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Is it normal for a DTV visa to say employment prohibited for freelancers?

Mar 27, 2025
7 days ago
I just got approved my DTV visa 😊 Is it normal to say employment prohibited when applying as a Freelancer?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
When applying for a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) in Thailand, it's standard for the visa to state 'employment prohibited.' This indicates that while freelancers can work, they must do so for clients outside Thailand and cannot engage with clients who are residents of Thailand, as that would breach visa regulations.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
David ********
I find it staggering people do not know the conditions of a visa that they have applied for even the reporting requirements.
Stephen *****************
You are absolutely allowed to do freelance work in Thailand with a DTV visa, with the caveat that your clients cannot be organizations / individuals resident in Thailand. If any one of your clients is resident in Thailand, you'll be in violation of the visa restrictions.

That is what is meant by "employment prohibited" in the case of this visa.
Luit *****************
@Stephen ****************
the work also has to be remote.
Stephen *****************
@Luit ****************
The way they've been accepting or rejecting applications, they appear to have internal guidance that is a more narrow requirement than just "remote". It needs to be work that can be done in a "work anywhere" capacity, which is why often people are writing permission letters to themselves to verify that they can work anywhere when they're self-employed. You could, in theory, work remotely from Chiang Mai for a client in London who has a subsidiary or a client themselves in Bangkok and they demand that you be in Thailand to support their client or sub, but that would violate the spirit of the workation category -- assuming anyone would bother to report you to immigration -- and should actually be on a Non-Imm B sponsored by the client or sub rather than a DTV.

I would not want to be the one to test that, but looking at how the workation category quickly became one of the most -- if not THE most -- difficult to get, it's pretty clear they're on the lookout for people trying to avoid Non-Imm B among other things.

I posted my response because of the other replies saying "you are not allowed to work in Thailand" or "you do your freelance work outside of Thailand", neither of which is actually true on the face of it. You do in fact work in Thailand when you're freelancing on a DTV. Indeed, you may become a tax resident doing so if you're in the country long enough; worse yet, no one seems to have really had to test permanent establishment effects yet. The main thing is you can't freelance for a Thai resident organization or person; your clients have to be resident outside of Thailand.
Luit *****************
@Stephen ****************
When in your example you work remotely for a client in London, this client demand you to work for a client or branch in Bangkok, you do not work for a client outside Thailand anymore, and because they ask you to be in Thailand it does not look remote work anymore.
Stephen *****************
@Luit ****************
In that example, if you're being paid by the London company, that's who you're working for legally, regardless of any other factor; if they demand that you be in a specific country, it could still be "remote" while not being "work anywhere". Hence why "work anywhere" is the important factor, not "remote". The terms aren't synonymous.
Ronnie ***************
Yes, you are not allowed to work in Thailand!
Ben ********
Yes, prohibited in Thailand. The idea is that you do your freelance work outside Thailand
John *******
Yes
Will ************
Yes