It is in the Thai's DNA, that they jump into something in half-baked, ill thought through manner, then sort of stumble through it, and eventually get back to where they were, and change it without of course any recognition let alone admission that they screwed up - it is always the actions of others that have forced them to make another change. Anyone could have seen that extending visa-free from 30d to 60d would attract the 'wrong crowd' i.e. the sort of people that do not want to pay the pretty small cost of a visa, and/or do not want the review of their credentials that goes with a visa application - are not likely to be the type of people you want here anyway. It is similar to the cannabis law. They threw the gates open, and were then surprised by the most obvious things. Someone else on here commented on the lines of 'DTV next' - which would not be a surprise given that the DTV is really two different visas flying under the same banner, and the fact that it is such a stark contrast to the rest of the Thai visa landscape in terms of offering such good value and such freedom. I have always thought that the DTV visa will be changed, such that the 'soft power' options will have visa duration tied to the length of the booked courses, and more rigorous and more frequent checks on the 'workation' option to check their financials and them not working with or for Thai businesses.

I was thinking of going for DTV, but decided to hold off and see how it beds down. In some respects, it looks almost too good to be true (in particular Thai Soft Powers option), so I am worried that they start clamping down on it. Sure enough, I spoke with a couple of agents over the past few days and Immigration are now definitely tightening up on it. They are retrospectively cancelling the visa i.e. after it has been granted and the holder has been living in Thailand, after going through the paperwork and checking everything again i.e. checking the legitimacy of bookings that were claimed (Muay Thai, medical etc), checking the legitimacy of companies used in the submissions, checking that projected income claimed has been credited into the bank accounts etc. People caught out have their visas cancelled, and are given a 7 day stamp on their passport. The way I see this moving is the DTV being split into two - (i) Soft Power option will not get 5 years, and will be based on the bookings made, (ii) Workation option will be subjected to more rigorous checks on application, and regular checks on income claimed thereafter (probably annually). Just my personal feeling, but that's the way I see it going.

So, you did not have to provide any documents re your accommodation in Thailand ? (I was expecting to have to provide something like a rent/lease agreement)

It is infamous (as in a bit of a pain in the arse, and a bit silly buy typical Thai bureaucracy in action) but pretty straightforward process. It will not have been on your visa documentation as it is not vis specific - it applies to any foreigner staying in Thailand for 90 day or more and has to be done at least every 90 days you are there. You have to go to an IO (Immigration Office) with your passport and some evidence of where you are staying (rent agreement etc - but IO's can vary a little in what docs they actually require so worth visiting to get their specific reqs ahead). You will then get a little slip of paper that they staple to you passport, and you keep that there until your next 90 days. After you have done your first one, you can do later ones online. There is another process called TM30 which is where your residence is reported to Immigration upon your arrival (has to be done within 24 hrs - at least in theory). This is supposed to be a landlord's responsibility, but whilst hotels and large resorts almost always do it, smaller resorts, individual lettings and AirBnB places generally do not, and I am afraid, as unfair as it sounds some of them simply won't do it and you have to do it instead as all the IO's will refuse to do any process for you unless you have an up to date TM30. I am happy to help advise you on any of this if you want any more info or guidance - just DM me.

@Solenne *******************

Some guy left a very good explanation of the whole visa application process at Jakarta embassy on Google maps - including times for applications and times for visa passport/visa collection, and other tips. just click on the embassy and you will see it - I found it very very useful