Aussie53

Well in the land of Oz we get 12 demerit points . If you lose points they are given back after two years. 

so for speeding from 1 to 13 over the speed limit you lose one point and pay a fine. from 13 to 30 you lose 3 points.

 30 over the limit you lose your license there and then.  points deducted for all types traffic offences plus fines.  

If you lose all 12 you lose your license for 12 months.  drink driving or on drugs is more serious 

Governments and medical experts all over the Globe have been advising us for months.  1. Social distancing  2. washing hands regulary with soap  3. sanitizing surfaces . is the simplest and most effective way of containing this virus until a vaccine is found.  Countries with high numbers of cases either dont enforce these rules or were late to start.  in the end its up to individuals and communities to all play their part. it only takes a few to stuff it up for everyone else. Dont blame authorities for the ignorance of the few.

Australia..   over 5000 cases . 24 deaths  ..   is slowing/...  why... 1)  social distancing .. no more than 2 people in groups. Stay 2 meteres apart everywhere . 2) Wash with soap regulary 3)  test test test .. test hotspots. 

50% cases from overseas travellers . All overseas travellers isolated in hotels and police enforced. 

Only takeaway food available plus supermarkets. 

Huge fines for disobeying

19 hours ago, AussieBob18 said:

Last first - yes they deliberately provide vaque information that is not too specific, because each claim/case is assessed based on its own merits, because everyone has different circumstances.  That is the official reason - but the real reason is so that they can minimise your payments and/or reject your claim.  Unlike the ATO who provide legal and binding information (to all people) and have official sanctioned/qualified advisers (accountants etc.), CLink will not give definitive information - either over phone, in writing, or on via their web site. CLink advice is always informal - you have to lodge a claim - then you get definitive advice.  So therefore my advice is the same as any official qualified CLink adviser - and there is none ????

 

1.  The proceeds from selling your house in Australia do not affect your income or asset amounts, which as you should know determine how much pension you are entitled to receive, if you commit to CLink that you are going to purchase a new home and you do that within 12 months.  BUT - does this apply if you are going to be purchasing a 'main residence' overseas - I do not know and have never got an answer - several phone calls - lots of web searches. 

 

1A - The amount of pension you get is determined by your assets and income.  If you own a home the assets limit is $XXX AUD and if you dont own a home the assets limit is $YYY AUD.  Many assets that are not your home are considered to be a 'financial asset' and they are 'deemed' - CLink determines an arbitrary rate of interest and that amount is added to your annual income.  My read of all the possible scenarios is that you want to have a lot more assets than you do income - it is much easier to go over the income limits if the $value of your home becomes a financial asset than it is to go over the assets limits for that same amoutn of $value - for most people.   

 

2. Yes - if you get married and advise CLink then you will be paid at the married rate.  Most Expats overseas dont 'officially' get married (via Embassy) for that reason, and because any relationship in Thailand is not official unless you do officially get married. Most Expats stay single as far as their advice to CLink and they dont say they are living with anyone long term either.  But if they do live with sdomeone and get 'caught' they plead ignorance and say they thought because it was not a marriage as it is not legal in Thaland (unlike in Aust). 

 

If you have been living in Australia for 10 years prior to getting pension you can take it overseas - you should call CLink before you leave to make sure you have 'portability' (before you even buy a ticket etc) - but dont tell them you are going to do it - say you are thinking about it in a few years and would like to know.

 

You will get 100% of age pension (minus a few small items) when overseas if you have been in Aust for 35+ years prior to applying - lesser amounts down to 10/35 for 10 yrs - nil if less than 10 years if you go overseas. If you tell CLink that you are going and never coming back, they will immediately reduce the payment to wehatever percentage based on the number of years in country, and also remove some small payments (electricity bonus etc.).  If you say you are going and probably coming back after 3-6 months (you dont know), they will automatically reduce it after 26 weeks if you are still overseas - best to tell them if you have decided to stay after about 5 months - especially if you were living in Australia for less than 35 years.

 

Thanks all for your input. 

So pension portability is ok,  less afew small extras

If i sell my family home in Australia it is exempted from asset calculation for 12 months. 

If i buy a family home in thailand , is it exempted from asset calculation. I will ask clink. 

My only concern is if Clink cancel the pension after I sell up in Australia,.. I will need to return to Australia to reapply and remain in Australia for 2 years to get portability again.

Difficult if I sell up everything. 

Thanks all for your input  

New here so here goes. This is for any Aussie pensioners to answer. 

I undersand the Aussie Age pension is transportable. And you lose some entitlements if you go overseas. 

1. if you sell your family home in Aus, ( which is not included in the assets test ) and want to buy a new home in thailand.

    Does the proceeds affect the pension amount before you buy a new home in thailand. how is it calculated.

2. If you marry overseas , does this affect the pension.

My shout if you give correct info. 

Aus. Gov does not provide clear guidelines 

On 3/5/2020 at 10:36 PM, ozz1 said:

Us Aussies  on the pension have seen our income loose 30 percent on exchange rates but I've been here for long enough to realize you can get by just I don't go out as much as I'm married to a thai and she works she doesn't get much but we are happy and get by try living back in Australia on the pension then you will see how good you have it here with all it's faults it's still a great place to live that's my opinion anyway

hey Ozz, im new here and about to take the step of living in Thailand.. with a thai wife eventually. Can you give me a heads up on the pension from Aus and how it works and calculated in thailand.  What you need to report etc,,  Cheers