According to the thai consulate in hull uk the 800,000 bahts required does not have to be in a thai bank is this correct as this is different to what i have previously been told

It is my understanding that, for an initial (first time) overseas application, the money does not have to be in a Thai bank. However, for subsequent renewals, it must be in a Thai bank. Thai Banks do include those with local Thai branches, such as HSBC, CitiBank, Standard Chart., etc.

It depends on what kind of visa you have. If you have an O-A visa (a retirement visa issued by an issuing authority OUTSIDE Thailand) you do not have to have 800,000bt in a Thai bank until you apply for an extension of that visa a year later. If you enter Thailand on an O visa and apply for a retirement extension INSIDE Thailand you must have had 800,000bt in a Thai bank account for three months prior to your application.