What is the process and requirements for applying for a DTV visa in Thailand as a remote worker from India?

Sharing my real DTV visa experience (Kolkata Consulate, India) – hope this helps someone

PS. I am an Indian citizen, a business owner, and I live in Kolkata.

Posting because I genuinely struggled to find India-specific DTV information, and reading posts in this group and on Reddit helped me connect the dots. Hopefully, this saves someone else a lot of uncertainty. ChatGPT helped in organizing my thoughts here.

## My DTV (Primary Applicant – Remote Worker)

I applied under the remote worker / workation category.

* Application submitted & fee paid: 7th November

*(Important Kolkata detail: there is no online payment. I submitted a demand draft directly at the embassy.)*

After submission, my application stayed at “Processing – Pending Document Check” for quite some time. No emails. No updates. Since there was no movement, I sent a polite, warm follow-up email on 18th November, simply checking whether everything was in order.

What happened next:

* 19th November: Status changed to Pending Approval

* 20th November: Approved

No additional documents were requested at any stage.

## What I submitted (and how I approached it)

Because there isn’t much clear, India-specific guidance available, I relied heavily on real experiences shared in this group and on Reddit to understand what embassies and consultants usually look for.

I made a conscious decision to be extremely thorough. My mindset was simple:

*If they might ask for it later, I’ll provide it upfront.*

Here’s what I included:

* A detailed cover letter explaining:

* what I do (business owner)

* that I work remotely

* that all income is foreign-sourced (non-Thai)

* that I have no Thai clients and will not seek employment in Thailand, and I have sufficient funds in my personal bank account

* Two letters on my company letterhead, all wet-ink signed (not digital) by me and my business partner:

* one confirming I’m employed as CEO of my company, detailing my salary and remuneration structure.

* one clearly stating I will not look for employment in Thailand and that the company has no Thai clients

* Company documents:

* GST registration

* Import-Export Certificate

* Trade license

* Commercial proof:

* one client contract

* one invoice

* proof showing the flow of funds from a client’s USD AmEx card to my business bank account in India

* Financials:

* 3 months personal bank statement with final balance above 750k+ THB

* bank balance certificate that shows the final balance in the bank account, and my Income Tax details for last year

* INR → THB conversion (Google screenshot) of my final bank balance clearly showing 750k+ THB

* Passport (all pages)

* Hotel booking (refundable, from Agoda)

*(No flight tickets — not required)*

I also included my LinkedIn profile and company website, which has multiple client testimonials. I can’t say for sure, but I feel this helped establish credibility and context.

All documents were logically grouped and merged into clean PDFs, which I believe made review easier.

## Dependent DTV for my wife

We applied after my DTV was approved.

* Application submitted: 3rd December

* 4th December: The consulate requested one specific thing only -

a studio-shot photograph

* We were travelling, so we uploaded the photo on 8th December

* No further documents were requested

* 11th December: Approved

## What we submitted for her

Compared to the primary applicant, dependent DTV visas are noticeably easier and more straightforward.

The main focus is the bank balance.

We still kept everything very clear and structured:

Financials (in her own name):

* Final balance is just over 500,000 THB equivalent

* 3 months personal bank statements

* bank balance certificate

* INR → THB conversion

* A cover letter clearly stating:

* she is applying as a dependent spouse

* she will not work in Thailand

* she will earn no Thai income

* funds are family wealth held in India

Relationship proof:

* Marriage certificate (English)

* My DTV approval

* Both passport bio pages (which show me as her spouse)

* Aadhaar - Indian Identity card (with a clear explanation for name change of my wife after marriage)

Other:

* Dependent status cover letter (occupation: *Dependent Spouse*) wet signed by me and my wife

* Full passport scan (all pages)

* Aadhaar (Indian ID card) again for current location

* Hotel booking (refundable, from Agoda)

Again, everything was merged into clean PDFs, one per section.

## Final thoughts (the real takeaways)

If you’re applying for the DTV workation / remote worker visa, the most important thing is to establish - beyond any reasonable doubt - three things:

1. All your income is foreign-sourced (non-Thai)

2. You will not take up any Thai employment or serve Thai clients

3. You personally hold more than 500,000 THB in liquid funds

(in your personal bank account — not a business account, not crypto, not investments)

Thai consulates also clearly value:

* wet-ink signatures over digital ones

* clear explanations over assumptions

* well-organised documents over volume

For dependents, the process is simpler and more predictable. As long as the relationship is clear and the bank balance requirement is met, approvals tend to be straightforward.

Hope this helps someone who’s waiting or about to apply.

We are flying out at the end of this month :)