My Experience Traveling to Thailand with the New DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) from India

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my recent travel experience using the new Digital Travel Visa (DTV), which might help others planning their trip.

I received my DTV in early March (I’ve already shared a thread on how I got it—check the group for details). I traveled to Bangkok on March 24th via IndiGo Airlines, but I faced an issue at check-in. The airline staff was unaware of the DTV and initially denied my check-in for not having a return ticket. They insisted that Indian passport holders are only allowed a 60-day stay. Unfortunately, I had weak internet and couldn’t open the official portal to show the updated guidelines.

After a few minutes, another staff member searched online and found the new visa rules, after which I was allowed to board.

✅ No issues at Indian immigration (Bengaluru Airport).

✅ At Bangkok immigration, I was in the regular line (while most Indians were sent to the visa exemption queue). I informed the officer about my DTV and mentioned I was looking for a house for long-term living. He asked about my work and whether I planned to buy property in Thailand. I replied yes, and he smiled and welcomed me warmly!

Key Takeaways for DTV Holders:

➡️ Many airlines are still unaware of the new DTV. Carry proof of your visa and be prepared to explain it.

➡️ Immigration officers in Thailand seem well-informed and welcoming.

➡️ Internet access at check-in is important—have screenshots or saved documents just in case.

Happy to share that I’ve now secured a beautiful villa in Phuket and will be relocating with my family next month! We are looking for like minded families to get along and friends for my 6 years young, energetic and English speaking daughter in Thalang. I'm a Entrepreneur and a Youtuber working from home.

Hope this helps others planning their journey. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

Safe travels, everyone! ✈️

Hi all hope u all well

If we buy a house in Thailand if and when we come to sell can we take the money out of Thailand if we don’t want to stay living there

Thanks

Dear Community,

Can you buy a Condo, if you are a DTV VISA holder ?

Now that I have my DTV and my banking setup finalized, I’m starting to seriously explore the real estate market.

I’m considering purchasing a condo as my forever home, but I’ve come across mixed opinions regarding condos and their ability to hold value over time.

Is the concern primarily due to the sheer volume of condos being built, leading to a saturated market? Or is it more about factors like the location, quality of construction, and upgraded finishes that influence a condo’s value over the next 10-15 years?

I’d love to hear your insights and any advice you might have on navigating this decision.

I am looking for a recommendation for a lawyer who can assist us in purchasing a condo and can help with advice on the right visa.

Thanks.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could help me by recommending a reputable agency that can guide me through the process of retiring to Thailand. Visa, rentals ect. Thank you in advance 😊

Hi

Is it possible to be on retirement Non O visa and rent a resort without working have staff , manager and receive profits ?

*Anyone else waiting on the new visa updates for the 5yr DTV? Im 33yrs old coming from USA and with this visa it seems you can only stay 6mo a year so im now thinking to buy a house there thats a little cheaper than I was planning and now thinking I should start looking for another country with a similar easy cheap visa (since im too young for any retirement visa even tho im retired). What other countries that are NOT western that would be good to spend the other 6mo of the year and where cost of living is reasonable and 50-70k usd will get a respectable 60sqm+ condo? Im from miami so im already used to the disgusting 90* 90% humidity everyday, figuring ill spend winters in Pattaya then go to the other country for summer to be a good combo? South of france like Nice-antibes would be great and cost of living is low except purchasing a condo is miami pricing... easy visa tho.... dont want to rent anywhere, so purchasing a property is the critical part of the equation. *

*So what are you guys doing that spend half a year in thailand and the other half somewhere else thats not from the western world?*

Hello! Can you recommend me about an agency that can help me with the procedures for opening a company to rent houses where I can obtain a work permit? Thank you

Hi everyone, we are about to buy a condo in Thailand! we are expats, we don’t live in Thailand so we would be coming on a tourist visa, we we’re wondering if we can open a Thai bank account? We would like to pay our foreign funds into this account instead of handing all this money to agent initially, we a bit scared of that, Question : is it possible to open a thai bank account while on a tourist visa ? Any help would be great thanks 🙏🌸