Non-O ME 1-Year Visas Based on Marriage - Financial Proof Embassy Letters Availability and Use

[JackThompson]

The Thai consulate in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and a few others, require showing financial evidence in order to obtain a 1-Year Non-O Visa based on Thai Family.  Although some other Thai consulates in the area do not (examples: Laos, Vietnam), that could change in the future.

 

Thai consulates also require showing financials at all nearby consulates for a Non-O based on retirement.

 

Embassy-letters will soon no longer be available in Thailand for Brits, Americans, or Aussies, but some have reported these letters are still offered by in some other countries.

 

Has anyone ever obtained and successfully used an embassy-letter from their passport-country embassy in Malaysia, Singapore, or another location, for use in obtaining a Non-O Visa from a consulate in that country which requires financial-evidence?

 

The purpose of this question is to determine if a "Plan B" exists, for:

• Applicants currently depending on Non-O ME Visas to stay with their Thai families, should "no financials" Visas be discontinued at some point in the future. 
• Applicants needing a single-entry Non-O based on retirement, which requires financials in all cases, when this is less-difficult than obtaining a Non-O stamp from an uncooperative Thai immigration-office (of which there are several)

 

As the MFA is a separate branch of government from Immigration, it is possible that embassy-procured income-letters will continue to be honored, abroad - even when/if no longer available and/or honored by Immigration in Thailand.

 

Note, I am not referring to "extensions of permission to stay" from an immigration-office in Thailand - only obtaining Visas at consulates abroad.  Also, let's avoid speculating on the embassy-letter issue in Thailand, as there are plenty of other threads for that purpose.

Edited November 10, 2018 by JackThompson