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What are the recent issues surrounding DTV Soft Power visas and gym accreditation in Laos?

Dec 2, 2024
a year ago
A few days ago, a funny thing happened in Savannaketh. I applied for DTV Soft Power, and the guy there said that "This Gym does not have the right to teach Muay Thai, I can't give you a visa!", I replied "But there are many people got this visa for the same gym, I know them in person." He said "I don't care! Then he also shouted at other people on the line for small details as well. It was a rough day.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The original post describes an incident where the author was denied a DTV Soft Power visa at a gym in Savannakhet, despite knowing others who received approval from the same gym. Comments from other users suggest that there has been a recent crackdown on fraudulent visa applications, potentially leading to stricter scrutiny at the Savannakhet processing center. Users shared experiences of mistreatment and arbitrary denial by the staff, recommending against applying for DTV visas there and expressing concerns about corruption in the visa application process.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Charles **********
This embassy, I’m pretty sure is the one that all the agents are using for the ‘ enhanced’ payments

They probably don’t want to even consider looking at normal applications when they can be making 60,000 baht per applications from agents
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Mia ******
@Charles *********
we can see this rude ppl
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Lalph ******
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Charles *********
You are probably right. That is the only explanation that 4 different countries accepted the same application but this embassy shut down everybody before they even explained themselves.
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Anonymous *************
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Wannikea *********
Who is "the guy there", a paperwork checker for the consulate, someone working inside the consulate?
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Lalph ******
Guys DO NOT GO TO SAVANNAKHET FOR DTV. I cannot be any clearer. The people processing there are looking for any reason to deny you and as has happened to me and to this guy they will deny you without a true reason. If you fix the problem they will find another problem. DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE
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Charles **********
@Lalph *****
why though
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Lalph ******
As he, myself and everyone else that has been there has mentioned the staff there are terrible and give everyone in the queue a very hard time regardless of whether your documents are in order or not. Tourist visas get through with a bit of drama but for DTV it's crystal clear to me from her behavior and listening to other people same stories that they will look for any reason to refuse DTV whether it exists or not. It's hard to imagine for people until you see this lady barking at everyone who dares approach her window. I read the reports beforehand and thought no I have all the documents it will be different. It's not. As this guy says they just say no for no reason and seem to take great enjoyment in doing that. I am in Savannakhet now because I booked a week to come here to do this. I have previously done 2 mariage visas here a number of years ago when I was married and it was great. I'm not sure what's changed to make it like this. And yes they do a lot of agency stuff. They seem to show up at 11am for processing when the queue closes. There's embassies everywhere in the region. Choose a different one people.
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Charles **********
@Lalph *****
🤔 isn’t this how they earn a living though

Actually, this embassy is the one. I’m pretty sure 💯 sure all the agents are using for the dodgy Visa applications.

They probably don’t want to process any normal ones and will process just the agent ones instead to get the massive bribes (60k baht a time)
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Charles *********
definitely some embassies had shook hands with agencies. That has to be the only explanation of me seeing ads like "100 percent guaranteed visa application! it is 100.000 baht!" All the time everywhere
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Anonymous *************
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Charles **********
Please PM the gym name
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Wannikea *********
Stop beating around the bush,name this gym so their credentials can be verified for DTV. Just because they already got some applications through some unknown consulates doesn't mean they are in fact duly authorised. Couple that with yesterday is not today.
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Lalph ******
@Wannikea ********
Why does he have to name the gym. He can share the documents he provided like everyone else if people want to speculate whether they are sufficient or not. People should be appreciating reports like this not trolling them because they weren't one of the 3 or 4 schools that people keep echoing in here.
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James ********
@Lalph *****
it's a warning to avoid that gym. Simple... only choose a gym which has been successful in getting the DTV visa for its students
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James ********
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Werner ************
They are starting to see many fraudulent applications using the same companies and formats etc, Thailand Elite also seeing many people go to DTV and losing its own customers, they are owned by Thai government
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Werner ***********
it is a legit place, and many different embassies accepted it. I think there was a bureaucratic problem behind it, not related to the gym.
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Mia ******
匿名互动者 but this rude ppl seems not agree with what we said👌
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Werner ************
Anonymous participant could be many things, when all the applications come from the same companies and schools it doesn’t take long before red flags get sent etc - all the applications or most start looking identical and not genuine
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Werner ************
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Peter ******
Looks like they are clamping down on the fraudulent applications
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Christopher ***********
Can understand the guys bad temper. He’s probably previously been told to look for reasons to grant DTV’s and not to refuse them. Now someone else criticises him for not checking properly!
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Jody *******
@Christopher **********
Really? You can understand (i.e. accept & agree with) rude unprofessional behavior? 🤔

Maybe the officer should try working the rice fields for a few years & let's see how much he misses his comfy air conditioned office job taking papers through a hole in a window from people standing out in the heat for hours?
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Christopher ***********
@Jody ******
Everyone has bad days! There is always friction between front desk and back office employees. The officer was probably ordered to refuse the OP’s DTV and didn’t want to. Assuming the gym in question wasn’t certified the OP wound him up by accusing him of previously granting DTV’s (when he shouldn’t) and now turning ‘awkward’ by refusing to issue his.
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Christopher ***********
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Anonymous *************
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@Christopher **********
an interesting approach. you may be right. It is Bureaucracy...
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Christopher ***********
Anonymous participant That’s exactly how it works in Government Departments.
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Christopher ***********
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Mia ******
laos always need agency
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David ********
@Mia *****
rubbish so not true maybe just you need an agent. Vietiane is organized why you need an agent
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Mia ******
@David *******
mr ,Please be careful with what you say. I am only speaking from experience. Laos Savannakhet is a place surrounded by agents. Many people have said that they were rejected when they presented their true knowledge documents. I am not an agent, I am just stating the facts.
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Mia ******
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Marcus ********
The soft power requirements are strangely vague and extremely generous. Like apparently it's up to the embassies to decide how long the Muay Thai, cooking, language, classes or medical appointments have to be for.

Some accept 1 day to 6 weeks to 6 months of classes/appointments for a visa that lasts 5 years.
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Michael *********
@Marcus *******
Thailand is not going to renew peoples DTV visa for a dentist appointment 5 months ago, this is only to boost short them spending then they will crack down.
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James ********
Wannikea Wanblee not correct. It's a 5 year DTV multiple entry visa.
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Wannikea *********
@James *******
another thread James?
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Wannikea *********
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Marcus ********
@Michael ********
agree, it's unlikely that the requirements will stay this lenient, but I won't have to worry about it until 5 years from now.

My real hope is that when the BOI see's big drops in their LTR visa applications, they lower those requirements to come more inline with DTV requirements.
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Marcus ********
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Charles **********
What gym was it?
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James ********
@Charles *********
it's a SECRET 🤫
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James ********
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David ********
I have an appointment on the 19 in Vietiane was thinking the same. These officers are over all the DTV applications and will just deny people because now they will go to e-visa they won't have to deal with walk ins. They are not making anything extra on these DTV visa
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Lalph ******
@David *******
I wouldn't worry. I saw many good reports for Vientiane. People that applied in Savvanakhet went to Vientiane and were approved with the same documents.
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David ********
@Lalph *****
thanks for update
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David ********
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David *******
Please let us know about what happened afterwards.
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Anonymous *************
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John *******
Sounds like the other people you know got away with a gym that isn't accredited to teach. They are now cracking down.
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
it is a legit place though. Offices in different countries already accepted it many times.
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Angelo ***********
Anonymous participant You do not know if it is legit. It might be a legit Muay Thai school, but never did the paper work to help getting a DTV. The school as to register itself at some government authority. Most likely the Ministry of Education. Just like for an ED visa. If they never did that, making you a contract, is not the valid requirement for an DTV visa.

You an not just go to a random school, buy a half year contract, and get a DTV visa with that.

If you like to Chiang Mai, I can recommend two schools. And one on Phuket.
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Noel *********
Anonymous participant so u got the letter of accreditation from the gym?
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John *******
Anonymous participant - How recently though? There have been crackdown/stricter rules lately. If so, maybe you should go to those embassies.
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John *******
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