✨✨ My DTV Soft Power Thai Cooking (Arun Thai Cooking Class) visa has been approved in Laos. Everything went super smoothly, and all the required documents were arranged within just one day.

My DTV visa journey (Thai Embassy in Laos):

Applied online → paid the fee at the Thai Embassy in Laos in Thai baht (cash only) → waited for my interview appointment → had the interview and received the result on the same day.

Total time: 11 days from application to approval.

Hello everyone,

I’ll be staying in Thailand for a while and I’m looking for suggestions on which mobile company SIM card and package would be best for my stay. I’ll mainly need good internet/data coverage and reasonable call rates.

If you’ve had personal experience with a reliable provider, I’d really appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks in advance for your help! 🙏

Hello everyone,

I applied for the Soft Power program at the Fukuoka Consulate and received an invitation for an online interview. May I ask if there is anything I should prepare in advance? I would also like to know what kind of questions are usually asked during the Soft Power interview.

Will DTV be rejected if I’ve been rejected from Thailand as a tourist before and stayed in a holding cell etc.

I just got some very interesting news and wanted to share it here.

Recently, I went back to the Bangkok Bank near Bangkok. Originally, my account had been frozen (like it happened to many others) because the SIM card linked to the account wasn’t in my name, but in my girlfriend’s name. I fixed that issue by switching the SIM card to my name, and after that, my account was unfrozen and has been working fine ever since.

Important detail: When they unfroze my account, they clearly emphasized that the only reason they could do this was because my account had been opened before 2023.

At the same time, I asked—several times, with my Thai wife translating to make sure there was no misunderstanding—what would happen if I switch to a DTV visa, since I am planning to apply for one. They told me very clearly that in that case, they would have to close my account. I already shared this here before.

Today, just out of curiosity, I went to a completely different branch in another city to ask again. This time, the staff told my wife something even more shocking: all foreigner accounts will eventually be closed. Right now, they are working on 2024 accounts, next year it will be 2023, then 2022, and so on. They said it doesn’t matter whether it’s an Education visa, DTV, or any other type—all foreigner accounts are affected.

I honestly find this unbelievable, but that’s exactly what they said, very clearly.

I think this is very important information, and I would really appreciate it if others could go to a branch themselves and ask the same questions to confirm this. Please share your experiences here as well.

This is not meant as a rant or rumor, I am simply sharing what I personally experienced and was told directly. She also said this „update“ is new from this month. So the information from the last branch that everything is fine for accounts before 2023 is old information.

Update: The bank has also recommended the following as the safest visa options right now: Retirement Visa, Marriage Visa, or Work Permit. She mentioned that for now, having a DTV would still be fine until they start closing accounts opened before 2023. However, she advised that switching to a Marriage Visa would be the safest option at this point, based on the new information she has.

Update.... I just attended a bank interview, to update my profile, after asking on the phone for a yellow book and passport. I thought I'd take the time to put people's minds at ease. I told my Thai language support team to go shopping , because sometimes things get lost in the translation. I was asked for my passport then my yellow book. I handed over my passport and gave her a blank stare. She then asked for my driver's licence. Job done, painless. A completely different conversation that was had on the phone. No need for a yellow book at all. Despite the fact that I have one. This is how matters should be handled, not shutting down accounts without explanation.

HI GUYS COMING TO PATTAYA WITH UK PASSPORT IN JANUARY 2026 FOR 57 DAYS DO I NEED A VISA ENTRY ? LAST YEAR DIDNT NEED ONE.

Regarding bank accounts.

[members only]

Hi everyone,

Quick question:

If I enter Thailand for the first time on DTV visa Do I need 24 hour report TM30 after I arrive Thailand ?

Thanks

Hi everyone, I am in Thailand now. I hope to apply for the MT 5 year visa. Just want to ask a few questions if I may.

- I already have a rental lease for a private property. When I go out of the country to apply for the visa, let’s say December, should I submit the existing lease or change the start date to December and then submit it? Or maybe it’s better to obtain a proof from a hotel?

- Re occupation, is it better to say ‘unemployed’, so that they won’t ask for further evidence such as proof of income?

Many thanks.