Simple question: is anyone paying their UK student loan debt back whilst working in Thailand? When I last worked in Thailand between 2006 - 2008 I never had any problems. Does it depend on who you work for or is it just those who are daft enough to tell them? I suppose most TEFL teachers don't earn the equivalent of £17K, which I think is the threshold for paying back anyway!
This. They may eventually track you down one day. Officially, you're supposed to tell them if you're leaving Britain for an extended period of time.Originally Posted by wildbill
The threshold is much lower for those working abroad. The last time I checked, the threshold for Thailand was about 37,000 baht a month
---Update---
Overseas thresholds
Here are the overseas thresholds.
Thailand = 9,000 GBP a year, or 435,715 Thai baht a year. That's...36,309 baht a month.
If you made the monthly default repayment of 147 GBP every month, that would be 7,119 baht a month.
Do you have coke?
Here's the good news... They will accept a letter from an employer, remember this is something you can draft yourself... as long as it looks rubber stamped signed by your HOD/director and looks official... (headed stationary/gvt garuda headed) it should sail through.... I'm not saying make it up, but being just under the 36k threshold is hardly a credibility issue when working in a Thai school... they will simply take the schools word for it...
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bear in mind it's in their interest for you to defer. so they're not all that picky about how you prove it.
"vast and black. the thing that was poised, like a crow over the moon. round and smooth. cannon balls. things that have fallen from the sky to this earth. our slippery brains. things like cannon balls have fallen, in storms, upon this earth. like cannon balls are things that, in storms, have fallen to this earth. showers of blood. showers of blood. showers of blood. " c.f.
If you are in Thailand and they have the lower threshholds...woldn't they also lower the payment amounts were they to decide you had to pay?
Worst that can happen, is that they default it, stick it on your credit report, which after 6 years should just disappear, although the debt remains a defaulted debt cannot be re-defaulted. Back in the UK at that stage they can start a charging order (or attachment on earnings) on UK salaries...but not on Thai salaries. Just depends if you ever intend returning to the UK or as to whether you care about this. Better to defer really...like Hales says, you have a legitimate reason not to pay, and they have a legitimate reason to maintain it as a fresh debt. Defaulted debts after some time can be statutory barred if they SLC or HSL have not communicated with you in that time just like any other debt....so goes the experience on debt dodging forums such as Consumer Action Group.
The SLC, despite all their hot air, have about as much chance of finding you in Thailand as finding Wally in Wallyworld! After I graduated, I worked in contracting for 10 years & simply didn't tell them I was working. They were easily eluded by magic tricks like not giving my employer my P45 after graduation, not ticking the box on benefits applications (I 'forgot') & changing jobs. I've only ever paid £22 back & had to laugh when they tracked me down a week before I got paid off from a £35000 a year job.
So don't worry mate. They have 2 hopes of finding you - bob hope & no hope & yes I expect a right royal flaming for the above.
no worries .. Dishonest freeloaders, liars and cheats are to be expected where you're at. It's why smart people seek tax shelters.& yes I expect a right royal flaming for the above.
Last edited by Cthulhu; 14th December 2011 at 15:25.
?
True. However, the SLC can hardly enforce repayments out of salary outside the jurisdiction of the UK and are anyway unlikely to track you down to Thailand if you 'forget' to inform them. When you return to the UK though be prepared for direct deductions from salary via HM Revenue & Customs to repay the loan. When you start with a new employer, you have to tick a box concerning whether you have a student loan outstanding.
Here's a link to the P46 form - note the wording next to the 'Student Loans' box:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/p46.pdf
Last edited by paully; 14th December 2011 at 17:06.
Well I shall not be making any effort to keep in touch with them when I return to work next year. Never heard a thing from them last time and TBH I will be lucky to pull in more than 36K per month working in Chiang Mai anyway.
Just started a new job this month in the UK and 'forgot' to tick the student loan repayment box on the P46 I was sent. Wonder if this will get me out of deductions on my first pay packet due next week?!
Be careful of misrepresentations to the HMRC, bill. You did sign it confirming the details were correct.
you're a lot better at this stuff mate but i'm assuming they can't do this unless you signed up to it when the original loan was taken out?
^ Tis one of the conditions I do believe.
Yes, I believe so.
Looks like the SLC is being used for a phishing scam. Good reason to refuse to deal with them perhaps:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16178848
Last edited by paully; 15th December 2011 at 19:52.
different people have different conditions depending on when they took their loan/s out.
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