Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thai Retirement Visas yet again. Specifically we are discussing the notion of comprehensive medical insurance. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that's pattayamail.com, the article is titled: What Thailand's expats can expect from the new government. I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article in detail, I'm going to quote a small excerpt here. "Expats on annual extensions can expect to see tightening of the rules regarding cash deposits and comprehensive medical insurance, as anticipated recently by Deputy National Police Surachate Hakparn." Now whether or not this actually comes to pass remains to be seen. As noted in that article, the Deputy National Police Chief Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn whom we have discussed at length on this channel many, many times going back to when he was the Head of the Thai Immigration Police, was recently quoted as discussing the fact that he thought financial requirements and things associated with insurance requirements needed to be changed especially as it regarded the Thai Retirement Visas. 

Now again, I urge those watching this video go check out that article in the Pattaya Mail. But do I anticipate that we will see major changes with regard to medical insurance? It's hard for me to say one way or the other but what I will say is at present, look at the end of the day it's very difficult for foreign nationals especially over the age of 70, to get any medical insurance whatsoever. So I think it's unlikely that we will see a scenario where retirees can come to Thailand only to find themselves being bounced out because they are unable to keep up insurance requirements after the age of 70. So I think that if there are major changes made and if insurance is made let's call it "more mandatory", like they widen or broaden the scope of who needs to have insurance - as of the time of this video O-A retirees do need medical insurance, O Retirement Visa holders do not, so there's a difference between the two categories - again, it remains to be seen whether they will change the laws on this. My thinking on it is if they do change the laws, they are still going to make accommodation for the fact that there are those out there who are just unable to maintain medical insurance after a certain age and I think that even really stringent or stringent-minded Immigration Authorities are even going to take that into account when making any future policy decisions. 

Now that said, all of this is merely an exercise in speculation. We have not seen any major changes to Immigration rules be promulgated as of the time of this video but we will certainly keep you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.