Approved in Vientiane / Laos. Freelancer category.

Timeline:

Application submitted: 14/09

Request for further documents: 15/09

Interview: 23/09 10am (seen at 11am)

Approved: less than 15 minutes after my interview.

Entered Thailand: 23/09 (the evening of approval).

So it was 9 days from submitting and paying for the application to then physically being in Thailand 🇹🇭 very fast. I believe it was fast because I was extremely thorough in my application.

The only request for further documents I received was a clearer photo.

This group helped me a LOT!!!! And I mean, A LOT. So thank you to the admins and also all the members 🙏

My experience:

I own an events and entertainment company in Australia. It’s only small. I have zero staff and run it entirely online alone. I employ entertainment contractors for private events, parties and pub / club events.

I supplied a bunch of invoices and a bunch of remittance notices (payment confirmation slips).

I also supplied screenshots of my website and also a copy of my Australia business registry page from their website with my company name and Australian Business number, which matched all of my invoices.

Nothing more for proof of income.

I uploaded screenshots of my bank balance.

I did also upload 3 screenshots of my bank statements but only the opening and closing balances of each month. Not the whole 3 months of every transaction.

I wrote cover letters on every single document page and wrote as much information as possible.

I specifically wrote on page one of my employment documents specifically that my work was 100% Australian only and I had zero intention to bring that work to the kingdom (I referred to the Thailand as the kingdom of Thailand each time it was mentioned).

I explained that my intention of staying in Thailand was to immerse myself in thailands rich culture, nature and to learn about Buddhist culture whilst travelling and boosting the Thai economy through my remote income.

My 500,000THB had only been in my account 2.5 months. Not 3.

During the interview the staff were very kind. My interviewer was lovely. I was in there for under 10 minutes. He just asked to look at my bank balance on my phone app and also to see my website and asked me 1 or 2 questions about what my business actually did and how I was paid.

I found that the process was EXTREMELY easy (thanks to the knowledge acquired from this group) but quite time consuming. I uploaded so many documents because I just absolutely did not want to risk any chance of rejection and I did not rush.

I used Canva to create documents that were multiple pages long so I could upload around 4-6 screenshots / documents per page and also write notes on things if needed and circle things etc. then exported as a PDF and compressed the files before I uploaded. Because as you will see, there is only the option to upload 1 document per section, but of course we need to upload so many more, so this was the easiest way for me and it worked very well.

Thank you to everyone who helped with my questions during this time I will always appreciate you.

I would definitely recommend Vientiane / Laos for applying for DTV because I believe if there’s any small issues or mistakes in your application you’re going to be able to explain these in the interview. Laos is the ONLY destination that do interviews. This is why I chose it.

Please feel free to ask any questions if you would like some help! I’m happy to pay forward what everyone in the group (except the trolls) did to help me.

🫶

Hi, has anyone here applied for the DTV visa in Vientiane?​

The rule says you need 500,000 THB in your bank account, but do they check if it’s there for 3–6 months, or is it OK if the money was deposited recently?​

Would love to hear any recent experiences. Thanks! 🙏

I applied for DTV in Vientiane and got interview date about two weeks ago for June 5th. I have just received an email a few minutes ago saying the interview has been cancelled and to reschedule without any information. The Evisa portal has changed back from “request for interview” to “pending approval.” Has anyone experienced the same thing? There’s no option to reschedule that I can find in the portal or on the email.

Advice pls!

Applied in Vientane 14/5

Paid 14/5

Emailed with interview set for.... 28/5

Anyone else in Vientiane just get shafted?

Is it worth a shot going back in person to the consulate to see if anything can be done?

I've already made bookings hosting my parents for 6 days in Thailand thinking I'd given myself plenty of time from everything I'd read about the Vientiane consulate, and this is... a bit of a clusterf*ck.

Thank goodness my DTV approved using soft power cooking class.

23 March 2025 - Applied the visa online at Laos

24 March 2025

9.00am - Make the payment at the Consulate.

4.26pm - Ask for the Laos Stamp

28 March 2025

9.00am - Went to Consulate and asking my application

10.42am - Email (Ask about the DBD and Owner ID for the Cooking - must signed by the owner). Few round email.

5.00pm - Sent the right documents from the school.

31 March 2025

9.10am - Went to Consulate and asking my application

10.00am - Change status from Checking to Waiting for Approval

3.00pm - Went to Thailand and waiting for the bus

4.55pm - Email (Interview on 2 April 2025 after lunch)

5.30pm - Back to Laos

1 April 2025

2.10pm - Interview

2.15pm - DTV Visa Approval

When I crossed the border, I showed Thai Immigration my visa via phone. But she never bothered to look, because their system already showed DTV.

Im planning my first visa run to vientiane, what would be the things i need to consider?

Do i need to make an appointment in advance, do i just go to the consulate in Vientiane, or how does it work? what are the documents i need to apply for a tourist visa?

Quick note, i cannot get thai visa on arrival so please consider that

Thank you very much!

Hi everyone!

I'm planning to apply for a DTV visa in Vientiane, Laos. I have all the documents ready. As a Korean citizen, I know the visa fee (10,000 THB) should be waived when applying online.

But I heard that in Vientiane, they don’t accept online processing and still charge 10,000 THB — even for countries that are supposed to be exempt.

I also watch some Korean YouTubers paid 10,000 THB there last year.(just after dtv visa appears)

So I’m wondering — did they pay by mistake, or does Vientiane charge everyone regardless of exemption?

For people from visa fee-exempt countries, do you think it's better to avoid applying in Vientiane?

Thanks in advance.

Visa approved in Vientiane.

Yesterday I got an email for an interview scheduled for Monday morning the 17th. I muttered under my breath having to stay the weekend. The standard form email invitation for an interview was missing text and cut off mid sentence. So I hatched a plan to go to the consulate this morning and ask the staff about the missing information in the email in case it was important to prepare for the interview, with the hope that since I was there with my documents that somehow I'd be granted an interview regardless. The young man behind the counter called me up and I showed him the email and tried to explain that there is some missing context in the email, Even though it clearly stated that my appointment was for Monday he gave me a queue number and I waited. About 30 minutes later I was called into the consular and he carefully reviewed my application I showed him some of my supporting medical documents, he looked at my passport opened my bank apps and told me I was approved and expect an email soon. (Jedi mind trick level 2 achievement). I never got a chance to explain why I was there according to the email and by the time I got back to my hotel right now it was approved, so tada. I saved a weekend of waiting. The consul was very clear in instructing me to print out the DTV to be shown in case there was any mistaken visa exempt stamp given at the border.

Submitted March 11th, pending document check 12th, pending approval 13th, interview request 13th, cutting in line 14th, unleashed Jedi mind trick, visa issued 10:30am 14th.

Submitted my online application soft power medical just after midnight this morning in Vientiane. I had to change my Non B extension 6 weeks before the DTV was released, so I immediately changed to Non O based on being over 50. Went to the consulate to queue at 8am for the 9am opening and surprised to see only a Thai/Laos family in line ahead of me to get a passport for their daughter. I'm a bit pissed at myself for not realizing there was a QR Code to download and print off by clicking whatever it was I needed to click to take me to that QR code form. This was revealed to me by the gateman and as I turned around to find a printer a tout dragged me across the street to a canopy tent with a guy and a laptop ready to grease me for 50 baht to print one page. I walked down the street into an office building and saw a young lady exiting an office and queried her as to where I could get a page printed. She kindly got it done for me in a minute. Apparently the office is a learning center and she spoke great English. So back down the street to hand over the printout and pay my 10K. Walked into the main foyer inside and spoke with a friendly, kind, informative, office staffer who told me that likely I'd be called in for an interview/open banking app in person by Friday. By the time I was back at my hotel status went from pending payment to payment received and pending document check, by 2pm it went to pending approval. I waited till today to apply as it was exactly 3 months seasoning of the 500K in one account and another account with 500+K that had steady monthly incremental increases over a year. Drove my old car from Chiang Rai to Vientiane using a international car passport from Thai DLT and a mini-marathon of back and forth counter shuffling paperwork on both sides of the Nong Khai border, it was a bucket list, level up task I wanted to accomplish. Apparently first time is always extra duty and easier once you get the initial bar/QR code. Beer Laos is dirt cheap 32 baht a bottle, I'm going to bring a dozen home even tho I'm not a drinker. Will update this post as circumstances dictate.

PS, on the same side of the street beside the consulate is a coffee shop, and beside the coffee shop is another person under a tent doing printing for 10 baht (if I recall).

Update 13/03 2pm

E-mail received for interview Monday morning, darn I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait through the weekend. But, on the other hand it's pretty much a done deal now. I came with 3.1 million Kip, only have half a million left, my biggest expense was 620,000 on a quality outdoor adventure type shirt. 100K on a massage and the rest on food and morning coffee, where the heck did it all go?

Approval post

[members only]/

How long is processing time for single entry tourist visa application at Vientiane/Savannakhet consulates (and where is the shortest for that matter Laos or otherwise)? Does it really take 10 ~ 15 days?

Does one have to be the resident or national of the country at where you're filing the application from to be eligible for SETV (METV only?).

Also, at what point do you have to pay up the application fee? The applicant is in CM now where he will file online SE tourist visa application from. It is assumed it takes at least two days to travel from CM to Vientiane via Thai-Lao friendship bridge. Does that give the applicant enough time window to go make application fee payment at the embassy/consulate when he is called to pay up?