@Lone *********

I know westerners who have done this, they have Thai partners they can trust, you can work in the business but only behind closed doors. You just can't work where you can be seen, obviously you need to watch your back.

@James *********

why are you so prejudice?

@Tim ********

where was the stall?

@Francis ******************

you'll be okay. You'll get your pension in Thailand. I can't because I lived in both NZ and Australia on the SCV and Aussie won't pay my pension once I leave the country. I can get the pension in both countries but only if I live there.....thieves! I live in Thailand totally self funded. I kept my property in Aussie because it provides an income and over time appreciates. My advice is never sell yours, you need a place in the world that you know you can go and live in, you don't know the future and if you get with a Thai woman your overseas assets can't be touched by her, or one day you might want to return home. Don't buy in Thailand, so many westerns can't get their heads around renting because they have always been home owners, rent you don't need house owning problems here, like you can't buy a house you need a Thai partner who owns half, you need to really know the woman before you buy a house with her. If you get rent from your NZ house, you have some kiwi saver and the NZ pension you have more than enough. You should start out just living between NZ and Thailand for a year or so, you can stay here 3 months on the tourist entry, or you could come here as a tourist, go to a visa agent and get a retirement visa, you can leave the country and come back on it, you don't need to live in Thailand to have one, you just need to meet certain requirements like the 90 day check in, but your agent can handle that if you're out of the country.

50,000 to 70,000 baht a month. Depends on your lifestyle though. You don't need to rent a condo for 10,000 baht, you could rent a house for 7000-8000 a month. Its the extras that you don't think about, I just had a full medical check up, 3800 baht, we just been through floods here although I got off lightly, the bike and scooter needed to be sorted out because they went half under. Then you'll need a new phone, new laptop ect.

What I consider is that my money is better off in Australia because interest rates are still well over 4%. I might not get the best exchange rate on the baht right now, but I couldn't earn 4%+ in Thai banks.

@Baz ********

100%

@David *******

I'm not talking about the Thai retirement visa though, I'm talking about making my age pension portable.

On the subject of the retirement visa, if you apply for the type O visa you do it from within Thailand and you must have 800,000 baht 2 months prior and for 3 months after in a Thai bank account, a total of 5 months. This is the one I have, I am not familiar with the type OA.

@Matthew ******

every single pensioner has survived okay during their working life, why should they expect handouts to retire on they should just keep working as long as they can still work!

Not everyone can make their Australian pension portable. I moved over to Aussie 20 years ago on the SCV (Special Category Visa) which is automatically issued on entry. Worked and paid taxes in NZ 28 years, then worked 20 years in Aussie. Under the social security agreement between the two countries we are entitled to age pension to which both countries contribute to.

Great until you want to make it portable. They say no because I don't have residency the minute I leave the country as the SCV isn't a full residency visa. You need to have full residency to make it portable. Okay so I can go back to NZ and get my pension from there, not means tested. But we must wait until 67 not 65 because haven't spent 5 years in NZ between 50 and 65. Then they will then pay us. Both countries contribute to it. Great until I want to make it portable. NZ say I haven't spent 5 years in NZ between 50 and 65 to qualify, so the answer is no can't make it portable. Exactly whose pension is it?? Kept my end of the bargain and paid my taxes, they'll pay it to me in Aussie/NZ so why not in Thailand, what's the difference. Guess who is the winner, the government saves not paying me, I then got to self fund because they keep my money, then the Aussie government wants to take taxes off me at 32.5% as a foreign resident on money I need to earn because they keep my pension.

Before the do gooder smart arses comment... think. Slowly our rights as citizens are being taken away day by day. And people agree with it, unbelievable! There are people who actually think if you want to go live overseas f you, why should we pay you your pension.....thats right YOUR pension.