AgentSmith

Hong Kong doesn't stamp passports so I might be going there. Of course Thai immigration can see I'm coming from HK upon entry but there would be a gap in the trips in my passport so nothing that shows I didn't visit my home country (which by the way has never stamped me in or out) somewhere along the way. So no way for them to check afterwards I wasn't in my home country during the application. To summarize: I'll leave Thailand, travel to HK, apply for a METV via a non-commercial non-public VPN and IP address in my home country, and return to Thailand upon receiving the visa.

I've decided to apply after leaving the country. I just won't go to my home country as that is simply too far away and too expensive for a simple visa run.

If that is all they check it is actually rather easy. I have access to some sort of VPN that is not commercially available and only for private use. So it's not on the lists with public VPN providers and there's 0 chance they can see I'm not in my home country during the application. Then what I have to do is not be in Thailand and use my private connection during the application to make them think I'm in my home country. In the end all they can really check is whether I'm in Thailand or not by checking my entries and exits in their own systems. Still waiting/hoping for actual experience though.

You need to be in your home country to apply for a visa? I certainly hope not. This seems very unlikely. In theory they can see I am in Thailand during the application but how would they know where I am after leaving the country? The evisa website also doesn't mention anything about your current whereabouts in the requirements so I doubt it even matters. That said, I'd really like to hear about actual experience.

It's been over a year now. Does anyone have more recent experience with this? I'm in Thailand now on visa exempt and if I can get a METV before leaving the country that would be very convenient.