@Karen ***********

I don't understand what the fact your husband is still working has to do with the retirement visa.

The only thing I can think of is the fact that retirement visa needs in country extension at a fixed month and when you are not in the country because of the job that might cause problems.

That depends on the country you apply, in most cases when you apply in the country where you live that is not necessary.

In case you are a visa tourist it might be different.

@Nick *****

no problem, you can just keep thinking DTV and Elite are more or less the same. Banks obviously know it is completely different and that is why they accept Elite visa holders and don't accept DTV holders as customers.

@Nick *****

The fact that you can only extend ONE TIME is a very clear indication that the DTV is not meant for CONTINUOUS USE. You cannot extend it twice a year as you suggest, then you need a NEW STAY, but somehow you are unable to understand this simple logic. And indeed it is simple to trick the system by doing a borderrun, but the fact that you have to do such stupid things as borderruns is already an indication that you trick the system. In general abusing something is certainly possible without breaking rules, abusing is not the same as illegal, but that might also be difficult to understand for some people. Abusing something is nothing more or less than using something in a way it was not meant.

@Nick *****

you keep saying DTV and Elite are almost same, you do not seem to understand it is really completely different. When tricking to use DTV to be a visa for residents you can indeed maken it lookalike. The fact that some people have no other option than to abuse a visa might be simply because a country might not want so me groups. Elite visa might be quite expensive, but five years of soft power also is not really cheap.

@Mark *******

Reasons I have DTV and not non-o are simple, non-o needs in country extension always at the same month in the year and I only spend maximum half of the year in Thailand, so it is unpractical.

The 500K locking of money in a low interest account for DTV is not a problem for me.

I have a job where I can work remote, from our own house with our own fiber internet.

When this situation changes I would go for non-o

@Nick *****

That 5 minutes at the border and get back in is tricking the system, perfectly legal, but anyone can understand that it is not meant to do that way.

If DTV was designed to stay 5 years uninterrupted in the country they would have made it possible to extend in the country as much as you want, and not just once.

When too many people trick the system this way, immigration might change rules.

@Elías *******

Just show me such an official site, Thai embassy in Netherlands does not say it anywhere like that. Only workcation or softpower activity is mentioned. A workcation normally will not last 5 years.

@Elías *******

when you live 5 years almost uninterrupted in Thailand on a DTV you are tricking the system. The fact that a stay is maximum 360 days makes it very clear that it is not meant to use it that way. Tricking means that you are using something in a way it should not be used in a completely legal way.

@Nick *****

For Elite you can stay uninterrupted for up to 20 years when you want, for DTV you only can stay uninterrupted 360 days. A DTV stay can only be extended once. That there are obligations for both DTV and Elite is a different thing. Long term only refers to the maximum length of stay and that is 360 or 7305, which in my opinion is a big difference.