Success in Hanoi!
I chose the soft power Muay Thai route. Honestly, when I see all the people struggling with the documents they need to provide to prove they are a digital nomad, why not just contact a gym that has DTV experience and provides all the required paperwork, even if you qualify as a freelancer?
Arrived in Hanoi on March 2 (Sunday) and turned in my online application at 6pm. I received the approval email exactly one week later on March 9 at 4pm (another Sunday). So it was five working days plus the weekend and if not automated, yes they seem to work on Sundays!
I provided picture of Vietnam entry stamp, hotel reservations, flight confirmation, 6 months of bank statements with over 500k, screenshots of my latest weekly bank emails and online banking site with the date of application visible. For good measure, I also included a letter of employment confirmation and 6 months of payslips and a cover letter. Merged and resized the documents with “I Love PDF” online.
After two days, my status went from document check to pending approval. Then nothing anymore until the visa was sent. No interview or additional documentation request. I entered Thailand yesterday through Don Muang and was given the 6 months stamp no questions asked in less than 2 minutes at the immigration counter.
I hope, this helps. Thanks to everyone for their valuable input, especially the experts. I have been reading these posts since last year July as I was planning to apply as soon as I could. Any questions, I will be happy to help.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The author successfully applied for a Thailand visa by utilizing the Muay Thai route as a digital nomad. They submitted their online application with comprehensive documentation, including bank statements, employment confirmation, and travel details. The approval came within a week, and entry into Thailand was smooth, receiving a six-month stamp at immigration. The post emphasizes collaboration with a gym experienced in visa processes to alleviate the burden of documentation typically required for digital nomads.
