What is the experience like applying for a DTV visa at the Thai Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City?

DTV success in Saigon/HMC! 3 of us (that we know of)!

This page was my pure source of useful info. Hope to ease anxiety and help others after my own experience.

At HMC they are, as already mentioned: very friendly and also have a sense of humour. I was laughed at one point - in a nice way.

To aid calm:

It is a shipping container dropped inside a side entrance/corner of the grounds. The Vietnamese guy in Thai uniform sat under a Red Bull umbrella - he’s your man and he will usher you to a plastic chair in front of the big green metal box. No, you don’t go inside the building! (Would have loved to have known this!)

We all had shoulders covered.

One guy went in sleeveless on collection and didn’t get stopped. But don’t be that guy…

Paperwork:

I made sure to sign all pages in bottom left corner to avoid doing it there.

I included a covering letter which:

1. briefly explained my personal situation and why I have been in Thailand so long as a tourist.

2. Bullet points explaining the paperwork I included.

NB: my covering letter was accepted. Friend that did post-it notes on paperwork to explain - they were removed.

They paid big attention to bank account amount and write what it is in THB.

They go through your paperwork. Put it in the order they like and if happy, take your fee.

What I submitted:

All our situations are all different here.

They accepted me as an artist/painter with a YouTube channel (letter from powers above in UK proving I am an artist + examples of work + print out of YouTube page). I have a child in Thailand (with Ed visa) so showed that. And added a dental note for good measure.

The $340 fee - it does have to be perfect bills/notes.

(People were turned away for a wrinkle!)

Black and white photocopies accepted.

When you go collect your passport you are seen 1st so worth getting there for 1.30 opening time.

The relief is real and I wish everyone the best of luck.