Thread: Moving back to your home country

Life can be a mother if you're old single and broke.

Originally Posted by fishlocker

Life can be a mother if you're old single and broke.

Very true, known 3 people who took early retirement from Oz, 2009 GFC wiped out a lot of the private pensions.
When the money ran out they had to return, welfare doesn't cover much, room dog food and baked beans, they topped themselves.

Went back to OZ last year, 7 months told no longer a resident, no welfare for 6 months, wife, 2 kids born in OZ, I couldn't find a job, too old, wife worked in a Thai restaurant, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and paid $10 an hour.

Kids went to school got their English up, which was good, but we will never return except for a holiday and to see family.
Not the country I remember.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Very true, known 3 people who took early retirement from Oz, 2009 GFC wiped out a lot of the private pensions.
When the money ran out they had to return, welfare doesn't cover much, room dog food and baked beans, they topped themselves.

Went back to OZ last year, 7 months told no longer a resident, no welfare for 6 months, wife, 2 kids born in OZ, I couldn't find a job, too old, wife worked in a Thai restaurant, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and paid $10 an hour.


Kids went to school got their English up, which was good, but we will never return except for a holiday and to see family.
Not the country I remember.

Why was that James? I take it you are not Australian is that correct? $10/hour under the table is not uncommon in many Thai restaurants. There are many Thais that get welfare payments so don't want to declare their income and have their welfare cut. Obviously not your wifes case but it perpetuates low wages in Thai restaurants.
The Australian government is tightening up on all forms of welfare. A friend of mine who went to Thailand for a holiday had an accident and spent time in hospital and was delayed coming back to Australia. He applied for the pension on return as he was already over pension age but no longer able to work due to the accident in Thailand.
He was told because he had been out of the country for more than 6 weeks he had to wait one year before applying for the pension even though he had provable medical reasons for staying more than six weeks.