G'day Paul & to Robert as well. With respect to Robert's future Bangkok residential intentions, may I advise & encourage him to cast a much wider net re permanent retirement residency options. I recommend he Googles " International Living Australia ". This is a well respected expat retirement living website that is dedicated to providing good, verified retirement options on where to live quite comfortably on SMS returns, investments, pensions, or part there-of.

The loads of info in ILA are from retired Aussie expats who now live permanently overseas after having crunched the numbers, did due diligent research & discovered all living costs elsewhere on our planet are up to a 3rd or 1/4 of comfy struggle street in Down Under.

Importantly so, ILA only recommends & promotes safe living options i.e. Countries, where one's retirement income stretches so much further & healthcare options are of a high standard, often equal to Australia's, but costs substantially less across the board.

Cheers Robert; best of luck in finding what's entirely suitable to your retirement budget & long may you enjoy it.

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Hi Paul and Robert, as a qualified financial planner, I would also suggest you get specialized financial advice but more importantly, I would like to point out that the age pension is only able to be claimed when you are in Australia and will be cut off or reduced if you leave the country either temporarily or permanently. Definitely warrants further investigation

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Hi Paul - I taught English as a volunteer to students with a disability at the Fr Ray Foundation in Pattaya, Chonburi province, where many of the ex-pat teachers had retired. IMO, Pattaya (and other Thai towns like Hat Yai or even Chiang Mai (in the mountains, lovely cool climate) are much more liveable and cheaper than BKK ! One of the other permanent-in-Thailand teachers found his UK pension diminishing due to the strengthening baht, but still manages to rent a modest place, with maid service, and keep his car. The Thai government has recently cracked down on the so-called 'retirement visas' (which needed to be renewed, I think, every three years, but its still good value. And living in Thailand, outside BKK, is still very enjoyable and cheap.

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Your statement about the pension being only available whilst living in Australia is totally incorrect, There is a list of countries where you are still able to collect a full pension - if that's what you would be entitled to in Australia. I have just read this on the Governments website and I Know several Aussies living in Thailand and other countries receiving a full Australian Pension

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