What are the steps and experiences involved in applying for a Thai visa for myself and my dependent?

DTV approved in Vientiane for myself and dependent (14 yo kid).

I booked with Arun Thai Cooking School and used their visa agent to help me apply, as the process looked intimidating.

The agent is very slow and not very responsive, so I cannot say I had a great experience, but I got approved though.

My background - single mom, working in Thailand on WP for 10+ years, transitioning to my own online business. Russian passports for both myself and dependent.

Timeline

05 Jan 2026 - arrived Vientiane by air

06 Jan 2026 - agency applied

07 Jan 2026 - I paid my visa

additional documents were requested 3 times.

I used my Thai bank account as proof of funds, so they asked to submit a photo of my bank book, my ATM card and screenshots of banking app showing my data and account balance.

I guess they know how those should look like, and thus were happy with those, as no interview was required.

20 Jan 2026 - visa approved, no interview

For my dependent I applied myself, no agency:

21 Jan 2026 - documents submitted early norming, visa paid

21 Jan 2026 - status changed to "Pending approval" in the afternoon

29 Jan 2026 - visa approved, no interview required

no extra documents were requested wither

I submitted my bank statement, her bank statement (she has her own bank account, with 500K + in her account as of mid-October 2025), my DTV visa, her Thai birth certificate (she was born in Thailand), and from previous experience, we added a picture of her bank book, her ATM card and photos of her banking app.

I also provided a sponsorship letter, just in case.

Her application could have been faster, but with Thai elections, the embassy was busy (they were not even accepting visa payments on 22-27 Jan, and also 29 Jan).

Hope this helps.