Congratulations!

- Do print out your supporting documents especially your e-visa when coming into Thailand.

- Check your passport stamp when passing the immigration as there has been cases that the officer mistakenly uses the day visit visa instead of 180 days DTV stamp.

- Will be good to mentally prepare the small chance that they ask some questions about your intention in Thailand and how you will support yourself.

It doesn't happen often but it's good to be prepared if it comes to that. Overall your answers should match your intention of being here (i.e. your interest in Thai culture and Muay Thai classes)

We’re not familiar with any DTV-approved cooking schools in Phuket, but happy to share that we’ve had several students from Phuket, Pattaya, and Hua Hin who applied with our school and travel to Bangkok for classes!

Our programs are DTV-eligible and we offer flexible rescheduling for up to 1 or 2 years, depending on the package. Let us know if you'd like more info — happy to help

From our experience assisting DTV applicants, we wouldn’t recommend going the sponsorship letter route. Thai embassies generally do not accept this as valid financial proof.

Also note: U.S. embassies tend to be stricter about the required funds being in your own account for at least 3 months. We suggest either:

- Waiting until the funds have been in your account for 3 months (to show stable financials),

or

- Applying from a neighboring Southeast Asian country like Indonesia, Vietnam, or the Philippines. These embassies have recently been much more flexible.

Kevin Lee No, from our experience business accounts are not accepted. Same for brokerage accounts, investment accounts and Crypto wallets. I would recommend transferring the funds into a checking or savings account.

For our DTV eligible programs we have 6-months for THB 18,900 and 12-months for THB 36,900.

Hi Oscar! Happy to share some info based on our experience assisting applicants through our cooking school and visa agent partners:

1) ED Visa: Your current ED visa won’t affect your DTV application. Many of our students either let their ED visa expire first or cancel it before applying — both have worked without issue.

2) Bank Balance: While the guideline mentions a 3-month minimum, we’ve seen successful approvals from certain embassies (like Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam) even with only 1–2 months of THB 500,000+ in the account. Approval also depends on the overall strength of your profile.

3) Not all embassies strictly enforce this. Most of our applicants did not need to translate or notarize documents.

Hope this helps!

Congratulations! Do print out your supporting documents especially your e-visa when coming into Thailand. Do also mentally prepare the small chance that they ask some questions about your intention in Thailand and how you will support yourself.

It doesn't happen often but it's good to be prepared if it comes to that. Overall your answers should match your intention of being here (i.e. workation or soft power)

Hi Nicole! From what you’ve described, your contract sounds acceptable since:

- It’s ongoing with a clear start date

- You’ve been working with the same company since 2023

- You have proof of continued work, like the schedule for September

Even though it's a zero-hour contract, the key is showing:

- Consistent past payments

- Evidence of upcoming work (like your semester plan)

- A letter from your employer confirming the nature of your job and that the arrangement continues

What also helps is you include a cover letter explaining your situation. Hope this clarifies!

Congratulations! Do print out your supporting documents especially your e-visa when coming into Thailand. Do also mentally prepare the small chance that they ask some questions about your intention in Thailand and how you will support yourself.

It doesn't happen often but it's good to be prepared if it comes to that. Overall your answers should match your intention of being here.

To clarify, If you’re applying under the DTV Soft Power category (e.g. Muay Thai or Cooking Classes), your main purpose in Thailand should be cultural participation, not remote work. However, there’s no official restriction that forbids you from working online for an overseas company, as long as:

- You’re not working with Thai clients or companies

- You’re not generating Thai-sourced income

In fact, many approved applicants under Soft Power do show income from overseas sources (bank statements, proof of savings, etc.) to meet the THB 500,000+ requirement — and this has not caused issues, because it's not considered “working in Thailand.”

From an immigration/legal standpoint, it's still a grey area technically, but in practice, Thai embassies have been accepting this setup — especially if you clearly state your reason for entering as cultural learning and have already paid for a qualified program.

If you’re unsure what to write on the form (e.g. “Occupation” or “Purpose of visit”), most applicants choose:

“Student” (since you're enrolling in a cultural course)

And for occupation, something like “Freelancer”, “Remote worker”, or simply leave it as unemployed if unsure — what matters more is proof of funds and program enrollment.

We’ve helped over 90 DTV applicants through our cooking school and partner agencies and this has been our experience. Hope this clarifies