

13 hours ago, webfact said:

"Nazi",he said, was a strong and powerful dog, that had got upset through envy after his wife went to share some of his food with a stray dog called Whitey. 

I'm no Nazi sympathiser, but it does sound like this dog wasn't a Whitey supremacist. 

On 9/16/2022 at 5:26 PM, ubonjoe said:

The immigration order states October 1st.

My extension is due late October (CW) but technically I could go and do it now, up to 45 days early. 

If I were to go before the end of this month would they accept the lower 400k cover? I'm assuming not, and they will go by the actual date of extension in my passport and want to see the new higher amount. 

On 8/8/2022 at 5:30 PM, PAWNEESE said:

So I asked Mr Google and read that many consider that there new colour to be black.  Not just me.

Me as well - I never was able to see the blue in the older passports. Having said that, I'm technically slightly colourblind... ????

10 hours ago, rwill said:

I would imagine that is more the fault of the author and proof reader of the article than the doctor actually saying soup.

Unless he was making a jok...

According to the Gospels, Jesus underwent transfiguration on a mountain. 

On 6/1/2022 at 4:20 PM, chickenslegs said:

I'm pretty sure that you can apply early and up to nine months can be added to your 10 years. So no time lost.

 

Scratch that. I just found out that there was a change due to Brexit. No time added for an early application apparently.

Any idea how Thai Immigration treats extra months that were given on pre-Brexit passports? Not clear whether mine is valid until May 2023 (ten years after issue) or December 2023 (expiry date printed on the passport), or how those dates will affect retirement extension this October. 

Couple of questions regarding the O-A to O switch. 

1) What's the absolute minimum amount of time between killing off the old O-A with a border run (say 1st July), and completing the process of getting onto a Non O extension? Is the whole thing possible to complete in 2 months?

Money already in bank, immigration office is Chaengwattana.

2) On a land border run returning on a 30 day visa exempt entry, will an ongoing flight out within 30 days be needed as it would with an airline? 

On 5/13/2022 at 7:54 PM, dingdongrb said:

I still kick myself. I read about Bitcoin in 'Money' magazine back in the mid/late 90s and was going to call my broker (before the days of Internet trading) to buy $100 USD worth but never got around doing it. It was 25 cents then.....  damn!!!!

Bitcoin was really something before the days of Internet trading, they gave real coins back then as well...

6 minutes ago, doctormann said:

I was referring to the current situation.  I needed to pay for 44 years - but I did buy back about six years to make up a shortfall.  As Neeranam said, this is not expensive to do, although there used to be a limit on the number of buy back years.

 

There's still a six year limit, though until April 2023 an additional 10 back years can be bought going back to 2006-07. This is due to the legislation changes brought in 2016 requiring more years. 

18 hours ago, doctormann said:

I believe that you need 35 qualifying years in order to qualify for the full UK basic pension.  If you have less than 35 years you will be paid pro rata, according to the number of qualifying years that you have.  Looking at the numbers that you have quoted you currently have about 21 qualifying years so how many years before you reach retiring age?

 

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated#:~:text=You'll usually need at,10 and 35 qualifying years.

35 years only refers to those entering the system after 2016. This may be higher if contracted out of SERPS in the past and lower NI rates were paid. 

On 4/4/2022 at 5:15 AM, gp2002 said:

I guess this means another change to the entry requirements ????????????

On the upside, the XE variant will convert your currency on arrival. 

8 hours ago, Pique Dard said:

meanwhile,  i've yet to find my  monk name

Name of first pet + first street you lived in. Oh, hang on... 

On 2/5/2022 at 12:38 PM, webfact said:

...or sang the English words of a western song as the mondegreen “ai hia, ai naa, ai sat, son teen” (ask a Thai if you’re unsure of the meanings, but be careful…)

I've now got Bananarama as an earworm... 

She's viking lovely

45 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

I stopped working in the UK 25 years ago to work abroad, but kept up my national insurance class 3 voluntary contributions. so, when i eventually reach retirement age, i will qualify for a full state pension (on top of other pensions). for a uk citizen it's one of the best investments you can make, i'm amazed at the number of people who dont take advantage of it.

Agree - although class 2's are the real bargain if you can qualify, class 3 are still worth multiples more than the annuity rates you'd get on a private pension fund. 

On 1/19/2022 at 10:44 AM, webfact said:

Utah born Nate and his wife, Look Mee Wannabe Mee, or Mee spoke in Thai with their fans after Mee said a few words in English.

The Utah Mormon missionary Thai language school must be world class - that guy Ajarn Adam was trained there too.

Btw, Is Look Mee Wannabe Mee (or Mee) any relation to Mee Mee Mee Sexy Mee (only Mee)? 

On 12/14/2021 at 4:09 PM, Mamasun said:

My question was is there a change about the 400000/ 40000 ?

The increase to 3 million kicks in next September for O-A extensions. For your May 2022 extension insurance is still 400000 / 40000, but when you extend in May 2023 it will be the higher amount. 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Precise details as to what he was doing in a padlock were not given and the man's identity was spared.

Judging by this similar news report from four months ago it's likely due to the boredom of lockdown. 

https://www.todayonline.com/world/bored-thai-man-places-manhood-padlock-leaving-it-permanently-disfigured#:~:text=Twitter Email LinkedIn-,KUALA LUMPUR — A Thai man's private part has been left,into the lock%2C Ladbible reported.

Not sure when you're intending to travel, but could you get a short term loan from parents? With the London embassy money only needs to be showing in your account 30 days prior to application, I'd guess Germany is the same.