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What is the process and requirements for a successful DTV visa extension in Chiang Mai?

Sep 6, 2025
3 days ago
Ben *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Anyone done a successful DTV visa extension in Chiang Mai?

If so, I'd appreciate any advice!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion focuses on various experiences related to extending a DTV visa in Chiang Mai. One user shares a detailed narrative about a frustrating and confusing attempt to get the extension, highlighting the differing advice received from others in line at the immigration office. They describe chaotic scenes with contradictory information regarding required documentation, including a specific bank balance that many claim is needed, although this is called into question by others. Additional comments discuss the problems expats face with Thai banks possibly freezing DTV visa holders' accounts and the option of performing a border bounce instead of dealing with immigration. Overall, the thread showcases the challenges and inconsistencies in extending DTV visas and the strategies expats are considering.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Chris ******
she just share her experience :
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Muay *************
Chiang mai immigration have appointed a DTV officer. His job description, it seems, was to come up with ways to never extend the DTV at Chiang Mai immigration 555
Ben *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Muay ************
yeah that seems to be the consensus unfortunately. Do you know of anyone who has actually gotten it?
Muay *************
@Ben ************
no all my customers just exit and re enter mate
Ben *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Muay ************
got it, much appreciated thanks 💯
Tanisha *******
Daily many people go with us for border Bounce

Border Bounce easier then go immigration

2500 for round trip

Finish in 8 hours
Henrik *****
Just use search, then all the cases will show.
Arthur ************
Anybody hear about Thai banks freezing bank accounts for holders of DTV VISA? I've seen on recent YouTube video.
Wannikea *********
Masochism
James ********
Anonymous participant 420

Read today's post...

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Anonymous ******************
Well, let me tell you about my experience with the DTV visa extension in Chiang Mai, because honestly it turned into such an adventure that by the end of it I wasn’t even sure if I was in the right place anymore. So I got up ridiculously early, like before my alarm even rang because I couldn’t sleep thinking about the whole process, and everyone kept telling me you absolutely have to be there before sunrise otherwise you’ll be stuck in line for hours, so I thought okay let’s do this properly. I skipped breakfast, which was already a bad idea because my stomach was making noises the whole time, grabbed a coffee that was way too hot and burned my tongue a little, nearly spilled it in the Grab car because the driver kept braking suddenly, and then I rushed over thinking I was late… only to find out the immigration office wasn’t even open yet, so I basically just stood there with my half-burned tongue and no food, wondering what I was doing with my life. While I was waiting, more and more people showed up, some of them super prepared with folders, plastic sleeves, and even extra pens like they were about to take an exam, others looked like they had just rolled out of bed at a hostel, still half asleep and clutching bottles of water. Then I met this Canadian guy who swore that in Phuket it was super easy, like in and out, no questions asked, which just confused me even more because if that was true, why was I even here? Then this German couple insisted you absolutely need a very specific bank letter and they had like three copies of everything, laminated almost, like they were preparing for the apocalypse, and then this Thai guy overheard us and laughed and said no, it’s just a quick stamp, you don’t need anything else, and suddenly I had three completely different realities colliding before the office even opened. But it didn’t stop there because then someone else started talking about the whole 500k baht requirement in a Thai bank account and the look on people’s faces was priceless, half the line started panicking, pulling out their phones and calculators, the other half just laughed it off like it was some inside joke. Then a British guy behind me said he’s been doing extensions for years and never once had to show a bank statement, while an Australian girl swore she got turned away once because her photo was the wrong size, and by that point it honestly felt less like a queue and more like a campfire where everyone was telling ghost stories about immigration. By the time the doors finally opened I had already heard ten, maybe twelve, different versions of what I was supposed to do, each one contradicting the last, and honestly some people were so confident in their advice I almost believed them even though the next person would immediately say the exact opposite. I thought to myself, whatever, I’ll just see for myself when it’s my turn, but by then my coffee was cold, my stomach was still empty, and my brain was overloaded with nonsense. Long story short, after all of that I didn’t manage to get it done at all, I just stayed my 6 months and left the country anyway…
Kevin *************
Anonymous participant 420 nicely written!
Greg ********
Anonymous participant 420 That made me laugh out loud and people looked at me in the coffee shop at CMU lol. In the queue a few months ago for different visa people telling different requirements lol. I asked one girl had they actually asked Immigration what was required - it had never occurred to her.
Ben *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Anonymous participant 420 That really stinks, thanks for sharing. What was the reason that you couldn't get it done?
Luit *****************
@Ben ************
What stinks?

What I read in the story he just waited a long time in the row, heard a lot of different stories, indicating a lot of foreigners totally have no idea about rules and procedures, and just went away without even trying to extend.
Anastasiia ***********
Anonymous ******************
Brandon ************
Specifically for Chiang Mai, someone else reported they require proof of 500k in a Thai bank account. Yes they know DTV people cannot get a bank account. That's the entire point though, they want to make it impossible for you to get an extension so you do a border bounce.

I see a drive to Chiang Khong in your near future.
Luit *****************
@Brandon ***********
Did somebody try to verify that story? or is it just like the anonymous 420 who heard things?

Songkhla immigration told me by email the money can be in any account.
Brandon ************
@Luit ****************
The "official" guidelines say that it can be any bank. But the immigration offices are doing anything they can to avoid giving DTV extensions, and as you know immigration offices can set their own guidelines.
Ben *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
any idea what the reason is behind trying to make it difficult to extend?
Brandon ************
@Ben ************
immigration was not consulted about the DTV. It was forced on them and they want nothing to do with it. So they'll tell you to do a border bounce if you want more days or make it so difficult to extend that it's easier to just do the border bounce.
Luit *****************
@Brandon ***********
I understand your opinion is not from own experience but from what you heard, my experience when asking for information does not need these stories, Immigration office of Songkhla was very friendly, if the stories were true they easily could have not answered at all or just advice to do a border bounce.

Since a lot of people here think that visa requirements stop as soon as they got approved, I can understand all those people complain about extensions in country.
Brandon ************
@Luit ****************
my information is not from what I've heard. It's from people that I know that work at and with immigration offices.
Greg ********
There is literally a thread about this exact item posted earlier today.