Is it cheaper to live in Thailand than in Australia for expats?

Greta Guy....Clearly, you have no understanding of the Australian Aged Pension (AAP), so I'll tell you. To get a full AAP of about $29.000 per year including the AAP supplement of $2000 you need to be resident in Aus for 35 years from the age of 16 y/o to 67 y/o and have had to have lived in Aus for over 10 years. provided your additional investments do not exceed $545.000 (about to go up a bit), if they go over this amount you will lose 50 cents in the dollar for each $1000 of your pension. This means you will no longer receive any AAP when your assets exceed about $900.000 and if you live overseas from Aus after 6 weeks of absence you will lose the $2,000 P/Y supplement. Thus leaving you with about $27,000 per year. Provided your assets and income are under the threshold you can have up to that $545,000 and invest it as you wish. 80% of people in Aus keep it in Superannuation as the tax is removed from your fund before the dividend is distributed. This leaves you with no commitment to pay any taxation on your AAP or investments if you have up to $545.000 invested (your money). No more putting in tax returns if over 67 y/o unless your assets are over the $900.000 peg out time.

e.g...If you have an AAP in Aus and $200,000 in a superannuation fund or else, after 6 weeks of living in Thailand you will get $27,000 AAP (being less $2000 AAP supplement) and be required to take a prescribed deduction according to your age of about $12,000 p/y extra. That describes my situation and about 2 million other AAP recipients who live in Aus. The AAP once granted is for life and it matters none where you live in the world provided your assets do not exceed the assets or income level.

@Greta ****

I own a house in W.A. with my former wife, she lives in it and I do stay there sometimes. I also have some super retirement funds under the threshold of Centrelinks limit of $545,0000. I also have some savings in ING Bank Australia getting 5.5% interest. So I get mostly the $1116.30 P/F Australian Aged Pension (AAP) $12.000 download from my super as I am required to take it or pay 47% tax if over the required amount., $3000 each year from my savings. In my 3-month trips to Thailand on average, I still get 50% of the AAP supplement, about $40 P/F. I get the single rate of AAP as my ex-wife and I are legally separated Cenrelink's "Living under the one roof separated" is all above board., Anyone in Australia who has lived in Australia and had a regular job for over 35 years is likely to get the same deal from the Australian Government at 67 y/o if you have always had a modest regular job and raised 3 kids...I'm now 82 y/o and still going strong, and I always do my 6 km walk every day for 60 mins. Been doing that for 47 years almost every day... At 82 y/o I'm still going strong and love the LOS. Except for 2 periods when I obtained 2 retirement visas in Aus from the Thai Embassy, I have used tourist visas, I have flited to and from W.A. to Thailand regularly over 15 years.. My AAP and other benefits give me almost $1000 per week free of income tax in Aus. I'm nearly convinced that I will receive the same deal with no tax if I live longer than 6 months in Thailand...but not sure yet. I still love Thailand with all its issues. TIT.

@Greta ****

...I only comment on matters in Thailand that I have personal experience with. I'll be back in LaCalista Hua Hin in 11 days very soon. Thailand this time only for 2 months as I made my bookings before the visa on arrival went from 30 days to 60 days. Next time it will be back to 60+30 extension visa on arrival. By then Thailand may have changed things again. Cambodia and the Philippines ahoy. TIT.