We applied for my girlfriend's DTV last week. Today we just got it approved and have the DTV safely delivered in her inbox. Just thought I'd update here so anyone else applying in a similar circumstance and via HCMC knows what the rough wait times currently are.

# Embassy & DTV Type

* Soft Power - Muay Thai

* Embassy - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

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# Timeline

See below a breakdown of our timeline below:

1. Saturday 4th October @ 3pm - Submitted application via Thai Visa website.

2. Monday 6th October @ 5pm - Request for additional Documents, which included:

- Document indicating current location: Provide pictures of every single page of passport, not scanned but a photo taken, including time and date stamp.

- Proof of monthly income: If unemployed, explain how you will sustain yourself on a 5-year visa and what your plans are for after your 6 month Muay Thai course.

- Email from Muay Thai Gym: Ask the gym to send a student confirmation email directly to embassy email, use the same email that is listed on their website for credibility and attach a screenshot of the email to help with verification.

- Financial Evidence: Show a deposit account with 6 months of statements of transactions with amount totalling no less than 500,000 Thai Baht.

3. Tuesday 7th October @ 1pm - We submitted additional requested docs.

4. Wednesday 8th October - Thai eVisa website status changed from 'Request additional Docs' to 'Pending Approval'

5. Friday 10th October @ 5:10pm - Visa approved and DTV delivered by email 🥳

So all in all, it took 5 full business days including additional docs request, but we were obviously very fast at providing the requested docs. Any extra time you take, might cause further delays.

But it only took 48 hours after our status changed to 'Pending approval'. So all in all, it was very quick and I'm impressed after hearing about how long it's taken people in the past from HCMC.

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# Additional Information

* 6 month statements doc request - This was odd, because we already included it in our original submission. I gathered they just wanted to see a second version updated to the latest date so we exported another 6 month statement that included the last few days that weren't on the original submission and submitted it on it's own file as per their request.

* Proof of income & sustaining yourself - My girlfriend has recently started her own business which is still only at the beginning. She has a very minimal income, and it's not even regular monthly, it's spaced out a lot. We wrote a cover letter that explained this, and explained that she'd likely be continuing her Muay Thai training way past the 6 months in between travelling in and out of Thailand. We express her love for the country, culture, people and food. We then attached a certificate of her registered company, her company bank account and stripe account to show the minimal income there. I then wrote a cover/sponsor letter from me, explaining that she lives with me and I cover most of her living costs, including apartment rent and food. I explained I am already on a DTV for 1 year and showed 1 month bank statement to show my funds that I have enough to support her.

All in all, I was pretty anxious the entire week because it had been 1 year since I originally got my DTV in London, and just heard so many stories about people getting denied for not knowing the reason after what seemed like a very good and strong application, it really felt like it just totally depends on who you get on the day and what mood they're in. Plus my girlfriend was way less qualified to get a DTV than me.

Fortunately, it all worked out. Hope this helps anyone else with their applications or anxiety whilst they are waiting 😂.

Was helpful going through this group the past week, so thanks to everyone who contributes.

Approved! Very fast and easy. Applied on Monday the 6th Oct and received this morning the 9th Oct 2025.. applied in Melbourne and submitted to Thai Embassy Canberra. Booked fly to Thailand this Saturday the 11th.. woohuuu

Anyone know how much longer after submitting requested docs it takes to get approved? I submitted requested docs Friday, yet still on pending document check… I applied at HCMC consulate

Sharing since I've been lurking around for 15 months.

DTV Soft Power Cooking (House of Taste Thai Cooking, Bangkok)

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Application Submitted: 19-Sept

Additional Docs Req (all pages of passport): 29-Sept

Docs Submitted: 30-Sept

Application Approved: 01-Oct

Total: 7-8 Business Days

Did NOT use an agent. Provided 3 months bank statements with over 500k THB balance.

British passport, shoe size 10.

Thank you all members on this group for the helpful information. I just got my DTV softpower Visa! 🍀

I was many times in Thailand, try to stay in Thailand without a visa up to 6 month, but last time they took me out to explain me that I need a good visa. So after I fly to my homecountry Austria i contact the Thai embassy in Vienna via email for more information about the DTV and the 500.000Thb, they want to see. They told me, they also except online bank account statements (English!) from Revolut, but the money have to stay minimum 3 month! I ask if a saving account on revolut also ok, but never get answer 🤣 so I transfer all my money to my revolut main account, hold in around 14000€, and use this account all the time for spending in Supermarkt, shopping in Austria 🇦🇹 I think it’s also a proof that you stay in Austria while you apply, because I heard the embassy in Vienna, that they like to invite you for a interview. And when you live far away it’s not easy to take time and go there. So I was lucky- no interview!

Here are the facts:

September 12> my agent in 🇹🇭 check and apply all the documents for me (cost me 5500THB) including the papers from MuayThaiCourse 6Month/2Class (28000THB)

Meanwhile I was working and waiting in Austria and was shocked that I got this message:👇

September 17th> Nachforderung:

- A cover letter explaining your current profession and how it aligns with the DTV requirements-

So I just wrote some letter, explaining my job, my company, my income and ask my boss for a extra confirmation that I am able to go to Thailand long time and I am able to work again in the future whenever I want because him have many company’s so it’s easy to quit and start again. All this I send in English and wait until yesterday evening (25.9) to get My DTV! ✅

… so it took me 13days including weekends. Some nights I was not able to sleep, because I was thinking they not want to give me the visa for some reason, because many people book the MuayThai school, but never go. I payed a lot so I also want to use. Anyway I need more sport activities! 🤣 I am happy that everything is done, I think it will be harder in the future to get this kind of Visa.

Wish you all good luck

What is process of applying for a family business visa of husband, wife and three children.

I just got my visa approved on Sep 15th through the Soft Power program.

I applied in Ho Chi Minh on September 4, and even though the embassy asked for some extra documents (and my phone broke at the worst timing ever..55), everything finally worked out.

Big thanks to Wildcat Muay Thai in Chiang Mai — I honestly couldn’t have done it without their guidance and support 🙏

And also thanks to this group for sharing so much helpful info along the way.

Can’t wait to be back in Chiang Mai with my visa and start training soon!

Big thanks to everyone who answered my questions and shared their experiences — your advice really helped!

For anyone curious about the process:

I submitted my documents on August 20, and on August 21 they asked me to provide recommendation letters and my portfolio. I sent everything in, and just 15 minutes later I got an invitation for an interview scheduled on August 27.

The interview itself lasted maybe five minutes and had a super relaxed, friendly vibe more like chatting with a friend. They only asked me to show proof of funds at the bank and my portfolio on my phone.

Just two hours after the interview, I got the notification that my visa had been approved. The whole process took exactly 7 days from submission to final approval.

Once again, huge thanks to everyone for your help and support! 🙌

✨ VISA AGENT SCAMMER UPDATE ✨

I wrote a post a few months ago about how I was scammed by a “visa agent” that found me on this group. She took my 11,000 baht and and as soon as I sent the money asked for another 11,000 baht.

At that point I realized it was a scam and asked for the refund. The person kept promising to refund every day, stretching the time.

I finally went to the police and filed a complaint.

Long story short: I got my money back a few days ago.

💸 11,000 baht that the scammer took from me and never returned — now it’s back in my hands thanks to the police.

The scammer got anxious ONLY when she received a summon from the police. Basically if she didn’t show up (or rather the person whose bank account she is using), police would have the right to arrest her/him.

It took almost 2 months, but I didn’t give up. I hope my story inspires you too:

👉 If someone scams you, always go to the police.

👉 Be persistent. Don’t let it slide. BE PERSISTENT AT THE POLICE STATION. At first police didn’t want to help me. I just persisted and persisted. Take Thai/English speaking person with you. Otherwise, at the police suggest that you hire an interpreter (I’ve learned that it’s one of the reasons police didnt want to take my case at first. Worried about them having to hire interpreter by themselves).

👉 Keep the mindset: I will do whatever it takes to make the scammer pay. I took this scammer personally. My heart is singing right now that I won and that she’s the one begging police to unfreeze her account now. I hope her account is unfrozen with the same delay with which she returned my money. 🤣

👉 NEVER give your money over the Internet. Take a picture of person’s ID PERSONALLY before proceeding with any payment.

💭 To those who laughed at me for believing in the police — ha-ha, look at me now. 😁

💭 To those who supported me in the comments and in private messages with kind words and useful information about the scammer — thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are amazing. 💖

💭 And to the scammer (because I know you’re reading this): karma will find you. 😈

⚠️ Some people asked me to disclose her identity. I checked with the police — and the answer is NO, it’s not safe in a PUBLIC SETTING.

But just so you know:

🔹 The scammer was already removed from this group a few months ago.

🔹 She changed her profile name right after I reported her.

🔹 When she texts you, she rushes you to start cooperation with her, sends selfies with her being at the immigration, holding passports etc. Asks you to sends the documents and even reviews them for you. Do not think she’s not a scammer just because she knows a lot about visa process.

🔹 Her bank account was frozen as soon as I filed the complaint, and now the official process is ongoing.

💪 The lesson? Never give up. Justice takes time, but it’s worth fighting for. I could have lost. But I knew I would do ANYTHING I CAN to make the scammer pay.

Just back from sisaket immigration 30day extension .tried to use the tm7 file supplied and recommended by the group. They handed me totally different forms to fill out.

Everything ok was in and out in 10minutes.