@Colin ********

How a country collects the funding to pay a pension is irrelevant! What is relevant is how a country defrauds it's subjects because the people running it are economically inept! The pension funds have already been taxed (at one of the highest rates in the World), are you advocating that they should have the right to tax that money again before paying the pension? And they say Thailand is corrupt!

Watch this space,Australia's society is already dropping and will collapse completely in the next 20 years when nobody retiring, receives a pension and are relying solely on their superannuation. The gap between the poor and wealthy will be huge and I for one am happy that I will not have to experience it.

@Colin ********

Yes, I have lived in Australia for the last 25 years and have recently retired in Hua Hin. Australia funds the pension via income tax, so the more you earn the more you pay, unlike national insurance contributions which are not income related. If you are a dole bludger in Australia, you still get a pension even if you never worked or contributed. Australia, is one of the highest taxed countries in the world with an average income tax rate of 24.9%. You are mistaken in your assumption of pension qualification. There are lots of Austalians living overseas drawing an Australian pension, providing that they comply with the increasingly unfair conditions to be able to claim a pension they have paid for their whole working life and to have that denied because they choose to live elsewhere because Austalia is no longer the land of dreams due to increased cost of living and crime is disgraceful. I have worked in Australia for 25 years and have contributed much much more towards a pension than I did in the UK. However, in the UK I qualify for back paying NI contributions for ten years which will give me a pension independent of Australia even though I haven't resided there or been a tax resident for over 25 years, it is not means tested and does not have unfair conditions trying to cheat me out of receiving what I am entitled to! My friend who is 50 will NOT receive any pension whatsoever, even though they are paying the same tax rate as people who will receive a pension. If you think that is fair and moral then you are deluded!

@David *******

people have already paid for their pension and should receive it regardless. Australia will also benefit as the pensioner will not be claiming medicare or any concessions. They just want thier cake and eat it as the pension will not be spent in Australia so they can't tax it again and again and......

@Les **********

unlike the UK pension, the Aussie pension is means tested. So if you have worked hard and saved money for your retirement and have more than is listed below, then you get nothing.

Your situation

Homeowner Non-homeowner

Single $301,750 $543,750

A couple,

combined $451,500 $693,500

A couple,

separated

due to illness,

combined $451,500 $693,500

A couple, one

partner eligible,

combined $451,500 $693,500

It is also outrageous that they changed the goal posts by increasing the retirement age from 65 to 67 then insist that you spend those two years living there to qualify for a pension which you should be receiving already!!

@Sharron ******

If you want to pm me I can give you more info.

@Sharron ******

We used Hua Hin Visa services on Soi 94. Extremely helpful and no problems at all. They actually saved us money and heaps of time. Everything is geared up for the banks and visa agents to do business. Therefore, it is made difficult for farangs to do things on their own, but usually not impossible.

Why would you want to commit to buying a house when you would only have one years visa, and to buy it you would have to risk doing it illegally and losing everything?

@Desiree ********

type O does not require health insurance and is 90 days only if obtained outside Thailand, but can be converted easily to a 15 month visa.

An OA visa obtained outside Thailand is one year, but it require health insurance. Perhaps that is what you have?

@Desiree ********

not when you obtain it from outside Thailand