Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thai Retirement Visas specifically and whether or not the rules regarding them are going to basically remain in place in the forthcoming months and years. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Thai Immigration Policy: shape of things to come. Quoting directly: "Senior Thai Police in recent months have predicted that the one year visas and extensions of stay - Retirement, Marriage and Study - need a tightening up of the rules. Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn (Big Joke) has pointed to alleged abuses such as applicants borrowing money from agents or language schools deliberately ignoring non-attendance at classes. Not to mention the thorny issue of comprehensive medical insurance for all. Yet some pundits believe that the current systems will remain basically in place, perhaps with cosmetic changes such as more regular checking of expats' Thai Bank Account balances, or extensive use of "grandfathering" which means giving existing expats immunity from any future rule changes. There may be too many vested interests and profiteering for an all-out assault on Visa Agents who are widely seen as essential to make Immigration policy work. Sometimes in Thailand, the more things change, the more they stay the same." I urge those watching this video, go check out that article in detail, a lot of good information in there beyond what I quoted. 

Yeah I am kind of wondering if the "pundits" mentioned in that article, if one of them was in fact me when I have commented on the notion of "grandfathering" or the fact that Thai Retirement Visas may not see sweeping overhauls in at least the immediately foreseeable future, and I do stand by that especially with regard to the immediately foreseeable future. I find it hard to believe that we are going to see major Immigration changes going into the end of calendar year 2023. If anything, especially coming off COVID but even looking back a little bit, it has been my experience that if there are going to be major changes at Immigration, it doesn't tend to happen, I stress "tend to" happen during a high season. I think you are more likely to see that going back into the "doldrums" maybe next March, April, maybe past  Songkran going in to, you get into the high summer if you will and oftentimes we will see a lot more activity in terms of Immigration Law Enforcement because notably I think Immigration takes a position of "hey, yeah you came in here during high season, that's when we typically see tourists come in, now you have been hanging around in Thailand and you are now in July of that the same calendar year perhaps, if you came in in January, and we are kind of wanting to know what you are doing here. It looks to us like you are living here and less like you are a tourist." Again, whether or not that distinction and the Law Enforcement associated with it is overly warranted, I think reasonable people can disagree on that. But that said that doesn't appear to be sort of the cadence if you will of Immigration Law Enforcement.

So going into high season sitting here in September of 2023, I think it is very unlikely we are going to see major changes to the overall particularly the Retirement Visa. Now the Education Visa my personal opinion is we will probably see majors Law Enforcement initiatives regarding that. We will also see major initiatives I expect regarding possibly overhaul of things like the Thai Student Visa. 

So again, not actually on the cards at the moment but I think it is something that is not unreasonable to think could happen some time in the coming, let's call it the next year, 18 months, but again we don't exactly know so we will keep you updated on this channel as that situation evolves.