Payment Options (w/o Thai Bank account)

This comes up a lot in the comments. Please do add or correct, but this info is correct based upon my own personal experience:

TagThai Pay&Tour

- Prepaid credit card

- Can only be loaded at (I think any) Kasikorn Exchange kiosk. (I did in Samui.) Contrary to some comments I've seen, I was able to do with THB, did not have to actually exchange currency.

- Cannot pay Personal accounts with QR code, so that's most small restaurants and shops out.

TrueMoney

- Top up by cash at any 7-11, Lotus, and various pay points.

- Some people have completed the additional verification by uploading a copy of DTV visa and entry stamp under the work permit section of documents. That then allows payment to personal QR codes.

- It's also handy for paying Electricity and Water. (Keeps the history.)

- I have not been able to top-up by credit card since additional verification, but others claim this is possible.

DeepPocket

- CAN pay personal QR code

Load by credit/debit card, cash at BigC or Lotus.

- Pricier fees than the other two.

- (Was recommended to me by a friend who's an expert in payments, so seems to have solid backers, but I'm not personally endorsing this or anything else.)

* Moreta Pay

- Can connect to US bank, do SEPA transfer, or UK Faster Payments, or credit/debit

- No personal QR codes

- Works in other Asian countries

Viet Nam seems to reject Chinese's application for DTV, and there is no successful case.May I ask who has successfully applied for a DTV visa in Vietnam with a China passport in the past three months?

My DTV was Approved!

Boyfriend’s application pending (he submitted on 18 Sept - later than I).

I included the outline of my portfolio below and added a PDF template in the comment that you can easily copy/paste to replicate.

Yes, I used chatgpt and pasted into google Docs. It didn't transfer well to this post but the PDF makes more sense

Location: Bali

Royal Thai Embassy Jakarta

Visa Type: DTV — Workation

Nationality: USA

Submitted: Mon 15 Sept, 15:34 (Bali time)

Changed to Processing Pending Approval: Tues 23 Sept, appx 17:00 (Bali time)

Approved: Tues 23 Sept, 21:10 (Bali time)

Intended Date of Arrival: 15 Oct

# How I Structured My DTV Workation Portfolio (Jakarta )

This structure covers two common cases:

* Track A – Remote employee / freelancer (you have a contract that explicitly allows remote work)

* Track B – Solo founder / business owner (income from your own company / platforms)

# Required Uploads (from the application)

1. Passport biodata page (JPG)

2. Photo (taken within last 6 months, JPG)

3. Document indicating current location

* (proof of stay/lease, local visa/permit, bank/utility with local address, recent travel tickets; you can add neatly captioned dated selfies/receipts as supplementary)

1. I provided letter from landlord in Bali since I booked directly

2. 2 selfies at 2 different cafes holding receipts

1. Circle cafe logo

2. Highlight date, address on receipt

3. Pics of receipt

3. Highlight date, and address in receipt

4. Financial evidence: ≥ 500,000 THB

* Bank statements for last 3 months (showing ending balance ≥ THB 500,000 equivalent) and/or bank balance letter (highlight end balance of each month)

4. I provided 6 months

5. I was missing Aug and Sept bank statements since there were no transactions so I included bank letter from my bank

5. Employment contract / employment certificate OR Professional portfolio (to prove digital nomad / remote worker / foreign talent / freelancer status)

* Freelancer

6. Employment/Service Contract (must state remote work allowed)

7. Invoices / payslips (last 3–6 months)

4. I provided 8 months

8. Bank statement highlights showing matching deposits (same amounts/dates)

5. I provided 8 months

9. Portfolio samples

6. Shared screenshot of my LinkedIn and work that I did for my clients (social media)

* Solo Founder / Business Owner (if this applies)

10. Business proof (company registry extract, Articles of Association showing you as owner)

11. Platform income dashboards (last 3–6 months)

7. I provided 8 months

12. Payout logs (last 3–6 months)

8. I provided 8 months

13. Bank highlights(last 3–6 months)

9. I provided 8 months

14. Portfolio samples (work-related content *→ *GitHub, LinkedIn, Website, reviews of product/site, Store listings, product pages, version history, etc.)

10. Shared Apple connect screenshots

11. Shared screenshot of App website and in App Store

12. Screenshot of Linkedin

# (3) Current Location

Cover Sheet (1 page)

* Header: Name, passport number, purpose of the section

* What’s inside (bullet list)

Order inside the PDF

1. Proof of stay (booking/lease with *your name*, address, and dates)

2. Local visa/permit (if applicable)

3. Recent travel tickets into the current country (not Thailand)

4. Supplementary evidence: one page each, with caption

* Dated selfie + receipt (café)

* Any other dated local activity

Formatting: Put translations right after the original if any item isn’t in English/Thai. Use simple captions: *“Bali Deli — 14 Sep 2025 (receipt date visible).”*

# (4) Financial Evidence - THB 500,000+

Cover Sheet (1 page)

* Header (name, passport) and purpose

* What’s inside (bullet list)

* Summary table (example below)

Summary Table (example)

Month(2025) Ending Balance (USD) ≈ THB (@35 illustrative)

July 16,654.00 500,000

August 16,654.00 500,000

September 16,654.00 500,000

Then include, in this order:

1. Last 3–6 months of bank statements showing ending balance ≥ THB 500,000 equivalent

2. Bank balance confirmation letter (explain missing months if no statement was issued)

3. Highlight only what matters (your name, statement date, month-end balance)

# (5) Employment / Professional Portfolio (≤3 MB)

## Cover

* Header: Name, passport; purpose of this section (to prove legitimate remote work)

* What’s inside (bullet list)

* Name Variation Note (if applicable):

* I did this because I had different name variations on different documents

*“My legal name is [Full Legal Name] (Passport [Number]). I also appear as [Variation 1] / [Variation 2] in some systems. These are my display names and refer to the same person.”*

* Compliance Banner:

*“I understand the DTV requires remote work only. I will not work for Thai companies or receive Thai-sourced salary under this visa. I understand DTV is multiple-entry, valid 5 years, and allows up to 180 days per entry with the option to apply once for a 180-day extension at Immigration; I will comply with all rules.”*

* Mini Table of Contents + Page Numbers so an officer can jump straight to:

* Contract → Invoices → Bank highlights

* Dashboards → Payout logs → Bank highlights

## 1) Status as Remote Worker / Foreign Talent (1 page)

* What you do, who you serve, your remote tool stack, confirm 100% remote

* One explicit line: *“I do not provide services to Thai companies under DTV.”*

## 2) Track A - Remote Employee / Freelancer (if this applies)

* Employment/Service Contract (must state remote work allowed)

* Invoices / payslips (last 3–6 months)

* Bank statement highlights showing matching deposits (same amounts/dates)

* Reconciliation Table (1 page):

Reconciliation — [Track A invoices] / [Track B payouts]

| Ref | Source (Invoice/Payout) | Amount | Bank Post Date | Bank Amount | Evidence Page # |

|-----|----------------|----------|---------------|-----------|

| 001 | Invoice (May) | $xxx.xx | 2025-05-05 | $xxx |

| 002 | Payout (Jun) | $xxx.xx | 2025-07-31 | $xxx |

* Portfolio samples (work-related content *→ *GitHub, LinkedIn, Website, reviews of product/site, Store listings, product pages, version history, etc.)

## 3) Track B - Solo Founder / Business Owner (if this applies)

* Business proof (company registry extract, Articles of Association showing you as owner)

* Platform income dashboards (e.g., Apple/Google/Amazon/Gumroad/Patreon)

* Payout logs (platform → company)

* Bank highlights (company → personal as salary/distribution)

* Reconciliation Table (1 page):

*Platform payout → Company bank line → Personal bank line*

* Portfolio samples (work-related content *→ *GitHub, LinkedIn, Website, reviews of product/site, Store listings, product pages, version history, etc.)

If you have BOTH tracks (e.g., apps + freelance), include both, each with its own 1-page overview and 1-page reconciliation table.

# 3 MB File-Size Tips (each upload ≤ 3 MB)

Recommended tools:

* Merge/Compress: [ilovepdf.com/]([members only]/)

* Ensure not to over-compress evidence with small text or images

iLovePDF workflow (what I do)

1. Compress (before merging)

Text-only docs (bank statements, letters, contracts): use “Extreme compress.”

Image/screenshot-heavy docs (dashboards, app listings, social content): use “Light compress.”

After each compress, open and zoom to 200–300% to confirm:

* Text remains sharp/readable (names, dates, amounts, IDs).

* Stamps/logos remain identifiable.

1. Merge

Use iLovePDF Merge PDF to assemble the final single file for that requirement.

If the merged file > 3 MB, run one more “Light compress” on the merged file, then spot-check again.

1. Final QA checklist

Open the merged PDF on laptop (simulate the reviewer’s view).

Verify all highlights/annotations are visible and not fuzzy.

Confirm page order matches your cover sheet/table of contents.

Re-run compression only if absolutely needed; re-check readability after.

When to re-export instead of over-compress

* If light compression still blurs small text, go back to the source and re-export smaller (crop more; export specific pages only) rather than forcing heavier compression.

# Quick Checklist

* Your contract explicitly allows remote work (Track A)

* Self-employed? Include your business registration showing your name (Track B)

* Reconciliation: every invoice/payout matches a highlighted bank deposit (same amount/date)

* Name consistency across docs (add a one-line name variation note if needed)

* Translations: non-English docs have English translations

* Dates align across tickets, stay proof, invoices, and bank statements

* Compliance statement included (remote work for non-Thai entities; DTV validity & 180-day stays understood)

## Templates

Section Cover Template

SECTION: [e.g., Financial Evidence]

Applicant: [Full Name]

Passport: [Number]

Purpose: [One sentence—what the officer will verify here]

Contents:

1) [Doc name + brief note]

2) [Doc name + brief note]

3) [Doc name + brief note]

Notes:

- [Any special explanation, e.g., “No August statement issued; balance letter attached.”]

Reconciliation Table Template

Reconciliation — [Track A invoices] / [Track B payouts]

| Ref | Source (Invoice/Payout) | Amount | Bank Post Date | Bank Amount | Evidence Page # |

|-----|----------------|---------|----------------|-----------|

| 001 | Invoice (May) | $xxx.xx | 2025-05-05 | $xxx |

| 002 | Payout (Jun) | $xxx.xx | 2025-07-31 | $xxx |

I’m delighted to announce that I am now part of the DTV visa holders’ family! 🎉

First of all, I’d like to thank this group, which has been an invaluable source of help throughout the process.

Now it’s my turn to share my experience, especially for French applicants who are considering submitting their application at the Thai Embassy in Paris.

I submitted my application on September 5, 2025, under the *workation* category, as a freelance language teacher working exclusively online through platforms like Preply and Italki. Ten days later, I received a call from the embassy requesting a few additional documents, which I sent immediately. One week later, on September 24, I finally received the precious visa.

All in all, the wait was just under three weeks.

Good luck to all of you!

If you have any questions about the required documents, feel free to reach out. In principle, simply following the instructions provided on the website of the Thai Embassy in Paris should be enough for everything to go smoothly.

Those who have DTV soft power visa. Do you need to book an additional course after documents for the first expire? And does immigration ask for course documents during re-entry?

Many courses are sold for 6-12 months, so I’m wondering what to do after documents for course expire.

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to share my experience. After two rejections, the first one in The Netherlands, the second one in Vietnam, I've finally been approved for the DTV Workation Visa.

I went to Laos, and in comparison to the two previous applications, I would strongly recommend anyone being in doubt to do the same. In Laos is the 'in-person' interview, which gives you the opportunity to explain your situation and show your finances.

For me personally, I believe the reason my first two applications were rejected, is because of a more complex company owning structure, which they don't seem to understand in Thailand, but which is common in The Netherlands. The in-person interview gives you the possibility to explain everything properly in person, with showing additional proof of income through your bank app.

Laos/Vientiane is not the most entertaining city in the world, but the total process in Laos cost me 10 days.

Went to my local Immigration Office in Saraburi today to ask about all handouts for my 1 year extension of stay of my Non-Immigrant O Visa based on being over 50 years old (retirement).

This is what the officer gave me but also told me to open a bank account despite that I said (and girlfriend) I will use an income letter from my Embassy to guarantee my income, my Swedish Embassy still offer this service.

Trying to figure out why she wanted me to present an bank account, is this common at other offices when using Embassy letter?

I will of course do as I'm told, bring my girlfriend to her bank and ask about all the paperwork, as I understand it should not be a problem to open an account since I'm on a long term visa/extension.

Wish me luck, thanks!

Continuing to find ways to show foreign transfers to immigration…. A Swift payment from First Direct in UK directly to Bangkok Bank shows up as follows in Bangkok Bank. Does immigration recognise this as a overseas foreign transaction.

For Retirement Visa----I work 4 or 5 months a year in the USA ---- I make about $20,000 or $25,000 from this work. My Social Security is only $1163 a moth. I would prefer to show adequate annual income and not put the 800,000 in an account. Is this doable? Will I be charged INCOME TAX on the work income I have in the USA? Thanks

I am about to take a trip to Qatar for 6 days, I have a re entry permit, when I return do I have to report to immigration with a TM 30, and if so do I have to do it within 24 hours?.🙏😊