@Paul ******

age pension is based on residency not citizenship.

Why not just close this forum down and use google?

@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.