Thailand NBG (no bloody good) anymore

After regular visits to Cha-am over the last 8 years sometimes on a 90-day tourist visa and other times retirement visas I'm back in Aus for a while.
     Perth Western Australia is only an 8-hour trip and I can usually get a return ticket Perth to BKK for about Aus $380...  It seems that I can still get a retirement visa in Canberra Aus for Thailand at their Embassy which I have before as I do have the money.  They accept the surrender value of my retirement fund as proof that the Bt800,000 required but when I get to Thailand I may be up the creek without a paddle as I will not have insurance and could be turned away by Thai Immigration if I have a retirement visa only.  I'm now 78y/o and despite inquiries it impossible to obtain the required Thai medical cover at my age.  Thai tourist visas do not require Thai medical insurance so for my last trip I used a 90 tourist visa.  You have to get them in Australia before you leave not like most other S/E Asian countries, visa-on-arrival.  It appears Thailand may make it hard to arrive in Thailand without insurance in the future.  Insurance requirements are a dog's dinner.
     I'm doing my homework about the Philippines, Cebu or near is on the cards,  It appears you can just go there on a 30-day tourist visa and renew it in 5 min for 2 months for years by paying US $35, or get a 60-day visa simply before leaving your home country and extend it as required at the local Immigration office or go through the long term application which will be forever for a couple of thousand US dollars.  I think you do have to have about US $8000 Filipinos, they mostly speak English, much easier to make friends.  Most farangs have trouble in Thailand with the language except those who have been there for a long time.  After 8 years in Thailand, my Thai Language is RS.   In the Philippines, it seems to get in you have to have an exit ticket (to anywhere) to get into the country unless you apply for a visa before you get there (your home country).  My homework is still to be done.
   My last recent 3 months stay in Cha-am (came home 13/12 last) had a few drinks with some blokes who live in Malacca in Malaysia, they have lived there for some time 90-day tourist visas etc. 
      Malaysia retirement visa (10 years) you have to have lots of money now (like $100,000 in the Malaysia Bank). There is much more nightlife in Malacca then some other places in Malaysia and it is just lovely.  Their trip to Cha-am was just with a 30-day free Thai tourist visa and then back to Malaysia for another trip, they do this often then back to Malaysia.  (I'm not sure that's correct) Sometimes they go to Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines Vietnam as a border run even Katmandu.  They have live lived in Malacca for a few years now. 
   If you are staying in Thailand on a 90-day tourist visa and want to extend you have to return to Australia to get the extension, really it's a new Tourist visa with all its requirements (bank statement, application form passport pics etc and palaver).  Lots of stuffing around and the 90-day tourist visa is really only a 60-day tourist visa with an option to extend for another 30 days in Thailand and pay Bt1900, yes I know about that.  It can and often takes most of the day if you are in a country location.

   Like my friend JC (RCA) says  "there is always an option"  Thailand has shot itself in the foot, my next trip will be to the Philippines...not so much trouble? and they speak English.

The title should be "NBG (no bloody good) anymore."