Bank

If someone knows where to get a bank account with DTV (I know it’s not possible atm) or a agency who could help – please reach out to me.

EDIT: Thanks for the clarity on Thai language not qualifying as soft power. Got conflicting information there. Have adjusted the post accordingly.

I could use some advice from this group as I gear up to apply for my DTV at the beginning of March.

I am looking at Workcation, and could qualify for either Track A or B.

I keep hearing conflicting stories that one/the other are getting harder to obtain, and don’t know what to trust, so I’d like to have plans for both, in case one is denied and I need to reapply.

I’m providing likely more information than is necessary in the hopes of getting high quality responses. I’m posting anonymously because of the depth of this information provided.

I am a French/American citizen, was intending to apply on my French passport, as that’s what I’ve consistently used to travel to Thailand.

I am an independent consultant, facilitator, and speaker in the social impact sector operating out of a US LLC. The business has been operational since 2018.

Most of my work is project based and ad hoc. I do have one longstanding client that pays my business 4,200 euro monthly.

I can show a years work of consistent member draw of $5,500-$6,000 USD per month.

I have the pre-requisite 500k baht in an available personal savings account which I can demonstrate for the last 3 months.

I will be updating my website to show as more of a professional photo - with logos of clients, case studies, and some photos of me facilitating/speaking. There’s ample evidence online (LinkedIn, speaking reels, etc.)

I am currently in Chiang Mai on standard tourist visa, and intend to go to Hanoi beginnning of March before it expires, and apply from there. I have flexibility on location I go, would prefer its relatively close, affordable flights, and needs to have accomodation with reliable internet for video calls. I wanted to do Hanoi because I have a friend there I would like to visit.

Please note I’ve researched requirements at length - with the embassies, online research, AI, and through this group.

Here's the remaining questions that are coming up for me:

1. Based on the above information, for Workcation, is it better to go the Remote Worker (Track A) or Business Owner (Track B) route? I’ve heard advise both ways - including the suggestion to go the Remote Worker track of my own company and write a letter authorizing myself to work from Thailand.

2. Does the intended date of arrival to Thailand that I put on the application have an impact? I’d ideally book a one way ticket to Hanoi, and then book my return as soon as the visa was approved, so unsure what to put.

Thank you in advance for your constructive responses and support!

A freelancer wanting to apply for DTV

I am not employed by a company and do not have a registered buisness, can I still apply for the dtv as a freelancer?

Accountant/bookkeeping DTV

Has anyone successfully applied for DTV as an accountant or bookkeeper?

Obviously would be remote working and not client facing.

I can get all the documents for a UK registered company and employment contract (I’m one do the directors and job role is accountant). 500,000+ in Bangkok Bank saving account for three months and 6+ months payslips from the company to UK bank account.

Was going to use an agent but the owner actually advised I do it myself. Currently on ED visa through them for a number of years. They were charging 65,000 baht and I think I would have been one of the first to use their DTV service with no guarantees it is accepted as per all agents.

Going apply for the DTV myself in Vientiane next month (only 180km drive from Khon Kaen) and really appreciate all the posts and advice on here.

Has anyone managed to get a Thai Driving License or a Pink ID on a DTV ?

I have received my DTV today, two weeks after I had applied. Here is my experience :

I’m a business owner in Belgium, resident in Belgium and spending most of the “European wintertime” in Thailand where I have a condo since many years. I fly 2 or 3 times a year to Thailand and stay each time 1 to (maximum) 3 months.

Usually I apply for a Multiple Tourist Visa, and occasionally a Single Tourist Visa if I have an extra trip to Thailand outside the 6 months period from the MTV.

I have never had an overstay, never used the “visa exemption” multiple times within a year. And I have Thai driver’s licenses and Thai bank accounts.

My application :

- applied for DTV E-visa on 22nd September from Belgium; selected “workcation”.

- 2 days later the status -can be checked online- changed from “checking documents” to “pending approval”.

- this status continued for about two weeks until I received my E-visa by mail on 7th October. No other documents were asked.

Documents that I uploaded for the application :

- copy of my passport

- recent picture similar to pictures you would use for passport/ID card/…

- proof of current residency; official document from the local government. In Belgium we can get this online within a couple of minutes. Document was in Dutch en had digital signatures. No wet signature or stamp.

- address in Thailand; I have a condo in Phuket and entered that address.

- flight ticket; I have booked a flight arriving in Thailand end of October, returning end of November.

- bank statement of a Belgian savings account on my personal name. I uploaded the statements from the last 6 months though a specific period was not asked. The balance was never below 25.000,- euro (about 950.000,- THB), exceeding the requested 500.000,- THB all the time.

- I had made a portfolio to prove my status as “remote worker”. In that portfolio I started with a presentation of myself. Who I am, what I do/did for work, the average time I spent in Thailand since 2012, why I can run my business as a remote worker and why I think the DTV is the most suitable visa for me.

I added the most recent annual accounts of my company. This includes the balance sheet, showing a decent profit, and the shareholders with 100% of the shares on my name. All documents were in Dutch.

And finally I added a copy of the title deed of my condo to the portfolio.

I was getting nervous when the application stayed on “pending approval” for two weeks. Wondering if they would ask for some kind of labour contract or invoices, or reject my application as my next stay is only 1 month. But -luckily for me- I got approved without further requests.