5 year multiple entry DTV visa (Destination Thailand) from 2024-xx-xx

[2long]

To save me scrolling through 52 pages, can anyone verify what I heard that in Taipei you can walk in without an appointment to apply for this visa?

 

I own 50% of a company in the UK, which I plan to use to sponsor myself. 

Can move money around if the 500k needs to be in THB in a Thai bank.

 

Thanks in advance 😘

[Caldera]

15 minutes ago, 2long said:

To save me scrolling through 52 pages, can anyone verify what I heard that in Taipei you can walk in without an appointment to apply for this visa?

 

That used to be the case, but not any longer, as they're now using the eVisa system as well.

[Rhazag]

Hi, I want to get the dtv muay Thai visa. I'm currently living in Thailand. 

What Asian country should I visit for the application? Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia?

What duration should I stay in the country to wait for the visa?

Is it enough when I transfer the rest of the 500k in the week I apply? 

 

Thank you very much

[Briggsy]

2 hours ago, Rhazag said:

What Asian country should I visit for the application? Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia?

Ho Chi Minh City has had some success stories.

 

2 hours ago, Rhazag said:

What duration should I stay in the country to wait for the visa?

You may have to stay in Vietnam for up to 15 working days waiting for an evisa application but probably a lot less.

 

2 hours ago, Rhazag said:

Is it enough when I transfer the rest of the 500k in the week I apply? 

I am not sure where you are transferring the funds from and to and why. Are you transferring it to a Vietnamese bank account?

[Rhazag]

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

 

 

You may have to stay in Vietnam for up to 15 working days waiting for an evisa application but probably a lot less.

Yeah that is the problem, shall I just book 15 days? As far as I know they ask for planned arrival in Thailand.

 

How can I proof the location in Vietnam?

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

 

I am not sure where you are transferring the funds from and to and why. Are you transferring it to a Vietnamese bank account?

I mean transfering from a broker account to my bank account. 

[Briggsy]

16 hours ago, Rhazag said:

Yeah that is the problem, shall I just book 15 days? As far as I know they ask for planned arrival in Thailand.

 

How can I proof the location in Vietnam?

I don't think they ask for an actual ticket so you can just select a flight in the future on your DTV application. They didn't on mine anyway. However, that was London. Once the DTV has been successfully obtained, it begins from the date of issue so you can use any flight. An earlier poster got his in 3.5 days.

 

Since the advent of e-visa, I don't know what they ask for in Ho Chi Minh to prove you are in Vietnam. Hotel booking? Passport stamp? Picture of you in Vietnam? You would need to ask them.

[gearbox]

I'm currently on Non-O retirement and plan to convert to DTV later this year as in the next 3-4 years I plan to be less than 6 months per year in Thailand. Does anyone know if DTV can be converted to Non-O retirement later? I know the tourist visa and visa exempt can be converted, but once I have the DTV visa stamped in my passport I don't think I can enter visa exempt until the DTV visa expires.

 

Also would it be possible to renew Thai driving licence for 5 years with DTV? AFAIK with tourist visa only 2 year renewals are possible.

[Briggsy]

@gearbox

 

DTV can only be applied for outside of Thailand so you cannot convert from Non-O extensions. You would leave Thailand and then apply for a DTV outside of Thailand.

 

DTV is not stamped in your passport. It is an e-visa and you hold it in pdf or paper form separately. There is no visa in passport. (Some early adopters do have a visa sticker from SEA embassies.) Therefore you can enter visa exempt if you wish to. Just don't show the Immigration officer the e-visa printout. However, many years from now if you want to change back from DTV to non-imm O, the easiest thing to do is to get a non-imm O outside of Thailand and enter with that.

 

The driving licence issue is unsure. Some have been able to renew a 5-year with a DTV.

[NanLaew]

On 12/17/2024 at 4:49 PM, Rob Browder said:

Both Bangkok airports have a "guaranteed entry" agent-money thing going, so deny entry to force this option.

 

They do? My understanding from multiple 'Help! I am in IDC now'! threads on here is that if an IO at either decides against allowing you to enter, you're toast. If there's "Mr Fixit" agent option at either airport, it's the first I've heard of it.

 

That doesn't include the many, many 'I was almost denied entry!' threads from those gushing sorts with a low threshold of excitement, boring us with irrelevancies.

[Caldera]

36 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

They do? My understanding from multiple 'Help! I am in IDC now'! threads on here is that if an IO at either decides against allowing you to enter, you're toast. If there's "Mr Fixit" agent option at either airport, it's the first I've heard of it.

 

That doesn't include the many, many 'I was almost denied entry!' threads from those gushing sorts with a low threshold of excitement, boring us with irrelevancies.

 

You have to book such a service BEFORE you fly in. It will ensure that the IO who will stamp you in knows to do just that without fuss.

 

Once you're already being processed for a denied entry, those services cannot help you to avoid getting sent back.

 

Isn't that great, both camps in immigration have reason to celebrate! The hardliners get to deny entry to some, the others get some extra money to play nice. 

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

@gearbox

 

DTV can only be applied for outside of Thailand so you cannot convert from Non-O extensions. You would leave Thailand and then apply for a DTV outside of Thailand.

 

DTV is not stamped in your passport. It is an e-visa and you hold it in pdf or paper form separately. There is no visa in passport. (Some early adopters do have a visa sticker from SEA embassies.) Therefore you can enter visa exempt if you wish to. Just don't show the Immigration officer the e-visa printout. However, many years from now if you want to change back from DTV to non-imm O, the easiest thing to do is to get a non-imm O outside of Thailand and enter with that.

 

The driving licence issue is unsure. Some have been able to renew a 5-year with a DTV.

Thanks a lot! I'm aware that I need to apply for DTV outside Thailand. My non-O is expiring in a few months, and my passport is expiring too, so I'm leaving Thailand next month and will be 9 months away. Hopefully the e-visa won't show on the screen if I try to enter visa exempt in the future.

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

You have to book such a service BEFORE you fly in. It will ensure that the IO who will stamp you in knows to do just that without fuss.

 

Once you're already being processed for a denied entry, those services cannot help you to avoid getting sent back.

 

Isn't that great, both camps in immigration have reason to celebrate! The hardliners get to deny entry to some, the others get some extra money to play nice. 

 

I have been enlightened, thanks. Never had the need to book a "lifeboat" before arriving so interesting to know that they're available. I am sure that those with a dire need for such assistance will already have the contact info required. I've never seen it mentioned, but then again, I'm not looking for it.

[2long]

Without me having to scroll through 53 pages...

A friend mentioned that this visa only allows for a stay in Thailand of no more than 180 accumulative days per year.

I was under the impression it was 180 days per stay, and you can effectively leave and re-enter to get another 180 days within the same year.

I would like to be able to spend approximately 10 months per year here, in stays of 2-3 months at a time.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Briggsy]

9 minutes ago, 2long said:

Without me having to scroll through 53 pages...

A friend mentioned that this visa only allows for a stay in Thailand of no more than 180 accumulative days per year.

I was under the impression it was 180 days per stay, and you can effectively leave and re-enter to get another 180 days within the same year.

I would like to be able to spend approximately 10 months per year here, in stays of 2-3 months at a time.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Your friend is completely wrong.

 

It is 180 days per stay. You will be able to spend 10 months per year in Thailand in stays of 2-3 months per time.

[behappy123]

I figured I would append a question to this post, if this is not the right place, just let me know and I'll create another with my questions.

 

I'm planning on applying for a DTV Visa under the Tech Freelancer category (US Citizen).  I have a bank statement with $17K in the bank.  My question is around where I'm applying from.  I've been living in Thailand under a work permit but that option is becoming less reliable hence the desire to switch to DTV.

 

My question is since I live here in Thailand, but can't apply from here, can I as a US Citizen and proof of address in America, go and apply from Laos for the DTV or do I have to fly back to America to and apply from the Thai consulate there?

 

Also as far as documents go:

Bank Statement

Passport

Driver License (proof of Address)

Resume

 

Do I need any other documents?  Any clarity on the subject would be much appreciated.  Apologies if this specific scenario has already been answered.  Thank you in advance.

[Rhazag]

Can anyone confirm how long does the 500k Baht be in the bank account to apply in Vietnam or Indonesia. I'm still unsure if I should go to Vietnam, Indonesia or Cambodia to apply.

[Briggsy]

3 hours ago, behappy123 said:

Do I need any other documents?  Any clarity on the subject would be much appreciated.  Apologies if this specific scenario has already been answered.  Thank you in advance.

Yes, you can apply in Laos.

 

Be warned reports have shown applying in Laos is more difficult and has a greater chance of rejection than applying in your home country.

 

Be warned that a DTV is strictly "employment prohibited". You stated you have a work permit in Thailand. You cannot be employed in Thailand on a DTV.

 

Be warned along with the documents you stated you may need

 

i. proof that you can work remotely

ii. proof that you are actually in Laos

iii. proof of your address in Laos

iv. anything else they think of

 

You will need to attend the consulate or embassy to pay the fee which you would not in the US.

[behappy123]

On 1/23/2025 at 4:17 PM, Briggsy said:

Yes, you can apply in Laos.

 

Be warned reports have shown applying in Laos is more difficult and has a greater chance of rejection than applying in your home country.

Good to know, thanks for the info.  didn't know.  Figured Laos would be the easier options since all other visas run through there.

 

On 1/23/2025 at 4:17 PM, Briggsy said:

Be warned that a DTV is strictly "employment prohibited". You stated you have a work permit in Thailand. You cannot be employed in Thailand on a DTV.

Thanks for that.  Yes, I have an employment contract with a US company and will no longer be working on a work permit in Thailand.  Digital Nomad/Freelancer status.  Worst case I was going to apply with the soft power and sign up with a school here which has a much higher rate of success

 

On 1/23/2025 at 4:17 PM, Briggsy said:

You will need to attend the consulate or embassy to pay the fee which you would not in the US.

I'm not quite understanding this statement regarding paying the fee.  I assumed that I would pay the fee at the consulate in Laos, at least that's what the document states.  Is this not the case in the US?

 

Below is a notation made on my application

 

 

Thanks again for the info, it's very helpful 🙂

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, behappy123 said:

...I'm not quite understanding this statement regarding paying the fee.  I assumed that I would pay the fee at the consulate in Laos, at least that's what the document states.  Is this not the case in the US?...

 

Generally, the eVisa fee is paid online with a credit card at the end of the online application process.

 

With Laos and other Southeast Asian countries recently added to the eVisa process, cash payment is required until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs finalises arrangements with Kasikorn Bank for online credit card payments.

[Rob Browder]

On 1/23/2025 at 12:59 PM, behappy123 said:

My question is since I live here in Thailand, but can't apply from here, can I as a US Citizen and proof of address in America, go and apply from Laos for the DTV or ...

I would apply in Cambodia vs Laos, based on recent reports.

[sikishrory]

On 1/17/2025 at 5:41 PM, Rhazag said:

Yeah that is the problem, shall I just book 15 days? As far as I know they ask for planned arrival in Thailand.

 

How can I proof the location in Vietnam?

I mean transfering from a broker account to my bank account. 

you proove location with a photo of your entry stamp into vietnam. Be aware that they sometimes request all pages of your passport on top of this but that is not needed by default.

They say 5 days for processing. Be aware of the public holidays listed on the embassies website not counting. If they request additional documents this can rest the clock.

Also consider for each category of document you can only upload 1 pdf file with a small filesize limit. Example, All your muay thai documents need to be tinified and consolidated into 1 pdf.

I booked ten days and was done in 5. If you use vietjet they are easy to reschedule  as needed. I think the fee for that is $30 from memory.

[sikishrory]

On 1/24/2025 at 6:55 PM, behappy123 said:

Good to know, thanks for the info.  didn't know.  Figured Laos would be the easier options since all other visas run through there.

 

Thanks for that.  Yes, I have an employment contract with a US company and will no longer be working on a work permit in Thailand.  Digital Nomad/Freelancer status.  Worst case I was going to apply with the soft power and sign up with a school here which has a much higher rate of success

 

I'm not quite understanding this statement regarding paying the fee.  I assumed that I would pay the fee at the consulate in Laos, at least that's what the document states.  Is this not the case in the US?

 

Below is a notation made on my application

 

 

Thanks again for the info, it's very helpful 🙂

Savannakhet dont bother. Vientiane I have seen mostly all positive reports but I haven't followed the topic on facebook over the last 1 or 2 months.

[Jabatron]

This one just got posted on the DTV Facebook group. Did any of you, guys had similar experiences re-entering with DTV or everything went smoothly for you? 

[Maestro]

I wouldn't pay much attention to stories of this kind on Facebook.

[sikishrory]

On 1/18/2025 at 10:42 AM, NanLaew said:

 

They do? My understanding from multiple 'Help! I am in IDC now'! threads on here is that if an IO at either decides against allowing you to enter, you're toast. If there's "Mr Fixit" agent option at either airport, it's the first I've heard of it.

 

That doesn't include the many, many 'I was almost denied entry!' threads from those gushing sorts with a low threshold of excitement, boring us with irrelevancies.

I've had 2 friends (seperate occasions) get called aside entering at suvarnabhumi and asked to pay a fee to fix it all and be let through. It happens.

[CLW]

15 hours ago, Maestro said:

I wouldn't pay much attention to stories of this kind on Facebook.

And you never know the full story. Behaviour, outfit, attitude, nationality, race, religion etc. of that person. 

[Caldera]

5 hours ago, sikishrory said:

I've had 2 friends (seperate occasions) get called aside entering at suvarnabhumi and asked to pay a fee to fix it all and be let through. It happens.

 

Do those friends of yours have DTVs as well? How much "in fees" were they asked for?

[Briggsy]

Well, the only consistent theme in the stories of being given a hard time on entry with a DTV are obtaining them in the region rather than in a Western nation. For the moment.

 

I believe this will get worse.

 

As I predicted, around June / July 2025 is when more reports of difficulty on entry with a DTV will become a regular thing.

[Chalky0w]

I knew “soft power” would mess up this visa.
 

There is a difference between people attending “seminars” per this example, medical appointments, Muay Thai classes, etc. and people working remotely.

 

Don’t deny that there are plenty of chancers that work remotely but at least in theory you’ve got an ongoing income.

 

I said before, it should have been split into two visas:

- Soft power for 1 year with renewable option IF reason ongoing and still have 500k available

- Remote worker is fine for 5 years IF they have a minimum annual income

 

I’ve been in, out and back in with no problems but reports of hostility are building.