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

[Liquorice]

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The scenario you're describing from the other Thai media reports would be more like a single-entry visa with one in-country extension allowed.

 

That info graph is supposedly from the MFA, but buggered if I can find it.

It would be most helpful if @george could post links for verification.

[FritsSikkink]

It says period of stay 180 days and multiple entry over 5 years.

[wwest5829]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Looks good, might be an alternative to a retirement VISA/extension.

Stay 180 days, extend once (assuming 1,900bht), border hop, rinse and repeat.

Averaging 3,900bht/year.

Around the same cost as a retirement extension with multi re-entry, but 300kbht less in the bank required.

Somehow I doubt if this is the way it will work out, in fact. 

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, solidad90 said:

most people (i believe) are OK to contribute by paying taxes to the country that welcome them. It seems strange to me to look for any type of "resident" or long term visa and in the meantime trying to evade taxes from this country... 

people are coming to live in Thailand because it's cheap. If they take 20% of the money you bring in maybe you can't afford it now. So it's 20k + X% of your income is the real cost.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

23 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

 

That info graph is supposedly from the MFA, but buggered if I can find it.

It would be most helpful if @george could post links for verification.

 

The image does appear to have originated with the MFA... I'm  finding one version of it on the Thai Embassy New Delhi website, but with no further explanation/clarification there:

 

https://newdelhi.thaiembassy.org/en/content/new-thailand-s-visa-measures?cate=614489badd57933bb40edbf2

 

 

Thailand's New Visa Measures

วันที่นำเข้าข้อมูล 29 May 2024

วันที่ปรับปรุงข้อมูล 29 May 2024

| 291 view

 

 

On 28 May 2024, the Cabinet approved the new visa measures for promoting tourism sector and boosting the economy, namely:

1. Visa Exemption (60 days) for 93 countries/territories
2. Visa on arrival (VoA) for 31 countries/territories
3. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)

Note: the effective date will be announced upon the completion of final procedures. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Siam Legal appears to have an interpretation of the DTV visa that says is it NOT a cumulative 180-days permission over the life of the visa... but rather, 180 days per year... which would be more consistent with the traditional notion of multiple entry visas....

 

The all-new Destination Thailand Visa for remote workers in Thailand

"The recent announcement introduced the “Destination Thailand Visa” (DTV), which will be valid for 5 years and allow holders to stay in Thailand for a total of 180 days each year [emphasis added].

 

These days need not be consecutive, and the 180-day limit means that holders will not have their foreign income taxed by Thailand.

Further details on the new visa are sparse, as it was recently announced, but more information should be announced by June 1. At the time of this writing, what is known about the visa includes:

• The visa is valid for 5 years, but holders can only stay in Thailand for 180 days per year.
• Applicants must be at least 20 years old, and prove they have at least 500,000 THB in the bank to support their stay.
• Holders cannot apply for a work permit but can earn untaxed foreign income while in Thailand.
• The visa fee is planned to be 10,000 THB.

https://siam-legal.com/travel-to-thailand/new-thai-visas-and-sweeping-changes-to-immigration-rules-announced/

 

FWIW, I'm reading the BKK Post report on all the various recent visa change announcements, and it only refers to the DTV giving a 180-day stay permission, but no reference to whether that's cumulative under the visa or a per year reference.

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

10 hours ago, CHdiver said:

If they don't ask for the 500k baht to be in Thailand, I would go for this visa..

I don't see how they could at initial application since application would be made from outside Thailand.

 

But like all the new visa changes, need to wait for all the details.

[Mike Teavee]

 

Some suggestion (around the 3 minute mark) that you might need to have proof of Employment to get it as a "Digital Nomad" which makes a mockery of it being available for "Freelancers"

 

 

Article here:https://thepattayanews.com/2024/05/30/thai-government-introduces-destination-thailand-visa-for-digital-nomads-and-long-term-workers/

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This appears to be the Thai language original version of the announcement on all these various changes:

 

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83599

 

And the Google Translate English version of it...

 

https://www-thaigov-go-th.translate.goog/news/contents/details/83599?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

 

I don't see any clarifications on the 180 days issue in the Google Translate rendering of this.

 

[george]

Royal Thai Consulate, Penang has it on their FB page since an hour ago:

https://www.facebook.com/RTCinPenang/

 

[george]

17 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

This appears to be the Thai language original version of the announcement on all these various changes:

 

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83599

 

And the Google Translate English version of it...

 

https://www-thaigov-go-th.translate.goog/news/contents/details/83599?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en

 

I don't see any clarifications on the 180 days issue in the Google Translate rendering of this.

 

 

No, it doesn't go much into detail.

[Enoon]

6 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

I note the above says "you are allowed to stay in Thailand for 180 days per year. The visa is valid for 5 years."

 

Doesn't this imply you can stay for 180 days every year for 5 years? That would make more sense as to why have a 5 year validity?

 

SETV has a validity of 3 months, but can only be utilised ONCE during that period.

 

SETV can be extended ONCE by 30 days, new visa ONCE by 180 days.

 

The new visa may have the same mechanics as SETV, but over a 5 year period instead of 3 months.

 

OR

 

It may be utilised every year for 5 years....but only extended ONCE during that 5 year period.

 

OR

 

Usable every year for 5 years and extendable once every year.

 

OR

 

Something else?

 

Anyway, either of the three possibilities postulated above may have been calculated to appeal to some sort of the typical "digital nomads" strategy.......or it may just have been the result of some obstruse "brainstorming" sessions on the part of the visa designers.....who knows?

 

I'm not making any assumptions right now about how it works

 

It OBVIOUSLY needs to be clarified by somebody who knows for SURE.

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, Enoon said:

It OBVIOUSLY needs to be clarified by somebody who knows for SURE.

 

 

IMHO, this is what happens, as is the case here, where the Thai cabinet approves policies "in principle."

 

Meaning the actual nuts and bolts details are left to others to sort out... and uncertainty reigns in the meantime.

 

Per the headline of their announcement:

 

The Cabinet meeting resolved to approve in principle the implementation of measures and guidelines for visa facilitation to stimulate the economy and tourism of Thailand in all 3 phases.

 

[rattlesnake]

37 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

 

Some suggestion (around the 3 minute mark) that you might need to have proof of Employment to get it as a "Digital Nomad" which makes a mockery of it being available for "Freelancers"

 

 

Article here:https://thepattayanews.com/2024/05/30/thai-government-introduces-destination-thailand-visa-for-digital-nomads-and-long-term-workers/

 

 

 

 

This is a very important point which has not been addressed yet, to my knowledge. It is the first thing I thought of when I read about this visa.

 

What qualifies as a "digital nomad"? This is a vague notion.

 

Presumably not Youtubers (no offense to the Youtubers reading this). Is it solely for people working remotely for a foreign company, i.e. with a valid employment contract? Is there a minimum employment time to qualify (e.g. one has to have been employed for at least two years)?

 

What about freelancers? If I am self-employed in a European country, do I qualify? Under what conditions (proof of turnover – and if so, how many years, there too, what is the minimum duration of activity)? Is it restricted to certain fields?

 

[Maestro]

11 hours ago, at15 said:

Well its 10k, plus extension is supposed to be 10k...

 

I haven't seen anything official suggesting that the extension fee will not be the regular THB 1,900 and no convincing argument from the members who assume that it will be 10k.

[Maestro]

10 hours ago, BusNo8 said:

...I'll bet they will ask for proof of income...

 

I do not wish to speculate about the need for proof of income, but I see from the criteria that the visa will be limited to people with specific activities and there will likely be a need of proof about that.

[Maestro]

9 hours ago, Liquorice said:

I think you've misunderstood.

You can only extend for 180 days once during the 5-year validity of the visa.

 

The way I read it, it is a 180-day extension once per entry.

 

However, unlike BritManToo I don't see it as an alternative to retirement unless retirement is added to the list of activities that qualify for the visa.

[george]

4 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

The way I read it, it is a 180-day extension once per entry.

 

However, unlike BritManToo I don't see it as an alternative to retirement unless retirement is added to the list of activities that qualify for the visa.

 

The reason for 180 days (in one calendar year?) maybe tax related?

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, solidad90 said:

The DTV visa does NOT allow “any” digital nomad to stay in Thailand for five years, as incorrectly noted by some media. To be clear, once obtained, it can be used within a five year period, for 180 days, and extended once for another 180 days, with a 10,000 Baht filing fee each time.

 

If with "10,000 Baht filing fee" you mean the fee for the 180-day extension, I see nothing in the official announcement to suggest that this will be the case.

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, solidad90 said:

It is basically one entry for 10.000 THB, you can stay up to 180 days, you can extend once for an other 180 days for an other 10.000 THB. Then the visa will expire. 

 

So you're allowed to stay for a total of 360 days, (without doing a border run), for a total of 20.000 THB 

 

The visa costs THB 10,000 for an unlimited number of entries for five years.

 

Upon each entry, the visa holder will get permission to stay for 180 days and this can be extended once per entry for THB 1,900.

 

I see no other way to read the announcement as it stands at the moment.

[MarkBR]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

 

This is a very important point which has not been addressed yet, to my knowledge. It is the first thing I thought of when I read about this visa.

 

What qualifies as a "digital nomad"? This is a vague notion.

 

Presumably not Youtubers (no offense to the Youtubers reading this). Is it solely for people working remotely for a foreign company, i.e. with a valid employment contract? Is there a minimum employment time to qualify (e.g. one has to have been employed for at least two years)?

 

What about freelancers? If I am self-employed in a European country, do I qualify? Under what conditions (proof of turnover – and if so, how many years, there too, what is the minimum duration of activity)? Is it restricted to certain fields?

 

A lot more clarity is required as to who qualifies as a digital nomad.  I would be very interested to know.

[thainet]

24 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

The visa costs THB 10,000 for an unlimited number of entries for five years.

 

Upon each entry, the visa holder will get permission to stay for 180 days and this can be extended once per entry for THB 1,900.

 

I see no other way to read the announcement as it stands at the moment.

If indeed this is a correct assumption, then pay 1900 baht every 6 months, leave the country once a year to reactivate the entry requirements and carry on like this for 5 years. No 400/800k in the Bank (or account needed), no extensive IO visits for Extensions. For some people with limited funds this sounds a good outcome..IF true.  Actually sounds too good to be true (for 19500 baht), so it remains to be seen.

Many agents would be out of business.

 

PS: but I thought I saw somewhere (as someone mentioned above) that the Visa was valid for 5 years but could only be utilised for 2 entries (not multiple). Thoughts!

[rattlesnake]

7 minutes ago, thainet said:

If indeed this is a correct assumption, then pay 1900 baht every 6 months, leave the country once a year to reactivate the entry requirements and carry on like this for 5 years. No 400/800k in the Bank (or account needed), no extensive IO visits for Extensions. For some people with limited funds this sounds a good outcome..IF true.  Actually sounds too good to be true (for 19500 baht), so it remains to be seen.

Many agents would be out of business.

 

PS: but I thought I saw somewhere (as someone mentioned above) that the Visa was valid for 5 years but could only be utilised for 2 entries (not multiple). Thoughts!

 

Well there is the 500k requirement.

[Chalky0w]

Will be interesting to see how this evolves. I own my own business in the U.K. and I work there for 3 or 4 months a year before coming to Thailand and SE Asia to spend it. Use an METV each year at the moment but heard that isn’t sustainable / repeatable for long term so this could be a viable alternative

[Liquorice]

1 hour ago, Maestro said:

The way I read it, it is a 180-day extension once per entry.

The infography specifically states, 1 time extension of stay at Immigration, which I interpret as during the 5-year validity of the visa, not each 180-day period of stay.

 

We really need to wait for further details, rather than speculate.

[Antti]

It is probably similar to multi-entry Schengen visa in EU. The days stop counting when you exit EU and then it restarts from the same number of days when you come back. So if I'm correct, with this new visa you get 180 days (or 360 days if you extend) that can be used during a period of 5 years.

[at15]

27 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

The infography specifically states, 1 time extension of stay at Immigration, which I interpret as during the 5-year validity of the visa, not each 180-day period of stay.

 

We really need to wait for further details, rather than speculate.

 

At this time, the government has announced that the visa will only be available from June 2025.

A year to come up with the requirements.

 

[solidad90]

17 minutes ago, at15 said:

 

At this time, the government has announced that the visa will only be available from June 2025.

A year to come up with the requirements.

 

source ? i read on several occasions it will be available very soon.

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, thainet said:

...No 400/800k in the Bank (or account needed)...

 

From the second post in this topic:

"...You need to have financial proof of at least 500,000 baht throughout your stay in Thailand..."

 

[thainet]

12 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

From the second post in this topic:

"...You need to have financial proof of at least 500,000 baht throughout your stay in Thailand..."

 

Yes I missed that..I think there are too many unknowns in this topic, so will just stay on the sidelines for now.