Can I fly to Thailand while my DTV application is still pending approval in Hanoi?

Svenja Müller I did in Hanoi and it got approved. I'm not suggesting you should do what I did, however it is my personal experience. I actually was willing to gamble losing the fee by applying in Hanoi during my vacation, with the back up plan of reapplying in India where I was heading for 2 weeks the same month for medical procedure. From Hanoi I flew to China for a few days and arrived back in Thailand 8 days later. Got in no problem...and a few hours later I got the approval email. I flew out again a couple days later and activated it upon entering back.

Svenja Müller The rule is that you are supposed to stay within the jurisdiction where you are applying. This is why sometimes the embassy/consulate in Vietnam reaches out and asked for the applicant to buy sometime and take a photo of the receipt with the current date on it, as a means to verify they are still in Vietnam. However, they don’t ask this of everyone and some applicants have gone back to Thailand and gotten away without being caught. However, check out the DTV Facebook page. There have been applicants forced to fly back to the U.K. if they wanted to complete their application, etc. Hanoi is one of the fastest locations. You should be hearing soon (5-10 days). Not sure it is worth the risk when you only have to wait a few more days

@Svenja *******

the interview, if required, is usually only a quick check as a means of verifying you are still there

Svenja Müller When you log on to the Evisa website there is a pop up to this effect which you have to acknowledge before proceeding -

"Attention : E-Visa applicants are no longer required to submit passports and supporting documents in person at the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate-General. It is important to note that you are only able to apply if you are currently not in Thailand. After the e-Visa application has been approved, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to applicants, which can be printed out for presenting to airlines and Thai immigration officials when traveling to Thailand."

@Svenja *******

it's not just that you can't enter Thailand while your application is processing, it's that you can't leave the location you applied from. Despite applications moving online Thai consulates still treat applications as if you had handed over your passport, some people have got away with it but if the consulate checks either by requesting copies of every page in your passport or calling you in for interview and see you have left their territory your application will be rejected. Some consulates even go as far as requiring you to provide a signed statement that you will remain.