Service
UK Pension Transfers.
The transfer decision, made on the maths, not the commission.
Who Richard advises
Richard advises people from organisations like these.
Employer information is provided by clients during the consultation process and is not independently verified. Logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners and do not imply endorsement of Richard Knight or Business Class Asia.
Who this is for
Who this service is for.
- 01
British retirees in Thailand
Have a UK pension still parked with a UK provider, may have been pitched a transfer years ago, want a second opinion on whether to act now.
- 02
Pre-retirement professionals
55–65, planning to retire in Thailand within five years, weighing up SIPP consolidation vs an overseas transfer.
- 03
Existing transferred-pension clients
Already transferred to an offshore arrangement years ago, suspect the fees may not be in your favour, want a fee-impact review.
What's involved
What's actually involved.
An overseas UK pension transfer is largely irreversible and often the single financial decision where expatriates lose the most money, usually because the cost of the advice is hidden inside the product. Transfers can carry significant tax implications, ongoing charges and restrictions that are not always fully explained at the outset.
The approach here is simple: give the right advice for your circumstances, even where that means recommending no transfer at all. Any remuneration, fees or commissions are disclosed in writing before you proceed, so the decision is made with complete clarity.
The decision framework
There are three categories of British expat for whom a transfer can still earn its place. There are roughly seven for whom it almost never does. Most of the work is sitting on the right side of that line.
The maths is done both ways, UK SIPP vs overseas transfer, over a realistic horizon, with the fee structures of each disclosed in writing before any product recommendation is made.
The Overseas Transfer Charge
Since 2017, a UK pension transferred to a non-EEA QROPS by a person who is themselves not resident in that QROPS jurisdiction attracts a 25% Overseas Transfer Charge. That single rule removed QROPS from consideration for most British expats in Thailand overnight.
The OTC interacts with residency status, jurisdiction of the receiving scheme, and the type of UK pension being transferred. I walk you through where exactly your circumstances sit.
The 2024 Thai remittance change
The 2024 reinterpretation of Section 41 of the Thai Revenue Code closed the prior-year remittance loophole. Pension income remitted to Thailand by a Thai tax resident is now potentially assessable for Thai personal income tax in the year it arrives. The transfer decision now has to be made with this rule fully in view.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes to avoid.
- 01
Taking the advisor’s recommendation at face value when the advisor is paid by the transfer.
A commission-based advisor recommending a transfer is recommending the transaction that pays them. The structural conflict cannot be addressed by the individual advisor, only by the fee model. Always ask, in writing, exactly how the advisor is paid on this specific transaction.
- 02
Comparing fees only at the headline rate.
A 1.5% pa platform fee versus 0.45% pa looks like a 1% difference. Over twenty years it is the difference between £224k and £70k of cumulative fees on the same starting pot. Always model the twenty-year cost, not the first-year cost.
- 03
Transferring before clarifying long-term residency intent.
A transfer that makes sense for someone who will spend the rest of their life in Thailand may be a regret for someone who returns to the UK at 75. Domicile and residency intent are inputs to the transfer decision, not afterthoughts.
How the practice works
Three conversations before any commitment.
A measured introduction, a written plan, and a clear engagement. No long sales process. No pressure on the first call. You leave the first meeting with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
- 01
An introduction.
Thirty minutes by video, or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. A discussion of your situation, your concerns, and what the years ahead are intended to look like. Rough figures are sufficient. No documents required in advance.
- 02
A written plan.
A second meeting where the work is appropriate for both parties. A written summary of the plan, the moves in priority order, the realistic timeline, and the cost in plain numbers.
- 03
An engagement, in writing.
A written engagement letter that sets out how I am paid, commission on what is arranged and a fee on what is managed, with every figure and what it pays, before you proceed. Either party may end the engagement at any time. Custody arrangements remain in place regardless.
Free guide
UK pension transfers after the Finance Act 2026.
The Finance Act 2026 brings most unused UK pension funds into the IHT net from 6 April 2027. The transfer decision is now a different calculus, read against SIPPs, QROPS, the Overseas Transfer Charge and the 2024 Thai remittance rule.
What is inside
- The Finance Act 2026 IHT change, and who it catches
- Pension types and the transfer landscape: DC, DB and the State Pension
- SIPP versus QROPS, and the 25 per cent Overseas Transfer Charge
- The 2024 Thai remittance rule applied to pension income
- The due-diligence questions to put to any adviser
Plain English, nothing to sign. Useful even if you never get in touch.
The advisor
Richard Knight.
Richard Knight is a British national with fifteen years' experience in private wealth management, advising internationally mobile clients across Asia, Europe and beyond. Based in Thailand, he works with expatriates and international families navigating the complexities of cross-border wealth, retirement and estate planning.
The practice is built on first-hand experience of international relocation and long-term expatriate life, rather than a purely theoretical understanding of it.
He is an Associate Member of the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (ACSI) and holds CISI qualifications in Financial Planning and Investments.
He also serves as Vice Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand in Hua Hin, supporting the local business and expatriate community.
Richard maintains a deliberately limited client base, focusing on conservative, long-term planning for people who value clarity, stability and peace of mind over unnecessary risk.
“Richard works in finance business for many years and his recommendations are reliable and efficient. He is very attentive to the clients and help them to come to the most beneficial solution. Having Richard as your personal finance consultant you can feel secure for your future.”
“Richard is reliable person, with good knowledge of the products that he propose to clients. He want client to understand the process and he cares of the client future.”
“Richard is a great and reliable service provider.”
Fees and what to expect
What it costs, and how I'm paid.
I am paid through commission on the products arranged and an ongoing fee on the assets managed. Every cost, and what it pays, is set out in writing before you decide.
You may ask what any recommendation pays me, and the figures that apply are agreed in writing in the engagement letter before you proceed.
A first 30-minute consultation costs nothing and obliges you to nothing.
Client assets are held by an appointed trustee or a regulated platform, never by me.
Questions
Questions about this.
Go deeper
Tools and related reading.
Try the tool
A two-minute read on what your pension situation raises before any transfer is considered. It recommends nothing. A guide, not advice.
- Richard Knight, ACSI
Tax · 8 min
What the 2024 Thai remittance tax actually changes for UK pensioners
The Revenue Department’s reinterpretation of Section 41 is straightforward once you read it twice. Here’s what it actually says, and what to do about it.
Read article - Richard Knight, ACSI
Pensions · 11 min
QROPS Thailand in 2026, when it makes sense, when it doesn’t
Three categories of British expat for whom QROPS still earns its place, and one category for whom it almost never does.
Read article - Richard Knight, ACSI
Pensions · 9 min
SIPP vs QROPS for British expats in Thailand
A direct comparison of the two, with a working through the maths.
Read article
Begin a conversation.
Thirty minutes, by video or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. Free, and without obligation. You leave with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
Book a meeting
Choose a time that suits you.
Thirty minutes with Richard Knight, ACSI directly. By video, phone, or in person. No obligation.