When you apply for an extension at immigration office, they just check if you still use the visa correct and comply to all requirements. You should have the 500K always when you are in Thailand.

Only when you still comply, you will get the extension.

At the border they do not check most times.

When you book a border run, they wil also arrange a smooth operation for you at immigration, that is where you pay for.

@Jonas ************

Visa application is not done by immigration, so the comparison between evisa and immigration forms is not useful.

I do not see any difference in process between DTV and other visa in the evisa application.

Of course what you have to proof for a 5 year DTV is different from a 60 day TR visa, just because the requirements are different.

The advice from most embassies is that you should apply between 1 and 3 months before travel.

@Peter ********

In your world you are legitimate when you are not checked and caught? Even when you are entering illegal? Stange idea! Publish guidelines how you extend your activity? They do not even tell you you need to do TM 47 reporting. We are not in US where people need instructions with their microwave it should not be use to dry pets.

@Sean ******

I am not worrying, I am aware of the visa requirements for the next years, and for the near future I do not have any problems to comply with them. And when I retire I can use the non-o retirement visa without any problem.

Only very few checks at the border, but technically when you do not comply to the requirements anymore you are entering the country illegal.

The risk of getting caught is close to zero, but not completely zero.

@Peter **********

I also think there is no reason to stop DTV. As long as the DTV holder is complying to the visa rules, meaning having an ongoing activity, they indeed bring in money.

And you are right visa exempt is abused a lot, it should be only for tourists.

Also ED and non-o retirement are abused a lot, but DTV holders who keep using their visa when their activity ends or not even attend the activity they got the visa for, are just as much abusing as the others, no more, no less.

@Peter ********

I have no problem with the ease of obtaining a visa, I even think it should be much more easy, but I only say that a lot of people here think that once they obtained the visa, there are no requirements anymore, and they are completely wrong there, because visa requirements stay active during the whole period the visa is valid, unless stated different. That is not only for all Thai visa, but normally also for other visa around the world. For DTV this means 500K, ongoing soft power or workcation activity. Immigration does not need to implement own rules to check this, it is just their job to check the requirements as mentioned by the law. And as long as you comply to those requirements you can legally border bounce as much as you want, it is a multi entry 5 year visa. When you not longer comply with the visa requirements, like not having 500K or not having ontving activity, you still might be able to get into the country, because chances to get checked are low, but you have to realize that in that case you stay in the country illegal and that might cause problems. It is as simple as that, and everybody decides if it is worth the risk.

@James *****

I have no problem with English, you ended your post with "What would you call that?" after the previous poster told it is not a scam. My reaction that you can not call it a scam is perfect english, maybe you would have better understood it when I used "one" and not "you", but use of the word "you" was not incorrect here.

@James *****

It is common in most countries, no possibilities to change, no refunds. Ther is nothing to accept or reject on this kind of processes. If you not agree the process there is only one solution, don't use it or get used to it.