DTV approved in Hanoi 4 working days, freelance. Thanks for all the good advices, now is my time to return the favour and share my experience :

My first advice is for people like me switching from non-b visa to DTV : Cancel your visa or extension of stay and work permit prior to applying ! In my case this was my mistake, I exited Thailand while on extension of stay using a re-entry permit thinking that it was the safe way in case my application would be rejected.

However from my understanding this could be a good reason for the application being rejected, plus when coming back I was held at BKK immigration, the officer was very confused and did not know what to do, I told her that I wanted my non-B to be canceled and use DTV instead, she called 3 others immigrations agents for advice, in addition to long talkings on the phone, before finally stamping me with DTV. No questions were asked, and they were very friendly, they simply seemed confused about the right thing to do considering I had 2 valid visa and a work permit ...

Now I am back in Thailand trying to cancel my work permit, hoping will not have further problems with my local immigration ..

Second advice : have your DTV also ready in your phone, for my case I printed it on a strong paper in A5 format, but it was too big for their machines to scan the QR code and the officer looked quite annoyed 😅

Regarding documents, I provided :

1) Personal IDs documents :

- 1 copy of my first passeport page

- 1 ID picture from a photobooth

2) Return informations :

- Indicated that I was planning to leave 1 week after arriving

- Wrote the flight number of intended flight (did not actually made the booking for that flight)

3) Proof of sufficient funds :

-Introduction letter and a summary of all the balance sheets documents provided for each months so they can have a global view of all the documents

- Provided 9 months of bank statements showing over 500K bahts in my french bank from 2 different bank accounts (current + savings). For each statement I provided original + self translation copy, and highlighted on the translation copy the relevant informations (total balance, account number)

4) Employment Status :

- Introduction letter explaining my situation (freelance with a single client from France, yearly income)

- Service Agreement Contract (in Engligh) signed by my client and myself, explaining the current deal and income provided by my client

- Letter written by my client (in English), explaining that I worked for them for over 10 years, and that I was free to cary out my assignments in Thailand.

- Invoices from year 2025 with matching bank statements (again provided original + self translation with highlighted relevant informations)

- Portfolio examples, screenshots from my client's website showcasing products that I had developed for them being sold.

5) Location :

- Copy of passeport page showing Vietnam visa stamp

- Flight booking to Vietnam

- Copy of boarding pass from Bangkok to Hanoi

- Condo booking confirmation for 4 nights in Hanoi

Good luck everyone :)

Rejected DTV Visa - Freelance

Hi everyone,

Just a background about me that I have 7years work permit and Non-B visa until last month and been living in Thailand since then.

I applied in Bali visa and I don’t understand why they rejected my application.

Oct 13 - Submitted the following documents:

- Photo/ Passport Page

- Driving License in Thailand, Embassy letter about my address

- Bank Statement in Bangkok Bank over 1M THB over a 6months.

- Letter from my company that I have been working remotely since 2020 and it’s okay to work in Thailand.

Oct 21 - Requested additional documents:

- New photo with neutral expression.

- Visa stamp in Bali, Accommodation, and flight ticket going to Thailand.

- Full passport pages

Oct 22 3PM - Requested another photo of me:

- Submitted again my photo I took with my phone with proper background.

Oct 22 7PM - Got rejected email from embassy without any reason.

I would like to ask if it’s possible to apply again for freelance visa or should I change to soft skill DTV?

And if it’s good to apply the next day to try again or use Issa Compass agency?

Any tips or recommendation will be helpful. 🙏

I'll be applying from Hanoi for the DTV1 (workcation) soon! Has anyone had issues with applying with 500k in the bank for less than a month?

Documents:

Freelance contract

Portfolio of freelance work (10 pages of work samples)

Status of remote work (signed by boss, dated July)

Proof of monthly income / payslip for (Wise bank)

Proof of 500k in banks (amount would have been in bank for a week or so)

Appreciate any advice. Thank you

I’m delighted to announce that I am now part of the DTV visa holders’ family! 🎉

First of all, I’d like to thank this group, which has been an invaluable source of help throughout the process.

Now it’s my turn to share my experience, especially for French applicants who are considering submitting their application at the Thai Embassy in Paris.

I submitted my application on September 5, 2025, under the *workation* category, as a freelance language teacher working exclusively online through platforms like Preply and Italki. Ten days later, I received a call from the embassy requesting a few additional documents, which I sent immediately. One week later, on September 24, I finally received the precious visa.

All in all, the wait was just under three weeks.

Good luck to all of you!

If you have any questions about the required documents, feel free to reach out. In principle, simply following the instructions provided on the website of the Thai Embassy in Paris should be enough for everything to go smoothly.

Hey everyone 👋🏼 wondering if there’s people here who have successfully gotten their DTV under the freelancer category? Would love to here your advice and feedback 😊 thanks everyone

I’m a Canadian in Thailand (5+ yrs on Non-B, paying taxes) running an AI consulting biz (HK LLC, US clients). My visa expires end-Aug 2025, so I’m applying for DTV (freelance or business owner?) to bridge to LTR for PR later. Which DTV category is best for PR transition? Planning to apply in Cambodia/Vietnam. Advice appreciated!

I just turned 20 on May 14th and I’m planning to apply for the Thailand DTV visa under the Workcation category as soon as possible. I’m currently working as a freelance Graphic Designer. I understand that the minimum age requirement is 20 years old, but since my birthday just passed, I’m a bit concerned whether this might cause any issues during the application process. If anyone has experience or reliable information regarding this, I’d really appreciate your advice. Thank you in advance! Any insights would be truly appreciated 🙏✨

Hello hello

I want to apply for a dtv visa

The situation is: I live in the district of Surat Thani and have currently a business visa & work permit

My idea is to change it to a dtv visa this month (business visa comes to an end) and I got all the needed documents to apply for the new visa

My questions:

1: I have a work contract as a freelancer - which is kind of a contradiction. So did anyone apply for this visa with a freelance work contract already?

2: I want to apply in Malaysia for the visa, how long does the process usually take - did anyone apply in Malaysia in the last 2-3 months in Penang or Kota Baru?

3: is it in theorie possible to apply first in Thailand and only if the visa is granted to leave the country

4: is it a very different process and really recommend to get help for a visa agency?

Thanks in advance 🤟🙏

Got approval of DTV in just in 2,5 workdays at Jakarta, Indonesia. Hereby some feedback, maybe it can help somebody.

Applied online in the weekend at Embassy Jakarta Indonesia, stayed on Bali, type workcation, pasport Netherlands, cost 11.700 baht, documents all in english (used deepl)

Proof of business, remotly, freelance

- letter conforming: owner business, business description, approve to work as freelance and remotly

- ⁠business registration license

- ⁠portfolio: a short description of 5 assignments and explaining my work

- ⁠4 screenshots of company website and linkedin profile

Proof of finance

- ⁠proof of 6 months bankstatement with minimal 15k euro

Proof of location

- ⁠flightticket, visa, hotelbooking

After 1,5 workday they asked for extra information:

- clear photo of biograph pasport - (yes, the system could read the first but after a second look it was a bit blury

- recent max 6 month old photo of myself - (yes, the first was same as on my pasport which was 1 year old)

- 6 months bankaccount with payment slip (yes, the first was 6 months of my saving account with no activity of payments)

Sended the asked information immediately and 1 workday later I got approval! 🥳

Tips:

- you can prepare the applyment in Thailand but dont submitt

- use deepl for translation

- use pdf Sam to make pdf files in 1 file

- if you have, give extra information / text explanation instead of less

Thanks to all the information in this group the proces went very smoothly. Thank you 🙏🏽

NOTE: due to lebaran holiday all immigration offices in Indonesia will be closed 27 march - 9 april. Not sure but this probably also counts for the Thai embassy in Jakarta.

Hello,

Just new here and wanted an advice based on my career. Im planning to move to Thailand and I wanted to ask which will be more easier to obtain in my situation, DTV visa or LTR? considering that I'm freelance interior and real estate photographer and i have my own small photography business and trade license in the country that im resident of.

And either if its DTV or LTR visa what papers will i need.

Thank you