What no one is telling you and where your confusion is,,
The airlines have a legal responsibility for you to arrive in any country with the correct paperwork and they are legally required to return you, from where you came from, if that paperwork isn't correct on arrival.
When you fly in on a visa exemption to anywhere, you don't have an agreement with that country. The country are simply allowing you short access free. So in this situation the airline need proof of an onward ticket within whatever the free allowance might be.
If you have a visa, technically you have an agreement or contract with the country before departure.
It's labelled correctly, for their target market, most wont want residency.
If you have a working visa, or a retirement visa, it doesn't make you a national, or necessarily a resident to the Thia government. But your own country may well class you as a resident.
Nomad, digital worker, remote worker, bla bla bla.
Call it what you like. It's basically a "have you got enough money visa" to stay here , isnt it?
As I said, the 180 days is likely about tax and 99.99 percent of people, or dtv holders will draw a greater amount of money from another country. So the tourist label would suit those who it's aimed at.
Id say, even the retired (uk) might not have their pension payments frozen under these guidelines?
They are buy design made for long term stays. I expect the 180 days is simply the tax threshold. The fact they can be extended by a further 180 days is evidence of the Thai government's intention for these visas.
I know a fair few on retirement visas who are switching to the dtv for obvious reasons,, much longer and cheaper with the added bonus of not needing to commit financially to a Thai bank.
My wife and I both have dtv visas and if there is any question mark over them, it's possibly that they are slightly too easy to get, as far as status goes. I mean maybe there should be a minimum earnings capacity on them. But in reality, anybody earning normal western wages/salary will be able to live anywhere in Thailand very comfortably and most of those with a decent western salary will easily dwarf any retirees in spending power.
Honestly, the only changes I can see the government possibly making is raising the earnings/salary bar or assets level.
why is 27th Nov the earliest date? Surely anyone could technically renew or extend the day after they arrived?
The first dtv were issued mid July, so if there is a condition to wait till the last month or similar (which I'm not aware of) they wouldn't start to expire till the new year.