I just obtained an e visa from Vietnam based on the 40,000 income per month. I showed pdf files from the Australian govt website which was accepted. The bank statements I provided verifies this income.
Why do a retirement visa when you can do a marriage visa showing 40,000 baht minimum income per month? The visa is the Non-Immigrant O (Marriage) Visa extension, which requires showing 400,000 THB in a Thai bank account or a 40,000 THB monthly income. The income does not have to be a pension; it can come from overseas earnings, salary, or other legitimate sources, provided it is transferred to a Thai bank.
I tried for an e-visa 0 in Laos and was rejected and told to return to Australia. This is not exactly true, as other countries offer an e visa, such as Malaysia, where I will try next. All this just to open a bank account before I lodge my application in Phuket.
The ask:thailand community, consisting of multiple Q/A groups with over 100,000 members, powers this platform. It is not an official government resource. Our members actively contribute to this resource, and while we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its complete reliability. Assistance to travelers is provided as a community service.