Approved in Tokyo, Japan 😀
Finally got the approval today, thank you to everyone for the advice and tips along the way. Here is how my process went:
February 17th: Applied under the remote work category.
February 21st: Requested additional documents: Company Registration Certificate and Recommendation Letter issued by company.
March 3rd: Requested to attend interview at Thai Embassy in Tokyo on March 6th (wasn't given choice, it just said be there at 2PM on March 6th). Fortunately I was available then.
March 6th: Interview day. It was quite rigorous and intense. Was interviewed by 3 women at once; one Japanese and two Thai. They mainly wanted to know about my employment. I work in recruitment in Japan and have been doing for 20+ years. I had to explain that I can work fully remotely and that all of my clients / business takes place in Japan. I had to show proof of 2 of my clients, proof that I can do the job remotely, they wanted to see my business card, look at my LinkedIn profile and payslips.
They they touched on other topics; they wanted to know how I know my guarantor, why I cannot speak Japanese completely fluently, where my ex-wife lives, where my adult son lives, why I like Thailand and can I speak any Thai.
I always knew that applying in Japan might be more strict than other countries, because, well, Japan is just like that.
At the end of the interview, I asked them if I will qualify since I checked all of the boxes and they said maybe. They said perhaps they might offer me another type of visa. I told them that I am not interested in any other type of visa.
The three woman were all very pleasant.
March 10th: Approved 👍
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user shared their experience of obtaining a remote work visa at the Thai Embassy in Tokyo. They applied on February 17, 2025, provided additional documents when requested, and attended a rigorous interview on March 6. Despite concerns about strict requirements, they were ultimately approved on March 10. The comments included inquiries about their residency status in Japan and discussions about the intensity of the interview process.
