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  1. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    The point I made is that we receive back the income tax deducted from pension contributions, so we are NOT paying for the pensions using tax already deducted from our incomes AND then paying tax on the pension income when that is received.
  2. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Those who fund private pensions in the UK have their basic rate of income tax paid into their pension fund, and can also reclaim the difference between it and the 40% higher rate. The income that is paid into their pensions is therefore not taxed. On retirement, (or on achieving retirement age)...
  3. Merlin

    electric bill

    My new bill is just in - and the QR code reader on my phone doesn't recognise the one shown on the bill either. The rear of the bill contains a message warning about scammers!
  4. Merlin

    Starbeam Restaurant - Surin City

    My wife and I went to Starbeams last week (Monday) and I enjoyed a very good Madras curry. She has a nice Thai dish, and we alos shared a large plate of Nachos with a bowl of hot salsa. All very good. So we decided to go back there with 4 friends last night on the basis of the good Indian...
  5. Merlin

    Yellow book problem!

    No need to question his reason for wanting one - his prerogative. As for others' reasons, I asked ChatGPT 3.5 - even though it is at least 2.5 years out of date on most topics. It (or rather who or whatever does the research) said this: "Having a yellow house book" in Thailand refers to...
  6. Merlin

    Yellow book problem!

    A Dutch friend now lives in Surin permanently, and wanted a Yellow Book. He had earlier been told to go to the Surin City Hall with his passport and visa, his wife, her blue book and so on. They told him there that he needed to go to Ubon for some kind of "a stamp" at the building that...
  7. Merlin

    WISE

    Thanks Colin. I've a feeling that delays in receiving funds at Bangkok Bank occur when a £/THB currency exchange is followed immediately by a transfer, while exchanged funds already sitting in a Wise THB account are sent immediately.
  8. Merlin

    WISE

    Dare I assume that you exchange into baht using Wise immediately before you do the transfer? Or do you transfer Sterling into baht before then, and transfer it on a later date?
  9. Merlin

    WISE

    Using Wise has proved beneficial to me in that the exchange rate is better (than HSBC) and charges are lower. I no longer see the infernal words "Non-Sterling transaction fee" plus the size of the fee on my bank statements! However, if I create the transfer on a Thursday, exchanging the...
  10. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Err.. unless I've misunderstood Ivor's reply it's incorrect. If you are eligible for the UK state pension, then it can be paid to you in any country outside the UK. If you are outside the UK when you reach the age at which you can start to claim the UK state pension, then you may have to apply...
  11. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Yes we would, always assuming that we had paid National Insurance for sufficient years, failing which a lesser amount would be paid pro-rata.
  12. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    ... and that fund is not used exclusively for providing a state pension, but can also be used for a variety of "other" uses! Other funds also exist for more general public spending. Wikipedia has a reasonable description of the fund and of its historic (and growing!) surpluses over...
  13. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Quite so, PN! 6-700 MPs' representing the PEOPLE (and not the successive Governments) should support the view that it is unfair to place additional burdens on both past and present taxpayers to fund ALL who have contributed towards the state scheme throughout their working lives, wherever they...
  14. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    While that is true - -or appears to be so judging by the lack of will shown by most of them to sign the petitions or be more proactive, I'd hazard a guess that most expats here have families and friends in the UK and elsewhere who do care for our well-being. . It may be true that many UK...
  15. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Forgive me for not adding "in comparison with some other countries" to my "singling out" comment - because I didn't feel it was necessary to expand on it given that we all know the situation, or assume that is the case. Why does it feel that some on here are batting for continued inequality?
  16. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    There would be less likelihood of benefit irregularities being committed if British Expats here received the UK state pension increases which they would entitled to in the USA or the Philippines as just two examples. Unfairly (even within UK rules) singling out retirees here in Thailand is...
  17. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Beware the Ides of March! Well, it may not happen next month, but there's no smoke without fire... https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/uk-government-claims-benefit-fraud-discovered-in-overseas-expat-payments-453429?fbclid=IwAR0xbzDrGM8b_QMyFfhgJMCEFDrvmaDQWMbHXrJplWfNAJVbvZ6Il0grwCI...
  18. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    I can only vouch for myself in stating that I paid most of the bills throughout my first marriage - all 28 years of it, Hence my comment that you (and anyone else in your position) would seem fortunate in comparison. If all assets were always divided 50/50 upon divorcing, there would seem to be...
  19. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    Lucky you! And those assets, mainly funded in practice by the man, rarely result in a 50/50 split.
  20. Merlin

    UK Pensions

    "In a written response to Mr Robinson on Monday, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Nigel Huddleston MP, said: “The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve." Those weasel words don't apply to those expat retirees who's...
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