Q. Can a 12 month retirement visa be applied for in either UK or Thailand??

It depends on what exactly you mean by "retirement visa" whether available in UK or Thailand.

What you can apply for is:

- Non-OA (long-stay/retirement) that is valid for 1 year and gives you up to 365 days for entry, at the Thai Embassy in UK

- Non-O based on being over 50 (retirement/pensioner) that is valid for 90 days and gives you 90 days for entry, at the Thai Embassy in UK. You have to apply for a 1-year extension after.

- Non-O based on being over 50 (retirement/pensioner) that gives you 90 days for entry, at the local immigration office in Thailand. You have to apply for a 1-year extension after.

Q. Does one only have to confirm possession of the required finance ? Or must it be deposited in a Thai bank on the first year of obtaining the visa

You can use proof of income for visa application in UK. You need to have money in a Thai bank account in your name for a visa application inside Thailand or extension applications.

Here is a very rough comparison of retirement visas. You need to check again the detailed requirements at the Thai embassy in London website.

Depends on what you want to do when your current extension ends.

If you just leave, no need to transfer stamps. Bring and present both passports (along with the embassy letter IF your embassy issued one with your new passport) at passport control at the departure airport. You will be stamped out on your new passport.

If you are applying in-country visa, you have to transfer your stamps first. You go to the exact immigration office where you applied for a 30-day tourism extension in whatever province you did.

You can check your extension stamp to see which immigration office issued your extension.

Unfortunately, there is no "short-term" extension available for Non-Immigrant-based visas/extensions including retirement.

60-day visiting Thai family extension is the only possible extension for less than one year to a Non-Immigrant-based visa or extension. Unless you have a legal and immediate Thai family in Thailand, you cannot apply for it.

@Nga *************

, yes, correct.

@Ian **********************

, check the latest and detailed requirements for an extension based on retirement from your local immigration office. No police check is required.

@Nga *************

, the very first one is supposed to be in person

@Ian **********************

, that would be the simplest way

That depends on the immigration office. Some accept TM30 receipts from years ago. Some want you to have the TM30 receipt with both check-in/check-out filled "valid" dates. <- means application day is between check-in/check-out dates.

You need to contact your local office about that.

@Ian **********************

, sadly, no "grace period" once the current extension expires after the Thai spouse passes. The foreign husband must leave and enter Thailand again, either on a visa-exempt/waiver/tourist visa, or Non-O from the Thai consulate if he is eligible to apply.

@Nigel ********

, KL is going on eVisa from October.