Good News for UK expats in LOS (maybe)

Hi all

Mabe ,,,,,just mabe ,some good news on the pension front .

The proposed changes to come in being in 2015 is a flat rate for ALL of £140 per week .
At the moment the retirees in non eu places I believe only get the bascic which is about £97 ,, but if in an eu Country they get the bolt ons taking it up to about £132 for a single person.
So a nice change for us as the basic will go up about £43 per week .
It is a flat rate to be paid to all with NO bolt ons.

Now MORE good news ( mabe )
It is also proposed to be fair to the ladies who have traditionally been unable to make their full contributions because of child commitments etc ,,,,,,there will be NO specific qualifying period for them ,,,,,,( yes thats what is proposed ! ) so mabe I am looking through the old rose coloured glasses here but IF I read it correct then Thai ladies who live and work in the UK with a UK ID card / passport/ NI number / pay some NI etc like my missus does at age 65 will recieve £140 per week to,,,,, well ofcourse not just Thai ladies but for the sake of this forum you know where I am coming from .

Fingers crossed will update if and when I get any more info , or if anyone has more please add to

Cheers

Hi easterneye
Here's some more pension info:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11627636

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11619379

All the best.
Pat

Easterneye
I have read the news and it does appear that the 140 pound rate will only be payable to new pensioners who reach the retirement age only after the date of implementation in 2015. Not so good news if this is true?

Sorry mate I must have missed that bit ,,,,, I must admit I havent read it I was listening in on my radio in my lorry ,i allways listen to radio 4 in the morning ,,,,,,,,, ok well mabe good news for future expats ( like me )
All the best

easterneye wrote: At the moment the retirees in non eu places I believe only get the bascic which is about £97 ,,

Hi all. I was talking to someone the other day, who said that he knew a retirerd guy from the uk who was living on 16,000 baht a month from his pension. I wasn't sure if it was true, but if the basic pension is £97 per week, then that would be correct (about 16000baht).

I was wondering - can you live a comfortable life in Thailand on this? Does anyone do so?

Nick@AUA wrote:

easterneye wrote: At the moment the retirees in non eu places I believe only get the bascic which is about £97 ,,

Hi all. I was talking to someone the other day, who said that he knew a retirerd guy from the uk who was living on 16,000 baht a month from his pension. I wasn't sure if it was true, but if the basic pension is £97 per week, then that would be correct (about 16000baht).

I was wondering - can you live a comfortable life in Thailand on this? Does anyone do so?

I suppose it depends on what is meant by "comfortable"? Can live ? Surely, most of my neighbours, Thai's , are.

I know a lot of Thai's who live on much much less than 16,000 baht per month, but I am wondering if you know any foreigners who live on this?

I can do it for that price, being single and with no vices, but it is a frugal existence..cheap accomodation, walk everywhere, eat once a day, in reality you need money for visas, and flights in and out of the country, or to get up and over the border and back..you need some wheels to get around on, and gas to make it run..then there is the unexpected doctor or dental work, clothes you need etc etc..thats 4000 a week, some guys here drink that away in a night..maybe 4000 a month for a nice bungalow, that leaves you 12000 to cover food and everything for a month..can be done matey, but you might as well become a monk..after several months of living like that, scimping and saving every penny, you will end up like the man in the iron mask..obviously you are pension age, a time when medical things start kicking in..no if ytou can make 25000 a month, I would aim for that as a minium..only my opinion

Thanks for that. I'm sure you would need extra income, or at least some savings for a 'rainy day'. You'd pretty much have to say goodbye to regular trips 'home', nights on the town and other 'luxuries' I s'pose.

On another note, it wouldn't be enough to qualify for a retirement visa would it, so how could you stay here?

yes at 16000 to 25000 a month you more a less have to kiss alot goodbye..I was living on 6500 - 10000 a month, thats a cheap run down bungalow, the mattrass was that old and dirty I ended up sleeping on the tile floor, my back is still getting over it, and 150 a day one rice meal and two soups, and not much else, but hey I am use to living on the sniff of an oily rag, on a remote island, cooking over an open fire, and getting around looking like Robinson Crusoe..but who wants to really retire to thailand and live like that. I can do it for afew months, then it becomes like a prison sentence..best to up the anti to a more comfortable 25,000, where you have nice digs, 3 meals a day, someone to do your laundry, the odd night out with ya mates, can buy little luxuries, can relax and enjoy, take alittle bus trip to the coast or where have you....

one member here Lamhanphon, gave a costing for living a month with his wife and kid in Feb 3, 2009, all inclusive was 35000..he was renting 5000, food out 9000, food in 8600, bills 3000, school 850, medical 1400, household 4190, petrol 780, and misc 1700, or thereabouts..

if you cant get the retirement visa then you will either have to spend some months in Laos or Cambodia, because after three consec visas you have to stay out of the country for afew months before they let you back in..but Laos is nice and cheap too, six months in both countries would be a nice life, theres always Bhutan as well..or you would have to fly back home which is money again, maybe work there for six months and return..really Thailand is not a place to be living on the bones of your arse..

On a Non-Imm " O " But need to get a Multi Entry ( Not Available in Vientiane ) & Not sure if so anywhere else apart from your " Home " Country........

easterneye wrote:Hi all

Mabe ,,,,,just mabe ,some good news on the pension front .

The proposed changes to come in being in 2015 is a flat rate for ALL of £140 per week .
At the moment the retirees in non eu places I believe only get the bascic which is about £97 ,, but if in an eu Country they get the bolt ons taking it up to about £132 for a single person.
So a nice change for us as the basic will go up about £43 per week .
It is a flat rate to be paid to all with NO bolt ons.

Now MORE good news ( mabe )
It is also proposed to be fair to the ladies who have traditionally been unable to make their full contributions because of child commitments etc ,,,,,,there will be NO specific qualifying period for them ,,,,,,( yes thats what is proposed ! ) so mabe I am looking through the old rose coloured glasses here but IF I read it correct then Thai ladies who live and work in the UK with a UK ID card / passport/ NI number / pay some NI etc like my missus does at age 65 will recieve £140 per week to,,,,, well ofcourse not just Thai ladies but for the sake of this forum you know where I am coming from .

Fingers crossed will update if and when I get any more info , or if anyone has more please add to

Cheers

FANTASTIC few year time we can push the boat out a little lets all not hold out breath the exchange rate is still dire

AND there will probably be a new party in power with different ideas of what to spend their money on to get votes.

yes come 2015 there could be big changes all around..from what I gather from my minimal knowledge of european politics, it looks like the EU is riding for a fall in a big way. all these countries on the brink of financial collapse..The Poms themselves might be on the brink in the near future, who knows, who knows they might up the retirement age to 70yrs come 2015. Even in the LOS change is a coming soon when a certain high placed fella, goes to meet his maker..I wouldnt be counting my extra pension pennies just yet..theres always some catch with these things..dollar devalues, tax goes up, healthcare goes private, and a trillion other ways where it is given in one hand, and taken from the other.