Retired British Nationals In Thailand: The British Embassy Wants To Hear Your Views

[Spalpeen]

I would warn any ex pat Brits to be VERY careful answring those questions.

They say its anonymous but the questions are phrased in such a way that it would be very easy to see exactly who worte it unless you give a load of nonsense in which case whats the point.

There is more to this than meets the eye in my opinion.

They dont want your views they want to see how many pensions they can turn off or freeze and any potential tax dodgers etc.

Finding out whose where and what they have and perhaps how did they accomplish it.

Nailed it ! That's exactly what it's about.

[F1fanatic]

ALL British government offices are very helpful as long as you meet the criteria.

1. Unemployed (preferably your whole working life).

2. Have a criminal record.

3. Have at least six kids by five different fathers.

4. Asylum seeker.

Note if you have worked all your life and contributed to the system then go away, we need your money for the above.

Your prejudices are showing .

Living abroad you stand FAR more chance of receiving help from the Embassy if you are rich and influential.... And now my prejudices are showing !

The British government doesn't care about those who retire abroad - otherwise they wouldn't 'freeze' the statutory state pension if you move to a non-EU country.

I agree with the 'paranoid' posters - if they really gave a monkey's about us they would a) allow us to renew our passports here and allow us the same inflation increases as those living in the UK or EU.

Instead, they are making it more difficult to renew our passports abroad and have no intention of allowing us any state pension inflation increases.

What REALLY gets to me though, is that even though I pay UK tax on my private pension - I'm not entitled to NHS care etc.....

[nong38]

Tried to fill it in, the form didn't work properly, should have been a simple on-line one shouldn't it !

But they could do worse than start a thread on TV, and look at the responses, here are mine ...

1. I want to be able to renew my passport in the UK, at the cheaper locals-price, why am I not legally allowed to ?

2. I want to be able to drop-off my passport-renewal & fee at my local Consulate, why can't I ?

3. I want the same pension as the UK-based pensioners, I paid for it, I never said you could freeze it ! You can keep the bus-pass.

4. I want to thank the helpful local Consulate-staff here in Chiang Mai !

5. I want to be able to register my postal-vote, in UK national-elections, by popping-into my local Consulate, and showing my passport !

... Who is the MP representing us 5 million overseas British-citizens ?

6. Please stop all these riots, it embarrasses us overseas-Brits no-end, as people here think we're like that !

7. Get the British Pound-Sterling back up to a decent level again !

8. Tattoo "Prudence" on Gordon Brown's forehead, so he never forgets, I certainly never will !

9. Boris for Prime Minister, let's have some fun, in UK political-life ! It's all a joke anyway innit ?

10. Ban MPs from charging the nation for the duck-houses on their moats, it gives Thai MPs too many ideas !

Toodle Pip !

Top hole old boy, with you all the way on that. Why dont you apply for political asylum, amass a small fortune, then form a political party for the Pensioners of the old UK. I will be your minister for pensions, how much would you like chaps?

Edited September 12, 2011 by nong38

[Ricardo]

Tried to fill it in, the form didn't work properly, should have been a simple on-line one shouldn't it !

But they could do worse than start a thread on TV, and look at the responses, here are mine ...

1. I want to be able to renew my passport in the UK, at the cheaper locals-price, why am I not legally allowed to ?

2. I want to be able to drop-off my passport-renewal & fee at my local Consulate, why can't I ?

3. I want the same pension as the UK-based pensioners, I paid for it, I never said you could freeze it ! You can keep the bus-pass.

4. I want to thank the helpful local Consulate-staff here in Chiang Mai !

5. I want to be able to register my postal-vote, in UK national-elections, by popping-into my local Consulate, and showing my passport !

... Who is the MP representing us 5 million overseas British-citizens ?

6. Please stop all these riots, it embarrasses us overseas-Brits no-end, as people here think we're like that !

7. Get the British Pound-Sterling back up to a decent level again !

8. Tattoo "Prudence" on Gordon Brown's forehead, so he never forgets, I certainly never will !

9. Boris for Prime Minister, let's have some fun, in UK political-life ! It's all a joke anyway innit ?

10. Ban MPs from charging the nation for the duck-houses on their moats, it gives Thai MPs too many ideas !

Toodle Pip !

Top hole old boy, with you all the way on that. Why dont you apply for political asylum, amass a small fortune, then form a political party for the Pensioners of the old UK. I will be your minister for pensions, how much would you like chaps?

I think we ought to be just as poorly rewarded, as the average MP, or to put it another way, "fill yer boots, lads !".

And I already managed to "amass a small fortune", I earned a slightly-bigger one, then put it in British & US & European stocks & bonds !

Sick joke, innit ?

[jimbeam1]

I would warn any ex pat Brits to be VERY careful answring those questions.

They say its anonymous but the questions are phrased in such a way that it would be very easy to see exactly who worte it unless you give a load of nonsense in which case whats the point.

There is more to this than meets the eye in my opinion.

They dont want your views they want to see how many pensions they can turn off or freeze and any potential tax dodgers etc.

Finding out whose where and what they have and perhaps how did they accomplish it.

Yes and this so soon after the census. I wonder if this applies to expats everywhere?

jb1

[cmsally]

I would say from a quick look at that form, that the Embassy is looking to create some kind of retirement/emigration consultancy service. The questions pretty much give it away. The dozy clerk that wrote it, definitely gave it away in the first sentence!

Whether they will package it as such or be behind the scenes with some "private" enterprise fronting it, remains to be seen.

[robsamui]

I thought they recruited somebody on a short term contract about a year ago to carry out a similar exercise, I wonder what happened to that?

Maybe they don't really want to know, I followed the link http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-British-nationals/living-in-thailand/what-happens-when-you-retire

And got this

404 Page Not Found

We are sorry. The page you are looking for cannot be found. It might have been removed, had its name changed, or may be temporarily unavailable.

You can return to the home page or see our travel advice, news, global issues, careers, blogs and contact us page

You can look through our archived content on The National Archives

And if you send the completed questionnaire back you'll now get a notification saying:

Out of office, mail cannot be delivered . . ."

and then the same page content as listed by the old git (!) above.

Edited September 12, 2011 by robsamui

[MaiChai]

I second the proof of residence rip off. You can go to Thai immigration and get a similar letter for free, but most of the time they make excuses because they can't be bothered to help you.

They should allow retirees to receive index linked pensions, just like onshore retirees.

Finally, they should try and deter pensioners from retiring here. Simply put, you are not treated fairly as a foreigner here, and leads to all sorts of problems when people do try and retire here.

[isanbirder]

I have sent in the questionnaire, and I think others should do so. We get nothing from our Embassy, and should take this chance of telling them what we want. There may be no result.... that I agree.... but at least we shouldn't , by not replying, effectively tell them all is well.

[theoldgit]

They should allow retirees to receive index linked pensions, just like onshore retirees.

You might want to read this thread regarding an e-petition on this subject, I apologise if you have already done so.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/498138-frozen-uk-state-pensions/

[rgs2001uk]

I second the proof of residence rip off. You can go to Thai immigration and get a similar letter for free, but most of the time they make excuses because they can't be bothered to help you.

They should allow retirees to receive index linked pensions, just like onshore retirees.

Finally, they should try and deter pensioners from retiring here. Simply put, you are not treated fairly as a foreigner here, and leads to all sorts of problems when people do try and retire here.

Agree with the, 'they should try and deter pensioners from retiring here', if you are reliant on only the basic state pension perhaps a means test should be carried out to determine if you actually have enough to retire.

'leads to all sorts of problems when people do try and retire here,' usually caused by financial irresponsibility and a complete lack of understanding of exchange rates and inflation.

' when people do try and retire here', maybe the time has come for immigration to start asking for evidence of a medical insurance policy when expats apply for the annual extension.

I have no idea what the current pension is, I doubt very much if increasing it in line with inflation would make much difference, I remember a good few years ago many Brits living in Spain were classified as being below the poverty line.

Thailand is not a cheap place to retire to, never has been, and the ways things are going the situation will only get worse.

Off course for the many 70+ baht to the pound brigade this may come to late, the y have already made their bed.

[lovelaos]

So instead of spending 10 minutes telling them how you really feel about retiring in Thailand, you post your complaints on this forum, don't fill in the survey and then claim they are doing it for other reasons.

I hope I die before I get old.

[transam]

A wee scenario about the '' reciprocal agreement crap '', just a thought l had and what is your opinion.

Tens of thousands of foreigners enter the UK for a better life from countries that do not have the reciprocal agreement with the UK,

'' many '' work, pay taxes and national insurance and are entitled to a pension after 30 years.

Then they retire and want to put their feet up back in their homeland, seems they are stuffed, cannot go back cos their homeland isn't on the good boy's reciprocal list.

Am l right, is it unfair ?, what do you think.

[nong38]

A wee scenario about the '' reciprocal agreement crap '', just a thought l had and what is your opinion.

Tens of thousands of foreigners enter the UK for a better life from countries that do not have the reciprocal agreement with the UK,

'' many '' work, pay taxes and national insurance and are entitled to a pension after 30 years.

Then they retire and want to put their feet up back in their homeland, seems they are stuffed, cannot go back cos their homeland isn't on the good boy's reciprocal list.

Am l right, is it unfair ?, what do you think.

Reckon you are right, unless of course they say the UK govt is infringing their human rights then they might be able to go home with a full pension ( but have to promise not to tell anyone that they get an annual top up). AH Britian is full of foreigners spending our pensions and annual pension increases, what about my human rights! You are Britsh sir, you dont have any.

[transam]

A wee scenario about the '' reciprocal agreement crap '', just a thought l had and what is your opinion.

Tens of thousands of foreigners enter the UK for a better life from countries that do not have the reciprocal agreement with the UK,

'' many '' work, pay taxes and national insurance and are entitled to a pension after 30 years.

Then they retire and want to put their feet up back in their homeland, seems they are stuffed, cannot go back cos their homeland isn't on the good boy's reciprocal list.

Am l right, is it unfair ?, what do you think.

Reckon you are right, unless of course they say the UK govt is infringing their human rights then they might be able to go home with a full pension ( but have to promise not to tell anyone that they get an annual top up). AH Britian is full of foreigners spending our pensions and annual pension increases, what about my human rights! You are Britsh sir, you dont have any.

My thoughts too. We fight and die to sort out these far off countries problems but when it comes to taking care of those who did their bit the foreigner comes first cos fear of upsetting the Belgian mob.