4MyEgo

Money/assets stay in Oz. Assets one could say could be transferred to family members with caveats ????

It was originally for the less fortunate, the ones who ended up with pretty much nothing, then they brought in super to take the burden off the government, but it is still welfare, and if you qualify under the assets and income test, then as you say, complete those applications, and are approved, your all and good. I have a mate who is spewing that his 82 year old dad isn't getting it. I said, his principal place of residence i.e. exempt (worth about 2 mil), his investment property is over the single pensioners asset threshold of about $308,000 as it's worth around $800,000 and his income is about $800 per week which is over the income threshold of $204 per fortnight, so he misses out. He could sell his house and move into his investment property I said, i.e. if he is struggling to survive on say $500 from his investment property after say $300 in deductions, (being overly generous). In this scenario I would say the government got it right, there has to be thresholds on assets and income, and if your smart enough and play the game right, you can qualify, which to me suggests he wasn't smart enough to unload his property (worth 2 mil) to his kids with a caveat equal to that value and move into his investment property, or the other way around, meaning he doesn't own an investment, the kids collect the rent for him, and if the kids tried to sell it, he would get his money paid to him via the caveat. Just saying.

This won't change unfortunately because the savings to the government is a lot. If they do change anything, it might be portability, so careful what you wish for, hopefully not before our time. It is, what it is and those of us with families will suffer equally, perhaps even more than the single lads here. At the end of the day, yes it sucks, but it is what it is, so we take it on the chin, plan it out well and get it over and done with. The way I look at it is, it's on the table vs it's not, so let's do this, time flies anyways and I will have the family come over once a year during school holidays for 8 weeks and I will come to Thailand for 2-4 weeks (annual leave, working it out to be 6 months apart at each point for those 2 years, if work permits it and it's within my budget, I could also come back after 3 months for a week or two. Just got to get over the line, that said, I am better off than most, but that 50k baht a month is something of a sweetener to be had.

I don't believe so as I have 2 degrees and the industry I was in was always on the look out for people with my experience, e.g. I was constantly head hunted. The above said, I wouldn't want, let me rephrase that, I won't be going back into it as I will be looking for a stress free job, afternoon or graveyard shift would suit me, although mornings don't bother me as I am a early riser. Who knows, packing shelves for Woolworth's or Coles might be the go, or even a driver of some kind, not taxi's, been there, done that while I was doing my degrees. Naturally I will secure something before I return.

I moved here in my mid 50's eight years ago, I split my money into 3 banks as the government guarantee is limited to $250k per bank. I am a non resident for tax purposes and have the 10% withholding tax paid by the banks on interest earned paid direct to the taxman. I have a stack of shares and do not pay tax on dividends as the tax is already paid on them and some shares that I do sell, do not pay any capital gains tax on. Make sure you move the bulk of your money if you are going to claim the pension (outside of your super) as there is an asset threshold, a Deeming Rate and a 2 year jail term. The above has worked for me the past 8 years, e.g. has cost me nothing to live here, and I live a good quality life, as for capital appreciation, well, I be telling lies if I said it was good, but I am content with what I have, it's more so lifestyle and a stress free life that I was looking for and obtained, earning a decent tax free life. The above said, my assets remain in Oz, period !

Are you serious, those were the best years of my life ???? You should be dancing.....LOL

I thought about it at age 63, then the cost outweighed the thought. Dentures would be the way to go, i.e. unless your looking to impress the ladies ????

Governments reneging on promises, who would have thought ?

I found it, you are correct, you are entitled to a supplement of around $707.20 per year. In this link there is a lot of good reading, scroll down to Pension rates while outside Australia https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/payment-schedule-and-rates-for-people-outside-australia?context=22321 We learn something everyday, I even learned that the Deeming rate will still apply to me when I return to Thailand, currently non taxable. When the time comes I will be entitled to earn $5,304 while overseas before they start to cut my pension down, but it will be like $1,361 per year from what I have worked out, previously not knowing about the supplement that is payable, that $707.20 will pretty much sort it to about $600 per year. I might even reduce what I have even further so as to make it a break even event by the time I claim the pension.

From Scorecards link in the above post that would come to as I was saying 50,000 baht per month. 1,096.00 Australian Dollars = 25,030.013 Thai Baht 1 AUD = 22.8376 THB

Thanks and likewise. Looks like I will have to bit the bullet and work, earning a minimum of $30 per hour 40 hours a week to give me a grand in the hand to go towards rent, say half that and the balance to survive on.

I'll look into this in a couple of hours as I have to pick up the kids and post later as I am also curious if what I read was correct, and might give us a clearer picture.

Because I was confused about the supplement still being paid, thinking it drops off after 26 weeks, i.e. the Energy allowance plus the supplement.

Then I learn something everyday, that said, I am pretty sure I read that the supplement and energy stops after 26 weeks away from Oz, just watch out because if I did read correctly, that will be a lot of backpay to them. I hope I read wrong, mums the word.

You really don't understand law do you, that said you have to know how to play the game, and that you can't do, suffice to say, too bad you can't afford to go back and get the 50,000 baht a month, not 40,000 Sam.

How is saying that I am separated fraud, I live in Australia and she lives in Thailand, that means that we are separated. Your not the brightest tool in the shed are you ? Nothing is overlooked, believe what you like.

Um, I had passport photos done for 150 baht, Embassy emailed me and said cannot accept as they had been photoshopped unbeknown to me. Did I go back, nope, but never will, suffice to say went across the road and got some done for 200 baht. Because the 1st shop failed to deliver to me what I wanted, i.e. passport photos, they will never get my business again, and when the wife and children are due for their passports next year, it will be across the road. Was I pi$$ed off that I did the 150 baht, yes, but I couldn't return the photos as 2 had gone in with the passport renewal application to the embassy. Moral of the story, remember where you are and smile as they do.

I believe after 26 weeks, both drop off and you only receive the OAP.

What are you on about, I was married in Oz, not in Thailand, not that that matters, but Centrelink will accept separation as well as divorced. Hence the reason I am transferring to the retirement extension from the marriage extension, this will be done 4 years prior which shows that the separation occurred 4 years prior to the OAP age. I overlook nothing because I am a planner, not a negative person with a big ego who thinks he knows everything. You say you know more, but in my opinion, you know nothing because you do not contribute, you say you couldn't be bothered, then why even be here ?

Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more jeal·ous·y /ˈjeləsē/ noun the state or feeling of being jealous. "a sharp pang of jealousy"

The married rate if your wife is under the pension age is half of the married rate, currently $802 which is half of the full rate for a couple. If your marriage isn't recorded, just be careful what extension (visa) your on, I am transferring onto the retirement extension (visa) when I am due for an extension at the end of the year as I will be telling them that is when I separated, not getting divorced as that costs $1,000AUS if you do it yourself, so why throw the money away. Yes will miss the Mrs, but a week back to Thailand every 6 months will help, you can also get her to fly over for a week or more every 3 months if he has Citizenship, but mine can't as we kids in high school, so I have to come over during the holidays, but can also get them to come over for 8 weeks during the big school break during March/April/May, however the airfares will cost, but won't break the bank, so that is an option, as accommodation will already paid for (rent).

Knowledge is power as the old saying goes, and reading gives you that. That is my take on it, albeit it the absent period is not enshrined, but I would suggest 4 weeks, similar to annual leave would be more than enough, remembering that they can stop the pension during that absence, which is more than likely, however the absence period is not added to the jail term.

49,351.50 baht as of 20 September 2023 if applying a rate of 22.50 to the $. The full rate paid to a single pensioner will go up from $1,064 to $1,096.70

I have far more than that, however being as smart as I am have moved my money before the 5 year period and left enough to show that I have just under the threshold which will go further down as I approach pension age, i.e. in 4 years. The 50,000 baht that I will receive per month will be subject to the deeming rate and be reduce while I am living in Australia, however when I return to Thailand there won't be any deeming because my assets are not taxable as a non resident, go figure that one out. Never assume everyone is broke who is returning to get the pension, the way I look at it is 50,000 baht a month is 50,000 baht a month, better out of the governments pocket than mine.

Marriage to me is a contract, that said, when I met my Mrs, I told her how I felt about her and how the world was my oyster, that said, I wanted her to be my main partner in marriage, however, I knew myself as a human being who had urges to sleep with other women, and if she was ok with me having the odd one here and there, then we could move forward, 17 years later, still going strong and enjoying my cakes every now and again. That said, if she wanted to have an occasional one, I'm ok with it, I am not insecure that she will fall in love with a side kick, and if she does, well, life goes on as we don't have control over everything. I know she doesn't have any desire for a side dish, because that is how she is, in fantasy, yes, but not in reality whereas I live my fantasies in reality, one life, might as well enjoy it as long as your not hurting anyone and your partner is in agreeance with you from the start, simple really, although 90% of women won't be up for it, and that's ok, find one, that is, if you want what I want. Each to their own, besides I believe it's healthy for the relationship, and no other that I have been with is as good as my Mrs, however, one has to try that piece of cake to fulfil that desire, and no one won't get fat if he only has a piece here and there. Just think for a minute how many relationships go down the drain because of "cheating" as opposed to being upfront, marriages were made to fail in that department because guys/women know they have desires and if they could be upfront about it and keep it under control, then all good, some don't want to experience their desires with a side dish and that's ok, but the ones that do and get caught out without being upfront at the beginning of the relationship in fear that it wouldn't go any further, suffer later through divorce and there you have "cheating".