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What visa options do I have while traveling to Thailand for a scuba instructor course and other activities?

Thailand visa DTV visa tourist visa education visa Muay Thai Yoga courses scuba instructor remote work visa soft power activities

Aug 14, 2024

3 months ago

Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi guys!

My partner and I are travelling to Thailand in September so that he can complete a Scuba Instructor Course(course is all booked and deposit paid). The course is seven months and we were planning to get the 6 month tourist visa and extend the final entry to ensure he could finish his qualification. However this was before we learned about the DTV. I think he is the prime candidate for the soft powers bracket of the DTV.

However that leaves me a bit stuck. I am a teacher in secondary schools and have recently branches out to AI evaluating online, however as I am new to this the work is not consistent yet and so I don’t think I could swing a remote worker DTV. Which leaves me with soft powers. I’m interested in doing Muay Thai and Yoga whilst we are there, but how long a course would I need to book to qualify? I saw someone said they booked a year of Muay Thai, has anyone booked less than this and qualified?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user inquired about visa options for traveling to Thailand for a seven-month scuba instructor course while their partner plans to stay for training in Muay Thai and Yoga. They initially considered a 6-month tourist visa but have learned about the new DTV (Digital Nomad Visa) that could potentially apply for both of them under different categories. Comments provided insights on obtaining multi-entry tourist visas, the possibility of counting sports activities like Muay Thai for the DTV, and concerns about scuba training not being officially recognized under the soft powers category.

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Adam *****

Scuba is not officially one of the "soft power" categories on the DTV, so it might not be accepted. Have you reached out to your local RTE for the requirements? You could potentially do a medical appointment then cancel it.

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John ********

Taken from Wikipedia for whoever it was that questioned that I said a Dive master is a tour guide in Thailand.

A divemaster (DM) is a role that includes organising and leading recreational dives, particularly in a professional capacity, and is a qualification used in many parts of the world in recreational scuba diving for a diver who has supervisory responsibility for a group of divers and as a dive guide..

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Angelo ***********

Then the author of the article was wrong. Phuket is full with western Dive Masters. I now several in person. And I doubt they have a "tour guide" work permit. You could have linked the wikipedia article btw, so that I can correct it.

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Angelo ***********

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I have reached out and am waiting for a response. It says on some of the information that they accept ‘sporting activities’ which I took to include scuba, I might be wrong though.

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John ********

I remember years ago, a bigwig in Bangkok ordered immigration police to arrest anyone working as a Dive Master, I think it was in Phuket. The police went to dive centers and arrested several Westerners who were working as Dive Master. When someone higher up in immigration got wind of it, he ordered the release of those arrested because, even though dive masters are classed as tourist guides, nearly all people that go diving can converse in English, but not in Thai and there was only a few, if that Thais that could hold English conversation. So everything went back to the way it was.

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Angelo ***********

A dive master is not classed as a tourist guide. What nonsense is that? And in general a dive master has his own completely legally registered Thai company. He needs a boat. A boat can only be skippered by a Thai skipper. He needs extra hands on deck. No idea what happened in those incidents you observed, but has nothing to do with "tour guide" versus "dive trainer/teacher". Being a diving trainer is a completely legal activity if everything around it is legally registered.

Do you want to imply that a guy who is rich enough to own a boat is not rich enough to legally register a Thai company and then decide if the company owns the boat or he himself?

How do you do a radio call to the next harbour if you have no Thai personal speaking Thai? Who is filling the diving bottles? If you have no Thai personal working for you? Who is taking care of all of the gear?

Some posts here on FB make no sense at all.

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John ********

@Angelo **********

Your comment makes no sense whatsoever.

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John ********

@Angelo **********

Well Mr. Know all. If you go on an open water dive excursion you apparently have to have a Dive master leader, therefore they are classed as tour guides.

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Angelo ***********

That is not a tour guide. A tour guide is one who goes to a temple and explains you the history. A dive master teaches you how to dive. What is next? I if I teach you how to sail: I am tour guide? Lolz.

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Angelo ***********

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John ********

@Bella ****************

Well Scuba is certainly a sporting activity.

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Adam *****

@Bella ****************

I think the embassy might take a dim view of dive professional training though, since it implies the possibility of working in Thai dive centres. In the press release for the DTV, Muay Thai specifically was mentioned as sporting activities.

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John ********

Also there is a listing that says 'sporting activities'. With regard to dive professional training, it is education perse. I have done training courses in Thailand appertaining to the offshore oil industry, which comes under training, which comes under education because your learning.

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Adam *****

I haven't heard of DMTs or instructor trainees getting ED visas. So if you're claiming that it is an educational course, you'd be hard pressed to get someone from MFA to agree with you. Anyway, DTV is a brand new visa, let's see if anyone gets approved for DMT or IDC as their main mode of acceptance.

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John ********

Time will tell. Will only find out when someone applies for it based on doing a training course, to see if it can be classed as education. I did training courses with just 30 day visa exempts.

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John ********

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Christopher *********

I paid for 3 months I am the process of applying now I can let you know in a few days.

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Christopher ********

thank you!!

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Bella *****************

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Paul *******

You can go to Laos or Cambodia and get another sixty days you can do this twice in one year

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Bob **********

there’s no limit

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I have dual citizenship so two passports (British and German) would it be possible to enter and leave on one then enter and leave on the other so the stamps were spread between the two to limit the immigration officer turning me away, or do you think they’d know?

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Henrik *****

When passing immigration in the airport the immigration officer will take a photo of you and take your fingerprints.

So their face recognition will flag them tha you have entered Thailand on another passport.

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Bob **********

@Bella ****************

no your passports are connected but according to some reports exit and enter as much as you like

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Bob **********

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Kool *******

It is cheaper for seven months to get the multi-entry tourist visa in your home country. With just leaving and returning to Thailand, you can stay almost 9 full months, covering the seven months needed.

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

is this by extending to 90 days with each entry?

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Kool *******

@Bella ****************

Yes

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Kool *******

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David ********

double-check but I believe family members can be covered on the visa.

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I think if we were married we could do that, but we are not and not quite ready to be. We are treating it as a last resort😂

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Paul *************

@Bella ****************

you can drag an ed visa out easily for the sort of time your talking.

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Paul *************

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Greta *****

Contact KLMT (Khao Lak Muay Thai) ask Zee all your questions and she will happily help you. She's amazing!

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Andi ***********

There is no income limit for remote working. The 500k THB balance is the assurance you can comfortably stay for 180 days.This was informed to me via London Embassy as I have just one confirmed online contract and shared same concern as you. Double check with the embassy you are applying from.

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Bella *****************

ORIGINAL POSTER

We are in the UK by the way so would be applying through London

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Bella *****************

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