Report Abandoned Abroad: British Pensioner in Thailand Slams 'Immoral' Frozen Pensions Policy

[simon43]

My (reduced-29 years) UK state pension starts in 6 weeks from now 🙂  About 40,000 baht/month. 

 

On that sum I am able to rent a decent car, a condo by Jomtien Beach, another house (maybe on Koh Phangan - Chiang Mai was too smoky for me), and a $400k medical insurance cover, and still have money left over for food, drink and so on.

 

Seems to be that some people aren't able to budget....

[Letseng]

3 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

No it is not. He is more likely to be being paid out more than what he paid in. It is an acknowledged fact that National Insurance contributions do not fully cover the cost of pension payouts for the majority of beneficiaries. It is not the UK taxpayer's fault that Thailand did not agree to a social security agreement with the UK. The EEA group of nations, the Philippines , much of the  larger Commonwealth Caribbean countries, Turkey and the USA  have an agreement.   He picked Thailand, a nation without an agreement.

 

There is no reciprocal  agreement with the UK. If there was, he could get his adjustment. It takes 2 to make an agreement and Thailand did not agree.

 

As a resident of Thailand, he is not paying any UK income tax is he? He pays his tax in Thailand, and most likely is at a lower tax rate than in the UK.  None of what he receives is  spent in the UK in  goods and services nor paid in taxes to the crown.

 

The pensioners in the UK are  paying taxes in the UK  on their income in excess of  £12,570 and they pay VAT and  many, pay council tax either in full or in part. The cost of living is higher for UK residents than it is for Thailand residents.  The UK pensioners spend their pensions in the UK  and many have a part  of their pensions clawed back by the UK government. 

 

But he paid contributions like everybody else did. Just because he chose to live in TH is no reason to disadvantage him just because he doesn't pay council tax, UK VAT etc.

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, jwl53 said:

Something is not quite right here, I don't think he is telling the whole story, "as a former banker" where is his bank pension?

Where are his investments majority of bankers have access to the best investment opportunities 

He was working as a janitor in a bank

[GarryP]

3 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

 

Minimum qualifying period is 10 years, so if she was paid over the secondary threshold for 12 years and has IDLR, she will be entitled to 12/35 of the full state pension.  She might have to go back for a couple of months to sort it all out though and it would become frozen as soon as she left again.  If you know her NI Number you can check how many qualifying years she has and an estimate of her pension entitlement on the .gov website.  Just Google "check qualifying NI years UK state pension" and it should come up? 

After checking the https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record website, I learned that I could back pay 6 years. I then contacted HMRC and submitted an application to back pay. However, when I received the approval and detailed letter on amount to be back paid, I was allowed to back pay 17 years. Definitely worth it in my case. Now paying annually and only for a few more years. Definitely worth the investment in my case, as it is a great return on investment frozen or not.  

[lavender19]

This has been going on for years here. A friend of mine from Samui took it to the court of human rights a few years back. It was thrown out. So you have no chance with the bunch of #*"ts that are in at the moment 

[Blueman1]

9 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Often have to wait years to get an appointment or treatment on the NHS after initially seeing a G.P

You are Incorrect on that M8.....

[Trip Hop]

16 minutes ago, Blueman1 said:

But I Don't want to Sleep in their Doorway.....

 

There's no pleasing you is there? 🤣

[Geordieabroad]

It's a disgrace that our pensions are frozen but he knew that before he settled here, no point in moaning now

[Reddavy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture of Christopher Lee courtesy of the iPaper

 

A British expat's sunny retirement in Thailand has turned stormy as his UK state pension remains frozen, leaving him counting every baht. Christopher Lee traded Wrexham for Thailand in 2010, drawn by the warm climate and relaxed lifestyle. But, his pension is stuck at its original rate, unlike UK counterparts who've seen increases of up to 80%.

 

At 70, the former banker relies on a weekly £137 (6,150 baht) after a SERPS top-up, opposed to the current UK basic pension of £176.45 (7,880 baht). In Thailand, one of many countries on the UK’s 'frozen pensions' list, Lee and others see their pensions diminish amidst rising costs.

 

Over 450,000 Brits in countries like Thailand, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand share Lee's plight, battling constant inflation. “The extra cash would be most useful,” Lee voiced, pressing for a policy reversal as financial strains increase. Adding to his woes is a modest private pension that fails to deliver the retirement he envisioned.

 

 

 

Groups of British pensioners in Thailand are pushing back, urging government reform as pensioners face poverty—a plight highlighted in The Thaiger's coverage of Brits struggling in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. The UK government, however, maintains that adjusting overseas pensions would cost nearly £1 billion annually.

 

The Department for Work and Pensions reported it would take an estimated £940 million to unfreeze pensions in 2024-25. While officials insist information is clear on retirement financial impacts, Lee and others find this unsatisfactory. "We've paid in, so we deserve annual increases," he argued.

 

For expats like Lee, the reality is stark—a life of rising prices and tightened budgets, far removed from the warm retirement once imagined under the Thai sun.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-04-28

 

 

He knew the rules when he moved here. Yes it is unfair it’s about time it was challenged in the courts because there is no way any UK government is going to change the rules. Easy way round it is to keep a Uk address like a lot of expats in Thailand do like a family member or a friends address. 🤷🏼

[BritManToo]

32 minutes ago, loogkreung said:

As pensioners abroad aren’t putting any of that money back into the UK economy, I think the government are being more than generous.

I don't know about other pensioners, but I'm paying around 2,000 pounds a year to HMRC.

[Blueman1]

2 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

 

There's no pleasing you is there? 🤣

No M8, There isn't !!

[Reddavy]

7 minutes ago, simon43 said:

My (reduced-29 years) UK state pension starts in 6 weeks from now 🙂  About 40,000 baht/month. 

 

On that sum I am able to rent a decent car, a condo by Jomtien Beach, another house (maybe on Koh Phangan - Chiang Mai was too smoky for me), and a $400k medical insurance cover, and still have money left over for food, drink and so on.

 

Seems to be that some people aren't able to budget....

If you can do all that on 40,000 bht per month you must be living in a dump and live on a bowl of rice a day or never go out. 

[Blueman1]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I don't know about other pensioners, but I'm paying around 2,000 pounds a year to HMRC.

Well Yer MUST Be EARNING Some Cash then M8 ??

[cardinalblue]

I am not going to quibble. Living in Thailand is 1/5 of the cost of living in the USA. The US does adjust for COLA regardless of overseas living so we are lucky. I do understand why countries don't give adjustments. We are talking big money savings to those countries given it is so much cheaper to live overseas...  

[thesetat]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Not the Christopher Lee ,I knew , We all would like more pension ,but the Government

won't give it ,they need the money for all the immigrants ,but Chris knew coming here

what the situation was , myself I get 90 quid a week ,because I retired early ,it is what

it is , no way is the Government going to help us ,it's like out of sight out of mind , 

 

regards Worgeordie

I agree... They moved here knowing the situation already. Why now, when the cost of living is increasing, do they post stupid whining OPs to the news when they agree to accept it by leaving and coming to thailand previously. 

[Trip Hop]

5 minutes ago, GarryP said:

After checking the https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record website, I learned that I could back pay 6 years. I then contacted HMRC and submitted an application to back pay. However, when I received the approval and detailed letter on amount to be back paid, I was allowed to back pay 17 years. Definitely worth it in my case. Now paying annually and only for a few more years. Definitely worth the investment in my case, as it is a great return on investment frozen or not.  

 

Don't make the mistake of back paying for any more than 35 years in total though as that is the amount for maximum state pension.

[Negita43]

The problem with the UK pension system is that it is not "funded " it is paid for out of current taxation. And given the ageing population until a Government (of any persuasion) grasps that nettle (and the population below a certain age understands the long term issue for them) things can only get worse.

[connda]

Sorry.  No tears from this Yank.  My pension from a DOE contractor is the same now as it was 18 years ago.  Does anyone want to write a sob-story news article about me?  "No?" Didn't think so.  Well, I'm not a retired banker.  Maybe that's it. 🤔

[Reddavy]

6 minutes ago, Blueman1 said:

You are Incorrect on that M8.....

No he’s not. I waited 2 years for my problem. The NHS is now overun with illegals and strikes it’s become a joke

[sandyf]

22 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Fortunately I have two other pensions that are index linked.

One of the greatest acts of discrmination perpetrated by the UK government was "contracting out". Parliament passed an arrangement that benefitted them and only part of the UK population. Under the scheme, the government allowed the "select" to put part of their NI contributions into an occupational/private pension scheme. In 1989 they even bribed some to contract out.

Those that could do so, now get the returns from that part of their NI index liked globally. Those not allowed to contract out had to remain in the government second state pension and then be faced with it being frozen in certain jurisdictions.

[Trip Hop]

3 minutes ago, Blueman1 said:

Well Yer MUST Be EARNING Some Cash then M8 ??

 

Not really, total taxable income of about £23k I estimate.

[Reddavy]

Just now, connda said:

Sorry.  No tears from this Yank.  My pension from a DOE contractor is the same now as it was 18 years ago.  Does anyone want to write a sob-story news article about me?  "No?" Didn't think so.  Well, I'm not a retired banker.  Maybe that's it. 🤔

No just a whinging yank 🤷🏼

[Blueman1]

2 minutes ago, Reddavy said:

No he’s not. I waited 2 years for my problem. The NHS is now overun with illegals and strikes it’s become a joke

Well My Ex-Doctor gave me FALSE Info, I Was only quoting what he told me....

[Nick Carter icp]

10 minutes ago, Blueman1 said:

You are Incorrect on that M8.....

 

  I have friends in the UK on wating lists for treatment and their appointment is in over a years time .

   Some wait years for an operation 

[Blueman1]

2 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

 

Not really, total taxable income of about £23k I estimate.

That's Only 20k MORE Than I get....FFS !!

[Blueman1]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  I have friends in the UK on wating lists for treatment and their appointment is in over a years time .

   Some wait years for an operation 

Again I Refer to my Earlier Answer my Ex-Doctor gave me, But then Again that was about 8 / 9 Years Ago......

[GarryP]

1 minute ago, Trip Hop said:

 

Don't make the mistake of back paying for any more than 35 years in total though as that is the amount for maximum state pension.

I can't anyway. I've been here since 1982, with only a 6 month break back in the UK in 84 . I've 23 years on record (18 of which were back paid) and can only pay for the next 5 years, which will bring me to 28 years. Then I will be entitled to 184.20 quid a week according to the latest update. 

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, Blueman1 said:

Well Yer MUST Be EARNING Some Cash then M8 ??

I retired from full time work over 25 years ago.

Did a bit of part time for another 6 years (60 days/year).

Done nothing at all for the past 18 years.

[Nick Carter icp]

Just now, Blueman1 said:

Again I Refer to my Earlier Answer my Ex-Doctor gave me, But then Again that was about 8 / 9 Years Ago......

 

   You can see a G.P immediately who would then refer you to a hospital for treatment, that hospital treatment could take years to actually get an appointment .

   G.P - Immediately .

  Hospital treatment - Years

[sandyf]

13 minutes ago, lavender19 said:

This has been going on for years here. A friend of mine from Samui took it to the court of human rights a few years back. It was thrown out. So you have no chance with the bunch of #*"ts that are in at the moment 

Not surprising. the Carson case from 2002 was based on human rights and failed.

The strongest case would be under the current equality laws with personal circumstances a significant factor.

The discrimination has been more definitive against some more than others.