Frozen in time: British expats losing out on pensions in Thailand

[ChaiyaTH]

Amazing how 9 people laughed at this topic, as if it is something fun or you could blame this retirees on. It's 100% theft and unfair.

[proton]

16 hours ago, jori123 said:

  You have to go back to the beginning of the locked thread to get the gist. 

prakhonchai nick

  but you could ask this poster why he made a voluntary statement and asked the DWP to furnish a letter (5 years after the said overpayment, noting 6 years is the max that can be snatched back) that would nice to know,but statements as "BINGO" when he was pinned to the mast in agreeing he did indeed ,jealousy, Seems his partner in crime has met an oily banana skin lol

 

Its all there go back locked thread, see it all pan out,but he cannot deny it, its on record....sorry

    

 

Where is the locked thread? this Nick appears to have made 2 posts on this thread neither about a statement to DWP

[sambum]

On 10/3/2024 at 1:53 AM, bkk_mike said:

I'd struggle to get by on £86,000 p.a. in London. I left because I was getting annoyed because of the sheer amount of tax I was paying there (because I earned my income - it was all taxable...)

Admittedly, I couldn't use expenses to pay rent for a place in central London.

"I'd struggle to get by on £86,000 p.a. in London."

 Then how do you feel about pensioners on app £12000 p.a. having their Winter fuel Allowance stopped by the Government that says "all pensioners, ALL pensioners will be better off under Labour"?

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Amazing how 9 people laughed at this topic, as if it is something fun or you could blame this retirees on. It's 100% theft and unfair.

Maybe it's because it comes around on such a regular basis. Many antifreeze options and alternatives have been proposed over and over again. The chances of it ever changing are really minimal. Yes, unfair it may be, in fact, undoubtedly is, and totally illogical. But HM government is not rational and thick as, as we all know. You're dealing with an immovable object, so find a way round it!

[lordgrinz]

Life is full of choices, they chose poorly...

[Lorry]

On 10/2/2024 at 4:13 PM, chiang mai said:

It may be a standards issue plus I don't know if Thai doctors would be willing to requalify with all that entails.

 

A long standing bestie of several decades is from India where his wife qualified as a cancer surgeon. They moved to the UK where she spent two years requalifying for her role. Later, they moved to the US where once again she had to  requalify. She subsequently reached the top of her game at Johns Hopkin where she has remained until today.....but what a long haul, not something that many people would be willing to do I imagine.

A Thai doctor (who is always from a well-off or at least middle class family BTW) is at the top of the pecking order here.

Even the money isn't much better in the UK.

The money is much, much better in the US - but you can easily find Thai doctors who came back to Thailand from the US.

[Tidal wave]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:48 PM, Chivas said:

 

What are you talking about

All income is taxable including state pension once you go over the Personal allowance in total no matter what the origin of that income

 

If you dont want next Aprils rise am sure many charities will happily accept it even if the Tories (and not Labour) froze the personal allowances level previously whilst in power

 

 

Reading and replying is not your strong point is it! 

[Lorry]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:38 AM, chiang mai said:

in Thailand there is a massive oversupply of doctors.

Thailand has a shortage of doctors (and nurses),  and the medical association works very hard to keep it that way.

The ratio of doctors to inhabitants is low.

Furthermore,  the private sector you mentioned (including medical tourism) is draining resources from the care of most Thais. 

Even middle class Thais cannot compete with the prices foreign insurance are willing to pay (like many foreigners without foreign insurance,  who can't afford these prices either).

 

[chiang mai]

3 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Thailand has a shortage of doctors (and nurses),  and the medical association works very hard to keep it that way.

The ratio of doctors to inhabitants is low.

Furthermore,  the private sector you mentioned (including medical tourism) is draining resources from the care of most Thais. 

Even middle class Thais cannot compete with the prices foreign insurance are willing to pay (like many foreigners without foreign insurance,  who can't afford these prices either).

 

I stand corrected, I just fact checked that and you are right.

[bradiston]

35 minutes ago, Lorry said:

You can get good healthcare in the PI, for very reasonable prices. 

Manila, of course,  and Cebu City (most foreigners stay on Cebu) have very good hospitals.  But even a place like Negros, where you were fųcked 10 years ago, now offers very decent care. Things are improving very fast.

It helps that you can have a trusting relationship to the caregivers because they are not so obviously fleecing you as here.

 

You are right about transport.  If you live on an outlying island near Cebu, or in the sticks on Leyte - good luck.  It's like Thailand 30 years ago.

 

Slightly OT, but I'm sitting in my rented for 23,000 PHP excl taxes pm 11th floor condo in Bacolod. The sun is shining. The pool and gym on the 14th floor are empty. I have excellent internet, such that my TV box is in constant use for uefa, pl, MLB, NFL, sky, hbo etc etc. Breathtaking views of sea and volcanoes. I breakfast every day at a 12 PHP AC bus ride away cafe, eggs, bacon, toast and coffee, 230 PHP, and dine on excellent carbonara and lasagne at a bistro 3 minutes walk away, also 230 PHP. I'm 20 minutes from Silay airport from where I can fly cheaply to almost anywhere in Philippines. Mindanao, Palawan, Cebu, Siargao etc. People call it a dump. Good, then stay away!

[Lorry]

4 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Slightly OT, but I'm sitting in my rented for 23,000 PHP excl taxes pm 11th floor condo in Bacolod. The sun is shining. The pool and gym on the 14th floor are empty. I have excellent internet, such that my TV box is in constant use for uefa, pl, MLB, NFL, sky, hbo etc etc. Breathtaking views of sea and volcanoes. I breakfast every day at a 12 PHP AC bus ride away cafe, eggs, bacon, toast and coffee, 230 PHP, and dine on excellent carbonara and lasagne at a bistro 3 minutes walk away, also 230 PHP. I'm 20 minutes from Silay airport from where I can fly cheaply to almost anywhere in Philippines. Mindanao, Palawan, Cebu, Siargao etc. People call it a dump. Good, then stay away!

Good post.

Bacolod was the place in Negros I meant. 

 

Of course,  keep in mind:

Someone I know in Europe suffered a heart attack in the countryside and got a stent within 45 minutes. That's the standard in his country. There is nowhere in the PI or in Thailand that comes close. 

Someone else I know moved to Thailand and suffered a heart attack upcountry. He died.  A stent would have taken days.

If I were to live in Bacolod, I would know whom to call and how to pay for an air ambulance to Manila. But most things,  they can handle there very well, at very decent prices. 

 

 

[bradiston]

1 minute ago, Lorry said:

Good post.

Bacolod was the place in Negros I meant. 

 

Of course,  keep in mind:

Someone I know in Europe suffered a heart attack in the countryside and got a stent within 45 minutes. That's the standard in his country. There is nowhere in the PI or in Thailand that comes close. 

Someone else I know moved to Thailand and suffered a heart attack upcountry. He died.  A stent would have taken days.

If I were to live in Bacolod, I would know whom to call and how to pay for an air ambulance to Manila. But most things,  they can handle there very well, at very decent prices. 

 

 

That's good to know. I've only needed a doctor occasionally. I always catch a horrible cold on arrival which sometimes needs something more than paracetamol. My inpatient insurance covers me here. I got all my dentistry done in Philippines, 5 or 6 implants included. Much better than Thai dentists IMHO, and experience.

 

I've only been to Dumaguete once, but it has quite an expat population I heard. Ferries to neighbouring islands, a domestic airport, and a charming harbour promenade a bit like Cornwall! Good bars and restaurants too. Probably a very economical place to explore. And maybe live in.

[Mike Teavee]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wrong, I used to watch Corry, Emmerdale and East Enders, yet here I am.

Yeah but you're more a Mike Baldwin than a Kevin Webster (Forced to sit through Corrie as a Kid). 

 

Funny story in 2009 my parents made their 1st trip out to Singapore to come visit me & this was before the days of having any decent IP services so what's on Singaporean TV was what you watched... Up pops a promo for Coronation Street & Mum gets all excited so we had to stay in to watch it... Next thing, Ena Sharples pops up (She'd left the show 30 years earlier 😛) but it was good to see Stan & Hilda again 😄 

 

It it wasn't for Crimewatch (Bicycle Stealing Gang) we'd have had nothing to watch 🤣

 

[JCauto]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:03 AM, spermwhale said:

"After 40 gruelling years as an electronics buyer"... who writes this stuff? 

Also: This isn't true: But his dream retirement turned into a financial nightmare when he discovered his UK state pension had been frozen.

He didn't have his pension frozen. He just doesn't get cost-of-living increases. Big difference. he still gets his money, so I'm not sure how that is a "financial nightmare." 

 

On top of that, he just moved to Thailand. HE HASN'T EVEN LOST A SINGLE PENCE AT THIS POINT!!!!

 

They couldn't find someone else who actually has already been long affected by this to whine?

[sandyf]

On 10/1/2024 at 11:09 PM, Mike Teavee said:

Ex-nurses, firefighters & Police Officers all get “Final Salary” government pensions which are very generous & exempt from Tax in Thailand. 

Indeed. In 1961 the government introduced the second state pension which was then revamped under the 1975 reforms. Those on a workplace pension scheme were contracted out of the state second pension and had their workplace pension enhanced from NI contributions.

Very easy for those receiving the second state pension as part of a generous workplace or private pension, index linked wherever you live, to be critical of those that were never in a position to contract out.

They also benefit from their second state pension being covered by the DTA.

The whole arrangement was blatent discrimination but unlike the WASPI issue the government feels quite safe from adverse public opinion and media attention.

[sandyf]

On 10/1/2024 at 11:14 PM, Straight8 said:

That's always the issue, people spending at will in their 20's, 30's, 40's 50's, and then complaining about the Pension not being enough.

That is not the issue.

Why should some get index linked pensions and others don't. The first recipricol agreement created 2 classes of overseas pensioners, those that can and those that can't. Every MP however will stand up and claim discriination is unacceptable.

Brexit brought the agreement with the EU to an end but the goverment changed the law to prevent the backlash from those in the EU. 

In 2019 the labour party gave there backing to the APPG recommendations and it was included in their 2019 manifesto, Page 76 for reference. As soon as they got a sniff of power there was a sudden U turn.

[Celsius]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wrong, I used to watch Corry, Emmerdale and East Enders, yet here I am.

 

I believe you because after watching 1 episode in 1997 I wanted to suicide myself.

[jori123]

9 hours ago, proton said:

 

Where is the locked thread? this Nick appears to have made 2 posts on this thread neither about a statement to DWP

its on Home Country thread, right at the top...pensions, its all there.  He has been looking at this thread ,but not answering

 

#Once again nobody but nobody has ever been sanctioned, money taken back, had money stopped,(suspended yes until they proof of life) anywhere in the world

[jori123]

On 10/3/2024 at 5:51 AM, Mike Teavee said:

I think you've got that backwards, prior to the 1950s all overseas Pensions were frozen & it's only since then that some countries have entered into reciprocal social security agreements which include pension uplifts. 

 

https://britishpensions.com/state-pension-history-timeline-1/

 

 

 

Problem was the UK, shortly after the war UK set about making agreements with all countries. A set timetable was set money and time to make these agreements, however all ran of time and money and patience being thin the plan was scrapped

[jori123]

20 hours ago, jori123 said:

prakhonchai nick   not come back, never mind, have some explaining to do, never mind, Ill keep waiting

 

 

  I know you are looking in (in middle of night)  it only a common curtesy to answer a perfectly legitimate statement.

 

  I know you are honest ,you have described yourself as such, have admitted it was not your "dosh" and "bingo" when right answer given (by yourself)  when truth finally established, that it was indeed a set up

 

Now we are all entering the period of festivities, please please come out of hiding, it is good for the soul, you admit it and in your case surely would be

   Amen

[metisdead]

An off topic post and the replies have been removed.

 

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[bristolgeoff]

That has being the same for many years live here pension frozen.phillipines not.Why I don,t know

[itsari]

26 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

That has being the same for many years live here pension frozen.phillipines not.Why I don,t know

The UK has a closer relationship to the Phillipines than Thailand and there are many workers from the Phillipines employed in the UK especially in the hospitals.

There are around 200,000 phillipinos working in the UK compared to 50,000 Thai people

 

[chiang mai]

8 minutes ago, itsari said:

The UK has a closer relationship to the Phillipines than Thailand and there are many workers from the Phillipines employed in the UK especially in the hospitals.

There are around 200,000 phillipinos working in the UK compared to 50,000 Thai people

 

That's the key issue, the number of workers from a country that live in the UK who need to access the UK social security system, UK subjects then are allowed reciprocal benefits that country. Thailand doesn't have anywhere like the same number of workers, at least, not officially! Estimates are 200k Phillipino's in UK and only 50k Thais.

[itsari]

1 minute ago, chiang mai said:

That's the key issue, the number of workers from a country that live in the UK who need to access the UK social security system, UK subjects then are allowed reciprocal benefits that country. Thailand doesn't have anywhere like the same number of workers, at least, not officially! Estimates are 200k Phillipino's in UK and only 50k Thais.

If a Phillipino nurse works 20 years in the UK and 20 years in her home country that will give her a better pension than if there was no agreement.

 

[sandyf]

On 10/3/2024 at 9:22 AM, Letseng said:

And why is this newsworthy?

DWP tells you clearly that your pension doesn't increase while you live in TH. This has never been different.

So in your opinion discrimination is not newsworthy. You only have to mention "trans" and the government is rushing to change the law, but they are quite prepared to deny military veterans a full state pension.

The sad part is people like you support them.

[Neeranam]

I feel totally persecuted. 

I worked in the UK for 4 years, was unemployed for 1, and a student for 6. 

I also pay 160 pounds a year voluntarily to them. 

My predicted forecast is only £11,541.90 a year

 

 

 

[jori123]

 

  There is an "official letter" that springs up at certain times that a couple of weirdos put together that does indeed look authentic as to some form of action was undertaken on receiving unfrozen pension there in TH. Looking deeper it was a voluntary "its there if u want to look it up) voluntary admission to DWP and invited them to a response  as it was 5 years after the event, cost about £250 ,its hard to imagine the jealousy that springs forth

[BruceWayne]

On 10/3/2024 at 2:23 PM, bradiston said:

Yes, but it's not just here the pensions are frozen. But there are still plenty of alternative destinations, and many antifreeze options.

I think peeps should enjoy it while they can and stop moaning.

UK's heading for bankrupcy FAST.

B/Millionaires leaving on mass, automation replacing human jobs, zoomers not participating as what's the point in trying when a mid terraced house costs 10-30x a graduate salary.

Boomers need to smell the coffee rather than moaning about mUh riGHts, i paID iN etc.

It's galling tbh

[BruceWayne]

9 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I feel totally persecuted. 

I worked in the UK for 4 years, was unemployed for 1, and a student for 6. 

I also pay 160 pounds a year voluntarily to them. 

My predicted forecast is only £11,541.90 a year

 

 

 

Classic boomer *take*