Need to inform what UK authorities when emigrating to Thai?

[Ynys]

Lived the best part of 2 years in Thailand and now nearing 55 and a private pension. What are the UK's requirements with regards to emigrating? Which authorities to notify etc and could it interfere with any future benefits if one was to return?

[ukrules]

Keep your mouth shut and tell them nothing unless you have absolutely no other way.

Edited February 27, 2015 by ukrules

[Crossy]

There is no requirement to tell anyone anything.

If you can retain a UK address for your bank (some don't like foreign addresses) and official communications so much the better.

If you have significant taxable income you may want to investigate becoming non resident for tax, you need to talk to your accountant, but it is apparently much harder now than it was in 1994 when I did it.

Moving to Home Countries.

[Soutpeel]

your not emigrating, unless your getting PR in Thailand, and don't believe that would be the case based on what you have written

[lucifer666]

Lived here three years now ( from the UK) and i notified no one.

[steve187]

keep stum, get all d/l, insurances, bank,car reg, etc to friend/family address, settle all bills, ,council tax included, get international drivers licence, get insurance to cover you, book a return ticket with a return as far in advance as you can, ( normally not much more than a single anyway) sort out bank transfer method.

You are not emigrating, you are on a gap year, ( if an 18 year old can do it ,so can you)

Enjoy

[northernphil]

Lived here three years now ( from the UK) and i notified no one.

Much the same here. Came here on a m/cycle holiday in 2004 , missed the place big came out in 2005 with some bags packed , got an ATM card and that was that, only contact of any significance was a lawyer for the divorce. This was going to happen anyway ,the holiday here just giddy-uped things along.

[cms22]

A very bad idea. Tell them nothing. I have lived here for 16 years but have maintained a UK address (parents house) through occasional visits home. Well worth maintaining such links.

[evadgib]

Be careful; an over zealous Dr/surgery struck me off & buried my documents in a central holding area on the other side of the county after I had the stupidity courtesy to notify them of my change of address. Why I couldn't remain on their books I don't know, given I have neither emigrated nor relinquished British Citizenship and have family at my UK address.

It took several months to recover my med docs after I realized what they had done. They quoted some old chestnut about 'budget' when I challenged their decision but surely retaining patients that don't pop in that often but retain the right to do so (see opening paragraph) is financially to their advantage?

HTH

[soalbundy]

As soon as you need a letter for proof of income from the British embassy, or apply for a new passport from here or continually use an ATM to pick up money from your British bank they will know. I even had the pension people ring me up on my Thai mobile,where they got the number from i don't know.

Many years ago now a Pakistani Brit was being hunted for killing his wife and children,he ran off to Thailand, a British friend of mine living in Thailand received a phone call on his Thai mobile from the police in England asking if he knew of the whereabouts of the murderer, turns out he was in the same school as him ( the man was then 40 odd years old !!!! ) He hadn't informed the authorities that he was in Thailand either.

Scary.....yeah a bit.

Edited February 28, 2015 by soalbundy

[padsist4]

They know where you are and what your doing everything these days is on computers every year you have to fill out a form stating who resides with you and if you falsify then it's lock up time and when they decide to confront you it's pay back time it's only because of cutbacks in the uk they haven't the man power to look into it yet but they will my son at 24 spent a week over the six months in Thailand and he became a non uk citizen. I think all the expats should lobby the government not to cut our pensions just because we want to live somewhere else we paid for them so we should benefit if you go to live in the USA You still get the increases but Australia and New Zealand you don't yet these are part of the commonwealth

[Moonlover]

A British lady I once knew bought an apartment in Egypt and went to live there. Her mother went to visit, liked what she saw and decided to move out there as well. She was drawing her state pension and didn't like the idea of losing the annual increments so she used her daughter's estranged husband's address back in the UK.

All went well until the annual heating allowance was issued. There is only one payment per household and they paid it to the mother, not the husband. The hubby cried 'foul' and the brown stuff hit the fan. Luckily for her, she had not benefited from any increases and so she was let off with a stern warning and was told to 'play by the rules, or else'.

There are many ways you can be caught out when you start to try and 'beat the system' and as you have read elsewhere on this thread, their reach is long.

[awayego]

Absolutely agree with above comments - say nothing.

I made the big mistake of being open and honest ten years ago and I'm still paying for it!

NO entitlement to ANY benefits whatsoever - no free NHS health care, nothing in return for all the tax I still pay, and my state pension frozen.

I even had to battle with my bank to get my credit card renewed, in spite of being a solid and reliable customer for 50 years!

Thankfully, I can use my brother's address in UK and just updated my UK driving licence which I am not supposed to have either!

Hindsight has 20/20 vision as they say!

[Anon999]

Depends on your circumstances. If you have a house in the UK that will be rented out then HMRC will want some tax, 20% at source unless you complete a form so that it is paid at year end. It's unlikely that you will personally be looking after the property find and interviewing prospective tenants, collecting the rent and arranging for the maintenance, etc. etc. There is also the question of notifying private pension providers as you will not be living at your present address and if selling your property where will all your mail be redirected to, like P60's? Not everything can be done online. Eventually the State Pension scheme will want you to fill in a form, about a year before it is due to start.

There are of course other considerations like a Will if you have any dependants, subject to your financial circumstances. If they inherit a substantial amount then failing to inform the HMRC could prove expensive as they have world-wide rights to collect tax on your estate.

Just a few thoughts to be going on with.

[Anon999]

Absolutely agree with above comments - say nothing.

I made the big mistake of being open and honest ten years ago and I'm still paying for it!

NO entitlement to ANY benefits whatsoever - no free NHS health care, nothing in return for all the tax I still pay, and my state pension frozen.

I even had to battle with my bank to get my credit card renewed, in spite of being a solid and reliable customer for 50 years!

Thankfully, I can use my brother's address in UK and just updated my UK driving licence which I am not supposed to have either!

Hindsight has 20/20 vision as they say!

I still pay UK tax too, however, my house is rented out so HMRC were informed by the Leasing Agency.

You can still get NHS healthcare if you have an address in the UK and they must treat you now regardless, since the regulations changed.

Get my debit and cash cards changed with no problems.

Why do you need a UK driving license? You can drive in England for 1 year on a 5 year Thai Drivers license providing it is valid for at least 1 year on entry.

If you're living in LoS what benefits did you expect to get other than an increase in your State Pension?

[Anon999]

They know where you are and what your doing everything these days is on computers every year you have to fill out a form stating who resides with you and if you falsify then it's lock up time and when they decide to confront you it's pay back time it's only because of cutbacks in the uk they haven't the man power to look into it yet but they will my son at 24 spent a week over the six months in Thailand and he became a non uk citizen. I think all the expats should lobby the government not to cut our pensions just because we want to live somewhere else we paid for them so we should benefit if you go to live in the USA You still get the increases but Australia and New Zealand you don't yet these are part of the commonwealth

The question about freezing the State Pension has been all the way to the European Court and the UK government won, so no chance.

[ozyjon]

You are on holidays in Thailand, you are not Thai,

don't burn the bridges behind you, you might need

to return there in the future.

[CharlieH]

As stated above, unless you have Permanent residence status here you are not resident and never will be more than a visiting "Alien" on an extension visa, nothing more.

Its on a need to know basis, and they dont ! I have been here 10 years and told no one nothing as its none of their business as far as I am concerned.

[davidmann]

you will have to claim your pension when your 65 ,pay your NI or there cut your pension ,tell the tax people ,your accountant should do that for you

[davidmann]

A British lady I once knew bought an apartment in Egypt and went to live there. Her mother went to visit, liked what she saw and decided to move out there as well. She was drawing her state pension and didn't like the idea of losing the annual increments so she used her daughter's estranged husband's address back in the UK.

All went well until the annual heating allowance was issued. There is only one payment per household and they paid it to the mother, not the husband. The hubby cried 'foul' and the brown stuff hit the fan. Luckily for her, she had not benefited from any increases and so she was let off with a stern warning and was told to 'play by the rules, or else'.

There are many ways you can be caught out when you start to try and 'beat the system' and as you have read elsewhere on this thread, their reach is long.

YES this is true ,

[brewsterbudgen]

Although I've lived and worked here continuously for 10 years, I'm on an Extension of Stay based on work, so if I were to lose my job I'd have to return "home" to the UK (or become a tourist) 7 days later.

[DILLIGAD]

Get a new passport too.

[Ynys]

Thanks guys

Edited February 28, 2015 by Ynys

[Ynys]

M

Edited February 28, 2015 by Ynys

[Ynys]

your not emigrating, unless your getting PR in Thailand, and don't believe that would be the case based on what you have written

Mmmmmmmm. I'm looking for constructive comments on moving to Thailand immaterial of PR. Kap

[Ynys]

Thanks for the comments guys. All useful and taken on board

[Ynys]

Thanks for the comments guys. All useful and taken on board

Edited February 28, 2015 by Ynys

[Jaggg88]

Absolutely agree with above comments - say nothing.

I made the big mistake of being open and honest ten years ago and I'm still paying for it!

NO entitlement to ANY benefits whatsoever - no free NHS health care, nothing in return for all the tax I still pay, and my state pension frozen.

I even had to battle with my bank to get my credit card renewed, in spite of being a solid and reliable customer for 50 years!

Thankfully, I can use my brother's address in UK and just updated my UK driving licence which I am not supposed to have either!

Hindsight has 20/20 vision as they say!

OK lets put some old wife's tale to bed (UK only):-

1/ It's almost impossible to emigrate to Thailand as it's very difficult to obtain permanent residence or citizenship.

2/ Should you choose to permanently live abroad you no longer receive the annual increase in state pension - true if you inform them that you decided to do so but if you're not sure yet then you are not obliged to tell anybody. I used to work for the government and I can assure you the separate departments do not talk to each other unless its an investigation. Not having a UK address need not be a problem as long as you can provide an address within the EEA - this basically is the EU plus Switzerland and Gibraltar. Anybody living within the EEA gets annual pension increases.

3/ You are a British citizen but if you choose to live abroad you lose access to the NHS - true but the powers to be are discussing changing this for people who have contributed more than 35 years NI contributions. Also, if you return to live in the UK you automatically gain access to all benefits including the NHS. So just turn up and say "I used to live in Thailand but I live here now".

4/ As a British citizen you are free to travel where ever you like and stay as long as you wish. You are not obliged to inform anybody or make any decisions about how long you will be there. However, if you decide to permanently live abroad then you are obliged to inform the International Pension Office. That decision does not stop you from choosing to return to the UK or any where within the EU.

5/ The border agency does not record you leaving the UK. The information you give the airline is for security services only (API). This fact was raised on Question Time TV last week as the Border Agency do not know if people who arrive on a visa do actually leave. No check is made. So the UK government does not know when you travel abroad.

6/ Every piece of information you give the embassy is kept on file so they know everything about you (including the Thai phone numbers you give them) but as previously stated this information is only disclosed when subject to an investigation. You could try using the data protection act to see what they know about you.

7/ You can usually vote in UK elections if you move or retire abroad.

8/ For people who have to send in a tax return this can all be done online.

9/ Your UK citizenship will not be affected if you move or retire abroad.

[loppylugs1]

Why anybody chooses to have a frozen pension is beyond me,they do then start complaining about it. It all starts (and finishes) with what address the private pension provider holds,from that the HMRC will know,but they are not concerned one iota.

just before my friend died here he had done 30 odd years in Thailand the DWP required he pay back 3 years winter fuel,that is all. Once had official letter from embassy ,hand delivered wanting the locate service implemented,seems strange as trying to locate me they had the information to hand.

As for above add the UK driving licence also

[evadgib]

No one chooses to have a frozen pension! The decision was forced upon half a million entitled & fully paid up citizens simply based on their geographic location by a penny pinching govt decades ago. It will eventually be deemed illegal and corrected (HMG cannot bury their heads for much longer, given the ever increasing numbers involved and the adverse publicity generated as more of them become net savvy).

Re pers data: The latter half of para 6 of post #28 explains.

HTH

Edited March 4, 2015 by evadgib