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Should I get a student visa first before applying for a DTV visa in Thailand?

DTV Visa Student Visa Thai Bank Account Visa Application Process Immigration Rules in Thailand

Jan 1, 2026

a day ago

Im wanting to get a dtv but first be a student..

Should I ge tthe student visa first and once thats done apply for a dtv?

I want the benefit of opening a thai bank with the student visa

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The discussion revolves around whether to obtain a Student Visa (ED Visa) before applying for a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) in Thailand. It highlights concerns regarding the challenges of maintaining a bank account while switching visas, with several commenters cautioning that opening a bank account on a Student Visa may lead to complications once switching to a DTV. They advise that both visa types are independent and suggest that obtaining the DTV directly may be more beneficial for long-term plans.

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Adam *****

Your bank account can be closed if the bank finds out you're not in ED visa anymore

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Anonymous ******************

Good luck with that. The chances that they’ll close your bank account after you change your visa are quite high. People who still have one are usually those who opened it a long time ago. Moving from an ED visa to a DTV would likely raise questions not only from banks, but also from the embassy.

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John **********

Really? Getting a bank account on an ED visa is now not so easy. I wonder why?

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Carlos *********

@John *********

Moreta pay works perfectly. No need to worry so much for a Thai bank account…

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Carlos *********

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Elías ********

Once you change to a DTV, your account might get closed sooner or later, so it makes zero sense to get a ED visa just to get an account if you're later changing to the DTV.

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Justin ********

@Elías *******

youve seen it blow up on social media. But with absolute certainty there are tons of people whose accounts haven't been closed

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Anonymous ******************

@Elías *******

that "might" has been debunked hundreds of times already why people repost the same bkk bank and kasikorn September-era hysteria. In the grand scheme of things very few were affected and there is no evidence they continue the clamp down. Its like saying because of those few who got rejected at the border with DTV everyone should be afraid to enter the country now

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Elías ********

Participante anónimo 788 Yes, but those (people whose accounts weren't closed and most likely won't never get closed) are mostly people who opened their accounts many years ago. I don't think that opening an account on an ED visa today and changing three days later to a DTV will go unnoticed neither by the bank neither by Immigration, but who knows.

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Elías ********

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James ********

Get the DTV visa... avoid the Ed Visa for Thai language study. It's problems and those who have them are under the radar by Thai Immigration for complying with participation in classes and passing tests.

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Justin ********

i think that's exaggerated, go to a demanding top rated school like Duke or Chula and avoid any problems

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James ********

Agreed ✅ the 10,000 Ed Visas which were cancelled in September 2025 were the ones obtained from Ed Visa mills of Agents and Language schools who colluded to provide the needed documents in exchange for $$$ without the students need to study etc.

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James ********

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James ********

Anonymous participant 788

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Anonymous ******************

This is precisely what I was talking about. You might wanna re-read the articles yourself for better comprehension lol, first of all most of 10k were university visas , the rest, as implied, non-affiliated language schools. We are talking about language schools which are alive and well

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James ********

Anonymous participant 788 I'm well aware of what's happening. As a Moderator on Thai Visa Advice I get the PM messages asking for help and advice when an Ed Visa holder has discovered that their Ed Visa was cancelled and they are NOW on Overstay. Serious problems.

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James ********

It's NOT a laughing matter to those who were caught up in the Ed Visa charade.

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James ********

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James ********

Anonymous participant 788 Good Luck 🍀 believe what you want... But this happened September 2025

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James ********

The Immigration Bureau has cancelled nearly 10,000 stay permits after uncovering that many foreigners obtained student visas without attending classes. Authorities say anyone failing to meet study requirements will have their visa revoked immediately. The move follows ongoing investigations into officials accused of facilitating fraudulent visas for foreigners linked to grey businesses. . Full article:

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. Image Credit: MGR Online . #ThailandNews #Immigration #StudentVisa #VisaCrackdown #TheThaiger

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James ********

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Arun ***************

Hi Tommy, the visas are independent of each other.

If your intention to get the Education Visa first is solely for the purpose of opening a bank account, do note that even if you switch over to the DTV visa, the bank may still close your account when you do any personal details update.

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Elías ********

@Arun **************

Not to mention that changing right away from a newly approved ED to a DTV will raise eyebrows, to say the least.

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Elías ********

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Kurt *************

I dont understand your question. Student? Dtv? Bank account?

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Kurt *************

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