John Stenton, 71, worked in architecture in Edinburgh from 1971 to 1985, before emigrating to Australia. His job took him all over the world, and he did eventually move back to the UK, where he retired at 67 in 2020 due to a lack of work.
But it was Thailand that stole his heart. He initially moved there in 2005, and has since moved back, living with his wife and 17-year-old daughter on a farm in Chonnabot in the north-east of the country.
Mr Stenton is referring to the frozen UK state pension for people living overseas.
Campaigners have fought for decades for a change in the policy, which they brand as unfair and unjust.
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He said: “The money I get each week from the UK equates to around 28,000 baht per months, but exchange rates mean this fluctuates.
“This doesn’t take into account the 20 years I paid tax in Australia, for which I am not entitled to an aged pension as Australia is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have a contributory pension scheme.
Mr Stenton said this means there is no money for luxuries, for anyone in the family.
Those living in the US, EU, European Economic Area (the RU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and Switzerland see payments increased each year. But those in other countries, such as Thailand, do not.
According to figures from interactive investor, an affected pensioner would have lost out on £13,162 since 2015, compared with what they would have gained had they had stayed in the UK.
According to the research, if a British pensioner considered retiring abroad today, they would risk missing out on around £70,000 from their state pension over the next 20 years if their entitlements are frozen when they move.
The Department for Work and Pensions has been contacted for comment.
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