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What are the concerns and experiences of DTV visa holders in Thailand regarding soft power courses?

Thailand DTV VisaSoft Power VisaVisa RegulationsImmigration IssuesExpat ExperiencesVisa Alternatives
Dec 12, 2025
a day ago
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
The risk of a soft power DTV application is getting too much. We need clear rules on what is allowed and what isn’t. People on here guessing or saying how it ought to be is all well and good, but without official rules we’re all clueless about the validity of this 5 year visa based on soft power courses
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TLDR : Answer Summary
This discussion highlights the uncertainty and risks surrounding the Soft Power DTV visa in Thailand, with various commenters sharing their experiences and perceptions. There's a consensus that the rules are unclear and can frequently change, leading to anxiety among holders of this visa type. Some participants suggest alternative visa options like the remote worker DTV, while others express frustration with perceived government hostility towards foreigners. Overall, the lack of official regulations on the validity of the 5-year Soft Power visa based on courses raises significant concerns.
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Anonymous ******************
I dont understand why people wouldn't just use a visa agent and get a none o visa, it isn't hard and cost 29k, I got mine 3 days ago.
20 hours ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
This is exactly why I did remote worker DTV, not soft power.

“Why are you in Thailand”

Me (responding in Thai): “I love Thailand, and my girlfriend is Thai, and I work online. And Chiang mai is so beautiful.”

Done.

I know that many people selected Muay Thai or whatever reason, but if that’s the case then of course immigration will have questions.

I’d encourage anyone getting this visa to do the remote worker option. I suspect that they’ll be cracking down on everyone doing the soft power options that aren’t actually doing what they said they’d be doing (ie Muay Thai or cooking or whatever).
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Single entry visa only gives you 3 months
a day ago
Reply
Dan *********
I have DTV

And travel frequently out to nearby countries for leisure.

I drive over to Laos a lot

Never have any problems or questions

Guess they don’t like some peoples face or something lol
a day ago
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Anonymous ******************
Looks like the new crackdown is only getting started. Every DTV holder seems really bothered by anonymous members sharing mixed real world experiences. Stage 1: denial. Stage 3: back to Europe. You can practice cooking on YouTube.
a day ago
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Anonymous ******************
Doesn’t make sense to get

a 5 year visa for a few months boxing classes. That guy have been on DTV over a year but how long was his course for?
a day ago
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Wayne *******
Not being funny but from my short time visiting Thailand (12 years) I have found that rules change frequently. So often it has sometimes felt like they are doing it on purpose just to be arsey!

But if you are expecting Thai govt to be nice and help you figure a way out to stay in Thailand, you will be waiting a long time

This new PM is anti-farang. He proves it with every sinature his pen makes! He was the health minister during covid and every time there was a spike in numbers, he blamed farang even though the borders were closed and Thais were basically flouting any laws/rules and still having their pick up truck parties, card schools and whatever else

Thailand is a lovely country . . . but there are others 🤷
a day ago
Reply
Alex *******
@Wayne ******
 true. I remember very well when the Covid vaccines came out he wanted to vaccinate first only Thai people, he wanted to exclude foreigners in the begining. he does hate foreigners.
20 hours ago
Reply
Mar *****
Colombia is better
a day ago
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Anonymous ******************
@Wayne ******
 luckily he resigned, hope this will improve things
a day ago
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Jamie ********
Thailand has no PM
a day ago
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Anonymous ******************
@Wayne ******
 complaining about Thai being anti-farang meanwhile voting reform and hating brown people for being there back in your ****hope.
a day ago
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Daniel *********
Anonymous participant 630 so bold and certain of your point of view you hide 😂
a day ago
Reply
Ej ****
Why are people commenting anonymously?
a day ago
Reply
Wayne *******
Anonymous participant 630 I think you should learn the difference between illegal immigrants and tourists

At the same time, learn how 1 nation relies on tourism where the other is becoming a 3rd world nation due to unwanted free loaders. Hope that helps

And Im not complaining. Im merely pointing out what he did as health minister and what he is doing now that correlates 🤷

Lastly, I dont hate brown people. I take people as I find them and just to make you look even more of an idiot, I would gladly swap many of our own no marks for foreign people who are going to contribute by working and paying taxes, instead of trying to take over not only a nation, but the west, via a fictional entity 😂

These 'people' even tell us their plan!!

Only a fool argues against facts
a day ago
Reply
Chris *******
@Wayne ******
 But when immigrants do work they're told they're "stealing jobs".
a day ago
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Peter *****
Chris Blunt Not if the immigrants came in legally and get to work in Thailand according to the government regulations. Do any other countries allow illegal immigrants to work? Take the Hong Kongers with BNO in UK now, half of them are working without proper permits at lower than market wages
a day ago
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Wayne *******
Chris Blunt But but but, what about what about what about 😆

If they are legal and not claiming benefits, oh and not running around with machetes killing little girls at dance class AND MANY MORE EXAMPLES

Oh and give the 2000s a call, they want their out of date buzzword back
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
@Wayne ******
 average gb news reader. That’s why you all need to be kicked out asap. Taking advantage of south east Asia, just like before times which is why we are in this mess
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
@Wayne ******
 and the part about taking over. Lol. You lot are the last people would should be worried about being taken over. And if they did, u deserved it. Because of you, most the world is in this mess and you whites are the last group of losers to be complaining about immigration. Go back to your hole
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
@Wayne ******
 illegal migration makes up a tiny percentage of total migration which is being overblown. And lol most of the brown people back in your ***ho*e are there because people like you going overseas taking advantage of their resources and in this case, cheap labour, taking advantage of foreign girls and stuff. And no you are not a tourist. If you were you would stay 10-15 days and dip back to your hole. You yourself are a freeloader from a third world nation called sh8ttain. lol. The irony. I hope you gladly go back to your hole. I am from south east Asia and I am sick of you people taking advantage of the region. Go back to wherever hole you came from, whitie
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Anonymous participant 630 you can’t have a go at him for being racist then start being racist 😅
a day ago
Reply
Wayne *******
Anonymous participant Exactly. I was waiting for some kind of coherent reply but that is the side of me that I need to work on! The irony and hypocrisy didnt pass me by. I wouldnt mind, I havent even voted Reform 😂
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
Anonymous participant how am I being racist? Are you a white yourself? If so there is no white racism. And you need to go back to wherever u came from. Your not welcome in our region
a day ago
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Bruno *********
Participant anonyme 630 les thailandais ne sont pas des noirs je suppose.

Vous êtes africains ?
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
Bruno Dussart another faraang, no i am not black. i am south east asian
21 hours ago
Reply
William ***********
Anonymous participant 630 mentioning you are white is being racist. We are all people. If we were all blind people would you even think about skin color.
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
Participant anonyme 630 White racism doesn’t exist? 😂😂I’ve been living in Africa for 10 years and it exists. You are racist ye
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Anonymous participant 630 yeah you’re being racist dude.. and (thankfully) you don’t speak for SE Asia
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
Anonymous participant yes I do speak for south east Asia. And no the one above is being racist. Average whites.
a day ago
Reply
Mike **********
Anonymous participant 630
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Anonymous participant 630 you’re either trolling or dumb as a post
a day ago
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Reply to
Anonymous *************
Reply
CapableC********
A lot of the time, nomads are afraid because they don’t realize they actually have rights. I can’t count how many times simply mentioning a lawyer has suddenly made problems disappear and doors open. If you applied for and paid for the visa and you have sufficient supporting evidence, you should be admitted. If you aren’t, that’s no longer a misunderstanding — it’s a legal issue.

In many developing countries, things don’t work by default. They work only when they’re pushed. Plain and simple.
a day ago
Reply
Steven *********
You don't have any rights when it comes to immigration officers, same as other countries like the USA, it's up to their discretion to grant you entry
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
CapableCelery590 you have no rights in this country if an officer doesn’t want you in that day you won’t get in specially in DMK
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
CapableCelery590 well the rules are so vague.. if you get questioned at airport security about a soft power course that already ended you suggest threatening getting a lawyer involved?
a day ago
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Reply to
Anonymous *************
Reply
Anonymous ******************
Most of it fear mongering, for 99% of us lets be honest your be fine, im on soft power, so far so good, if that changes ill switch visas its not a huge problem, no need to worry about what you cant control
a day ago
Reply
Rogerio ******
Anonymous participant 203 if ur DTV visa is revoked and u lose the 400 usd fee, you might not be so stoic about it and understand how some people might look at the whole unfairness of the thing. I understand 'this is Thailand' but some people do end up getting the short end of the stick
a day ago
Reply
Anonymous ******************
@Rogerio *****
 yep cant go through life worrying about every little scenario, aint loosing no sleep over $400
a day ago
Reply
Rogerio ******
Anonymous participant 203 it's not the 400 it's the injustice of it that'll stick. But sure, aint the end of the world.
a day ago
Reply
Brandon ************
@Rogerio *****
 What injustice? You were granted a visa on the basis of doing an activity. If you are not doing that activity, they are free to both deny entry and/or revoke your visa.
a day ago
Reply
Rogerio ******
@Brandon ***********
 agreed, actually i was answering it in my head to the much broader issue of how loads of people are paying the 400 usd for the visa application, asked to jump through tons of hoops and getting their visa denied.

I think there's a LOT of randomness to the process, and the same might happen when verifying the visa.

This is all of course part of being in Thailand, but I'd be pissed if I know I'm legit and being denied the visa in the first place or revoked for randomness. It's their country and their right but let's not delude ourselves they are always the letter of the law.
a day ago
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Reply to
Rogerio ******
Reply
Anonymous ******************
You will never get them because Thailand thrives on that. Their whole modus operandi is murky rules that they can change whenever they feel like because they want to. Always keep control.
a day ago
Reply
Reply to
Anonymous ******************
Reply
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