Can holders of the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) work remotely without a work permit?

Okay got it, thanks so much for the info 🙏🏼

PinkCherry3713 Yes keep it simple as income is not usually asked for on a soft power application. But it can be as you can see 👍

So would you not mention the online work unless specifically asked about it?

PinkCherry3713 They might ask for income like they did here. I would wait if/until they ask as they don't always do.

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You'll soon be retired don't worry.

PinkCherry3713 So then just wait, you might get same request or not, but when you plan to do remote work, the best option is always the workcation option.

No risk of problems with working, no need to continue soft power activity, no costs for softpower activity.

I quoted from som body else, from their own application. From the same embassy that I will be applying at

PinkCherry3713 Maybe you just look up what you need to know in Thai Labour Act yourself.

Quoting things from other people who are also quoting without any source, not from their own application, but just hearsay, might not be the best to base your opinion upon.

Part of a reply without possibility to verify context, just is not proof of anything at all.

Embassies have some generic text blocks they use for their questions, so they might not always be correct.

I have seen requests for employment contracts send to applicants that declared they were not employed.

When you have a remote job, just apply for DTV workcation is your best bet.

DTV softpower and working remote is just like working remote without any visa or all other visa not requiring a remote job.

As long as you keep low profile no problem, but officially not allowed.

I’m not strange at all, you’ve just completely misunderstood my post. I asked about contact for the embassy, I just QUOTED SOMEBODY ELSE who mentioned the embassy requesting a document. Now I’m starting to understand why everyone is as telling me to be cautious of you, you do just seem like a troll 🙄

@Kool ******

Labour Act does not mention any visa category at all, and also does not exclude remote work.

That means for remote work to be allowed, there must be something describing it is allowed.

Implicit this is done by the official requirement for a remote job

DTV workcation has such a requirement, and that implicitly tells you are allowed to work, despite Labour Act telling it is prohibited..

Soft power DTV does not have such a requirement, so you have to follow all rules of Labour Act, meaning everything that Labour Act defines as work is prohibited.

What happens in practice, I completely agree with you.

When your job not qualifies for DTV workcation then technically it is just not allowed.

@Luit ****************

the labour act doesn't address any dtv category, as it was never updated for the dtv, not even under the workcation category.

Soft Power DTV

Your visa basis is participation in approved Thai activities like Muay Thai, cooking, arts, wellness, or some cultural programs.

Remote work is not the stated reason for approval.

But the visa itself generally does not change after issuance, so many holders still work remotely for overseas income.

Medical DTV

Similar concept: the visa is granted based on treatment or wellness programs in Thailand.

The visa category itself does not specifically prohibit passive or overseas remote income, but it also does not authorize Thai employment.

What still appears consistently restricted across all DTV categories:

working for Thai employers

earning Thai-source salary

directly servicing Thai customers as local employment

obtaining normal Thai employment rights/work permit through the DTV alone.

One complication is that Thailand’s labor laws and immigration policy are not perfectly aligned. Some legal commentators note that remote work exists in a gray area because traditional Thai work-permit law was written before digital nomad visas existed.

In practice, enforcement attention is usually focused on:

people working locally in Thailand without authorization

running Thai-facing businesses

Thai payroll/employment

abusing visa categories

—not ordinary overseas remote work from a laptop.

A lot of applicants reportedly choose the Soft Power route because:

it can require less employment documentation

freelancers with inconsistent records sometimes have higher approval success through Soft Power categories like Muay Thai or cooking programs .

@Kool ******

Where should it be mentioned that under dtv softpower remote work is not allowed?

Labour Act just forbids all work including remote work for foreign companies by foreigners without a work permit, that also includes DTV soft power holders.

No need to update Labour Act each time a new visa is introduced for which work is not allowed.

To allow it, somewhere legislation must describe it is allowed, otherwise the default from Labour Act is that a work permit is needed.

@Luit ****************

you also do not see it mentioned that it is not allowed under dtv.

@Kool ******

Obviously you see some reason that the definition of work in Thai Labour Act excludes remote work or work for non Thai entities.

I do not see it mentioned anywhere and also Thai lawyers don't see it anywhere.

You are of course free to your interpretation, but it would be nice if you could show why in your opinion remote work for non Thai is legal for everyone without work permit.

DTV only might allow remote work when the requirement for an eligible remote job is in place, just like with LTR remote worker.

All other visa and also other DTV and LTR visa types just do not have any exeption that might be interpreted as a permission to do remote work.

You can write DTV allows remote work, but nowhere in law that is described.

Also it is ridiculous to say that different types of visa within a class will be the same after you got approved for it.

Just like LTR L1 will not get LTR L2, ED 3 will not get ED 2, O7 will not get O2, DTV 2 will not get DTV1.

Some changes are possible filling in form TM-86 at an Immigration office, when you comply with the requirements for the visa you want to change to.

Changes ar impossible without applying at Immigration.

PinkCherry3713 As you can see Luit doesn't back up any of his imaginary claims with proof. Mason has given you the correct answer. So many people have blocked Luit for the trolling he does on here, maybe you should too.

But why would the Thai embassy in London say to write a letter confirming you understand you’re allowed to only work remotely if totally not related to Thai clients or entities - if it’s not allowed? That doesn’t make sense to me

PinkCherry3713 Mason is posting a lot of irrelevant things, just to prove his fantasy.

A document request by a single embassy is not a permission to work.

@Peter ********

I don't publish personal details here because you refuse to accept official document.

Why should I spend time and effort on that, it is totally irrelevant here.

@Luit ****************

Not the application requirements you clown. Your PDF visa which says DTV1 on it. You can blank out other parts no problem.

@Peter ********

The MFA document is posted several times here, I know you don't accept it, even when you can verify at the official MFA site.

Posting it again will not change anything, you refuse to understand and as I said it is totally irrelevant because for working as a foreigner without a work permit, you need a visa that has a requirement to have an eligible remote job.

DTV softpower, DTV 2 or what name or category o type or subtype or whatever you want to attach to it, simply does not have such a requirement and therefore does not qualify for work.

@Luit ****************

Just post a picture of your DTV 1 and end this now lad.