ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS:

Change in group recommendation for Non-O visas

This is just going to be an FYI type of post to relate information..

In the past we'd advise people to come in free stamp (visa exempt) open a thai bank account, transfer in the required funds and apply for the Non-O visa inside the country at your immigration office.

Unfortunately due to the banks tightening up who can open an account and what visa you need to do it, showing up free stamp often means you're not going to be able to open a bank account to start the whole in country Non-O visa process.

That is why we are recommending people get their 90 day single entry Non-O visa OUTSIDE of thailand (hopefully before you wing your way here) because once you stamp in on that Non-O it's usually not that difficult to open a bank account (although you still might have to try a couple banks/branches, you can get it accomplished).

If you're already here in thailand you can go to a nearby country to apply for the initial 90 day Non-O visa thru a consulate there.. The consulates in Lao and Vietnam are not difficult to deal with and have fast processing for 'regular visas' (Non-O, Non-B, Non-ED).. In Lao you do have to go to the consulate in person to pay for the visa once you apply

Another upside to applying outside thailand is that you can use money in your account in your home country as proof of funds.

I would say give the thai consulates in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu, Penang) a pass for these visas as their processing time seems to be long. Same for the thai consulate in Phnom Penh give it a pass as they have extended processing times..

I just wanted people to understand why we used to say come in, get the Non-O in country and now why we're saying get the Non-O BEFORE you wing your way here or go to a thai consulate in a nearby country and get one.

Hello,

I am planning to apply for a Non-O (family) visa for Thailand and I am considering a few consulates in the region. I am specifically looking at:

• Savannakhet (Laos)

• Vientiane (Laos)

• Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

• Hanoi (Vietnam)

Could you please share your experience:

• Where are the highest chances of approval?

• Where is the process faster and more reliable?

• Are there any special considerations I should be aware of?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi! I’m planning to apply for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Soft Power – Muay Thai, while living in Pattaya. Could anyone who has actually applied via Pattaya gyms share your experience?

• Which gyms did you use? (name + location + manager contact)

• What package length worked for the visa: 6 or 9 months? Is 12 months worth it?

• Price: I’m seeing around 35–40k THB for 6–9 months — does that match your experience?

• Did the gym provide a full visa pack: Acceptance letter on letterhead + DBD (company registration) + SAT/Office of the Boxing Sport certificate + invoice? Will they email the letter directly to the consulate if requested?

• After approval, did they require attendance, or was enrollment/payment enough in practice?

• Any refusals/refunds? What were the refund terms?

• Which consulate did you use (HCMC, Vietnam or elsewhere), and did everything go smoothly?

• How long is the acceptance letter valid (can you defer the start if timing shifts)?

Would really appreciate short reports including: submission/approval dates, gym, price, package length, consulate, and whether you attended classes. Thanks!

Did not apply for a retirement visa through an agent soon enough, so I have to leave. I’ll visit India for 2 months then return here. Can I start the application process from there? I’d so, what steps can I take?

Hi all, I'm currently in Thailand on a guardian visa and want to switch to DTV. If i'm planning to fly out soon out of Thailand, to come back in 2 months time with hopefully a DTV visa, can I already start the application now while physically being in Thailand? I can provide all the necessary paperwork showing proof of residency abroad( (in my home country).

This might be a very silly and basic question (don’t incinerate me please!) and I’ve been trying to Google it but I was hoping to verify something with when applying for the DTV. Does each country have its own separate thai consulate website for the online DTV application or is there just one main website to apply online no matter what country you are in when applying? I’ll be applying while I’m in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Also, can I create an account and get everything uploaded onto the website ahead of time and then make the payment and submit everything after I arrive in Vietnam?

I havn't seen a single post of anyone applying or trying to get the DTV from any Chinese locations, which weird because flights aren't that expensive and they have a BUNCH of Consulates to choose from. Anyone have any idea how or if they would be a good option?

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS:

HCMC and Hanoi Thai consulates closed until Feb 3rd

With the Viet New Year holiday coming up, the consulates will be closed starting Saturday and remaining closed until Monday Feb 3rd

It is doubtful any online eVisas will be processed by the consulates during that time.

So if you're going to use either consulate in Vietnam DO NOT GO next week :P

Wait until they re-open (or plan on camping out in Vietnam for a good while) ;)

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS

EVisa online system UP and RUNNING (y)

You can now select, the thai consulates in Singapore, Taipei, Burma, Lao, Philippines along with the rest of the S/E Asian consulates that went online before

Keep in mind there are NO thai consulates in S/E Asia that have walk up, apply in person service any longer

ALL are on the eVisa system for applications

Vientiane, Savannakhet, and Yangon have in person payment systems at this time you cannot pay for the visa thru the online application portal

[members only]

Question about e-visas (DTV if it matters).

Suppose I fly to HCMC and apply for DTV using the HCMC embassy. I submit documentation that I'm in HCMC, such as hotel bookings.

While waiting for the application to be approved, I fly to Hanoi, which is under the jurisdiction of a different embassy, but still within the country of Vietnam.

Is that allowed?