Hi I just wanted to share my experience obtaining the DTV. I applied from Hanoi, Vietnam on 03/21 and used the soft power option, using a cooking school. I submitted the following documents:

- My Vietnam airbnb receipt

- Confirmation letter from the thai cooking school

- Proof of accommodation and flight to Thailand

- A PDF containing 6 months worth of bank statements combined with my offer letter from my US employer. Youre not required to submit an offer letter and i think they only wanted 3 months of bank statements but i wanted to demonstrate that i had sufficient income and that i do not have a thai employer. My boss is also fully aware that im in thailand and supports it

I was asked on 03/24 to submit my Vietnam entry stamp and business registration letter from the cooking school. My status immediately changed to pending approval

Officially approved on sunday 03/31.

When I arrived at BKK airport, all I did was show my DTV visa on my phone and I got my stamp. No questions asked.

The whole process was smooth and straightforward.

Has anyone had an extention granted after actually finishing their soft power activity? I went to cooking school for two weeks and was granted a Visa on those grounds. Will the certificate of completion be sufficient for en extention, or does it have to be an ongoing activity?

Can you please recommend me a cooking school in chiang mai for my dtv application please?

Applied in LA Dec 16, 2 week soft power cooking. Emailed Jan 2, further documents requested/sent Jan 4, emailed later that day with no response for weeks. Called many times but the line is disconnected. Decided to go to Thailand on my scheduled flight anyway. Emailed the consulate again Jan 26. They requested the same exact documents I previously submitted. I uploaded and emailed, then was approved today.

How to obtain educational visa?