Answered2 months ago

What are the best practices for applying for a long-term Thai visa, including cover letter details and duration of stay?

Thai Visa Duration of Stay Long-term Visa DTV Tourist Visa Workcation

Peter ***********

asked Sep 11, 2026

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Arrival/departure and duration info?

I’m planning to submit my application this weekend. I’ve already booked two months in Thailand, so I’ve have included both my arrival and departure dates in the application. Given all the discussion about people being granted a tourist visa instead of a DTV, I’m considering whether I should mention in my cover letter that I’m planning to return to Thailand several more times after the initial two months?

Another thing: under Duration of stay, I’ve written 170 days, as I expect to spend around half a year in Thailand during my first year. Would it be better to write 5 years? Or something else?

Thanks for your help!

Answer summary

The user is preparing to submit their visa application for Thailand, planning to explain their intention to stay beyond the initial two months and questioning whether to clarify their multiple future trips in the cover letter. They are uncertain about how to accurately represent the duration of their stay, contemplating if they should state a duration of 5 years or something more appropriate given their intentions. Comments from the community suggest keeping the initial stay duration under 180 days, emphasizing the importance of clearly stating their intention for a long-term stay in their cover letter.

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Za *******

Duration of stay is the 2 months you were mentioning between your arrival and departure date

a month ago

Kool *******

Those that were given METVs instead all applied under the soft power category, with classes scheduled, and paid for, for less than one year. What category are you applying under?

a month ago

Peter ***********

@Kool ******

I apply under workcation. I can understand why some of the soft power applications are given tourist visas, but recently in this group there have been reports about workcation applicants getting it to. I think my documentation for my freelance / self-employed activities are quite strong, so I don’t want to mess it up because of some formulation in my letter or flight info.

a month ago

Kool *******

@Peter **********

those that were getting them on workcation category were listing themselves as only staying in Thailand less than three months at a time living here, and only two, or three times a year. I remember those reports. Don't limit your stay like they did on your cover letter explaining how long you plan on staying in Thailand, to work remotely. Don't present yourself as a tourist, and they won't give you a METV.

a month ago

Peter ***********

@Kool ******

Thanks! But I have booked my first trip for two months and provided info about this in the online form. Could they interpret this as a tourist trip and therefore give me a tourist visa? Should I clarify in my cover letter that I intent to come back for several more stays after the initial 2 month?

a month ago

Andi ***********

Under 180 days is fine to put. You can't put 5yrs for your initial stay as you are only allowed to stay 6mths before extending. Your cover letter should detail your need for the 5 yr multi entry visa.

2 months ago