This story people has come up two or three times in recent weeks, and last night at a Mom and Pop store near my home.

 

It also happened on my recent trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. They are of similar thinking.

 

These people are under the misguided impression that our governments, once we reach the age of around 60, just give us free money to go live where we want and that they will send it to us every week or month.

 

They don't get that I, at age 61, pay voluntarily into the UK system and have another 6 years to wait, nor do they get the fact that all of us pay lifelong to secure our pensions in later life and if we die early, the money is gone and lost.

 

They honestly believe that.

 

I, after all my 30 years here, was astonished that this was their thinking.

 

They then said that they must work until they drop out to look after their relatives.

 

I tried to explain the UK tax system and that we all pay from an early age. It was futile.

 

I further explained that we are taxed on salaries, businesses, wages, VAT at 20%, etc................they just don't get it!

 

I tried to explain I had paid a huge amount of tax when I sold my UK businesses and moved to Thailand.

 

I wasted my time explaining as they got bored and disinterested and focussed their attention on the Muay Thai boxing on the TV.

 

I was obviously saying things they didn't want to listen to.

Tell them to roll up in a dinghy from France and they'll get 5 star treatment, courtesy of British tax payers.

2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Tell them to roll up in a dinghy from France and they'll get 5 star treatment, courtesy of British tax payers.

 

Aye, absolutely!

16 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

I tried to explain the UK tax system and that we all pay from an early age. It was futile.

Most Thais don’t understand the concept of a Tax system.

 

Most have never paid a single penny into the communal pot.

They're right in a way.

It depends on where you're from.

 

In Australia, you can qualify for the Old Age Pension regardless of whether you've worked.

 

Also, a few Thai's I spoke to couldn't believe the amount you can get on unemployment benefits.

9 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

.they just don't get it!

 

     That's all you needed to say! 

18 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

I was obviously saying things they didn't want to listen to.

Good to know you figured it out at least.

When our kid was born she asked when we start getting money for the kid. The stories they hear......

many people from many countries
do not get the fact that anything the government "gives for free" is not free
it has been paid for, as governments do not have their own money.

6 minutes ago, patman30 said:

do not get the fact that anything the government "gives for free" is not free

 

In fact, government money is more expensive as it requires payment to all the government middlemen.

Its stories and and misguided beliefs that makes them go "hunting" for Farangs in the first place, (in some cases)

1 hour ago, patman30 said:

many people from many countries
do not get the fact that anything the government "gives for free" is not free
it has been paid for, as governments do not have their own money.

It is free to those that never pay, others have to pay for them.

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

It is free to those that never pay, others have to pay for them.

As i said
"it has been paid for"

we all pay at some point or another.......VAT

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

These people are under the misguided impression that our governments, once we reach the age of around 60, just give us free money to go live where we want and that they will send it to us every week or month.

Your reference to "These people" says a lot about the value of your comment.

1 minute ago, patman30 said:

As i said
"it has been paid for"

we all pay at some point or another.......VAT

You are perfectly free to believe that the VAT paid by professional scroungers comes close to a lifetime of NI and income tax, plus VAT.

Social security benefits come from income tax so if you have never paid income tax they are effectively free.

26 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Your reference to "These people" says a lot about the value of your comment.

Ridiculous answer

34 minutes ago, patman30 said:

As i said
"it has been paid for"

we all pay at some point or another.......VAT

If you get free money from the government and you pay VAT, you just get less money from the government. You still pay nothing as you havened earned anything.

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

You are perfectly free to believe that the VAT paid by professional scroungers comes close to a lifetime of NI and income tax, plus VAT.

Social security benefits come from income tax so if you have never paid income tax they are effectively free.

i never said it was
but your statement said "those that NEVER pay"
you were not specific to a single tax.
i was also not referring to "benefits" i said "anything"

another 🤡 on the ignore list

3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you get free money from the government and you pay VAT, you just get less money from the government. You still pay nothing as you havened earned anything.

i never said the receiver of funds have paid
i said "it has been paid for"

my ignore list getting full of 🤡

In Western countries, you get a wealthy pension after you reach 67. In Asian countries, you work until you die!

34 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

In Western countries, you get a wealthy pension after you reach 67. In Asian countries, you work until you die!

In the UK we get one of the lowest pensions in the western world and are one of the world's biggest aid donors.

 

In Asia, you are not accustomed to putting money into the country, nor paying tax and VAT or corporation tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax,  etc

 

We only take a bit back for what we have put in, most of you guys in Asia put nothing in.

 

Three members of my family never made 60 years old and paid in from 16 years old.

 

GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.

 

Your comments are based on ignorance of the West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

In the UK we get one of the lowest pensions in the western world and are one of the world's biggest aid donors.

 

In Asia, you are not accustomed to putting money into the country, nor paying tax and VAT or corporation tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax,  etc

 

We only take a bit back for what we have put in, most of you guys in Asia put nothing in.

 

Three members of my family never made 60 years old and paid in from 16 years old.

 

GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.

What percentage of your wages are paid in to government pension fund compared to other European countries? When I had a German gf and used to visit regularly she used to say that a big percentage of her salary went into tax and social benefits. 

And she also had a private pension, I think the German government pension goes on what you've actually paid in over the years .

53 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

In Western countries, you get a wealthy pension after you reach 67. In Asian countries, you work until you die!

In Western countries you pay into a State Pension for 30-40 years and get a small proportion back on a weekly basis and pay 20% tax on the money.  That's more the realty. Pensions earned are based on contributions paid not age. Frozen pensions become nominal very quickly.

A lot of Thais I speak to aĺso believe that the British are wealthier than Americans because they get 43 to the pound compared to only 34 to the dollar.

My wife thinks money grows on trees in the UK 

I have heard that one a couple of times if they have child with an English guy they get child benefits from the government, 

Is that what you told her🤔

Unfortunately, I don't get a pension but the missus still loves me.

1 hour ago, patman30 said:

my ignore list getting full of 🤡

No one gives a monkey's about your "Ignore" list announcement that has no effect, whatsoever, on anyone, except you.

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

In Asia, you are not accustomed to putting money into the country, nor paying tax and VAT or corporation tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax,  etc

Middle class Thais are quite aware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system. Evidently, you're not acquainted with any.

 

Moreover, the elderly, whether they paid tax or not during their lifetimes, do get a monthly cash benefit of about 600 baht. They also can shop for foodstuffs cheap at selected government outlets.

 

And taxpaying Brits often speak of, and tout, their "free" healthcare back in the UK and the "free" schooling for their kids. Nary a mention of all that tax they've paid thru their noses. 

 

So it's all not so simple. You can't generalize about "what Thais think" based on what some bargirls, farmers, or ignorant villagers say. They don't know anything. That merely leads to ignorant stereotyping by the farang taking them seriously. It later shows up on the forum.

 

The lower orders in Western countries similarly have a lot of ignorant beliefs that would be laughable if the believers didn't also go to the polls and elect politicians to try to impose them on everyone else, at great cost.