DTV 180 Day Extension

Hey everyone,

What requirements need to be met to extend the DTV beyond 180 days each year?

The risk of a soft power DTV application is getting too much. We need clear rules on what is allowed and what isn’t. People on here guessing or saying how it ought to be is all well and good, but without official rules we’re all clueless about the validity of this 5 year visa based on soft power courses

Hi to all of you!

I have a question concerning the new rules with visa exempt and visa extension.

If I understand well we can technically obtain 2 visa exempt in a calendar year and for the first exempt a 30 days extension and for the second visa exempt a possible 7 days extension.

Now, if I arrived in october 17 and got a 30 days visa extension until january 14:

1- if I go for a border run I should have an other visa exempt;

2- for the visa extension will I have only a possible 7 days extension or because I will be in a new calendar year I would be able to get a 30 days extension.

Also I'm flying back in Canada on april 15 which gave me a 6 months trip.

If I can't get an other 30 days extension I will simply spend a month or in Laos or in Malaysia and come back for the 2 last months of my 6 months trip in Thailand.

I'm 71 years old and spending 6 months a year out of Canada is good enough for me.

And yes next time I will probably apply for a MEV (multi entry visa).

Thanks to all and please if you got nothing positive or usefull about my case I just rather hear nothing from you.

Thanks again!

Update: OK group. I got it. No need for more comments on this one. THANK YOU ALL for your comments and help.

Does anyone have experience of the Jomtien office? I am aged over 60 and have a non O visa (issued in London) for single entry 90 days but can only stay for 56 days as I need to go back to London for some appointments. If I deposit the 800,000 funds in advance of arrival, and so have the funds on deposit for the necessary 2 months, what chance is there that the Jomtien office would accept an early application for a retirement extension after only 45-50 days after arrival.

However, since I currently plan to spend only 3-5 months per year in Thailand and never spend more than 60 days per visit, I think it will probably be simpler just to return on visa exemptions or another O visa when needed.

I wanted to share a real-world update from my current stay in Thailand in case it’s helpful to anyone stressing about border runs. I’m married to a Thai (4 years now) and usually stay in the village at her home. My pattern is pretty simple: I come for about two months at a time, every six months or so. U.S. passport, long validity, nothing exotic.

This trip I planned a longer stay — around three months — splitting time between Koh Tao for diving, village time to work on the house, and a quick side trip to Laos for some ziplining and waterfalls. We use my wife’s online immigration account (tm30.immigration.go.th) to log my address every time, so immigration has had a complete record of my movements for years.

Here’s the part people worry about:

When I left Thailand for Laos, I had 2 days left on my original visa-exempt entry. Zero issues leaving. I did the visa on arrival at Chong Mek (not the e-visa — timing didn’t work), which did take up a full passport page. Stayed two nights in Laos. When I came back, Thai immigration stamped me in with a fresh 60-day exemption with no comments, no questions, no drama.

Despite all the fear-mongering (one attorney/agent even told me not to go), the reality was simple: If you’re not trying to live in Thailand indefinitely off back-to-back tourist exemptions, you’re probably fine. My travel pattern is normal, my stays are reasonable, and immigration treated it exactly that way.

Posting this for balance — the internet tends to amplify the horror stories, not the routine experiences that go smoothly.

-- Pic of me and my wife added for a bit of flex. And yes — before anyone says it — I’m fully aware I’m punching above my weight class. 😄

Hi! Last December I arrived to Thailand and left for a 3 week long trip to Cambodia before exceeding the 60 days, around the early days of February. I came back to Bangkok at the end of February. Stayed until the end of April, then returned to Hungary, my home country.

I travelled back to Thailand at the end of September (so I spent 5 months outside of the country) and will fly to Vietnam this weekend. I have never exceeded the 60 days before leaving and never had a visa extension. I plan returning to Thailand in the middle of December. Should I worry about getting rejected and start thinking about applying for a visa instead of getting the usual stamp at arrival?

Some advise please on the new visa requirements.

I plan on staying in Thailand for 3 to 6 months then returning to the UK for 1 month then flying out to again for another 3 to 6 months, could this be done on a Tourist Visa or would i need a 1 year single / multiple entry Visa

Any advice would be welcome

Hello,

I applied for the DTV under the “soft power” category, and I have an upcoming interview at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Osaka. If anyone has gone through a similar interview, could you share what kind of questions or topics were asked? I would really appreciate any information.

Sharing our experience 😊

Hubby applied for soft power DTV in HCMC on 2/11/25 @ 8:15pm.

4/11/25 -They requested all passport pages and 6 months bank statements (he initially uploaded 3 months). He uploaded docs same day.

5/11/25 - They requested proof of letter stating ongoing pension and what his plans were in Thailand after the 6 month course. He uploaded docs same day. Stating he intended to keep training Muay Thai.

6/11/25 - Pending approval

10/11/25 - Approved

Arriving back in Bangkok 10/11 IO didnt request to see any print out of DTV. Initially stamped in with 60 days until she realised there was a DTV attached in which she scribbled the date out, corrected to 180 days and that was it.

My advice, check your dates before leaving the IO counter 😊

Hi. I'm retired this year and would like to stay in Thailand. I want to make a combination of 9 months Thailand and 3 months Belgium to see my kids. June, July and August I would be gone. I can prove I have 65.000 Baht every month but I not have the 800K to put in a bank. What kind of visum should I ask?

Thanks, Mario Belgium