UK State Pension: changing from UK bank account to Thai bank account

[exfatriate]

I already claim a UK State Pension. At the moment it is paid into a UK bank. As I am now permanently (i.e. "permanently") resident in Thailand I want it paid direct into my Thai bank account. I can find nothing on-line to help me do this. I have sent an enquiry to International Pensions at gov.uk but they're taking their time.

 

- Yes, I do want to do this. I have no intention of ever moving back to the UK (couldn't afford it, couldn't take my wife, and I'm happy here).

- My UK bank has always been a pain the a*** to deal with. I'll be very happy to close the account (I only use it as a conduit for my pension).

- I would appreciate practical help, with links to the correct form or whatever I need to do this.

 

If you can help with practical advice, I'll be very grateful.

[transam]

Look up UK pensions then find living abroad, or even phone them.

They will send you a form to fill in at your Thai address, just fill it in and send it back....????

[brianburi]

As Transam writes, best to call them.  When you give them your NI number they will know all about you.  I used the AIS number  00500 and was quite cheap, about 25 mins call time .  After 10am UK time seems best and maybe not on Mondays....  I was just in a call queue for a few mins too.

I spoke to them about my pension payments here.  Now going to Bangkok Bank wef: 1 Sep.

[scubascuba3]

23 minutes ago, brianburi said:

As Transam writes, best to call them.  When you give them your NI number they will know all about you.  I used the AIS number  00500 and was quite cheap, about 25 mins call time .  After 10am UK time seems best and maybe not on Mondays....  I was just in a call queue for a few mins too.

I spoke to them about my pension payments here.  Now going to Bangkok Bank wef: 1 Sep.

Not bad, depends how long the wait and call is. Skype is 2p a min to UK landline

[brianburi]

I tried to buy some Skype  credit minutes here using my Bangkok Bank Mastercard which I have registered on Google Pay.  The transaction went through at first but was sent back to my Bangkok bank account a few days later.. I never followed it up but would be interested how it is done....

[scubascuba3]

50 minutes ago, brianburi said:

I tried to buy some Skype  credit minutes here using my Bangkok Bank Mastercard which I have registered on Google Pay.  The transaction went through at first but was sent back to my Bangkok bank account a few days later.. I never followed it up but would be interested how it is done....

Not sure why that happened, Skype take it out of the card linked to googleplay, maybe try another card. I use Halifax Clarity mastercard

[cooked]

I mucked about on the UK pensions website until I found the form for changing bank account. Printed it and sent it off by registered mail. Worked seamlessly.

[exfatriate]

"I mucked about on the UK pensions website until I found the form for changing bank account. Printed it and sent it off by registered mail. Worked seamlessly."

 

- Can you give me a clue where you found it? I've mucked about with no luck.

[exfatriate]

This is the phone number given on the gov.uk site:

 

Telephone: +44 (0) 191 218 7777

 

- all I get is "number incomplete" or "number does not exist"

 

Could someone please talk a stupid old man through the process? Thank you.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, exfatriate said:

This is the phone number given on the gov.uk site:

 

Telephone: +44 (0) 191 218 7777

 

- all I get is "number incomplete" or "number does not exist"

 

Could someone please talk a stupid old man through the process? Thank you.

you call using +44 191 218 777 remove the 0

[transam]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

you call using +44 191 218 777 remove the 0

It is +44 191 218 7777....open 8am till 5pm... Mon-Fri....

[exfatriate]

1 hour ago, transam said:

It is +44 191 218 7777....open 8am till 5pm... Mon-Fri....

Thank you for your patience! Now it's my turn ... "please hold ..."

[exfatriate]

Thanks for your help! Got through (eventually) to a very nice guy who was efficient and a pleasure to deal with. All done in ten minutes. What a change from my soon-to-be-ex bank, who go out of their way to make every transaction a stressful ordeal.

[scubascuba3]

11 minutes ago, exfatriate said:

Thanks for your help! Got through (eventually) to a very nice guy who was efficient and a pleasure to deal with. All done in ten minutes. What a change from my soon-to-be-ex bank, who go out of their way to make every transaction a stressful ordeal.

That's good, hopefully you already know you won't get the yearly inflationary uplift

[hotandsticky]

58 minutes ago, exfatriate said:

Thanks for your help! Got through (eventually) to a very nice guy who was efficient and a pleasure to deal with. All done in ten minutes. What a change from my soon-to-be-ex bank, who go out of their way to make every transaction a stressful ordeal.

 

Good luck with paying for your next UK passport renewal.

 

Never give up a home country bank account is my advice. 

Edited July 28, 2022 by hotandsticky

[MrMuddle]

15 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Good luck with paying for your next UK passport renewal.

Easily sorted, use an agent and they pay the fee for you, cost included in the service. Worked fine for me I used Key Visa Company, Pattaya. Great service from Mr McGarry & his staff.

[hotandsticky]

12 minutes ago, MrMuddle said:

Easily sorted, use an agent and they pay the fee for you, cost included in the service. Worked fine for me I used Key Visa Company, Pattaya. Great service from Mr McGarry & his staff.

1. Unusual, they normally charge a fee for using their card.

 

2. He may wish to apply in person and save 5K

Edited July 28, 2022 by hotandsticky

[transam]

13 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Good luck with paying for your next UK passport renewal.

 

Never give up a home country bank account is my advice. 

Just renewing my UK PP, didn't need a UK bank account....????

 

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Just renewing my UK PP, didn't need a UK bank account....????

 

True ...  if you have an acceptable card to make payment. (or someone to do it for you).

[cooked]

On 7/28/2022 at 2:22 PM, exfatriate said:

"I mucked about on the UK pensions website until I found the form for changing bank account. Printed it and sent it off by registered mail. Worked seamlessly."

 

- Can you give me a clue where you found it? I've mucked about with no luck.

Sorry, that was a few years ago. 

[OJAS]

On 7/28/2022 at 7:46 PM, hotandsticky said:

Never give up a home country bank account is my advice. 

Agreed - although there isn't a lot you can do, of course, if your home country bank forces you to give up your account by closing it!

 

[hotandsticky]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

Agreed - although there isn't a lot you can do, of course, if your home country bank forces you to give up your account by closing it!

 

 

True.

 

Wise would be the backup for that.

[exfatriate]

Thanks again for all the advice.

I'm not concerned about paying for my new passport just yet. Take it as it comes.

And as I have zero intention to return to the UK, and haven't lived there for over thirty years, and have no family ties, all I need is to get my pension and passport.

 

Things my UK bank has done:

 

- Lost 5000 GBP in a botched transfer to my Thai account. Eventually, after weeks and weeks of getting nowhere (I got the impression I was just a nuisance to them), I wrote a script and read it to everyone who answered the phone until I got to someone who could actually do something. The script was this:

 

"I am legally required to tell you that this call is being recorded and may be used in legal action against [bank]. If you assume responsibility for dealing with this matter, I require your full name and position. If you are not willing or qualified to continue on that basis, please connect me immediately with your superior."

 

I wish I'd thought of that before, but it worked. They even credited me with about nine GBP compensation for the phone call.

 

- Refused to send me a visa card because I live in Thailand, after two months of insisting it had been sent.

 

- Made on-line transactions next to impossible as my chosen browsers are not accepted (four major browsers cannot get through to the international payments pane - only Safari on an old MacBook works).

 

- My bank manager threatened me with showing my account details to the Inland Revenue unless I furnished them (the bank) with a Tax Identification Number. I explained that I could only get a TIN in Thailand if I was employed, and my visa explicitly forbids me to work here. I gave him (in Thai) the name of the tax office here, and never heard from him again. It is the only time "my" bank manager ever contacted me.

 

- Took so long to get me through the online security process that I missed flight bookings several times. I believe their system is now improved, but it's too late for me.

 

I know we see a lot of criticism about Thai service in many areas, but I've never received worse service that this: from a major UK High Street bank. Why didn't I change? The hassle, and I suspect they're all much the same.