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Why was my DTV visa application refused after returning to Thailand while pending?

Oct 1, 2025
2 days ago
I applied for a DTV visa in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on September 18th. On September 19th, I received a request for additional documents. I had only submitted three pay slips. They asked for pay slips for the last six months and to highlight the corresponding payments on the bank statement for the last few months. I prepared everything and submitted it on September 19th.

On September 25th, the status changed from "Pending document analysis" to "Pending approval."

But due to a problem and confusion over the dates, I applied for a Vietnam visa until September 25th instead of October 15th. So, I had to urgently return to Thailand on September 25th.

I returned to Thailand with a 60-day tourist visa exemption. And on September 29th, I received a refusal, without giving any reason.

I submitted all the necessary documents: six months' salary, a bank statement for the last six months with a balance over 500,000 baht, and certified by the bank. A letter from my employer explaining and mentioning my agreement to work remotely, also stating that we do not work for Thai clients, as well as a sample of the last job I did. The insurance certificate valid for Thailand, and the form. TM30.

I don't see what happened. Could it be because I returned to Thailand before the process was complete?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user applied for a DTV visa in Vietnam but returned to Thailand before the application was approved, resulting in a refusal. Several comments indicated that returning to Thailand while the visa was pending likely caused the rejection, as the laws require applicants to remain outside Thailand during this process. Other users emphasized the importance of adhering to visa regulations and suggested that the user might need to apply again from a compliant location.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I return to Vietnam, apply with the same documents and wait for the response, will it not affect the fact that I still have a valid visa on my passport?
Anonymous ******************
Yes, it could very well be because you decided to do what the DTV rules and most people here told you not to do (returning to Thailand without approval). An expensive lesson. But guys, please, continue ignoring the very basic rules of Thailand; that’s a very clever move to save a little penny/time (or not). 😅
Elías ********
You couldn't return to Thailand while the DTV was pending. It's a cause for rejection. Now you lost that money. Can apply again, tho, but don't do the same of leaving while it is pending.
Sina ***********
You urgently had to go back.. on a tourist entrance.. and you could not have just picked another country that has the same 45-90 day exemption for tourism?
Greg ********
@Sina **********
I do not understand the length of the Vietnam Visa either. Do they even issue a visa for a single week? Most common is 90 day e-Visa and older ones are 30 days.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
When I applied for a visa for Vietnam, I asked for 10 days instead of 30 days, I realized after arriving there.
Sina ***********
@Greg *******
*for US passport holders* Vietnam requires you to obtain a tourist visa. You can not enter like Thailand because you need a.visa beforehand
Greg ********
@Sina **********
I know that - it is the length of that visa I am questioning.
Sina ***********
Greg ********
@Sina **********
They are generally 90 days for eVisa and 30 for older types. The poster says they arrived 18th and only had a visa till 25th. How is that possible? :-)
Upadhyay *********
@Greg *******
I applied a Vietnam visa last month. I got it for my travel dates + a week extra.

This was not same before, in 2022, I had got a visa for a full month.
Andi ***********
@Greg *******
i doubt there is a week visa for Vietnam., 90 days E visa and various visa exemption on arrivals from 14-45 days.
Greg ********
@Andi **********
Exavtly. The old paper ones were 30 but eVisa 90.
Upadhyay *********
Should have gone somewhere else instead of Returning to Thailand, if you had to exit Vietnam.
Roxana ******
John **********
100% because you returned to Thailand. You should have found a way to stay in the location you applied from.
Roxana ******
Waqar ********
Yes, laws clearly states that you must be outside of Thailand for application. At the time when they did a background check, they found you inside Thailand and it xxx
Alex *********
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
Kool *******
Not staying in the country you applied in is a reason lots of applicants were refused.
Christopher ***********
@Kool ******
How can you be certain when consulates don’t state reason for rejection?
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Christopher **********
I wrote two emails to Ho Chi Minh to find out the reasons, but received no response.
Christopher ***********
Anonymous participant What else did you do? Try to telephone but they didn’t answer? Have you asked your bank/credit card company to make a chargeback on your card? You have paid for goods/services that you didn’t receive and neither were you provided with an explanation.
Cissi *********
@Christopher **********
well, most thai embassies/consulates clearly states that the can reject visa applications without explanation (so does the consulate in HCMC, see link below). It is the responsibility of the applicant to read the information provided by the embassy/consulate where they apply. This means that a person can either accept the information given about the visa process, apply for a visa and pay the fee... OR choose not to apply. An application fee is paid for a visa to be processed. It will NOT be refunded, no matter what the outcome is. That we all feel/think it would be best to recieve an explanation, does not change the fact that they reserve the right to reject applications without any explanation...
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Kool *******
@Christopher **********
there is no certainty in anything, but from many reports of rejections after the applicant left the country they applied in, it is an educated guess,with a high rate of probability.
Christopher ***********
@Kool ******
If it was my money I’d want telling for certain. If the consulate won’t then I want my money back.
Kool *******
@Christopher **********
keep dreaming... lolol
Christopher ***********
@Kool ******
Either you qualify or you don’t. If you don’t you’re entitled to know why. Processor may have omitted something or read it wrongly. If your course is deemed too short or appointments too few you should be told so that you can book extra. Minimum income limit should be stated. In countries that require residency in order to apply they don’t state what proof is required.
Greg ********
I would say 100% it was because you returned to Thailand. They can see this on their system. They did not even ask you to prove you were still in Vietnam as they knew you were not.
Roxana ******