Will the new Foreign Affairs minister maintain the integrity of the Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) in Thailand?

@Greg *******

I don't think DTVers will spend less than average tourists. At least not me. I mean, sure that average tourists expend more per day, but they're here for say 10 days? 30 days? I've already spent one year after I got the DTV, so renting alone is more than what a high spending tourist would expend in a few days.

@Elías *******

What is your estimate of average DTV spend per month? I just did a quick back of Napkin calc. If 50k DTV holders spend 50k THB per month over a year it is almost 1B USD extra in that Thai economy (if my crap maths are correct). A decent addition to the economy. If my maths are wrong someone please correct me :-) :-)

@Greg *******

I spend around 50-60K per month, which would be around 720K per year 🤷🏻 And that just for the normal living, without including any short vacation or so.

@Elías *******

I reckon your spending is about average for a DTV holder. So 50,000 holders would add a billion USD a year to the economy which is good (if my maths are correct). Tourist spend in 2024 was 42b which still below 2019 at 60b - hard getting back to that with market changes. Chinese tourists are high spenders.

@Elías *******

I mean average per day. When I was a tourist 10k a day was the norm. Most people I knew spent the same. The average tourist will be less than that but still higher than the average DTV holder. Spending patterns are different. Tourist more likely to use hotels and spend on tours etc. Your rent is going to a private landlord. Many of these are foreigners. Since 2017 I have lived in 5 condos. Not one Thai owned. I am not going to do the calculations as cannot be arsed but would be interesting to know the the marketing budgets and returns. I doubt the DTV is cannibalising the tourist market anyway. I reckon many are just converting from other visa type. Would be interesting how many DTV's are completely "New" customers ie not already here on VE/TR, Ed, B or O

@Greg *******

can you point me towards the official source mate, I've struggled to find it. My figures are from a neighbor who works at immigration here in Chiang Mai.

DTV holders are here for 5 years so over that time they would spend more than the average tourist.

@Chris *********

agree. On my first year here I have already spent way more that what a high spending tourist would spend in 10-30 days. Not that it is a competition, tho, but I have still 4 more years to expend 😂.

@Elías *******

A quick Google says average tourist spend in 5690 per day

@Greg *******

multiply that for 30 and it's 170,000 bahth. You don't think I'll spend less than that in a whole year, right?

@Elías *******

That is not the calculation required is it? You are missing the point by a wide margin. The spending patterns are different. The DTV is not cannibalising the tourist market.

@Greg *******

it totally depends on which DTV. Soft power/Medical DTV holders might not be a substitute of tourists. But the remote workers are.

@Elías *******

I am looking at this only through a New Product Development & Launch lens ( I worked in this area previously). There are other factors involved too. From a New Product viewpoint it needs to be tweaked post launch as data is available just like any new product. It is a good product though and has been a success given limited marketing.

@Chris *********

You have me thinking now at 6am. I wonder what the official numbers are and why, if not made public, they are kept quiet. At the TAT event I was at they admitted they did not know the real numbers and the 35k was an estimate from an official 12k last November. They just extrapolated the numbers out. What would also be interesting is how many of these numbers were "Cannabalised" from previous visas ie O, TR and Ed for exam0le. The number of true new users or customers so to speak. Marketing of the DTV has definatley fallen off too. TAT must have had a budget but they have gone quiet unless I am not just seeing any promotion. All I see now are adverts from agents or promotion by influencers.

@Greg *******

yes essentially what my neighbor is saying regarding the numbers as well. I think immigration are doing a lot of work in the background modernizing their systems, so maybe we will get official figures soon enough.

I hope it's here to stay as I'm on the DTV myself (from August last year)

@Chris *********

The only reason for it to change woud be down to politics and inter-department rivalries. I doubt anything will happen until a new government in about 6 months. Then immigration changes might not even be on the agenda. Thailand has a lot of other issues to deal with right now that need long term solutions.

@Greg *******

your not wrong. But, it is Thailand so who knows what will happen next week 😂 just got to roll with it

@Chris *********

The "Domesday" viewpoint

@Chris *********

It is never dull here. Been coming 30 years. Lived and worked here twice. Just talking to one of my ex team I built in a Project Management Office here. She is a chemical engineer but we cross trained her. She is now at a local startup. Secret funders and mythical products. Lol

@Chris *********

The 35k came from a TAT DTV event in Chiang Mai but that was over 3 months ago. The DTV is a great visa for those that did not fit into any other long term stay categories. Like anything else in Thailand though it can be effected by the vagaries of Thai politics and power groups.lets hope it stays in one form or another.