Heading back home in a couple of weeks. I plan to apply for the DTV visa while I’m there.

Is there anything I should take care of now while I’m still in Thailand documents, paperwork, or parts of the process or can everything be handled from the U.S.?

Also, for showing income: I’m paid two ways from the same company, which I’m part owner of. First, I receive a regular monthly salary. Second, I receive monthly distributions that vary a lot. Both are well above the required amount, the salary alone already meets the requirement.

Should I avoid mentioning the distributions to prevent confusion, or is it better to show the higher total income even if the salary alone qualifies?

Thanks in advance.

Does anyone have a similar situation like this? I have two citizenships - Vietnamese and Serbian. My remote work contract and my bank account are all serbian and have info from my serbian passport. I want to apply for DTV from Hanoi where I live rn. Should I apply using my serbian passport or vietnamese passport?

is it necessary to book 2 weeks in Hanoi applying for the DTV or can I just book 10 days accommodation?

(Does it matter for the application?)

Hi, need advice on applying for DTV and recommendation for a good agent in chiang mai. What docs are needed, etc? Thanks in advance 🙏

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this group. It seems a lot of people are applying for the DTV Visa while being in Laos or Vietnam. Is that better then just applying online from your home country and waiting to be approved then flying directly to Thailand?

Also I own my own registered company and provide online freelance/subcontractor services but don't have any significant branding or website to show for it will that be an issue?

My business account currently doesn't have the 500k sitting there but my personal savings does should be fine right.

Thanks for any insights!

Okay here's a question. My friend is here in Thailand he's going to leave to Hong Kong. He is a UK resident and want to apply for a 90-day non-o Visa in Hong Kong. Is that fine or does he have to go back to the UK since that is where his passport is from?

Hi everyone, I have a question about the DTV Soft Power visa.

I’m planning to apply around 18 December. The required 500k THB is in my parents’ account, not mine. If I transfer the money into my own account now, will that be a problem? Do they check how long the funds have been there, or only the balance on the application day?

I was planning to apply in Ho Chi Minh, but I can change cities if needed.

If anyone has recent experience, what should I be careful with? Any common reasons for rejection I should avoid?

Thanks a lot for any advice.

# Got my DTV Visa (Remote Work) approved in HCMC, Vietnam.

I will share the full story (I was asked twice for additional documents), but first here are some short notes:

- Applied from Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

- Used Revolut account (including Pockets)

- German Passport

- Remote work with a US LLC

Short Timeline:

Monday, November 10 – 10:11 am – submitted application

Wednesday, November 12 – 4:40 pm – requested further documents

Friday, November 14 – 11:45 am – submitted additional documents

Monday, November 17 – 3:30 pm – requested further documents

Monday, November 17 – 11:48 pm – submitted additional documents

Tuesday, November 18 – 10:11 am – visa approved ✅

Because not many people share this, and I was a bit confused at the beginning about these parts:

— Address information: You must first enter your current location address, then click “No” when asked if this is also your permanent address. After that, add the address where you live most of the time.

— Intended Date of Arrival: The date when you plan to enter Thailand.

— Intended Date of Departure: The date when you plan to leave Thailand (within 180 days).

— Last Port of Embarkation: The country you were in right before entering Thailand on your last entry.

— Flight number: If you have not booked a flight yet, just check Google Flights and enter a flight number.

⸻————————

And now, the full story:

Applied in HCMC, Vietnam (from Phu Quoc Island).

For everyone staying in Phu Quoc and confused that the district (Kien Giang) is listed for the Hanoi embassy: I called the Hanoi embassy, and they told me I can apply at both, but I should apply in HCMC. I think it’s better there, but Hanoi would also accept.

Applied as Business owner with a US LLC – income more than 80,000 USD / year.

Submitted documents (10th of November 2025):

—> Passport bio-data page

—> Photograph

—> Financial evidence:

(1) Self-written letter with an overview of my bank statements, including total balances on August 1, in between, and on November 7 (more than 500,000 THB). I added the euro amounts from personal and Pocket accounts and converted them to THB.

(2) Revolut bank statements (33 pages) with highlighted income payments. Most of the funds were in Pockets and only a small amount in my personal account. For those using Revolut: I explained in the letter on the first page that both are part of the same personal account—they are just separated in the statements.

—> Business:

(1) Cover letter + information about additional documents

(2) Business registration certificate (US LLC)

(3) Full portfolio (including an introduction about me, how I work, what I offer, tools I use, visual work examples, website links, pictures, sample pricing packages, client feedback)

(4) Cooperation agreement with one of my clients

(5) Four business invoices from 2024 and 2025

(6) Table with an overview of business income in 2025

(7) Proof of remote work letter

(8) Screenshots from my website

—> Current location

(1) Accommodation booking confirmation on Phu Quoc (two weeks via Agoda)

(2) Flight confirmation from Koh Samui, Thailand to Phu Quoc, Vietnam

(3) Boarding pass

(4) Vietnam entry stamp

(5) Photo of me with my passport in front of the hotel

To be honest, I thought I had already given more than enough, but after two days they asked for additional documents (12th of November 2025):

***Povide your income tax for the last 2 years.

***Provide more information about your experience in this field and details about your current work, including (1) your CV or portfolio and (2) examples of your work, along with any supporting materials demonstrating your experience and qualifications.

Submitted additional documents (14th of November 2025):

—> For income tax:

(1) Income tax return from 2023 from Germany (English certified translation + German original)

(2) Letter explaining that I was temporarily residing in Thailand in 2024 (stayed over 180 days) and paid taxes according to Thai rules (only money transferred to Thailand), and listing the attached documents

(3) Thai income tax declaration (Thai and English versions)

(4) Overview (Excel screenshot) of income in 2024

(5) Official business statements from Wise Business Account for 2 months in 2024 (to support the Excel data)

Explanation: The 2024 tax declaration does not show my full real income because I did not transfer everything into Thailand. To avoid further questions about my income in 2024, I proactively added the income overview and statements.

—> For business:

(1) Letter outlining professional background and experience

(2) CV listing all relevant periods since becoming self-employed / founding my company, to show the timeline and development

(3) Additional portfolio pages covering services I offer (again!), 2 detailed project examples (with screenshots, descriptions, results, project dates), client feedback (again!), screenshots and website links (again!)

I did not expect another request, but they asked again.

This time they asked for (17th of November 2025):

***Please provide evidence of all previous employment listed in your CV, including employment contracts from former companies, photos at previous workplaces, and any other relevant documentation.

***Document indicating current location (e.g., valid visa, receipts / proofs of payment for airline tickets or accommodation, etc.): Provide the full passport, including empty pages (TAKE A PHOTO, DO NOT SCAN). The date the photograph was taken is required.

***Please describe your journey entering the job market, including your starting salary and the steps you took to negotiate and reach your current salary level.

Documents I submitted (17th of November 2025):

—> For employment evidence:

(1) Letter explaining that I am not employed and cannot provide employment contracts. Everything listed in the CV is self-employment / business activity, and I added proof of my self-employed work since 2022.

(2) Another client cooperation agreement (client since 2022)

(3) Another business invoice (from 2022 – to show when I started; English + German)

(4) A photo of me working on my laptop in an apartment while traveling

—> For passport:

(1) Photos with timestamp and location (there is an app like “Timestamp Camera”) of all passport pages — do not forget the cover page and the last outer page!

—> For job journey:

(1) A letter describing how everything started, where I found clients, how my expertise grew, the natural progression of improving my services and increasing income, and where I stand today.

I submitted everything on November 17 late in the evening (just before midnight) and finally received approval on November 18 around 10 am. 🥳

Overall, it took about one week, which is okay.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

📌 My DTV Approval Experience Softpower Muay Thai (Applied in Hanoi – Full Breakdown)

Posting this because I struggled to find proper info on using a WISE account for DTV, so here’s my full process to help others.

I’m a 26-year-old Belgian who’s been in Thailand over 2 years (mostly on ED visa, two tourist stamps, one border bounce), with a brand-new Belgian passport issued in Bangkok.

-I live in Huahin and applied under King of Muay Thai 17,500 baht for 6 months (10 group courses)

-Flight to Hanoi around 6,000 baht roundtrip

- I was reluctant to apply myself and use an agent and i'm glad I did not -- all they do is apply as you online anyway, you'll still need to fly, pay the fees, submit the documents.

📅 TIMELINE (4 BUSINESS DAYS)

15th November (Saturday), 11:30 PM – Submitted my DTV application in Hanoi, Vietnam.

16th November (Sunday), around 12:00 AM – Payment completed right after midnight.

17th November(Monday) – Status changed from Document Checking → Pending Approval.

20th November (Thursday) – Approved, no additional documents requested.

💰 ABOUT WISE (IMPORTANT)

I had 500,000 THB for less than 3 months in my WISE account, but the account was actively used, and I had a little over 300,000 THB at the start of the 3-month period.

There’s almost no information online about using WISE, but mine passed without issues.

📄 DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED (ALL DOCUMENTS FOR EACH CATEGORY MERGED INTO ONE PDF VIA ILOVEPDF)

1. VIETNAM PROOF – 1 PDF

(Everything below merged into this single PDF)

• Hotel booking

• Hotel receipt

• Picture of me holding my passport + room key in front of the hotel sign so the address is clearly visible in big letters

• Close-up picture of me + passport + room key

• Photo of me at a Vietnamese café

• Entry stamp into Vietnam

2. BANK DOCUMENTS – 1 PDF

(Everything below merged into this single PDF)

• WISE certificate proving ownership of the account

• 3-month bank statement with my name and ending balance highlighted

3. MUAY THAI GYM DOCUMENTS – 1 PDF

(Everything below merged into this single PDF)

• 3–4 pages from King of Muay Thai (merged + compressed); Acknoledgement letter + Payment received letter + Certificate from Sports Authority of thailand stating they recognize the Muay Thai gym + Muay Thai Gym Business details + Owners passport + Owners work permit

4. PASSPORT DOCUMENTS – 1 PDF (FIRST DOCUMENTS YOU SUBMIT AT THE FIRST PAGES)

• Recent photo with white background

• Scanned passport

⚠️ PASSPORT PLACE OF ISSUE — VERY IMPORTANT

If your passport was issued abroad, do NOT select your home country.

Mine was issued in Bangkok, so I selected Bangkok or Exactly as writted in passport.

Many people get rejected for choosing their nationality instead of the actual place of issue.

✈️ CONFUSING QUESTIONS & HOW I ANSWERED THEM

“Place of last embarkment / last place of embarkment”

→ This means the airport you will fly from before entering Thailand. I put Vietnam airport.

Flight number

→ I used the flight I booked via Trip.com (it was a flexible ticket set for the 25th — not sure if that helped speed things up).

Commercial or charter flight?

→ I chose Commercial.

Arrival date:

→ I put 25th, the date of my booked flight.

Departure date:

→ I counted roughly 6 months from my arrival and put a date 1–2 days short of exactly 6 months.

First address they ask for:

→ This MUST be your current address (hotel address or the address where you are physically staying while applying).

Then it asks: “Is this also your permanent address?”

→ I selected NO.

→ After that, I entered my permanent home-country address.

(There’s almost zero guidance online about this step, so take note.)

Address in Thailand + how long you’ll stay there

→ I used my home address and the number of days matching my 6-month renewable lease.

⚠️ IMPORTANT SUBMISSION TIPS

• Double and triple check everything — I checked my submission 10 times.

• Copy-pasting my hotel address did not work because the website does NOT support Vietnamese accented characters. I had to search the hotel on another website to copy a non-accented version.

• All PDFs were merged cleanly using iLovePDF before uploading.

💡 NOTE:

I did NOT submit a cover letter or table of contents.

Many people say it’s needed, but I didn’t include anything extra and still got approved smoothly.

Everything I learned from this group is exactly what helped me apply and get approved. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences — it genuinely helped me get through this.

Good luck to anyone applying, and feel free to ask me questions. I was in the same boat as you.

I just had my DTV approved today from Canberra after waiting a month, just wanted to share for anyone applying in the future that they seem to approve them based on the date you say you intend to go to Thailand. I can see from this group that people had applied at the Canberra embassy after me and been approved before me, I had put Dec 1 as my intended date just to allow time for the visa to be approved, whereas I should have said earlier. Hopefully this helps someone that's wanting a quicker approval