Interesting Video About UK Retirees in Pattaya

[Sexyfarangman]

Although the vdeo deals with Brits, it should be interesting for all Westerns contemplating retirement in Pattaya 

[stef74]

A little negative. Typical news story.

 

;-)

[Sexyfarangman]

A little negative. Typical news story.

 

;-)

 

I thought it gave a balanced perspective, since it deals with retirees who are broke and have no means of support. You don't want to be non self-supporting in any Third World country.

[Beerburgerbonk]

Thanks for posting this.

 

Although I don't recognise any of the people interviewed I do see many guys just like them in Pattaya.and in the north as well.

 

I think the attraction for them was the the girls and the booze,just as one guy said, but the latter becomes far more important to the point of being a necessity.

 

In Britain we moan about "foreigners" abusing our national health service and it would only be logical that Thais would not be happy about us farangs not having the ability to pay for treatment in their public hospitals but still receiving some and taking up beds..

 

I'm sure at some point in the near future the retirement option will be overhauled in LOS,

 

The current income/savings thresholds have not changed for about 7 or so years and due to the increasing number of elderly farangs needing medical treatment, more stringent financial criteria will need to be applied  in addition to an adjustment reflecting the increased costs of living since back then.

 

Seems only logical

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Sexyfarangman]

Thanks for posting this.

 

Although I don't recognise any of the people interviewed I do see many guys just like them in Pattaya.and in the north as well.

 

I think the attraction for them was the the girls and the booze,just as one guy said, but the latter becomes far more important to the point of being a necessity.

 

In Britain we moan about "foreigners" abusing our national health service and it would only be logical that Thais would not be happy about us farangs not having the ability to pay for treatment in their public hospitals but still receiving some and taking up beds..

 

I'm sure at some point in the near future the retirement option will be overhauled in LOS,

 

The current income/savings thresholds have not changed for about 7 or so years and due to the increasing number of elderly farangs needing medical treatment, more stringent financial criteria will need to be applied  in addition to an adjustment reflecting the increased costs of living since back then.

 

Seems only logical

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

I'm not sure how these broke farangs are able to stay in LOS and get hospital care. Certainly they can't meet the income or bank account threshold for retirement .

[Beerburgerbonk]

I'm not sure how these broke farangs are able to stay in LOS and get hospital care. Certainly they can't meet the income or bank account threshold for retirement .

I can only assume that they borrow money for the 3 month seasoning period to add to whatever savings and/or pension or income from their own country to fulfil the financial criteria.

 

Probably from local money lenders at high interest rates, if so, then its just downhill from there as each year they would have to borrow more and so pay more interest so have even less to live on every year.

 

The 3 month seasoning period actually encourages that type of thing.

 

 .

[southsidebruce]

I'm not sure how these broke farangs are able to stay in LOS and get hospital care. Certainly they can't meet the income or bank account threshold for retirement .

 

they won't get hospital care at a top notch place like Bangkok Pattaya Hospital... more like the one in the news clip... with a limited number of hospital beds... they will stay there and die there as the hospital administrator says... but with such a HUGE loss rate - several hundred thousand British Pounds quoted by that Thai administrator that the patients are unable to pay - I think that eventually these geriatric patients in very bad health (much of it due to poor choices in lifestyle, etc) - they will be turned away at the door, and end up die_ing in the streets of Pattaya... inhumane, but how can the Thai health care system manage to survive with such huge losses caused by these Xpat patients who don't pay... 

[Sexyfarangman]

they won't get hospital care at a top notch place like Bangkok Pattaya Hospital... more like the one in the news clip... with a limited number of hospital beds... they will stay there and die there as the hospital administrator says... but with such a HUGE loss rate - several hundred thousand British Pounds quoted by that Thai administrator that the patients are unable to pay - I think that eventually these geriatric patients in very bad health (much of it due to poor choices in lifestyle, etc) - they will be turned away at the door, and end up die_ing in the streets of Pattaya... inhumane, but how can the Thai health care system manage to survive with such huge losses caused by these Xpat patients who don't pay... 

 

If the authorities could get to these farangs first, then they would certainly be deported for failing the means test.

[wengweng]

It was an interesting report, at least  it  wasn't the usual  cliche  subjects  human trafficking  and painting all westerners ass child molesters, because  that's usually the sort of report you would get about a place like Pattaya from channel 4.

[jimmy574]

I hope it puts people off pattaya, i love the place ha

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stevensonn]

It was a very true report quite interesting and makes me want to get back there even more reinforcing how dull life can be in the UK

[PAT21]

ty for this interesting video.

Heaven and hell in Thailand. For westerners, both are often possible to get 

[Sexyfarangman]

I hope it puts people off pattaya, i love the place ha

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Very likely to have the opposite effect because it shows a lot of bars and women working in them.

[Sexyfarangman]

ty for this interesting video.

Heaven and hell in Thailand. For westerners, both are often possible to get 

 

Do you have a link?

[Edge]

I'm not sure how these broke farangs are able to stay in LOS and get hospital care. Certainly they can't meet the income or bank account threshold for retirement .

 

 

If the authorities could get to these farangs first, then they would certainly be deported for failing the means test.

 

 

I can only assume that they borrow money for the 3 month seasoning period to add to whatever savings and/or pension or income from their own country to fulfil the financial criteria.

 

Probably from local money lenders at high interest rates, if so, then its just downhill from there as each year they would have to borrow more and so pay more interest so have even less to live on every year.

 

The 3 month seasoning period actually encourages that type of thing.

 

 .

 

I can only assume that the 'kitchen table' Retirement Extension system is still in operation.

 

For about 20k one hands Passport and Bank Book to an agent, signs the forms and gets the Passport back all stamped up for another year.

The 800k is deposited overnight and then withdrawn by the agent.

Obviously the paperwork at Immigration wouldn't stand up to investigation, but that's one crackdown they apparently haven't got round to.

 

They may well borrow the 20k, as the guy did in the story I posted (just follow my posts in bold for the story) :-

 

Don't Wind Up Like This

 

.

[udontony]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure at some point in the near future the retirement option will be overhauled in LOS,

 

The current income/savings thresholds have not changed for about 7 or so years and due to the increasing number of elderly farangs needing medical treatment, more stringent financial criteria will need to be applied  in addition to an adjustment reflecting the increased costs of living since back then.

 

Seems only logical

 

 

 

 

 

.

The last time that the money needed for these visa`s was increased it was only increased for new applicants and people that had a visa already could still have the same requirements as before.  If it is increased again, hope that will be the case this time as well.

 

I'm not sure how these broke farangs are able to stay in LOS and get hospital care. Certainly they can't meet the income or bank account threshold for retirement .

See post below!

 

I can only assume that the 'kitchen table' Retirement Extension system is still in operation.

 

For about 20k one hands Passport and Bank Book to an agent, signs the forms and gets the Passport back all stamped up for another year.

The 800k is deposited overnight and then withdrawn by the agent.

Obviously the paperwork at Immigration wouldn't stand up to investigation, but that's one crackdown they apparently haven't got round to.

 

They may well borrow the 20k, as the guy did in the story I posted (just follow my posts in bold for the story) :-

 

Don't Wind Up Like This

 

.

You assume correct, it is still up and running and many people use this route as it is relatively cheap!

[stef74]

quite common.

I know working girls in Shanghai from vietnam and philipines with 6month business visa's.

 

many now with no passport, they are working to pay off the fee, passport only returned on payment.

They can get in a viscious loop.

[Beerburgerbonk]

I can only assume that the 'kitchen table' Retirement Extension system is still in operation.

 

For about 20k one hands Passport and Bank Book to an agent, signs the forms and gets the Passport back all stamped up for another year.

The 800k is deposited overnight and then withdrawn by the agent.

Obviously the paperwork at Immigration wouldn't stand up to investigation, but that's one crackdown they apparently haven't got round to.

 

They may well borrow the 20k, as the guy did in the story I posted (just follow my posts in bold for the story) :-

 

Don't Wind Up Like This

 

.

Thank you for the link, it was a very interesting read.

 

The last time that the money needed for these visa`s was increased it was only increased for new applicants and people that had a visa already could still have the same requirements as before.  If it is increased again, hope that will be the case this time as well.

 

See post below!

 

You assume correct, it is still up and running and many people use this route as it is relatively cheap!

I, obviously mistakenly, assumed that this "method" had been stopped years back, just as the ability to obtain an exit stamp, visa and entry stamp without leaving LOS has been.

 

I didnt do it but I can remember a few guys who did but that was quite a few years back.

 

Yes, when they change the criteria for the retirement option they did grandfather people in last time so its logical to assume they will do again.

 

I suppose the real point of my original post about the video was that people retiring to LOS need both self control and money, lacking the former ensures a rapid loss of the latter.

 

Just as an aside UK guys resident in LOS and many other countries don't get the annual increase on their UK state pensions, if you tell them..

 

 

"Your State Pension will increase each year, but only if you live in:

• the European Economic Area (EEA)
• Switzerland
• certain countries that have a social security agreement with the UK

You won’t get yearly increases if you live outside these areas. But if you return to live in the UK, your State Pension will be increased each year."

 

(If we vote to leave the EU.........but that's nothing to do with LOS as its not one of the countries anyway.)

 

Its a very important point for guys that are looking at it as a significant part of their retirement income as well as fluctuating exchange rates on any overseas regular income, private pension etc, coming to LOS to fund them.

 

I liked the video because it shows what happens to some guys and hopefully could serve as a warning to others considering retiring to LOS.

[udontony]

 

 

I, obviously mistakenly, assumed that this "method" had been stopped years back, just as the ability to obtain an exit stamp, visa and entry stamp without leaving LOS has been.

 

 

 

 

 

Just as an aside UK guys resident in LOS and many other countries don't get the annual increase on their UK state pensions, if you tell them..

 

 

 

•  
•  

You won’t get yearly increases if you live outside these areas. But if you return to live in the UK, your State Pension will be increased each year."

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know of many who still use this "method" and a couple of people that facilitate it for them.

 

If you don`t tell the UK government about you living abroad and continue to get the yearly increases in the pension and you are found out, there are serious financial problems as one friend here found to his cost.  He is now back in the UK living at their cost as he had no money left!

 

You get the pension increase if you go back to live in the UK but should you leave again it reverts to what it was when you origionally left the UK so no benefit from a short return to gain more pension.

[Billyboy294]

The last time that the money needed for these visa`s was increased it was only increased for new applicants and people that had a visa already could still have the same requirements as before.  If it is increased again, hope that will be the case this time as well.

 

See post below!

 

You assume correct, it is still up and running and many people use this route as it is relatively cheap!

 

Not sure about your first paragraph: never heard of anyone paying less than the current costs since Immigration moved to Jomptien

 

But using an Agent the cost is about £400 and my OAP is £600 so as you say, relatively cheap, less than a month's (4 weeks) pension for those who still have a near full pension.

 

I have another pension so use the 65,000 Baht per month route.

[PAT21]

Do you have a link?

perhaps this one:  http://www.buzzinmediagroup.com/thailand-heaven-or-hell/

[sabato]

quite common.

I know working girls in Shanghai from vietnam and philipines with 6month business visa's.

 

many now with no passport, they are working to pay off the fee, passport only returned on payment.

They can get in a viscious loop.

Who is withholding the passport? I can lose my passport, go to the embassy and get a replacement. I don't understand how holding a passport for ransom works, even though it's something you hear about all the time.

[Sexyfarangman]

perhaps this one:  http://www.buzzinmediagroup.com/thailand-heaven-or-hell/

 

Thanks, an interesting piece, though it covers familiar ground for anyone who has been a member of this forum for any length of time.

[Sexyfarangman]

 

I suppose the real point of my original post about the video was that people retiring to LOS need both self control and money, lacking the former ensures a rapid loss of the latter.

 

Says it all. Yet, we all know that there will always be a certain number of irresponsible people who will ignore this obvious wisdom. It is those people the video is warning about towards its end.

[Sexyfarangman]

I know of many who still use this "method" and a couple of people that facilitate it for them.

 

If you don`t tell the UK government about you living abroad and continue to get the yearly increases in the pension and you are found out, there are serious financial problems as one friend here found to his cost.  He is now back in the UK living at their cost as he had no money left!

 

You get the pension increase if you go back to live in the UK but should you leave again it reverts to what it was when you origionally left the UK so no benefit from a short return to gain more pension.

 

That really sucks. Such a law would  probably be found to be illegal if it existed in the US.