scorecard

"Residency is based upon how long a person has been a resident of Australia between the age of 16 and age pension age (currently 65 and moving to 67 in 2023) and the person does not have to be in paid employment within that period. " AWLR Australian Working Life Residency. This means if you have been in Australia (forget holidays) for 35 years from 16th birthday to the pension age (soon to be 67) then you qualify (on this point) for full OAP. An example: -Born in Australia -Achieves 16th birthday. -Then leaves australia to live or work in another country for say 40 years -Meaning returns to Aust. at 54 years old. - -The difference between 67 (the official retirement age) and the total above of 54 = 13. - 3 is way way under the requirement of 35 years resident IN australia to qualify for the OAP. -But I'm not sure whether in this case the person might be entitled to a 13/35 (about 37%) proportion of the full OAP on this point. Needs checking. Ten years relates to people who have officially migrated to Australia from certain countries. But this needs to be checked what original countries this applies to. Also if the person is entitled to some type of pension from their original country this must be declared and is taken into considration in determining the amount of $ benefit that person will get from the Aust. OAP. Keep in mind that Centrelink has always active links to the authorities in many countries and they can easily check if you might be entitled to a penion from another country.

Well said, the justices / justice processes must ensure there's full balance, laid doen processes are fully followed and fairness. In this case it doesn't mean the rump is innocent.

Yep, there's always those who have the 'nobody tells me what to do' attitude.

Seems to me he can't get overstay processed at any land border, can only be done at a major Thai international airport. He broke Thai law, he overstayed, which is serious in any country and subject to fines, blacklisting etc. every country. Now he needs to follow the appliable/specific Thai laws, must get the overstay processed at a Thai international airport.

Everybody knows things can change.

" 3 hours of bone shattering happiness". That's the big plus of traveling on the Japanese SHinkarnzen or Chinese fast trains etc. The ride is totally smooth, and comfortable too. All air conditioned, internet services and hours faster than previously on the ancient clickety / clack trains.

Seems to me they would be following their own regulations, somethink like 'Foreigners on overstay cannot leave the country without specific processing which must be done at a main airport'. Logical? Your in Thailand you have follow/respect Thai applicable laws. Same applies in any country including in your own home/birth country.

I went back and did the 2 years, I'll put the details in steps: - Day after arriving in Australia - Went to local Centrelink office and did the following: Proved my ID and got a CRN (Centrelink Reference Number) which became my OAP number. I took with me the fully complete Rental Agreement for the small apartment I had rented in a local War Veterans Village plus copies of Australian bank statements with address detail which is same as address shown on apartment rental agreement. Centrelink also requires that OAP applicants prove they have several utility bills in own name and showing same address as house or rented acccommodation). They ask for 2 plastic cards with an embedded photo. I was checking through my plastic cards and the C'link lady noticed my Thai driving license. I said 'but this is not issued in Australia!'. She giggled and said 'where it's issued is not importan as long as it has a clear photo and your full name in English. She typed the details into the 'Proof of ID panel' Accepted instantly. I had already (before leaving LOS) completed the OAP application form* and the Assets and Income statement. Before leaving LOS I had already got signed statements of what funds I had in several bank accounts in Thailand. Note if you have joint savingas accounts hese must be included in your OAP Assets and Income Statement. NOTE: The application form is very long/many questions, however if you're single you can skip 90+% of the questions which are about details of wife or divorce. All very mechanical. They accept approx. dates. All of the questions are easy to answer. The very pleasant and helpful Centrelink officer asked if she could take a look at my completed OAP application form* and the Assets and Income form. She looked seriously at my answers to every question then said 'your forms are ready to submit', She asked If I wanted her to submit the forms 'now'. I said yes, she added my new CRN then scanned the two documents into their big multi purpose machine in the office which meant that they had been submitted, and a confirmation number was instantly received from Centrelink Canberra. NOTES: The OAP application is NOT processed in any local C'link office, it's processed in Canberra and the processing is computerized. I went back to my local C'link office about 3 days later to apply for a Medicare replacement card (details later in this thread), The officer said she could check the progress of processing my OAP application, she checked and quickly said "it's proceeding quickly and there's no outstanding issues or problems". 2.5 weeks later I got a pleasant and polite call from a young man from C'link Canberra to inform me my OAP had been approved. He asked me to get some paper and pen and he carefully gave me the main details including how much my standard fortnightly OAP would be, how much rental assistance I would be receiving each fortnight and the amount of backpay I would be receiving back to the date I submitted the application. He also mentioned that I would receive a letter the next day with all these details, delivered by an express postal service (it was in my mailbox mid morning next day. And he mentioned that the payment of the backpay would be deposied into my bank account the next morning. It was, it appeared about 9.00 am. You are correct Portability is achieved when you have been back in Oz for 2 years (2 years from date of arrival in Oz, NOT 2 years from applying for the OAP). Your passport activity in/out, is automatically detailed into your C'link records. C'link has a live 24/7 link to Immigration (passport) records. About 10 days after I had completed the 2 years I called the Older Australian C'link line and politely asked 'Can you tell me If I am entitled to Portability' The polite lady said 'just one moment while I get that screen' She then confotmed I was entitled to portability from 10 days previosu. She asked If I had any questions re portability. I responded "I've done quite a bit of research on this and I think I know what to do". She said "OK, but don't hesitate to call back if you want to confim anything". She had already e.mailed me the link to the banking document I had to get signed/stamped in Thailand (local K Bank) and she slowly gave me the specific secure Services Australia e.mail address to forward the completed bank form to C'link. I did this the day after I arrived back in LOS. Two days later I got a polite phone call from the international banking section of Service Australia to carefully confirm my bank account name and number and the SWIFT code for K Bank. The young man checked some dates then said "it takes a litle bit of time to transfer you to the 4 weekly payment process, you will get your first 4 weekly transfer on xx/xx/xxxx". The deposit into my K bank did appear on that date about 9:30 am and since. (I use K Bank Internet banking, and I also get an e.mail from K Bank a few seconds after the deposit has been made. Also an SMS meaage with a loud 'ding'. Medicare - I had lost my plastic card years earlier. The local C'link asked me to search my documents, files, e.mails to see if I could find the old number. She explained Medicare try to prevent multiple member number for 1 person. I responded 'I've already done that'. C'link lady then hit the 'old number not found' button. One second later her printer activated, it was a letter to me from Medicare with my full details and a new Medicare number. The letter also mentioned 'you can use this Medicare number immediately, please show this letter if you have any medical services, until you get a new plastic card'. New Medicare plastic card arrived in my mailbox 4 days later. Don't believe the stores you'll read that Centrelink officers are rude, abrupt, unhelpful etc. Totally not true. Hope this helps...

'eletist'.... be fair, could have been a silly mistake.

Quite a few years back the then gov't decided to grant an 'add on' to the OAP because many OAP recipients were really struggling to survive. They created the OAP Supplement.

I have portability and I get the full OAP and supplement all transfarred every 4 weeks to my account at K Bank. I don't get the Energy Allowance and I don't get Rent Assistance.

must show, in any way, how important you are to build/maintain a better status level. My extended family lady boy is consumed with 'looking rich and important' / 'the family looking rich and impotant'. This extends as far as him making the plans for a massive Chinese style banquet when I die (I'm not sick). He's even told my son what money he wants to organize and pay for the banquet. Son has told him several times 'there's won't be any banquet and if theere's any 'event' he (son) will organize it'. Lady boy's pleading response 'but we must have a big banquet to show how rich the family is'. No banquet.

Works the other way around too. Our loud mouth mid aged overweight lady boy knows everything. He's adamant that the country immediately above Thailand is Germany. Showed him where Germany is on a good sized globe of the world and a good atlas, everything in Thai and English. He demands the globe and atlas maps are wrong. This all came about when he announced he was going to Germany to work as a massage boy (he's 47 years old and fat). His friend got some ticket prices, he inists the fares must be wrong because it's only 1.5 hr flight Bkk to Germany.

If they were banned this discussion would not be needed.

Transfer times are nowadays sometimes quite short. I did a special Covid- 19 flight Sydney to S'pore, trsfr at Changi then S'pore to Bkk. (Full service AUD620-) Scheduled transit time at Changi was 25 minutes. Team of ground staff at Changi waiting when the a/c door opened. All very well organized. Before landing several announcements and a printed handout that duty free shopping was not permitted on this transit and any purchases would not be allowed into the next cabin. Before landing purser checking all documents for the next leg of the flight. Cabin crew moving very quickly to get everything from o'head lockers and from seatback pockets, all ready to move quickly. Where needed a cabin crew member carried any loose items to the outside of the a/c and then, with passenger alongside them did hand over of cabin bag stuff and the passenger to a ground staff then quickly start moving to next gate. Three bigger size golf carts waiting, ground team quickly/politely getting older folks onto the golf carts and making them comfortable and quickly departing for next boarding gate. Other ground team members helping the rest of the passengers with cabin bags etc., quickly moving to next gate. Document check done smoothly as passengers were getting seated on next aircraft. Team of 2 waiting for me at a/c door on arrival with a wheelchair. All pllanned, I was in the w/chair within 15 seconds and started moving to next gate. As we were moving the 2nd ground staff was showing me my cabin bags and asking 'Is this everything?' On the next a/c within 5 minutes. Before door closed on second a/c a ground staff supvr came on board and politely announced he had done a check and confirmed that all check-in bags has been transferred and confirmed there had been a check of every seat/seatback pocket to ensure nothing left on the first a/c. A/c moved away just less than the 25 minutes scheduled time. Typical of S'pore airlines, all well planned and well executed. Full marks.

He said when first taking the PM chair he would elinmnate corruption. "In his address to mark International Anti-Corruption Day today, he said that corruption in the bureaucracy mainlyrelates to procurement projects, the selling of positions to the highest bidders, bribery and exploitation of legal loopholes." So why have these areas of corruption not been mentioned re specific actions to stop the corruption? Yawn.

Good question and I have no idea of what such places might charge on a 6 monthly package basis. I just asked the guy concerned, he says hopefully between 5,000 to 8,000 per month on a package basis, with contract for 6 months possibly extendable long-term. I have no idea if that's reasonable/possible. I hope it is, he needs to find something soon.

Asking for an old friend with small budget. Trying to find a long-term package rate at a 3 star hotel (3 star is flexible) or small apartment (also with package rate) preferable within 15/20 minute walking distance to CM night market (but this is flexible), maybe 6 months extendable package including: - Room, typical hotel room furniture, twice a week cleaning and linen change etc., electricity, internet, TV with some English channels, some laundry, perhaps breakfast... Any suggestions much appreciated, thanks.

One other point to mention, but maybe you already know this one: - There's many visas that also need exit/re-entry stamps, and these folks can get an exit/re-entry stamp at major airports at the same time they are actually departing Thailand. There's a specific desk for this usually within a few steps of the actual passport booths. - PR holders can't get an exit/re-entry stamp at an airport. It must be obtained at an Immigration office. E,g, Chang Wattana, Chiang Mai, Chonburi etc., before you go to the airport.

There's also: - PR holders, not required to ever report to Immigration or any gov't agency on any regular basis. - Lifetime Drivers License holders, not required to ever report to Land Transport Dept.

and carrots...

There is no requirement at all to renew it before the current exit/re-entry permit expires. Let's put this subject in a different light; there's no legal need to have an exit/re-entry stamp in your passport and PR book until you need it. Many PR holders (an example - those you travel infrequently) don't get the stamp, a single journey stamp, until just before they travel. That's how it's intended to work. This means there could a time period of years / many years with no exit/re-entry stamps in your books. No problem whatever - this won't raise any concerns with immigration because it's the way it's intended to work. The other possibility is that you travel out of Thailand and return many times every year (probably business trips - typically a foreigner who attends meetings/projects etc., regularly in many countries). For folks in this situation it's better to get a multiple entry stamp which covers an unlimited number an out/in trips for 12 months starting from the day the stamp is placed in your books. If you have a multiple entry stamp there's no need to advise immigration in advance for every trip. You use it any date you want but it expires after 12 months. So a question: when do I have to renew my multiple entry stamp if I wish to continue with another multiple entry stamp? Answer: Totally up to you: You can renew it any time before the currrent multiple entry stamp expires, but there is no requirement whatever to do this. You can renew it anytime in the future. Many PR holders in this situation just wait until the next out/in trip comes up and then go to an immigration office and get a new multiple entry stamp. Or perhaps they revert to single entry exit/re-entry stamps. The just wait period could be a few days or a few years. You can find many PR holders who haven't had an exit/re-entry stamp in their books for years/many years because they haevn't travelled, and that's all OK, no concern whatever. I had multiple entry stamps in my books for years. I'm now retired and I have no family whatever left in my birth country. There's a good chance I'll never ever again have a need to have an exit/re-entry stamp in my books. Hope this helps.

Maybe add: onions, potatoes, tomatoes, tenquar, ginger, watermelons, rockmelons, and chickens for eggs ...

I've heard of couriers who offer hand carry from office pick up in some US cities, then hand carry onto first available departing aircraft (regardless of airline name), hand carry during the flight, on arrival same live person transported urgently to hand over envelope to the receiver. Very expensive of course because it includes a return airfare for 'the hand carrier'. Not sure if such services still operate.

Supposed quotes from the bible abound. Many have also been proven to not exist or to be misinterpreted or totally twisted/untruthful. I totally/eventually gave up on the bible through a different event. I was conscripted and went to the Vietnam war. First up 3 months rookie training. About half way through rookie trg we had the first lecture from the camp chaplain (Church of England). He started with words about 'I am your friend' and 'you can ask me anything you want' which he repeated again and again. Thirty minutes later he asked for questions and again 'you can ask me anything'. A couple of questions then I put up my hand and stand to attention. He told me to ask my question. I said 'I'm confused sir about where the bible came from'. His reaction was abuse, 'how dare you ask such a rude question' and he called the 2 training sgts to come into the room. They marched me to the CO's office and I was given extra mess cleaning duties for the rest of my time at that camp. A different aspect; every time we were outside for a few hours or days suddenly a small jeep would appear with a big urn of hot tea and big trays of fresh sandwiches. This was the Salvation Army at work. The Salvos guys never tried to conduct prayer meetings or similar, they did quietly ask if anbody needs left to write a quick letter home. Often enough there was and he would quickly take the young soldier a few meteres away and sit together on folding chairs. Five minutes later all done, envelope addressed and in the pocket of the salvos guy to take it to the camp post office. In Vietnam exactly the same thing but less frequent because many time we were too close to critical situations and too dangerous for activities like this. I still don't really know where the bible comes from.