Hi looking for advice

I’m married to a Thai lady

Returning to Australia today and need to return to Thailand on a simple visa to get a Thai bank account and eventually a marriage or retirement visa

I have enough money to cover both

Which is the simplest visa to apply for when I am in Australia please

Cheers Dave

Which visa is need for living permanently in Thailand and how I will get?

Non-B Visa + PR question

My Non-B visa expires on 29th May (my child is a dependent on my visa). I will be going to hand in my PR application this week. From my understanding, I will have 6 month stamp until my PR status is approved. Do I still need to renew my Non-B visa? What abt my child? Will she get the dependent stamp of 6 months as well?

Would there be any problem with a DTV approach where one intends to use the Muay Thai reason for the entire 5 years, and then again and again, indefinitely? I'm advising a friend who is considering retiring here, and he has done a lot of martial arts study in the past and can actually see himself doing very long term Muay Thai study.

## DTV Application Experience from the UK

*(Submitted from UK, visa approved in 4 days)*

Sharing my full timeline and supporting documents for anyone applying for the DTV visa from the UK. I noticed some differences compared to other people's experiences so I hope this helps.

Location: UK

Returned to UK from Bangkok: 20 April 2025

Flying back to Bangkok: 3 May 2025

Timeline:

* Submitted application: Sunday 27 April at 20:52

* Request for further documents (1st round): Tuesday, 29 April at 12:50

* Request for further documents (2nd round): Tuesday, 29 April at 17:05

* Visa approved: Thursday, 1 May at 12:01

(Approved within 4 days, including 2 rounds of additional document requests)

Documents I originally submitted:

1. Passport biodata page

2. Photo (taken within the last 3 months)

3. Proof of current UK location:

• Immigration stamp from London Gatwick

• Lloyds bank statement printed at branch (note: no stamp or signature, but says printed at branch and shows my full name and registered address)

4. Financial evidence:

• £12,000 transferred into my account on 25 April

• £2.5K salary payment on the same day

• 3 months of payslips

• P60

5. Proof I can work remotely:

• Letter from HR (wet signature and company stamp)

• Employment contract (it doesn't say I must work in the UK, but doesn't explicitly mention remote work either)

Additional documents requested on 29 April at 12:50:

* Proof of UK residence:

*• I submitted 3 months of Sky broadband bills (my gas/electric bills are addressed to “current occupier” and water only comes annually)*

* Visa proof for non-UK nationals:

*• Submitted Skilled Worker visa letter using the gov.uk share code*

* E-ticket showing name, departure date, and flight details:

*• Submitted booking confirmation from Booking.com*

* Hotel booking showing name and address:

*• My hotel booking was under my company’s name, so I submitted my current letting agreement instead*

* Payslips:

*• Re-submitted 3 months of payslips*

* UK bank statement:

*• Re-submitted 3-month bank statement showing income and address*

Further request on 29 April at 17:05:

* Boarding pass and Thai immigration exit stamp:

*• Submitted my boarding pass (BKK to London) and the Thai exit stamp page from my passport*

* E-ticket invoice or payment proof:

*• I didn’t have the e-ticket or invoice, so I submitted my payment confirmation from Booking.com and my PayPal Credit statement showing the ticket purchase, with matching reference*

Waited through Wednesday and got the approval email on *Thursday 1 May at 12:01*.

Summary:

If you're applying from the UK, be prepared for multiple rounds of document requests. Even if you've submitted certain documents already, they may ask again. Strong financial evidence, proof of UK presence, and quick response times seem to make a difference.

Let me know if you have any questions or want more details.

Hope this helps someone!

My Thai fiancée has been approved for a K1 visa to the USA. There are a few more steps before she will go for her interview in possibly 4 to 5 months. The question I have is, I know the K-1 visa states that we have plans to live permanently in the United States. I am retired so we plan on traveling back and forth, splitting our time between the two countries. she has family here in Thailand and owns her own home and farm. I have family in the United States and live with my sister at her house. Has anyone been in the same situation and has their K-1 Visa been rejected because of not staying in the United States permanently ? I have stated these plans of splitting time between the 2 countries to the USCIS. Now the approval goes to the UVC for processing before it is approved and sent to the US Embassy in Bangkok. Any suggestions would be appreciated….

I have the DTV, and now want the foreigner ID card. Google tells me I need to have a permanent place of residence in order to apply, but I don't yet have that as im just in a 3 months rental at the moment. Does this rule me out from getting the ID?

Hi everyone, I’m have a hard time tracking down information on visa’s and my situation. I am disabled and I am from the USA. I would like to stay in Thailand possibly permanently but as of right now I’m either looking at an education visa or the DTV. The immigration office I went to wasn’t much help. I think the language barrier was a bit of a problem for us.

Any how I’m a bit concerned with take the education route because I have various learning disabilities and I’m concerned I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the learning. So I started looking in to DTV seeing I have a non taxable income. However it looks as though you have to be a content creator or have some type of job. I am an artist but I don’t really sell my art.

Is the DTV right for me even though I have an income but not working? I’m technically retired but I don’t fit the requirements for the retirement visa based solely on age. I’m 3 years short. Can anyone offer any guidance on this? Thank you in advance 😊🙏

Planning on getting a non immigration O visa later this year. Although I am married to a Thai national I have seen perhaps as I’m over 50 and can afford the financial requirements a retirement visa might be the way to go as opposed to a marriage visa, any thoughts! Thanks!

How to have free healthcare for life: The alternative to the DTV, the Taiwan Gold Card

This is really outside the box but I think some people should at least consider it.

Taiwan has free healthcare and a lot simpler ‘immediate’ residency with the ‘gold card’ for only $350USD. As long as you stay 183 days per year in Taiwan for three years you then have permanent residency.

As thailand now taxes foreign income. A good strategy would be living in both for three years and keeping Thailand under 180 days so you are not taxed, then migrating permanently to thailand if you enjoy it more after your healthcare in Taiwan is solidified and you have residency.

The ‘ideal’ which I am still considering is simply living in Taiwan for 3 years and for 6 months of the year when you’re bored hitting up Pattaya or Cebu or Bali or where ever else and after 3 years, more permanently move to Thailand, with your residency + free healthcare secured.

Of course most people aren’t going to be willing to do this, me either at this stage. But if you could, would then be free healthcare for life. Plus a permanent residency, I think 2-4 years paid maternity leave and actual government benefits, which even if you go after and get residency in Thailand, to me, all I see is a second un-avoidable tax bill, so why bother?

After speaking to the head maxiofacial surgeon in Khaosiung hospital, he told me a lot of Americans (and HKers) are taking up this strategy and simply flying to Taiwan when elective issues come up.

Otherwise, for now, based on my research I think travel insurance is the way to go for healthcare. I think blue cross blue shield does it in America, safetywing people mention sometimes and I use fastcover (for Australia) with no excess around $1500AUD for the year.

For now, I’m still just considering it. But! For me the DTV was definitely not a celebration it was an admission, to myself, that 100% I will not be living in Thailand forever, it is purely temporary and the DTV solidified that as I have since completely stopped looking into investing in or making a company here to get the work permits + other requirements necessary for residency. So yes, the DTV is cool, but as a long term plan, I mean it’s not one unless you are 50 and by 55 you can get the retirement visa.