I’m planning to apply for a DTV visa in Vientiane, Laos, but I’m a bit worried because I was rejected once in Hanoi.

Do you know if DTV visa approvals in Vientiane have been going well recently? How many days did it take for people who were approved lately?

I’m planning to apply through a Thai cooking program. Do you have any advice or tips that might help increase the chances of approval? I’m quite concerned because of my previous rejection in Hanoi.

Applied dtv in Vientiane Laos

I have submitted my DTV in Vientiane Laos on 16th

Paid 11:20am 16th

2:30pm 16th,Request for doc as my mobile banking biodata and ATM card. Upload documents at 4:00pm

3:40pm 17th, request for clear photograph, upload pics at 4:40pm

18th this afternoon status change into “pending approval”

I am so anxious, what will be next? Is it considered fast the process speed? Is it consider to be a positive sign towards approval? Will I get an interview next?

Is there anyone also apply around same time what’s your status, thankyou

DTV APPROVED – VIENTIANE, LAOS

Applied: Jan 18, 2026

Fee paid: Jan 19, 2026

Pending approval: Jan 21, 2026

Approved: Jan 24, 2026

Freelancer. No agent used.

First of all, a big thank you to this group. I spent quite a bit of time reading previous approval posts here, saving examples, and learning from people who documented their process carefully. That guidance helped a lot.

Based on patterns I saw in the group, I focused heavily on clarity and structure. I submitted 3 separate PDFs, each with a signed cover letter, table of contents, and clearly labeled evidence. The goal was to make the officer’s review as straightforward as possible and avoid follow-up requests.

A few details that may be helpful to others:

* I applied in Vientiane, Laos.

* My intended travel date to Thailand was set to Jan 30. I do not know if this affected processing speed, but I chose a date close enough in case applications are prioritized by intended entry date, while still leaving sufficient time for processing, especially given some consular days off during my application period.

* No interview was required. At the time I applied, interviews were still considered mandatory in Vientiane. However, I had no interview, and I have seen a few recent approval posts here without interviews as well, so this may indicate a recent change in practice.

* All documents were in English except bank statements. For those, I attached both the original version and a Google-translated version, and highlighted the relevant details on the translated version (name, dates, balances, and deposits corresponding to invoices).

The 3 PDFs I submitted:

1. Financial Evidence - cover letter explaining the source of my funds:

* Personal bank statements (last 3 months, personal account, original + translated versions).

* USD to THB conversion table showing ending balances converted to THB.

* Proof of income: client invoices corresponding to deposits shown in the bank statements.

* Supplementary proof of funds: recent Interactive Brokers investment account statement.

2. Proof of Location - cover letter explaining that accommodation was short-term since I had not finalized my Laos itinerary yet, and declaring that I would remain in Laos until a final decision was issued:

* Laos visa and passport entry stamp. I included a photo of the passport fully opened, showing both facing pages with the entry stamp, as I had seen comments in this group that officers sometimes want to see the full passport spread rather than a single cropped page.

* Photo of me holding my passport in the arrivals hall at VTE airport.

* Airbnb booking and payment confirmation (Vientiane).

* Flight confirmation and boarding pass.

3. Freelancer Status - this was the main cover letter. It explained who I am, what services I provide, links to my professional profile, and why I want to live in Thailand. It also included a clear declaration that I will not provide services to Thai clients and will not receive any income from Thailand:

* Professional portfolio (CV + LinkedIn printout).

* Supporting documents from my main client: the service agreement, and a signed confirmation letter explicitly approving my ongoing engagement and clearly stating that I am allowed to work remotely, specifically including permission to work remotely from Thailand.

Overall, the process was smooth and I did not receive any follow-up requests.

Huge thanks again to everyone in this group who shared timelines, document structure, and lessons learned. Hopefully this helps someone else preparing their application.

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?

Everyone was so helpful in this group, I wanted to share my experience getting approval on my workcation/freelance DTV in Vientiane, Laos. It’s long, but hopefully helpful!

In advance of my arrival, I prepared all my documents.

Here’s everything I submitted, and I also submitted a cover page for each, explaining what I was including.

Financial Documents

1/ Bank Statement Summaries for three months (includes ending balance).

(I also offered them full bank statements (17 pages!) with all transactions, but they didn’t request them)

2/ Payments from clients (past three months)

3/ Client letters confirming self-employment status and that none of them were based in Thailand or had any offices there, along with 1099s (independent contractor tax form)

4/ Tax Return from 2024 (to show business income)

Professional Portfolio

1/ Cover letter explaining why I wanted to be in Thailand. Again, I mentioned I had no clients with business in Thailand, that I would be working remotely. I also mentioned wanting to immerse myself in the culture.

2/ Portfolio (I’m a freelance copywriter, so it was samples of client work, and an explanation of my role in the project)

3/ Resume

Proof that I was in Laos:

1/ Photo of plane ticket with arrival in Laos

2/ Photo of passport page with Laos entry stamp

3/ Hotel receipt

Tuesday, 11/11, arrived in Laos and submitted all documents online. PRINT OUT the payment voucher.

Wednesday 11/12, I went to the Embassy of Thailand (15 Rue Bourichane) to pay the $10,000 baht.

They open at 9am, but get there early! I was there at 8:45am and there were already 5 people in front of me. Go to the bank window, present your payment voucher and baht. They’ll stamp your voucher, but you don’t get any receipt.

Thursday, 11/13, they asked for a clearer passport page, and the full page of the passport page with entry stamp (I’d only sent the entry stamp). Respond quickly to any requests for additional information.

Friday, 11/14. I received my request for interview for Monday, 11/17! Just to be on the safe side, I printed out all my bank statements, and everything else I’d submitted.

Monday, 11/17. Interview at 10am. Again, go EARLY. They give the same time slot to multiple people.

The interview was 10 minutes at most: What are your plans while you’re in Thailand, wanted to see online bank balance, and again see client payments. I showed my website, explained my business, and where I’d be living in Thailand. I was told if I’d been approved, I’d hear by 2pm, and the answer was yes!

So amazingly, the whole process took less than a week!

I should mention that I applied before in August (Washington, DC Embassy) and was denied because my 500,000 baht had only been in my account for 2, not 3 months. I was offered the Multiple Entry Visa, which I declined. Having applied and been rejected before had no impact on this application in Laos.

Hi guys,

I’d like to apply for the DTV visa (soft power) in Vientiane, Laos. I meet all the requirements, but I am currently unemployed. Do you also need to show a stable monthly income in Laos, or is having a large amount of savings in the bank (well over 500,000 THB) sufficient? Thankyouu

I am looking to make a Visa run for a 90-Day Visa.

Where would you recommend, Hanoi, Ho Chin Min City, or Vientiane Laos?

I will be doing an E-Visa and spending 14+ days there.

hello my grandson, after submitting his visa application at the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, was called for an interview today from 10am to 10:30am for validation. Unfortunately he missed his flight... How can we contact the embassy We do not find on the website the possibility to leave a message, the phone numbers found on the internet do not respond and the email sent still found on the internet are not correct.

Can he run without an appointment? Thank you in advance for your help

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Bonjour mon petit-fils, après avoir déposé sa demande de visa à l'ambassade de Thaïlande à Vientiane (Laos) était convoqué à un entretien aujourd'hui de 10h à 10h30 pour validation. Hélas, il a raté son vol... Comment pouvons nous contacter l'ambassade. Nous ne trouvons pas sur le site internet de possibilité de laisser un message, les numéros de téléphone trouvé sur internet ne répondent pas et l'envoi d'email trouvée toujours sur internet ne sont pas correctes.

Peut il se présenter sans avoir de rendez-vous ? Merci d'avance pour votre aide

Hi guys

Just for share my experience :

✅I get DTV visa option soft power Muay Thai

📍Applying at Thai embassy in Vientiane Laos

✔️First want to notice the kindness of the staff at embassy

Appointment on Friday 06th December for give document and get back my passport on Wednesday 11th December

I did it by myself , no required agency . All was easy and fine .

I will train at Keh Muay Thai gym in Phuket Rawai. Anyone want to apply DTV with same option can go see them , this gym is approved for do DTV visa and ask fair price

Finally))))), I got my DTV, very happy)