Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing bureaucracy and taxation, so let's jump in here. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Western retirees in Thailand feeling rather insecure. A good article here, a lot going on with this. I will say again, just as a preface, retirees out there or prospective retirees, I don't think most the tax announcements that have been made in the last couple of weeks nor do I think any of the most recent news regarding Thai Immigration should overly worry retirees here in Thailand. I think ultimately, notwithstanding the fact that the government makes these announcements and things, and yeah sure YouTube including myself, we talk about this stuff; it is important to keep perspective and on a day-to-day basis I don't think the average retiree in Thailand, foreign retirees specifically, is going to be detrimentally impacted that much in their day-to-day life, okay? 

That being said, again Pattaya Mail , pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Western retirees in Thailand feeling rather insecure. Quoting directly: "But around 250,000 expats, mostly men dependent on one-year extensions of stay based on retirement or marriage, are increasingly feeling left out in the cold. Graeme Clifton, an American who retired to Thailand 10 years ago, said, "We only ever hear bad news for us such as more visa bureaucracy and threats of extra taxation." He added that renewing his annual extension at Immigration was becoming a real hassle because of extra paperwork, some of it totally unexpected. Letters to the Bangkok Post and concerns at expat clubs up and down the country echo the same sentiments." 

Well, a couple of things here. Yeah, look, a main trend with Immigration and this is coming from somebody who does it and deals with it on a day-to-day basis, nothing ever gets much easier on a timeline. Now reforms will sometimes happen and we will see things change. I am always a little bit cynical about change especially within any Immigration System, be it the US, Thailand whatever, because it has been my experience the changes are not oftentimes the best thing in the world.  Now that said, regarding so-called threats of extra taxation, as we have discussed in other videos, the vast majority of retirees do not really need to worry about any of these changes to the protocols associated with internal taxation assessment here in Thailand. My opinion, I have said it in other videos, I think a solid 80% of retirees are just never going to have to worry about this stuff. There may be folks on a spectrum within that other 20% that may need to worry about one thing or another to one degree or another but again I don't believe this is going to be a huge thing.

Also as I have said before, I do honestly believe that ultimately retirement if there are major changes to the Retirement Visa scheme, we will very likely see, although it is not a foregone conclusion obviously and I am engaging some level of speculation, but I do believe we will see some level of "grandfathering" into the system under the prior terms that one was in the immigration system moving forward. So that is my thinking on it. Now I could be wrong but based on what we have seen in the past and based on how we have seen Immigration implement changes in policy, I don't think it's irrational, I don't think it's unreasonable to believe that ultimately the retirees that are here right now, will be here in perpetuity should they so desire.