Report Confusion Plagues Thailand's New Digital Nomad Visa, Leaving Applicants Stranded

[NorthernRyland]

14 minutes ago, Stocky said:

The whole idea of working remotely and online is that it doesn't matter where you are; you can work in Cambodia, Laos or wherever whilst waiting for your visa. If you can't manage that and 'run out of money'  you probably should have stayed at home. 

 

 

He probably had enough for a 3000 baht/month room and that's it.

 

I saw on YouTube this guy (Walk about Wayne in Chiang Mai) and he showed his new apartment. Looks like he moved in to the one of those dives for students. 3000/month. This is a man in his 50s and he just got a DTV previously in Vietnam. I think him having a YouTube channel is enough to get a 5 year visa. Just save up the 500k baht one time and you're good to go for 5 years.

[frank83628]

4 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

Yeah 5 weeks in a hotel is daunting. There was supposed to be 500,000 baht in the bank for the visa but maybe that's all they had and it was tied up. 

 

I'm surprised they even allow you to apply for them outside your home country. It sounds like people are coming on a tourist visa or exempt and then deciding they want to stay longer. In the past you'd have to do border runs but now they're just giving them a full 5 years.

 

This was always the kind of people they were trying to keep out but now they're given special privileges (I wish I only had to apply for my visa once every 5 years).

I would suggest they're blagging it just for the 5 yrs visa, I personally know 4 that have done it. 

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

Yeah 5 weeks in a hotel is daunting. There was supposed to be 500,000 baht in the bank for the visa but maybe that's all they had and it was tied up. 

 

I'm surprised they even allow you to apply for them outside your home country. It sounds like people are coming on a tourist visa or exempt and then deciding they want to stay longer. In the past you'd have to do border runs but now they're just giving them a full 5 years.

 

This was always the kind of people they were trying to keep out but now they're given special privileges (I wish I only had to apply for my visa once every 5 years).

Me too,

I did think about doing it for the 5 years value, but thought Thai Immigration would probably fight the MFA on this one, as it would lose them too many fees. 

[Aussie999]

It didn't take long for posts questioning the nomads legitimacy....but here's the point, it's not about them, it's about a broken system, something far too common, in Thailand.

[Patong2021]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I would assume they had a room/house in Thailand, and couldn't afford the hotel bills in Vietnam on top of their commitments in Thailand. Keeping two homes going on one wage isn't something everyone can afford.

 

Decent long term condo in Chiang Mai 5,000bht/month vs Saigon 1,000bht/night

So 5 weeks would be 6,000bht Vs 35,000bht.

 

It is chump change when it comes to  the type of financially secure visa holder Thailand is  seeking. The reality is that it can take months for their homelands to issue a  visa to a Thai national, and it is subject to more stringent requirements. And  usually the person applying is expected to  do so from their country of residence.  The foreigners have a relatively easy path to obtaining the visa.

[riverhigh]

3 minutes ago, novacova said:

Why do poor people go to a foreign country and run out of money? They should never be allowed to cross a border in the first place.

 

13 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

No a very good digital nomad if he's skint after 5 weeks, why can't he work while waiting..  they have the internet where he is.... looks like he just exposed himself and lying for the visa.

 

1 hour ago, Pompeygeezer said:

Oh what a surprise! Immigration changing requirements.  making it up as they go along as per usual.    Although DTV applicants claiming they're spending too much on hotels and are broke while they're waiting for the process is nonsense.  they have to be earning big money to get a DTV and have a load in the bank. 

There is always a first time! Most of  the Asean News forum community are on the same page. No one is getting fooled that a lot of these so-called highly skilled nomads are lying on their visas. Embasies are getting flooded with applicants seeing this visa as an easy way to work in Thailand illegally.  

[Aussie999]

3 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

This visa is a disgrace, and should never have been introduced. It's a magnet for criminals. 

 

With my own eyes i'm seeing bad eye visitors staying here for a long time, who just simply set about on rampant crime here in Thailand, anti social behaviour, drug dealers, all are on this visa. 

 

It's been slyly slipped in there with factions who wants to push in as many immigrants as they can, without anyone catching on. The backdoor open door immigration policy - done by the same people who gave visa free to most of the world. 

 

The disgraceful non balance of checks to get this is ridiculously easy.

 

One of the questions that should have been requested was a criminal record check (even countries like India have relevent checks for this), which is not requested, especially when you are essentially allowing someone to move here. No wonder the country has seen a raft of criminality. Vietnam request this on all long term visas. 

 

Then you have people openly saying on social media how they can bend the rules to get it. It's a mockery of any visa system. 

 

An absolute travesty. I blame this visa for the troubles we are getting. 

 

Most on this visa are then illegally trying to fund and work in Thailand. Go look at those selling tours illegally, they're all on this visa. If you want to stay in Thailand, these cheapos then try and work here. 

 

If they want this kind of visa, it needs to be more stringent, more stronger to stop abuse. 

 

It's not attracting digital nomads - it's attracting criminals. 

 

Who on earth wants digital nomads anyways ? A digital nomad is just a backpacker with a laptop. Let's be honest none of these 

Ok, I've said it before, what difference does, visa free, visa anything, have to do with illegal activity....there is no background check done on anyone, any immigration check will only show those with a record in Thailand, and maybe, that's a big maybe, and Interpol notice.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

One European applicant, stranded for five weeks, expressed frustration on social media: "I've run out of money. When they asked for one more document, the 15-day timeline restarted."

If they run out of money then they won't qualify for the visa anyway. 500k in the bank and a steady income. Most likely the problems are because they simply don't qualify for the visa so embacies are struggling to verify that they do instead of flat out rejecting them. The visa was intended to bring money into Thailand, not to provide an easy visa for people who won't spend much.

9 hours ago, 2long said:

I have a DTV and I really hope that the bad eggs don't ruin it for those who deserve it from merit.

 

But you know they will. It's just a matter of time. Thailand tends to flip-flop on things like this once they realize them (which takes a year or two).

[BritManToo]

30 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

He probably had enough for a 3000 baht/month room and that's it.

 

I saw on YouTube this guy (Walk about Wayne in Chiang Mai) and he showed his new apartment. Looks like he moved in to the one of those dives for students. 3000/month. This is a man in his 50s and he just got a DTV previously in Vietnam. I think him having a YouTube channel is enough to get a 5 year visa. Just save up the 500k baht one time and you're good to go for 5 years.

There's really nice condos at the end of my road for 2,500bht/month.

The poor people's rooms are 1,500bht/month (you've posted a photo of them).

[stevenl]

15 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

 

 

What's the problem?  So what if they need to spend an extra week or three in one country waiting?

 

 

If they truly are "digital nomads" then they should be earning a living regardless of location.

 

Seems more like the DTV is gonna be used by unlicensed dive instructors and illicit tour guides.

Is working without permit allowed in the country they're staying in?

[BritManToo]

23 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

It is chump change when it comes to  the type of financially secure visa holder Thailand is  seeking. The reality is that it can take months for their homelands to issue a  visa to a Thai national, and it is subject to more stringent requirements. And  usually the person applying is expected to  do so from their country of residence.  The foreigners have a relatively easy path to obtaining the visa.

Thais have a history of prostitution and overstays, so their ability to travel is restricted by western governments.

Don't think the citizens of most western countries have that reputation.

[madone]

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So what if they need to spend an extra week or three in one country waiting?

You are being purposely obtuse. An extra week waiting on bureaucratic process is an unnecessary expense and inconvenience to anyone, "digital nomad" -- a meningless <deleted> term -- or not. especially when it's somewhere you don't want to be.  

[CLW]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Visa agents and applicants are urging Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Bureau to provide clearer, standardized instructions to embassies and implement a digital tracking system to allow real-time monitoring of application progress.

 

Good luck with that 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's really nice condos at the end of my road for 2,500bht/month.

The poor people's rooms are 1,500bht/month (you've posted a photo of them).

These days you can't find a decent condo in Bangkok for less than 15k/mo. They aren't going to live in Isaan. Pattaya Jomtien can still be had for 7k, but anyone that has to worry about the rent probably shouldn't come (for their own sake - Thailand sucks if you can't afford it).

[madone]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's really nice condos at the end of my road for 2,500bht/month.

The poor people's rooms are 1,500bht/month (you've posted a photo of them).

yeah, really nice. Ill just bet

[madone]

1 minute ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Thailand sucks if you can't afford it).

 Name me soemwhere that doesnt.

 

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

These days you can't find a decent condo in Bangkok for less than 15k/mo. They aren't going to live in Isaan. Pattaya Jomtien can still be had for 7k, but anyone that has to worry about the rent probably shouldn't come (for their own sake - Thailand sucks if you can't afford it).

Lots of Digital Nomads in Chiang Mai.

I attend their meetings most Friday nights.

[NorthernRyland]

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Me too,

I did think about doing it for the 5 years value, but thought Thai Immigration would probably fight the MFA on this one, as it would lose them too many fees. 

 

It's in many ways a superior visa to the retirement or marriage extensions. No money moved into a Thai bank, no re-entry permits, no annual visit to immigration. It gives the impression they want long term tourists more than married or retired people. Very strange 180 they did here.

 

[Aussie999]

3 minutes ago, madone said:

 Name me soemwhere that doesnt.

 

Australia, we have a great welfare system.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

It's in many ways a superior visa to the retirement or marriage extensions. No money moved into a Thai bank, no re-entry permits, no annual visit to immigration. It gives the impression they want long term tourists more than married or retired people. Very strange 180 they did here.

 

the MFA and Thai Immigration are two different opposing organizations maximizing their incomes.

 

[ryandb]

I'm on a DTV, literally went to apply in Cambodia, came back in on a 60-day, and they contacted me when it was done got my e-visa and bounced to activate it. Of course, I did have an agent help me do this. I couldn't just go for a random period of time they couldn't confirm due to dogs and needing secure connections for my job.

[Patong2021]

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thais have a history of prostitution and overstays, so their ability to travel is restricted by western governments.

Don't think the citizens of most western countries have that reputation.

 

The people who are applying for the electronic nomad visa include a large number with a history of  tax evasion, cyber crime and  mental illness.  Unfortunately, the legitimate digital nomads  are burdend with the dead beats.

[NorthernRyland]

19 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's really nice condos at the end of my road for 2,500bht/month.

The poor people's rooms are 1,500bht/month (you've posted a photo of them).

 

What now? 2500 baht is basically a single room. Maybe it's clean and a newer building it's still just a concrete box. These are for students and the lowest rung of labor (like 7 11 workers).  

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

What now? 2500 baht is basically a single room. Maybe it's clean and a newer building it's still just a concrete box. These are for students and the lowest rung of labor (like 7 11 workers).  

There's millions of foreigners living in single rooms in Pattaya/Phuket/Chiang Mai.

In Bangkok most of the population live in single rooms.

[NorthernRyland]

15 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

These days you can't find a decent condo in Bangkok for less than 15k/mo. They aren't going to live in Isaan. Pattaya Jomtien can still be had for 7k, but anyone that has to worry about the rent probably shouldn't come (for their own sake - Thailand sucks if you can't afford it).

that's why they all come to Chiang Mai. The numbers have exploded. You can still live cheap enough (for now) and have your tourist ghetto with pizza and hamburgers. Once they get priced out of CM it's on to the "real" Thailand which most people can't hack.

[NorthernRyland]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

There's millions of foreigners living in single rooms in Pattaya/Phuket/Chiang Mai.

In Bangkok most of the population live in single rooms.

it's more than just the room size what makes those troubling. I'm doing dental work every weekend now and this building is next to the clinic in Mae Jo.

 

I'm guessing this is about 2500/month. It's a serious dive. Yes, if you get far outside the city then 2500 goes further but this is likely the kind of thing you're getting for 2500/month. 

 

[crazyg]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I would assume they had a room/house in Thailand, and couldn't afford the hotel bills in Vietnam on top of their commitments in Thailand. Keeping two homes going on one wage isn't something everyone can afford.

 

Decent long term condo in Chiang Mai 5,000bht/month vs Saigon 1,000bht/night

So 5 weeks would be 6,000bht Vs 35,000bht.

Folks on visa exemptions should probably not have been leasing property in Thailand, to begin with...

[crazyg]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

Yeah 5 weeks in a hotel is daunting. There was supposed to be 500,000 baht in the bank for the visa but maybe that's all they had and it was tied up. 

 

I'm surprised they even allow you to apply for them outside your home country. It sounds like people are coming on a tourist visa or exempt and then deciding they want to stay longer. In the past you'd have to do border runs but now they're just giving them a full 5 years.

 

This was always the kind of people they were trying to keep out but now they're given special privileges (I wish I only had to apply for my visa once every 5 years).

With the DTV, you still need to leave Thailand every 180 days (or 360 days, if you pay for an extension at the the immigration office).
Visa exemption for most people allows you to stay up to 90 days per entry.

[lrntpattaya]

I applied for the DTV visa using a cooking school in Pattaya on the 28th of April and now, after 6 weeks, it's still pending.  I paid 95,000 baht to let them take care of everything. The school now says they have no idea when to expect it.

 

Just wait....

 

And otherwise I expect a full refund.

[alfredwilliams]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Picture courtesy of Global Residence Index, Unsplash

 

Thailand's recently launched Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), aimed at attracting digital nomads, has faced significant challenges, leaving many applicants stranded across Southeast Asia. Delays, confusion, and inconsistent procedures at regional embassies have complicated the application process, turning it into a bureaucratic ordeal.

 

Digital nomads in Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia, who travelled specifically to apply for the DTV, are experiencing considerable delays. They face extended wait times, backlogged appointments, and changing requirements. The Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh has drawn particular criticism, with some applicants reporting no response for more than ten days after submitting their applications. Complaints include embassy staff resetting application timelines by requesting additional documents days after initial submissions.

 

One European applicant, stranded for five weeks, expressed frustration on social media: "I've run out of money. When they asked for one more document, the 15-day timeline restarted."

 

In Laos, particularly in Vientiane and Savannakhet, the process is fraught with appointment backlogs of two to three weeks. This delay poses serious challenges for digital nomads managing accommodation costs and aligning with visa expiry deadlines in neighbouring countries.

 

Discrepancies in the application process across various embassies are also causing confusion. While some consulates process applications quickly, others are following more stringent and time-consuming procedures. Applicants must remain in the country where they applied until a decision is reached, and leaving even temporarily can lead to cancellations or additional delays, heightening stress for those with limited funds or expiring visas.

 

The DTV visa was introduced as a progressive measure to attract digital workers, content creators, and location-independent professionals. While the initiative was initially well-received, its inconsistent implementation has led to widespread dissatisfaction.

 

Visa agents and applicants are urging Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Bureau to provide clearer, standardized instructions to embassies and implement a digital tracking system to allow real-time monitoring of application progress.

 

As the situation stands, many hopeful digital nomads find their plans to relocate to Thailand stalled amid the visa backlog, awaiting more streamlined procedures to realise their ambitions.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-09

 

 

Hahaha digital gonads