Moving to Thailand

[still kicking]

OK guys (and girls) To start this post I should explain a few things OK. I lived in Thailand for many years and moved back to OZ.

I am happy here I get a good pension (lost my super moving to Thailand) My Tai wife of 20 years is pushing me to go back to 

Thailand. Citing I would be better of living in Thailand living in the family home since I am 76 now. So, can I get any insurance?

I mean health insurance, and what does it cost? Being a pensioner here I pay nothing as you know medication very cheap.

Admitted to hospital does cost me nothing here. Can I get my OZ pension, or will they stop or reduce it? I do know Centrelink,

will find out if I move. So, my Thai wife will have enough money to cover my visa cost since she will draw out her super.

Thailand freaks me out, it has no or limited facilities for disabled persons. So back to topic, how much can I except to pay? 

On insurance I mean.

 

[flyingtlger]

https://www.ngssuper.com.au/articles/news/age-pension-travelling-overseas

 

See headline #5

[CharlieH]

There are various companies  advertising on this site, get a quote as everyone's medical circumstances are different. Easiest route is AA insurance as they are brokers.

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

Thailand freaks me out, it has no or limited facilities for disabled persons. So back to topic, how much can I except to pay? 

On insurance I mean.

Good luck getting insurance at 76, and no way would I come to TH at 76.   If not settled in here, with daughter now, not sure I'd even be here.   Hot temps & smog is quite the deterrent.  

 

Disabled ?  If you or wife have mobility issues, then TH would be a hassle to live in, and not disabled friendly at all.

 

Instead, just visit a few months a year, as rainy season is lovely.

[Will27]

6 hours ago, still kicking said:

OK guys (and girls) To start this post I should explain a few things OK. I lived in Thailand for many years and moved back to OZ.

I am happy here I get a good pension (lost my super moving to Thailand) My Tai wife of 20 years is pushing me to go back to 

Thailand. Citing I would be better of living in Thailand living in the family home since I am 76 now. So, can I get any insurance?

I mean health insurance, and what does it cost? Being a pensioner here I pay nothing as you know medication very cheap.

Admitted to hospital does cost me nothing here. Can I get my OZ pension, or will they stop or reduce it? I do know Centrelink,

will find out if I move. So, my Thai wife will have enough money to cover my visa cost since she will draw out her super.

Thailand freaks me out, it has no or limited facilities for disabled persons. So back to topic, how much can I except to pay? 

On insurance I mean.

 

How and why did you lose your superannuation?

[GinBoy2]

If I'm reading your story correctly, you'd be insane to move to Thailand full time at your age.

 

Health insurance if you hadn't been grandfathered in, would, if you could actually get anyone to write you a policy would be ridiculously expensive and full of exclusions, which insurance companies love to use!

 

You mention 'disabled'. Thailand isn't a very disabled friendly place, so don't expect wheelchair access as a given which you would expect in the West.

 

I'd like to be more positive, but thats a tough situation for any positive outcome

[norbra]

Suggest your wife go alone to family home for a month or so,maybe a couple of times a year.

You will keep all your benefits from Centrelink and Medicare.

If you need assistance while your wife is away,Centrelink can provide " home help" you could also opt for meals on wheels if needed.

[EvetsKram]

If you go live in any other country you will lose a few hundred each fortnight but you choose if in Aussie bank or 4 weekly payment to your nominated overseas bank account

[norbra]

41 minutes ago, EvetsKram said:

If you go live in any other country you will lose a few hundred each fortnight but you choose if in Aussie bank or 4 weekly payment to your nominated overseas bank account

For me there was no option, payments to my Aussie bank were fortnightly and after 26 weeks abroad changed to monthly.

First monthly payment was for 20 days only as they changed my payment date,following payment picked up the underpayment.

Edited February 10 by norbra

[brianthainess]

You can get the OZ pension paid into a Thai account but If you have assets in OZ then you could lose money as I understand it, it is means tested?, you can also get a disability pension paid into a Thai bank account if your wife/family live here.

As for insurance if 3m baht in a good govt. hospital don't fix you then its all over IMO

[norbra]

If you do still consider moving, your best medical treatments would be in Perth,direct flights are quick and cheap. Cheaper than Thai treatment costs

Check with Medicare about keeping your card valid whilst your overseas (obviously the more treatments you have  the longer the validity of card)

You probably won't like their advice.

If you have a marriage visa Thai government hospitals will discount falang prices by 50%.

Edited February 10 by norbra

[georgegeorgia]

7 hours ago, Will27 said:

How and why did you lose your superannuation?

Good question, unfortunately you had to ask it 👎

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, EvetsKram said:

If you go live in any other country you will lose a few hundred each fortnight but you choose if in Aussie bank or 4 weekly payment to your nominated overseas bank account

The OP will lose about $60 a fortnight in energy and phone supplements, more if he is on rent assistance. Unlikely it is a few hundred.

 

19 hours ago, still kicking said:

OK guys (and girls) To start this post I should explain a few things OK. I lived in Thailand for many years and moved back to OZ.

I am happy here I get a good pension (lost my super moving to Thailand) My Tai wife of 20 years is pushing me to go back to 

Thailand. Citing I would be better of living in Thailand living in the family home since I am 76 now. So, can I get any insurance?

I mean health insurance, and what does it cost? Being a pensioner here I pay nothing as you know medication very cheap.

Admitted to hospital does cost me nothing here. Can I get my OZ pension, or will they stop or reduce it? I do know Centrelink,

will find out if I move. So, my Thai wife will have enough money to cover my visa cost since she will draw out her super.

Thailand freaks me out, it has no or limited facilities for disabled persons. So back to topic, how much can I except to pay? 

On insurance I mean.

 

Your pension is portable. Health insurance at your age is prohibitively expensive. If you have any pre-existing conditions, forget it. Self-insure.

Your Thai wife can help you negotiate public hospitals, although they do have long wait times. Standard practice - the family stays with you and cares for you in hospital. Nurses only take measurements.

Obviously, private hospitals are much more expensive than public ones.

IMO if you have any disability, you would be better off staying put in Australia.

[Prubangboy]

Cigna will insure you. according to my agent. Get a quote.

 

I'm 71, pay about $500 a month for a $7,500 deductible. Cheap by US standards, but maybe not by godless socialism standards.

 

They have aggregate insurance websites, plug in your deets and wonder no more.

[GinBoy2]

39 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

Cigna will insure you. according to my agent. Get a quote.

 

I'm 71, pay about $500 a month for a $7,500 deductible. Cheap by US standards, but maybe not by godless socialism standards.

 

They have aggregate insurance websites, plug in your deets and wonder no more.

Actually at 71 by US standards you'd be on medicare and paying  $174/month with a $1632 deductible, with no pre existing conditions

 

[Prubangboy]

Just now, GinBoy2 said:

Actually at 71 by US standards you'd be on medicare and paying  $174/month with a $1632 deductible, with no pre existing conditions

 

I was a high earner so it's a lot higher. And I'd need to find some poor quality doctor who even takes medicare, and then the prices would be insane. I had supplementary insurance for $180 a month too. And then there's my younger wife who was paying $1,500 a month.

 

I can stroll into Chiang Mai Ram Hospital and get a consult within a couple of hours for 500 baht. In North Carolina, anything was 2-3 month wait and costs at least triple. 

 

 

[JimTripper]

Thailand is a virtual obstacle course for the handi-capable, but it is possible.

[still kicking]

21 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Thailand is a virtual obstacle course for the handi-capable, but it is possible.

The only obstacle I have I can't walk steps 

[Prubangboy]

6 hours ago, still kicking said:

The only obstacle I have I can't walk steps 

Gonna be brutal. Not only steps placed willy nilly here, but uneven steps and steps that don't quite fit a whitie foot.

[brianthainess]

19 hours ago, norbra said:

If you have a marriage visa Thai government hospitals will discount falang prices by 50%.

Edited 18 hours ago by norbra

Simply not true IME but they are not that expensive anyway, 100b to see a doctor,

BKK hospital around 4K! just to see a doctor I have been told.

[norbra]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Simply not true IME but they are not that expensive anyway, 100b to see a doctor,

BKK hospital around 4K! just to see a doctor I have been told.

Sorry about that,my intention was to indicate prices for procedures not consultations.

[brianthainess]

31 minutes ago, norbra said:

Sorry about that,my intention was to indicate prices for procedures not consultations.

Even procedures as far as I know I did not get a 50% discount for being married, but they where still a lot cheaper, 10k for MRI scan, for a night and a bum cam the next day.

   When I was not Married 5 weeks all up in an Isolation ward, with TB, my GF at the time stayed with me 24/7 (Her shop was closed for that time) 'Falang food' about 6K USD, after that, I asked my GF to marry me       

[4MyEgo]

On 2/10/2024 at 6:07 AM, flyingtlger said:

https://www.ngssuper.com.au/articles/news/age-pension-travelling-overseas

 

See headline #5

 

This section from the article below in italics is basically WRONG, i.e. unless the person is going on holidays for a while and their Age Pension is taxable income, and for it to be taxable income, they have to go over a certain threshold, i.e. I believe it is around $32,279 for a (single person), after SAPTO has been applied for and approved.

 

https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/income-deductions-offsets-and-records/tax-offsets/seniors-and-pensioners-tax-offset

 

Australia and Thailand have a DTA and when an Australian Age Pensioner becomes a resident of Thailand, i.e. after 180 days automatically for tax purposes, whether they like it or not, e.g. new tax code of Thailand from 1 January 2024 they can be taxed by the Thai RD.

 

https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html#:~:text=1.Taxable Person,any tax (calendar) year.

 

The above said, I can't see that happening as the DTA has been in place since 1989/1990, but Thailand has had the right to tax Age Pensioners back since then, and the new tax code reinforces that, but as I have said on many occasions, why would they bother now, and that my thoughts are that they are after the bigger fatter fish i.e. wealthy pensioners, not Age Pensioners who obtain welfare payments from their respective governments, yes, not the poor pipers just looking to survive in a country that allows them to live on the Age Pension, and of course contribute to the Thai economy vs living in Australia where they would be eating peanut butter for breakfast lunch and dinner.

 

Just below is the copy and pasted section from the article I am referring too.

 

Is the age pension taxable?

 

Yes — the age pension is counted as taxable income. You can ask Services Australia to deduct tax from your payment so you don't need to pay it when you lodge your tax return.

 

Read Article 18 of the DTA which will back up what I have said.

 

https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1989/36.html

 

Not everything we read appears to be what we think it is just because someone says so, i.e. it is up to us to keep researching and find out things for ourselves, for me, you can't beat quoting the legislation, i.e. if you can find it, fortunately for me, someone else found it and I continue to pass it on for others to see and make up their own minds, part and parcel of learning and providing for the community.

 

 

[4MyEgo]

On 2/10/2024 at 5:32 AM, still kicking said:

Can I get my OZ pension, or will they stop or reduce it? I do know Centrelink,

 

Have a read of my post above, that said, there is a lot of good information there for you and may answer some of your questions, and as others have already pointed out, Energy supplement will go after 6 weeks, another supplement, can't think of it at the moment, and any rental subsidy will go.

 

If you were in Australia 2 years prior to applying for your Age Pension as a resident, you can have the Age Pension made portable for you to live in Thailand without question, albeit it you will lose the above items I mentioned and receive about $1,000 a fortnight, that said however, it is highly advisable to let Centrelink know of your intentions because if you get some inexperienced clown who cuts your Age Pension off for some unknown reason, as I have read that it has been done, e.g. possible confusion between a returning expat becoming a resident again for the 2 year period and a resident 2 years prior to Age Pension age, then you would have to go back to start the process again and possibly wait 2 years over again to make it portable, unless you go down the appeals path.

 

What I am saying is if you were away from Australia and returned to get the Age Pension and waited the 2 years before you can make it portable, definitely let them know your going overseas, either way, best to them know to be sure, to be sure, as Paddy would say.

 

https://guides.dss.gov.au/social-security-guide/7/1/2/20

 

On 2/10/2024 at 5:32 AM, still kicking said:

Admitted to hospital does cost me nothing here.

 

It can cost you a little here at a government hospital or a lot in a private hospital, just depends on who you want to treat you. A matter of choice really, and in my opinion, privates have better trained and educated Doctors than government hospitals, but then again, some of the private hospital Doctors train government Doctors at Universities, so you can get a government university hospital look after you if in a particular area.

 

On 2/10/2024 at 5:32 AM, still kicking said:

or will they stop or reduce it? I do know Centrelink,

 

I think you are referring to Medicare ?

 

If that's the case, from what I have read, is, that if you are out of the country for more than 5 years at a time, Medicare is canceled and you have to re-establish residency when you return to get Medicare paid treatment.

 

On 2/10/2024 at 5:32 AM, still kicking said:

So, can I get any insurance?

 

I believe you can, i.e. if you don't have any pre-existing conditions, and if you don't, the amount of insurance you will pay because of your age will render it not worth it in my opinion, because the cost is nothing short of savagery. 

 

Edited February 11 by 4MyEgo

[Kinok Farang]

Stay where you feel safe and comfy.

Loads of 76 year olds here but all been here a while.

Big move to make at our age if you are not sure.

Insurance for over 70's is crippling here.

Good luck.