Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing complaints about the Thai Retirement Visa. Now I know there are those out there who are going to say "well you are an apologist for Thailand!" Well yeah, I am. I became Thai, I have been here 15 years, I love this place; I have made it my home. Yeah I'm kind of an apologist for Thailand, I think that's safe to say. 

That said, the reason for this video is and I first of all want to be very clear, I did over a decade going through the bowels of the Thai Immigration system. I have been through it myself; I am aware of it and I understand the frustrations of persnickety “oh the date stamp on this needs to conform to that”, or “your re-entry permit needs to be issued this way”, whatever little quite honestly rinky-dink, persnickety problem that comes up. I get the frustration, I truly do as a foreigner, I have been through it. I have had multiple situations where I have wondered if my status itself wasn't threatened because of some minor issue associated with an Immigration stamp or the timing of when I did something. Totally get it, I really, really do. That said, a lot of the complaints associated with the Thai Retirement Visas in my opinion are pretty darn unwarranted and I say that not looking at it purely from a Thailand perspective but from a comparative perspective. Please someone tell me where you can find a Retirement Visa scheme that is as reasonably priced as that which exists here in Thailand which has as reasonable financial requirements as that which exists here in Thailand and it's for a country with the benefits that you get by living in Thailand and  let's be clear what those benefits are.

Thailand is a beautiful tropical country its infrastructure is top notch; its medical infrastructure is through the roof; it's a great place to live especially if you are a retiree. On top of it, it is filled with nice people who respect the elderly. It's part of the culture to respect the elderly in Thailand; it is ingrained in the culture if anything and throughout Southeast Asian by the way. Laos, Cambodia feel the same way. The same can be said for Myanmar, Vietnam, even Malaysia. Asia is like that, you respect your elders and that is something I really do enjoy about Southeast Asia, Thailand specifically. But tell me another country where you can get those kind of benefits for the requirements that Thailand asked for, for like a basic Retirement, O-A Retirement Visa. I mean I would love to know in the comments, if there is some magical land, if there is some Xanadu somewhere that this exists, I would love to know. I like to think of myself as pretty well informed on immigration matters especially in an international context. I am not as deeply involved in other countries for example Malaysia, Cambodia, I kind of have a basic understanding of what's going on there. I am very well aware of US and Thai Immigration Policy and Law but I am just, where else on the planet honestly can you find a country as great to live in as Thailand with a Retirement Visa scheme that is as reasonable as Thailand has. I just don't think you are going to find it.

So again this isn't a video that I want to make to sort of talk down to anybody at all. In fact I think that most of the retiree expats that are here that I have met over the years are pretty hunky dory with how things work in the Thai Immigration System. They kind of go "You know what? All things considered yeah, okay, I have got to show up every 90 days, or I got to get online every 90 days and check in, or I have got to go in and renew once a year whatever" but all things being equal it's a pretty good deal.