I’m applying for a DTV visa for cooking classes in Thailand. The Thai/British Embassy requires the course to last at least one month. I’m being quoted 65k baht. £1500 for a one month course. No accommodation. Is this what you expect to pay.

Hey guys!

I'm a US citizen looking to get my DTV in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. I wanted help with the best practices/EXACT paperwork and docs needed so i get the least amount of additional requests or needless holdups:

I am a remote worker with an LLC although i'm fine doing soft power (muay thai or language) if that is a similar alternative. Which would be better?

Any advice and guidance would be super appreciated 🙏

I found two great videos on the DTV.

One is an interview with a Deputy General of Consular Affairs clearing up a lot of common questions people have about the DTV. The interview starts around the 3:23 mark. [members only]

The second is from Siam Legal about the Soft Power Activities option. [members only]

Some key information from the first video is that:

*You cannot apply for the DTV while in Thailand.

* After 180 days you can apply for an extension of another 180 days without doing a border run and leaving the country or having to provide proof that you are still eligible under whatever terms you applied (digital nomad or Soft Power Activities: medical appointments, conferences/seminars/festivals, Muay Thai training, Thai Yoga Massage training, Thai cooking lessons, etc.). There is no cost for this extension!

*After 360 consecutive days in residence however, you would have to leave Thailand. In the video they mentioned as short as a week, but gave no minimum (It could be less?) but you do not have to go far or outside the region). This would have a fee.

*You still have to check in every 90 days with this visa.

*After leaving the country you could then return for another 180+180 days as long as it’s still within the 5 year window, but you would then need to provide new documentation of either continued remote work, soft power activities or another medical appointment. I am not sure if this has a fee.

*Every time you leave and return to Thailand (within the five year window) the 180 day clock restarts after which you could apply for another 180 day extension. (I don’t believe it was specifically said, but I think you would have to resubmit documentation of either remote work, soft power activities or medical appointments at this time as well.) I am not sure if this has a fee.

*As of the making of that video, there is no minimum amount of time you have to engage in soft power activities to be eligible. I took that to mean you could schedule as little as a few days of soft power activities but as people have noted here your acceptance may depend on the official who is reviewing your application.

Hope this helps someone the way it helped me! Let me know if anything is different from how I described based on the videos or personal experience!

Question : Which soft-power activity did you choose to apply with?

And how much buying or booking this activity cost you?

anyone one know what all the soft power options are ! Cooking/ Maui Thai and do you just upload online pictures etc going to try to apply from Vietnam if possible.

DTV Approved in 4 BUSINESS DAYS from Vancouver embassy with an additional document request.

Applied: Monday September 30th

Approved: October 3rd

Category: Soft Power Medical Appointments

Finances: No 3 month seasoning period provided to them, just a print out of my most recent balance.

Process was simple, maybe easier than the last time I applied for a metv. I applied with only a print out of the page of my most recent balance through my RBC online banking for one of my accounts, and I also just for good measure threw in a most recent statement from my Thai Krungsri bank account balance, which I got through the app. all of this only showed them month of September. I used the ID Photo app and just took a selfie and got rid of the background instead of paying for passport photos to be taken. I applied with 4 medical appointments spaced out. 3 for the same thing, all follow ups, and 1 consultation at Samitivej hospital. All I did was send a quick email with the appointment dates I wanted and asked for them to send me the appointment slips by pdf and they got them back to me very fast. For proof of physical residency I just provided a scan of a letter notifying me my drivers license was up for renewal.

They requested another document clarifying my medical appointments, which I found a bit strange and vague because exactly what the appointments were for was on the appointment slips. I called the embassy and they looked at my application and told me I was fine to apply with what I sent in but they just wanted to make sure it was clear to whoever they sent it to for final approval. So all I did was write a signed letter explaining what they are for, and provide a certificate and appointment slip from earlier this year, which these appointments are follow-ups to. So I would recommend just writing a letter explaining what the appointments are and why you are doing them in the first place to send in with your application, as to not delay the process. But regardless, mine was approved super quick.

I had also spoken with the embassy prior to applying, and they told me I could send my appointments to a certain email and they will check to see if they would be considered approved before you even apply, which I did. If you want that email I'd be happy to give it to you.

Hope this helps anyone!

I want to apply for DTV next week at Kuala Lumpur. Their website has a list of 5 documents required for the soft power-related activities, but the Checklist_DTV.pdf at the bottom of the same page has 8, the extra ones are rental agreement and payslips/income proof.

Do you know what they actually ask for?

KL embassy not accepting DTV visa applications. October 8 they will open online application, until then they’re telling everyone to get tourist visas. People are pissed as you can imagine because there’s no where to get this information online.

Copied from another grouoe as a heads up.

Luckily I’m here applying for a different visa… wish me luck

Questions about the DTV:

👉🏽 is the visa fee for 5 years with multiple entries (or for just 1 year)?

👉🏽 does one have to proof a «soft power related activity» upon each entry or only with the first visa application?

Kop khun khrab ✌🏽

Does someone have a sample letter for the DTV, for applying with soft power activities? I am training muay thai, but it is hard to explain to my school what I need. I'm the only foreigner that trains here, and there is a bit of a language barrier. The school is accredited by the muay thai association, but this is the first attempt at DTV visa from there. Thanks in advance for your assistance