This is NOT an official government website. We are an independent resource providing information and assistance to travelers.
Do I need to provide actual flight tickets for my Thailand DTV application?
Dec 15, 2025
5 months ago
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTERHi, so I finally received a reply from London Embassy regarding DTV application questions and I’m just wondering if anyone can advise whether or not they had to provide actual flights tickets or similar confirmation as per the below?
“Flight details (e-ticket issued directly by the airline), showing your name, departure date, and full itinerary from the UK/Ireland to Thailand, including onward travel (if any)”
I never understood this to be honest because if I don’t get DTV I’ll just travel as a tourist and book a return flight for 90 days, but if I do get DTV I’ll book a return flight for 180 days. Surely this condition would be more relevant if the visa was actually approved first because changing the return flight costs money and I’d rather know the visa application status before booking!
“Flight details (e-ticket issued directly by the airline), showing your name, departure date, and full itinerary from the UK/Ireland to Thailand, including onward travel (if any)”
I never understood this to be honest because if I don’t get DTV I’ll just travel as a tourist and book a return flight for 90 days, but if I do get DTV I’ll book a return flight for 180 days. Surely this condition would be more relevant if the visa was actually approved first because changing the return flight costs money and I’d rather know the visa application status before booking!
TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion focuses on whether applicants for the Thailand Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) need to provide actual flight tickets or just flight details when submitting their applications. Many comments suggest that booking a flexible or refundable flight ticket can alleviate concerns, as it allows applicants to change their travel plans as needed without incurring significant costs. Several individuals share their experiences, confirming they provided e-tickets and had their applications approved without issues, while others emphasize the importance of having flexible plans in light of the unpredictable nature of visa processing.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Take the basic DTV Qualification Test to see if you're eligible for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the DTV Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
Pelle Eriksson★★★★★
Absolutely Bangkok's best service I highly...recently on Facebook
Luca G.★★★★★
I used this agency for my DTV Visa...recently on Google
Trusted DTV Visa Agent
OVER 100,000 EXPATS SERVED
#1 VISA AGENT IN THAILAND
Alan ******
I had to provide a flight ticket , went to waiting for approval, another 3 weeks on top then got approved 👍
Adam ********
Hi sorry if it’s been said but do 3 months statements and highlight your wages coming in
Do a letter from your work confirming you can work remotely for the next 5 years your job and salary isn’t expected to change
Include your portfolio showing what you do (I put my cv in)
Make sure your bank statements show your name address and date
I didn’t need to put flight tickets or accommodation in
I got the DTV workcation in London
I wouldn’t submit on that passport it’s just grief and they also may question it
Do a letter from your work confirming you can work remotely for the next 5 years your job and salary isn’t expected to change
Include your portfolio showing what you do (I put my cv in)
Make sure your bank statements show your name address and date
I didn’t need to put flight tickets or accommodation in
I got the DTV workcation in London
I wouldn’t submit on that passport it’s just grief and they also may question it
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Adam *******
when you say don’t submit on that passport, am I correct in assuming you mean my current passport?Adam ********
@Joe ******
yes if it runs out in 8 months I’d change it before you apply.Reply to
Adam ********
Reply
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTEROnce again, thanks for all the replies everyone. I’ll bite the bullet and buy a refundable flex ticket. The bank statements I provide will actually show the Emirates payment 😉
So from the top, I’ll send all of the below as part of my application, I realise I’m providing more than necessary but I figure this display of openness can only help:-
• covering letter listing the documents supplied.
• Flight ticket (depart mid Jan 26, return mid July 26)
• Passport (expires 15 August 2026, to be renewed upon return to UK)
•Recent photograph
• Driving Licence
• Utility Bill
• Bank statements from 20 November 2025 to approx 24 December 2025 showing 500,000 THB (neither in their email nor on the London Embassy website can I locate any stipulation that 3 months statements are required)
• Remote Working Employment Contract for UK company (I will not be supplying a letter from my employer as this is presented as an option instead of the remote working contract, correct?)
• UK Limited Company information from UK GOV website.
• 3 months payslips
Feel free to advise if I’m going over the top with all this (I’m over 50 so better safe than sorry!) and advise anything else you feel it would be worth including.
So from the top, I’ll send all of the below as part of my application, I realise I’m providing more than necessary but I figure this display of openness can only help:-
• covering letter listing the documents supplied.
• Flight ticket (depart mid Jan 26, return mid July 26)
• Passport (expires 15 August 2026, to be renewed upon return to UK)
•Recent photograph
• Driving Licence
• Utility Bill
• Bank statements from 20 November 2025 to approx 24 December 2025 showing 500,000 THB (neither in their email nor on the London Embassy website can I locate any stipulation that 3 months statements are required)
• Remote Working Employment Contract for UK company (I will not be supplying a letter from my employer as this is presented as an option instead of the remote working contract, correct?)
• UK Limited Company information from UK GOV website.
• 3 months payslips
Feel free to advise if I’m going over the top with all this (I’m over 50 so better safe than sorry!) and advise anything else you feel it would be worth including.
Ivan ************
@J**
they don't need the 500k to be there for 3 months. They do want 3 months of statements, showing the money going in with the payslips (highlight that), but the 500k only needs to be there at the end. I didn't have it for 3 months, just at the end. I highlighted the monthly payments. Rest of that all sounds fine.Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Ivan ***********
cheers Ivan. As I’ve never done this before I just want to make sure I get it as correct as possible first time! If they require more documents I assume I’m notified of this and given the opportunity to provide them, rather than simply rejecting my application and having to apply again?Ivan ************
@J**
yes, they will ask you if they need anything else. Exactly what they need varies by the application, they don't ask everyone for all the things. For example, they ask some people for tax returns and others not. But I suspect they will want 3 months bank statements.
Utility bill and driving license aren't both required. They want this to show your address/residency in the UK and one or the other is enough.
For me, they wanted an introduction letter specifically stating that I would only be working remotely and not for Thai clients, I believe this is a common request.
They may want something from your employer explicitly saying you are authorised to work remotely from Thailand (rather than in general).
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Ivan ***********
thanks again!I did ask Chat GPT some questions i.e. is being over 50 a barrier for Workation visa (apparently not!), if my contract says “remote working from home” is this an issue, also apparently not as it was suggested that these are common in remote working contracts. My employer doesn’t carry-out business with or in Thailand, but I suppose I could ask employer for a letter if necessary confirming remote working status.
I was considering renewing my passport now rather than upon my return to the UK, just in case I decide to stay for the year using the one-time extension, but my consideration is that my current passport will be on their system showing that I have been to Thailand many times in the last 15 years, I have always had extensions and I have never overstayed.
I was thinking that this will count in my favour, but if I renewed my passport with a new passport number then I’m not sure if this would correlate with my previous passport and therefore present myself as somebody who may not have been to Thailand before on their system?
I appreciate I’m overthinking this quite a lot, it’s just that the rules for the DTV Visa seem indefinite and vague, open into interpretation.
Hence my attention to detail!
Ivan ************
@J**
"I was considering renewing my passport now rather than upon my return to the UK," - I do think this would be a good idea, just because you'll have to carry and show both passports otherwise for the remaining 4 years of the visa. Your immigration/passport history I don't think will matter. So I wouldn't either do it or not do it based on that, I don't think that matters at all for this visa. Extensive history in Thailand is more likely to be a negative than a positive, it can indicate you have other ties or business here, but I don't think it matters here.
Extending is not necessarily impossible but difficult enough that few people do it. Most leave and come back. It's probably easier on Workcation presuming you are still working, as you'll have all the documentation still. For Chiang Mai, the main one is you need the 500k to have been in the account for 30 days with a statement and you need documentation from the bank certifying you are the owner of the account, and possibly a balance letter on top of the statement.
It's easy to just go somewhere else in the region and come back. You don't need to go all the way back to the UK. Bear in mind you can also renew a UK passport in Thailand, you don't NEED to go back to the UK for that either.
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Ivan ***********
thanks Ivan, your advice is comforting and excellent!I hadn’t considered renewing passport in Thailand tbh, I kind-of had the consideration it would be more convoluted and expensive than doing it in the UK.
I think I’ll keep my current passport for now and decide nearer the time. In all likelihood I’ll probably have to return to the UK.
Reply to
Joe *******
Reply
John *********
They have already told you onward travel (if any) 🤷🏾♀️
ArticulateS***********
Booked a flexi ticket on Thai Airways - it was a couple of hundred quid more. Why jeopardise your application?
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTERArticulateSquirrel3605 fair point
Reply to
Joe *******
Reply
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTERThanks for all the replies. I always fly Emirates from Newcastle (NCL) > Dubai > BKK and return, and looking at my previous tickets to be honest the EK flight numbers never change, so I was just planning to take a chance and give them the flight numbers. If they then requested actual tickets I’d have to book an Emirates Flex ticket as that’s the only one that offers a full refund. Further comments/advice appreciated! 😇
Elías ********
My embassy (Seoul, Korea) also requested real and fully paid flights tickets, which I submitted, of course.
Elías ********
@Joe ******
they ALREADY requested flight tickets, not just flight numbers.Ivan ************
@Joe ******
you can try it but in my experience they want the PDF of the actual ticket. That's what I gave them. They only want a ticket into Thailand, they DON'T need one back out.Reply to
Ivan ************
Reply
Chantelle ******
Yes this is usual. You can just book a flexible or free cancellation flight and then cancel and rebook once approved. It also doesn't need to be a return. You don't have to enter on the flight that you put om your application.
Theres also a website that creates you a genuine checkable e-ticket for £16. I can't remember the name of it but it's been posted in this group before so you may have to do some searches.
Theres also a website that creates you a genuine checkable e-ticket for £16. I can't remember the name of it but it's been posted in this group before so you may have to do some searches.
Luit *****************
@Chantelle *****
Those sites for checkable e-ticket normally don't work for this purpose, because they are only valid tickets for a very short time.In fact these companies buy tickets as you also can do yourself and then after short time they cancel.
This works perfect when you know you check in and arrive in the next 48 hours, but for visa application it can take days or weeks before they handle your application,
Joe *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Chantelle *****
Hi Chantelle, very interesting. I’ll have a look, don’t suppose you recall the name off the top of your head?Chantelle ******
@Joe ******
Onward Ticket - Quick, Valid & Affordable | Get in 2 Min **************************************
This was it but I am not talking from experience. I have not used it myself just seen others talk of it. I travelled on my flight i submitted. 👍
James ********
That's what the Thai Immigration officers are NOW LOOKING for...they are wise to it. DONT USE IT
Reply to
James ********
Reply
Ivan ************
@Joe ******
They made a specific announcement recently as part of their recent crackdown that they know about this and will be looking for it; if detected, they will refuse visas/entry and deport people. People have been caught out on trying this recently. It used not be a problem but it is now.I wouldn't recommend it. A few years ago, maybe. Not since they specifically said they are looking for it.
There is a fair chance you can book the ticket based on the presumption you will get the visa.
Alternately, book something that is changeable/refundable.
James ********
Agreed...avoid the false ticket.
Ivan ************
@J**
@Chan*****
this is a relatively recent change. I do think people used these successfully in the past. But I don't think it will work for the DTV and if they catch you they will at minimum cancel your current application; there's a risk it could even affect future ones, they see it as deliberate fraud.Here's one reference from a law firm. But I definitely read something quoting the Thai authorities directly where they were aware of these services and actively looking for them. There was a guy on Reddit who tried using it a few months back on arrival and they insisted on seeing the bank transaction of him booking it.
"Placeholder Bookings Now a Serious Risk
Authorities have also identified widespread use of unpaid, non-ticketed flight reservations (“placeholder bookings”). These were historically tolerated by some officers and airlines, but immigration has now warned that presenting an unpaid itinerary may result in immediate deportation. This is a meaningful operational change and should be taken seriously."
*****************************************************************************************************
"When I landed in Thailand, I didn’t have a return ticket. Immigration pulled me aside right away. Even though I had already filled out the arrival form online, they made me fill it out again and told me I needed proof of onward travel.
So I quickly booked a reservation using the Onward Ticket website, thinking it would work. About 5 minutes later, an officer came back and asked me to show proof of the transaction from my bank account. I was honestly shocked — not sure if that’s even legal.
I explained that I’m a software developer and planned to extend my visa later. I also told them the ticket was just a reservation, not a fully paid flight. The officer said, “If you don’t buy a real ticket in 10 minutes, I will deport you.”"
*******************************************************************************************************
Chantelle ******
@Ivan ***********
@Joe ******
yep there you go..maybe not the best option. Go with the Emirates Flexi and just refund it and get the flight you actually want maybe.Reply to
Chantelle ******
Reply
Zak *******
I just booked a refundable ticket and got the refund the day I got my DTV. As for onward travel, I didn't book or have to show anything for DTV or immigration upon arrival at BKK, it's a non issue.
Koyoto *****
@Zak ******
are you from londonReply to
Koyoto *****
Reply
Justin ********
Thailand loves to force you to burn money. When I showed up for quarantine suddenly my ten day quarantine booking wasn't enough, they wanted to see a post quarantine hotel booking even though I did even know if I'd get in to do the quarantine to begin with
KC ****
I booked a flight four weeks in advance of the email and got approved about 5 days after I gave them my e ticket and I changed my flights forward for a small fee
KC ****
They asked me to give them enough time to approve the visa when I booked my flight
Reply to
KC ****
Reply
Andi ***********
Not unusual for London to request an actual ticket booking. Book a flex ticket.
Reply to
Andi ***********
Reply
6 comments
5 months ago
4 comments
5 months ago
7 comments
5 months ago
16 comments
7 months ago
1 comments
7 months ago
15 comments
7 months ago
19 comments
8 months ago
2 comments
10 months ago
7 comments
10 months ago
4 comments
10 months ago
4 comments
a year ago
5 comments
a year ago
27 comments
a year ago
4 comments
a year ago
11 comments
a year ago
4 comments
a year ago
8 comments
a year ago
1 comments
a year ago
4 comments
a year ago
6 comments
a year ago
2 comments
a year ago
12 comments
a year ago
14 comments
2 years ago
23 comments
2 years ago
11 comments
2 years ago
7 comments
a month ago
9 comments
a month ago
21 comments
a month ago
16 comments
a month ago
8 comments
a month ago
The ask:thailand community, consisting of multiple Q/A groups with over 100,000 members, powers this platform. It is not an official government resource. Our members actively contribute to this resource, and while we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its complete reliability. Assistance to travelers is provided as a community service.