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expat issues in thailand

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This page displays all the results for the Expat Issues in Thailand tag, sorted by the most recent activity. There are a total of 33 questions that have been tagged with Expat Issues in Thailand. Explore the questions to find discussions and information relevant to this topic.
Oct 2, 2025
7 days ago
Hi, I’m submitting a DTV workation application from Hanoi very soon and would like to hear some opinions on how I should best present my proof of ending balances of over THB 500,000.

Here are my possibilities, if you were in my shoes which one of these 3 options would you select and why:

1. Wise account that shows over THB 500,000 saved up for 3 months or more.

2. New Zealand bank account that also shows over THB 500,000 saved up, but has only had that amount in there for 3 weeks. Before that it had almost nothing.

3. Submit statements for both accounts in application. I realize submitting 2 accounts can be confusing and count against you, but surely it's not an issue if both account have over 500,000?

It’s a bit of a headache because Wise isn’t a proper bank, but the statement from the actual bank is under 3 months. And yes, I’ve looked up old posts in this group beforehand and it has helped a lot. But I’m keen to hear fresh takes, especially from those who’ve successfully applied from Hanoi. Thanks!
Sep 12, 2025
a month ago
Brett ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
# Taipei DTV Application Experience and Advice

1. E-Visa Application Online - Don't Apply In Person

I got my Certificate of Entry and Exit from the National Immigration Agency (NIA) on Monday and went to the Thailand Trade and Economic Office on Tuesday to apply in person.

The lady there just told me to apply online at [[members only]/)

Afterwards, I did see some people on here mentioned that, but since I did my research on here and overlooked that I think it is worth mentioning again.

2. "City of birth" on the application should match "Place of birth" on your passport.

A few days after I applied I received an email saying I needed to go to the Thailand Trade and Economic Office for an interview.

The lady who interviewed me complained that the information I provided didn't match my passport. I had no idea what she was talking about at first, but then she told me it is because my passport "place of birth", which is a state in the USA, did not match my application form, which asks for "city of birth" and that's what I provided.

Apparently, I need to hand write and sign a letter clarifying that the city in my application is located within the state on my passport.

3. For Workcation DTV - Business Registration / License Certificate Is Required

This shocked me. I work for one of the most visited websites in the world. Not only did I provide my employment verification letter and bank statements, but I provided 6 months of payslips since I saw some recent posts of people mentioning they provided those as well.

Regardless, the interviewer told me I needed to provide a business registration certificate or a copy of the business license.

The lady interviewing me was treating me as if I was defrauding them. I asked her why this wasn't just asked for in the first place as part of the application requirements if they were going to ask for it anyways. She said something like "we don't know what we will need until you apply". 🙄

4. Accused That Employment Verification Didn't Indicate "Remote Work" Status Even Though It Does

As aforementioned the lady interviewing me was extremely rude and treated me skeptically from the moment the interview started.

After the aforementioned complaints, she said "also your employment letter doesn't state that you work remotely" and when I said yes it does and pointed right at the line on the document in her hand she just said "oh".

Extra Content - Venting

I have dealt with "less than kind people" when applying for visas for other countries, but I am still astounded by how bad this experience was. This lady was extremely rude and skeptical towards me from the very beginning.

If they needed a business registration document then they should just ask for that when you apply.

They shouldn't ask for the city of birth on the E-Visa application and then treat you like you're committing fraud because it doesn't match place of birth in your passport.

They shouldn't fold their arms and tell me my employment verification letter doesn't say I can work remotely when it does.

Also, in the very beginning when she was asking about my work I said "it is one of the most visited websites in the world", but couldn't remember which exact number so I pulled out my phone to check and she said "well you should know this since this is your line of work" as if I was lying about my employment.

I've never seen somebody unnecessarily power trip like this so hard in my whole life. It seems like they are just inventing excuses to "interview you" for approval, when I already submitted everything they asked for and filled out everything correctly.

Final Words

I went to Taipei because somebody else I know who got the DTV said it was easiest and fastest there.

I went out of my way to come to Taipei just to apply for this visa.

I think it is clear that it is no longer the easiest or the fastest option. I would recommend to anybody else considering this that they should just apply from the country they spend most of their time in. I am now wishing I would have.
Sep 10, 2025
a month ago
Jack ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
This is going to start our like I'm just complaining about the banks, but it builds up to an interesting situation and I'm curious to hear some predictions. Also if you are the kind of wag who bitches about long posts- you should stop reading now. This will exceed your attention span.

Marriage visa. Doing the one year renewal- if I mess up the vocabulary forgive me, but hopefully everyone knows what I mean. Not a 90 day check in. Not a new visa. For this year I want to move from the 400k to the 40k a month. I've been wiring cash into Thailand the first week of the month for three years. I popped into immigration a couple months ago with a bank statement because I'd seen people have trouble here where it doesn't show the transfer as coming from overseas.

For those of you in that situation here is (I think) the problem. When you use a service like Wise they keep accounts in various countries and to save themselves money instead of transferring your dollar from Kansas to Bangkok they take your dollar and transfer one of their dollars already in Bangkok to your final destination. I believe the "reason for transfer" informs exactly how they do. I'm using e trade not wise and the closest option they have is something like "expenses for travel". They have one for "compensation" but the transfer from USA to Thailand in my case isn't compensation, I've already been compensated, I'm just moving the money. This is important later in the story.

So I went in and showed the statement and a couple of bored officers went through it with a fine tooth comb. I had theorized that one of the codes indicated the source- this is either not true or they don't know the codes. They explained I needed a report signed by the bank that verified the origin of the transfers. The lady also wrote a note and her number and stapled it in my passport so I could show the bank and they could call if they needed help. I took a trip in August and the officer who stamped me out of Thailand removed it and threw it away. I gotta say they have more than their share of rude staff in bkk.

Okay fast forward to yesterday when I go to the bank and try to explain what I need. The woman gives me a bank form with 4 different reports listed. The third one (I think? Maybe second?) was "internal remittance". I sit and wait and eventually a guy brings me report 1 "average balance" I explain this is not what I want.

Okay and here we have outrage point number one. Stuff like this just kills me and I know I need to develop my meipenrai, but it is hard sometimes. He basically says "I've never done that report and don't know how to do it so I did this one instead.". Whoever started this habit in the culture here should be strung up. Anyway, so I explain again. He then calls the branch I opened my account in and they basically refuse to do it. The claim first that my choosing "travel expenses" is wrong and somehow that means they can't do it. Then they change the story to "this is only for people buying houses" and then to "the farang can go soak his head, we are busy". The fellow helping me says "maybe we just print 12 months of statements and you could try that? Which is basically him trying to get me to do the same dumb thing he did. But my wife just wants to roll over so I compromise. I'll take the wrong report, but you give me your phone number and when it's wrong you talk to immigration and they can repeat what I said and since they are Thai and you sir are racist maybe you will believe them. He reluctantly agrees, off I go.

So the triage nurse at immigration seems to think it is fine and my wife gets smug because I was negative for nothing. I harbor doubts. I am sent to a desk where I signed my name ONE HUNDRED AND SIX TIMES.

PROTIP: use a separate bank account for immigration than you do for your daily transfer with a household of 7 people.

We are almost done and I ask the officer "I was told very clearly by the lady at the next desk that I had to have a report from the bank that said the transfers came from overseas and the one you are holding is the same report as she inspected a couple of months ago" he was slightly startled and confessed they don't actually check that at this stage in the process. It will get kicked back in 2 weeks and I'll need to fix it then. So I basically wasted a solid 8 hours at the bank and signing documents that are wrong.

The good news is I actually got my stamp and that failing the paperwork doesn't mean you don't get the visa it just means you need to redo some stuff.

So, expert assessments? Will the report sneak through? Will I just need a fresh one later? Does choosing "expenses for travel" fail the "this came from abroad" test?

One more note. After the remote branch was invoked I commented that once this was over I wanted to close my account and open a new one where I live now. The banker freaked out and said it is basically impossible to open a new account now. Take that with a grain of salt after the rest of his performance, but it jives with the rumors I've been seeing here.
Aug 20, 2025
2 months ago
Jim *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
With Bangkok bank freezing bank accounts for lodgement and withdrawals at the moment till accounts can be verified in original branch. This will also stop funds being transferred for seasoning so could affect future visa applications. As not everyone is in Thailand at the moment and may not be possible to me make it in time.
Jul 17, 2025
3 months ago
Md *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
i applied for thai visa..i submit my all doc like air and hotel confirmation documents.. but till they send me this (Travel booking confirmation: Registration voucher of residence for visitors from oversea accommodation registration form)

I don’t know what thats mean..can you guys help me what actually they want...beacuse i already booked hotel and submit that..but they send me this..!!💔💔

Thank you🙏
Jun 5, 2025
4 months ago
John ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My landlord was not aware that he had to notify immigration and did not declare my arrival . I need to today apply for a non o visa but there is no tm 30 to show . Will I have problems . I intend to stay at the same address
Jun 5, 2025
4 months ago
Stephen ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
How do the agents for a retirement visa magic 800k in your bank account and provide the visa !? Do they bribe immigration officers is it legit? I understand you could I invest the 800k making good intrest rather than it sat there doing zip.
May 25, 2025
4 months ago
Paul ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi everyone

Under the more part. I have been with my girl now for 9 years this year and want to get married. I’m divorced and from the uk. We usually do all the paperwork on all my visa and reports when in Thailand. She helps with most of it. So can anyone give me a bullet point explanation of the process please.

Obviously people are going to say don’t do it. But I’m also building our home up in the village so to late on that point.

I also have kids and grandchildren in uk who will come and visit the home and spend holidays there. Also my children and grandchildren are  financially taken care of when I pass on.

Thanks in advance🙏
May 13, 2025
5 months ago
Kayla ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi everyone, looking for advice about getting a child dependent visa.

My daughter is 1, born in Thailand (not Thai). My visa supplied by an international school. Was advised that we didn't need a visa for her as she cannot overstay but the last time we entered we were held up for half an hour and told very sternly by immigration that we must sort out her visa. Apparently she cannot have certain types of visa as she is under 3.

Is there any way of doing this from inside Thailand and we're about nervous about getting back in again! Also the visas my work have suggested are only valid 90 days so don't seem like a straightforward option if we need to keep leaving to renew them.

Very grateful for any advice, thank you!
Apr 5, 2025
6 months ago
Hello. May I know if I can request E Visa page for already issued DTV Visa? Because I got mine before they change to E-Visa system. So I only have Visa Stamp in my passport.

What happened is the bank asked me to provide E-Visa page to open bank account (ttb).

Although I had explained why I don’t have E Visa they keep asking for it. The Visa stamp in my passport is not enough for them.
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