Pattaya57

Pointless thread as same tax rules apply for Elite Visa as non-imm O, Tourist Visa and even Visa exempt entry. Bring in savings from pre-2024 and no tax!

It is what it is. At least it's aircon with plenty of seats and they give free cold water so not really a problem

Read the OP? Elite Visa holders got the Memo

Had to google what the hell a High Tea was and why would an Aussie want to do it? "High tea is a working-class meal eaten around five o'clock onwards, usually consisting of a hearty meal and a pot of tea. In the United Kingdom, high teas are a tradition that dates back to the late 19th century. High tea, was traditionally served 'High', meaning at a high table with high back chairs. It was typically a substantial meal of meat or fish, bread, vegetables, and tea to drink, and it would feed the gentlemen and women who had been at work all day." "Today, we know this as ‘dinner’ or ‘supper’. Some of us still refer to this meal as ‘tea’ but the ‘high’ tradition has faded over the years." So I guess that's why we call Dinner 'Tea' in Australia

No you don't. Jomtien has a huge sign on the 90 day desk saying "One Hour". I did mine on Monday and they were pretty spot on as mine took 55 minutes

Must have been a rich 20 year old as it's 23,000 baht a night on booking .com

And it continues, $A is at the lowest vs the Baht since November 2020, so an almost 4 year low. On the streets of Pattaya it's 21.98 today 😞

You seem to think to be considered to reside in Australia you have to live in Australia 100% of the time. I just explained that my Bupa allowed me to suspend my account for 2-4 months at a time because I was often in Thailand and they allowed me to do that for up to 2 years total suspension. Why would I need to call them just because you think it's not possible?

There was 2 months minimum and no maximum other than a maximum cumulative total of 2 years suspended. I was retired so didn't care about the medicare surcharge as it didn't apply. I did my suspensions in 2-4 month blocks

I had Bupa for many years and everytime I came to Thailand they allowed me to suspend the account thus not having to pay (minimum of 2 months). If they didn't allow people that spent a considerable time out of Australia in the fund then why were they allowing me whereby I only had to pay when I got back to Australia

I don't think it should be abolished but with Super now being mandated at 11% of income it'll only be a matter of time before Super excludes people through the Assets and/or Income tests (which was the whole point of introducing Super in the first place)

If your tourist visa is expiring on 15 October you can request a 30 day extension using a TM7 form a couple of weeks before. Costs 1900 baht

My medicare card expired when I was overseas 9 years. They re-issued it with same number. I believe the last number on the card is the number of card issues wth that number. Mine is currently 7

Why do you not go see a dentist in Australia as you're not in Pattaya. Are you going to wait 6 months until your next trip?

It depends on where he's flying out of and which airline (I'll let the onward ticket experts comment). I suggest he applies for a non-imm O Retirement visa in his home country. The application only requires you to enter a flight in and out within the 90 days but you don't need to show an actual ticket. Arriving with a non-imm O means he can immediately apply for a bank account to deposit his 800k baht. If he arrives on visa exempt he likely can't open a bank account without paying an agent to do it (about 4500 baht) Once his 800k baht is in his bank account for 2 months he can apply for the 12 month extension of stay for 1900 baht.

I'm doing just fine out of the discussion thank you 😀 The last reply also gave me the definition of resident in regards to OAP (2) Australian resident is a person who: (a) resides in Australia; and (b) is one of the following: (i) an Australian citizen Regardless of how long I spent in Thailand I have 6 years of car rego and continuous electricity account at my apartment. The Elec bill is a primary document for proving a residence address for those 6 years (still only gets me to 33 years residence but that's ok)

But what does 'lived in Australia' really mean? I maintained a home in Australia where 'I lived' for 4-5 months a year since 2018. Where does it say you must have lived a full year in Australia for that year to qualify as a year in the 35? I don't mean to be difficult but I just can't see how a year doesn't count when my home, car and personal effects are all in Australia and I lived there partially during the year (unlike your example of it's like counting 10 years living in Thailand as you had no home in Australia)

I look at the gym in my condo block sometimes when walking by the pool...

Just to be clear, I'm only talking about these 6 years counting in the 35 years for application for OAP. I do not believe Centrelink will ask how many months a year did I spend out of Australia 'on holiday' during the 6 previous years to determine how many of those should count towards the 35 years. To me it's clear that all 6 years count as I was an Aussie citizen and tax resident that just happened to do a lot of holidays in retirement? Are Centrelink going to deduct all overseas holidays during ages 16 to 67, of course not. (It's only an issue because I spent 16 years working overseas that clearly don't count in the 35)

So basically you post on a forum to say don't waste your time posting on a forum 😉

Why, I'm an Australian citizen maintaining a property in Australia and I've been accepted by the ATO as an Australian resident for tax purposes those 6 years. Centrelink can't be counting my holidays away to overrule the ATO saying those years don't count as an Australian resident. Or if you disagree based on must work 35 years that is simply not true. My mother stopped working when she was 25 with 4 kids to bring up and she got the full pension after only working 8 years of her life.

I've read several posts where people think the 35 year rule is 35 years working. My understanding is that you have to be an Australian resident for 35 years between the ages of 16 and 67 to get the full pension and it has nothing to do with if you work or not. Like the poster you're responding to, I've been spending at least 7-9 months per year in Thailand since I retired in 2018. I kept my Unit that I left empty while away those 6 years and the whole time I have been an Australian resident for tax. I consider those 6 years count in the 35 years, regardless that I basically lived in Thailand. Have I got that wrong?

Just some fancy worded PR to give the Elite Visa members some hope that they didn't entirely waste their millions of baht when they could have just got a DTV for 10,000 baht instead 😀

ETA was supposed to roll out December, it's now been postponed with no new date given

What a weird thread. Opening post about buses and then the rest of posts about wifi packages 😆