52 minutes ago, PHL1986 said:

I'm not interested in the DTV, but I'm curious what would be needed to get police clearance from the US? The US has many jurisdictions (city/county/state/federal) that don't always coordinate with each other on criminal history.

You can get a federal clearance from the FBI.

Having lived in the UK for a few years, and socialising with a fair few i was shocked at the sheer state of criminals on this visa. Some proudly boasting about the criminal pasts (showing me google pages) for drugs, for violence, robbery ... yet here they were on the DTV.

Honestly has to go down with the one of the biggest scandals ever that they released this visa without more stricter checks and balances. To not originally ask for a 'criminal record clearance' was just shocking.

Go look on X and see some of the racists, who have criminal records a mile long out here on this visa.

Then they wonder why there is so much trash low rent visitors in Thailand.

This via should be banned, and if not, then toughened up even more - including requirements to show regular income.

Edited August 28Aug 28 by DonniePeverley

It’s imperative Thai authorities make those who hold a DTV visa to also have a criminal record check at their document check stage, or at some point coming up.

It’s been abused so badly just as we suspected. Implemened and pushed by property developers without a thought for Thai society, culture, criminality, and to keep tourism healthy.

16 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Your response, is suitable for a person who was already a resident elsewhere and who would have been issued a foreign residency certificate for that country. However, it does not address the majority of DTV applicants who will be new DTV applicants.

The announcement says that applicant must show proof of permanent residency in the country where the visa application is made. Fine. I take the requirement to mean exactly that; that the applicant for the DTV must provide documentation to show that he/she is a permanent resident of the country where the application is.

If an applicant is a US citizen and resident, and applies at the Thai consulate in the USA , that applicant will not have a Green card, nor is even eligible for one, since the person is a US citizen and resident of the USA.

Same for a UK citizen and resident who applies at the Thai consulate in the UK. If a UK citizen and resident, there will be no requirement for the leave to remain certificate since that document as I understand it is used for immigrants to show their right to settle in the UK.

Could also mean to show a bill, or something to prove you still live in that country.

Not having sold up everything and are using this to emigrate.

Seems the criminal records get people wery worry as expected.And these people though they were safe doing the DTV from fex Laos and Vietnam!They can't go th the country of origin because they have warrants there.The new rules made my day.

7 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Could also mean to show a bill, or something to prove you still live in that country.

Not having sold up everything and are using this to emigrate.

NO!Do u really think a electric bill in ur name is enough????Thats NOT a proof of residency.

11 hours ago, PHL1986 said:

I'm not interested in the DTV, but I'm curious what would be needed to get police clearance from the US? The US has many jurisdictions (city/county/state/federal) that don't always coordinate with each other on criminal history.

Back in 2008 when I applied for an 'OA" in Hawaii (Honolulu) I was required to obtain a police clearance. I had to go to the District Attorney's office and request. It's not an office but similar to going into a bank and conducting business at a window. I seem to remember it taking about 10 days to receive by mail. Can't remember if I had to pay a fee or not.

On 8/27/2026 at 9:52 PM, Caldera said:

As so often, they should have given applicants more advance warning - someone who planned to apply in a nearby country next week has probably booked the trip already.

That being said, I think it's a good move. The DTV's potential for abuse is huge, so requiring a criminal records check and having to apply back home where the local Thai embassy has a better grasp of how business documents and bank statements in that country can be verified makes sense to me.

I agree that restricting applications/processing in the country of the applicant has some clear upside - notably the assumption that the local RTE would be: a) more familiar with what legitimate X, Y or Z documents should look like b) an easier ability to verify said documents and c) be more familiar with what other documents may be requested and available in said country, as opposed to an RTE in a 3rd country that would most likely lack that level of country familiarity.

48 minutes ago, kimothai said:

Back in 2008 when I applied for an 'OA" in Hawaii (Honolulu) I was required to obtain a police clearance. I had to go to the District Attorney's office and request. It's not an office but similar to going into a bank and conducting business at a window. I seem to remember it taking about 10 days to receive by mail. Can't remember if I had to pay a fee or not.

🤙Mahalo, brah. Again, not anything I'm gonna need. Just wondering cuz it could get kind of complicated.

On 8/28/2026 at 12:10 AM, BrandonJT said:

London is now getting in on the action. Looking more and more likely that this will be a global change.https://scontent-hou1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/775259076_1894382781527350_6440766840489879381_n.png?stp=dst-png&cstp=mx1908x1198&ctp=s1908x1198&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=9f807c&_nc_ohc=GIY8cWV0eQEQ7kNvwEJGF2S&_nc_oc=Adq8izQXefjIiAMOqE6YHFOloEW-DCddUFjvZ_EKnGEPTXDPKGbsi_ziCl7FG3L79Fg&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-hou1-1.xx&_nc_ss=7d2a8&oh=03_Q7cD6AEf8IvWX60QbSi5w4vK4kF8t-JrCDmW8weYvuFhksOC2w&oe=6AB7E7B9

What if you haven't been a resident of your home country for ages? Is citizenship enough or do you have to prove residency as well?

10 hours ago, norsurin said:

NO!Do u really think a electric bill in ur name is enough????Thats NOT a proof of residency.

It depends on the country.

3 hours ago, thecyclist said:

What if you haven't been a resident of your home country for ages? Is citizenship enough or do you have to prove residency as well?

If you're applying from the country of your passport, then no additional proof of residency is needed.

7 hours ago, thecyclist said:

What if you haven't been a resident of your home country for ages? Is citizenship enough or do you have to prove residency as well?

Well, where have you been living? That's where you would apply. If you are a bonafide resident of a country that is not your 'home country' or 'passport country' it should not be all that difficult to prove that. But if you are just 'floating around' all over, and don't have a bonafide residence anywhere, it looks like you will need to return to the home country to apply, or will be SOL re the DTV.

Edited August 29Aug 29 by rwilem

3 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

If you're applying from the country of your passport, then no additional proof of residency is needed.

Someone on facebook has posted that their local embassy has said that you need to show some link to your country. That a passport, or green card is not sufficient. Looking for a tax document, property, rental agreement, job, or something to this effect.

Edited August 29Aug 29 by DonniePeverley

7 hours ago, thecyclist said:

What if you haven't been a resident of your home country for ages? Is citizenship enough or do you have to prove residency as well?

Have you keep citizenship and passport of your original country? Then surely you know the system - you have to go back to your home country for passport renewels and all that.

1 hour ago, DonniePeverley said:

Have you keep citizenship and passport of your original country? Then surely you know the system - you have to go back to your home country for passport renewels and all that.

Rubbish. You can renew your passport anywhere there's an embassy/consulate for your country. Can probably even do it by courier.

Seeing some guys on facebook and tiktok up in arms that they have to apply for a criminal record check. I wonder why ?

Edited August 29Aug 29 by DonniePeverley

US embassy saying for proof of ties to your country a passport or green card not sufficient. Tax record, business, proof of property or rent, healthcare paper.

Long overdue.

already showing the changes in the eVisa online system when you look at the DTV requirements

Some of these huge criminals in the UK, some with arrest warrants, skipped court and come to the Thailand - they're all over X, usually very right wing. Some of these are on the DTV, and yet Thai authorities aren't going to make them retrospectively ask them to show their criminal record check ?

It should be mandatory.

Edited August 31Aug 31 by DonniePeverley

If I were a resident of Vietnam, I wouldn't need to come to Thailand - on any kind of visa. I would just stay in Vietnam.

Finally ditching a few stoners.

4 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

If I were a resident of Vietnam, I wouldn't need to come to Thailand - on any kind of visa. I would just stay in Vietnam.

Foreigners can only stay up to 90 days unless married to a Vietnamese. You can do border runs but that is not technically 'staying in Vietnam'. For someone living there, that gets old fast. It's easier to just jump on a plane to Bangkok, which is one of the cheaper international options.

Edited August 31Aug 31 by shdmn

4 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

If I were a resident of Vietnam, I wouldn't need to come to Thailand - on any kind of visa. I would just stay in Vietnam.

You would just stay would you ? And how do you indefinately plan to do that ...

9 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Some of these huge criminals in the UK, some with arrest warrants, skipped court and come to the Thailand - they're all over X, usually very right wing. Some of these are on the DTV, and yet Thai authorities aren't going to make them retrospectively ask them to show their criminal record check ?

It should be mandatory.

Care to name names? Or provide any evidence?

None of the annual extension methods require home country criminal record checks. Neither does the Elite visa. Neither does visa exempt, tourist visa, education visa or visa on arrival. What is the correlation between the DTV and "huge criminals"? Or is it simply your imagination?

3 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Care to name names? Or provide any evidence?

None of the annual extension methods require home country criminal record checks. Neither does the Elite visa. Neither does visa exempt, tourist visa, education visa or visa on arrival. What is the correlation between the DTV and "huge criminals"? Or is it simply your imagination?

The Non-O-A requires a criminal background check.....I think.

4 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

You would just stay would you ? And how do you indefinately plan to do that ...

You missed my point. I said that IF I were a RESIDENT of Vietnam (which is the requirement for applying for the DTV visa for Thailand there), then that would mean that I have the right to stay in Vietnam. And if I had the right to stay there, I would stay there. A tourist (i.e. - a person there on a tourist visa) is not a resident of Vietnam. But a resident of Vietnam is a person who has the right to stay in Vietnam, at least according to my understanding of the terminology.

51 minutes ago, MIke B Bad said:

The Non-O-A requires a criminal background check.....I think.

The visa does, yes. But he specifically stated that the annual extensions do not, which is correct.

On 8/31/2026 at 3:25 AM, Tod Daniels said:

already showing the changes in the eVisa online system when you look at the DTV requirements

I'm surprised the proof of permanent residency is causing concern.

This is even required for an SETV let alone a DTV.

Last SETV I got was in 2023 and I kept notes for when I needed to apply again. From those notes I have:

"Applicant is required to upload document that can verify his/her current residency."

For which I supplied a document I named "DOWNLOADED Council Tax Bill 2022-2023" PDF

A criminal record check might be more of a challenge of course. For those in UK, this might help https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record