Dear readers,
I am Wim (70 years old) and I have been living in Thailand for 6 years now with my Thai wife Mam. Now that it is getting a bit more difficult here, we wonder if it is possible to live in Thailand on paper and stay in Vietnam for a large part of the year? In Vietnam I lose 20% of my old age pension.
I am currently orientating myself in Vietnam and Indonesia. Indonesia does have a treaty with the Netherlands, but Vietnam is preferred.
Maybe there are more farangs with this question, I'm curious.
Regards,
Wim
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hi wim
I just lived in Vietnam for 2 1/2 years. At what status do you want to live there and what is so difficult here that you want to move? By the way, I also lived in Indonesia for 4 years and could ask the same.
I want to live there because it seems like a wonderful country during my 2 long vacations there.
It is not that difficult here (yet) but I think we are working on it to make it more difficult.
The Thai smile is definitely not what it was 10 years ago, I see more genuine smiles in Vietnam.
I haven't been to Indonesia yet, but I'm now booking a holiday there, so I'll know more in a few months.
Where in Vietnam did you live?
hi wim
I lived in HCMC, in district 1, so in the center of the city. In Indonesia I lived in Manado, in the north of Sulawesi.
Remember that both countries do not have retirement visas, so I wonder what status you want to get a visa to stay there for a long time. A visa run is only possible to a very limited extent for Vietnam, so it will not be.
I don't think the friendliness in Vietnam, Indonesia or Thailand differs that much. In all 3 countries (and many more) it is mainly about the rich Westerner.
Sorry Leo, but Indonesia does have a senior visa for 55+ which is issued under certain conditions. (http://visum.accessindonesia.nl/visum)
Dear Wim, I myself am 73 years young, married to a Thai woman, if you are registered in Thailand and you have a home address where the SVB can reach you with mail, you can simply leave for Vietnam for the SVB, Thailand will remain your home address, you must send your proof of life to the SVB every year, as far as I know Vietnam is not a treaty country.
Greetings Pascal
The Immigration does not require anyone to act as a guarantor. At most, they want to know how you live, alone or not, and who owns your place of residence, for example. So that has nothing to do with the Thai SSO, which checks whether or not you live alone according to the statement. You can live alone, so the guarantee story is wrong.
That of the piece of paper in your passport concerns the report of the home owner, possessor, etc. who declares that the foreigner is staying at the stated address on a specified date (TM30 report).
Isn't it true that I can drop my retirement visa and have a visa in Thailand and Vietmam alternately?
Are you going to live in Vietnam all the way or just for vacation?
If you officially live in Thailand but actually live elsewhere all year round, you will have to return here once a year for the SSO stamp. Then you have travel costs. Moreover, it is fraud and you can be fined for that.
Holidaying in Vietnam is of course possible, no one is stopping you so go and enjoy your holiday. How long is that allowed under the BEU Act that applies to Thailand? No idea, but put your light on in an e-mail to the SVB. Because 'her' mom lives in Vietnam and is seriously ill, how long can we visit her mom without losing her home address in Thailand. That may be the question.
But life is getting more expensive everywhere, so if you can't make it here, you can't make it there.
Now a question: if you live in Vietnam you lose 20%. Are you sure? I think you will lose your partner allowance. If that is 20% then your statement is correct.
https://www.svb.nl/int/nl/aow/additioneel/export_door_opschorting_beu.jsp
Here you will find the information if you lived all the way in Vietnam.
Fraud ? I doubt that if I keep an address in Thailand.
It's not about more or cheaper for me, I can get by here and also in Vietnam, even with 20% less, because life in VN is still a bit cheaper than here.
You are stretching the concept of fraud. If you indicate that you live in Thailand but you actually live in another country, you are providing incorrect information. There is a penalty for that.
If that other country does not have a BEU treaty with the Netherlands, you will receive too much money and this will be reclaimed, possibly with a fine.
Lying is the worst option and even if you don't make any mistakes, a jealous other person can rat you out. Or you link yourself in the modern media; a nice photo on your facebook page for example.
So my advice is to go for the holiday option. Just search the SVB site for the world traveler, there is something about it and he retains his rights under certain conditions.
I don't know if the SVB applies the same standards as in NL because then you might think about staying 4 months in Thailand and 8 months in Vietnam.
if you want to continue living in Thailand you will have to get your stamp at immigration every 90 days to show where you are staying/living
My wife would be in Thailand more often than I, she could get that stamp, not necessarily in person.
In the Netherlands, the requirement is that you actually live in the Netherlands for 4 months per year. So I don't see any reason why you can't stay registered in Thailand, just live with Thai family, and stay in Vietnam for the most part. Especially if you already live together (and are therefore already being reduced on your single state pension), the Thai SSO has no reason to visit you again. In addition: if the SSO does come to visit, then you are just making a tour, and will be back in 6 months. And that is not a word of a lie.
No one forces you to stay at home!
I now live in a rented house in Petchabun, but I still have my own house in Pho Thale, so I could use that as my real address.
I think I officially live in Thailand.
No, Vietnam doesn't have a treaty, but Vietnam is doing a lot to get more foreigners, so I wouldn't be surprised if they do soon.
I think the most important question is: how does the SSO work? Do they come by to check whether you really live at the indicated address? And if you're not home, do you get a letter or something? Who has experience with this? Of course it is still fraud.
After ten years here, the SSO has never actively come to check. Moreover, I have indicated that you can holiday in Vietnam. How long? Well, just go ask.
The SVB site contains rules for people who live in the Netherlands and make a world trip. They remain insured as long as…
the intention is to return to NL
you only stay here for a short time
people are aware of your journey
Well, why wouldn't that apply to a trip to Vietnam if you live in Thailand?
Go ask. If you mess around, you forget something and you hang. And is the fine for fraud not possible up to 200%? I wouldn't risk that.
Today two officials of the SVB visited me. Two very nice people. They wanted to know how my household works. In a month, a friend of my son, who is living here, will turn 18 and my old age pension will be reduced by 350 euros, if I understood correctly… My son will turn 18 in July, but then the two of us will be in the Netherlands . I'll have to go through the SVB website.
Those two officials told me that there are about 1.500 state pensioners living in Thailand and they would visit about 170 people, 5 a day.
hi tino.
This brings me to two questions:
1. how do they do that, 5 appointments in 1 day? When I have to do interviews, it is difficult for me to make 3 appointments in 1 day and then they are all still in Bangkok.
2. 1500 AOW pensioners and 5 appointments in 1 day means 300 days of work. Do they need a work permit for this?
Dear Chris,
1 the interview lasted about an hour, partly because of all the extra questions about the care of my son's friend…usually, I estimate, the interview will take half an hour.
2 they visit about 170 persons during their journey, as I said
3 they also showed an approval form from the SSO. That will be the work permit 🙂
Have already submitted the question to SVB
Question or statement: Can I (just as I would be able to from the Netherlands) live in a non-treaty country (eg Vietnam) for a longer period of time and still retain full state pension? I mean if I keep my address in Thailand. What are my options?
Has to do with AOW pension
Will post their answer here as well.
Hans says
I also received an unexpected visit from the SVB Roermond yesterday for a check-up.
For Tino cross
https://www.svb.nl/int/nl/aow/wonen_met_iemand_anders/meer_personen/
When they left, they also received a note that stated that in 2017 it was Thailand's turn for inspection.
They do ask you to take your clothes off and have also been inside my house.
Got nothing to hide so she agreed.