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Answered2 months ago

What cooking schools in Thailand can help with obtaining a DTV?

Jill ****************
asked Aug 14, 2026
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I'm looking for recommendations from people who have actually obtained a DTV through a genuine cooking school in Thailand.

I've been researching the Soft Power/cooking route for some time and am finding surprisingly few options in Chiang Mai. The schools I've found are either quite expensive, inconveniently located for me, or communication has been difficult.

I'm now willing to consider Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, or another location in Thailand if the school is genuinely good and reasonably priced.

I'm looking for a school that:

• offers a genuine cooking course that you actually attend;

• provides the official enrollment/supporting documents for the DTV;

• has successfully been used by DTV applicants;

• is reasonably priced;

• ideally provides or can recommend reliable help with the visa application.

I would be applying through the Thai Embassy/e-Visa system in Madrid, Spain.

If you personally obtained your DTV through a cooking school, could you please tell me which school you used, approximately what you paid, and whether you were happy with the experience?

I'm particularly interested in firsthand experiences rather than advertisements from agencies.

Thank you!
Answer summary
This post seeks recommendations for genuine cooking schools in Thailand that provide official documents for applying for a DTV visa. The author expresses difficulties finding reasonably priced, reliable options in Chiang Mai and is open to considering schools in other locations like Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phuket, and Bangkok. The discussion highlights the importance of checking schools' track records with DTV applications, especially through the Thai Embassy in Madrid, Spain. Comments reveal mixed experiences, with some advocating for schools while others criticize high costs and challenges in the visa process.
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Za *******
Za *******
All the schools offering DTV support are expensive, this became a part of their business and they are taking advantage of the situation. They know you need the visa so they will overcharge you. I doubt there is any cooking school charging less than 30-40k for a DTV documentation
John **************
John **************
By the L👀KS of it a Private / Personal Chef in Spain could be better suited for your Needs Jill...? 🤔

😎🙏🏽
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
John Doe Da 1st Why do you say that? John Doe? 🤣🤣
Wannikea *********
Wannikea *********
How about listing the schools that didn't fit your criteria for process of elimination
Kieran *******
Kieran *******
I received my DTV a couple weeks ago having signed up with a cooking school in Chiang Mai
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
@Kieran ******
Both of the authorized schools in Chiang Mai are super expensive and outside the city. 😭
Kieran *******
Kieran *******
@Jill ***************
mine was 12,500B. I got my visa in 48hrs.

Yes, it’s near Wat Umong area but I have a bike :)
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
@Kieran ******
How long is the course? How many classes? This is a 5 year visa, so everytime you reenter Thailand they can check that course receipt - the date, the tuition - and that leaves one vulnerable to deportation. Read the testimonies. The only two authenticated cooking schools in Chiang Mai are in Mae Hia and Hang Dong (outside the city). In summation... The DTV = Not 4 me.
Kieran *******
Kieran *******
@Jill ***************
that is the course fee. No agent required. Total: 26k
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
@Kieran ******
If you do it yourself. That is the visa fee but if you hire an agent it is much more. You are not including the course fee either. How much was the course?
phœ***
phœ***
You keep saying reasonably priced. What is that for you in THB/USD/etc
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
phœlix I asked and asked and never found anyone charging less than 1000 USD. 😭 It's not worth it!
Trustworth**********
Trustworth**********
@Jill ***************
why so cheap? If you can’t afford Chiang Mai course there a few in Bangkok. But you get what you pay for too.
Trustworth**********
Trustworth**********
@Jill ***************
why so cheap? If you can’t afford Chiang Mai course there a few in Bangkok. But you get what you pay for too.
Expat *****
Expat *****
One thing I’d check before choosing the school is not only whether previous students got a DTV, but whether they applied through Madrid. Different Thai embassies can interpret supporting documents differently, so a school with successful Madrid applicants would be much stronger evidence than simply saying “DTV approved before.”

Also ask the school exactly what documents they provide before paying anything, and whether they’ll help if the embassy requests additional documents. The cheapest course isn’t cheap if the paperwork doesn’t survive the application 😄
Jill ****************
Jill ****************
OP
@Expat ****
Thank you but now I've decided not to ask for the DTV. It gas too many twists, turns, bumps and pot holes. 🤣

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