1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

UK tax law,

Money sourced in the UK is taxed in the UK.

 

Thai tax law, (currently under legislation)

No money earned outside Thailand in 2024 or 2025 and remitted to Thailand in 2024 or 2025 is liable to taxation in Thailand.

Not all true personal allowance in the UK is not taxed

20 minutes ago, offset said:

Not all true personal allowance in the UK is not taxed

Income from shares or investments can be classed as " Disregarded income " and so not liable for UK income tax for non residents. This only applies for full tax years ( ie. split years don`t count ). Income from property is still taxable .

On 8/21/2025 at 4:17 PM, FriscoKid said:

Thank you for that information.

 

This is continuing off-topic, but I am curious about UK state pensions, so I am just looking for some clarification for my own personal knowledge.

 

It was my understanding that if you are a UK citizen receiving a UK state pension, the payments would only be deposited into a UK bank account by the UK government. Then, if you are living in Thailand, it is your responsibility to transfer the money yourself. That is why many people living in Thailand on a UK pension use services like Wise to save on bank wire fees when sending money from a UK bank to a Thai bank account.

 

From what you are saying, though, it seems that it is not necessary to do that and the UK will transfer a state pension directly to an account in Thailand. Is that correct?

 

Also, from what I have been reading on this topic, the main reason people transfer the pension first to a UK account is not because the UK government requires it, but because doing so ensures that you continue to receive pension increases over time. If you transfer the state pension directly from the UK government to a Thai bank account, you may lose the opportunity for your UK state pension to increase over time. Is that correct or incorrect?

 

I shall try to answer you as per my experience and knowledge.  On reaching retiring age (then 65 years) the Department of Works & Pensions (DWP) initially sent to me in France monthly cheques in GBP which I forwarded to my RBS current account in the UK.  At the same time they continually demanded to know the references for my French bank current account, as they wished to pay into that.

 

I did not want it paid there as I was spending half of each year in Thailand and did not wish to be obliged to convert all of my pension into Euros and then half of that into Thai Baht.  So I withheld the details, and they continued to send me the cheques.  Until shortly before my next trip to Thailand when I informed them that I would be absent from France for six months and that upon my return half of their cheques (of 3-month validity) would be useless, so I would have to return them for replacement.  They responded by paying my pension into my UK bank account.

 

And thankfully so.  Because on 01 January 2021 a new EU rule came into effect making it obligatory for online access to an account that the bank in question forward a security code by SMS which the account holder then enters on the bank's web-page (after submission of I/D and password) for access to one's accounts.

 

The RBS has long required this and on arrival in Thailand I ring them up to request change of my mobile number to that of my Thai portable.  After giving satisfactory answers to a couple of pre-arranged security questions, this change is immediately effected.

 

Not so the French bank, which required that I present myself in person to make the request.  This was impossible because of the scamdemic restrictions on travel.  Not to mention the huge cost of covering huge distances to make the request in person.  All appeals, both by telephone and in writing to the local branch, to the Regional Head Office, and to an office supposedly dealing with complaints, were either brushed aside or more usually ignored.  And that has remained the case to this day.

 

Scamdemic over, ill-health prevented making the journey until a hospital operation by a vein surgeon last year.  Due to fly from Suvarnabhumi 21st June, but shortly before, fell over backwards breaking an arm on the edge of a steel storage-box.  Now hopefully going next year.

 

Note that I am above referring to the DWP pension paid to those who have contributed to National Insurance (in my case in large part through "Voluntary Contributions" when overseas) on the assumption that that is what you mean by "state pension".  Not to be confused with Civil Service and Military Pensions, which are a lot more generous and subject to different conditions.

 

Some people with UK bank accounts AND a UK address of some kind may be able to persuade the DWP that they are still resident in the UK, and this could be valid if they spend a substantial part of each year in the UK.  And therefore receive the annual increment in pension.

 

I was in this category when essentially resident in France, but visiting Thailand.  I came unstuck when British Airways cancelled my return flight of 15/16th May 2020 and asked me to book another.  Which I did.  But later that was cancelled.  Then I booked a third time, departure scheduled 30th June 2020.  But that too was cancelled.  Next day, 1st July: countrywide lockdown - international passenger flights banned and borders closed.  So no annual increment of the pension.

 

Potential solution:  move to the Phillipines.  But difficult to uproot oneself at my age, to plunge into the unknown, leaving behind supportive friends who are like family.