Not visa related but moving to Thailand related:

Any suggestions on cheapest way to send large excess luggage and boxes from Cyprus to Thailand? Post or otherwise? And does it get delivered to your door or pick up at airline or port?

Sorry I've never sent stuff before when moving abroad. Thanks so much in advance for your suggestions.

My Experience Traveling to Thailand with the New DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) from India

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my recent travel experience using the new Digital Travel Visa (DTV), which might help others planning their trip.

I received my DTV in early March (I’ve already shared a thread on how I got it—check the group for details). I traveled to Bangkok on March 24th via IndiGo Airlines, but I faced an issue at check-in. The airline staff was unaware of the DTV and initially denied my check-in for not having a return ticket. They insisted that Indian passport holders are only allowed a 60-day stay. Unfortunately, I had weak internet and couldn’t open the official portal to show the updated guidelines.

After a few minutes, another staff member searched online and found the new visa rules, after which I was allowed to board.

✅ No issues at Indian immigration (Bengaluru Airport).

✅ At Bangkok immigration, I was in the regular line (while most Indians were sent to the visa exemption queue). I informed the officer about my DTV and mentioned I was looking for a house for long-term living. He asked about my work and whether I planned to buy property in Thailand. I replied yes, and he smiled and welcomed me warmly!

Key Takeaways for DTV Holders:

➡️ Many airlines are still unaware of the new DTV. Carry proof of your visa and be prepared to explain it.

➡️ Immigration officers in Thailand seem well-informed and welcoming.

➡️ Internet access at check-in is important—have screenshots or saved documents just in case.

Happy to share that I’ve now secured a beautiful villa in Phuket and will be relocating with my family next month! We are looking for like minded families to get along and friends for my 6 years young, energetic and English speaking daughter in Thalang. I'm a Entrepreneur and a Youtuber working from home.

Hope this helps others planning their journey. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Safe travels, everyone! ✈️

Is there an agency that could assist me with bringing my pets from US to Thailand? I have two cats. One is over 20 lbs… thanks in advance

Hi everyone! I’m planning my move from the U.S. to Thailand later this year and would love some advice from those who’ve already made the leap. What are some important things to consider or take care of before the move and shortly after arriving?

Specifically wondering about:

• Should I bring electrical adapters or buy them there?

• Is it better to change my phone to an international plan or get a Thai SIM card?

• Should I get health insurance before leaving the U.S. or wait until I’m in Thailand?

• Any essentials I should pack that are hard to find there?

• Any unexpected surprises or tips you wish you’d known ahead of time?

Thanks so much in advance for sharing your wisdom!”**

Hello there

Looking for some useful information please!

Have a place in pattaya already. Moving as soon as I can!

What are the rules or restrictions about bringing a memorabilia and art collection to Thailand?

Thanks in advance

Hi, where should I start to get my DTV? I have my online business and want to move to Thailand.

Is there a guide somewhere or something I can refer to? I mean, not necessarily the government one, also like maybe youtube videos or anything to inform me about steps or tips&tricks.

Thank you :)

SUCCESS STORY!!!!!!! Oh my gosh I am so happy 🥹🥳

DTV: APPROVED ✅

Location: London, UK Embassy 🇬🇧

Submitted: 16th December 17:32pm

Request for additional documents: 18th December 15:39pm

Approved: 24th December 01:05am

My story:

I am a self-employed content creator 🎥

Documents submitted: A letter from me to the embassy stating that all my work is done outside of the Kingdom, why I love Thailand so much and how I will continue to abide my all laws in the Kingdom. Screenshots of my professional portfolio (this is something I had already made on Canva to send to potential clients). As I do video content creation I submitted the link and also screenshots of each page.

Contracts between me and previous clients all based outside of Thailand, email correspondence and a couple of invoices. (It was over 35 pages long by the end of it)

Financial evidence - okay so this was why I think I got the request for my tax return.. I deposited money THE SAME DAY (whoops) and I couldn’t print off a bank statement. Neither could the bank, so I got a temporary statement (which looked so bad and unofficial) so the bank manager wrote me a letter and signed it stating that I had over £13,000 in my bank account. I also submitted a screenshot as supporting evidence (I know they don’t accept just this though so don’t just submit a screenshot).

Proof of location - driving licence, stamp out of Thailand passport page and my flight outside of Bangkok to London.

I used ilovepdf.com to merge my pdfs so I could submit multiple documents for each section. I then used the same website to compress my files 🙏🏼🇹🇭

Request for additional documents: A new photograph (my mustn’t have been clear enough) and more proof of financial evidence such as a tax return. I submitted my last one which dates April 2022 - April 2023 (but obvs submitted in 2024). This showed my earnings slightly under than what they are now as they are dated back (so under what I had stated on my embassy application).

I then emailed them yesterday asking for an update (23rd) and then I just checked my email and it was APPROVED!!!! At 1am this morning!!! 😭❤️

I was so worried as I am flying back to Thailand 28th that they would think I was stupid trying to get it done over the Christmas period. However, my flights were booked for so long and I was in two minds about whether I would chance it. I came to the conclusion that if it were cancelled if I returned to Thailand I would apply again from a neighbouring country (as I will be going with my parter anyway for his). My flights were more than the visa so this made the most sense to me.

HUGE thank you to all in this group. You have been a fantastic help and I can’t thank you enough🙏🏼🇹🇭

Here’s to 2025 starting off in the best way🥹🇹🇭

And... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! 🥰❤️🎅🏼🎄☃️

I’ve been to Thailand 4 times since 2020 and I want to move there permanently within the next 4 years. Not sure what visa is needed and would love some input. Thank you

I have questions for Expats from the US:

Did you change your state of residency before you moved abroad?

How do you handle your US mail living abroad?

I have heard that there are services for these. I am interested in recommendations, experiences, pros and cons.

I am considering moving to Thailand in the middle of 2025.

Hello everyone,

[I understand this might seem more suited for a condo-focused group, but I find that honest reviews can be rare there, with most comments coming from realtors. I hope you understand, and thank you for your consideration.]

After getting the Visa, I realize there is more things that need to be taken care of. I’m hoping to get some advice on finding a long-term apartment in Bangkok. We’re currently living abroad, but we’re planning to spend two weeks in Bangkok to search for a suitable place before making a longer move.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Did you use a real estate agent/fb group to view photos and get information on multiple apartments before visiting them in person? Or the only reliable way is to go directly to different buildings and discuss your requirements with the building staff?

2. If you’ve had experience with this process, I’d really appreciate your insights, especially since we need a pet-friendly apartment, which may make things a bit more challenging.

Just to clarify, we don’t intend to rent an apartment “online” without first visiting it ourselves. Our goal is to maximize our options during our time in Bangkok so we can efficiently explore and evaluate different places. Any advice on how you managed this process would be incredibly helpful!

Thank you in advance!