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

Anonymous participant sorry it not helps but every time I enter they just smile stamp me in for 6 months no questions.

In the past before DTV I had more issues.

Best of luck anyway.

Anonymous participant 982 hah. Actually retirement visa = 0% chance of arrest and deportation. If it was available to me I'd definitely take it over a DTV, but I'm a few years shy unfortunately.

@Christopher **********

under number 1 it says "tourist purpose" , so HOW could number 2 be correct? Non-Imm-O holders are no tourists. Number 2 mentions holders of Non-Imm-visa, and this is 100% wrong. . . . . . It only affects holders of TOURISTIC entries (either on a tourist visa or visa exempt or on a DTV -which also is a tourist visa type). . . I blame all this rubbish in bad English posted by Immigrations or by agents for the confusion

@Nongnuch *******

Two examples; (one a notice board and the other guidelines for immigration officers) both refer to showing cash being a requirement for non-immigrant visa holders. Are you saying both are now out-of-date? Or, as you mention the word ‘official’ that either (or both) never applied? Both ‘typos?’. More importantly, if someone with a non-immigrant visa/extension was asked to show cash and couldn’t, are they on good ground by insisting there is no such requirement? Is that what you would do in their position?

@Christopher **********

surely you are making a claim. Or how shall we interpret your comment? Is this not a claim?

@Nongnuch *******

I’m really not making any claim whatsoever. Those two images aren’t of my doing, I got them from other posts. Just interesting, that’s all.

@Christopher **********

you are actually contradicting you own claim . . . "staying on tourism purpose". . . someone on a Non-Imm-Visaclass is not a tourist 😊

@Nongnuch *******

How ‘official’ is this?

@Christopher **********

this is not what Section 12 says. This is not official

Alex Ni you’re just making things up. All your statements are baseless you idiot

@Justin *******

the post mentions multiple requirements. The 20K THB is a rule for entry to Thailand in general on any Tourist visa and which is what the DTV is.

@Daniel ********

Exactly that I *had* money, those were application time requirements. Thailand has other visa types that have financial requirements that are reviewed annually (maintaining a balance in the bank). The DTV didn't have any such annual review of the $16,000, as it didn't say it had this requirement. Visas that do, clearly spell it out

@Justin *******

yes they were, for example there are conditions that you had money. The visa is also issued based on the person doing Muay Thai. But tell me exactly where am I wrong?

@Around ************

what difference does it make if they have 11 friends when what they’re reporting isn’t anything extraordinary?

Like I said I’ve seen different reports about Phuket on different platforms an above normal number of reports. People being pulled up and questioned on their first visit people put in the immigration detention room because their passport has a smudge on it.

Participante anónimo each country has weak visas and strong visas. Although I'm a DTVer myself (remote work, tho) I know this visa isn't strong compared to others. So the advice is, don't plan to make a life in another country while on a temporary visa (yes 5 years is still temporary compared to permanent visas).

Participante anónimo As I said, let the IO decide. If it's not a rule or requirement, the IO would tell you're welcome to enter again, otherwise, the IO would tell you that you can't enter because your course already finished long ago.

Anonymous participant its rather obvious is it not?

@Elías *******

of course there's a problem with that. The reason for the visa must be maintained

Anonymous participant Genuine Intent: The DTV is intended for those genuinely participating in a soft power activity or working remotely. The applicant should be prepared to provide ongoing proof of enrollment to immigration officers, both during visa extensions and upon re-entry into Thailand.

Anonymous participant good luck

Anonymous participant so you expect to sign up for a course then be allowed in and out as much as you like over 5 years without proving you are still going for that purpose? No point in arguing- you just won’t be able to.

Anonymous participant 873 if 20 people in the room and 10 got denied that's not a non trivial statistic. I don't think dismissing this person's experience is right either. Thailand rules are always changing and this could signify a tighter scrutiny on re-entries.

Anonymous participant 734 nobody said access first link. Google for official sources. Where does the immigration office states then that you don’t have to follow rules during 5 years visa but only on application?

@Paul ***

Trust Google instead of the official immigration office? Yeah, that makes total sense.

Anonymous participant Google them it’s all over the internet. Facebook group full of trust me bro isn’t the right place. There’s no difference between first time requirements with extensions. DTV while granted for 5 years doesn’t change requirements after first 180 days even tho not always enforced. You are supposed to follow the requirements during the 5 years process or your visa may be revoked.

@Marek ***********

The DTV rules explicitly allow soft power activities. If immigration accepts those applications and issues visas, the responsibility clearly sits with the policy, not the applicant.

Expecting people to second-guess whether a government-approved rules is “silly” isn’t realistic or fair. If Thailand doesn’t want one-month cooking courses to qualify, the fix is simple: change the rules, not retroactively blame applicants.

The government defined the pathway and approved it.

If there’s a “stupid” game here, it’s the one that was designed in the first place.

@Rogerio *****

yeah visa rules from the start were not clear about the topic - if visa can be revoked if soft power activity will finish - from the start - make stupid decisions get stupid prices 😉 so I disagree - it’s only applicant responsibility to make his life choices work in environment he is living in. For sure it’s not mine - and how the Thai immigration work is another story that we do not control so why bother in complaining about it?

Anonymous participant it is applicants fault - it's like with everything in life and law - fact you can do it - do not mean you should. Let's not use childish arguments to adults making stupid decisions. 😉

Anonymous participant 630 I did watch GB News when it first started airing. It was a breath of fresh air because it gave the right wing a media voice in a swamp full of left wing biased based medis such as the BBC in the UK (argue with that and you really are missing a few wires) and CNN in the states (along with plenty more and again, argue with that and . . . well yeah, same idiocy)

About 6 months in, I decided it wasnt for me.

So thats twice now you have presumed incorrectly about me

You're just an angry little boy who reads and listens to the side of the story you want to be true 😆

Now, as vile as you have been to my factual comment and/or your perception of me, I would still happily educate you on such things as your own region just to start you off with something easy. Then if your brain cell isnt bursting at its seam, maybe we can move on to other worthy global news topics like the middle east conflict or the Ukraine conflict that has been 60 years in the making?

PM me and make a fool of yourself privately rather than in front of the world hiding behind anonymity? 😉

Bruno Dussart another faraang, no i am not black. i am south east asian

Participant anonyme 630 les thailandais ne sont pas des noirs je suppose.

Vous êtes africains ?

@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

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.

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

Anonymous participant 630

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

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 😂

@Wayne ******

But when immigrants do work they're told they're "stealing jobs".

Anonymous participant yes I do speak for south east Asia. And no the one above is being racist. Average whites.

Participant anonyme 630 White racism doesn’t exist? 😂😂I’ve been living in Africa for 10 years and it exists. You are racist ye

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

@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

@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

@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.

@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.

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.