Dart12

4 hours ago, gtrinbkk said:

no additional fees, just the 10k, visa collected 2 days after application... submit monday receive visa wednesday etc

Thank you for all that.

Last items you may be less likely to have any idea about:

Do you know.... is This is a one time 10,000 fee per 5 years? or annually 10k (both are cheap), but curious.  To me I read it as 10k one time and then 1900 for any re-entry (which is required at least once a year at minimum).

I'm also wondering if I choose medical now if being more nomadic in nature next year will be problematic.

On your visa... does it label you as 'nomad, concert goer, class taker, medical or such? 

or is it once you get it you are simply a "DTV visa holder" and there are no more labels than that?

This sounds better than retirement visa, but we know how they flip flop on these things in 6 months to a year and worry they give you problems in a year for a border run. VS retirement they seem to just leave you alone once you get it.

3 hours ago, gtrinbkk said:

Hope this report helps others applying for the DTV in Vientiane, specifically freelancers.

 

Applied Sep 6th, 2024. The officer was courteous and professional for the most part.

 

I do remote work, creating instructional video courses and selling them on my website, but most customers opt to subscribe to my membership giving them access to all courses, and pay monthly or annually for the service, and this kind of business model seemed to confuse the officer a bit.

 

For evidence of my business I wrote a letter detailing the nature of the remote work with links to my website, on my company letterhead and signed by me. I also printed out several pages from my website showing my online portfolio of courses/membership. 

 

For the financials I printed out a screenshot of my US bank account showing funds well in excess of the required 500k, this also clearly showed my name and date, same as application day.

 

For what it listed on the embassy requirements this seemed to check all boxes. 

 

But the officer wanted to see specifically who my customers are. I kinda anticipated this so I printed out a report of my sales over the last 30 days. This showed amounts, dates and email addresses but NOT names of customers. This created a little headache for him I guess as he kept asking to see customer names.  So if you are a freelancer selling products/services online I suggest you have customer names in whatever document you use as proof.

 

Fortunately I had a backup...

 

I also create courses remotely for the biggest name in my industry. I asked them to write me a letter listing all the work I have done for them and that this work is ongoing. I also printed out a screenshot showing the bank deposits from them for this work.  It appears this satisfied the officer more than my own website's proof, even though the sales income from my own website far exceed the income from the other company. 

 

So if you are asked to provide income amounts it doesn't appear there is a threshold that needs to be met.

 

It seems the most important thing for freelancers is to show clearly who your customers are, and it appears they may prefer to see work for a known company over your own website etc.

 

The only other additional documents requested were the last 3 months bank statements. So he allowed me to go out and get those printed. Brought them back, paid the 10k and was on my way. 

 

I'm due to pick it up tomorrow, assuming all will be fine but you never know until you get it in your hand.

 

 

 

 

sounds like medical treatment is best choice, no matter what you here for based on reading thru a few pages of what people did.

Any additional fees at teh embassy you went to?

And it sounds like a 7 day turn around time approximately?

 

ok.  So you had to spend a week out of thailand then.  I'm just trying to account for the full cost and PITA time requirement to do this.

Obviously not as easy as go inside thailand for retirement visa.  While 10,000 is much cheaper, got to account for the required hotel and airline tickets and like you mentioned $400 usd  additional where you got it.

if you don't mind sharing...what were airline tix costing where you went vs MCMC?  I know it changes daily for when I'd really need to search myself.  Just trying to get some broad estimation in my head.

Thanks for sharing everything you did as well!

On 9/7/2024 at 9:44 AM, Tim K said:

Got DTV 4 Sep in Phnom Penh, based on dental appointment,
525k in Kasikorn, no pay slips.
more details in my post

I read your post.

Couple questions:  

1 So you went sept 4 and got the visa sept 4...same day?

2 You mention $400.  So Phnom Penh requires $400 usd fee over and above the 10,000 baht?

2B. if so...why didn't you choose an embassy that had no additional fee?

3. Do the 500k funds in the bank accounts need seasoned at all?  or can I transfer them in this month and be fine?

Thanks for any help you can provide in helping me choose this or a retirement visa



 

On 9/7/2024 at 9:18 AM, AdamRich said:

Just woke up to mine being approved after so many hoops. I started the process 5 August. US price was $400.

it takes a month to get the visa??

is this always the case? or if I went to like Malaysia or Laos is it a single day process?

**And how many months does teh 500,000 need to be seasoned in my bank account? 

Going back and forth on this and a retirement visa.  

I’m surprised there is only one testimonial recommendation here for this service

A quick Google of Fred show she’s been testing new angles every week for something little stick and keep himself in the headlines.

I get the distinct feeling uncle refused to do some business deals with nephew in the past

Olympic boxer can just change pronouns and win...then why can’t Pattaya lol

8 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

If they opt for more regulation and licensing, will it be only large corporations owned by favoured families who will be able to afford and be granted the licences?

 

This is what happens in the alcoholic beverages industry.

most likely this is what they did in the US too.  Basically made a cartel or only amount of Uber Rich can sell And grow plants for a profit

3 hours ago, cnx101 said:

Yes exactly I just got an email off the agency saying I can renew the retirement visa two months in advance and price drop of 5000 baht, no thanks I won’t be renewing it.

if you like the hassle of losing a day to get these, sure.  But worth my savings of time to not have to do that.

On 7/15/2024 at 4:37 PM, BangkokReady said:

 

Not just that, people are picking the most toxic sides from each culture.  Thai people seem to want the rights of Western culture with the benefits of Thai culture.  "Give me this, give me that, I don't have to listen to you, but still talk nicely to me and don't criticise me or I'll lose my sh*t."

I'm not too familiar here with all that as I'm pretty isolated.  But yes many like to cherry pick benefits but not take on the responsibilities that would would have had to be completed to get such respect before actually getting it.

I follow you.

On 7/13/2024 at 3:44 PM, BangkokBernie said:

Good analysis of how foreigners in Thailand no longer seem exotic to the locals. But that doesn't necessarily change the lifestyle of a foreigner in Thailand. I also don't think that the foreign men living in Thailand will struggle to find a local partner if they want one simply because of dating apps and the digital revolution.
 

Anyway, my questions were more about what draws foreigners to the lifestyle in Thailand rather than how the locals may now feel about foreigners. 
 

Also, the friends of mine who finally left, didn't leave for any of those reasons. They mainly missed the natural and clean environments of where they came from. They missed hiking, the seasons, the outdoors, the better air quality, etc and they seemed to have gotten a bit tired of all the adventure when living in a developing country. 

Yeah, no deep analysis by me just throwing out some possibilities.

I personally miss sept thru Dec 31 in USA.  it's the change of seasons from hot summer to winter and it's all the extended family holidays.  NOt to mention our favorite sports season for both the pro's and college.  Man, I really miss attending college game days.

And of course family and some close friends.

Social media apps on cell phones changed everthing everywhere. 

Distinct cultures are being meld into one.  That one being the western culture.

And if you are from the west, it's actually the culture you dislike that is being adapted  here rapidly. 

You loved all the differences.

From clothes styles, TV/MOVIE quality, music sounds, attitudes, and beliefs they have been imported.

Where once you might have been exotic, now you are an intruder? (not sure if locals opinion has changed on this one I'm not old enough).
All that you brought here is not distincltly "yours" anymore that made you exotic.  They also now have access to everything as it's been duplicated over here.

I live in the digital age...but I can only imagine how one's own stock took a huge drop once beautiful women now are inundated with 1,000'-10,000 white knights messages in their apps VS them having only the choice of their physical radius of people they met.

***this is actually a  problem for most men worldwide.  The influx of messages and choices they have mean you are disposable af.  It's created a  narcism that is fueled perpetually.  

That's my quick 2 cents on why people's joy with here may have faded.

I'm not old enough to have experiences the past way, but I can imagine how much more exciting it was to change cultures before.

However, godbless translation app lol

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Right... Prescribed substance use is legal..
Substance abuse is not

right. You can abuse any similar  drugs their friends profit from. 

this is scary:  invoking a right to go after anyone anytime with no viable reason.  This is not forcing tests on all people in a club at 5 am . (I think this is also principally wrong).

You can never stop users (or even selling for that matter).  So this is NOT about helping people.  

This is about opening a door to personal rights violation under the guise of "help".

As for "who" won't  get the tests.  Idk.  

But I know who definitely WILL.  Non asian foreigners.  I got stopped at a checkpoint 2 nights ago.  Helmet on, etc etc.  

However, it was really not a checkpoint...it was a foreigner mouse trap lol. All asians waived thru, helmet no helmet etc.  I was of course quickly whistled in for my test.

This feels more like a power and neck to throat law than anything to help anyone.  I wouldn't even doubt it if the higher ups out there selling the goods to get people nabbed.  (more possible than ever thought in usa now thats for sure)

Who cares.

but  What happened to the wine tluxury import tax that supposedly ended months ago but is still on all the bottles at the stores? 😝 

Set clear and defining boundaries that are acceptable to you.

Require new accounts that will not have been business lines in the past.

Buy her a new phone as a gift and install child protection software that monitors all app messages and location of phone.

Unfortunately removing old habits are hard if you live in her old stomping ground.

Ie same friends who live her old life and thus all advice comes from poor sources for good advice.

Same men still around. 

Same spots they they All frequent for social activities.

Without new environment and new friends for her that have a more regular job view of life...you are fighting an almost impossible fight where it's easy for her to slip into bad habits again.

Single Women also absolutely are jealous  other relationship women always trying to bring them back to single.

They will lie and , here, show off the endless vacation life they live as sad men beg for their attention with the last dimes in their pocket. Girts to woo.

And then they will ask why don't you provide that daily life as part of a relationship.

They can be good people but their brains are poisoned daily if you don't take them somewhere for fresh life.

Triggers everywhere if you live same city you met them.

* And no I would never move to their home villagee either lol

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Seriously?  You'd travel halfway around the world with less than $3,000 USD in cash?   Especially as a tourist.

 

What happens if comms are down (for a myriad of reasons), or if your 2FA phone gets lost or stolen or damaged?  Or your wallet gets filched on the MRT with all your credit and debit cards in it?  It'll take days to clear up that mess and that can get mighty hungry, even if you've paid hotels in advance.  With my banks back home, even longer if it happens on a Friday because they won't be open until Monday, even the phone number on the cards.

 

I generally keep $4,900 USD separate from my wallet, because $5K is the non-report limit for some of the countries I visit.  Sometimes, I'll go for years between dipping into it.  But when I needed it, I needed it. Usually because the bank "detected unusual card use" and 2FA didn't go through, for SIM issues.

 

In 2024 those are no longer concerns.

your 2 fa should be tied to a Voip when possible and or a cell company that is digital based.

I use Google voce for most but those that I cannot I have a real number and it is thru an e sim in my phone.

Even when phone down I can access thru a pc 2fa codes sent to my numbers.

I can call and get a new virtual credit card / ATM  card within the hour instantly If they are lost.

Your assumption is you also still have your passport 

You can go to any local bank and pull money from your home bank if you have your info...

Or you can use remitly and send yourself cash instantly to a bank.

Carrying cash like that is an unnecessary liability nowadays unless 5k is nothing for you

I have friends that carry a few $1000 USD k in their wallet at all times bc they feel broke without it on hand.

They lose it it's like only losing $20 for normal people though.

You obviously are nit hurting in life cash wise, 

But im simoly updating your tech knowledge of what's available now at everyone's disposal that negates the old issues you mention that werw ONCE a true problem

In country language school visa 20k to switch from tourist for first 3 months then 12k for each 3 months after in Pattaya.  Sure there is similar in Chiang Mai my friend used to go there from here to do it.

Where is a fair place to buy it here?  The retail shops every 59 meters  are DEFINITELY  not decent pricing.

18 hours ago, Misty said:

  

 

"The charges against Wang are for allegedly deploying malware, and creating and operating a residential proxy service known as “911 S5”, a botnet that facilitated cyberattacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations, according to the DOJ."  https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3264861/chinese-hacker-wang-yunhes-arrest-brings-fresh-scrutiny-singapore-wealth-flows

Us government hates competition 

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

This is not a secret that with the right pay and connection you can work the immigrations system pretty

well as long as everyone is in on it and happy, however, the minute something goes wrong or it is being over done

it wouldn't take much for the whole rort to be exposed and people get caught and some will go to jail or

get kicked out the country..

I was thinking same thing.

so far it sounds properly administered per the way they lay it out.

only thing I can think of is business is not doing any “business”.

but there is no law against opening businesses and then not making money or even losing money.

no lawyer but it would basically be people becoming investors in a money drain business, right?

obviously they have some kind of charge to levy but I would love the specific of what that is for curiosity sake

And how does that work exactly when marijuana would make you pee dirty, but marijuana is legal?

if you mean they are not serving the west's propagandic programming of the last 15 years that's a good thing.