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What is the best visa option for Canadian snowbirds planning to stay in Thailand for several months each year?

DTV VisaCanadian ExpatsThailand Visa RegulationsDigital NomadsLong-term StayVisa OptionsPartner VisaTourist VisaNon-O Visa
Jul 30, 2025
25 days ago
Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hey all, I’m planning of snowbirding every winter (November to May) in Thailand on a yearly basis (given that I like the first year, which I’m sure I will but you never know!)

I’m Canadian living in Canada right now but am looking for advice on DTV, I have the $15k for 3+ months proof requirement. Is this the biggest hurdle I am to expect with trying to apply or is there more? I can always come as a tourist and border hop this year if I face issues, wondering what other digital nomads are doing.

Lastly, my girlfriend is not a remote freelancer like me, but she does have the 15k evidence in her account. How do you guys typically deal with partners for these types of plans?

I don’t want any trouble with Thailand and border hopping is just as a temporary resort while I get things in order for the long run, but I do prefer options that have 0 risk.

Thanks in advance!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A Canadian planning to snowbird in Thailand seeks advice on obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) for winter stays and how to manage visa applications for their non-working girlfriend. The conversation discusses the DTV application process, additional visa options like the Tourist Visa and multiple entry strategies, and how partners can enroll in approved courses for eligibility. Overall, the DTV seems favorable for long-term stays, but individual applications may be necessary for partners.
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Craig *******
I'm Canadian (Thai wife) .....I do 6 months Thailand, 6 months Canada (may to Oct) and it's perfect. I'm in Toronto but spend most of summer in cottage country and the weather May to Oct is much nicer than any time of year in Thailand. Obviously it's nice to escape Canadian winter but it's just as nice to escape the sweltering heat and humidity. BTW I'm on a DTV and it's perfect!
24 days ago
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Michelle ******
So many Canadians commenting, can I ask where in Thailand you are settling? We head over soon (3rd time and long term) and are still scoping out long term living locations.
24 days ago
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Robert *********
I am a Canadian .

Spent the last 25 winters in Thailand .

Easy easy multiple entry(important )

Tourist visa .

You can get up to 9 months on it
24 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Robert ********
 9 month per year??
24 days ago
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Robert *********
@Sam ****
 yes .

You get two months ,then a 1 month extension .

You leave ,walk over walk back .

You get the whole thing again twice .
24 days ago
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Robert *********
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Helen ********
@Sam ****
 this is the link for the DTV group.
********************************************


Like any FB group there are a lot of "experts" who have no actual clue, bitter expats and people who haven't gone through the application process but have some intelligent contributions. We applied last year through the consulate in Vancouver and didn't have any issues. You can email them if you have direct questions, sometimes they answer the phone, they are quick to respond. My husband got the "workcation" and I am a dependent. It was pretty easy, just a matter of making sure we had the right documents. For your girlfriend, she'll need soft power. The course will have to be minimum 6 months and approved by the appropriate ministries to be applicable. There are numerous Muay Thai and approved cooking classes out there, but you need to determine where you would be staying first.
24 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Helen *******
 we don’t know where exactly, but leaning towards koh samui, we could go as tourists on the first year just in case and forward the process as I do more research .

Thanks for the group link!
24 days ago
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Helen ********
Applying for the METV is cheaper and easier. You might have to show a flight into Thailand, out of Thailand and then back into Thailand to indicate you require it, but I'd check first. It's great if you aren't sure if Thailand is a longer term thing and gives you the 6 months you want, you'd just need to do a border hop at the 3 month mark. You want to apply pretty close to your actual departure date since it effective the day it's issued. The other option would be visa exempt, go to Vietnam or Indonesia for a couple of weeks, then come back visa exempt.
24 days ago
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Helen ********
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Steve ***********
April is killer in Thailand
24 days ago
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Jim *******
A troll.
25 days ago
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Young ********
Spouse is fine, girlfriend doesn't count to tag on to yours
25 days ago
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Todd *********
If you survive Canada, Thailand is a dramatic improvement. Why go back to lousy summers, smoke and mosquito season?

DTV is very easy to get overall, if you have to the $15k and proof of your work as remote freelancer, it allows you to come and go as you please for 5 years. Definitely apply. Unless you are actually married, with certificate, your gf needs to do her own application.

If not, As a Canadian, you can indeed enter and get 60 days free visa exempt and then extend for 30 days more for 1900 baht here. Then you can border bounce, return for a new 60 and buy another 30. Et voila, your 6 months of fun is done
25 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
 I heard Thailand is quite shitty during the summer months so if I can avoid it by going only being there during dry season I don’t mind Canada, sure there are fires but this year has been actually pretty nice so far, I live in Kelowna BC so it is actually very nice during the summer here, no mosquitos either!

The winter is impossible though, not because of the cold, but rather because of the clouds/lack of sunshine, just like Thailand (from what I’ve heard) during the summer months.

Long story short: I’m chasing the sunshine ☀️
25 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
 wow that is an eye opener, so are you there all year or do you still move around?
24 days ago
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Todd *********
@Sam ****
 we lived here for two full years during Covid, but back to splitting time between here, the place in Mexico and a few months of travel. On Samui for next 6 months or so. Unless it gets too wet in November 😂 but Fiji, Philippines, Bali, Phu Quoc are all close and different weather patterns
24 days ago
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Todd *********
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Todd *********
@Sam ****
 quite shitty? You mean hot and sunny? It's never shitty in Thailand. In Canada, it's shitty most of the year (i'm a bc guy but also lived AB, ON, Que and NS) Rainy season affects parts of the country at different times in Thailand. There is always beautiful weather. You will get a LOT more warm and sunshine in Thailand than you will in the valley. Although north of thailand also gets a smokey season. There is no lack of sunshine year round in thailand. At no time in Canada is it ever nicer than it is in Thailand. I have been chasing sunshine globally for 12 years now. And you couldn't pay me to spend a month in Canada. For your visa stuff, the DTV gives you 5 years of in and out as much as you like. If you can get it, it definitely opens up doors for you. Good luck!
25 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
 I dunno man, I have 3 different places in Thailand on my weather app and they have all shown the same for the past few months… I’m no fan of Canada myself but Kelowna in the summer is very nice, coming from a guy who’s moved around my entire life.

I’ve never been to Thailand but I’ve heard from practically everybody that the wet season is very unforgiving and rarely sunny. Since it’s all anecdotal I have to rely on weather maps…

Ideally I would fly out somewhere not across the pacific every year but I don’t know of many places on that side of the world that can offer me what I’m looking for (sunshine during the months that don’t have it)

Re: DTV, thanks I’m definitely going to work on that, hope it’ll be smooth, from what I hear bureaucracy there is more efficient than here so there’s that.
25 days ago
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Cam ********
@Sam ****
 the weather apps don’t give an accurate picture of the weather in Thailand. It may say thunder and lightning everyday but it may rain 1 hour in 3 weeks
24 days ago
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Christa ********
@Sam ****
 we just came back from Thailand, we were there 3 weeks (in july) it said rain every day, but it was only a few mins most days...it actually only rained one day all day.
24 days ago
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David **********
@Sam ****
 NEVER trust those unreliable weather apps! It shows cloudy and rainy EVERY day in Thailand 🤦
25 days ago
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Todd *********
@David *********
 absolutely true. They are comically wrong and I just don’t understand why.
24 days ago
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Todd *********
@Sam ****
 I think everyone realizes the weather apps are completely dysfunctional. I guess there is no way of saying 15 mins of rain. I live on Samui and here is what ‘rain’ means in the weather app right now. It’s just to make people who don’t live here feel better about their lives. 😂 🤷‍♂️

I’m very familiar with Kelowna scorch summers, the lake is great, the traffic is shit, the homeless and addicts are a mess, and you are gonna eat some smoke.’ When you say you have moved around your entire life. I’m similar but older lol, and guessing you don’t mean 75 countries and almost 25 years out of Canada for work and travel? If you love sunny, hot summers, Mexico is pretty great. We also have a place there as I truly chase the sun.

Whoever you are getting weather advice from is hilarious. Samui rainy season for instance starts in November. There hasn’t been 4 hours of total rain here in the last 3 months. At worst, you get a 30 minute late afternoon shower. Wet season in the gulf is nothing similar to monsoon on the Andaman and in the north.

Lots of Canadians on here reporting very good success with DTV. Just make sure all your paperwork is airtight and enjoy!!
25 days ago
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Todd *********
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David **********
The DTV sounds like a great option for you - 5 year multi entry visa with 180 days on each entry. Since you said girlfriend instead of wife, she would not qualify as a 'spouse'. She can sign up for Muay Thai classes or cooking classes under the 'soft power' option.
25 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David *********
 I just read about that actually, I saw she could also do a cooking course which she would definitely be interested in too and apparently has high success rates in DTV approval, is that info accurate?

Thx btw
25 days ago
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David **********
@Sam ****
 there's a Facebook group which is all about the DTV. You can probably get better, more accurate info from that group. The 'soft power' categories of the DTV are the ones with the most questions overall as the guidelines are vague at best.
25 days ago
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Sam *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David *********
 cool, you know the name of that group? It’s possible I’m on it already but you never know!
24 days ago
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David **********
@Sam ****
24 days ago
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David **********
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Kevin ******
@Sam ****
 just a comment about a cooking course. A friend of mine inquired about such at the Thai Embassy in Ottawa. They told her the course had to be a minimum 4 to 6 months long. Take that with a grain of salt, though. Ask again and the answer may change.
25 days ago
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Kevin ******
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