Cambodia and Vietnam are also full page visas, and you have to use a service to get an invitation letter for Vietnam (cheap if you do it in advance). Phenom Phen is one of the sketchiest capital cities in SE Asia. If you will just fly out and back in for a 30 day visa waiver, you could literally take the cheapest round trip fare...

Any neighboring country will work and probably be comparably cheap. Vientiane Laos is generally considered an easy embassy to deal with, but is often crowded and Laos has a full page visa (takes up precious space in a crowded passport). Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam all have their charms, so it is kind of up to what you want to do for 3 or so days while you go through the process. Bali is absolutely the most low traffic Embassy, and you would likely not spend more than 5 minutes dropping off and picking up, but Bali is more expensive for the flights... Worth it in my opinion for a 3 day place to chill, but it is substantially more expensive than any of the other spots above.

There are three steps with this kind of article. With the example that was stated before, the SMART visa was announced by articles and it was widely reported as the digital nomad visa. Then it came out, and no one seemed to know exactly how it worked. Then people start looking at it in the real world, and the details get more fleshed out.

I guess the fourth step is that things really don't change too much, and only a few people are affected.

Like everything in these parts, we really won't know how it works until more details come out and people start testing the limits.

It is close, they process visas quickly, it is a fairly inexpensive city, and you don't have to pay for a visa to get in to. A lot of people prefer Laos for those reasons... I prefer Kuala Lumpur or Bali, but for a SETV it really doesn't matter too much where you go in the region if you have the means to go and chill for a few of days. Just be sure to check the consulate website for any local holiday closures and specific paperwork requirements.

I was in Europe for 6 weeks to get out of the heat...

I applied Tuesday and collected Thursday (today). They had it posted they were closed Wed-Fri, but since I dropped it off on an "open" day, they let me pick it up on a closed day. I am not sure that is a standard protocol, but at least one other person that I saw dropped off and picked up the same days.

560,000 IDR (40 USD), The visa form, flight info in and out of Thailand, a recent bank statement, and proof of accommodation (a letter from my girlfriend stating she will host me).

I have been getting back to back SETVs for a couple of years now around SE Asia, and even though it is more expensive to go to Bali than it is other countries right around Thailand, none are as quick, easy, and convenient as here.

Yeah. I was nervous about it when he told me to come back today even though they had a sign clearly saying they were going to be closed for the holiday. There was even a hand written “closed” sign on the door when I got there. I rattled the gate a bit, and the guy that works there popped out and let me in and gave me my passport.

If you plan it right, it can be as low as 240 USD round trip. That’s more than Phnom Phen or KL, but well... Bali. Add in no queue at the embassy to beaches and great food, and it really can be a bargain. Not for every visa run, but as a treat now and again. 🙂