FYI: a friend has just arrived from Italy and she showed me her passport with a brand new METV with 3 months validity from the date of issue (mid March). It costs 30 euro + show a bank statement with minimum 600 euro and that's it. I've never heard and seen a METV like that but it's true, issued at the Thai consulate in Milan and the sticker has also a new graphic and colors. So it seems that the old SETV doesn't exist anymore at least in the Thai Consulate of Milan, replaced by this new 3 months validity METV.

It would be interesting if other Thai Consulates issue this new visa too. Any infos about it?