What went wrong with my Destination Thailand Visa application at the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta?

My DTV experience at the Royal Thai Embassy, Jakarta — rejected, no reason given.

For anyone else preparing a Destination Thailand Visa application through the Jakarta embassy, here's exactly what I submitted and what happened, in case it's useful.

Category: DTV — Remote Worker / Workcation Nationality: British, currently resident in Bali Engaging company: UK Limited (I'm a contractor, not a director of it)

What I submitted:

* DTV application form + passport photo

* Every page of my passport

* 3 full months of bank statements (Singapore account) plus a current-month snapshot , well over the threshold required, with employer payments highlighted on each statement

* Company Registration pack — Certificate of Incorporation, change of name certificate, full Companies House public register printout, directors page, and director's passport copy as "employer ID"

* Cover letter explaining why FCDO + Royal Thai Embassy London legalisation wasn't feasible (company directors based across three countries), pointing the embassy to the UK Government public register as independent verification

* Signed authorisation letter on company letterhead from a director confirming remote work, full DTV support, no objection to 5-year validity

* Signed consultancy agreement / work contract

* LinkedIn profile + employment record

* Supporting evidence of the company's day-to-day operations — company LinkedIn page, internal Google Chat screenshots, company website

* Booking.com accommodation confirmation, one month in Bangkok, with a note explaining I'd look for longer-term accommodation once the visa was approved

Outcome: Rejected after two rounds of document uploads. No reason given. No request for further information, no chance to clarify, no explanation of where the file fell short.

Where I think I may have fallen short — for your benefit:

1. I did not get the UK company documents notarised by a solicitor and legalised in person at the Royal Thai Embassy in London. Section 4 of the DTV requirements asks for this, and I tried to substitute it with a cover letter pointing to the UK Government's public Companies House register as independent verification. Whether the embassy accepted this reasoning, I'll never know , i did read in a previous post that an applicant faced the same issue but this work around worked for her, unfortunately not for me.

2. I did not submit a flight itinerary. Only an accommodation booking. In hindsight, even a placeholder or refundable flight would have shown clearer intent.

3. My accommodation was for one month only, with a written note that I'd find longer-term housing on arrival. It was honest, but it may have read as insufficient commitment to the full DTV stay.

4. I may have over-stuffed the application. Multiple cover letters, extensive company evidence (LinkedIn pages, Google Chat screenshots, website), my own LinkedIn — I wanted to leave nothing in doubt. It's possible that volume worked against me, or that the officer simply wasn't going to grant it regardless of how thick the file was.

A few honest observations for anyone going through this:

1. The Jakarta embassy does not give reasons. Don't expect feedback you can act on. It's officer discretion and you won't know what tipped it.

2. A strong file is not a guarantee. My financials were way above the threshold, properly seasoned, with traceable employer income. The company pack was thorough. The director's letter was signed. It still wasn't enough.

3. The legalisation requirement is the silent killer. For anyone whose engaging company is registered abroad and whose directors aren't in the issuing country, getting documents legalised is a real logistical and financial hurdle. The embassy will not confirm in advance whether they'll accept an alternative.

I'm still contemplating whether to apply again, maybe this time with a flight itinerary and alternative accommodation plans in Bangkok, but I'm not too confident I will be approved. I'd love to hear the thoughts of other applicants applying via Jakarta. Any further advice is welcomed. Many thanks.