Gazza0308

Thank you for your reply

So i came back to Australia to apply for my pension. I was told i could not leave the country for 2 years, as i had been out of Australia for some years and i had to proove i was an Austrlian. After 1 year i had a major stroke, then covid came along and after the 2 years i am still stuck here. I havent seen my wife, stepson and my now 3 year old son for over 2 years only on messenger and i want to see them in real. When will these borders open up for international travel?

I agree with most people here saying why go to Bangkok or Phuket.

Chiang Mai, Kanchaburi(death railway), Buriram(temples), HuaHin (national park), Rayong(beaches) there are many other cities and provinces far better than Phuket or Bangkok. Google your internet for places to see in Thailand.  But yes be cafeful of scammers, taxis, tuktuks and your self preservation. Take care.

Hi everyone.........,just a refresher.....i was retired in thailand for 8 years. January this year i could apply for my pension, but i had to be in australia to do so.

So i came back to australia to apply for my pension. I was told that because i had been out of the country for 8 years i had to proove i was going to stay in australia. The length of time i had to stay here was 2 years.

My wife and baby are back in thailand. So yesterday i was told here that maybe i can waiver the 2 years at this government department from tasmania. I called them today.......it is centerlink international.

The guy told me after i explained to him about my baby and wife back there, that yes i had to be here for 2 years. But i can go back to thailand every 3 or 4 months only for 2 or 3 weeks. While i am there for the 2 or 3 weeks i will not get my pension for that time.

After the 2 years then yes i can go back there and take my pension with me.

This is a f.........g stupid rule as i had worked in australia for 50 years and paid all my taxes.

Anywayjust to let anyone else going to apply for their pension after living in thailand for a long time.......dont expect too much you are not a resident

2 hours ago, lujanit said:

You have to do a 2 year continuous time in Oz (they may let you out for short periods).  This time can be either just before you are granted or after you apply.  In my case it was after I arrived back in Australia.

 

The amount of pension is dependent on how many months you spent in Oz after age 16.  Memory says it is 420 months or greater to qualify for the full pension.  Be very careful if they say you don't qualify for the full pension due to having spent too much time out of the country,

 

Centrelink stuffed this up on me saying I was away for too long.  Yet there is a rule that you have to be out of the country continuously for a large amount of time (I don't recall the exact time but it is years, maybe 8 or 10).  If you have come back within that time the clock resets to zero.

 

In my case Centrelink said I wasn't eligible for the full pension.  I appealed and it went to a specialised officer who determined I was eligible for the full pension.

 

As a side note the amount of pension you receive in Oz is not the same as you receive overseas.  They deduct certain in country allowances.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Thank you Lujanit.....

6 hours ago, giddyup said:

If you have lived in Thailand for 8 years will the pension be portable or do you have to do the 2 year stint in Oz?

As far as i unnderstand what they told me at centerlink i have to do the 2 years, but i can go out of the country for a short vacation. Yes i will be calling them or going to centerlink office next week.....i will give them 2 weeks to eee if anything has been done

Hi everyone......Gazza from Buriram here.

I had posted before that i was going back to Australia to apply for my pension. But i had read here before going there were many problems at Don Muaeng and Air Asia.

So now i am back in australia i can report my experience. Firstly i had heard that there would be many people at the airport and air asia would take long waiting for check ins.

I checked online 8 days before leaving through my home computor. I had no problems and i printed out the tempory boarding pass they give you. I got to the airport 3 hours before my flight and even i just had carry on luggage i checked in to get my boarding pass.....no problems again. There were 2 sides to air asia check in counters....and i dont know why....1 side had many people....so i went to the other side....i had my boarding pass in about 4 minutes aftrr waiting for some other passengers. At the plane on time, the plane left 20 minutes late but arrived in kuala lumpar 5 minutes early. There i had 10 hour wait so macdonalds took much of my money. The plane from kuala lumpar to the Gold coast in australia was on time. The gGold Coast customs was a mess.....only 4 people working for my plane which was full......so it took about 40 minutes to get out of there.

So now in australia.... after living in thailand for 8 years....my brother took me to centerlink on our way......the lady there updated all my records and told me i could apply for my pension online. So the nect day i opened my gov account linked centerlink and filled out my pension online. Once i subbmitted the application online i received an email from centerlink saying my application was being processed and available 1st of March. Long time to wait....so i will go back to the centerlink office next week to see if i can get pension sooner.

Si i just wanted to inform you that for me i had a worry free trip back home....,hope others can have the same

How can you take this problem serious when no other problems in the country are taken serious

Sanamax, yes a guy here was telling me he uses his brothers address in OZ withdraws from his Oz bank in thailand and goes back to Oz every 2 years for a holiday

Thanks Brittim, yes i think best to just get tousist visa each time. I will ask the gov dept how many times i can go out of australia and for how many weeks without it affecting my pension

Thanks Ojas. Yes i was thinking when i come back here for holiday just to get a tourist visa. I dont know how other guys can stay here for a long time and still get their pension. The government department in australia for pensions told me if i leave australia for long period i will lose the pension

Need some advise.......i will be leaving thailand on the 9th january. My 90 days reporting is due on the 9th and my retirement visa expires on the 10th. I will be back in australia on the 10th. I am going back to apply for my pension, i have to be a resident there for 2 years but can go on holiday for a short time. Question willl i need re entry application or can i just get a tourist stamp at airport when i come back to thailand. My retirement visa will be useless for 2 years.

Thank you Kkerry.......i dont know if i am alowed outside the airport....maybe not

So can someone tell me please.......does Air Asia have a checkin desk.... i am flying out 9th january at 7am......i was going to get to Don Mueang betweem 4.30 and 5am.....i had called air asia after i booked and the girl told me that checkin closes 1 hour before the flight leaves.

Do i have to check in through the machine first?

This is my first time using air asia....i dont want to miss my flight

Thank you both Dave and Paul

Merry Xmas everyone.....Gary from Nong Ki here....i am traveling back to Australia and have 10 hour stop over in Kuala Lumpar...does anyone know if they have free wifi lounge or room?

Hi everyone, i am going back to Australia to apply for my pension. My flight is 9th January at 7am. My reporting 90 days also is 9th January. Do i still have to report?. My retirement visa expires 10th January so because i have to be a resident in Australia for 2 years i do not need retirement visa now. I can come back to thailand for holiday during the 2 years so is it better for me to just get tourist visa when i come for holiday?

Has anyone had dealings with BB Smart Car 1 in Bangkok?

Are they ok?

Are their cars ok?

Maybe they just been washed and hung out to dry

Now its news the owner will never come back for them

I just ask why they not put a 80 or 90kmp govener on all minivans?

This would stop the speed.

Maybe also they have a log book and have to check in at every weigh station