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expat advice
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Is it mandatory to have a hotel and flight booked in TH prior to submit the application?
First I need to know if my visa will be approved, then I plan my trip. It's a common sense.
I'll be applying workcation from my home country in case it matters.
The user manual.pdf from their website mark accomodation and flight as mandatory, but the examples are for different visas, such as tourist and diplomatic visa.
I was rejected for the DTV in Ho Chi Minh back in October, and I plan to reapply from Indonesia in January.
Since the rejection, I’ve changed jobs and my income has changed. I’m worried that if the embassies share data, the difference in my income statement might look suspicious.
Has anyone successfully reapplied with a new job or different financial documents? I’d appreciate any advice on how to handle this!
Hello everyone! I have a question regarding the DTV visa and TM30 registration. If my rental contract states that the lease starts on a certain date and ends on a later date (for example, a full year), should I indicate the end date of the lease in the TM30 form as well? Or is it better to leave the checkout date open-ended? I’m concerned about potential issues with immigration if the visa validity period doesn’t match the lease end date.
Has anyone experienced this before? What approach did you take, and did it cause any issues with immigration? I’d appreciate any insights or advice on how to handle this situation.
Hi all, I applied as a Singaporean as a freelancer in HCM and got it approved in about 3 weeks total.
For context, I was rejected twice in Singapore for insufficient funds. First time was my fault- I was trying my luck by submitting my investment accounts (they’ve stated they wont accept that) and second time I got rejected because the *final ending balance* for one of my bank statements did not meet the minimum requirement.
I was advised to apply outside of Singapore. This is the timeline and documents I submitted:
27 Nov evening: submitted all documents- with 3 months of bank statements.
1 Dec: asked for further documents: all passport pages, document describing my self employment, portfolio and resume, and proof of qualifications. (I am an online fitness coach)
2 Dec evening: submitted further documents.
8 Dec evening: status changed on the website from “pending document check” to “pending approval”
12 Dec 5:50pm: received email of approval and PDF of visa.
Total working days: 11 days.
It was definitely a nerve wracking experience, but I’m so happy to finally have obtained it. The wait may have been long but it was worth it. For those applying in HCMC, please be patient! If you meet all the requirements there should be no issue.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Does anyone have recommendations for renting condos in Bangkok? I have been looking into renting a condo using facebook groups however i am running into issues.
Has anyone else seen on the official website that the visa is approved and sent by email, but did not actually receive the email with the visa? I have checked my spam and junk folders as well, and there is nothing there. Thank you in advance.
My experience in Laos. DTV. The process took 15 business days. I spent 20 days in Vientiane, Laos! Quite a long time! I spent the first week submitting all the required documents on the website. Then, a week later, I waited for an email confirming my interview appointment. In total, I had to be in Laos for three weeks. On the day of the interview, it lasted about ten minutes. They asked me: "What will you do in Thailand? Why are you applying for the DTV? How will you support yourself? What do you do for work?" "How is your bank account?" And a receipt or letter proving that I had already paid for a Muay Thai, cooking, or other course. After that, they told me to check my email after 2:00 PM. At 2:30 PM, I was approved. This method only works for those who can prove they have the money in their bank account.
(The bank can be from anywhere in the world, but it must be in your name.)
I had an agent who helped me with the whole process at a fair price. I highly recommend him. If you have any further questions, send me a direct message! I went through Bangkok airport without any problems. I entered and exited as a tourist more than five times in the same year, 2025, without a DTV (Documentary Travel Visa), and I have many stamps from all over the world. I made a friend there in Laos; he's German and traveled overland from Vientiane to Udon Thani by bus for 20 THB. He told me they stopped at the border to get their passports stamped, etc., and that the staff was very friendly and didn't ask any questions. He simply showed his approved visa and passport, and from Udon Thani, he took his flight to Bangkok without any problems. I took it directly from Laos to Bangkok!
I'm currently applying for the DTV in KL, and after doing some research, I found out that it's one of the hardest places to apply from since they requested authenticated documents, but the US embassy doesn't authenticate those documents in Malaysia.
I was wondering if it'd be easier to go to another country, like Vietnam, and start the process there. If so, do I have to withdraw my process in KL?
I’ve had a DTV since earlier in the year and managed to open a bank account shortly after (wasn’t easy).
I’m planning to move to a new city and province in the next month.
I’m reluctant to inform my local branch in case it causes issues (e.g. order me to close and reopen a new account at my new local branch or even just re-review and clsoe account given my visa type)
My questions for those of you who have experience of Thai banking;
1. Do I need to inform the branch where I opened the account that I’m moving province?
2. If I don’t inform them are there any drawbacks or consequences to this?
For extra context; I haven’t had need to go into the local branch since opening. I have other multiyear investment products / bonds tied to the account which is win/win to keep open for both myself and the branch. Total volume going though the account is reasonably high and account is well used.
Hiya everyone I've been on holiday twice already this year staying with my girlfriend at her home in udon Thani I've booked and paid for a flight back over Christmas 16th dec till 5th of January and didn't realise i would need a visa and now no time to get one I'm from the UK and have a UK passport over the last few years I've been 6 times with no problems any advice or do I cancel and lose my money for the flight