BANGKOK, THAILAND – Relocating to Thailand permanently means losing more than just familiar weather; crucial social security benefits built up over decades may not automatically transfer.
Individuals moving their permanent residence from Germany, Austria, or Switzerland to Thailand will find that many social welfare benefits, including nursing care allowance, social assistance, housing benefits, and statutory health insurance, cease with their departure. The continuation of any remaining benefits depends on the country of origin and the specific nature of the benefit.
This guide provides a detailed look at each benefit, separating information by country. It aims to be a factual assessment rather than an alarmist depiction, enabling individuals to plan proactively for potential losses.
Sozialhilfe: Deutschland zahlt nicht ins Ausland
German law, specifically § 24 Abs. 1 SGB XII, stipulates that Germans residing abroad are not eligible for social assistance. Those living permanently in Thailand cannot claim basic security or subsistence support, regardless of their tax contributions. Exceptions are extremely narrow, requiring an extraordinary emergency and proof of inability to return.
In practice, this means individuals facing indigence in Thailand have no legal entitlement to support from Germany. While applications can be submitted via the German Embassy in Bangkok to the relevant social welfare authority in the applicant’s place of birth, the requirements are stringent, and approval rates are low. A 2020 ruling by the Landessozialgericht Niedersachsen-Bremen deemed a monthly pension of 980 Euros insufficient to constitute a hardship in Thailand, citing that one could “live well” on such an amount.
Pflegegeld Deutschland: Vollständiger Verlust ab Tag eins
Section § 34 SGB XI clearly states that anyone permanently moving their residence to a third country outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland forfeits all claims from the German nursing care insurance from the first day of their permanent stay. This applies irrespective of nursing care level, contribution duration, or destination, as Thailand lacks bilateral agreements. The claim is completely suspended.
Effective January 2026, a new rule allows for the continuation of nursing care payments for temporary stays in Thailand of up to eight weeks, an increase from the previous six weeks. This change solely benefits individuals whose primary residence remains in Germany. Those living permanently in Thailand are unaffected. However, contributions to nursing care insurance through pension deductions continue as long as the individual remains insured under the statutory health insurance in Germany.
Österreichisches Pflegegeld: Wohnsitz entscheidet
Austrian Federal Nursing Care Allowance law ties eligibility to ordinary residence in Austria. Permanent relocation to Thailand results in the loss of this allowance, regardless of insurance duration or nursing care level. Within the EU and EEA, European Regulation (EC) 883/2004 allows for the continuation of benefits if individuals remain health-insured with an Austrian provider. Thailand is not covered by this provision.
Short-term stays abroad, up to four weeks, do not impact nursing care allowance claims. For longer periods, authorities assess whether ordinary residence is still in Austria, with case law indicating a critical period between four weeks and six months. Individuals living in alternating patterns (e.g., five months in Thailand, seven in Austria) enter a legal grey area requiring individual examination.
Schweizer Hilflosenentschädigung: Kein Export in Drittstaaten
The Swiss AHV (Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance) offers a disability allowance for individuals requiring constant third-party assistance. This benefit can only be exported to EU and EEA countries based on the agreement on the free movement of persons with the EU. As Thailand is not a contracting state, this allowance is not paid for permanent stays there. Similarly, supplementary benefits to the AHV are tied to residence in Switzerland and end upon relocation.
The AHV pension itself, however, is paid worldwide, including to Thailand. This represents a crucial distinction: the pension benefit remains, while need-based supplementary benefits cease. Individuals reliant on supplementary benefits in Switzerland due to insufficient AHV pension alone should carefully calculate this financial gap before moving.
Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung: Kein Sozialversicherungsabkommen
There is no social security agreement between Germany and Thailand. Consequently, German statutory health insurance does not cover treatment costs in Thailand, whether outpatient or inpatient. Individuals remaining compulsorily insured within the GKV as pensioners (often the case when receiving a German pension) continue to pay contributions but cannot utilize these benefits in Thailand. Emergency treatments during holidays may be partially reimbursed, but this is absent for permanent residents.
Austria and Switzerland face the same challenge: no bilateral social security agreement with Thailand means no reimbursement for local treatments. Those living permanently in Thailand urgently require private international health insurance. This is not optional but a prerequisite for realistic financial planning. Such insurance, with a minimum coverage of 3,000,000 Baht (uniform, no split for outpatient/inpatient), is mandated for visa extensions (Non-OA).
Wohngeld und Grundsicherung im Alter: Beide enden mit dem Wegzug
Housing benefit is a residence-cost-related benefit that is tied to the actual place of residence in Germany and ends immediately upon relocation. Basic security in old age (§§ 41 ff. SGB XII) applies to individuals aged 67 and above whose pension is below the subsistence level; this benefit also requires ordinary residence in Germany. Those making Thailand their permanent home lose both benefits upon deregistration.
The Austrian equivalent, the Ausgleichszulage zur Pension (pension supplement), is a needs-tested supplementary benefit also tied to residence in Austria and ends with permanent relocation to Thailand. Swiss supplementary benefits to the AHV/IV follow the same principle, with Swiss residency being a mandatory prerequisite.
Was bleibt: Renten, Direktzahlungen, private Vorsorge
Statutory pensions from Germany (DRV), Austria, and Switzerland are paid worldwide, including to Thailand, into German or Thai bank accounts. This forms the stable core: contribution-financed benefits with legal entitlement follow the recipient internationally. Need-based benefits, such as social assistance, housing benefits, basic security, and nursing care in third countries, do not.
Individuals planning a long-term stay in Thailand should understand this limitation and establish private provisions: secure supplementary nursing care insurance before moving (earlier is cheaper), obtain mandatory international health insurance, and calculate sufficient liquid reserves for potential care needs. Specialized Thailand consultants can offer concrete support for legal and financial questions prior to relocation.
Sozialhilfe in Thailand: Was der Staat vor Ort bietet
Thailand does not have a state social welfare system for foreigners. The Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), the state health insurance, is exclusively for Thai citizens. Foreigners employed by a Thai employer can contribute to social insurance and receive benefits; pensioners without employment have no access. Individuals facing financial hardship in Thailand must rely on private support, family assistance, or return to their home country.
Some embassies, including the German Embassy Bangkok, can facilitate repatriation and serve as contact points in acute emergencies. However, there is no legal entitlement to financial support. The embassy’s role may involve connecting individuals with aid organizations, issuing documents, and in extreme cases, reviewing loan applications for repatriation. No further financial assistance is provided.
Was jetzt konkret zu klären ist
Those who have already relocated or are planning to move their permanent residence to Thailand should specifically examine four points. First, confirm if existing nursing care supplementary insurance covers third countries, noting variations in conditions. Second, verify that international health insurance genuinely covers permanent residency, not just travel. Third, ensure sufficient liquid reserves are available for care needs, as nursing care allowances from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are not paid in Thailand.
Fourth, and often overlooked, is the feasibility and affordability of returning to one’s home country in an emergency. Individuals living permanently in Thailand who become in need of care or indigent will find themselves without a state safety net. This can be managed with awareness and planning, but ignored, it can become a catastrophe.