I got the 6 month smart visa approval letter today. Still two more steps for insurance and to get some stamp 30 days from now before I actually have it. I'm the first ever for this category ("startup promotion") and maybe the first smart visa period for Chiang mai.
Between the insurance cost (example given was 18500 baht) and the medical check hassle it's a lot easier just to use an education visa
The Chiang Mai depa office is still needing more applications to build authority to approve these themselves and I know one other person applied tonight, first for the new year. Now's a good time to do it, if Chiang Mai can approve it's a lot easier / faster than Bangkok during this phase
Don't hold out for a nomad visa guys. It is still considered low priority, nothing much has changed despite recent lobbying. They still prefer smart visa caliber folks over travel and experience focused nomads.
This year's Nomad summit is a long shot to change their minds. It'll be the first one the Thais will be paying attention to :)
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user shares their experience of receiving a 6-month Smart Visa approval letter in Chiang Mai and outlines the additional requirements, such as insurance and medical checks. They note the advantages of applying in Chiang Mai over Bangkok and caution against relying on the nomad visa, which remains low priority.
