I just received the disappointing news that my DTV application was rejected, and I’m honestly shocked and confused. I applied at Hanoi, Vietnam. I applied under the remote worker (DTV) category, provided every single required document, and even went the extra mile to ensure everything was legalized and authenticated—yet still got a rejection with no clear reason** given.

Here’s what I submitted:

✅ Employment Contracts (clearly stating remote work)

✅ Offer Letter from my employer

✅ Employment Certificate (legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in my home country)

✅ Passport Copy of Employer (as proof of legitimacy)

✅ Bank Statements showing 500,000 THB equivalent (well above the requirement)

I triple-checked everything before submitting, yet the rejection email was a generic "your application is rejected." No further explanation.

### My Questions:

1. What exactly went wrong? If I missed something, I’d like to know so I can correct it.

2. Is the DTV process this strict for everyone? Or is there inconsistency in approvals?

3. Has anyone else faced this? Did you appeal/reapply successfully?

I’ve heard of other digital nomads/ remote workers getting approved with similar (or even fewer) documents, so this rejection feels unfair and arbitrary. If Thai immigration wants to attract remote workers, why make the process so opaque and frustrating?

### Next Steps?

- Should I reapply with the same documents?

- Is there a way to appeal or request a detailed rejection reason?

- Would using an agent/lawyer help, even though I did everything correctly?

Has anyone else been through this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I’m considering just sticking to visa exemptions/tourist visas, which is a shame because I was ready to commit long-term to Thailand under the DTV.

Rant over. But seriously, Thai immigration—if you reject someone who followed all the rules, at least tell us *why*.

#ThailandVisa #DigitalNomad #DTV #RemoteWork #ThaiImmigration #VisaRejection

Does travel vlogging count towards remote worker or freelancer status? I do meet the financial requirements, but I’m not actively making money off the vlogging

Hi everyone, I have a question about the DTV visa and business registration.

Last year, I successfully obtained my DTV visa in Jakarta, and the process went smoothly. At the time, I registered the visa under my Spanish-registered business.

However, later that year, I switched my business registration to an LLC in the U.S., as I’ve learned that many digital nomads find this structure more convenient.

My question is: Since my DTV visa was originally registered under my Spanish company, will the change to a U.S.-registered LLC cause any issues?

I’ve noticed that some people get asked business-related questions when entering immigration, and I want to be prepared. Would you recommend updating my visa registration with the new company, or is it better to keep my original Spanish company documents and explain the transition if needed?

I’d appreciate any insights, especially from those who’ve been through similar situations. Ideally, I’d like to avoid visiting the immigration office.

Thanks in advance.

I have a situation that may or may not be complex. I work as an independent game developer and I'm moving to Thailand in July. For the past year I've worked on a commercial product which is nearly ready for release. It should be ready for release probably around when I first move to Thailand.

I plan to have sales profits sent directly to my bank account in Thailand. I have absolutely no issue paying taxes on whatever comes in. What I'm concerned about is the fact that I won't have a work permit and I read that any kind of digital work that provides income requires you to have a work permit. However what if 95% or even 100% of that work wasn't done in Thailand? Would I still require the work permit and DTV because the proceeds of that work are heading to a Thai bank account?

For additional context, I'll be on a Non-O Visa.

I've asked this question in other countries I've been an expat in and there are always a group of people that tell me to not send my money to Thailand and send it to my home country instead then wire to Thailand as needed. So let me just address this ahead of schedule. I have zero connection with my home country. No bank account, no family, nothing. I left it over 14 years ago and have no plans to go back.

Has anybody on here applied for the DTV visa as a working Nomad in Dubai. I am looking to apply for the DTV in the next few months and wondering what experience anybody has had applying from Dubai. Also what documents Dubai require as each country seems to be different. I have been doing lots of research on the DTV but have not found anything specific on applying for the DTV in Dubai. TIA for any helpful advice.

Will be applying for workaction visa, probably from within an Asian city soon. I have my own UK Ltd company but I am not paying myself regularly from it, apart from a small amount of dividends to a personal account. No problem showing 500,000 baht in £s and a regular income from the business account, but will they expect this to be in a personal account? Obviously my business account goes under the name of my LTD company, although I am the sole director. I could show 500,000 baht in a personal account if I had to. Any other tips from someone applying with their own UK Ltd company? I pay personal tax in an EU country, as I am currently resident there.

Hi there,

If applying for a DTV visa based on being the sole proprietor of a small online business. Does any know more information on what documents should be included in the “professional portfolio showcasing digital nomad, remote worker, foreign talent, or freelancer status”?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi guys,

sharing my experience of applying for my Partner's DTV visa as a digital nomad/business owner.

Applied on a saturday through Thai Embassy in Manila, early monday morning got a message from them asking for additional documents and we submitted them immediately, on the same day the status changed to pending approval and we got the DTV visa the next day (Tuesday).

Documents we submitted:

1. Passport Copy (US passport)

2. Photo

3. 6 months bank statement

4. Proof of residence in PH

> Visa Extension Slip

> Electricity & Rent Bill

5. Photo of latest arrival in PH stamp

6. Cover letter mentioning the documents we submitted and explaining her current residency in PH and her interest for applying for the DTV visa

7. A letter explaining how her business would run while she is in thailand (detailed business description

8. Business license/permit from the State of Nevada

Additional docs. They requested

1. CV/Resume

2. Screenshot of her company website as proof the business is active.

The letters we submitted were in her company's letter head which she signed as the owner.

Overall, the process of applying for the DTV visa was super quick and easy in comparison to other visa applications I had to apply for back when I was working for my old boss as a PA and handling their visa applications.

If you have any questions, I suggest reaching out to the Thai embassy in Manila. They were really friendly, helpful and helped clarified my confusion about what type of documents I should submit to satisfy the additional requirement docs. they asked for.

P.S: added the screenshot of the official list of documents that the Thai Embassy in Manila listed on their website.

Does anyone have experience as a “digital nomad” working for themselves (private practice therapist) using the DTV? It looks like one of the requirements is working for a big company which I don’t.

Success in Hanoi!

I chose the soft power Muay Thai route. Honestly, when I see all the people struggling with the documents they need to provide to prove they are a digital nomad, why not just contact a gym that has DTV experience and provides all the required paperwork, even if you qualify as a freelancer?

Arrived in Hanoi on March 2 (Sunday) and turned in my online application at 6pm. I received the approval email exactly one week later on March 9 at 4pm (another Sunday). So it was five working days plus the weekend and if not automated, yes they seem to work on Sundays!

I provided picture of Vietnam entry stamp, hotel reservations, flight confirmation, 6 months of bank statements with over 500k, screenshots of my latest weekly bank emails and online banking site with the date of application visible. For good measure, I also included a letter of employment confirmation and 6 months of payslips and a cover letter. Merged and resized the documents with “I Love PDF” online.

After two days, my status went from document check to pending approval. Then nothing anymore until the visa was sent. No interview or additional documentation request. I entered Thailand yesterday through Don Muang and was given the 6 months stamp no questions asked in less than 2 minutes at the immigration counter.

I hope, this helps. Thanks to everyone for their valuable input, especially the experts. I have been reading these posts since last year July as I was planning to apply as soon as I could. Any questions, I will be happy to help.