Should I return to the UK - difficult decision!

[simon43]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Which agent?

The one near Big C, with letters K and V, owner died some months ago.

 

This may mean that I would need to jump through hoops to renew my visa, (since I don't have 800k in the bank).  Quite honestly, I can't be bothered to jump and would either move to Cambodia/PI or go back to the UK 🙂

[CHdiver]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

The one near Big C, with letters K and V, owner died some months ago.

 

This may mean that I would need to jump through hoops to renew my visa, (since I don't have 800k in the bank).  Quite honestly, I can't be bothered to jump and would either move to Cambodia/PI or go back to the UK 🙂

There are others still capable to do it. Now doing it in Bangkok. Price went up a couple of 1000 Baht. AFAIK the one on Post Office (Manerat) would be a good start.

[Celsius]

2 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   You were always going on about earning US $ 3000 a month and putting $2000 a month away in savings .

   Was you exaggerating your income ?

 

I think he has savings. Probably a bunch he'll keep in a foreign bank account far from the dirty tax man so he can get extra benefits and that is okay.

[simon43]

A plus point about being a pensioner in the UK is the number of discounts that are provided.  I did a quick check of what discounts are available if I were to live in the Somerset locality:

 

- Rent paid up to 600 pounds/month

- Council tax fully paid

- Free optician checks, discounted glasses

- Free NHS dental

- Free prescription medicines

- Free off-peak bus travel in Somerset
- Discounted train travel
- Wessex water and Bristol water pensioner discount
- Broadband discount

- Possible electricity discount and winter payment (maybe!)

 

I think the biggest possible utility bill would be for electric heating.

 

Private medical insurance (UK cover) is cheaper than what I pay now....

 

Something I checked was the price of food in Tesco's.  Similar to what I experienced when I stayed in Blackpool a few years ago, the prices for healthy food are comparable to Thailand.  Healthy food means vegetables, fruit, salads, grain bread etc.  The price of processed krap was more expensive than Thailand.

 

I only eat healthy food!

 

Now what other expenses would there be?

[GanDoonToonPet]

25 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Rent paid up to 600 pounds/month

 

Rent must be expensive in Somerset. The Local Housing Allowance for Teesside is £94.36 per week or about £400 a month. A decent 1 bedroom flat, not in the ghetto, costs £500+ a month.

 

I didn't know about the utilities and broadband discount...have to look into that.

[jori123]

On 6/30/2025 at 3:25 PM, simon43 said:

A plus point about being a pensioner in the UK is the number of discounts that are provided.  I did a quick check of what discounts are available if I were to live in the Somerset locality:

 

- Rent paid up to 600 pounds/month

- Council tax fully paid

- Free optician checks, discounted glasses

- Free NHS dental

- Free prescription medicines

- Free off-peak bus travel infree hearing tests plus hearing aids free Somerset
- Discounted train travel
- Wessex water and Bristol water pensioner discount
- Broadband discount

- Possible electricity discount and winter payment (maybe!)

 

I think the biggest possible utility bill would be for electric heating.

 

Private medical insurance (UK cover) is cheaper than what I pay now....

 

Something I checked was the price of food in Tesco's.  Similar to what I experienced when I stayed in Blackpool a few years ago, the prices for healthy food are comparable to Thailand.  Healthy food means vegetables, fruit, salads, grain bread etc.  The price of processed krap was more expensive than Thailand.

 

I only eat healthy food!

 

Now what other expenses would there be?

these things are true,hearing tests/aids are free   after retirement ,get sick,450 quid tax free,plus another 400 taxable,500 quid here and there thrown in.   Jobs all over the place   13 quid an hour,food to die for  and England this time of year is beautiful,truly outstanding,Thailand is good,but it ain't that good,charity shops in uk,  just bought top of range TV,  43 quid,few months old/merino wool coats   2 of em 10 quid each,loads of the stuff  at give away prices..........any way back to Th next few days 580 quid return  stay for couple of months,then back to blighty.........off to Tommy Robinson themed rally on Saturday..... good for bit of whatever.pint of Guinness  3 pounds 20 ,...not bad

[jts-khorat]

On 6/26/2025 at 12:36 PM, xylophone said:

My 10 penneth for what it's worth: –

Would your lung condition improve if you were by the seaside, either here or in the UK?

 

I think this is the most important consideration; will moving back actually improve anything?

 

You do have insurance, so finding out if it would pay in Thailand for your condition would be an essential first step before any decision.

 

I had to, after 15 years in Thailand, move back to Germany for work reasons, and as others have reported, the reverse culture shock was very severe. I also moved into a region far away from mountains, large lakes or the ocean, so it made it very difficult for me at first to find good hobbies outside. In my case it was necessary and unavoidable, but I would give my right arm to be back in Thailand if I could simply choose and not need to care about my dependents.

 

You seem to have that covered, but I would at least as a thought experiment widen the potential places to "go back" to: does it really have to be the UK, or is another place nearby not also possible, which has benefitial weather for your sickness while at the same time offering a quality of life not much different to Thailand (Cyprus, Malta?).

 

And maybe you do not even need to go that far; I lived in Phuket, as you did before as well, and never even noticed burning season; so maybe Laos climate is not good for you, but moving back to Phuket or Krabi might just do the trick, if even just for a few more years (close to hostitals, air not as bad).

 

In the end it is necessary to have a well-thought out Plan B, so moving back before becoming immobile or too frail to handle the stress of resettlement, but from all your posts I have read, this seems not quite the age or state you are in yet. You seem however, just my impression, to be in a financial situation that reversing your decision might be difficult, so I would not hasten any decision unduly, until you are really 100% sure it is the right step.

 

Edit: @simon reading further down the thread, of course you came to much the same wisdom as I; still, I ölet the post stand as is, because you might not be the only one in a similar istuation.

[simon43]

^^^

Thanks for your thoughtful comments!

 

Right now, I live at Khanom Beach in south Thailand, and the healthy salty air is excellent for my lungs.  So my present location is good, the house rent is cheap and so on.

 

But as a single person, I have no support net, and so I am considering the worst case 'what if?" scenario, if my physical or mental health gets worst, or if the means to legally stay in Thailand (long term visa etc), becomes more difficult.

 

Of course, such a scenario might never happen, and I'm worrying about nothing.

 

As far as moving back to the UK is concerned, there are good points in respect of costs and discounts for retirees.  But one factor which might hinder my return is rented accommodation.  No, not the rental price, but the availability of accommodation.  My investigations over the past few weeks indicates a great shortage of suitable accommodation, with 'basic' properties being rented at crazy rental rates.  I can afford this, but I know that I would not be getting value for money.  I had forgotten how 'boring' most UK properties actually are in their design, with bland exteriors and no individuality.  It seems that for every property that is advertised for rent, there are literally dozens of people queuing to rent it!  no wonder landlords are converting garden sheds into rented accommodation...

 

I'm at the end of the queue for renting these properties because I have no credit score.  This is because the credit agencies only keep records for 6 years....  I would have to return to the UK, rent an Airbnb, rent a car to visit properties, and then try to persuade the landlord to rent to me.  Difficult but not impossible of course.

[BritManToo]

15 hours ago, jts-khorat said:

In the end it is necessary to have a well-thought out Plan B, so moving back before becoming immobile or too frail to handle the stress of resettlement, but from all your posts I have read, this seems not quite the age or state you are in yet. You seem however, just my impression, to be in a financial situation that reversing your decision might be difficult, so I would not hasten any decision unduly, until you are really 100% sure it is the right step.

My plan B is death.

[simon43]

Were I to move back to live in the UK, and were I to find it totally unsuitable, a move back to south-east Asia would be relatively easy, since I know the ins and outs of living here.  If I were unable to afford a Thai visa, then there is always Cambodia or Laos.  Realistically, no destination is perfect and I must accept compromise.

 

The UK rental market is relatively unregulated and there is always a risk that rental prices in the UK might rise so much that I'm forced out....

[Bannoi]

Could you not try it for a few months maybe get a winter let in the South West Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.

 

There are a lot of holiday apartments and houses that may give you a decent price for a few months out of season, that would give you a chance to see if you really want to move back it would also let you look for something more permanent and register with a doctor, start building a credit score get on the electoral register get your pension up to date even get pension credit if applicable.

 

Maybe even go to the local council when the lease is up and tell them you are about to be made homeless I may be wrong but I think they have to find accommodation for anyone about to be made homeless if you were lucky you could possibly get a council property which would  alleviate your concern about the UK rental market.

 

I live on the sw coast now and like do a bit of sea fishing I can't remember the last time a bought fish in a shop and there are plenty of very cheap flights to Europe Spain, Portugal, Malta, Canary Islands, Morocco, Balearic  Islands, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey etc. from local airports Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth if you fancy a trip for a few days or weeks some are as little as £30 return.

 

If its any help I'm pushing 80 and moving back was one of my better ideas I don't regret it.

 

 

 

 

 

[simon43]

39 minutes ago, Bannoi said:

Could you not try it for a few months maybe get a winter let in the South West Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.

 

There are a lot of holiday apartments and houses that may give you a decent price for a few months out of season, that would give you a chance to see if you really want to move back it would also let you look for something more permanent and register with a doctor, start building a credit score get on the electoral register get your pension up to date even get pension credit if applicable.

 

Maybe even go to the local council when the lease is up and tell them you are about to be made homeless I may be wrong but I think they have to find accommodation for anyone about to be made homeless if you were lucky you could possibly get a council property which would  alleviate your concern about the UK rental market.

 

I live on the sw coast now and like do a bit of sea fishing I can't remember the last time a bought fish in a shop and there are plenty of very cheap flights to Europe Spain, Portugal, Malta, Canary Islands, Morocco, Balearic  Islands, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey etc. from local airports Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth if you fancy a trip for a few days or weeks some are as little as £30 return.

 

If its any help I'm pushing 80 and moving back was one of my better ideas I don't regret it.

 

 

 

Thanks for your comments!  Actually, I did return to the UK (Blackpool) 2.5 years ago in the winter for a few months.  I stayed in a cheap hotel.  Despite the 'horror stories' on You Tube about Blackpool, I found it quite reasonable, nice beach, healthy walking, healthy food at the same price as Thailand 🙂  So I'm fairly confident that were I to return permanently to the UK, all would be fine.

 

I'm already registered with a GP and on the ER in Blackpool, and with a basic UK bank account, but I prefer to live permanently in the south-west where my family comes from.

 

I already receive a UK pension, and legally will also receive about 550 pounds/month as Pension Credit.  Financially, I don't need this to be able to afford to rent a property, so I'm not being restricted by financial reasons - it's more to do with the lack of rental suitable properties for a retired single person.

 

To sort this out, I do need to return to the UK and to bite the bullet and stay in an expensive Airbnb and rent an expensive car for transport while I find a suitable property to rent.  But once rented, and with the pension credit as well, things will get much easier 🙂

[Bannoi]

5 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Thanks for your comments!  Actually, I did return to the UK (Blackpool) 2.5 years ago in the winter for a few months.  I stayed in a cheap hotel.  Despite the 'horror stories' on You Tube about Blackpool, I found it quite reasonable, nice beach, healthy walking, healthy food at the same price as Thailand 🙂  So I'm fairly confident that were I to return permanently to the UK, all would be fine.

 

I'm already registered with a GP and on the ER in Blackpool, and with a basic UK bank account, but I prefer to live permanently in the south-west where my family comes from.

 

I already receive a UK pension, and legally will also receive about 550 pounds/month as Pension Credit.  Financially, I don't need this to be able to afford to rent a property, so I'm not being restricted by financial reasons - it's more to do with the lack of rental suitable properties for a retired single person.

 

To sort this out, I do need to return to the UK and to bite the bullet and stay in an expensive Airbnb and rent an expensive car for transport while I find a suitable property to rent.  But once rented, and with the pension credit as well, things will get much easier 🙂

Best of luck if I can help in any way PM me.

[simon43]

24 minutes ago, Bannoi said:

Best of luck if I can help in any way PM me.

Where do you live in the south-west?  Got a spare room? 🙂  (or know someone with a house to rent)?

[Bannoi]

On 7/4/2025 at 4:37 AM, simon43 said:

Where do you live in the south-west?  Got a spare room? 🙂  (or know someone with a house to rent)?

Sorry I don't have any room. If I hear of anything I'll let you know by PM

[simon43]

7 hours ago, Bannoi said:

Sorry I don't have any room. If I hear of anything I'll let you know by PM

Lol, I was joking!!  I'm waiting on replies from several properties for rent on the rightmove website

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 2:31 PM, proton said:

 

Yes i'd like to know, but they do in Thailand water people sorted out our leaks. The bin men here are 10x better than any in the UK. They take anything, including garden waste and even a front door once, try that back home! No collection every 2 weeks and being fined for the wrong thing in the wrong bin. Some areas of the UK are still nice, but for how long, they are even building a mosque in the Lake district.

What other country in the world would allow mosques to be built all over the place for a race that is full of terrorism especially after they killed around 50 people in London about 20 years ago. If something happened similar to the twin towers in America, I bet the UK would still allow these mosques to be built.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 2:45 PM, BritManToo said:

UK 15 miles to my nearest town, no bus service, 40 quid in a taxi.

Thailand, 12Km to Chiang Mai moat, 20bht on a Songtaw.

 

I'm not sure why you're all bigging up the UK, it was never that great.

Just work and quiet desperation.

Couldn't even go cycling, cos it rained nearly every day and I was only 3Km from the Camel trail.

As far as I'm concerned, the only bigging up in the UK is health problems turning up in your old age, you will get looked after, what will happen in Thailand if you have no medical insurance?Even if you have there is no guarantee of a pay out when you think of all the exclusions.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 3:36 PM, youreavinalaff said:

I agree. I could quite easily have pointed out our home in Thailand is a 1.5km walk to the nearest public transport, despite only being 10kms from town. Nothing after 5pm.

 

In UK, buses go past our home, £2 per journey. Buses run until midnight.

 

 

Bus pass for over 60's?

[Upnotover]

3 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Bus pass for over 60's?

In Scotland, Wales and London yes.  In the rest of England you have to wait for your pension, miserable g*ts.

[BritManToo]

49 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

As far as I'm concerned, the only bigging up in the UK is health problems turning up in your old age, you will get looked after, what will happen in Thailand if you have no medical insurance?Even if you have there is no guarantee of a pay out when you think of all the exclusions.

I never worry about medical insurance, don't have any insurance that isn't required by law.

 

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 3:46 PM, BE88 said:

Difficult decision because there are many components that can arrive and that have not been taken into account, but I think that if you want to return to your country of origin and not to be excluded for anyone but remaining open to a possible return to Thailand if the expectations that you meet in your country of origin after a certain time are not as you thought because many things have changed very quickly in recent years in many cases for the worse> Personally I have decided to stay in Thailand but no one can predict the future.

 Just suppose a pensioner arrived at a UK airport from Thailand and was almost broke and had nowhere to stay? Would he get an automatic hotel room etc? Don't get me started about the boat people.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 4:11 PM, Stocky said:

I have a Wrinkly Pass for West Midlands transport, gives me free travel after 9:30am weekdays and all day weekends and bank holidays, on all buses, trains and trams within the West Midlands.

Buses and trams yes, but trains?? Also these passes are only if you have a permanent UK address. If one is living here legally then will the DWP not cancel your bus pass.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 4:37 PM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

I dont not give a rat's rear end what you do. 

That is a terrible answer to a decent poster who has set up a very interesting topic.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/27/2025 at 7:03 PM, swissie said:

Of importance: Airlines do not fly out persons in a "critical healt condition".

 

What would you describe as a critical health condition? If a person is able to walk properly and speak clearly, who is going to know what condition your health is in? Certainly not any of the airline staff.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/30/2025 at 3:54 PM, simon43 said:

I'm a country lad - lived in Dunster (Somerset) previously.  One point to consider is that while UK rent is high, I would receive (no ifs and buts - it's a means-tested benefit) about 600 quid a month in housing benefit, because I'm a pensioner and I have bugger-all savings.  Therefore, I could reasonably afford to rent a flat for say 800 quid a month, which gets a nice 1-bedroom rural property in Somerset near the sea.

 

This is the benefit of having no savings.....

But you can have savings if you want, it is how you handle them that counts. If I had to go back to the UK to stay I would have about 2000GBP in my UK bank. 1000Baht in one of my Thai banks, I guess you know the rest.

Not that long ago I had nearly all my life savings in my UK bank, but I am getting older now and have to prepare to go back to the UK to stay if my health fails me.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/30/2025 at 9:25 PM, simon43 said:

A plus point about being a pensioner in the UK is the number of discounts that are provided.  I did a quick check of what discounts are available if I were to live in the Somerset locality:

 

- Rent paid up to 600 pounds/month

- Council tax fully paid

- Free optician checks, discounted glasses

- Free NHS dental

- Free prescription medicines

- Free off-peak bus travel in Somerset
- Discounted train travel
- Wessex water and Bristol water pensioner discount
- Broadband discount

- Possible electricity discount and winter payment (maybe!)

 

I think the biggest possible utility bill would be for electric heating.

 

Private medical insurance (UK cover) is cheaper than what I pay now....

 

Something I checked was the price of food in Tesco's.  Similar to what I experienced when I stayed in Blackpool a few years ago, the prices for healthy food are comparable to Thailand.  Healthy food means vegetables, fruit, salads, grain bread etc.  The price of processed krap was more expensive than Thailand.

 

I only eat healthy food!

 

Now what other expenses would there be?

As a state OAP, if I was living in the UK right now there is no way I would be choosing to eat or heat, I would not starve and I would not freeze, I will find some way round it as I have done all my adult life.

[NoshowJones]

On 6/29/2025 at 9:03 PM, simon43 said:

There is also the issue of the UK state pension.  This is frozen in Thailand, but that can be resolved by relocating to the Philippines.  But what if some future UK government tries to reduce expenditure by stopping state pensions for all expats.  (Don't think it won't happen - it's one big pozi scheme...).

 

I still have other income sources, but I don't expect to be teaching science online when I'm 80 years old....  If my state pension were stopped, then I would be forced to return to the UK, whether I wanted to or not.

 

So many unknowns and 'what ifs'....

Your state pension cannot be reduced or stopped, it says so in the DWP website although it can be suspended, ie if you don't have an up to date Proof of life certificate.

[simon43]

I asked ChatGPT about this.  The answer is very interesting and informative:

 

Will I be financially better off living as a pensioner in the UK, (and receiving my UK state pension, housing benefit and other benefits that state pensioners are entitled to), or living in Thailand?

 

ChatGPT said:

Simon, the decision between living as a pensioner in the UK or in Thailand depends on a few key financial factors. Here's a direct comparison to help you decide where you'd likely be better off financially, focusing on income, living costs, benefits, and other considerations.

---

🇬🇧 Living in the UK as a Pensioner

Income

• UK State Pension (2025 full rate): ~£221.20/week → ~£11,500/year (before tax)

• Pension Credit: Topped up to ~£218.15/week (if your pension is low)

• Housing Benefit or Universal Credit: May cover part or all of your rent if you rent

• Winter Fuel Payment: Up to £600 per year

• Free NHS healthcare

• Other perks: Free travel passes, council tax reduction, etc.

Expenses

• Accommodation: Rent is high unless you own your home or qualify for Housing Benefit

• Utilities & food: Higher than Thailand

• Council tax: Can be reduced or waived depending on income

• Transport: Free or reduced with pensioner travel cards

Bottom line: If you are low-income, the UK government heavily subsidises your living, especially with housing, healthcare, and top-ups.

---

🇹🇭 Living in Thailand as a UK Pensioner

Income

• UK State Pension: Still ~£11,500/year (BUT it will not increase each year—frozen at the rate you first receive it there)

• No UK pension-related benefits: No Housing Benefit, no Winter Fuel, no Pension Credit, etc.

• Private pension? Only personal pensions or other income you bring

• Exchange rate risk: Pound vs. Baht fluctuates

Expenses

• Accommodation: Much cheaper than the UK. You could rent a modest place for £150–£300/month

• Utilities, food, internet: Much cheaper than in the UK

• Healthcare: Not free. You’ll need private insurance or pay out of pocket

  • Decent Thai private healthcare is good, but costs can rise with age

  • No free NHS access unless you return to the UK

• Visa fees: Annual retirement visa (~£50–£200), plus financial proof or income

Bottom line: If you’re healthy, don’t need UK benefits, and have a modest lifestyle, your UK pension stretches much further in Thailand.

---

🔍 Summary Table

Factor	UK	Thailand
State Pension	✅ Yes (annual increase)	✅ Yes (frozen)
Pension Credit	✅ Yes	❌ No
Housing Benefit	✅ Possibly full rent covered	❌ No
Healthcare	✅ Free NHS	❌ Private, out of pocket or insured
Cost of Living	❌ High	✅ Low
Climate & Lifestyle	❌ Cold, variable	✅ Warm, relaxed
Exchange Rate Risk	❌ Not applicable	⚠️ Yes
Visa Requirements	✅ Citizen	❌ Annual renewal + financial requirement

 

---

🧾 Final Thoughts

• If you need help with rent and have no other income, you will likely be better off in the UK with state top-ups and housing support.

• If you are reasonably healthy, don’t qualify for Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, and want a better quality of life on a tight budget, then Thailand might be better financially.

• However, factor in healthcare, which can become a major cost as you age.

 

 

 

In other words, for my own financial and medical circumstances, I should return to the UK 🙂

[NoshowJones]

On 7/4/2025 at 7:58 AM, simon43 said:

Were I to move back to live in the UK, and were I to find it totally unsuitable, a move back to south-east Asia would be relatively easy, since I know the ins and outs of living here.  If I were unable to afford a Thai visa, then there is always Cambodia or Laos.  Realistically, no destination is perfect and I must accept compromise.

 

The UK rental market is relatively unregulated and there is always a risk that rental prices in the UK might rise so much that I'm forced out....

Are there not laws to prevent OAP's being evicted from their homes?