Maybe the embassy is seeking reasons to not approve a visa because they think retired people don't follow Muay Thai training.

The heavy misuse of DTV might make the procedures more strict.

When retired, the non-o visa might be the more logical visa.

@Pete ********

The changing is annoying, but made necessary because heavily misuse, which is caused by having loopholes in requirements. For some reason it is difficult for Thai to look already and predict what will happen. The change of visa exempt from 30 to 60 days was made to get tourists stay longer. The average tourist from western countries stayed about 2-3 weeks, Asian tourists did stay 1 week on average. So 30 days was more than enough, the change to 60 days would not get more tourists, but would make it easier for people who wanted to live in Thailand without visa. The DTV in itself is a good idea, but there are too many loopholes.

@Peter *****

I think a lot of digital nomads not stay over 180 days a year in one single country, that is what it means to be a nomad. And yes, I know a lot of people here want to use the DTV just to live 5 years in Thailand. If and how Thai authorities try to change rules to prevent this not intended use, time will tell.

@Peter *****

180 days, the length of DTV stay does not even make you tax resident. As far as I know immigration also does not ask to show Thai tax payment records for other long term visa, simply because there is no relation between visa and tax.

@Andi **********

I think you are right, 180 days is a reasonable lengte of stay for a digital nomad, 30 days is too short.

@Andi **********

the difference is that the people living 50 year in a country take the holiday outside the country voluntary, they can stay 50 years if they want. The DTV holder is forced to leave the country after 360 days.

@Andi **********

not childish and not downgrading. It is quite obvious the DTV is not meant to stay for 5 years in the country. When that really was the intention, they would have made stays longer than 180 days, for example 1 year, and give the possibility to extend in the country with a year as often as you want. That you currently can almost stay 5 years in a row, does not change that fact.

@Matthew ******

income is not necessary salary, it can also be other income, as long as it is a steady income.

@Matt ******

I still don't understand which new visa you are talking about, I don't know any visa on arrival of 60 days.

@Matthew ******

There are no income requirements for DTV, so having a regular salary from remote job together with pension money should not be any problem.