Is it legal to work online for an overseas company on the Soft Power Muay Thai DTV visa?

if you can provide a proof of income from abroad, it is much better than saying that you are unemployed.

Hi there!

Great question — and it’s one that many are wondering about right now.

The Soft Power DTV visa (including for Muay Thai and Thai cooking ) is not officially a work visa, but having remote income from an overseas company is generally accepted — as long as you're not working for or earning money from a Thai employer or within Thailand. Many applicants do show overseas income (like freelance, remote work, investments), and some embassies even require proof of funds or income to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency.

That said, this is a legal grey area. The visa isn't clearly defined as allowing "digital nomads," yet it also isn't strictly prohibiting passive or remote income either — which is why it's not uncommon for applicants to list their occupation as things like:

“Remote consultant for overseas company”

“Freelancer with international clients”

Or even just “Self-funded / Unemployed / Student,” depending on their risk tolerance

🔹 What’s safer to write?

If you're unsure or your income situation is complex, it’s often safest to put "student" or "unemployed" and back it up with bank statements showing you can support yourself. This avoids raising any flags that you're working in Thailand.

🔹 Tip for Hanoi

Some embassies — including Hanoi — are reportedly becoming more strict lately. Make sure your documents are clean, your explanation is simple, and your financials are solid (e.g., proof of funds in your bank, or a letter from your employer stating it's an overseas remote position, if you choose to disclose it).

✅ Summary:

Yes, remote work for a foreign company is commonly done on this visa and not illegal — as long as you’re not working locally. But because the law isn’t black-and-white, being cautious with how you present your occupation (or saying student/unemployed) may help reduce risk during the application.

To clarify, If you’re applying under the DTV Soft Power category (e.g. Muay Thai or Cooking Classes), your main purpose in Thailand should be cultural participation, not remote work. However, there’s no official restriction that forbids you from working online for an overseas company, as long as:

- You’re not working with Thai clients or companies

- You’re not generating Thai-sourced income

In fact, many approved applicants under Soft Power do show income from overseas sources (bank statements, proof of savings, etc.) to meet the THB 500,000+ requirement — and this has not caused issues, because it's not considered “working in Thailand.”

From an immigration/legal standpoint, it's still a grey area technically, but in practice, Thai embassies have been accepting this setup — especially if you clearly state your reason for entering as cultural learning and have already paid for a qualified program.

If you’re unsure what to write on the form (e.g. “Occupation” or “Purpose of visit”), most applicants choose:

“Student” (since you're enrolling in a cultural course)

And for occupation, something like “Freelancer”, “Remote worker”, or simply leave it as unemployed if unsure — what matters more is proof of funds and program enrollment.

We’ve helped over 90 DTV applicants through our cooking school and partner agencies and this has been our experience. Hope this clarifies

It all depends on the option you are using for applying. Soft Power all they care is that the money is SEASONAL ( movement in 6 months and no BIG RECENT DEPOSITS) AND YOU PUT ON THE APPLICATION YOU WILL NOT BE SEAKING LOCAL EMPLOYMENT. If you dont have the money DONT COMPLICATE YOURSELF. Get an sponsor ( family member etc )and you wil be fine. When you start making things up than you encounter problems.

It's a very grey area, some folks said that once you got a dtv then nobody would know whether you got it through soft power or work. Some others said that while you can work online/from remote legally if you applied for, it's still illegal to work if you have applied for soft powers

I put employment/student:)