@Kevin ******
Last year, it was enough to simply pay the visa fee and receive the visa. However, in 2026, much stricter controls have been introduced. The requirements are becoming higher all the time, and many of these are not officially listed but are requested additionally during the process.
We deal with this every day, unlike someone who applied for a visa once a year ago. We see real-time changes. Even now, after the Songkran Festival holidays, stricter controls have come into effect in most Thai embassies across Asia, especially where there are mass applications.
Embassies are requesting more and more supporting documents. This is partly because different applicants and agencies submit documents above the standard requirements in order to achieve the best possible results. As a result, embassy staff begin to expect these additional documents from everyone. For example, if 10 applicants provide extra documents and 4 only meet the basic requirements, those 4 are often refused a DTV visa.
Regarding documentation, some schools do not meet the newer standards already applied by certain embassies. In many cases, their documents are unclear—for example, they may only state “6 months” without specifying the total number of study hours. Some schools already know which embassies are stricter and advise where to apply and where not to apply, because they understand their programs may not meet the requirements.
From our real experience: when we previously offered a less qualified course of around 100 hours, visa approval results were inconsistent across different Thai embassies. Now, with a minimum of 180 hours over 6 months, we see consistent and positive results. At present, with a proper 6-month program and proof of funds, visa approval rates are around 99% across most Thai embassies.