When you're old & lonely

[LaosLover]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Had I known that you had reading and comprehension difficulties, then I might have made it a little shorter especially for you,

You're a quality poster and I find you reasonably succinct.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, gargamon said:

Very common for people who come to Thailand when young. Pensions generally require many years of being a good citizen and paying taxes, etc. Both the US and Canada need 10 years fully qualify. 

But in UK can buy missing years 

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

That's a horrible story. Most guys would be testing out their homemade wing suit from the top of a Viewtalay building, yet here you are. Where there's life, there's hope. 

 

Most Western countries have some sort of pension available at 65 or so, can you get one of those? 

I get the home country pension, but only when living in home country, ergo no choice in having to leave Thailand, as had been living on savings, which were not going to last. Probably the best time to leave as would not have enjoyed living in LOS during covid with little money.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why no pension? state pension? pension credit?

Without going into details, I got caught by an unpublished on the website "rule" which meant that I didn't qualify for the pension in any country without a bilateral pension agreement. I could have continued to live in the UK, but not Thailand. Typical bureaucratic BS. I went as far as to appeal the decision but to no avail. I am not a fan of bureaucracy.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, micmichd said:

You have to pay into a Social Security Funds in order to get a pension. Many just didn't care when they were young, and then got shocked when they got old. 

NZ does not do that. Everyone gets the pension worked or not as long as lived in NZ for the required number of years depending on age. Two required blocks which I don't remember specifics of, but a certain number of years before a certain age and more years after.

[Jelli]

On 9/13/2023 at 12:31 PM, georgegeorgia said:

he can't meet a real lady in Pattaya they all want to be paid

So pay them

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/14/2023 at 6:17 PM, NextG said:

Do you regret leaving? 
We’re your financials really that bad that you couldn’t afford to stick it out?

It’s rare that I see a happy post from you, but you seem more engaged than earlier at least. 

Without a pension I could not afford medical insurance AND the 800,000 to extend the visa, so not really a choice. So, to avoid being penniless in home country I took the 800,000 and went back "home". Given the financials, it was the right decision.

I could have stayed on for some years had I really economised, but without medical insurance that would have not ended well

 

I have to agree that I'm not on the side of angels and bluebirds chirping nicely, but Thailand was my paradise, or as close to it as possible in this life.

 

Do you regret leaving? 

Every day. It is like losing a much loved wife to some unfortunate event.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:09 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Sorry I prefer girls.....but you do you..

Never kneeled before a woman then?

[NextG]

8 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Without a pension I could not afford medical insurance AND the 800,000 to extend the visa, so not really a choice. So, to avoid being penniless in home country I took the 800,000 and went back "home". Given the financials, it was the right decision.

I could have stayed on for some years had I really economised, but without medical insurance that would have not ended well

 

I have to agree that I'm not on the side of angels and bluebirds chirping nicely, but Thailand was my paradise, or as close to it as possible in this life.

 

Do you regret leaving? 

Every day. It is like losing a much loved wife to some unfortunate event.

The ‘without a pension bit’ sealed it. If at least you had an income you might have found a pathway. 

Edited September 15, 2023 by NextG

[NextG]

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I get the home country pension, but only when living in home country, ergo no choice in having to leave Thailand, as had been living on savings, which were not going to last. Probably the best time to leave as would not have enjoyed living in LOS during covid with little money.

I think you would have fared ok in Thailand during COVID. Seaview apartments close the the beach for less than 4k monthly. No super strict lockdown….. and for you, bargain priced companionship. ???? Offers of between 200 and 500 were common. Not something in which I was interested, but I saw and heard it regularly on beach walks and around town. 

[NextG]

12 hours ago, xylophone said:

Had I known that you had reading and comprehension difficulties, then I might have made it a little shorter especially for you, however I will leave it up to the moderators to decide what posts will/won't suffice. Unless you are a new moderator of course. LOL!!!

 

Anyway, you're now going on to ignore, so others can put up with your tardy remarks, but I won't see them, thankfully.

Welcome to the club ???? 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

NZ does not do that. Everyone gets the pension worked or not as long as lived in NZ for the required number of years depending on age. Two required blocks which I don't remember specifics of, but a certain number of years before a certain age and more years after.

If you stay in NZ ......... full pension (520 months).

If you leave .......... full pension - 1/520th for every month you were living outside NZ (over 25yo).

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by BritManToo

[JimTripper]

On 9/14/2023 at 6:14 PM, xylophone said:

As if to back up some of the posts on this thread about being old and alone and having someone to care for you, I experienced something today which really brought it home to me – –

 

Sitting talking to a couple of women I know who own a massage shop, and I've known them for quite a few years now, so I often stop off for a chat, and if I'm making a Thai meal, I cook enough for them as well and they seem to appreciate it. Anyway just across the road we noticed an old farang stumbling along and falling over, and my immediate response was perhaps he was drunk, and one of the women said she thought she recognised him and he wasn't a drinker??

 

Having said that, the two women went over to him and lifted him up, and bought him over to the guesthouse/bar next door, so I asked them if he was drunk/smelling of alcohol and they said no, but they thought there was something wrong with him mentally. When they said this I went over to him to see if he understood English, and to see if I could help, but the only thing I got out of him was that he was Swiss and that he had forgotten his hotel, although he had a hotel key with him (nothing on it to indicate which hotel). He did point up the road somewhere and muttered, so I thought I would walk up the road and see if I could see something which might match the picture on his room key, but no luck, even though I asked a few shopkeepers and motorbike taxi drivers, and they were no help unfortunately.

 

There was a farang sitting nearby, whom I had seen over many years, and who a friend of mine had known, and often said that he was a miserable, grumpy old bar steward, however I thought he might be able to help so I asked if he understood Swiss/German, however this grumpy old bar steward dam near bit my head off with just one or two English words in it but the rest of it was grumpy and loud and he was just obnoxious, so I walked away.

 

I was speaking to the two women who were still sitting next to the poor guy trying to comfort him because he looked a little flustered, and I would say he was either suffering from some sort of dementia, or had a minor stroke or suchlike, but he had no idea where his hotel was unfortunately, and the only thing we could get out of him was a Soi name, and we didn't even know if that was the right one.

 

So I said to one of the women, the one who thought she recognised him, that perhaps we should get a tuk tuk and put him in it and drive to this particular Soi to see if he recognised his hotel, which they thought was a good idea. I also suggested that if they had no luck they should either take him to the hospital or to the police station to see if they could help They both wanted to go with him, so I gave them 500 baht for the tuk tuk fare and off they went.

 

I sat down and spoke to the owner of the massage shop and her sister, and they were puzzled as to why he would be here on his own, and I said maybe he had just had some sort of mental problem, and that it could happen to anybody, although someone should always have the phone number of a friend to help. To which they replied that I was about the same age as him and that I shouldn't worry because if anything happened to me they would come round and take care of me and I only had to let them know and they would be there.

 

In its own way that was very comforting, but it got me thinking about this thread and wondering how many old guys here could be in the same position should a medical event occur.

It’s common for Thais to say someone is just going home so it’s all ok. Kind of an out of sight out of mind thing.

[micmichd]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

NZ does not do that. Everyone gets the pension worked or not as long as lived in NZ for the required number of years depending on age. Two required blocks which I don't remember specifics of, but a certain number of years before a certain age and more years after.

Then they probably take off the money from your taxes. 

[xylophone]

15 hours ago, LaosLover said:

You're a quality poster and I find you reasonably succinct.

Many thanks for your positive feedback @LaosLover it is much appreciated. I do try for "quality" in my posts, however I am aware that I can wander off topic on occasion, but only if it is somehow related to the post to which I am replying.

 

As for a comment about "dictating" by @gargamon..........I've had the cartilege and some bone fragments removed from my right elbow, so keyboard use can be painful, so I use Dragon voice recognition software and it is a 'godsend".

[LaosLover]

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

 I am aware that I can wander off topic on occasion, but only if it is somehow related to the post to which I am replying.

 

 

For some here, this is a conversation. For other's, it's just a billboard for their thoughts.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Never kneeled before a woman then?

I have....is why i "prefer" them.....now they kneel for me ...but is easier if they lay flat ????

 

I guess some posters prefer males to kneel before them.....as per my response to the King

[Sticky Rice Balls]

4 hours ago, LaosLover said:

For some here, this is a conversation. For other's, it's just a billboard for their thoughts.

mine is more along the lines of post- its....oooo how about the ones that want to exert their white entitled privilege and see equality as oppression??

[Sticky Rice Balls]

10 hours ago, Jelli said:

So pay them

all my thai friends asked me if you use LINE..if so please send ID asap......kop khun krup ????

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, micmichd said:

Then they probably take off the money from your taxes. 

That's correct. It comes out of yearly taxation, and is not the best way to do it.

Many years ago an enlightened PM started a fund specifically for pensions, but the next PM, who was anything but enlightened, cancelled the scheme.