Applying for the METV is cheaper and easier. You might have to show a flight into Thailand, out of Thailand and then back into Thailand to indicate you require it, but I'd check first. It's great if you aren't sure if Thailand is a longer term thing and gives you the 6 months you want, you'd just need to do a border hop at the 3 month mark. You want to apply pretty close to your actual departure date since it effective the day it's issued. The other option would be visa exempt, go to Vietnam or Indonesia for a couple of weeks, then come back visa exempt.

@Sam ****

this is the link for the DTV group.

Like any FB group there are a lot of "experts" who have no actual clue, bitter expats and people who haven't gone through the application process but have some intelligent contributions. We applied last year through the consulate in Vancouver and didn't have any issues. You can email them if you have direct questions, sometimes they answer the phone, they are quick to respond. My husband got the "workcation" and I am a dependent. It was pretty easy, just a matter of making sure we had the right documents. For your girlfriend, she'll need soft power. The course will have to be minimum 6 months and approved by the appropriate ministries to be applicable. There are numerous Muay Thai and approved cooking classes out there, but you need to determine where you would be staying first.

Check the website for which ever Thai embassy you'll be using in Vietnam. Join the DTV group and search, lots of posts in that group. Every embassy is different, some want minimum 3 months others want 6.

@Tony **********

I'd suggest you get an agent to help with entry, the owner of this group is one. If they think they can get you entry they'll let you know. Once here, they can assist you with getting a proper visa as well.

@Dca ****

Vancouver consulate was great to deal with, helpful and responsive. When we applied at the end of July, my husband, main DTV holder, was approved in a couple of hours. My dependant was less then 24 hrs.

It you search in the group for Canada or even Ottawa you'll see a few comments. We applied through Vancouver but that was last July and a lot has changed since then.

OrangeLion756 It's not a scam when the website for the Thai embassy in KL clearly lists the requirements. They have a DTV checklist that you can download that states exactly what they are asking you to provide, it's item 9. It has also been discussed in this group. The information was out there, unfortunately you missed it while doing your research where to apply. Your only option is to try and get the embassies your deal with to provide you copies of what's required. If you can't do that, you'll be rejected. Not all embassies have this requirement so you need to do research if you decide to apply elsewhere. Hopefully better luck next time if you can't make this application work.

If the embassy you apply through asks for documents you can't just "pass through without fulfilling" the request. Malaysia has been known to be one of the strictest places to apply even as far back as last fall. You can try to write a letter stating why you can't provide those items but are probably better off to take loss on the fee and apply elsewhere.

We did similar, we left for about 6 weeks, and had no issues or questions returning.

When we applied in July 24, we only had to provide 1 month statement. The Vancouver consulate is very responsive so you can email them to ask if you are based Manitoba west.