pres.yota41

You’re probably right. The fee was 505 baht, but I remember paying for something else as well, which brought the total to around 700 baht. Maybe there are cheaper clinics, but we picked the one that was just 1 km away from us. 🙂

Hey folks! 👋 I might be a bit late to the party, but I wanted to share my experience getting a 5-year driver's license on a DTV visa. I went through the process a few months ago (back in November), so I'm not entirely sure how relevant it is now, I hope it is. Everything went extremely smoothly, me and my wife managed to upgrade my 2-year license to a 5-year one almost effortlessly. I hope my experience can help others. Required Documents Residence Certificate Original plus 2 copies Obtained in the Immigration Office (input docs are the application form and update TM.30 which must be updated after your current visa arrival date). Costs 500 baht. Medical Certificate Obtained at the nearest hospital. Costs 300 baht Queue registration in DLT Smart Queue App A printed ticket with the QR code. We chose the DLT Office in Phang Nga as it had the most available time slots back then. Passport Scans 3 copies of the passport’s face page and current visa page. Cash 700 baht in cash for fees. Initial Conditions We reside in Phuket and each of us had a 2-year driver license. I had a DLT visa, and my driver license was expiring in about 1.5 months. My wife held a NON-O 90-day visa (without a 1-year extension yet), and her license had expired 3.5 months prior to the day of our visit to the DLT office. At DLT Office When we arrived, the QR-code machine that was supposed to print our queue ticket wasn’t working. (Note: Foreigners must use the DLT Smart Queue App; walk-ins are only accepted for Thais). The receptionist directed us to a counter, where they scanned our QR code and checked our documents. Initially, they informed us that only one person is allowed per QR code. I explained our situation—highlighting my wife’s pregnancy—and they made an exception for both of us. They then asked us to make two extra copies of our passport pages (so having 3 copies of every document is a good idea). After about an hour of waiting, a staff member invited us to take a brief test covering: Recognizing red, yellow, and green signals Using the brake pedal on a red light Estimating distances between objects After the test, we waited again. My wife was called first; she paid the fee (~700 baht). When I was called, they initially said I was only eligible for a 2-year license because of my visa. However, I explained that a DLT-visa is valid for 5 years and quickly referenced a website confirming this. After a brief discussion with another staff member, they agreed to issue a 5-year license for me. I then paid the fee (~700 baht). We were then photographed, and within 15–20 minutes, we received our new 5-year driver’s licenses. Interestingly, the expiration date isn’t exactly 5 years from the application date—it’s 5 years from the next birthday. For example, my partner’s license is actually valid for about 5.5 years. Including the trip from Phuket and back, the entire process took about half a day.

@bbi1, I don't see an 'Enter before' date on my visa, so I assume you can enter at any time within the visa 5-year validity period.

Just reporting that a buddy of mine successfully obtained a DTV visa in Hanoi last week. He followed the exact same procedure (quite similar circumstances) and had no problem applying at the Hanoi embassy. The visa was ready in 3 working days. Interestingly enough, despite having a little messy visa history (a nasty mix of back-to-back VE stamps and educational visas from language schools), which caused him trouble at the border a couple of times, he had no issues entering the country in Phuket this time with his new visa. He felt welcomed. 🙂

@oldmanofindonesia, confirm. I just checked their website, and it only offers appointments for December 2025. It looks like a bug to me because I remember that when I made my appointment in August, I could easily find a slot within the next 3 weeks. I suggest you either wait until they fix the bug (if that’s the case) or try the Thai Embassy in Hanoi, as their website offers slots in September. @Dart12, $340 is the official fee for the DTV visa application at the Thai Consulate in Ho Chi Minh city. Apparently, flights, lodging, and living costs are extra.

@jack343, according to the official Thai e-visa website and the post in this thread I referred to, either an employment certificate or a contract should suffice. I brought both just in case, and they took both documents. Therefore, I can’t assure you that the certificate alone, or the the job offer letter alone in you case, will be sufficient, though it may very well be. As for the contract, it is quite standard, covering aspects such as rights, obligations, proprietary information, warranties, terms of termination, assignment, fees, etc. The most crucial part for them, as far as I understand, is the official signature or/and stamp. You can google for templates or ask ChatGPT to generate one for you (something like this but more detailed).

Hey everyone! 👋 I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the members here who contributed to this thread! Your input was incredibly helpful and guided me through the DTV-visa process. I’d like to share my experience too, I hope it might help someone else. After reading through the thread, I decided to apply for my DTV visa in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam because (1) the requirements were clearly outlined earlier in this thread and (2) I had heard from a few buddies of mine who successfully obtained their DTV visas there. Here’s a quick overview of my situation: I'm a non-EU, non-American citizen working remotely for a large western IT company. Entered Thailand on a 60-day visa exemption a month ago and stayed until I traveled to Vietnam. I was aiming at the 'Workcation' type of the visa. So I booked an appointment online through the Consulate website and prepared the following documents: Visa Application Form Special for Ho Chi Minh Thai consulate, downloadable here, with a 4x6 cm photo glued in. Certification of Work Letter Issued a week before the appointment date, mentioning my position, salary, and confirmation that I’m allowed to work remotely from Thailand. Contract Quite standard and general, outlining parties' terms with the official signature and stamp. Bank Statement A 6-month statement from my Wise account showing a balance over 15,500 USD, issued a week before the appointment date. Proof of Bank Account Standard evidence doc from Wise proving I am the owner of the account. Rental Agreement A 1-year lease for my house in Thailand, expiring in 10 months. I made right after I arrived to Thailand. 340 USD in Cash The visa application fee. I exchanged the currency at one of the Vietnamese authorized currency exchange counters (see here). Upon arrival at the Consulate at the appointed time I showed the email on my phone confirming my appointment to the guard, who let me in. At the counter, I informed them that I wanted a DTV visa. They first asked for my passport and then the documents. Although they didn’t specify exactly which documents they needed, so I went ahead and gave them one by one as if it were up to me. The staff member carefully checked that my first name, last name, and passport number matched across all documents—that was essentially the entire verification process. Then I handed over $340, but there was a small issue. The staff thoroughly examined the banknotes and discovered some tiny pencil marks (which I hadn’t noticed when I received them from the exchange counter). The staff member said they only accept clean banknotes and returned them to me. Concerned because I didn’t have any other USD cash, I examined the notes and found the marks. I asked if they had an eraser, and they provided one. So I erased the marks, returned the banknotes and they accepted then. Finally, I received a receipt with a date to collect my passport (in 2 working days). The entire process took about 5 minutes. Two days later, I came back and got my passport with the visa! The strange thing though is the government sticker that was stamped right over the expiration year. I only noticed this after leaving the consulate, so it was too late to ask. I flew back to Thailand the next day and had absolutely no issues at the border. They simply asked if it was my first DTV visa (which seemed like a random question). I answered yes, and they stamped a 180-day stay permission in my passport. That was it.