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Should the Thai embassy refund visa application fees if a shorter visa is issued instead of a longer one?

Visa Application Fees Thai Visa Types DTV Visa METV Visa Embassy Procedures Visa Regulations

Sep 12, 2025

17 hours ago

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

ORIGINAL POSTER

If the embassy decides to give a 6 month visa instead of 5 year DTV cuz they seem it's a better fit for the person, shouldn't they basically refund the rest of the fees cuz that's what they will tag it as in the government portal?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

This discussion centers around the topic of visa application fees at Thai embassies and whether a refund is warranted if a shorter visa is granted instead of a requested longer visa. Multiple commenters clarify that the application fees are nonrefundable, emphasizing that these fees cover the application process rather than the success of the visa issuance. They stress that even if the longer visa is not granted, the review process still incurs costs, and applicants agree to these terms upon application.

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Unfortunately, that isn’t how it works. It is an application fee and they had to review more extensive paperwork than needed for the METV. After doing that review, they determined you don’t meet the DTV requirements and gave the METV. However, they still had to review for DTV. Your argument that they are trying to steal money is ridiculous and not based on any facts. It is an attempt to blame someone other than yourself for the rejection, when 95% of applicants are successful.

11 hours ago

Brandon ************

So do you feel the same way about all the Thais who apply for and pay for visas to other countries, walk into the interview, and are denied without barely a word and no reason given?

14 hours ago

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

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brandon ***********

Yes.

14 hours ago

Reply to

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

AllSabaai ******

They can also completely reject your file without issue you any reason of rejecting and also not offer you a METV.

So you may feel thankful not to lose the whole fee and that will be also completely legal as it is mentioned in the Website and application when you apply ka 😃

One more thing ka ..

You are not here to work as an audit the thai government and the embassies fee.

The money is going to the government and each payment slip has a code related to the embassy where the Application has been applied at .

The website you apply at is @ .go.th

Means it is a government website and under the ministry of foreign affairs of Thailand

It is not a street food vendor website ka

Try to operate your mind little more

15 hours ago

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

ORIGINAL POSTER

@AllSabaai *****

I'm not sure if you are aware but not all embassies have an online payment system. Some are offline. We are all aware that regardless of website, unfair decisions, malpractices do part take in DTV. I'm just asking a question if there is a possibility for one here.

Threatening me for rejection or no right to ask questions cuz I don't 'audit' for them is not a good face value attitude.

But anyways thanks for the input

15 hours ago

Luit *****************

Anonieme deelnemer This must be your first visa then. I had visa in different countries and they all are the same: no refund and no reason for rejection given.

You can like this or not, but it is the way it works.

You act like a customer, but in this case you are not a customer, but just somebody who has to pay a government for processing a request.

11 hours ago

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

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Luit ****************

The point was never about rejection. There was not even a mention about it.

A 6 month visa is only given when they think the person only requires so much period to complete their activity and that too specifically under soft power. Not because the person doesn't fulfill requirements or rejected. But that isn't the case all the time, even under workcation, people are receiving a metv without any disqualification. Which had my intrigue

11 hours ago

Luit *****************

Anonieme deelnemer I understand you are intrigued, but visa approvals are always decided by embassies and it just is not exact science. They will not give any insight in how they decide and have a lot of freedom.

It can be quite difficult for them to decide, especially when it is about visa tourism and not people who apply from the country where they are resident.

Applying for a visa in a country where you are only a tourist to apply for a visa, just might be a red flag, which might influence the rest of the process.

11 hours ago

Reply to

Luit *****************

Adnan ********

or they should just simply reject you and you get nothing, no money and no visa......